In this present necessitie, the nominatioun, examinatioun, and
admissioun of Superintendentis, can not be so strait as we require,
and as afterward it must be.
For this present, thairfore, we think sufficient that eather your
Honouris, by your selves, nominat sa mony as may serve the
fore-written provincis; or that ye gyff commissioun to suche men, as
in whome ye suppoise the feir of God [to be] to do the same; and that
the same men being called in your presence shalbe by you, and by suche
as your Honouris please call unto you for consultatioun in that case,
appointed to thair provinces. We think it expedient and necessarie,
that als weill the gentilmen, as burgesses of everie diocese, be maid
privie at the same tyme to the electioun of the Superintendent,
alsweill to bring the Churche in sum practise of hir libertie, as to
mak the pastor better favorit of the flocke whome thame selves have
chosin. Yff your Honouris can not find for this present sa many able
men as the necessitie requireth, then, in our judgementis, more
profitable it is that those provincis vaik till God provide better,
than that men unabill to edifie and governe the Churche be suddanlie
placit in that charge. For experience hath taught us,[433] what
pestilence hath bene engendred in the Church by men unabill to
discharge thair offices.
[433] In edit. 1621, "hath teached us."
When, thairfore, after thre yeiris any Superintendent shall departe,
or chance to be deposed, the cheaf town within that province, to wit,
the Ministeris, Elders, and Deaconis, with the Magistrat and Counsall
of the same town, shall nominat, and by publict edictis proclame,
alsweill to the Superintendent, as to twa or thre provinces nixt
adjacent, two or thre of the most learned and most godlie Ministeris
within the hole realme, that frome amangis thame, one with publict
consent may be electit and appointed to the office then vaiking: and
this the cheaf Town shall be bound to do within the terme of twenty
dayis. Whiche being expired and no man presented, then shall thre of
the nixt adjacent provincis, with consent of thair Superintendentis,
Ministeris, and Elderis, enter in into the rycht and priviledgeis of
the cheaf town, and shall present everie one of thame one, or two yf
thei list, to the cheaf town, to be examinated as the Ordour
requireth. As also, it shalbe lauchfull for all the churches of the
Diocesye to nominat within the same tyme suche personis as thei think
worthye to stand in electioun; which man be put in edict.[434]
[434] In edit. 1621, "Electioun, who all must be put in an Edict."
After the nominationis be maid, publict edictis must be send, first
warnyng all men that have any objectioun[435] againis the personis
nominatit, or against ony ane of thame, to be present in the cheaf
toun at day and place affixit, to object what thei can against the
electioun of any one of thame. Threttye dayis we think sufficient to
be assigned thairto; thretty dayis, we meane, after that the
nominatioun be maid.
[435] In edit. 1621, "sent forth, warning all men that have any
exception."
Whiche day of electioun being come, the hoill Ministeris of that
Province, with thre or mo[436] of the Superintendentis nixt adjacent,
or that sall thairto be named,[437] shall examyn not onlie the
learnying, but also the maneris, prudence, and habilitie to governe
the Churche, of all those that ar nominat; that he who shallbe fund
most worthye, may be burdened with the charge. Yff the Ministeris of
the whole Province should bring with them the voitis of those that war
committit to thair caire, the electioun should be the more fre; bot
alwayis, the voitis of all those that convene must be requirit.[438]
The examinationis must be publictlie maid; those that stand in
electioun must publictlie preache; and men must be chargeit in the
name of God, to voit according to conscience, and not efter
affectioun. Yf ony thing be objectit against any that stand[439] in
electioun, the Superintendentis and Ministeris must considder whether
the objectioun be maid of conscience or of malice, and thei must
ansueir accordinglie. Other ceremonies then scharp examinatioun,
approbatioun of the Ministeris and Superintendentis, with the publict
consent of the Elderis and People, then present,[440] we can not
allow.
[436] In edit. 1621, "with three or foure."
[437] In edit. 1621, "or that shall be thareto nominated."
[438] In edit. 1621, "the votes of them that convene should be
required."
[439] In edit. 1621, "against him that standeth."
[440] Edit. 1621, omits "the present."
The Superintendent being electit, and appointed to his charge, must be
subjected to the censur and correctioun of the Ministeris and Elderis,
not onlie of his cheaf Toun, but also of the hoill Province over the
whiche he is appointed oversear.
Yf his offencis[441] be knawin, and the Ministeris and Elderis of his
Province[442] be negligent in correcting him, then the nixt one or two
Superintendentis, with thair Ministeris and Elderis, may convene him,
and the Ministeris and Elderis of his cheaf toun, (provideit that it
be within his awin Province or cheaf toun,) and may accuse and correct
alsweale the Superintendent in those thingis that ar worthy of
correctioun, as the Ministeris and Elderis for thair negligence and
ungodlie tollerance of his offencis.
[441] In edit, 1621, "his offence."
[442] In edit. 1621, "Elders of the Toun and Province."
Whatsoever cryme deserve correctioun or depositioun of any other
minister, deserveth the samin in the Superintendent, without
exceptioun of persoun.
After that the Churche he establischeit,[443] and thre yeiris be
passed, we require that na man be callit to the office of a
Superintendent, who hath not tuo yeiris at the leist gevin
declaratioun of his faithfull lawbouris in the ministerie of some
churche.[444]
[443] In edit. 1621, "Kirk is established."
[444] In edit. 1621, "in the ministrie of the same Kirk."
No Superintendent may be transferrit at the plesour or requeist of ony
one Province; no, not without the consent of the whole counsall of the
Churche, and that for grave causses and considderationis.
Off one thing, in the end, we must admonische your Honouris, to wit,
that in appointing Superintendentis for this present, ye disappoint
not your cheaf Tounis, and whair learning is exercised, of suche
ministeris as more may proffit be residence in one place, than be
continewall travell frome place to place: For if ye so do, the youth
in those placis shall lacke the profound interpretatioun of the
Scripturis; and so shall it be long before that your gardenis send
furth many plantis; whair by the contrarie, yf one or tuo tounis be
continewallie exercised as thei may, the Commoun-wealth shall
schortlie taist of thair fruct,[445] to the confort of the godlie.
[445] In edit. 1621, "feast of their fruit."