[Sidenote: CONSENTED TO LIKEWISE]
To Discipline must all Estaitis within this Realme be subject, yf thay
offend,[520] alsweil the Reullaris as thay that are reulit; yea and
the Preachearis thame selfis, alsweill as the poorest within the
Churche. And becaus the eye and mouth of the Churche aught to be most
single and irreprehensibill, the life and conversatioun of the
Ministers aucht most diligentlie to be tryed. Whairof we shall speake,
efter that we have spokin of the electioun of Elderis and Deaconis,
who must assist the Ministeris in all public effaires of the Churche,
&c.[521]
[520] The words, "yf they offend," are omitted in edit. 1621.
[521] In edit. 1621, "of the Kirk."
THE EYGHT HEID, TUICHING THE ELECTIOUN OFF ELDERIS AND DEACONIS,
&C.[522]
[522] In edit. 1722, Chap. X.
MEN of best knawledge in Goddis word, of cleanest life, men faithfull,
and of most honest conversatioun that can be fund in the Churche, must
be nominated to be in electioun; and the names of the same must[523]
be publictlie red to the whole Kirk by the Minister, geving thame
advertisement, that frome amongest these must be chosin Elderis and
Deaconis. Yf anye of the nominated be noted with publict infamye, he
aught to be repelled; for it is not seamlie that the servand of
corruptioun shall have authoritie to judge in the Churche of God. Yf
anye man knowis utheris of better qualiteis within the Churche then
these that beis nominated, lat thame be put in electioun, that the
Church may have the choise.
[523] In edit. 1621, "and their names."
[Sidenote: WHAT CHURCHES MAY BE JOYNED LAT THE POLECIE JUDGE.]
Yf churcheis[524] be of smaller nomber than that Seniouris and
Deaconis can be chosin frome amangis thame, then may thay weill be
joyned to the nixt adjacent Churche: For the pluralitie of churcheis,
without ministeris and ordour, shall rathir hurt than edifie.
[524] In edit. 1621. "If the kirk."
The electioun of Elderis and Deaconis aught to be used everie yeare
once, (whiche we judge to be most convenient the first day of August;)
least that by long continuance of suche officiaris, men presume upoun
the libertie of the Churche. It hurtis not that one man be reteaned in
office mo yearis than one, so that he be appointed yearlie, by common
and fre electioun; provideit alwayes, that the Deaconis, thesauraris,
be not compelled to receave the office againe for the space of three
yearis.
How the voitis and suffreigeis may be best receaved, so that everie
man may gyf his vote frelie, everie severall Churche may tack such
ordour as best seameth to thame.
The Elderis being elected, must be admonischeit of thair office, which
is to assist the Minister in all publict effares of the Churche; to
wit, in judgeing and decernyng[525] causses; in geving of admonitioun
to the licentious lever; in having of respect to the manneris and
conversatioun of all men within thair charge; for by the gravitie of
the Seniouris aught the licht and unbridillit life of the licentious
be corrected and bridillit.
[525] In edit. 1621, "to wit, in determining and judging."
Yea, the Seniouris aught to tak heyde to the life, manneris,
deligence, and studye of thair Ministeris. Yf he be worthie of
admonitioun, thei must admonische him; of correctioun, thei must
correct him: And yf he be worthy of depositioun, thay with consent of
the Churche and Superintendent may depose him, so that his cryme so
deserve. Yf a Minister be licht in conversatioun, by his Elderis and
Seniouris, he aught to be admonisched. Yf he be negligent in studie,
or one that vaketh not upoun his charge and flocke, or one that
proponeth not frutefull doctrine, he deservith scharpear admonitioun
and correctioun. To the whiche yf he be fund stubburne and inobedient,
than may the Seniouris of one Churche complaine to the Ministerie of
the two nixt adjacent churcheis, whaire men of greater gravitie are;
to whois admonitioun yf he be fund inobedient, he aught to be
discharged frome his ministerie till his repentence appeare, and a
place be vaking for him.
