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DIRECTORY

FOR THE

PUBLICK WORSHIP OF GOD,

AGREED UP ON

BY THE

ASSEMBLY OF DIVINES

A T

WESTMINSTER,

WITH THE

ASSISTANCE

O F

COMMISSIONERS

FROM THE

CHURCH OF SCOTLAND,

A S

A Part of the Covenanted Uniformity in Religion betwixt the Churches of CHRIST in the Kingdoms of Scotland, England, and Ireland.

WITH

An Act of the General Affembly, and A&t of Parliament, both in Anne 1645, Approving and Establishing the faid DIRECTORY.

■ Cor. xiv. 40. Let all things be done decently, and in order.
Ver. 26. Let all things be done to edifying.

CHARLES I. PARL. 3. Seff. 5.

An Act of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Scotland, approving and establishing the Directory for Publick Worship.

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HE eftates of parliament now conveened, in the fecond feffion of this first triennial parliament, by virtue of the last act of the last parliament, holden by his majesty and the three eftates, in anno 1641; After publick reading, and serious confideration of the act under-written of the general affembly, approving the following Directory for the publick worship of God in the three kingdoms, lately united by the Solemn League and Covenant, together with the ordinance of the parliament of England establishing the faid Directory, and the Directory itfelf; do heartily and chearfully agree to the faid Directory, according to the act of the general affembly approving the fame. Which act, together with the Directory itself, the eftates of parliament do, without a contrary voice, ratify and approve in all the heads and articles thereof; and do interpone and add the authority of parliament to the faid act of the general affembly. And do ordain the fame to have the ftrength and force of a law and act of parliament, and execution to pass thereupon, for obferving the faid Directory, according to the said act of the general affembly in all points.

Alex. Gibfon Cler. Regiftri.

ASSEMBLY at Edinburgh, February 3. 1645. Seff. 10.

Acts of the General Affembly of the Kirk of Scotland, for the Eftablishing and putting in Execution of the Directory for the publick Worship of God.

WHEREAS an unit three kingdoms, united under one fove

HEREAS an happy unity, and uniformity in religion amongst the

reign, having been long and earnestly wished for, by the godly and wellaffected amongst us, was propounded as a main article of the large treaty, without which band and bulwark, no fafe, well-grounded and lafting peace could be expected; and afterward, with greater strength and maturity, revived in the Solemn League and Covenant of the three kingdoms; whereby they stand straitly obliged to endeavour the nearest uniformity in one form of church-government, Directory of Worship, Confeffion of Faith, and form of catechifing: which hath alfo before, and fince our entering into that Covenant, been the matter of many fupplications and remonftrances, and fending commiffioners to the king's ma jefty, of declarations to the honourable houfes of the parliament of Eng

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land, and of letters to the reverend affembly of divines, and others of the ministry of the kirk of England; being alfo the end of our fending commiffioners, as was desired, from this kirk, with commiffion to treat of uniformity in the four particulars afore-mentioned, with fuch committees as should be appointed by both houses of parliament of England, and by the affembly of divines fitting at Westminster: and befide all this, it being, in point of confcience, the chief motive and end of our adventuring upon manifold and great hazards, for quenching the devouring flame of the prefent unnatural and bloody war in England, tho' to the weakening of this kingdom within itself, and the advantage of the enemy which have invaded it, accounting nothing too dear to us, fo that this our joy be fulfilled. And now this great work being fo far advanced, that a Directory for the publick worthip of God in all the three kingdoms, being agreed upon by the honourable houses of the parliament of England, after confultation with the divines of both kingdoms there affembled, and fent to us for our approbation, that, being also agreed upon by this kirk and kingdom of Scotland, it may be in the name of both kingdoms prefented to the king, for his royal confent and ratification; The general affembly having most seriously confidered, revifed, and examined the Directory afore-mentioned, after feveral publick readings of it, after much deliberation, both publickly and in private committees, after full liberty given to all to object against it, an earneft invitations of all who have any fcruples about it, to make known the fame that they might be fatisfied; doth unanimoufly, and without a contrary voice, agree to, and approve the following Directory, in all the heads thereof, together with the preface fet before it: and doth require, decern, and ordain, That according to the plain tenor and meaning thereof, and the intent of the preface, it be carefully and uniformly obferved and practifed by all the minifters and others within this kingdom, whom it doth concern; which practice shall be begun, upon intimation given to the feveral prefbyteries, from the commiffioners of this general affembly, who fhall alfo take fpecial care for timeous printing of this Directory, that a printed copy of it be provided and kept for the ufe of every kirk in this kingdom; Alfo, that each prefbytery have a printed copy thereof for their ufe, and take special notice of the obfervation or neglect thereof in every congregation within their bounds, and make known the fame to the provincial or general affembly, as there fhall be cause. Provided always, that the claufe in the directory, of the adminiftration of the Lord's Supper, which mentioneth the communicants fitting about the table, or at it, be not interpreted, as if, in the judgment of this kirk, it were indifferent, and free for any of the communicants, not to come to, and receive at the table; or as if we did approve the diftributing of the elements by the minister to each communicant, and not by the communicants among themselves. It is also provided, That this fhall be no prejudice to the order and practice of this kirk, in Tuch particulars as are appointed by the books of difcipline, and acts of general affemblies, and are not otherwise ordered and appointed in the Directory.

