every church have a Bible in English, and that the people be
commanded to convene to hear the plain reading or interpretation of
the Scriptures, as the Church shall appoint; so that, by frequent
reading, this gross ignorance, which in the cursed Papistry hath
overflown all, may partly be removed. We think it most expedient
that the Scriptures be read in order, that is, that some one book
of the Old and the New Testament be begun and orderly read to the
end. And the same we judge of preaching, where the minister for the
most part remaineth in one place. For this skipping and divagation
from place to place of the Scripture, be it in reading or be it in
preaching, we judge not so profitable to edify the Church, as the
continual following of a text.
Every master of household must be commanded either to instruct, or
else cause to be instructed, his children, servants, and family, in
the principles of the Christian religion; and without the knowledge
of them none ought to be admitted to the Table of the Lord Jesus.
For such as be so dull and so ignorant that they can neither
try themselves nor know the dignity and mystery of that action
cannot eat and drink of that Table worthily. We therefore judge it
necessary that, every year at least, public examination be had by
the ministers and elders of the knowledge of every person within the
Church; to wit, that every master and mistress of household come
themselves, and so many of their family as be come to maturity,
before the ministers and elders, to give confession of their faith,
and to answer to such chief points of religion as the ministers
shall demand. Such as be ignorant in the Articles of their Faith;
understand not, nor cannot rehearse the commandments of God; know
not how to pray, nor wherein their righteousness consists, ought not
to be admitted to the Lord's Table. If these stubbornly continue,
and suffer their children and servants to continue in wilful
ignorance, the discipline of the Church must proceed against them
unto excommunication; and then must the matter be referred to the
Civil Magistrate. For, seeing that the just liveth by his own faith,
and that Christ Jesus justifieth by knowledge of Himself, we judge
it insufferable that men shall be permitted to live and continue in
ignorance as members of the Church of God.
Moreover, men, women, and children would be exhorted to exercise
themselves in the Psalms, that when the church conveneth and doth
sing, they may be the more able, with common heart and voice, to
praise God.
We think it expedient that, in private houses, the most grave and
discreet person use the Common Prayers at morn and at night, for
the comfort and instruction of others. For, seeing that we behold
and see the hand of God now presently striking us with divers
plagues, we think it a contempt of His judgments, or a provocation
of His anger more to be kindled against us, if we be not moved to
repentance of our former unthankfulness and to earnest invocation
of His name. Only His power may, and great mercy will, if we
unfeignedly convert unto Him, remove from us these terrible plagues
which now for our iniquities hang over our heads. "Convert us, O
Lord, and we shall be converted."
XII. For Preaching and Interpretation of Scriptures, etc.
To the end that the Church of God may have a trial of men's
knowledge, judgments, graces, and utterances, and that such as
somewhat have profited in God's Word may from time to time grow
to more full perfection to serve the Church, as necessity shall
require, it is most expedient that, in every town where schools
and repair of learned men are, there be a certain day every week
appointed to that exercise which Saint Paul calleth prophesying.
The order thereof is expressed by him in these words: "Let two or
three prophets speak; and let the rest judge. But if anything be
revealed to him that sitteth by, let the former keep silence. For
ye may, one by one, all prophesy, that all may learn, and all may
receive consolation. And the spirits, that is, the judgments, of
the prophets, are subject to the prophets." From these words of the
Apostle, it is evident that in Corinth, when the Church assembled
for that purpose, some place of Scripture was read. Upon this, first
one gave his judgment to the instruction and consolation of the
auditors, and after him did another either confirm what the former
had said, or add what he had omitted, or gently correct or explain
more properly where the whole truth was not revealed to the former.
And, in case some things were hid from the one and from the other,
liberty was given to a third to speak his judgment, for edification
of the Church. Above the number of three, as appeareth, they passed
not, for avoiding of confusion.
These exercises, we say, are things most necessary for the Church
of God this day in Scotland; for thereby, as we have said, shall
the Church have judgment and knowledge of the graces, gifts, and
utterances of every man within their own body; and the simple, and
such as have somewhat profited, shall be encouraged daily to study
and proceed in knowledge. And, too, the Church shall be edified;
for this exercise must be patent to such as list to hear and learn,
and every man shall have liberty to utter and declare his mind and
knowledge to the comfort and edification of the Church.
But curious, peregrine,[267] and unprofitable questions are to be
avoided, lest of a profitable exercise there might arise debate and
strife. All interpretation disagreeing from the principles of our
faith, repugnant to charity, or standing in plain contradiction
to any other manifest place of Scripture, is to be rejected. The
interpreter, in that exercise, may not take to himself the liberty
of a public preacher, yea, although he be a minister appointed.
