[THIRTY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY.]
The Generall Assemblie, conveint att Edinburgh the 24th day of Aprile, in the Magdalen Chapell, 1578, quhair thair was present Commissioners of Countries, Kirks, Townes, and Universities, with Ministers: Mr Androw Melvill, Moderator.
The Generall Assemblie, conveint att Edinburgh the 24th day of Aprile, in the Magdalen Chapell, 1578, quhair thair was present Commissioners of Countries, Kirks, Townes, and Universities, with Ministers: Mr Androw Melvill, Moderator.
Sessio.
Att the Moderator’s instance, the Assembly appointit Mrs John Row, Robert Pont, James Lawsone, and David Lyndsay, to concurr and conferr with him at extraordinar houris, to advyse upon sic matters as shall be thocht best to be proponit to the Assemblie.
Sessio 2.
It was thocht good be the Assemblie, that Mrs Andrew Hay, John Craig, and John Duncansone, sould be direct to the King’s heines Counsell, requyrand the Councill to direct some of the same as Commissioners from his heines to assist the Assemblie with their presence and councill, who returnit their answer, that be reason of urgent affaires they could not be present this day; but the morne there should be twa deput to be direct to the Kirk.
Sessio 3.
That Bischops and all uthers beirand ecclesiasticall functions be callit be their awne names, or brethren, in tyme cumeing.
Anent the ordinance made in the last Assembly concernyng the presenting of the Booke of Policie of the Kirk to my Lord Regent’s Grace; The brethren havand commissione thereto declarit thatthey had presentit the same to him with the supplicatione appoyntit, and ane day being appoyntit to conferrence, the alteration of the authoritie hes intervenit; and allwayes, for to stay corruptione in the entrie of the King’s Majestie’s Government, they had presentit to his hieness councill, ane supplicatione with four articles, and for observatione of the Act of Parliament, touching sic as bears publick office within this realme; ane uther for putting order to the late murther in Strivling and Edinburgh; the third for the policie of the Kirk; the fourth for supporte of the appearand famine—of the qwhilk as yet no answer.
The haill Assemblie thocht the same meit to be cravit of the Councill, and desyrit my Lord Herreiss and the Abbot of Deir, present, of their opinion concerning the saids matters; qwhais answer was, they came not to vote nor conclude, but were direct be the Councill to hear and sie the proceedings of the Assemblie, and alwayes sould insist at the hands of the Councill for answer to the saids Articles.
Anent the complaynt made upon David Fargysone, that he had overseine the executione of the act made anent Mr Thomas Biggar and George Boswell anent their resorting to the exercise of Dumfermling, the said David being present, declareit that upon their promise to erect ane exercise in Kirkaldie he stayit, qwherin they have failziet The Kirk ordaynes the said act to be put to executione be him as accords.
It was thocht meet be the brethren, that certaine sould be direct to my Lord Herreiss and the Abbot of Dier, to put them in remembrance of the answer to the articles gine in to the Councill, and lykewayes to demand of the Councill, whether they be direct to the Assembly to giue their advyce in all things tending to the glory of God and weell of his Kirk, or to hear allanerlie; and giue the brethren finds it expedient to propone the ane and the uther to the Councill themselves? And to that effect were direct Mrs Andrew Hay and David Lyndsay, who returning, reportit, that some difficulties are in the articles, and for reasonying thereof with sic as the Kirk will appoynt thereto, they have ordaynit twa of the Counsell to concurre the morne at aucht hours. As to the persones they direct to the Assemblie, they giue them no power as Commissioners of the King to vote in Assemblie; for they had not spoken the King in this behalfe: Alwayes, as brether and members of the Kirk, they shall giue advyce, counsell, and vote. The Kirk appoyntsMrs Robert Pont, John Row, James Lawsone, Andrew Hay, Andrew Melvill, and David Lyndsay, to concurr with the deputs of the Councill, to reasone upon the saids articles the morne at aucht houres.
Forsuameikle as the heads of the policie beand concludit and agreit in the last Assemblie of the Kirk, be the maist part of the brether; certain of the brother fand some difficultie and questione in that headDe Diaconatu, qwhairthrow farther reasonying was reservit to this Assemblie thereanent: It was therefore requyrit that if any brother had reasonable doubt or argument to propone, that he sould be readie the morne to offer his reasones, qwhair he shall be heard and resolvit.
Ordaynes ane Generall ffast to be observit universallie within the Kirk within this realme, to begine the first day of Junii nixt to cum, and to continow whill the next Sabbath thereafter inclusive, with the accustomed exercises of doctrine and prayer; intimation heirof to be made, with the tyme and cause, to the King and Councill, supplicating his Grace and Councill to discharge be opin proclamatione, all kynd of insolent playes as King of May, Robine Hood, and sic uthers, in the moneth of May, aither be bairnes or utherwayes.
Sessio 5.
The brether appoyntit to conferr with the deputs of the Councill touching the difficulties they had to propone againes the Articles gine in to the said Councill, reportit, that the said deputis willed the Assemblie to name the persones they suspect of Papistrie, and to direct from the number of the Kirk, certain brethren to admonische them to subscryve to the Articles of the Religione presently allowed be act of Parliament, and to participat the communione, and giue they find disobedience, to intimat the same to the Councill; and lykewayes to proceed against the disobedients with the censures of the Kirk.
