ACTA. Decr. 20, 1567.
5. Anent the Messe abolischit and punisching of all that heiris
or sayis the samin.
_Item_, Our Souerane Lord, with auise of his derrest Regent and thre
Estatis of this present Parliament, ratifyis and appreuis the act
vnderwrittin, maid in the Parliament haldin at Edinburgh, the xxiiij
day of August, the ʒier of God ane thousand fyue hundreth thre scoir
ʒieris. And of new, in this present Parliament, statutis and ordainis
the said Act to be as ane perpetuall Law to all our Souerane Lordis
lieges in all tymes to cum. Of the quhilk the tennour followis. [As
already inserted at p. 76.]
6. Anent the trew and haly Kirk, and of thame that are declarit
not to be of the samin.
_Item_, Forsamekle as the Ministeris of the blissit Euangell of Jesus
Christ, quhome God of his mercie hes now rasit vp amangis vs, or
heirefter sall rais aggreing with thame that now liues, in doctrine
and administratioun of the Sacramentis, and the pepill of this
realme that professis Christ as he now is offerit in his Euangell,
and do communicat with the holy sacramentis, (as in the reformit
Kirkis of this Realme ar publicklie administrat,) according to the
Confessioun of the faith, Our Souerane Lord, with auise of my Lord
Regent and thre Estatis of this present parliament, hes declarit and
declaris the foirsaid Kirk to be the onlie trew and holy Kirk of
Jesus Christ within this realme, and decernis and declaris that all
and sindrie quha outher gainsayis the word of the Euangell ressauit
and appreuit as the heides of the Confessioun professit in parliament
of befoir, in the ʒeir of God 1560 ʒeirs, as alswa specifiet in the
actis of this parliament mair particularlie dois expres, and now
ratifyit and appreuit in this present parliament, or that refusis
the participatioun of the holy sacramentis as thay ar now ministrat,
to be na memberis of the said Kirk within this realme now presently
professit, swa lang as thay keip thame selfis sa deuydit fra the
societie of Christis body.
7. Anent the Admissioun of thame that salbe presentit to
Benefices hauand cure of Ministrie.
_Item_, It is statute and ordained, by our Soveraine Lord, with
advise of his dearest Regent, and three Estaitis of this present
Parliament, that the examination and admission of Ministers, within
this Realme, be only in the power of the Kirk, now openlie and
publickly professed within the samin. The presentation of laick
Patronages alwaies reserved to the Just and auncient Patrones. And
that the Patroun present ane qualified persoun, within sex Monethes
(after it may cum to his knawledge, of the decease of him quha
bruiked the Benefice of before) to the Superintendent of thay partis,
quhar the Benefice lyes, or uthers havand commission of the Kirk to
that effect; utherwaies the Kirk to have power to dispone the samin
to ane qualifyed person for that time.
Providing that in caice the Patron present ane person qualified
to his understanding, and failzeing of ane, ane uther within the
said six Moneths, and the said Superintendent or Commissioner of
the Kirk, refusis to receive and admit the person presented be the
Patron, as said is: It sall be lesum to the Patron to appeale to the
Superintendent, and Ministers of that province quhair the Benefice
lyis, and desire the person presented to be admitted, quhilk gif they
refuse, to appeale to the General Assemblie of the haill realme, be
quhome the cause beand decyded, sall take end, as they decerne and
declair.