Читать книгу The Booke of the Universall Kirk of Scotland - Various - Страница 13
[TENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY.]
ОглавлениеThe General Assembly of the Kirk, holden in Edinburgh, in the Ouer Tolbooth thereof, the 25th of December 1565, in the whilk were present the Superintendants, Ministers, Exhorters, and Commissioners of Towns and Kirks. The invocatione of the name of God was made be John Knox, Minister of Edinburgh.
Sessio 1ma.
First, for eschewing of confusion in reasoning, and that every brother speak in his roome with modestie, as becomes the ministers of God’s word to doe, with the haill consent of the brethren present, was chosen John Eskine of Dunne, Knight, Superintendant of Mearns and Angus, to be Moderator at this tyme, who accepted the office on him.
The Superintendant of Lothian complained upon Mr John Furd, Minister of Dummaine, that where, in the last Generall Assemblie of the Kirk, it was decerned that Robert Patersone and Jonet Little should have satisfied the Kirk of Edinburgh for the offence committed be them in contracting marriage without parents’ consent, yet nevertheless the said Mr John had persuaded them to solemnize the said marriage, ther bands not being proclaimed, and no satisfaction made to the Kirk of Edinburgh, and also had caused Mr Patrick Craig, Minister at Ratho, to solemnize the said band of marriage betwixt the saids persons, in the Kirk of Dummaine, in great contemption of the decreet foresaid, and all good order heretofore observed in the reformed Kirk, desyring the Kirk presently assembled to take order herein, alsweill anent the saids paroches as the saids two ministers. The Kirk ordained to call both the saids parties and ministers to answer to the said complaint betwixt this and the end of the Assembly.
In like manner, Mr John Winrhame complained upon the said Mr John Furde, that be his counsell and persuasion the Ladie Kilconquher and John Weymes had contracted the verba de presenti, &c. notwithstanding that ane woman, called Elizabeth Pott, had claimed the said John Weymes before the Superintendant, whilk clame was not yet justified, and that Mr Andrew Kirkaldie had married the saids persons, after the minister was departed out of the Kirk where they were married. Ordained in like manner to answer to this complaint.
The haill Assembly appointed Mr John Row, minister at St Johnstoun, to put in write, answers to the answers given be the Q. Majestie to the articles presented to her hienes be the Commissioners of the last Assemblie of the Kirk, because her heines answers not fully satisfied the Kirk, as in the samen plainly appeareth, and the said Mr John to present them the morrow, after the preaching, to the Assembly, to advyse therewith, before their presenting to her Grace.
Follows the answers given be the Queen’s Majestie to the articles presented to her Grace be the Commissioners of the Assembly last holden, the 25th of Junii 1565, and also answers and requests to their answers, now conceavened in this Assembly.
The Queen’s Majestie’s Answers.
To the first, desyring the masse to be suppressed and abolished, alsweill in the head as in the members, with ane punishment against the contraveeners, as also the religion now professed to be established be an Act of Parliament; it is answered, first, for the part of her Majestie’s self, that her heiness is no wayes yet persuaded in the said religion, nor yet that any impietie is in the masse; and, therefore, believes that her loving subjects will no wayes preisse her to receave any religion against her own conscience, quhilk should bring her to perpetuall trouble be remorse of conscience, and therewith ane perpetuall unquietness; and, to deall plainly with her subjects, her Majestie neither may nor will leave the religion wherein she has been nourished and upbrought, and believes the samen to be well-grounded, knowing, besydes, the grudge of conscience if she should receive any change in her owne religione, that she should tyne the friendship of the King of France, the ancient allya of this realme, and of other great Princes, her friends and confederats, who would take the same in evil part, and of whom she may lake for great support in all her necessities; and having no consideration that may counterweigh the same, she will be loath to put in hazard the loss of all her friends in ane instant; praying all her loveing subjects, seeing they have had experience of her goodness, that she neither has in tymes past, nor yet means hereafter, to preasse the consciences of any man, but that they may worship God in sic sort as they are persuaded to be best, that they also will not preasse her to offend her own conscience.
