Volume II Part 17 (1/2)
The Answers of the Pepill, and thair consents receaved, thir Questiouns wer proponit unto him that was to be elected.
Questioun.--Seing that ye hear the thrist and desyre of this people, do ye not think yourself bound in conscience befoir G.o.d to support thame that so earnestly call for your comfort, and for the fruit of your labours?
Answer.--If anie thing wer in me abill to satisfie thair desyir, I acknowledge myself bound to obey G.o.d calling by thame.
Questioun.--Do ye seik to be promoted to this Office and charge, for ony respect of warldly commoditie, riches or glory?
Answer.--G.o.d knawes the contrarie.
Questioun.--Beleve ye not that the doctrine of the Propheits and Apostles, conteined in the buiks of the Auld and New Testaments, is the onely trew and most absolute foundatioun of the universall Kirk of Christ Jesus, insamekill that in the same Scriptures ar conteined all things necessary to be beleved for the salvatioun of Mankind?
Answer.--I verely beleve the same, and do abhorre and utterly refuis all Doctrine alleged necessary to Salvatioun, that is not expressedly conteined in the same.
Questioun.--Is not Christ Jesus Man of Man, according to the flesche, to wit, the Sone of David, the Seid of Abrahame, conceaved by the Holy Ghost, borne of the Virgin Marie his mother, the onely Head and Mediatour of his Kirk?
Answer.--He is, and without him thair is nouther salvatioun to man, nor lyfe to angell.
Questioun.--Is not the same Lord Jesus, [the] onely trew G.o.d, the Eternall Sone of the Eternall Father, in quhome all that sall be saved wer elected befoir the foundatioun of the world was layd?
Answer.--I confes and acknawlege him in the unitie of his G.o.dheid, to be G.o.d above all thingis, blessit for evir.
Questioun.--Sall not they quhome G.o.d in his eternall councell hes elect.i.t, be callit to the knawlege of his Sone, our Lord Jesus? And sall not they, quho of purpoise are elected in this lyfe, be justified? And is not justificatioun and free remissioun of sinnes obtained in this lyfe by free grace? Sall not this glorie of the sonnes of G.o.d follow in the generall resurrectioun, quhen the Sone of G.o.d sall appeir in his glorious majesty?
Answer.--I acknawlege this to be the doctrine of the Apostles, and the most singular comfort of G.o.d's childrein.
Questioun.--Will ye not contein yourself in all doctrine within the boundes of this foundatioun? Will ye not study to promote the same, alsweill by your lyfe as by your doctrine? Will ye not, according to the graces and utterance that G.o.d sall grant unto yow, profes, instructe, and mantene the purity of the doctrine, conteined in the sacred Word of G.o.d? And, to the uttermost of your power, will ye not ganestand and convince the gaynsayers and teichers of mennis inventiouns?
Answer.--That I do promeis in the presence of G.o.d, and of his congregatioun heir a.s.sembled.
Questioun.--Knaw ye not, that the excellency of this office, to the quhilk G.o.d hes called yow, requires that your conversatioun and behaviour be sick, as that ye may be irreprehensible; yea, even in the eyis of the unG.o.dly?
Answer.--I unfaynedly acknawlege, and humilly desyre the Kirk of G.o.d to pray with me, that my lyfe be not scandalous to the glorious Evangell of Jesus Christ.
Questioun.--Becaus ye are a man compa.s.sed with infirmities, will ye not charitably, and with lawlines of spirit, receave admonitioun of your Brethrein? And if ye sall happin to slyde, or offend in ony point, will ye not be subject to the Discipline of the Kirk, as the rest of your Brethrein?
The Answer of the Superintendent, or Minister to be elected.--I acknawlege myself to be a man subject to infirmity, and ane that hes neid of correctioun and admonitioun; and tharefoir I maist willingly submit and subject my self to the hailsume disciplin of the Kirk; yea, to the discipline of the same Kirk by the quhilk I ame now called to this office and chairge; and heir in G.o.d's presens and youris do promeis obedience to all admonitiones, secretly or publickly gevin; unto the quhilk, if I be found in.o.bedient, I confes myself most worthie to be ejected not onely from this honour, bot also frome the society of the Faythfull, in cais of my stubburnnes: For the vocatioun of G.o.d to bear charge within his Kirk, makethe not men tyrantes, nor lordis, but appoynteth thame Servandis, Watchemen, and Pastoris of the Flock.
This ended, Questioun man be asked agane of the Mult.i.tude.
Questioun.--Require ye ony farther of this your Superintendent?
If no man answer, let the Minister proceid. Will ye not acknawlege this your Brother, for the Minister of Christ Jesus? Will ye not reverence the word of G.o.d that proceids fra his mouthe? Will ye not receave of him the sermone of exhortatioun with patience, not refuising the hailsome medicine of your saules, althocht it be bitter and unpleising to the flesche? Will ye not finally, mantene and comforte him in his ministry, against all sick as wickedly wald rebell against G.o.d and his holy ordinance?
The Peple answereth.--We will, as we will answer to the Lord Jesus, quho hes commandit his Ministeris to be had in reverence, as his amba.s.sadours, and as men that cairfully watche for the salvatioun of our saullis.
Let the n.o.bility also be urged with this.--Ye have heard the dewty and professioun of this your Brother, by your consentis appoint.i.t to this charge; as also the dewty and obedience, quhilk G.o.d requireth of us towards him heir in his ministry: Bot becaus that neyther of bothe are abill to performe ony thing without the especiall grace of our G.o.d in Christ Jesus, quho hes promeised to be with us present, even to the consummatioun of the world; with unfayned hairtis, let us crave of him his benedictioun and a.s.sistance in this work begun to his glory, and for the comfort of his Kirk.
THE PRAYER.