He must bind himself to his text, and not enter on digression in
explaining common places. He may use no invective in that exercise,
unless it be, with sobriety, in confuting heresies. In exhortations
or admonitions he must be short, that the time may be spent in
opening of the mind of the Holy Ghost in that place, in following
the file[268] and dependence of the text, and in observing such
notes as may instruct and edify the auditor. That contention may be
avoided, neither may the interpreter nor yet any of the assembly
move any question in open audience, unless he himself is content
to give resolution without reasoning with any other; but every man
ought to speak his own judgment to the edification of the Church.
[267] Foreign; irrelevant.
[268] Thread; sequence.
If any be noted with curiosity, or for bringing in any strange
doctrine, he must be admonished by the moderators, the ministers
and elders, immediately after the interpretation is ended. The
whole members and number of them that are of the assembly ought to
convene together, and then examination should be had as to how the
person that did interpret did handle and convey the matter, the
interpreter being removed until every man have given his censure.
After this, the person being called, the faults, if any notable be
found, are noted, and the person shall be gently admonished. In that
last assembly, all questions and doubts, if any arise, should be
resolved, without contention.
The ministers of the parish churches to landward, adjacent to
every chief town, and the readers (if they have any gift of
interpretation) within six miles, must assist and concur with those
that prophesy within the towns; to the end that they themselves may
either learn, or that others may learn from them. And, moreover,
men in whom any gifts are supposed to be, which might edify the
Church, if they were well applied, must be charged by the ministers
and elders to join themselves with that session and company of
interpreters, to the end that the Church may judge whether they be
able to serve to God's glory, and to the profit of the Church in the
vocation of ministers or not. If any be found disobedient, and not
willing to communicate the gifts and spiritual graces of God with
their brethren, after sufficient admonition, discipline must proceed
against them; provided that the Civil Magistrate concurs with the
judgment and election of the Church. For no man may be permitted to
live as best pleaseth himself within the Church of God; but every
man must be constrained, by fraternal admonition and correction, to
bestow his labours, to the edification of others, when of the Church
they are required.
What day in the week is most convenient for that exercise and what
books of the Scriptures shall be most profitable to be read, we
refer to the judgment of every particular church; we mean, to the
wisdom of the ministers and elders.
XIII. Of Marriage.
Because marriage, the blessed ordinance of God, hath partly been
contemned in this cursed Papistry; and partly hath been so infirmed,
that the persons conjoined could never be assured of continuance,
if the Bishops and Prelates should list to dissolve the same; we
have thought good to show our judgments how such confusion in times
coming may be best avoided.
First, public inhibition must be made that no persons under the
power and obedience of others, such as sons and daughters and these
that be under curators, neither men nor women, contract marriage
privily and without knowledge of their parents, tutors, or curators,
under whose power they are for the time. If they do this, the
censure and discipline of the Church shall proceed against them. If
the parties have their hearts touched with desire of marriage, they
are bound to give honour to the parents and open unto them their
affection, asking of them counsel and assistance, as to how that
motion, which they judge to be of God, may be performed. If father,
friend, or master gainstand their request, and have no other cause
than the common sort of men have (to wit, lack of goods, or because
they are not so high-born as they require); yet must not the parties
whose hearts are touched make any covenant until farther declaration
be made unto the Church of God. And, therefore, after they have
opened their minds to their parents, or such others as have charge
over them, they must declare it also to the ministry or to the Civil
Magistrate, requiring them to travail with their parents for their
consent, which to do they are bound. If they, to wit, the Magistrate
or ministers, find no just cause why the marriage required may not
be fulfilled, then, after sufficient admonition to the father,
friend, master, or superior, that none of them resist the work of
God, the ministry or Magistrate may enter into the place of the
parent and, by consenting to their just requests, may admit them
to marriage; for the work of God ought not to be hindered by the
corrupt affections of worldly men. We call it the work of God when
two hearts, without filthiness before committed, are so joined, that
both require and are content to live together in the holy bond of
matrimony.
If any man commit fornication with the woman whom he required in
marriage, then do both lose this foresaid benefit as well of the
Church as of the Magistrate; for neither ought to be intercessors or
advocates for filthy fornicators. But the father, or nearest friend
whose daughter, being a virgin, is deflowered, hath power by the law
of God to compel the man that did that injury to marry his daughter;
or, if the father will not accept him by reason of his offence, then
may he require the dot[269] of his daughter. If the offender be not
able to pay this, then ought the Civil Magistrate to punish his body
by some other punishment.
[269] Dowry.
Because fornication, whoredom, and adultery are sins most common in
this realm, we require of your honours, in the name of the Eternal
God, that severe punishment, according as God hath commanded, be
executed against such wicked offenders; for we doubt not but that
such enormous crimes, openly committed, provoke the wrath of God, as
the Apostle speaketh, not only upon the offenders, but also upon the
places where, without punishment, they are committed.
