Scots Confession (1560) XVIII

The Notes by Which the True Kirk Shall Be Determined
from the False, and Who Shall Be Judge of Doctrine

Since Satan has labored from the beginning to adorn his pestilent synagogue
with the title of the Kirk of God, and has incited cruel murderers to
persecute, trouble, and molest the true Kirk and its members, as Cain did
to Abel, Ishmael to Isaac, Esau to Jacob, and the whole priesthood of the
Jews to Christ Jesus himself and his apostles after him. So it is essential that
the true Kirk be distinguished from the filthy synagogues by clear and perfect
notes lest we, being deceived, receive and embrace, to our own condemnation,
the one for the other. The notes, signs, and assured tokens
whereby the spotless bride of Christ is known from the horrible harlot, the
false Kirk, we state, are neither antiquity, usurped title, lineal succession,
appointed place, nor the numbers of men approving an error. For Cain was
before Abel and Seth in age and title; Jerusalem had precedence above all
other parts of the earth, for in it were priests lineally descended from Aaron,
and greater numbers followed the scribes, pharisees, and priests, than unfeignedly
believed and followed Christ Jesus and his doctrine . . . and yet
no man of judgment, we suppose, will hold that any of the forenamed were
the Kirk of God. The notes of the true Kirk, therefore, we believe, confess,
and avow to be: first, the true preaching of the Word of God, in which God
has revealed himself to us, as the writings of the prophets and apostles declare;
secondly, the right administration of the sacraments of Christ Jesus,
with which must be associated the Word and promise of God to seal and
confirm them in our hearts; and lastly, ecclesiastical discipline uprightly
ministered, as God’s Word prescribes, whereby vice is repressed and virtue
nourished. Then wherever these notes are seen and continue for any time,
be the number complete or not, there, beyond any doubt, is the true Kirk of
Christ, who, according to his promise, is in its midst. This is not that
universal Kirk of which we have spoken before, but particular Kirks, such
as were in Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, and other places where the ministry
was planted by Paul and which he himself called Kirks of God. Such Kirks,
we the inhabitants of the realm of Scotland confessing Christ Jesus, do
claim to have in our cities, towns, and reformed districts because of the doctrine
taught in our Kirks, contained in the written Word of God, that is, the
Old and New Testaments, in those books which were originally reckoned
canonical. We affirm that in these all things necessary to be believed for the
salvation of man are sufficiently expressed. The interpretation of Scripture,
we confess, does not belong to any private or public person, nor yet to any
Kirk for pre-eminence or precedence, personal or local, which it has above
others, but pertains to the Spirit of God by whom the Scriptures were written.
When controversy arises about the right understanding of any passage
or sentence of Scripture, or for the reformation of any abuse within the Kirk
of God, we ought not so much to ask what men have said or done before
us, as what the Holy Ghost uniformly speaks within the body of the Scriptures
and what Christ Jesus himself did and commanded. For it is agreed
by all that the Spirit of God, who is the Spirit of unity, cannot contradict
himself. So if the interpretation or opinion of any theologian, Kirk, or council,
is contrary to the plain Word of God written in any other passage of the
Scripture, it is most certain that this is not the true understanding and meaning
of the Holy Ghost, although councils, realms, and nations have approved
and received it. We dare not receive or admit any interpretation
which is contrary to any principal point of our faith, or to any other plain
text of Scripture, or to the rule of love.

Formal discipline should not be considered until informal discipline is tried and fails.