The Assembly nominat my Lord Chancellour, the Earles of Caithness and Mountgomrie, my Lord Ogilbie, and ordaynit Mr John Row and James Lawsone to communicat with the Chancellour and Mrs John Craige and John Duncansone, with the remanent, and to report their answer at fyve houres to the Commissioners of Countries.
Sessio 6.
According to the ordinance made yesterday, all persones that hes any reasonable doubts or argument to propone against the head of the Policie, were requyrit to propone the same, and nane offerit any argument in the contrarie.
Sessio 7.
Forsuameikle as there is great corruptione in the estate of Bischops, as they are presently maid in this realme, qwhairunto the Kirk would provide some stay in tyme cuming, so far as they may, to the effect farder corruptione may be brydlit; Therefore the Kirk hes concludit that no Bischopes shall be electit or made hereafter before the next Generall Assemblie; discharging all ministers and chapters to proceed any wayes to electione of Bischopes in the meanetyme, under the paine of perpetuall deprivatione from their offices; and that this matter be proponit first in the next Assemblie, to be consultit what farther order shall be taken thereanent.
Anent benefices vaikand of the Kirks where there is no qualified ministers serving; The Kirk hes determinat and ordaynit, that no visiter of countries give collatione of the saids benefices to any uther persone by the minister of the Kirk qwhairof the benefice vaicks, qwhill the next Generall Assemblie of the Kirk, under the paine of deprivatione from their offices; and gif they be urget be the Prince’s letters thereto, to shaw this ordinance for their defence, and that this same matter be proponit in the next Assemblie, that order may be taken theirin.
Sessio 8.
Forsuameikle as the Generall Kirk has thocht meet that the travells taine be them upon the Policie be presentit to the King’s Majestie and his heines Councill: It was found good, that before the copies thereof were delyverit, they sould be yet reueisit and overseen be Mrs Robert Pont, James Lawsone, and David Lyndsay, and being written over according to the originall copie, to be presentit be them to his heines with a supplicatione pennit be them to that effect, with ane uther copie to the Council; the tyme to be at the discretion of the said brether, provyding it be before the generall ffast: And in case conferrence and reason be cravit upon the said heids, the Kirk hes nominat Mr John Craige, Alexander Arbuthnott,the Laird of Dun, William Chrystisone, John Row, David Fargysone, Robert Pont, James Lawsone, David Lyndsay, John Duncansone, Andrew Melvill, Andrew Hay, and James Greig, to concurr and conveine at sic tymes appoynted be the King and Councill, advertisement being made to them be the said thrie brether, and that the saids Commissioners at the said conferrence reasone also on the head of the ceremonies, and how far ministers may meddle with civill affaires, and gife they may vote in Councill or Parliament.
The Generall Assemblie of the Kirk, finding the universall corruptione of the haill estates of the bodie of this realme, the great coldness and slackness of religione in the greitest pairt of the professors of the same, with the daily increase of all kynd of fearfull sinnes and inormities, as incest, adulterie, murders, and namely, recently committit in Edinburgh and Striviling, cursed sacriledge, ungodlie seditione and divisione within the bowells of the realme, with all manner of disorderit and ungodly living, qwhich justly hes provokit our God, although long-suffering and patient, to stretch out his arme in his anger to correct and visite the iniquitie of the land, and namely be the present seueritie of famine and hunger, joynit with the civill and domestick seditiones, qwhairunto doubtless greater judgements must succeed gif his correctiones work no reformatione nor amendment in men’s hearts: Seeing also the bloodie conclusiones of the cruell councill of that Roman beast, tending to exterminat and raze from the face of all Europe, the light of the blessed word of salvatione: ffor these causes, and that God of his mercy wald bless the King’s heines and regiment, and make him to haue ane happie and prosperous government, as also to put in his heines heart and in the hearts of his noble Estates of Parliament, not only to make and establische good and politick lawes for the weel and good government of the realme, but also to setle and establische sic ane policie and discipline in the Kirk, as is cravit in the word of God, and is conteinit and pennit alreadie to his heines and councill, that in the ane and in the uther God may be glorified and haue his dew praise, and the age to come ane example of upright and godlie living and dealing: Therefore the Kirk hes ordainit the act preceiding heiranent to be preceislie keepit in all poynts.
Sessio 9.
The brethren appoyntit to speak with the suspect Lords reportit, that the Earle of Caithnes desyreit to sie the articles of religione: My Lord Ogilvie declareit that he had subscryveit the articles of religione, and participat the communion before the pastour of the countrie, and was willing to doe the same againe. They had not the commoditie to meet with the Chancellour and Montgomerie. The Ministers and Sessiones of these townes where they shall happin to repaire, were ordaynit to admonische them; and if they fand disobedience, after dew admonitione, to proceed against them with the censures of the Kirk.
Mr Thomas Sincloure was nominat amang the brethren to answer the bills.
Sessio.
What shall be the punischment of communicants that violats the generall fast? Answer: They shall make repentance twa severall Sondayes, and according to the contempt in the violatione, the paine to be aggravat.
The conventione nixt appoyntit at Edinburgh the 7th of July next to come, in caise the parliament alreadie proclaimit hald fordward; utherwayes, in caise the same halds any uther tyme betwixt and the 24th day of October nixt to come, that the brethren conveine in the place where it shall be halden for the tyme, four dayes before the same; and failzieand of both, upon the 24th day of October nixt to come, within the towne of Edinburgh.