reat work. These men were Baillie,
Henderson, Rutherford, Gillespie and Douglas, ministers, with Johnston,
of Warriston, and Lords Cassilis and Maitland as lay representatives;
Argyle, Balmerinoch and Loudon were afterwards added. The work was
duly prosecuted at Westminster, and, although the Scotch Commissioners
with reluctance relinquished their Book of Common Order, yet for the
sake of the uniformity in worship which they hoped to see established
throughout England, Scotland and Ireland, they joined heartily in the
work, and carried it when completed to the Assembly of the Church of
Scotland, by which it was duly examined, slightly amended in the
directions concerning baptism and marriage, and finally, unanimously
approved in all its parts, and adopted. The terms in which the
Assembly expressed its approval of this work are unreserved:

"The General Assembly, having most seriously considered, revised and
examined the Directory aforementioned, after several public readings of
it, after much deliberation, both publicly and in private committees,
after full liberty given to all to object against it, and earnest
invitations of all who have any scruples about it, to make known the
same, that they might be satisfied, doth unanimously, and without a
contrary voice, agree to and approve the following Directory in all the
heads thereof, together with the preface set 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 observed and practised by all the ministers and others within
this Kingdom whom it doth concern."

The Scottish Parliament likewise gave its approval of the Directory,
which was accordingly in due time prepared for publication, and issued
under the title, "A Directory for the Public Worship of God throughout
the three kingdoms of Scotland, England and Ireland; with an Act of the
General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland for establishing and observing
this present Directory;" and thus the Westminster Directory became the
primary authority on matters of worship and administration of the
Sacraments within the Church of Scotland.

Its use, however, during the years immediately following its adoption
appears to have been by no means general, many still adhering to the
method of the Book of Common Order, others inclining towards an even
greater freedom than seemed to them to be permitted by the Directo