Certane speciall Heidis of Reformatioun quhilk we crave.
Certane speciall Heidis of Reformatioun quhilk we crave.
CAP. 12.
1. Quhatsoeuir haue bene spokine of the offices of the kirk, the seuerall power, the office-beraris thair conjunct power also, and last of the patrimony of the kirk, we onderstand it to be, the right reformation, whilk God cravis at our handis, That the kirk be ordourit according thairto, as with that ordour quhilk is maist aggreable to the word of God.
2. Bot becaus sumthingis willbe twichit in particular, concerning the estait of the countrie, and that quhilk we principallie seik to be reformit in the same, we haue collectit thame in thir heidis following:
3.First, seing the haill countrie is devydit in provinces, and thir provinces agane ar diuidit in paroches, alsweill in landwart as in townis; in euery paroche of reasonable congregationis, there wald be placit ane or ma pasturis to feid the flok, and na pasture or minister, aucht to be burdenit with the particular charge of ma flockis or kirks thene ane alanarlie.
4. And becaus it willbe thocht hard to find out pasturis or ministeris to all the paroche kirkis of the realme, alsweill in landwart as in borrows townis, we think, be the advice of sic as commissioun may be gevine to, be the kirk and the prince, paroches in landwart or small villages, may be joint twa or thrie or ma, in sum places togidder, and the principall and maist commodious kirkis to stand, and to be repairit sufficientlie, and qualifeit ministeris placet thereat; and the uther kirkis, quhilk ar not fund necessar, may be sufferit to decay, thair kirk-zairdis alwayis being kepit for buriall places: And in sum places quher neid requyris, ane parochine, where the congregatioun is ouir greit for ane kirk, may be diuidit in twa or ma.
5. Doctouris wald be appointit in universities, collegis, and uther places neidfull, and sufficientlie prouydit, for to oppin up the meaning of the Scripturis, and to haue the charge of scoles, and teache the rudiments of religioun.
6. As to eldaris, thair waldbe sum to be censuris of the maneris of the peple, ane or ma in euerie congregatioun; bot not an assemblie of eldaris in euery particular kirk, bot onlie in the townis and famous places quher resort of men of jugement and habilitie to that effect; may be had.
7. Quhair the eldaris of particular kirkis about may convene togidder, and haue ane commoun elderschip and assemblie-place amongis thame, to treat of all thingis that concerne the congregatioun of whome thay haue the ouersicht.
8. And as thair aught to be men appointit to unit and diuyd the paroches, as necessitie and commoditie requiris, Sa wald thair be appointit be the generall kirk, with assent of the Prince, sic men as feireth God, and knew the estait of the countreis, that war able to nominat and designe places, quhere the assembleis of particular elderschippis sould convene, to tak consideratioun of the dioces as thay war diuidit of auld, and of the estait of the countreis and provinces of the realme.
9. Lykeways as concerning provinciall and synodall assembleis, consideratioun war easie to be had, how mony and in quhat places thay war to be haldine, and how oftene thay sould convene,—aucht to be referit unto the libertie of the general kirk, and ordour to be appoyntit therein.
10. The Nationall Assembleis of this countrie, callit commounlie the Generall Assembleis, aught alwayis to be retenit in thair awin libertie, and to haif their awin place, with power to the kirk to appoint tymis and places convenient thairfoir.
11. And all men, alsweill magistratts as inferiouris, to be subject to the jugement of the same in ecclesiasticall causis, without ony reclamatioun or appellatioun to onie iudge, ciuile or ecclesiasticall, within the realme.
12. The libertie of the electioun of personis callit to ecclesiasticall functionis, and obseruit without interruptit continewnce salang as the kirk was not corruptit be Antichryst, we desyr to be restoirit and retenit within this realme:
13. So that nane be intrusit upone ony congregatioun, aither be the Prince or ony inferiour persone, without lawchfull electioun and the assent of the peple ouir quhom the persone is placet, as the practise of the apostolicall primitiue kirk and guid ordour craves.
