The haill Assembly requires humbly their Honors to signifie to the
Queen’s Majestie, that the transgressors of the proclamations past
against the hearers and sayers of Masse, together with the abusers of
the Sacraments, are now so common, that it may be greatly feared that
judgements shall suddenlie follow, except remeid be provided in tyme.
2. To require payment to Ministers of their stipends for the tyme
bypast, according to the promise made, and to let the Assembly know
how the Ministers shall be sustained in tyme to come.
3. To require Superintendants to be placed where none are within this
realme, viz. in the Merss, Teviotdale, Forrest, Tweddall, and the
rest of the Dealls in the South not provided, with Aberdeen and the
uther parts in the North, likewise destitute.
4. To require punishment of sic as hes steiked the doors of the
paroche kirk, and will not open the same to parochiners that
presented themselves to have heard the word of God preached, sic as
Pasley, Aberdeen, Corrie, Dopline, and Aberdagy.
5. Humbly to require the Q. Maj. what the Kirk shall look for,
touching provision of benefices vaikand and to vaik.
6. To crave ane resolution and declaration of the Manses and Gleibs,
whether they be set in feu or not, and be what means the Ministers
shall come to the use and possession thereof.
7. The acts touching the reparation of the kirks to be put in
execution.
The answer of every ane of the particulars the General Assembly
humbly requires.
Session Second, holden December 26, 1564.
Anent ane supplication presented be Beatrix Livingstoun, touching
ane promise made to her be Patrick Hardie to have solemnized the
band of matrimonie with her ane lang tyme since, his wife Katherine
Rutherford being in lyfe, and now divorcement had betwixt them.
Bearing alse and making mention of ane decreit and decisione of the
said promise and nullitie thereof, given and pronounced be John
Eskine of Dun, Alexander Guthrie of Halkertoune, Robert Campbell of
Kinʒcomscleugh, and Mr Robert Hamiltone, for verification whereof the
said Beatrix producit the said decreit, subscryved be the forsaids
persons, in presense of John Willock, Superintendant of the West,
Christopher Goodman, and Mr George Hay, of the date at Edinburgh the
first of July 1563, bearing in effect, that the said promise made be
the said Patrick to the said Beatrix on no wayes might be sustained
be the law of the Evangell; and therefore the said Patrick to be
quyte therefrae in all tyme comeing, In respect of the marriage
standing betwixt him and his wife foresaid undissolved, and that the
said promise was not only null in the selfe, but also unjust and
unlawfull, and that the makers thereof had offended, and were worthy
of punishment at the discretion of the Kirk: Quhilk supplication and
decreit being read and considered, the haill Assembly in ane voyce
authorised and allowed the said decreit, pronounced be the said
brethren, and alse pronounced the said Patrick and Beatrix to be
free frae the said pretended promise in tyme comeing, Requiring that
punishment for making of the said promise hereafter to the Kirk’s
discretion thereof.
Session Third, December 27, 1564.
Anent the supplication presented to the Assembly in name of Paull
Methven, and touching diverse petitions therein contained, wherewith
the said Assembly being well and rypelie advysed, and after long
reasoning had therein, with mature deliberation, gave their answer as
follows:--
Anent his receaving to repentance, the haill Assembly are content
to receave the said Paull to repentance, presentand him personallie
before them, declareing evident signes of unfained repentance,
willing to obey sic injunctions as the Kirk shall please to appoint
him to doe and fulfill.
Touching his desyre to delate his proces of their books, thereto
the Clark can noways condescend, neither think they that sick ane
petition can proceed from the Holy Ghost, seeing David, ane notable
servant of God, eschewed not to write his owne offence to God’s glory
and his own confusione. Anent his admission to the ministrie within
the realme, that was thought no wayes sufferable unto sic tyme as
the memorie of his former impietie be more deeplie buried, and some
notable Kirk within this realme make earnest request for his new
acceptation; and likewise the Kirk signifies unto him, that his entry
in the ministrie in the parts of England, he being excommunicat and
unreconciled, hes grievously offended them; as also the last part of
his writeing, where he accuses false witnesses, who hes deponed no
other thing in effect nor he has confessed with his mouth in write.
Farder, the Assembly required the brethren to whom the said Paull hes
written, that amongst uthers their answers they signifie unto him
that he may safelie repare toward this realme, notwithstanding lately
proclaimed against adulterers.
Touching sic as are relapse the third tyme in any kinde of cryme,
sic as fornication and drunkenness, it is statute and ordained, that
no particular minister admitt sic persones to repentance, but to
send them to the Superintendant of the diocie where the crymes are
committed, with information, who shall give them sic injunctions as
they think may make the offence to be holden in horror. But chiefly
that they compell the offender to satisfie the Kirk where the
offences were made moe dayes nor ane, as the Superintendant shall
think good.
[NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY.]
The Generall Assemblie, convened at Edinburgh, in the Nether
Tolbooth thereof, the 25th Day of June 1565: In the whilk were
present, the Superintendents, Ministers, and Commissioners of
Shyres and Kirks, the invocation of the name of God being made
be John Willock, Superintendent of the West.
First, For eschewing of confusione in reasoning, the whole brethren
present, with ane consent, chuse John Willock, Superintendent of the
West, to be Moderator, who accepted the office.
Sessio Second, holden Junii 26th, 1565.
The haill Kirk present for the tyme, humblie requyred the nobilitie
present to be humble suiters at her hienes for the execution of
the Laws and Acts lately made against the violators of the Sabbath
day, committers of adulterie and fornication, and desyred every
Superintendent for to sute for commissions to judge within their
jurisdictiones, givand power to them to execute punishment against
the committers of sic crymes, according to the tenor of the saids
Laws and Acts, &c.
And in like manner to request her heines to cause thankful payment be
made of the Ministers’ stipends throughout this realme, as also to
complain to her Majestie that where of before the Kirk of Candwell
in L. Carrok was assigned for payment of the Ministers’ stipends in
Kyle and Carrick, is now given by her heines to the young Laird of
Skeldrume, and in like manner the parochiners of Dalry shew that the
lands of the Kirke was assigned to the minister of the parochine, and
now was givan to the Laird Provane, and to understand her heines will
thereanent.
Ordains for ordering the articles to be sent to the Q. Majestie, John
Erskine of Dunne, Superintendent of Angus and Mearns, John Willock,
Superintendent of the West, Christopher Goodman, Minister of St
Andrews, John Row, Minister of St Johnstone, to conveen after eleven
houres, and set them furth and present them to the Assemblie this day
afternoone; whilk ordinance the saids persones obeyed, and presented
the Articles to the Assemblie.