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The Generall Assembly of the Kirk, conveened at Edinburgh, in the Nether Tolbooth thereof, the 25th of Junii 1567: In the whilk were present, the Earles, Lords, Barrons, Superintendants, Ministers, and Commissioners of Towns. The invocation of God’s name was made be Mr John Craig, Minister of Edinburgh.

Sessio 1^ma, Junii 25, 1567.

For eschewing of confusion in reasoning, the whole Assembly present named Mr George Buchanan, Principal of St Leonard’s Colledge, in St Andrew’s Colledge, Moderator dureing this Convention, who accepted the charge hac vice. The Kirk appointed the Lairds of Dun and Bargany to pass to the Lords of Secret Council, and to require their Lordships to conveen and concurr with the kirk presently assembled for hearing of sic articles as shall be thought good for establishing of God’s word, the trew religion, and supporting of the ministers within the realm.

Sessio 2^da, Junii 26, 1567.

Forswameikle as it is thought good be all the brethren presently conveened, That ane Assembly Generall be appointed againe to conveene the 26th day of July nixt to come, in this towne of Edinburgh, for setting forward of sic things as shall at that tyme be proponed; and for that purpose, Ordaines to write Missives to all and sundrie earles, lords, barrons, and uthers brethren, requeisting them to conveen the said day; and to that effect, appointed all commissioners to present the said missives, and require, according to their commissions.

Tenor of the Letters Missive sent to the said Earles, Lords, Barrons, and Commendators of Abbays, follows:—

My Lord, (or Worshipfull Sir,) after our most hearty commendationes of service in the Lord Jesus: Having now of lang tyme travelled both in publick and private with all the estates, craving of your honors in speciall, that the course of the evangell of salvation, now ance of the liberall mercy of God restored to this realme, might continue to all your comfort and your posterities; and that for the maintainance and furtherance thereof, and perfyte policie and full liberty, might be granted to this reformed kirk within Scotland; the ministrie, the poor and failzied provided for sufficiently, as God, good policy, and civill lawes, ordaines and requires, and that all superstition, idolatrie, and the monuments thereof, might be utterly removed and banished out of the realme, whilk God of his infinite mercy hes so lovingly called from darkness to light. This matter, indeed, was lyked of all men, but sic impediments gave the enemie of the kirk, in his members, to stay the good work of God, that moyen could there nane be had; but be contrare, at every light occasione the ministrie frustrate of all life and sustenatione, the lamed and impotent members of Christ lying in the strait of dying, perishing for hunger and cold—yea, and the haill flock of Christ Jesus within this realme continuallie threatened with the execution of that most cruell decreet of the late Councill of Trent, wherin was determined and decreeted to make ane sacrifice of the haill professors within all Europe, be the tyrannie of that Romane Antichrist. We are not ignorant how far the samen was attempted be way of deed within the realme of France, how farr now in Flanders and the parts near adjacent thereto, and also what practising to that effect hes been continually thir three years bypast, and even now, of late dayes within our own bowells, be our common conspired enemies, alsweill within as without this realme; how they went to their enterprize, if God had not of his meere mercy prevented, beyond all our knowledge and expectation, their cruell and crafty practises: Upon the whilk consideration, the Assembly, at this present Conventione of the Kirk, accustomed at the course of tyme occurrand, hes found it needfull and expedient to repare the decay and ruine of the kirk so vertuouslie begune amongst us, be ane universall concurrence and consent of the haill professors of Christ Jesus within this realme, and be the same meanes to evite the foresaid danger hingand over our heads, proceeding from the craft of our implacable enemies, alswell within as without the same; and to that effect hes ordained ane Generall Assembly of the haill professors of all estates and degrees, within the Kirk of Scotland, to be holden within the town of Edinburgh, upon the 20th day of the next moneth of July, whereby ane perpetuall order may be taken for the liberty of the Kirk of God, sustentation of the ministers, and failzied members thereof, and that ane sure union and conjunctione may be had for the liberty of God’s Kirk, whereby we may be able to withstand the rage of violence of our foresaid enemies: And because it has pleased the goodness of God so to move your lordship’s heart, that ye are become ane notable instrument and minister of his kirk, as our hope is, so shall our prayer be, that ye may continue increasing from vertue to vertue, unto life everlasting. We thought it our duty, in name of our haill brethren here conveened, to notify to your lordship the foresaid appointment of the said Assembly, and in the name of the Eternall, our God, to recommend to your care and solicitude the building of this ruinous house of God within this realme; requireing also, in His name, that ye will give your personall presence, labours, and concurrences to that effect, as in the foresaid Assembly to be holden the said day; that the haill body may be comforted be the presence and good advyce of so notor ane member thereof: And because we doubt nothing but your lordship shall be present, showing so long experience of your good part in all tymes past, we cease to trouble you with longer letter, referring the rest to be declared be our brethren the commissioners of the kirk, who, to this effect, are direct to your lordship and uthers our brethren in these parts; and we, for our part, with earnest prayer before God, shall pray to augment in you his love and fear, and bless your lordship, to the comfort of his kirk. Amen. From Edinburgh, the 26th of Junii 1567.