14. And becaus this ordour, quhilk Goddis word cravis, can not stand with patronages and presentationis to benefices, usit in the Papis kirk, We desyr all thame that trewlie feiris God, eirnestlie to considder, that forswamekle as the names of patronagis and beneficis, togidder with the effect thairof, are flowene frome the Pape, and corruptioun of the canone law onlie insafar as thairby ony persone was intruised and placit ovir kirkis hauingcuram animarum; And forswameikle as that maner of proceding hes na ground in the word of God, but is contrar to the same, and to the said libertie of electioun, thay aucht not now to have place in this licht of reformatioun: And therefoir quhasaever will trewlie imbrace Goddis word, and desyr the kingdome of his Sone Jesus Chryst to be aduancit, thay will also imbrace, and resaue that policie and ordour quhilk the word of God, and upright stait of his kirk craves, vtherwyse it is in vane that thay sould haue profest the same. Notwithstanding as concerning uther patronages of benefices that have notcuram animarum, (as they speik,) sic as ar chaplanreis, prebendaries fundeitupon temporall landis, and annuallis, and siclyk, may be reseruit unto the ancient patronis, to dispone that upone, quhan thay veaik, to scolleris and bursaris, as thay are requirit be the act of Parliament.
15. As to the kirk rentis in generall, we desyr the ordour to be admittit and mantenit amangis us, that may stand with sinceritie of Goddis word, and practes of the puritie of the kirk of Christ.
16.To wit, that as was befoir spokine, in the haill rent and patrimony of the kirk, (excepting the small patronagis befoir mentionat,) may be divydit in four partis and portionis: Ane thairof to be assignit to the pasture for his intertenement and for hospitalitie; ane uther to the eldaris, deaconis, and utheris officiaris of the kirk, sic as clerkis of assembleis, takaris up of the psalms, beadallis and keparis of the kirks, safar as thay ar necessar; joyning thairwith also, the doctouris of scoles, to help the ancient foundationis quhere neid requireth: The thrid portioun to be bestowit unto the pure memberis of the faithfull, and hospitallis: The fourt for reparatioun of the kirkis, and utheris extraordinar chargis as ar profitable for the kirk, and also for the commoun welth, gif neid require.
17. We desyr thairfoir, the ecclesiasticall guidis to be upliftit, and distributit faithfullie, to quhome thay appertene, and that be the ministrie of the deaconis, to quhais office properlie the collectioun and distributioun thereof belangis: that the pure may be answerit of thair portioun thereof, and thay of the ministrie leue without care and solicitud, as also the rest of the thesaurarie of the kirk may be ressauit, and bestowit to the richt uses.
18. Gif thayes deaconis be electit with sic qualiteis as Goddis word craves to be in thame, thair is na feir that they sall abuse thame selfis in thair office, as the prophane collectouris did of befoir.
19. Zit becaus this vocatioun apperes to mony to be dangerous, let them be oblisht (as thay war of auld) to ane ʒeirlie compt to the pasturis and elderschip; and gif the kirk and Prince think expedient, lat cautioneris be oblist for thair fidelitie, that the kirk rents onnawayis be delapidat.
20. And to the effect this ordour may tak place, it is to be prouydit, that all utheris intromettouris with the kirkis rentis, collectouris generall or speciall, whidder it maybe by appointment of the Prince, or utherwayis, be denudit of forder intromissioun thereof, and suffer the kirk rentis in tymis cuming to be haillalie intromettitwith be ministrie of the deaconis, and distribute to the usis afoir mentionat.
21. And also, to the effect that the ecclesiasticall rentis may suffice to the uses for the quhilk thay ar to be appointit, we think it necessar to be desyred, that all alienationis, setting in fewis or takis of the rentis of the kirk, alsweill landis as teindis, in hurt and diminutioun of the auld rentallis, be reducit and annullat, and the patrimony of the kirk restoirit to the formar and auld libertie.
22. And lykewayis, that in tymis cuming, the teindis be set to nane bot to the laubouraris of the ground, or ellis not set at all, as it was aggriet upone, and subscryuit be the nobilitie befoir.
The Vtilitie that sall flow of this Reformatioun to all Estaitis.
The Vtilitie that sall flow of this Reformatioun to all Estaitis.
CAP. 13.