As for establishing religion in the body of the realme, they themselves know, as appears well be their Articles, that the same cannot be done be only the consent of her Majestie, but reqyres necessarly the consent of the three Estates of Parliament; and, thereafter, so soon as the Parliament holds, that whilk the three Estates agrees upon among themselves, her Majestie shall grant the same to them, and alwayes make them sure that no man shall be troubled for useing themselves in religion according to their conscience, so that no man shall have cause to doubt that, for religion’s sake, many lyves or heritages shall be in hazard.
To the second article it is answered, that her Majestie thinks it no way reasonable that she should defraud herselfe of so great a part of the patrimony of her crowne, as to put the patronages of benefices furth of her own hands; for her own necessitie in bearing of her great and common charges will require the retention of ane good parte in her own hands. Nottheless, her Majestie is well pleased that consideratione being had of her own necessitie, and what may be sufficient for her, and for the reasonable sustentatione of the ministers, ane speciall assignatione be made to them in places most commodious to them, with the whilk her Majestie shall not intromitt, but suffer the same come to them.
To the third article, her Majestie shall doe therein as shall be agreed be the Estates in Parliament.
To the fourth article, her Majestie’s liberality towards the poor shall be alse far extended as can be reasonably required at her hands.
To the fifth article, her Majestie will referr the taking order with that and alse of the sixth article to the Parliament.
The answers of the Kirk to thir above written follows:—
First, Where her Majestie answers, That she is not persuaded in religion, neither that she understands any impietie in the masse, but that the same is well grounded, that is no small grief to the Christian hearts of her godly subjects; considering that the trumpet of Christ’s Evengell hes been so long blowne in the countrey, and his mercy so plainly offered in the same, that her Majestie remains yet unpersuaded of the truth of this her religione; for our religion is not else but the same religion quhilk Jesus Christ hes in the last days revealed frae the bosome of his Father, whereof he made his Apostles messengers, and quhilk they preached and established among his faithfull, till the ’gaincoming of our Lord Jesus Christ; quhilk differs from the impietie of the Turks, the blasphemy of the Jews, the vaine superstitione of the Papists, in this, that only our religion hes God the Father, his only Sone Jesus Christ, our Lord, his Holy Spirit speaking in his Prophets and Apostles, for authors thereof, and their doctrine and practise for the ground of the same: the quhilk no uther religion upon the face of the earth can justly alleadge or plainly prove; yea, whatsomever assurance the Papists hes for their religion, the same hes the Turks for maintainance of their Alcorane, and the Jews fare greater for defence of their ceremonies, whether it be antiquitie of tyme, consent of people, authorietie of princes, great number or multitude consenting together, or any uther sicklyke cloaks they can pretend; and, therefore, as we are dolorous that her Majestie in this our religione is not persuaded, most reverently we require, in the name of the Eternall God, that her heines would embrace the means whereby she may be persuaded of the truth whilk presently we offer unto her Grace, aleswall be preaching of the Word, whilk is the chief means appointed be God to persuade all his chosen children of his infallible veritie, as be publick disputation against the adversaries of this our religion, deceavers of her Majestie, whensoever it shall be thought expedient to her Grace. And, as to the impietie of the Masse, we dare be bold to affirme that in that idoll there is a great impietie; from the beginning to the ending, it is nothing else but a masse of impietie; the author, or sayers, the action itselfe, or opinion thereof concerned, the hearers and gazers upon it, avows sacrilege, pronounces blasphemie, and committs most abominable idolatrie, as we have ever offered and yet offers ourselfes, most manifestly to prove. And where her Majestie esteems that the change of religion should dissolve the confederacy of allyance that she hes with the King of France and uther princes; assuredlie Christ’s trew religion is the undoubted meane to knitt us surely, perfyte confederacie and friendship with him that is King of kings, and who hes the hearts of all princes in his hands, whilk ought to be more precious to her Majestie nor the confederacie of all princes of the earth, without the whilk neither confederacie, love, nor kindness, can indure.