Yf any Minister be deprehendit in any notable cryme, as huredome,
adulterie, murther, man-slauchter, perjurie, teaching of heresie, or
ony such as deserve death, or [that] may be ane note of perpetuall
infamye, he aught to be deposed for ever. By Heresie, we meane
pernitius doctrine planelie taught, and obstinatlie defended, aganis
the foundatioun and principallis of our faith: and such a cryme we
juge to deserve perpetuall depositioun frome the ministrie; for most
dangerus we know it to be, to commit the flock to ane man infected
with the pestilence of heresye.
Some crymes deserve depositioun for ane tyme, and whill the persoun
gyf declaratioun of gretar gravitie and honnestie: as yf a minister be
deprehendit dronk, in brawling or fechting, ane oppin sklanderar, ane
infamer of his nychtbour, factious and sawar of discord, be may be
commandit to cease from his ministrie, till he declair the signis of
repentence; upoun the whiche, the Churche sall abide him the space of
twentye dayis or farther, as the Churche shall think expedient, before
that thay proceed to ane new electioun.
Everie inferiour Churche shall by one of thair Seniouris and one of
thair Deaconis, onis in the year, notifie unto the ministerie of the
Superintendentis churche, the life, maneris, studye, and deligence of
thair Ministeris, to the end that the discretioun of some may correct
the lenitie of otheris.
Not onlie may the life and maneris of the Ministeris cum under censure
and judgement of the Churche, bot also of thair wiffes, children, and
familie; judgement must be tackin, that he neather live riotuslie,
neathir yit avaritiuslie; yea, respect must be had how thay spend the
stipend appointed to thair leving. Yf ane reasonabill stypend be
appointed, and thay leve avariciuslie, thai must be admonisched to
live so as thay resave; for as excesse and superfluitie is nocht
tollerabill in ane minister, so is avarice and the cairfull
sollicitude of money and geir[526] utterlie to be damned in Christis
servandis, and especialie in those that are fed upoun the charge of
the Church. We judge it unseamlie and not tollerabill that ministeris
shall be burdeit in commoun aill-housses or tavernis.
[526] In ed. 1621, the words "and geir," omitted.
Neathir yit must ane Minister be permitted to frequent and commonlie
hant the Court, onless it be for a time, when he is eathir send be the
Churche, eathir yit called for by the Authoritie for his counsall and
judgement. Neathir yit must he be one of the counsall in Civill
effaires, be he never judgeit so apt for that purpose; but eathir must
he cease frome the ministerie (whiche at his awin plesour he may not
do,) or ellis from bearing charge in Civill effaires, onles it be to
assist the Parliament yf he be[527] called.
[527] In MS. 1566, "if thay be."
The office of the Deaconis, as is before declared, is to receave the
rentis, and gadder the almous of the Churche, to keip and distribute
the same, as by the ministerie of the Kirk shall be appointed. Thay
may also assist in judgement with the Ministeris and Elderis, and may
be admitted to read in the assemblie yf thei be required, and be fund
abill thairto.
The Elderis and Deaconis, with thair wiffeis and houshaldis must be
under the same censure that is prescribit for the Ministeris: for thay
must be cairfull over thair office; and seing that thay ar judgeis to
the maneris of uthiris, thair awin conversatioun aught to be
irreprehensible: Thay must be sober, humill, luifaris and
interteinaris of concord and peace; and, finalie, thay aught to be the
exempill of godlines till otheris. And yf the contrarie thairof
appeare, thay must be admonisched by the Minister, or by some of thair
brethren of the ministerie, yf the falt be secreit; and gif it be
oppin and knawin, it must be rebucked before the ministerie, and the
same ordour keipit against the Seniour or Deacon, that before is
describit aganis the Minister.
We think it nott necessarie that ony publict stypend shall be
appointed, eathir to the Elderis, or yit to the Deaconis, becaus thair
travell contineuis bot for ane yeare; and alsua becaus that thay are
not so occupyed with the effares of the Churche, but that
reasonabillie thay may attend upoun thair domesticall besynes.