and with
the sow to the puddle, unto the mocking of God, and the exceeding great
reproach and detriment of his Cause: Therefore, for the better determining
the Truth and sincerity of the Repentance of those who desire to be
admitted to the Covenant and Communion: It is appointed and Ordained that
none of those persons who are debarred from the Covenant and Communion
shall be admitted and received thereto, but such as after exact triall,
shall be found for some competent time before or after the offer of their
Repentance, according to the discretion of the respective Judicatories, to
have in their ordinary conversatione given real Testimony of their dislike
of the late unlawfull Engagement, and of the courses and wayes of
Malignants, and of their sorrow for their accession to the same; & to live
soberly, righteously & godly; & if any shall be found, who after the
defeating of the Engagers have uttered any Malignant speeches, tending to
the approbation of the late unlawful Engagement, or the blood-shed within
the Kingdome for promoving of the ends of the said Engagement, or any
other projects or practices within or without the Kingdome; prejudiciall
to Religion and the Covenant, or tending to the reproach of the Ministry,
or the civill Government of the Kingdom, or who have unnecessarily or
ordinarily conversed with Malignant and disaffected persons, Or who have
had hand in, or accession to, or compliance with or have any wayes
countenanced or promoved any Malignant Design, prejudiciall to Religion
and the Covenant; That these, notwithstanding their profession of
Repentance be not suddenly received, but a competent time, according to
the discretion of the Judicatory, be assigned to them for tryall of the
evidence of their Repentance, according to the qualifications above
mentioned. And the Generall Assembly Ordains Presbyteries to make
intimation of this Act in the severall Kirks of their bounds so soon as
they can, after the rising of the General Assembly, that none pretend
ignorance; And that Presbyteries make accompt of their diligence in
prosecuting of this Act to the Quarterly meetings of the Commission of
this Assembly.

_The Declaration and Acknowledgement before mentioned._

I, after due consideration of the late Warre against the Kingdom of
_England_; And having also considered the course pursued and promoted by
the Earle of _Lanerk_, _George Monro_ and their Adherents in and about
_Stirling_, and by othe