Be your lordship to command, with service in Christ Jesus, in name and at command of the rest of our brethren here assembled. Sic subscribitur, John Erskine of Dun, Mr John Spotswood, John Dowglass, John Knox, John Row, and John Craig.

The names of the persons to whom this Letter was directed are, the Earles Huntlie, Argyll, Cassills, Rothes, Crawford, Menteith, and Glencairne; Lords Boyd, Drummond, Hereis, Cathcart, Zester; Master of Grahame, Fleming, Livingstone, Forbes, Saltone, Glames, Ogilbie; Master of Sinclare, Grey, Oliphant, Methven, Innermaith; Master of Flowrievaill; Barrons Lochinvar, Garles, Shreff of Aire, Glenurchart, Sir James Hamiltone, Bonytoune; Commendators, Arbroth, Kilwinning, Dumfermling, St Colmes, Newbottle, Halyrudehouse. The Superintendants and quarters of countries were ordained to direct this letter to the forsaids persones severallie.

Tenor of the Commissiones given to every ane of the forsaids Commissioners within every one of their bounds respective, followes:—

Forsuameikle as Satane, this lang tyme, in his members, has so raged and perturbed the good success and proceedings of Christ’s religione within this realme be craftie meanes, and subtill conspiracies, that the same from tyme to tyme doeth decay, in hazard altogether to be subverted, unless God of his mercy finds hastie remeid; and that chiefly through the extreme povertie of the ministers who should preach the word of life to the people, who therethrough are compelled some to leave the vocatione alluterly, and some uther so abstracted be careful povertie that they may not insist so diligently in the exercise of the word as they would doe: And therefore the Kirk, presently conveened at Edinburgh in this Generall Assembly, hes thought it most necessare be thir presents to request and admonishe most brotherly, all sic persons as truely professe the Lord Jesus within this realme, of what estate or degree that ever they be, alswell the nobility, barons, and gentlemen, as all uthers trew professors, to conveen in Edinburgh the 20th day of July next in their personal presens, there to assist with the Councill and power for order to be taken, alswell towards the establishing of Christ’s religione universallie throughout this realme, and abolishing of the contrarie, whilk is Papistrie, as the sustentatione of ministers, not only for the present tyme and instant necessitie, but also for ane perfect order to be taken in all tyme comeing, toward the haill libertie of the patrimonie of the Kirk, and the dew restoring of the same to the just possessors thereof according to the word of God: With certification to all and sundrie, of what estate or degree whatsoever they be, that compears not, due advertisement being made to them, that they shall be repute hereafter as hinderers of this most godly purposs, and as dissimulate brethren, unworthie to be esteemed hereafter of Christ’s flocke; seeing God of his mercy at this present hes offered some better occasion nor in tyme bygone, and hes begune to tread downe Satan under foot, and for the due requisitione and admonitione, in name of the Eternall God, to the effect forsaid, of all and sundrie the brethren, alswell in burgh as to land, The Kirk presently conveened in this Generall Assembly be thir presents gives their full power and commission to their lovites (N. and N.) for the bounds of (N.) In verification hereof, thir presents are subscribed be the common clerk of the Kirk in the Generall Assembly, and second Session thereof, holden at Edinburgh the 26th of Junii 1567.