1. Seing the end of this spirituall gouernament and policie, quhairof we spak, is, that God may be glorifeit, the kingdome of Jesus Chryst advancit, and all thay quho ar of his mysticall body, may leve peceablie in conscience: Thairfoir we dar bauldlie affirme, that all thay quha haue trew respect to thais endis, will evin for conscience caus, gladlie aggrie and conforme thame selfis to this ordour, and aduance the same, safar as lyis in thame, that their conscience being set at rest, thay may be replenisched with spirituall gladnes in geving full obedience to that quhilk Goddis word and the testimony of thair conscience dois craue, and refusing all corruptionis contrare unto the same.
2. Nixt, we sall becum an example and patrone of guid and godlie ordour to uther nationis, cuntreis, and kirkis professing the same religioun with us, that as thay haue glorifeit God in our continewing in the sinceritie of the word hitherto, without all errouris, (praise be to His name,) sa thay may haue the lyk occasioun in our conuersation, quhen as we conforme our selfis to that discipline, policie, and guid ordour, quhilk the same word and puritie of reformatioun craves at our handis; vtherwayis this feirfull sentence may be iustlie said to us, The servand knawand the will of the maister, and not doing it.
3. Mairouir, gif we haue ony pitie or respect to the puir memberisof Chryst, quha sa greatlie increase and multiplie amangis us, we will not suffer thame to be langer defraudit of that part of the patrimony of the kirk, quhilk justlie belangis unto thame: And be this ordour, gif it be dewlie put in executioun, the burding of thame sall be takine of us to our greit confort, the streitis sallbe changed of the cryingis and murmuringis of thame; as we salbe na mair sklander to uther nationis, as we haue hitherto bene, for not taking ordour with the puir amangis us, and causing the word quhilk we profess to be euill spokine of, giving occasioun of sclander to the enemies, and offending the consciences of the semple and godlie.
4. Besyds this, it sallbe a greit ease and commoditie to the haill commoun peple, and releving thame of the beilding and uphalding of thair kirkis, in bigging of briggis and uther lyk public warkis; to the laubourars of the ground in the payment of thair teindis; and schortlie in all cheif thingis, quhairunto thay have bene hitherto rigorouslie handlit be thame that war falsely callit kirkmen, thair tackkismen, factouris, and extortionaris.
5. Finallie, to the Kingis Majestie and common-welth of the countrie, this profit sall redound, That the uther effairs of the kirk being sufficientlie provydit according to the distributioun of the quhilk hes bene spokin, the superplus being collectit into the thesaurarie of the kirk, may be profitablie imployit, and liberallie bestowit upon the extraordinar support of the effairis of the Prince and commoun-welth, and speciallie of that part quhilk is appoyntit for reparatioun of the kirks.
6. Sa, to conclude; all being willing to apply thameselfis to this ordour, the peple suffering them selfis to be reulit according thairunto, (the Princes and Magistrats thame selfis not being exemit,) and thay that ar placit in ecclesiasticall estait, rychtlie reuling and governing, God sallbe glorifeit, the kirk edifeit, the boundis thairof inlargit, Chryst Jesus and his kingdome set up, Sathane and his kingdome subuertit, and God sall dwell in the meddis of us, to our comfort, throw Jesus Chryst, quha, togidder with the Fader and the Halie Ghaist, abydeth blissit in all eternitie. So be it.
Finis.
MrJ. Richie.
Deo Gratias.
This Buik of Policie being red apart privatlie be the maist pairt at sundrie tymis, and the penult of September 1591, being publicklie in the Elderschip of Haddingtoun, was subscryvit be the brethren thairof, according to the Act of the Generall Assemblie, asfollows:—
Act 8 Augusti,Sess. 10.
Mr Thomas M‘Gee,minister of Guland.James Gibsone, ministerat Pencatland.
Mr James Carmichaell,minister at Hadingtoun.Mr L. Hay, Bass.
Thomas Greg, minister at North Berwick.James Reid, minister at Garvat Kirk.D. I. Byris, minister of Godis word at Barow.James Lamb, minister at Boltoun Kirk.Mr Johne Ker, minister at Abarladay.David Wallace, minister at Moreine.