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The Generall Assembly of the Kirk, conveened in Edinburgh, in the Nether Tobooth thereof, the 25th of December 1567: In the whilk were present Earles, Lords, Barrones, Superintendants, Ministers, and Commissioners of Townes and Kirks. The invocatione of God’s name was made be Mr John Craige, ane of the ministers of Edinburgh.

For eschewing of confusione in reasoning in this present Assemblie, was chosen Mr John Row, minister of St Johnstone, to be moderator.

Sess. 2^a. December 26, 1567.

The haill Kirk assembled thought it meet that certain brethren be appointed to concurr at all tymes with six persones of Parliament, or Secret Councill, as my Lord Regent’s Grace hes nominat for sic affaires as pertaines to the Kirk and jurisdiction thereof, and also to discusse of questiones that may occurr in the meanetyme, whais names followes:—Mrs John Knox, John Craige, ministers of Edinburgh; the Superintendants of Angus and Louthiane, David Borthwick, Thomas M‘Calzeane, Mr David Lindesay, minister of Leith, George Hay of Ruthven, and John Row.

Sess. 3^a. December 28, 1567.

Ordaines that Superintendants and Commissioners appointed shall plant ministers vaikand in sic rowmes where the parishioners will gladly sustaine them on their owne expenses, whill other order be had; and that they remove nane out of their rowme, being found qualified, without the advyce and consent both of the ministrie, and kirk-worthie of the place.

Sess. 4^a. December 30, 1567.

Anent the accusatione laid to my Lord Argyll’s charge, touching the separation betwixt him and his wife; declared that he was not the occasione thereof. As to other offences whatsoever, wherthrough he hes been anywayes sclanderous to the Kirk, he was content to subject himself to the discipline of the Kirk at all tymes maist willinglie; and, therefore, the Kirk ordained the Superintendant of Argyle to take tryall of the saids sclanders committed be the said Earle, and thereafter to cause sic satisfaction be made, as God’s Law appoints, and to report the order thereof to the next Generall Assemblie of the Kirk, together with his own diligence in executione of his office of Superintendancie.

Anent the marriage of the Queen with the Earle Bothwell, be Adam, called Bishop of Orkney; the haill Kirk finds that he transgressed the act of the Kirk in marrying the divorced adulterer; and, therefore, deprives him of all functione of the ministrie, conforme to the tenor of the act made thereupon, ay and whill the Kirk be satisfied of the sclander committit be him.

The same day Mr John Craige was bruitit for proclaiming the bands betwixt the Queen and the Earle Bothwell; who answered be word, justifying his proceedings thereanent, and was ordained to give in his purgation in write, to the effect his good mynd and proceedings may be knowne to all and sundrie that hereafter would be satisfied thereanent.

TENOR OF THE FORESAID PURGATIONE.

To the end that all that feares God may understand my proceedings in this matter, I shall shortly declare what I did, and what moved me to defend the samen, leaving the finall judgement of all things to the Kirk. First, be the request of Mr Thomas Hepburne, in the Queen’s name, to proclame her with Lord Bothwell, I plainly refused, because he had not her hand wreit; and also the common bruit that my Lord had both ravished her and keeped her in captivitie. Upon Wednesday last the Justice Clerk brought me ane writing subscryved with her hand, bearing in effect that she was neither ravished nor yet retained in captivitie, and, therefore, charged me to proclaime. My answer was, I durst proclaime no bands, and chiefly such without consent and command of the Church. Upon Thursday next, the Kirk, after long reasoning with the Justice Clerk, and amongst the brethren, at length concluded that the Queen’s mynde should be published to her subjects thrie nixt preaching dayes: But, because the Generall Assembly had inhibited all sic marriages, we protested we would neither solemnize, naither yet approve that marriage, but would only declare the Prince’s mynde, leaveing all doubts and dangers to the counsellors, approvers, and allowers of that marriage: And so, upon Fryday thereafter, I declared the haill minde and progress of the Kirk, desyreing every man, in God’s name, to discharge his conscience before the Secret Councill; and to give boldness to uthers, I desyred of the Lords there present in tyme and place, to speak my judgement before the parties, protesting, if I were not heard and satisfied, I either wald desist from proclameing, or else declare my minde publickly before the Kirk. Therefore, being admittit, afternoone, before my Lord in Councill, I laid to his charge the law of adulterie, the ordinance of the Kirk, the law of ravishing, the suspicion of collusioune betwixt him and his wife, the sudden divorcement and proclaiming within the space of four dayes, and last the suspicioune of the King’s death, whilk his marriage will confirme. But he answered nothing to my satisfactione: Wherefore, after many exhortationes, I protested that I could not but declare my minde openly to the Kirk. Therefore, upon Sonday, after I had declared what they had done, and how they would proceed whether we would or not, I tooke Heaven and earth to witness that I abhorred and detested that marriage, because it was odious and sclanderous to the world; and seeing the best part of the realme did approve it, either be flatterie or else be their silence, I desyred the faithfull to pray earnestly that God would turne it to the comfort of this realme, that thing whilk they intended againes reasone and good conscience. I, because I heard some persones gangand againes me, used thir reasones for my defences: First, I had broken no law be proclaiming of thir persones at their request: Secondly, If their marriage was sclanderous and hurtfull, I did well for warning all men of it in tyme: Thirdly, As I had of dewtie declareit to them the Prince’s will, so did I faithfully tell them be word and example what God craveit of them. But upon Tuesday last I was calleit before the Councill, and accuseit that I had passed the bounds of my commissioune calling the Prince’s marriage odious and sclanderous before the world. I answered, the bounds of my jurisdictione, whilk was the word of God, guid lawes, and naturall reasone, was able to prove whatsoever I spake; yea, that their owne conscience could not but beare witness that sic a marriage would be odious and sclanderous to all that should hear of it, give all the circumstances thereof were rightly considered: But whill I was comeing to my probatione, my Lord put me to silence, and sent me away; and so upon Wedensday I first repeatit and ratified all things before spoken; and after, exhorted the brethren not to accuse me give that marriage proceeded, but rather themselves, who would not, for feare, oppone themselves, but rather sharpeit their tongues against me, because I admonished them of their deutie, and suffered not the kankert consciences of hypocrites to sleep at rest; protesting at all tymes to them, that it was not my proclaiming, but rather their silence, that give any lawfullness to that marriage: ffor as the proclaiming did take all excuses from them, so my private and publick impugnatione did safe my conscience sufficiently; and this farr I proceeded in this marriage, as the Kirk of Edinburgh, lords, earles, and barrones that heard me, beare me witnes. Now, seeing I have been shamefully sclandered, both in Scotland be wrang informatione, and als report of them that hated my ministrie, I desyre first the judgement of the Kirk, and next the same to be published, that all men may understand whether I be worthie sick ane bruit or not.

Sess. 5^a. December ultimo 1567.

Anent the complaint give in against my Lady Argyle, declaring how sche once being at the table of the Lord Jesus, and professing his Evangell, had revolted therefrae, in giving her assistance and presence to the baptizing of the King in ane papisticall manner. The said lady being present, grantit that she had offended to the eternall God, and been ane sclander to the Kirk in committing the premises; and therefore willingly submitted herself to the discipline of the Kirk and discretioune of them. Therefore, the Kirk ordaines the said lady to make publick repentance in the Chapell-Royall of Stirling, upon ane Sonday in tyme of preaching; and this to be done at sick tyme as the Kirk hereafter shall appoint to the Superintendant of Lowthiane, provyding alwayes it be before the next Assembly.