First, that it is thoght good, and alsweill conforme to the Act
of Parliament, immediately before the Queen’s Majestie’s arrival,
promittit as her Heiness owin Ordinance, with consent of her
Nobilitie, decreit and appointit after her Grace’s arrivall, Chryst’s
Religion be _de novo_ established, ratified, and approved throughout
the whole Realme, and that all Idolatrie, especially the Masse, be
abolished over all; so that no other Face of Religion be permittit or
thoilit to be erectit.
And for this effect, that the Ministers be provydit decentlie with an
assurit appointment, where they sall receive their livings asweill
bygane as to come, and not to live as Beggers, as presentlie they
doe; and in lyk maner to desyre, and with all humilitie to requyre,
that the Transgressours againis the Ordinances, asweill from tymes
past as from this tyme foorth, might be punisched according to
the saids Lawes and Ordinances, and especially againis them that
contemnes and committis Inobedience againis the saidis Lawes, in
Aberdein, in the Carse of Gowrie, in Seafield, and in sundrie uther
places, as salbe specifiet.
After the forsaids Articles war notified and declared to my Lords the
Erles of Murray, Argyle, Glencarne, and to my Lord Secritar, being
present, and send be the Quein’s Hieness to the Assemblie, to know
quhat things were proponit therein; thoght the saids Articles, as
they were conceivit, not so convenient to be proponit as appertained,
and therefor thoght it meitt to collect twa Heids thereof, quhilk
they themselves wald propone to the Quein’s Majestie; quhilk Heids
follow:
And first, they wold declare to her the good mynds and obedience of
them then assemblit.
And as tuiching the Estate of Religioun, seeing it tuitchit the
said Lords most especiallye, being members of the said Kirk, they
wold labour at her Grace’s hands, that the same might be observit
according to the ordour establishit at her Heiness arryvall, and
doubtit not to obtaine sick gentle answer and agreement of her
Majestie in that behalf as might satisfie the said Assemblie.
The uther Heid, tuiching the sustentatioun of the Ministers, the
saids Lords in lyke maner promised to labour at her Hienes’ hands
that they might have appointment of the saids Stipends, and hoped
to dresse her Hienes so that they sauld be ressonablie satisfiet of
their desyre in that point.
Thereafter the saids Lords declarit, be the mouth of my Lord
Secretaire, how they had proponit the saids Heids to the Quein’s
Majestie, and how they were not only accepted be her Heiness in good
part, but also gentlie answerit, and acceedit to the performance
thereof; and therefore the saids Lords promised, in her Majestie’s
name, to the haill Assemblie, the accomplishment of the saids
desyres, of the quhilk they need not in any wayes to doubt; for
if they had been surely persuadit in their owin hearts that her
Hienes had meant utherwayes nor they had declared, her Grace sauld
have found uther Messengers then they to have shawin the same in
her Hienes’ name. Quhilk being be them declared, the haill number
present first thanked God and her Majestie, that their reassonable
desyres were so generallie answerit; and for recognoscing of their
owin dutie, desyrit the saids Lordis reciprocallie to promise to
her Majestie, in their behalf, all duetifull obedience, love, and
submission, quhilk can be lookit for be any Christian Prince of most
faithfull, humble, and loving subjects; promiseing therewithall,
if any of their number sould happen to forget the duetie of a good
Subject, or offendes her Majestie’s Lawes, that they all afaldlie
wold concurre to the punition of the offendour, according to the
qualitie of that trespass, as they sould be commandit.
Anent the satisfeing of the Complaint of pure Labourers of the
ground anent the unmercifull exaction of their Teynds, Johne
Maxwell of Terriglis, Knycht, frielie promiseit that quhat time the
Superintendent of the West sould resort towart the Pairts quher he
hes any Teynds, he sauld choose unto himself sax, seven, or aucht of
the most wise and discreit Persones within the saids Bounds quher
he has the saids Teynds; and quhatsoever the said Superintendent
and honest Persones sould advyse him to doe, alsweill tuiching the
Intromissioun as prices of Teynds, he promises to fulfil the same,
so that the pure labourers sould feile at his hands ease and support
within his Rowmes.
In lyk maner my Lord of Murray was content, and for his teynds within
Fyfe, namit the Laird of Lundie, that sall modifie either money or
victuall.
Aleso Alexander Bischop of Galloway promised to doe [the lyke] how
soone the tack of his teynds comes in his awin hand, and beis run out.
The Erle of Monteith, my Lords of Lindesay and Ochiltrie, my Lord
Secretarie, the Superintendent of Fyfe, the Gentlemen in the West,
and amang them the Laird of Kars, and the Goodman of Leathem, all of
their awin frie will, promised to doe according as the said Maister
of Maxwell had promeised.
