1. Quhatsoeuir haue bene spokine of the offices of the kirk, the
seuerall power, the office-beraris thair conjunct power also, and
last of the patrimony of the kirk, we onderstand it to be, the
right reformation, whilk God cravis at our handis, That the kirk
be ordourit according thairto, as with that ordour quhilk is maist
aggreable to the word of God.
2. Bot becaus sumthingis willbe twichit in particular, concerning
the estait of the countrie, and that quhilk we principallie seik
to be reformit in the same, we haue collectit thame in thir heidis
following:
3. _First_, seing the haill countrie is devydit in provinces, and
thir provinces agane ar diuidit in paroches, alsweill in landwart
as in townis; in euery paroche of reasonable congregationis, there
wald be placit ane or ma pasturis to feid the flok, and na pasture
or minister, aucht to be burdenit with the particular charge of ma
flockis or kirks thene ane alanarlie.
4. And becaus it willbe thocht hard to find out pasturis or
ministeris to all the paroche kirkis of the realme, alsweill in
landwart as in borrows townis, we think, be the advice of sic as
commissioun may be gevine to, be the kirk and the prince, paroches
in landwart or small villages, may be joint twa or thrie or ma, in
sum places togidder, and the principall and maist commodious kirkis
to stand, and to be repairit sufficientlie, and qualifeit ministeris
placet thereat; and the uther kirkis, quhilk ar not fund necessar,
may be sufferit to decay, thair kirk-zairdis alwayis being kepit for
buriall places: And in sum places quher neid requyris, ane parochine,
where the congregatioun is ouir greit for ane kirk, may be diuidit in
twa or ma.
5. Doctouris wald be appointit in universities, collegis, and uther
places neidfull, and sufficientlie prouydit, for to oppin up the
meaning of the Scripturis, and to haue the charge of scoles, and
teache the rudiments of religioun.
6. As to eldaris, thair waldbe sum to be censuris of the maneris of
the peple, ane or ma in euerie congregatioun; bot not an assemblie of
eldaris in euery particular kirk, bot onlie in the townis and famous
places quher resort of men of jugement and habilitie to that effect;
may be had.
7. Quhair the eldaris of particular kirkis about may convene
togidder, and haue ane commoun elderschip and assemblie-place amongis
thame, to treat of all thingis that concerne the congregatioun of
whome thay haue the ouersicht.
8. And as thair aught to be men appointit to unit and diuyd the
paroches, as necessitie and commoditie requiris, Sa wald thair be
appointit be the generall kirk, with assent of the Prince, sic men
as feireth God, and knew the estait of the countreis, that war able
to nominat and designe places, quhere the assembleis of particular
elderschippis sould convene, to tak consideratioun of the dioces as
thay war diuidit of auld, and of the estait of the countreis and
provinces of the realme.
9. Lykeways as concerning provinciall and synodall assembleis,
consideratioun war easie to be had, how mony and in quhat places
thay war to be haldine, and how oftene thay sould convene,--aucht to
be referit unto the libertie of the general kirk, and ordour to be
appoyntit therein.
10. The Nationall Assembleis of this countrie, callit commounlie
the Generall Assembleis, aught alwayis to be retenit in thair awin
libertie, and to haif their awin place, with power to the kirk to
appoint tymis and places convenient thairfoir.
11. And all men, alsweill magistratts as inferiouris, to be
subject to the jugement of the same in ecclesiasticall causis,
without ony reclamatioun or appellatioun to onie iudge, ciuile or
ecclesiasticall, within the realme.
12. The libertie of the electioun of personis callit to
ecclesiasticall functionis, and obseruit without interruptit
continewnce salang as the kirk was not corruptit be Antichryst, we
desyr to be restoirit and retenit within this realme:
13. So that nane be intrusit upone ony congregatioun, aither be the
Prince or ony inferiour persone, without lawchfull electioun and the
assent of the peple ouir quhom the persone is placet, as the practise
of the apostolicall primitiue kirk and guid ordour craves.