To return to our former purpose: Marriage ought not to be contracted
amongst persons that have no election for lack of understanding;
and therefore we affirm that bairns and infants cannot lawfully be
married in their minor age, to wit, the man within fourteen years of
age, and the woman within twelve years, at the least. If it chance
that any have been so married and have kept their bodies always
separate, we cannot judge them bound to adhere as man and wife, by
reason of a promise which in God's presence was no promise at all.
But if, in the years of judgment, they have embraced the one the
other, then, by reason of their last consent, they have ratified
that which others did promise for them in their youth.
In a Reformed Church, marriage ought not to be secretly used, but
in open face and public audience of the Church. For avoidance of
dangers, it is expedient that the banns be publicly proclaimed on
three Sundays, unless the persons be so known that no suspicion of
danger may arise, when the banns may be shortened at the discretion
of the ministry. But in nowise can we admit marriage to be used
secretly, however honourable the persons be. The Sunday before
sermon we think most convenient for marriage, and that it be used on
no other day, without the consent of the whole ministry.
Unless adultery be committed, marriage, once lawfully contracted,
may not be dissolved at man's pleasure, as our master Christ Jesus
doth witness. If adultery be sufficiently proven in presence of
the Civil Magistrate, the innocent, upon request, ought to be
pronounced free, and the offender ought to suffer death, as God
hath commanded. If the civil sword foolishly spare the life of the
offender, yet may not the Church be negligent in their office. This
is to excommunicate the wicked, to repute them as dead members, and
to pronounce the innocent party to be at freedom, be the offender
never so honourable before the world. If the life be spared to
the offenders, as it ought not to be, if the fruits of repentance
of long time appear in them, and if they earnestly desire to be
reconciled with the Church, we judge that they may be received
to participation of the Sacraments, and of the other benefits of
the Church, for we would not that the Church should hold those
excommunicate whom God has absolved, that is, the penitent.
If any demand whether the offender, after reconciliation with the
Church, may marry again, we answer, that, if they cannot live
continent, and if the necessity be such as that they fear farther
offence of God, we cannot forbid them to use the remedy ordained of
God. If the party offended may be reconciled to the offender, then
we judge that in nowise it shall be lawful to the offender to marry
any other than the party that hath been offended. The solemnization
of the latter marriage must be in the open face of the Church, like
the former, but without proclamation of banns.
This we do offer as the best counsel that God giveth unto us in so
doubtsome a case. But the most perfect reformation were, if your
honours would give to God His honour and glory, that ye would prefer
His express commandment to your own corrupt judgments, especially in
punishing of those crimes which He commandeth to be punished with
death. For so should ye declare yourselves God's true and obedient
officers, and your commonwealth should be rid of innumerable
troubles.
We mean not that sins committed in our former blindness, and almost
buried in oblivion, shall be called again to examination and
judgment. But we require that the law may now and hereafter be so
established and executed that this ungodly impunity of sin have no
place within this realm. For, in the fear of God, we signify unto
your honours that whosoever persuadeth you that ye may pardon where
God commandeth death deceiveth your souls, and provoketh you to
offend God's Majesty.
XIV. Of Burial.
Burial in all ages hath been holden in estimation, to signify the
faith that the same body that was committed to the earth would not
utterly perish, but would rise again. And we would have the same
kept within this realm, provided that superstition, idolatry, and
whatsoever hath proceeded of a false opinion and for advantage's
sake, be avoided. Singing of Mass, placebo, and dirge, and all other
prayers over or for the dead, are not only superfluous and vain,
but are idolatry, and are repugnant to the plain Scriptures of God.
Plain it is that every one that dieth departeth either in the faith
of Christ Jesus, or else departeth in incredulity. Plain it is that
they that depart in the true faith of Christ Jesus rest from their
labours, and from death do go to life everlasting, as by our Master
and by His Apostle we are taught. But whosoever shall depart in
unbelief or in incredulity shall never see life, but the wrath of
God abideth upon him. And so we say that prayers for the dead are
not only superfluous and vain, but are expressly repugnant to the
manifest Scriptures and truth thereof.
To avoid all inconveniences, we judge it best that there be neither
singing nor reading at the burial. Albeit things sung and read may
admonish some of the living to prepare themselves for death, yet
shall some superstitious and ignorant persons ever think that the
singing or reading of the living does and may profit the dead. For
this reason we think it most expedient that the dead be convoyed to
the place of burial by some honest company of the Church, without
either singing or reading; yea, without all kind of ceremony
heretofore used, other than that the dead be committed to the grave,
with gravity and sobriety, so that those that be present may seem to
fear the judgments of God, and to hate sin, which is the cause of
death.[270]
[270] And yet, notwithstanding, we are not so precise, but that we
are content that particular kirks use them in that behalf, with the
consent of the ministry of the same, as they will answer to God, and
to the Assembly of the Universal Kirk gathered within the realm.