Tuiching the act of Parliament anent the gleibs and manses, the haill
Assemblie requeist Mr James Macgill, Clerk Register, to extract the
samein and subscryve it, to the effect it may be produceit before the
Lords of the Secret Counsell the morne, or how soone guidlie he may
doe the samen, that ordour may be tane thereanent for the ludging of
the ministers.
Sess. Fifth, 30th Junii 1564.
Anent the causes of the whole kirk and jurisdiction thereof, the
Assemblie appointit thir persons under-written, to wit, the Laird
of Dun, Superintendent of Angus and Mernes, Mr Johne Wynrhame,
Superintendent of Fyfe, Mr Johne Spottiswood, Superintendent of
Lowthiane, and Mr Johne Willock, Superintendent of the West, with
the assistance of Mr John Row, George Hay, Robert Pont, Christopher
Gudman, Thomas Drummond, Johne Knox, John Craig, Johne Rutherford,
George Buchanan, Robert Hamiltoun, Clement Littil, the Lairds of
Lundie, Elphingstoun, Carnell, Kers, and Thomas Scott of Abbotishall,
and ordained thir foirnamed persones to convene the morne after
sermoun, and to reason and conferre anent the saids causis and
jurisdictioun pertaining to the Kirk, and to report their opinions
again the nixt convention.
Anent the questioun moved, whether a minister anes lawfullie placed
at a kirk, may leave his ministrie at the said kirk, and pass to
another at his awn pleasure. It was concludit be the haill Assemblie,
that he may na wayes leave the congregation, being anes placed,
without knowledge of the flocke, his Superintendent, or haill kirk,
and that the cause why he wold leave that kirk be considerit be the
Superintendent or haill kirk, whether it be lawfull or not.
The haill Assemblie in ane voyce chose James Makartney to be
solicitor for the Kirk.
Becaus Mr Alex. Jardin, minister of Inchture, Kilspindie, and Rait,
was in the last Assemblie suspendit from all function of office
within the kirk, for causes containit in the Second Session of the
last Assemblie to this conventioun, quher he sould receive answer,
whether he sould returne to his office or not; the haill Kirk, in
consideratioun of his marriage and publick satisfactioun of the Kirk
quher the offence was committit, ordainit to make humble requeist to
my Lord of Murray, to be content that the said Mr Alexander sould be
received againe to his ministrie in respect of the premisses; and
thereafter, that the Superintendent of Fyfe sould restore him againe
to his ministrie as of befor.
Anent the requeist of Mr Patrick Couston, minister of Syres,
desyreing the licence to pass to France and other countreyis, for
augmenting of his knowledge for a tyme; the haill Assemblie in ane
voyce dissentit therefra, and ordainit that he sould not passe out
of this countrey, nor yet leave his congregatioun quher he travels
without speciale licence of the haill Kirk, if they sall heirafter
think it expedient or necessarie.
Forasmeikle as it was complainit be the Commissioner of Murray, upon
William Sutherland, parson and exhorter at the Kirk of Moy, that
he had not only disobeyit his charge, commanding him to marie the
woman with quhom he befor had committit fornicatioun, but also had
in despyte of the said Commissioner, ryveing his letters of charge
thereto, and had not obeyit his summonds chargeing him to compeir
to this General Assemblie; In consideratioun of this despytefull
ryveing of the Commissioner’s letters, and also not compeiring
to this Assemblie, the Kirk depryves him fra all Ecclesiastical
functioun, and also ordaines the censure of the Kirk to proceed
aganes him for his contempt.
[EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY.]
The Generall Assemblie of the Kirke, gathered and convened
at Edinburgh the 25th of December 1564, holden in the Over
Tolbooth thereof; In the whilk were the Superintendents,
Ministers, with the Commissioners of Shires and particular
Kirkes,--the exhortation being made be Mr John Knox, Minister
of Edinburgh.
First, for eschewing of confusione, and that everie brother should
speak in his own roome with modestie, It wes thought good that
ane Moderator should be appointed; and with full consent of all
the brethren present was John Erskine of Dunn, Superintendent of
Angus and Mearns, appointed to be Moderator for this Assemblie, who
accepted it upon him.
Ordained, that no question be proponed be any brother unto the tyme
the affaires of the Kirk and order thereof be first treated and
ended, and thereafter, if any brother have a question worthy to be
proponed, that the samen be proponed in write, and if the samen
requyres hasty resolution, it shall be decyded in this present
Assembly before the end thereof, otherwayes the decision of the samen
shall be referred to every one of the Superintendents within whose
bounds the question is proponed, and they and every one of them, with
ane certaine number of the Ministers, as they shall think meet to
appoynt, for assisting to hear the reasoning of the saids questions,
and thereafter their reasons to be put in write, affirmative or
negative, whilks every ane of them shall report to the next Assemblie.
The same day, the haill Assembly caused to present to the Lords of
Secret Councill the heads and articles following, and required their
honors to obtaine answer thereof at the Q. Grace, and to signifie
unto them her Majestie’s good pleasure thereintill.