Concerning her Majestie’s answer to the second article: Whereas, she thinks it nowayes reasonable to defraud her self of the patronage of benefices, whilk her Majestie esteems to be ane part of her patrimonie, and that her Majestie be minded to retain a good part of the benefices in her own hands to support her common charges:
As to the first point, [it is not our meaning,] that her Majestie or any uther patrone within this realme should be defrauded of their just patronages. But we meane, whensoever her Majestie or any uther patrone does present any persone to a benefice, that the persone presented should be tryed and examined be the judgement of learned men of the Kirk, sick as are presently the Superintendants appointed thereto; and as the presentation of benefices pertains to the patrone, so ought the collatione thereof, be law and reasone, appertaine to the Kirk: of the whilk collatione the Kirk should not be defrauded more than the patrones of their presentatione; for utherwayes it shall be leasume to the patrone, absolutely to present whomsoever they please, without tryall or examination: what then can abide in the Kirk of God but ignorance without all order?
As to the second point, concerning the retentione of ane good part of the benefice in her Majestie’s own hands: This poynt abhors so far from good conscience, alsweill of God’s law as frae the publick order of our common lawes, that we are loath to open up the ground of the matter be any long circumstances; and therefore we most reverently wishe that her Majestie would consider the matter with her selfe and her wise counsell, That howsoever the patronages of benefices may appertaine to herself, or the retention thereof in her own hands undisponed to qualified persons, is both ungodly, and alse contrare to all publick order, and brings noe small confusione to the poor soules of the common people, who be these meanes should be instructed of their salvatione. And where her Majestie concludes, in the second answer, that she is content that ane sufficient and reasonable sustentatione of the ministers be provided to them, be assignationes in places most commodious to them, consideration being had of her own necessitie; as we are desirous that her Grace’s necessitie be relieved, so our dewtie craves, that we should notifie to her Grace, the trew order that should be observed to her in this behalfe, whilk is this: The teinds are properly to be reputed to be the patrimonie of the kirk, upon the whilks, before all things, they that travells in the ministrie thereof, and the poor indigent members of Christ’s body, ought to be sustained; the kirks also repaired, and the youth brought up in good letters: whilks things being done, then wher necessitie reasonablie might be supported, according as her Grace and her godly counsell thinks expedient: allwayes we cannot but thank her Majestie most reverently of her liberall offer of assignation to be made to the ministers for their sustentation, whilk not the less is so generally conceaved, that without more speciall condescending upon the particulars thereof, no executione is likelie to follow thereon; and so to conclude with her Majestie at this present, We desyre most earnestly the saids ministers’ articles to be reformed, beseiking God that as they are reasonable and godlie, so her Grace’s heart and the Estates presently conveened may be inclined and persuaded to the performance thereof.
Sess. 2d, December 25, 1565.
Anent the generall complaint of ministers, exhorters, and readers, for wanting of their stipends, and as touching them that hes put violent hands on ministers for reproveing of vyce, The haill Assemblie ordained ane generall supplicatione to be presented to her Majestie and Councell, and alse required the Lord Lindsay and David Murray, brother to the Laird of Balvaird, to present the same, and to report the answer again to the Assembly; the tenor whereof follows:—
Unto your Majestie and most honorable Councill, humbly means and complains,
We, your Grace’s most obedient subjects, the confessors of Christ Jesus and his holy Evangell within this realme, in name and behalfe of our ministers, exhorters, and readers; That where oft and diverse tymes promise hes been made unto us that our saids brethren, preachers and travellers in the kirk of God, should not be defrauded of their appointed stipends, neither yet should be in any wayes molested in their functions, yet notthelesse universallie they want their stipends appointed for diverse tymes bypast, violent hands are put in the same, for no uther cause, as they alledge, but for reproving of vyce, and nane knaws what assurance he shall have of ane reasonable life in tyme to come: Our maist humble request is therefore unto your Majestie, that our ministers may be payed of their bygone stipend, that sic as have receaved assignationes thereof from the former collectors may have execution of their assignation, that your Grace pleases to appoint them the assignation promised in your Hienes last answers to the petitiones of the kirk, so that we may know by what means our saids ministers shall be sustained in tyme to come; and, finally, how they may live without molestatione of wicked men; and your Grace’s answer we most humbly beseik.
