three men kneeling around a clergyman 
O pardon us!    

A PERFECT RELATION OF THE form AND government Of the kirk of SCOTLAND.  
1641.  
 winged skull 
SPES ADDIDIT ALAS.   
Printed 1641.   

A PERFECT RELATION OF The form and government of The kirk of SCOTLAND. 1641.  
THe Confession of Faith, and Reformation of the kirk of Scotland, in Doctrine, Worship, and Discipline, were regulated by the Word of God, and grounded upon Scripture, as is acknowledged by the harmony of confessions of the Reformed Kirkes, and by the Testimony of the best Divines in the kirk of England, and other Reformed Kirkes.  
At that time, and to this day, and amid the greatest desertions, and notwithstanding the ambition & usurpation of the Prelates, no other Ministers and Office-Bearers have been acknowledged or received by the authority of the Reformed kirk of Scotland, but Pastors, Doctors, Elders, Deacons, these being warranted by Scripture, and being sufficient for all the necessary uses of the Kirkes, yet so, that the Civill Magistrate had his own eminent place and Civil power, for the Conservation and Purgation of Religion.  
No man here, were he never so wise, and pious above others, or doth he never so much arrogate authority to himself, hath the reins of kirk Government in his hands, to dispose or do what seemeth good in his own eyes, but all matters are advised, and determined by Common-Consent in the Conventions, and Assemblies of the kirk.  
The kirk assemblies, were of four sorts, and degrees, commonly designed by the name of Kirke-Sessions, or Consistories, Pr●sbyteries, or Classes, provincial Synods, and general or national assemblies.  
The Kerke-Sessions, or Consistories, do consist of one Minister at the least, approved for his learning, life, and skill in government: and of Elders, men of best knowledge, and holiest life in the Parish, so many in number as the proportion of the Congregation doth require, who are chosen with the consent of the People, solemnly admitted to the charge, these convene weekly, for ordering such m●tters in the worship of God as are proper for that Parish, as what dayes of the week are meetest for the exercise of that Day, at what times the communion shall be given, for censuring of Delinquents in swearing, cursing, profanation of the Lords Day, Drinking, Fornication, Adultery, for debating of great affairs, as Heresies, Superstition.  
If any be suspected, or if there be any scandal in their bounds, proceeding also with the Censures of the kirk against them, that all Transgressors may bee brought to repentance, or separated from the people of God, according to the Ordinance of Christ, and order of the Kirk: here also the Deacons, who have the charge of the poor, are present to receive directions in ther duty.  
The Presbytery or classical meeting doth consist of particular Kirkes in such a Circuit, 12. 16. 20. or so many as to the convenience of the place can weekly assemble: here some one Elder of each Parish, appointed by the particular kirk Session, and the whole Ministers of these Kirkes, do meet with the Ministers and others to be admitted into the ministry, whom we call Expectants, exercise their gifts by course, in interpreting some place of Scripture appointed them by the Presbytery: the exercise of Prophesying being ended, the Ministers, and Elders sit down with their Moderator, and after prayer and censure of the Doctrine, they use the power of Jurisdiction, Ordination, Suspension, Deprivation, Visitation of Kirks, trial of the process of Excommunication deduced by the particular Eldership, and of direction to the Minister of the Parish to excommunicate, if need be: here the scandalous faults of Ministers in doctrine or life are debated, and all persons whatsoever quality, disobedient to their own Ministers and Elders, are with great Authority censured.  
provincial Synods do consist of the whole Presbytery in a shire or Province, so that the whole kingdom is divided into shires and Provinces, in relation to these Synods; here all the Ministers, and one Elder from every Parish, do meet twice in the year: and after Preaching, and calling upon the name of God, by the moderation of the preceding Synod, a new moderator being chosen, they try the Presbyteries by the Records presented by the clerk of every Presbytery, what was obscure or difficult for the Presbyteries, or might concern them all in common, is determined and ordered: and if any difficulty arise, which doth not fall under some kirk Constitution, it is referred to the national assembly. All matters are with such diligence expedited, that each Minister may return to his charge on the Lords day.  
In the general or national assembly, the Kings Majesty in person, or his Commissioner in his place, useth to be present, who convene once in the year, or oftener, pro re nata, it doth consist of Ministers and Elders from each Presbytery, and regal Buroghs. After solemn humiliation the first day of the Assembly, one of the Ministers is chosen, by the voices of the whole assembly, to moderate and pre●●de in the assembly: the records of the Synods are perused and tried, Acts and Constitutions for all the Kirkes are agreed upon with common consent, and all mens doubts and scruples concerning these, are satisfied to the full, if they be proponed animo aedificandi, non tentandi, Appellations, Petitions, Grievances and Complaints, are examined, and dete●mined by this supreme and highest Kirke-judicatory, and some Commissioners to present Grievances, or Petitions, agreed upon in the assembly, to the Parliament, the King, the council of the kingdom, or conventions of Estates.  
In this Authority and subordination of Sessions, Presbyteries, provincial Synods, national assemblies doth consist the order, the beauty, the strength of the kirk of Scotland, comfortable to the godly, both Pastors and professors, and terrible as an Army with banners, to Papists, be their places never so high, to all heretics, schismatics, Hirelings, and all ungodly men; no scandalous fault of any person escapeth censure, no heresy or error can sooner be hatched, but it is presently crushed by some of these inferior assemblies; or if it be kept on foot, or take strength, it is quiter suppressed by the national assembly, convening once in the year▪ which hath been a main cause why so few sects or errors in doctrine or worship, hath appeared in the kirk of Scotland for many yeares and wheresoever these assemblies have place, power and liberty, the names of heresies and sects have not almost been heard. In these assemblies the particular Kirkes are not governed by the intrinsical power of any one, or many set over them, as in the monarch●all government of Prelates: but they are ruled and judged by themselves, and the●r own intrinsical power, each member of the whole body in an ordely way; none of the whole communion of the faithful being barred from the joint and common government. By these assemblies the gifts, the knowledge, and the zeal of all the members, especially of the Ministers, are stirred up, quickened, increased, and strengthened, and holy emulation is exited by acquaintance, conference, and by perceiving the gifts one of another: and the best gifts are known from the planting of Kirkes and colleges; whence it is, that Ministers return from these Assemblies, ashamed and humbled in themselves, and furnished with fresh resolutions for every pastoral duty, for the common benefit and edification of all the Kirkes.  
FINIS.