[FIFTY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY.]
Att Edinburgh, the Generall Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland, conveint upon the 22 of May 1592.
Att Edinburgh, the Generall Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland, conveint upon the 22 of May 1592.
Exhortatione being made be Mr Nicoll Dalgleische, Moderator of the last Assembly: The Kirk proceedit to the election of ane Moderator, and appoyntit in the leets, Mrs Robert Bruce, David Lyndsay, James Balfour, and James Nicolsone. The said Robert was, be pluralitie of vots, electit Moderator,hac vice.
Sessio 2a. May 23.
Forsuameikle as the necessitie of tyme requyres that the greatest and weightiest heads be first considerit; It was proponit to the haill brethren to consider and decerne if they thocht meit or not, the Kirk sould make sute for the Articles following:
1. That the acts of Parliament made in the year of God 1584 against the discipline of the Kirk, libertie and authoritie thereof, be annullit, and the samen discipline qwherin the Kirk hes been in practise, ratified.
2. The abolutione of the act of annexatione and restitutione of the patrimonie of the Kirk.
3. That abbots, pryors, and wthers prelates, pretending the title of the Kirk, and voting for the same, without their power and commissione, be not sufferit in tyme comeing, to vote for the same, either in Parliament or wther conventione.
Last, That the countrie, qwhilk is polluted with fearfull idolatrie and blood, be purgit: Qwhilks haill articles, the Assemblie thocht most necessare to be cravit: and for putting of the same in good forme, imployit their breither, Mrs Robert Pont, David Lyndsay, Thomas Buchanane, and James Melvill; willing them to present the same, at ten houres, to the full Assembly to be considerit be them.
As concernyng the voting in Parliament, in the name of the Kirk, if it shall be thought leisum, the ministrie sould succeed in that part in the prelats’ place; it is referrit to consultatione qwhill the morne. And every brother is ordaynit to wey and debait that argument with himselfe, and be readie the morne to reasone their opinion into the same.
Sessio 5a. May 24.
It is ordaynit in tyme comeing, that the breither receiving commissiones from the Kirk, and slewthfullie observing the execution thereof, shall be rebukit in the face of the Assemblie for their negligence.
Sessio 6a. May 25.
Forsuameikle as the Kirk, considering their dewtie first to God, and the necessitie of the charge qwhilk is imposit upon them, seeing the daily decay of religione, and laicke of justice, qwhereofthe effect is to the regrait of all trew Christians, mair and mair falls out in miserable experience, and that the dewtie of their office burdeneth them to discharge their conscience in this behalf to their Soveraigne, to qwhome chiefly it appertayneth to procure remedie thereof; Therefore directs their breither qwhilks war nominat before, to present the Articles to his Majestie, together with Mrs Nicoll Dalgleische, Patrick Symsone, Patrick Scharpe, John Malcolme, and David Fargysone, to passe immediately to his Majestie to lament the daily decay of Religione, disorder and laike of justice within this realme, to crave his dewtie, as he wald answer to God, qwhat to be done for remeid thereof, and grauely to admonische his Majestie, in the name of the Eternall, to have respect in tyme to the estate of the trew Religione perishing, and to the manifold murthers, oppressionis and enormities dayly multiplied through impunitie and laike of justice; and to discharge his kingly office in both, as he wald eschew the fearfull challenge of God, and turne his wrath aff his Majestie and the haill land: And to the effect his Majestie may be the better informit of the particular, to lay downe the same particularlie to him, and craue his answer, that they may report the same to the haill Assemblie.
Sessio 10a. Penult Maii.
Forsuameikle as, at the speciall desyre of the Kirk, ane Forme of Examinatione before the Communione was pennit and formit be their brother Mr John Craige, qwhilk is now imprintit and allowit be the voyce of the Assembly: Therefore, it is thought needfull that euery pastor travell with his flock, that they may buy the samen book, and read it in their families, qwhereby they may be better instructit, and that the samen be read and learnit in doctors’ schools in place of the Litle Catechisme.
Sessio 15a. Junii 2d.
Mr Alexander Dicksone compeirand, and being inquyrit if he had subscryvit the Articles of Religione, presently professit and establischit within the Reformit Kirk of this realme, and communicat at the Lord’s Table? Answerit he did, both in the Colledge of St Androws and after. Being inquyrit, in what heads he differs to subscryve? Answerit, he had sundrie heads qwherewith he agreid not with the Confession of Faith and Articles of Religione forsaid; wherewith being pressit with the Assembly, and that eithernow be word, or the morne be wreit, he sould be speciall, at lenth plainly avowit and protestit he differed from them in all the substantiall heids and poynts of religione qwherein the Papists contraverts with them: With qwhilk confessione and declaration forsaid, the breither of the Assemblie being advysit, ffand that he had committit apostacie, and therefore to have incurrit the paines thairof.
Sessio 17a. Tertio Junii.
Anent the supplicatione of Mr Alexander Dicksone, in conclusione offerand either to subseryve the Confessione of Faith, or within fourty dayes to passe off the realme, and to that effect desyrand to be freed from captivitie; The Assembly being advysit therewith, desyred the Baillie of Edinburgh to take order with him according to the tenor of the act of Parliament, and to sett him frie upon cautione.
Sessio 22a. Junii 6.
Anent the forme and order of excommunicatione to be used againes notorious murtherers: The Assembly hes concludit that the order containit in the excommunication be keepit and followit out according to the tenor thereof.
Anent the haynous and cruell murther of the Earle of Morray, committit be the Earle of Huntly and his complices, the brethren and Assembly present hes given and gives ordinance and strait command to the brethrene of the Presbytrie of Brechine, who hes already interit in proces with him, to proceed with concurrence of two breither of every ane of the Presbytries of Angus and Mearnes, against him for the said cruell fact, according to the acts of the Assembly.
Sessio 23. Junii 7.
Anent the act made concernyng deposed ministers or persones in this last Parliament; It was thought meet at the next Parliament, or Conventione having the force or commissione of Parliament, to craue, that where it else has been inactit, that notwithstanding the pastor be deposit, the tacks and tithes sett be him shall nevertheless stand, it be now provydit and addit to the said act, that in caice the said tack or tithe be sett after the committing of the fact for the qwhilk the persone is deposed, that such tacks, factories, or tithes whatsomever, shall be null and of none availl, force, nor effect.