Confession of Faith Ratification Act 1560

Of Generall counsellis of thair power authoritie and cause of thair conuentioun S

AS we do not raschely dampne that quhilk godlie men assemblit togidder in generall counsell lauchfullie gadderit haue proponit vnto ws sa without Just examinatioun dar we not ressaue quhatsauer is obtrudit vnto men vnder the name of generall counsellis for plane it is as thay wer men sa haue sum of thame manifestlie errit and that in materis of greit wecht and importance Sa far than as the counsell preuis the determinatioun and commandement that is geuis be the plane worde of god sa far do we reuerence and embrace the same Bot gif men vnder the name of a counsell pretend to forge vnto ws new articlis of our faith or to mak constitutiounis repugning to the worde of god than vtterlie we man refuise the same as the doctrine of deuillis quhilk drawis our saulis fra the voce of our onlie God to follow the doctrines and constitutiounis of men The caus than quhy that generall counsellis conuenit was nouther to mak ony perpetuall law quhilk god befoir had not maid nouther yit to forge new articklis of our beleif nor to gif the word of God authoritie mekle les to mak that to be his word or yit the trew interpretatioun of the same quhilk was not befoir be his haly will expressit in his worde bot the cause of counsellis (we mene of sic as merite the name of counsellis) was partlie for confutatioun of heresies and for geuing publict confessioun of thair faith to the posteritie following quhilk baith thay did be the authoritie of goddis writtin worde and not be ony opinioun or prerogatiue that thay culd not erre be ressoun of thair generall assemblie And this we Juge to haue bene the cheif caus of generall counsellis The vther was for gude policie and ordour to be constitut and obseruit in the kirk in quhilk (as in the house of God) it becumis all thingis to be done decentlie and into ordour Not that we think that ane polecie and ane ordour in ceremonies can be appointit for all aiges tymes and places for as ceremonies (sic as men haue deuysit) ar bot temporall so may and aucht thay to be changeit quhan thay rather foster superstituoun than that thay edifie the kirk vsing the same