Anent the question, Whether any man might marry his wife’s brother daughter, or his wife’s sister daughter, or what order should be taken in any sic marriages were made; It was voted, and found be the word of God, that nane may marry his wife’s brother daughter, or sister daughter, and if any sic marriages were contracted, to be null, and not to stand.
Persons revolting from the profession of the gospel, be offering their children to be baptized after the papistical manner, or receiving themselves the sacraments of the altar, after admonitione, to be excommunicat if repentance interveen not.
Sessio 3tia, December 27, 1565.
Anent the complaint given in be the Superintendant of Lowthiane, against Mr Patrick Craicke, minister of Ratho, for marrying of Robert Patersone and Jonat Little, in Dummaine kirk, neither the bands being proclaimed, nor yet satisfactione made to the Kirk of Edinburgh, according to the tenor of the decreet of the last Assemblie:
The said Mr Patrick granted publickly that he had offended, and submitted himself to the correction of the kirk. Therefore, be the haill Assembly, he was ordained to satisfie the will of the Kirk of Edinburgh, upon two severall Sundayes, be his own open confession, when the said Kirk of Edinburgh shall require him, and the third Sunday to satisfie the kirk of Dummainie, where the offence was committed; suspending for this present all farther correction, in hope of his better bearing in tyme to come.
The haill Assembly, with one voyce, statutes and ordaines, That no ministers hereafter receave the parochiners of ane uther parochine to be married, without ane sufficient testimoniall of the minister of the parochine wherefrae they came, that the bands are lawfullie proclaimed, and no impediment found, so that the order that has been taken be the kirk, in sic affaires, be dewlie observed under the paine of deprivation frae his ministrie, tinsell of his stipend, and uther paines, as the Generall Kirk shall hereafter think to be imponed.
Anent the complaint given in be the Superintendant of Fyfe, against John Melvill, minister of Carraill, alleadgeand the said John to proceed to the solemnizatione of marriage betwixt Robert Arnot and Euphame Corstorphine, notwithstanding ane uther woman claimes the said Robert: The haill Kirk Assemblie ordained ane inhibitione to pass against the said John, that he on nowayes solemnize the said marriage until sic tyme as Mr John Douglass, Rector of the Universitie, and Mr James Wilkie, Regent, hear the complaints to be given in be the said Superintendant, and alse be any uther partie havand enteres, and the same be discussed be them; givand power to them to give forth sentence according to God’s word, and use the censures of the kirk against the disobeyers.
Sessio 4ta, December 28, 1565.
Mr John Furde, Minister of Dummanie, is ordained to satisfy, as is before sett downe in the 3d Session, anent Mr Patrick Craicke, for his offence, specifiet in the Act of the first Session, suspendand the said John from all function of the ministrie, in the meantime, whill the compleating of the said satisfaction, and thereafter to returne to his vocation of ministrie.
It was asked if it be lawfull that ane minister, what title or honor ever he bear, receiving sufficient benefite and provisione off his flock, may leave them, and make his common residence in uther places, sae that his flock is destitute alswell of his doctrine and ministrie, as of uther comforts that the flock should receave of ane faithfull pastor—notwithstanding that worldly reasons may seem to excuse the absence of some? The answer; No minister of the Evangell of Jesus Christ, nor no persone receiving sufficient living for preaching of the Evangell, may, with safe conscience, leave his vocatione, together with his flock, and the place appointed for his ordinarie residence, what patrimonie and oversight that ever he hes, be corruption of tymes, or negligence of rulers, so to doe.
