Ane certain married man past to the warrs of Denmark about four years
since. His wife has joyned her self to ane uther man within this two
years in whoredome; now they desire to be married, because they have
the attestation of two unsuspect witnesses who spake with Captain
Clerk, that her husband was slaine in the Castle of Baronebar in
December, upon Pasche day bygane ane year: _Quæritur_, Whether the
parties may be joyned in lawfull marriage or not?
Ordaines the names of the persons to be given up to the Session
of the kirk where they dwell, to be accused criminalie for their
offences given in tyme of her husband’s lyfe, or before the
knawledge of his death, she ioyned her bodie to the uther man, that
they both may be punished accordingly.
Ane man forewarned that he might not marry his father’s sister,
past in contempt of the kirk, and was married in the Chappel Royal,
December 1566. _Quæritur_, What order shall be taken therewith?
Ordaines to dilate the parties to the Justice Clerk and the Kirk, and
to declare their names, that they may be punished.
And further, because diverse persons, alswell women as men, who
are separate for adulterie, the partie offendand joynes himself in
marriage againe, contrare the law of God, wherethrough great sclander
and inconveniences follows; Ordains the Superintendant to admonishe
all ministers within their jurisdictiones, that nane joyne any partie
separate for adulterie in marriage, under the paine of removeing from
the ministrie.
Sessio 4^{ta}, December 28, 1566.
Anent Bishops, Abbots, Priors, and uthers persons beneficed being
of the kirk, who receaves teynds, and waites not upon the flock
committed to their cure, neither presents themselves to the Generall
Assemblie: Ordains all Superintendants to warn all Bishops, Abbots,
&c. that receaves teynds within their iurisdictiones, and where no
Superintendants are, that the Superintendant nearest send his letter
to the minister next adjacent, to summond the forsaids persons to
compear at the next Generall Assembly, to give their assistance and
counsell to the said Assembly, in sic things as appertaine to the
Christian religion and preaching of the true word; and ffarther, to
know the ordinance of the kirk to be made thereanent.
[THIRTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY.]
The Generall Assembly of the Kirk, conveened at Edinburgh, in the
Nether Tolbooth thereof, the 25th of Junii 1567: In the whilk
were present, the Earles, Lords, Barrons, Superintendants,
Ministers, and Commissioners of Towns. The invocation of God’s
name was made be Mr John Craig, Minister of Edinburgh.
Sessio 1^{ma}, Junii 25, 1567.
For eschewing of confusion in reasoning, the whole Assembly present
named Mr George Buchanan, Principal of St Leonard’s Colledge, in St
Andrew’s Colledge, Moderator dureing this Convention, who accepted
the charge _hac vice_. The Kirk appointed the Lairds of Dun and
Bargany to pass to the Lords of Secret Council, and to require their
Lordships to conveen and concurr with the kirk presently assembled
for hearing of sic articles as shall be thought good for establishing
of God’s word, the trew religion, and supporting of the ministers
within the realm.
Sessio 2^{da}, Junii 26, 1567.
Forswameikle as it is thought good be all the brethren presently
conveened, That ane Assembly Generall be appointed againe to conveene
the 26th day of July nixt to come, in this towne of Edinburgh, for
setting forward of sic things as shall at that tyme be proponed;
and for that purpose, Ordaines to write Missives to all and sundrie
earles, lords, barrons, and uthers brethren, requeisting them to
conveen the said day; and to that effect, appointed all commissioners
to present the said missives, and require, according to their
commissions.
Tenor of the Letters Missive sent to the said Earles, Lords,
Barrons, and Commendators of Abbays, follows:--
My Lord, (or Worshipfull Sir,) after our most hearty commendationes
of service in the Lord Jesus: Having now of lang tyme travelled
both in publick and private with all the estates, craving of your
honors in speciall, that the course of the evangell of salvation,
now ance of the liberall mercy of God restored to this realme, might
continue to all your comfort and your posterities; and that for the
maintainance and furtherance thereof, and perfyte policie and full
liberty, might be granted to this reformed kirk within Scotland; the
ministrie, the poor and failzied provided for sufficiently, as God,
good policy, and civill lawes, ordaines and requires, and that all
superstition, idolatrie, and the monuments thereof, might be utterly
removed and banished out of the realme, whilk God of his infinite
mercy hes so lovingly called from darkness to light. This matter,
indeed, was lyked of all men, but sic impediments gave the enemie of
the kirk, in his members, to stay the good work of God, that moyen
could there nane be had; but be contrare, at every light occasione
the ministrie frustrate of all life and sustenatione, the lamed and
impotent members of Christ lying in the strait of dying, perishing
for hunger and cold--yea, and the haill flock of Christ Jesus within
this realme continuallie threatened with the execution of that most
cruell decreet of the late Councill of Trent, wherin was determined
and decreeted to make ane sacrifice of the haill professors within
all Europe, be the tyrannie of that Romane Antichrist. We are not
ignorant how far the samen was attempted be way of deed within
the realme of France, how farr now in Flanders and the parts near
adjacent thereto, and also what practising to that effect hes been
continually thir three years bypast, and even now, of late dayes
within our own bowells, be our common conspired enemies, alsweill
within as without this realme; how they went to their enterprize, if
God had not of his meere mercy prevented, beyond all our knowledge
and expectation, their cruell and crafty practises: Upon the whilk
consideration, the Assembly, at this present Conventione of the Kirk,
accustomed at the course of tyme occurrand, hes found it needfull and
expedient to repare the decay and ruine of the kirk so vertuouslie
begune amongst us, be ane universall concurrence and consent of the
haill professors of Christ Jesus within this realme, and be the
same meanes to evite the foresaid danger hingand over our heads,
proceeding from the craft of our implacable enemies, alswell within
as without the same; and to that effect hes ordained ane Generall
Assembly of the haill professors of all estates and degrees, within
the Kirk of Scotland, to be holden within the town of Edinburgh, upon
the 20th day of the next moneth of July, whereby ane perpetuall order
may be taken for the liberty of the Kirk of God, sustentation of the
ministers, and failzied members thereof, and that ane sure union
and conjunctione may be had for the liberty of God’s Kirk, whereby
we may be able to withstand the rage of violence of our foresaid
enemies: And because it has pleased the goodness of God so to move
your lordship’s heart, that ye are become ane notable instrument and
minister of his kirk, as our hope is, so shall our prayer be, that ye
may continue increasing from vertue to vertue, unto life everlasting.
