The Establishment of The Presbyterian Church in Scotland
(1690)

Our sovereign lord and lady the king and queen's Majesties and three Estates of Parliament conceiving it to be their bound duty, after the great deliverance that God hath lately wrought for this Church and kingdom, in the first place to settle and secure therein the true Protestant religion according to the truth of God's word as it hath of a long time been professed within this land, as also the government of Christ's Church within this nation agreeable to the word of God and most conducive to the advancement of true piety and godliness and the establishment of peace and tranquillity within this realm... therefore their Majesties, with advice and consent of the said three Estates, do hereby revive, ratify and perpetually confirm all laws, statutes and Acts of Parliament made against popery and papists, and for the maintenance and preservation of the true reformed Protestant religion, and for the true Church of Christ within this kingdom, in so far as they confirm the same or are made in favour thereof.

Likewise they by these presents ratify and establish the confession of faith now read in their presence, and voted and approven by them as the public and avowed confession of this Church, containing the sum and substance of the doctrine of the reformed churches, which confession of faith is subjoined to this present Act. As also they do establish, ratify and confirm the Presbyterian Church government and discipline, that is to say, the government of the Church by kirk sessions, presbyteries, provincial synods and general assemblies, ratified and established by the I 14 Act, James VI, Parl. 12, anno 1592, entitled, Ratifcation of the liberty of the true kirk, &c., and thereafter received by the general consent of this nation to be the only government of Christ's Church within this kingdom.