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This version of this statute is extracted from the UK Statute Law Database (SLD). It is not in the form in which it was originally enacted but is a revised version, which means that subsequent amendments to the text and other effects are incorporated with annotations.
The Confessioun of fayth professed and beleued be the protestantis within the Realme of scotland publischeit be thame in parliament and be the estaitis thairof ratifeit and apprevit as hailsome and sound doctrine groundit vpoune the infallibill trewth of godis word
C1Short title given by Statute Law Revision (Scotland) Act 1964 (c. 80), Sch. 2
Mathej 24.—And this glaid tydingis of the kingdome salbe preichit throwch the haill warld for a witnes vnto all natiounis and than sall the end cum
THE estaitis of scotland with the Inhabitantis of the samyn professing Christ Jesus his holy evangell To thair naturall cuntrey men and to all vtheris Realmes and Natiounis professing the samyn christ Jesus with thame wische grace mercie and peace from God the father of our lord Jesus christ with the spreit of rychteous Jugement for Salutatioune
LANG HAVE WE thristit deir brethren to haue notifeit vnto the warld the soume of that doctrine quhilk we professe and for the quhilk we haue sustenit infamy and dainger Bot sick hes bene the rage of sathan against ws and against christ Jesus his eternall veritie laitlie borne amangis ws that to this day na tyme hes bene grantit vnto ws to cleir oure consciences as maist glaidlie we wald haue done ffor how we haue bene tossit a haill yeir past the maist parte of Ewrope (as we suppoise) dois vnderstand Bot seing that of the infinite gudenes of our god (quha neuir sufferethe his afflictit vtterlie to be confoundit) above expectatioun we haue obtenit sum rest and libertie we culd not bot sett furth this breve and playne confessioun of sic doctrine as is proponit vnto ws and as we beleife and professe pairtlie for satisfactioun of our brethren quhais hartis we dout nocht haue bene and yit ar woundit be the dispytfull Raylling of sick as yit haue not leirnit to speik weill And partelie for stopping of the mouthis of Impudent blasphemaris quha baldlie condempne that quhilk thaj haue nouther hard nor vnderstand Not that we Juge that the cankerit malice of sick is abill to be cureit be this simple confessioun Na we knaw that the sweit sauour of the evangell Is and salbe deith to the soneis of perditioun Bot we haue chief respect to our waik and infirme brethren to quham we wald communicat the bottome of our hartis least that thaj be trubillit or careit away be diuersities of rumouris quhilk sathan sparseth contrar ws to the defeating of this our maist godlie Interpryse Protesting that gif any man will note in this our confessioun any artickle or sentence repugning to godis holie word that it wald pleis him of his gentilnes and for christeane cheriteis saik to admoneise ws of the samyn in writt And we of our honouris and fidelitie do promeis vnto him satisfactioun fra the mowthe of god (that is fra his holy scriptureis) or ellis Reformatioun of that quhilk he sall prove to be amyss ffor god we taik to record in our conscienceis that fra our hartis we abhoir all sectis of heresie and all teicharis of erronious doctrine And that with all humylitie we embraice the puritie off Christis evangell quhilk is the onlie fude of our saullis and therfoir sua precious vnto ws that we ar determinit to suffer the extremitie of warldlie dainger rather than that we will suffer our seluis to be defraudit of the same ffor heirof we ar maist certainlie persuaidit that quhasoeuer denyis christ Jesus or is aschameit of him in presens of men salbe denyit befoir the father and befoir his holie angellis And thairfoir be the assistance of the michtie spreitt of the same lord Jesus we firmelie purpoise to abyde to the end in the confessioun of this our fayth
WE confess and acknawlege ane onlie god to quham onlie we man cleve quham onlie we man serue quham onlie we man wirschip and in quham onlie we man put our traist quha is eternall infinite vnmesurabill incomprehensibil omnipotent inuisibill ane in substance and yit distinct in thre personis the father the sone and the haly gaist Be quham we confess and beleif all thingis in heuin and in erth alsweill visibill as inuisibill to haue bene creatit to be retenit in thair being and to be rewlit and gydit be his inscrutabil prouidence to sic end as his eternall wisdome gudnes and Justice hes appointit thame to the manifestatioun of his awin glorie
WE confess and acknawlege this our god to haue creatit man (to wit our first father adam) of quham alsso god formit the woman to his awin image and similitude to quham he gaif wisdome lordschip Justice fre will and cleir knawlege of him selff sua that in the haill nature of man thare culd be notit na imperfectioun fra quhilk honour and perfectioun man and woman did baith fall The woman being dissauit be the serpent and man obeying to the voice of the woman baith conspyring aganis the souerane majestie of god quha in expressit wordis of befoir haid threatnit deith gif thay presumit to eit of the forbodin tre
BE quhilk transgressioun commounlie callit originall sin was the Image of God vtterly defacit in man and he and his posteritie of nature became enemeis to god slavis to sathan and seruandis to sin in sa mekle that deith euerlasting hes had and sall haue power and dominion over all that haue not bene ar not or sal nocht be regenerat fra above quhilk regeneratioun is wrocht be the power of the halie gaist wirking in the hartis of the elect of god ane assureit faith in the promeiss of god reueillit to ws in his worde be quhilk faith thay apprehend Christ Jesus with the gracis and benefitis promisit in him
Confession of Faith Ratification Act 1560