We thought it our duty, in name of our haill brethren here conveened,
to notify to your lordship the foresaid appointment of the said
Assembly, and in the name of the Eternall, our God, to recommend to
your care and solicitude the building of this ruinous house of God
within this realme; requireing also, in His name, that ye will give
your personall presence, labours, and concurrences to that effect, as
in the foresaid Assembly to be holden the said day; that the haill
body may be comforted be the presence and good advyce of so notor ane
member thereof: And because we doubt nothing but your lordship shall
be present, showing so long experience of your good part in all tymes
past, we cease to trouble you with longer letter, referring the rest
to be declared be our brethren the commissioners of the kirk, who,
to this effect, are direct to your lordship and uthers our brethren
in these parts; and we, for our part, with earnest prayer before
God, shall pray to augment in you his love and fear, and bless your
lordship, to the comfort of his kirk. Amen. From Edinburgh, the 26th
of Junii 1567.
Be your lordship to command, with service in Christ Jesus, in
name and at command of the rest of our brethren here assembled.
Sic subscribitur, John Erskine of Dun, Mr John Spotswood, John
Dowglass, John Knox, John Row, and John Craig.
The names of the persons to whom this Letter was directed are, the
Earles Huntlie, Argyll, Cassills, Rothes, Crawford, Menteith, and
Glencairne; Lords Boyd, Drummond, Hereis, Cathcart, Zester; Master
of Grahame, Fleming, Livingstone, Forbes, Saltone, Glames, Ogilbie;
Master of Sinclare, Grey, Oliphant, Methven, Innermaith; Master of
Flowrievaill; Barrons Lochinvar, Garles, Shreff of Aire, Glenurchart,
Sir James Hamiltone, Bonytoune; Commendators, Arbroth, Kilwinning,
Dumfermling, St Colmes, Newbottle, Halyrudehouse. The Superintendants
and quarters of countries were ordained to direct this letter to the
forsaids persones severallie.
Tenor of the Commissiones given to every ane of the forsaids
Commissioners within every one of their bounds respective,
followes:--
Forsuameikle as Satane, this lang tyme, in his members, has so raged
and perturbed the good success and proceedings of Christ’s religione
within this realme be craftie meanes, and subtill conspiracies,
that the same from tyme to tyme doeth decay, in hazard altogether
to be subverted, unless God of his mercy finds hastie remeid; and
that chiefly through the extreme povertie of the ministers who
should preach the word of life to the people, who therethrough are
compelled some to leave the vocatione alluterly, and some uther so
abstracted be careful povertie that they may not insist so diligently
in the exercise of the word as they would doe: And therefore the
Kirk, presently conveened at Edinburgh in this Generall Assembly, hes
thought it most necessare be thir presents to request and admonishe
most brotherly, all sic persons as truely professe the Lord Jesus
within this realme, of what estate or degree that ever they be,
alswell the nobility, barons, and gentlemen, as all uthers trew
professors, to conveen in Edinburgh the 20th day of July next in
their personal presens, there to assist with the Councill and power
for order to be taken, alswell towards the establishing of Christ’s
religione universallie throughout this realme, and abolishing of the
contrarie, whilk is Papistrie, as the sustentatione of ministers,
not only for the present tyme and instant necessitie, but also for
ane perfect order to be taken in all tyme comeing, toward the haill
libertie of the patrimonie of the Kirk, and the dew restoring of
the same to the just possessors thereof according to the word of
God: With certification to all and sundrie, of what estate or degree
whatsoever they be, that compears not, due advertisement being made
to them, that they shall be repute hereafter as hinderers of this
most godly purposs, and as dissimulate brethren, unworthie to be
esteemed hereafter of Christ’s flocke; seeing God of his mercy at
this present hes offered some better occasion nor in tyme bygone,
and hes begune to tread downe Satan under foot, and for the due
requisitione and admonitione, in name of the Eternall God, to the
effect forsaid, of all and sundrie the brethren, alswell in burgh
as to land, The Kirk presently conveened in this Generall Assembly
be thir presents gives their full power and commission to their
lovites (N. and N.) for the bounds of (N.) In verification hereof,
thir presents are subscribed be the common clerk of the Kirk in the
Generall Assembly, and second Session thereof, holden at Edinburgh
the 26th of Junii 1567.
Sess. 3^{a.} Junii 27, 1567.