Finally, the affembly doth, with much joy and thankfulness, acknowledge

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ledge the rich bleffing and invaluable mercy of God, in bringing the fo much wifhed-for uniformity in religion to fuch a happy period, that thefe kingdoms once at fo great a distance in the form of worship, are now by the bleffing of God brought to a nearer uniformity than any other reformed kirks; which is unto us the return of our prayers, and a lightening of our eyes, and reviving of our hearts in the midft of our many forrows and fufferings; a taking away, in a great measure, the reproach of the people of God, to the stopping of the mouths of malignant and diffaffected perfons; and an opening unto us a door of hope, that God hath yet thoughts of peace towards us, and not of evil, to give us an expected end: in the expectation and confidence whereof, we do rejoice; befeeching the Lord to preferve thefe kingdoms from heresies, fchifms, offences, profanenefs, and whatsoever is contrary to found doctrine and the power of godlinefs; and to continue with us, and the generations following, thefe his pure and purged ordinances, together with an increase of the power and life thereof, to the glory of his great name, the enlargement of the kingdom of his Son, the corroboration of peace and love between the kingdoms, the unity and comfort of all his people, and our edifying one another in love.

THE

CON TEN T S.

THE Preface.

Of the Affembling of the Congregation.
of Publick Reading of the Holy Scriptures.

Of Publick Prayer before the Sermon.

Of Preaching of the Word.

Of Prayer after Sermon.

Of the Sacrament of Baptifm.

Of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

Of the Sanctification of the Lord's Day.
Of the Solemnization of Marriage.

Of the Vifitation of the Sick.

Of the Burial of the Dead.

Of Publick Solemn Fafting.

Of the Obfervation of days of publick Thanksgiving.
Of Singing of Pfalms.

An Appendix touching Days and places of publick Worship.

THE

DIRECTORY

FOR THE

PUBLICK WORSHIP OF GOD.

The PREFACE.

In of
IN

N the beginning of the blessed reformation, our wife and pious ancestors took care to set forth an order for redress of many things, which they then, by the word, discovered to be vain, erroneous, fuperftitious, and idolatrous, in the publick worship of God. This occafioned many godly and learned men to rejoice much in the book of common-prayer, at that time fet forth; because the mafs and the rest of the Latin fervice being removed, the publick worship was celebrated in our own tongue: many of the common people alfo received benefit by hearing the fcriptures read in their own language, which formerly were unto them as a book that is fealed.

Howbeit, long and fad experience hath made it manifeft, that the liturgy fed in the church of England (notwithstanding all the pains and religious intentions of the compilers of it) hath proved an offence, not only to many of the godly at home, but also to the reformed churches abroad. For, not to fpeak of urging the reading of all the prayers, which very greatly increased the burden of it; the many unprofitable and burdenfom ceremonies contained in it, have occafioned much mischief, as well by difquieting the confciences of many godly minifters and people, who could not yield unto them, as by depriving them of the ordinances of God, which they might not enjoy without conforming or fubfcribing to thofe ceremonies. Sundry good Chriftians have been, by means

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