Sess. 3^a. Junii 27, 1567.

QUESTIONES AND THEIR ANSWERS.

Ane man being accused of notorious fornication, promised faithfully to the minister for the tyme to abstaine in all tyme comeing from all society with that woman, and in case he chance to have any dealings with her hereafter he should marry her—thereafter he meddled with the same woman: Quæritur, whether this man may be compelled to keep the forsaid promise or not?

The Kirk ordaines all sic promises to be of none effect, and that none be compelled to marry upon sic promises; and ordaines this offender to be punished for his offence.

Whether if it be lawfull to marry her whom he before in his wife’s tyme had polluted with adulterie, his wife now being dead?

The Kirk will not grant this thing to be lawfull that God’s law damns; neither yet admitt any sic marriage for causes contained in the law.

Ane man being divorced for adulterie—Quæritur, whether he may marry again or not?

The Kirk will not resolve herein shortly, but presently inhibits all ministers to meddle with sic marriages, whill full decision of the question.

Sessio 4^ta, Junii 28, 1567.

Anent ane complaint given in be the brethren of the kirk of Machlin, That where they had, be the just law of God, pronounced the sentence of excommunication against John Spottswood of Foulde, sometyme ane Elder of the said kirk, for the horrible cryme of adultrie committed be him; Nottheless, Sir William Hamiltone of Sanquhair, Knight, now ane Elder of the said kirk, plainly maintaineth the said John in his house, notwithstanding the said John is excommunicat, to the greate sclander and offence of God his law: And albeit the said Sir William hes been diverse tymes admonished to withdraw his familiar company frae the said Johne, yet not abstract the same, to the offence of many; requireing the Kirk presently assembled to take order herein, according to the wisdome of the brethren present, that farder sclander ryse not therethrough.

The Kirk ordaines ane letter to be sent to the said Sir William, requireing him to remove the said John Spottswood out of his company, and the same to be subscribed be the Clerk of the Assembly; the tenor whereof follows:—

Right Worshipfull, &c.—Forsuameikle as we are informed be the minister and ane part of the elders of the kirk of Machlein, that ane called John Spottswood, sometyme an elder of the said kirk, for the adulterie committed be him in the tyme he was an elder, and the same beand sufficiently proven, hes been, and is publickly excommunicat; Nottheless ye now, being ane elder of the said kirk, contrare to your charge and vocation, maintaines and keeps in your company the said John, notwithstanding diverse admonitions made to you to put him therefrae, to the great contempt of God’s ordinance, and sclander of the Kirk of Jesus Christ, whilk we looked not for at your hands, being placed in so honourable ane rowme within this kirk: Therefore, this is most heartily to require you, in the name of the Eternall God, and as ye look to reigne with [his] Son Jesus Christ for ever, to remove from you all manner of sclander, and be not partaker of uther men’s sins, but remove from your societie that wicked persone, who being abhored be the faithfull, may be God’s grace repent his impietie, and returne to that company of the ffaithful, from the whilk be his hainous offence he hes so horribly fallen; in the whilk doing ye shall not only please God, but also have praise of us your brethren; utherwise we may not with safe conscience suffer sic maintaining of wickedness, but must oppose ourselves thereunto, and use the censures of the kirk, alsweell against the maintainer as the committer of manifest crymes: And this, wishing unto you the spirit of righteous judgement, committ you to the protection of the Omnipotent.—From Edinburgh, out of our Generall Assembly, and fourth Session thereof, the 28th of Junii 1567.

The haill kirk thought good that ane publick ffast should be proclaimed in the toune of Edinburgh only, to begin on Sunday the 13th of July nixt, and on Sunday the 20th of the same; and so was the Assembly dissolved, and appointed the 20th day of July nixt to come to Edinburgh.