1. Eldarschippis and assembleis, ar constitute commonlie of pasturis,
doctouris, and sic as commounlie we call eldaris, that laubour not in
the word and doctrine, of quhome, and of quhais severall power, hes
bene spokine.
2. Assembleis ar of four sortis: For ather ar thay of particular
kirkis and congregationis ane or ma, ather of ane province, ather of
ane haill natioun, or of all and diuers nationis professing ane Jesus
Chryst.
3. All the ecclesiasticall assembleis, haue power to convene
lawchfullie togidder for treating of thingis concerning the kirk, and
pertening to thair chargis.
4. Thay haue power to apoint tymis and places to that effect; and ane
Assemblie to appoynt the dyet, tyme, and place for ane uther.
5. In all assembleis, ane moderator sould be chosine be commoun
consent of the haill brethrene conveint, quha sould propone materis,
gather the voitis, and caus guid ordour be kepit in the assembleis.
6. Diligence sould be tane, cheiflie be the moderator, that onlie
ecclesiasticall thingis be handlit in the assemblie, and na melling
with ony thingis pertening to the civile jurisdictioun.
7. Euerie assemblie hes power to send furth frome them of their awine
nomber, ane or ma visitouris to sie how all thingis be reulit in the
boundis of thair jurisdictioun.
8. Visitatioun of ma kirkis is na ordinar office ecclesiasticall,
in the persone of ane man; nather may the name of ane bischop be
attributit to the visitour onlie; nather is it necessar to abyd
alwyse in ane man’s persone, bot it is the part of the eldarschip,
to send out qualifeit personis to visit, _pro re nata_.
9. The finall end of all assembleis is, first to keip the religioun
and doctrine in puritie, without errour and corruptioun: nixt, to
keip cumelines and guid ordor in the kirk.
10. For the ordouris caus, thay may mak certane reulis and
constitutionis apperteining to the guid behaviour of all the memberis
of the kirk in thair vocatioun.
11. Thay haue power also to abrogat and abolish all statuts and
ordinances concerning ecclesiasticall materis, that ar found noysume
or unprofitable, or aggrie not with the tyme, or abusit be the peple.
12. Thay haue power to execut ecclesiasticall discipline and
punischment upone all transgressouris, and proud contempnaris of guid
ordour and policie of the kirk, and swa the haill discipline is in
thair handis.
13. The first kynd and sort of assembleis, although thay be within
particular congregatiounis, zet thay exerce the power, auctoritie,
and jurisdictioun of the Kirk with mutuall consent, and thairfoir
beiris sumtyme the name of the Kirk.
14. Quhen we speik of eldaris of the particular congregationis, we
mene not that euery particular paroche kirk cane, or may haue thair
awin particular eldarschip, speciall to landwart, bot we think
thrie or four, ma or fewar, particular kirkis, may haue ane commoun
eldarschip to thame all, to judge the ecclesiasticall causes.
15. Albeit it is meit that sum of the eldaris be chosine out of
euerie particular congregatioun, to concur with the rest of thair
brethrene in the commoun assemblie, and to tak up the delationis of
offencis within thair awin kirkis, and bring thame to the Assemblie.
16. This we gadder of the practise of the primitiue kirk, wheras
eldaris or colleges of senioris wer constitute in citeis and famous
places.
17. The power of thir particular elderschippis, is to uis diligent
laubour in the boundis committed to thair charge, that the kirkis
be kepit in guid ordour, to inquire diligentlie of nauchtie and
unrewlie personis, and travell to bring thame in the way againe,
ayther be admonitioun or threatning of Goddis judgements, or be
correctioun.*[49]
18. It perteins to the eldarschip, to tak heid, that the word of God
be purelie preichit within thair boundis, the sacraments rightlie
ministrat, the discipline menteind, and the ecclesiasticall guidis
uncorruplie distribute.*[49]
19. It belangis to this kynd of assembleis, to caus the ordinancis
maid be the assembleis, provinciallis, nationallis and generallis, to
be keipit, and put in executioun.*[49]
20. To mak constitutionis quhilk concerne το πρεπον in the kirk, for
the decent ordour of thais particular kirkis qwher thay gouerne,
(prouyding thay alter na reulis made by the generall and provinciall
assembleis, and that thay mak the provinciall assembleis foirsene of
the reulis that thay sall mak,) and to abolische thame tending to the
hurt of the same.*[49]