Sessio 4.
Forsuameikle as the office of ane bischope, as it is now wsit, and
commonlie taken within this realme, hes no sure warrand, auctoritie,
or good ground, out of the Scripture of God, but is brought in by
the folie and corruptione, to the great overthrow of the Kirk of
God; The haill Assemblie of the Kirk, in ane voyce, efter libertie
gine to all men to reasone in the matter, nane opposing himself in
defending the said pretendit office--Finds and declairs the said
pretendit office, usit and termit as is above said, unlawfull in the
selfe, as haveing naither fundament, ground, nor warrant, within the
word of God: And ordaynes that all sic persones as bruiks, or shall
bruik heirafter, the said office, shall be chairgit simpliciter to
dimitt, quyte, and leave of to the samen, as ane office whereunto
they are not callit be God; and sicklyke to desist and cease from
all preaching, ministratione of the sacraments, or wsing any way the
office of pastors, whill they receive _de novo_ admissioune from the
Generall Assemblie, under the payne of excommunicatione to be wsit
against them, qwherin if they be found disobedient, or contraveine
this act in any poynt, the sentence of excommunicatione, after dew
admonitiones, to be wsit against them. And for better executione of
the said act, it is statute that ane Synodall Assemblie shall be
halden in euery province where any wsurpit bischopes are, and begine
the 18th of August nixt to come, whereto they shall be callit and
summoned, be the Visitors of the saids countries, to compeir before
their Synodall Assemblies; and namely, the Bischope of St Androis
to compeir in St Androis, the Bischope of Aberdeen in Aberdeen, the
Bischop of Glasgow in Glasgow, the Bischope of Morray in Elgine, to
giue obedience to the said act; qwhilk if they refuse to doe, that
the saids Synodall Assemblies shall appoynt certain breither of their
ministrie to giue them publick admonitiones out of the pulpitt, and
warne them in caise they disobey, to compeir before the next Generall
Assemblie, to be halden at Edinburgh, the 20th day of October nixt
to come, to heir the sentence of excommunicatione pronuncit against
them for their disobedience; and to this act the Bischope of Dumblane
agreit, submitting himself to be reulit thereby.
As to the order to be taken with the patrimonie of the Kirk, bruikit
and possessit be the saids bischopis, the Kirk referres the reasoning
thereof to the nixt Assemblie.
Sessio 5.
Forsuameikle as, albeit there be diverse acts concludit in sundrie
Assemblies of before, to stay unjust alienatione, dispositione, and
wasting of the Kirk rents, and patrimonie thereof, be sic persones
within the ministrie as are cled with benefices; and not the less,
naither respect nor feare of God, nor reverence to his Kirk, nor
good lawes set out in the contrare, hes represt their insatiable and
cursed avarice from sic inordinat dealing, to the great prejudice
of the Kirk of God, and common griefe and regrait of all good men:
For better remeid whereof the brethren assemblit, after reasoning
and mature deliberatione in the matter, in uniformitie of votis, hes
thocht meit, and concludit, that all persons within the ministrie,
alsweell they that wsurpit the stylls of Bischops as uthers that
shall be tryit heirafter, to diminische the rents of their benefices
aither be diminution of the old rentall, be setting of victuall
for small pryce, and within the worth, or wther wayes unjustlie
dilapidating and putting away of the rent thereof, be the sicht and
judgement of the Generall Assembly, shall underly the sentence of
excommunicatione, but furder proces.
For purgatione of the Kirk from sclander: the Kirk requyrs, and
in the name of God desyres, all men, alsweill gentlemen as uthers
convenit at the tyme, if they knaw any within the ministrie
sclanderous in lyfe, unable to teache, unprofitable or curious
teachers, negligent in preaching, non-residents or deserters,
havers of plurality of benefices and offices, dissolute in manners,
havand mixt jurisdictiones, givers of pensiones out of benefices,
or receavers thereof, to give in their names in a tickett to the
Moderator, and that order may be taken with them be the Moderator and
his assessors, if present order may be had therewith, wtherwayes to
report to the Assembly.
Anent the office of Readers, that hes no farther gift of God but
simple reading of the Scriptures: The Generall Assemblie hes
concludit, after lang reasoning, that their office is no ordinar
office within the Kirk of God; and because some of the brether
movit the cause and questione, qwhither, in their necessitie or
circumstance of tyme, they should be sufferit to continow, the
disputation heirof remittit to the morne.
Sessio 7.
William Stewart, brother to the Laird of Traquair, presentit ane
wryting unto the Assemblie in name of the Earle of Lennox. Tenor
thereof:
It is not, I think, unknowen unto yow, how it hes pleisit God of his
goodness to call me be his grace to the knawledge of my salvatione
sen my coming in this land, qwhairfore I rander maist earnestly
humble thanks unto his divine Majestie; finding my voyage towards
thir pairts maist happilie bestowit in this respect: And, although I
have made open declaration of this my calling, first by my owne mouth
in the kirk of Edinburgh, and secondly by my hand wreit in the King’s
kirk at Striviling, qwhair I subscribed the confessione of my faith,
yet I fand it was my dutie, ye being generally convenit, to send
this gentleman, my cousine and friend, accompanyed with my Letter
towards yow, to make yow, in my name, ane frie and humble offer of
dew obedience, to receive your will in anything it shall please
yow, I did farther anent the accomplishing of my said confessione;
assureing yow that I shall be ready to performe the same with all
humilitie, as also to procure and advance all wther things that may
farder the glory of God and increase of his Kirke, the commonwealth
of the countrie, and of the King’s Majestie’s service at my utter
possibilitie: And so houping to be participant in all tymes coming
of your godlie prayers and favour, I salute yow maist lovingly in
Jesus Christ our Saviour. From St Androis, the 14th of July. _Sic
subscribitur_,
Your humble and obedient at all power,