14. And becaus this ordour, quhilk Goddis word cravis, can not stand
with patronages and presentationis to benefices, usit in the Papis
kirk, We desyr all thame that trewlie feiris God, eirnestlie to
considder, that forswamekle as the names of patronagis and beneficis,
togidder with the effect thairof, are flowene frome the Pape, and
corruptioun of the canone law onlie insafar as thairby ony persone
was intruised and placit ovir kirkis hauing _curam animarum_;
And forswameikle as that maner of proceding hes na ground in the
word of God, but is contrar to the same, and to the said libertie
of electioun, thay aucht not now to have place in this licht of
reformatioun: And therefoir quhasaever will trewlie imbrace Goddis
word, and desyr the kingdome of his Sone Jesus Chryst to be aduancit,
thay will also imbrace, and resaue that policie and ordour quhilk
the word of God, and upright stait of his kirk craves, vtherwyse it
is in vane that thay sould haue profest the same. Notwithstanding
as concerning uther patronages of benefices that have not _curam
animarum_, (as they speik,) sic as ar chaplanreis, prebendaries
fundeit upon temporall landis, and annuallis, and siclyk, may be
reseruit unto the ancient patronis, to dispone that upone, quhan thay
veaik, to scolleris and bursaris, as thay are requirit be the act of
Parliament.
15. As to the kirk rentis in generall, we desyr the ordour to be
admittit and mantenit amangis us, that may stand with sinceritie of
Goddis word, and practes of the puritie of the kirk of Christ.
16. _To wit_, that as was befoir spokine, in the haill rent and
patrimony of the kirk, (excepting the small patronagis befoir
mentionat,) may be divydit in four partis and portionis: Ane
thairof to be assignit to the pasture for his intertenement and
for hospitalitie; ane uther to the eldaris, deaconis, and utheris
officiaris of the kirk, sic as clerkis of assembleis, takaris up of
the psalms, beadallis and keparis of the kirks, safar as thay ar
necessar; joyning thairwith also, the doctouris of scoles, to help
the ancient foundationis quhere neid requireth: The thrid portioun to
be bestowit unto the pure memberis of the faithfull, and hospitallis:
The fourt for reparatioun of the kirkis, and utheris extraordinar
chargis as ar profitable for the kirk, and also for the commoun
welth, gif neid require.
17. We desyr thairfoir, the ecclesiasticall guidis to be upliftit,
and distributit faithfullie, to quhome thay appertene, and that
be the ministrie of the deaconis, to quhais office properlie the
collectioun and distributioun thereof belangis: that the pure may be
answerit of thair portioun thereof, and thay of the ministrie leue
without care and solicitud, as also the rest of the thesaurarie of
the kirk may be ressauit, and bestowit to the richt uses.
18. Gif thayes deaconis be electit with sic qualiteis as Goddis word
craves to be in thame, thair is na feir that they sall abuse thame
selfis in thair office, as the prophane collectouris did of befoir.
19. Zit becaus this vocatioun apperes to mony to be dangerous, let
them be oblisht (as thay war of auld) to ane ʒeirlie compt to the
pasturis and elderschip; and gif the kirk and Prince think expedient,
lat cautioneris be oblist for thair fidelitie, that the kirk rents
onnawayis be delapidat.
20. And to the effect this ordour may tak place, it is to be
prouydit, that all utheris intromettouris with the kirkis rentis,
collectouris generall or speciall, whidder it maybe by appointment
of the Prince, or utherwayis, be denudit of forder intromissioun
thereof, and suffer the kirk rentis in tymis cuming to be haillalie
intromettit with be ministrie of the deaconis, and distribute to the
usis afoir mentionat.
21. And also, to the effect that the ecclesiasticall rentis may
suffice to the uses for the quhilk thay ar to be appointit, we think
it necessar to be desyred, that all alienationis, setting in fewis or
takis of the rentis of the kirk, alsweill landis as teindis, in hurt
and diminutioun of the auld rentallis, be reducit and annullat, and
the patrimony of the kirk restoirit to the formar and auld libertie.
22. And lykewayis, that in tymis cuming, the teindis be set to nane
bot to the laubouraris of the ground, or ellis not set at all, as it
was aggriet upone, and subscryuit be the nobilitie befoir.
The Vtilitie that sall flow of this Reformatioun to all Estaitis.