If sic as hes entred in the ministrie, been appointed be the Superintendants, and received of the people, may leave their vocation and follow the world, because they have not sufficient stipend? Answer: Seeing that our Master Christ Jesus pronounces that he is but ane mercenarie, who, seeing the wolf coming, fleeth for his own safeguard, and that the very danger of lyfe cannot be ane excuse for sic as shall fall back from Christ, we nowayes think it lawfull that sic as ance put their hands to the plough shall leave the heavenly vocation and return to the prophane world, for indigence or povertie; lawfully they may leave ane unthankfull people, and seek where Jesus Christ his Evangell may bring forth better fruit; but lawfully they may never change their vocation.
If known murtherers, or convict adulterers, together with sic as committ horrible crymes, may not, upon the notorietie of their fault, be once denounced excommunicat, for declaration that the Kirk abhors sic impietie? Answer: The Kirk may and ought to purge herself of all sic notorious malefactors, provyding the offender be lawfully called and convict, either be their owne confessione or be witnesses. The order to call them for the sclander (for civil things we remitt to the magistrates) we judge to be this: Whensoever sic fearfull crymes are committed, if it be in the countrie, the minister, reader, or exhorter of that place, or if there be none, the minister of the place next adjacent, ought to give notice of the fact to the Superintendant of that diocie, who, without delay, ought to direct his summonds, charging the persons sclandered to compear before him at a certain day and place; or if it be done in towns where order is established, the Session thereof ought to call the accused offenders, who, if they compeir, and either alleadge just defense, or show themselves unfainedly penitent, then must the Superintendant, or Minister and Kirk without the Superintendant, dispense somewhat with the rigour of the punishment, secluding only the offender fra participation of the sacraments till farder tryall of his repentance, and that both their diligence and sentence to be publickly pronounced in the kirks where the offence is known. But if the offender be stubborne, as if he compeir not, or shew himself little touched with his offence, then ought the Superintendant, with advyce of the next reformed Kirk, to decerne him or them to be secluded from participatione of communione with the faithfull members of Jesus Christ, and to be given to Satan for the destruction of the fleshe, whoes slaves (be impietie committed and impenitence showen) they declare themselves to be; and their sentence to be published in all places where the offence is knowne. If the person or persons secluded from the sacrament be negligent in seeking reconciliation with the Kirk, behave themselves insolently or utherwayes then it becomes penitent persones, the Kirk, after admonitione, may proceed to the uttermost; for wanton behaviour, after iniquitie committed, is ane plaine argument of impenitence, and negligence to seek reconciliation declares that contempt lurks in the heart.
If baptisme administrat be ane papist priest, or in the papisticall manner, shall be reiterat? When sic children comes to years of understanding, they should be instructed in the doctrine of salvatione, the corruption of the papistrie might be declared unto them, whilk they most publickly damne, before they be admitted to the Lord’s table; whilks if they doe, there needs not the externall signe to be reiterat; for no papist ministers baptisme without water and some forme of words, whilks are the principalls of the externall signe; we ourselves were baptized be papists, whose corruptions and abuses now we damne, cleaveing only to the simple ordinance of Jesus Christ, and to the veritie of the Holy Spirit, whilk makes baptisme to work in us be proper effects thereof, without any declaration of the externall signe. If sic children come never to the knowledge of trew doctrine, they are to be left to the judgement of God.
What order ought to be used against sic as oppress children? As concerning punishment, the civill magistrate ought therein to decerne. As touching the sclander, the offenders ought to be secluded from participation of the sacraments whill they have satisfied the Kirk, as they shall be commanded.
What punishment shall be used against them that ly in fornication under promise of marriage, whilk they deferr to solemnizat, and to satisfie be publick repentance for the sclander given? Answer: Alsewell the man as the woman should be publickly [admonished] in the place of repentance; Likewise satisfie on ane Sunday before that they be married.