(_Additio._)
We are not ignorant that some require a sermon at the burial, or
else that some places of Scriptures be read, to put the living in
mind that they are mortal, and that likewise they must die. But
let those men understand that the sermons which are daily made
serve for that use. If men despise these, the preaching of funeral
sermons shall nourish superstition and a false opinion, as we have
said, rather than bring such persons to any godly consideration of
their own estate. Besides, either shall the ministers for the most
part be occupied in preaching funeral sermons or else they shall
have respect to persons, preaching at the burial of the rich and
honourable, but keeping silence when the poor or despised departeth;
and this the ministers cannot do with safe conscience. For, seeing
that before God there is in respect of persons, and that their
ministry appertaineth to all alike, whatsoever they do to the rich,
in respect of their ministry, the same they are bound to do to the
poorest under their charge.
In respect of divers inconveniences, we think it unseemly that the
church appointed to preaching and ministration of the Sacraments
shall be made a place of burial. Some other secret and convenient
place, lying in the most free air, should be appointed for that use;
and this ought to be well walled and fenced about, and kept for that
use only.
XV. For Reparation of Churches.
Lest the Word of God, and ministration of the Sacraments, come into
contempt by unseemliness of the place, churches and places where
the people publicly convene should, with expedition, be repaired in
doors, windows, thatch, and provided within with such preparations
as appertain to the majesty of the Word of God as well as unto the
ease and commodity of the people. We know the slothfulness of men
in this behalf, and in all other which may not redound to their
private commodity, and strait charge and commandment must be given
that before a certain day the reparations must be begun, and that
before another day, to be affixed by your honours, they be finished.
Penalties and sums of money must be enjoined, and then without
pardon taken from the contemners.
The reparation would be according to the possibility and number of
the church. Every church must have doors, close windows of glass,
thatch or slate able to withhold rain, a bell to convocate the
people together, a pulpit, a basin for baptism, and tables for the
ministration of the Lord's Supper. In greater churches, and where
the congregation is great in number, provision must be made within
the church for the quiet and commodious receiving of the people. The
expenses shall be lifted partly from the people, and partly from the
teinds, at the discretion of the ministry.
XVI. For Punishment of those that Profane the Sacraments and do
contemn the Word of God, and dare presume to minister them, not
being thereto lawfully called.
Satan hath never ceased from the beginning to draw mankind into one
of two extremities. He hath sought that men should be so ravished
with gazing upon the visible creatures that, forgetting why these
were ordained, they should attribute unto them a virtue and power
which God hath not granted unto them. Or else he hath sought that
men should so contemn and despise God's blessed ordinance and holy
institutions, as if neither in the right use of them were there
any profit, nor yet in their profanation were there any danger.
As, in this wise, Satan hath blinded the most part of mankind from
the beginning; so we doubt not but that he will strive to continue
in his malice even to the end. Our eyes have seen and presently
do see the experience of the one and of the other. What was the
opinion of the most part of men, of the Sacrament of Christ's body
and blood, during the darkness of superstition, is not unknown; how
it was gazed upon, kneeled unto, borne in procession, and finally
worshipped and honoured as Christ Jesus Himself.
So long as Satan might retain man in that damnable idolatry, he was
quiet, as one that possessed his kingdom of darkness peaceably.
But since it hath pleased the mercies of God to reveal unto the
unthankful world the light of His Word, and the right use and
administration of His Sacraments, he essays man upon the contrary
part. Where, not long ago, men stood in such admiration of that
idol in the Mass that none durst presume to have said the Mass, but
the foresworn shaven sort (the beasts marked men); some dare now be
so bold as, without all convocation, to minister, as they suppose,
the true Sacraments in open assemblies. Some idiots, also, yet more
wickedly and more imprudently, dare counterfeit in their houses that
which the true ministers do in the open congregation; they presume,
we say, to do it in houses without reverence, without Word preached,
and without minister, other than of companion to companion. This
contempt proceedeth, no doubt, from the malice and craft of that
serpent who first deceived man, of purpose to deface the glory
of Christ's Evangel, and to bring His blessed Sacraments into a
perpetual contempt.
Farther, your honours may clearly see how proudly and stubbornly the
most part despise the Evangel of Christ Jesus offered unto you.
Unless ye resist sharply and stoutly the manifest despiser as well
as the profaner of the Sacraments, ye shall find them pernicious
enemies before long. Therefore, in the name of the Eternal God and
of His Son, Christ Jesus, we require of your honours that, without
delay, strait laws be made against the one and the other.