Act, Declaration, Testimony for the Whole of our Covenanted Reformation

Act, Declaration, & Testimony
for the Whole of our Covenanted
Reformation, as Attained to, and
Established in Britain and
Ireland; Particularly Betwixt the
Years 1638 and 1649, Inclusive

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Whole
of our Covenanted Reformation, as Attained to, and Established in
Britain and Ireland; Particularly Betwixt the Years 1638 and 1649,
Inclusive, by The Reformed Presbytery This eBook is for the use of
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Title: Act, Declaration, & Testimony for the Whole of our Covenanted
Reformation, as Attained to, and Established in Britain and Ireland;
Particularly Betwixt the Years 1638 and 1649, Inclusive
Author: The Reformed Presbytery
Release Date: August 17, 2004 [EBook #13200]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1

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DECLARATION, & TESTIMONY ***

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ACT, DECLARATION,
AND
TESTIMONY,
FOR THE
WHOLE OF OUR COVENANTED REFORMATION, AS
ATTAINED TO, AND ESTABLISHED IN BRITAIN AND
IRELAND; PARTICULARLY BETWIXT THE YEARS 1638 AND
1649, INCLUSIVE.
AS, ALSO,
AGAINST ALL THE STEPS OF DEFECTION FROM SAID
REFORMATION, WHETHER IN FORMER OR LATER TIMES,
SINCE THE OVERTHROW OF THAT GLORIOUS WORK, DOWN
TO THIS PRESENT DAY:
BY THE REFORMED PRESBYTERY.
* * * * *
PSALM IX, 4.--Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee: that it
may be displayed because of the truth.
ISAIAH VIII, 16.--Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my
disciples.
JUDE, verse 3.--That ye should earnestly contend for the faith which
was once delivered to the saints.
REVELATION III, 11.--Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which
thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
* * * * *
TO WHICH IS NOW ADDED,
A HISTORICAL AND DECLARATORY SUPPLEMENT.
1850.

INTRODUCTION.
The Presbytery, soon after their erection, being convinced of the

expediency and necessity of emitting a judicial testimony, to discover
to the world the principles upon which, as a judicatory of the Lord
Jesus Christ, they stood, in opposition to the different, so called,
judicatories in the land; together with the agreeableness of these
principles to the Word of God, the only rule of faith and practice, and
to the covenanted constitution of the church of Scotland in her purest
periods; did therefore, after a proposal for said effect, agree in
appointing one of their number to prepare a draft of this kind to be laid
before them, who, after sundry delays, to their grief of mind, at once
cut off their hopes of all assistance from him, in that or any other
particular, by laying himself obnoxious to the censures of the church;
which the presbytery, in duty both to him, to God, and to his people,
were obliged to put in execution against him, while he, in contempt of
that ordinance, and other means used for his conviction and recovery,
obstinately persists in his impenitency and defection. And although the
presbytery, few in number, were thus diminished, yet, being still
resolved to prosecute their former design, they renewed their
appointment upon another brother, who, in consequence of his
undertaking, was allowed a cessation from his other public work, in
order to expedite the proposed draft: and now, when nothing was
expected that should retard the finishing of such a necessary work, the
lamentable fire of division, that had long been smothered, unhappily
broke forth into a violent flame, whereby the presbytery was rent
asunder, and that brother, on whom the appointment was formerly laid,
happening to be of the separating party, a second stop was not only put
to the publication of this testimony, but the presbytery, from the
absence of a brother removed to a distant part of the world, together
with the paucity of their number, were almost wholly discouraged from
attempting again what they had been oftener than once disappointed in.
But notwithstanding of the above, with many other difficulties which
we shall not at present take notice of, the presbytery, still considering,
that, even in their present circumstances, when their number is few and
despicable, their adversaries many, and such as are in repute in the
world, whereby the opposition made to them, and the conspiracy
formed against the covenanted testimony of the church of Scotland
maintained by them, must needs be strong; there is yet a gracious door
of opportunity left open for them to attempt, in their judicative capacity,

the prosecution and accomplishment of the necessary work formerly
proposed; and which they could not but judge the Lord still called them
unto, while after all the above-mentioned breaches made upon them, he
still continued to