The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

WE confess and acknowledge,¹ That God hath given to man his holy Law, in which not only are forbidden all such works as displease and offend his godly Majesty, but also are commanded all such as please him, and as he hath promised to reward. And these works be of two sorts; the one are done to the honour of God; the other to the profit of our neighbours:² And both have the revealed Will of God for their assurance; To have one God, To worship and honour him, To call upon him in all our troubles, To reverence his holy Name, To hear his Word, To believe the same, To communicate his holy Sacraments, are the works of the first Table.³ To honour father and mother, Princes, Rulers, and superior Powers, To love them, To support them, yea, To obey their Charges (not repugning to the Commandment of God) To save the life of Innocents, To repress tyranny, To defend the oppressed, To keep our bodies clean and holy,⁴ To live in sobriety and temperance, To deal justly with all men, both in word and deed; and finally, To repress the appetite of our neighbours hurt, are the good works of the second Table, which are most pleasing and acceptable unto God, as those works are commanded by himself. The contrary thereof is sin most odious, which always displeaseth him, and provoketh him to anger; as, Not to call upon him alone when we have need, Not to hear his Word with reverence, To contemn and despise it, To have or to worship Idols, To maintain and defend Idolatry, Lightly to esteem the reverent Name of God, To profane, abuse, or contemn the Sacraments of Christ Jesus,⁵ To disobey or resist any that God hath placed in Authority (while they pass not over the bounds of their Office) To murder, or consent thereunto,⁶ To bear hatred, or to suffer Innocent blood to be shed,⁷ if we may gainstand it; and finally, The transgressing of any other Commandment in the first or second Table, we confess and affirm to be sin,