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The Generall Assembly of the Kirk convenit in Edinburgh, in the Nether Tolbuith thereof, the first day of July 1568: In the whilk was present the Nobilitie, Superintendants, Ministers, and Commissioners of Towns and Kirks. Thanks was gine to God, and supplicatioune maid for his assistance of his Haly Spirit be Mr John Willock, &c.

The same day for eschewing of confusione in reasoning, and that every brother speak moderately in his owne rowme, and that with reverence and licence, the haill brethren assembleit choose Mr John Willock, Superintendant of the West, to be Moderator for this present Assemblie, who, being chosen, acceptit the office under protestatione that obedience be gine.

Sess. 2^a. Julij 6, 1568.

Anent the ordour hereafter to be usit in Generall Assemblies, to the desyre of ane letter presentit be ane brother, for receaveing of the ordour heirtofoir, they all votted and concluded as follows, viz. That giue the ordour already receavit pleases not, men be reason of pluralitie of voytes.

It was thought meit to reforme in this manner: First, That nane have place to voite except Superintendants, Commissioners appointit for visiting of kirks, Ministers brocht with them, presentit as persons able to reasone, and having knowledge to judge with the foirnamit, salbe joynt Commissioners of burghs and shyres, together with Commissioners of Universities.

Secondlie, Ministers and Commissioners of shyres shall be chosen at the Synodall Convention of the dioces, be consent of the rest of the ministers and gentlemen that shall conveine at the said Synodall Conventioune. Commissioners of burghs sall be appointit be the () Councill and Kirk of their owne townes.

Thirdlie, Nane to be admittit without sufficient commissione in wreit, and on a venture: if this should come ane monopole and perpetuall electione of a few certaine ministers and commissioners, it is concluded that they be changit fra Assembly to Assembly.

Anent the questioune of murther upon suddentie, and for satisfaction to be made to the kirk theirfore: First, it was answerit that the cryme being confessit, or convict lawfully, the offender shall be admonischit be the Superintendant, or be the nixt reformit Kirk where the slaughter was committit, to abstaine from all participatioune of the Sacraments, untill that he shall satisfie the Kirk as sall be appoyntit, and that their admonition sall be published where the cryme was committit, and where the recent bruite thereof was spread; to the end that men may understand that the Kirk winks not at the shedding of innocent blood. Secondlie, if the cryme be denyit, and that the bruit thereof be constant, and as it were publick, yet shall the suspect be commandit to abstaine from the use of the sacraments, untill sic tyme as farder tryall may be had, or else that he be solemnlie purgit of the bruit, as for the sudden murther; and that quhilk is committit purposlie we remitt the answer thereof to ane former act.

Anent the forme of receaving of the homicid or adulterer to the societie of the Kirk.

Nane that hes committit slaughter, adulterie, or incest, or hereafter shall committ the same, shall be receavit to repentance be any particular kirk, till that first they present themselffs before the Generall Assemblie, thair to receave their injunctions; and thereafter they shall keep the same order that was prescryved to Paull Methven in his repentance; this being addeit, that he or they shall beir in their hand at all the tymes of their publick repentance the same or lyke weapon wherewith the murther was committit.

Sessio 3^tia. Julii 7, 1568.

It was declared and fund, that Thomas Bassendie, printer in Edinburgh, printed ane book, intituled the Fall of the Roman Kirk, nameing our King and Soveraigne supreame Head of the primitive Kirk. Also, that he had printit ane Psalme Book, in the end whereof was fund printed ane baudy song callit Wellcome Fortune; whilk books he had printed without licence of the magistrat or revising of the Kirk: Therefore, the haill Assembly ordained the said Thomas, to call in againe all the forsaids books that he has sauld, and keep the rest unsauld untill he alter the forsaid title, and also that he delait the said baudy song out of the end of the Psalme Book; and, farther, that he abstaine in all tyme comeing from further printing any thing without licence of the supreame magistrate, and reviseing of sic things as pertaine to religione be some of the Kirk appointit for that purpose. Attour, the Assembly appointit Mr Alexander Arbuthnot to revise the rest of the forsaid tractat, and report to the Kirk what doctrine he finds therein.

Sess. 4^a. July 8, 1568.

Anent the excommunication of Papists, and separation of them from the societie of Christ’s bodie, after dew admonitione, refuising to joyne themselffes to the Kirk: It is concludeit, that, after they have receavit sufficient admonitions, according to the order established in particular kirks, and, they yet remaining obstinate, they shall be declareit publickly in all congregations necessar, to be out of the societie of Christ’s bodie, to be excommunicat.

Articles presentit to my Lord Regent.

First, That his Grace knaw the heavie and grievous complaints of ministers against them, to subscryve the assignatiounes through the quhilk they are altogidder disappointed of their stipends, for the assignationes standing, the thirds are not able, as they are ordered, to pay the ministers’ half-year stipends; in some parts, not the quarter thereof.

It is thought ane thing very unreasonable that the Papists, enemies of God’s Kirk and the commonewealth, and utheris that labours not in the ministrie, shall possess freely, without impositione, the third of the benefice, and the Kirk, whilk labours, shall not possess the third.

Herefore, the Kirk desyres that my Lord Regent’s Grace will take sic order that the commone charges might be sustained upon the two parts of the benefice possessed be the Papists, and that the third may remaine frie to be disponit to the Kirk; not that the ministers desyres more nor thair reasonable stipends, but that the superplus might support schools and the poor, according to the will of God; and that the collectors of the Kirk shall yearly make compt thereof, so that my Lord Regent’s Grace and the Councill shall know the dispositioune of the samen.

Item, To schaw to my Lord Regent’s Grace, that there is sundrie benefices vaikand, and specially the benefices of the commones pertaining to Cathedrall and Metropolitane Kirks, that his Grace would put them to qualified men, be the advyce of the Kirk, at this tyme, the Kirk being assembled; utherwayes the Kirk must dispone them as falling to them be reasone of sax moneths past, and nane presentit; and also the kirks of the Nonreys presently vaikand, to put qualified persones to them, as in speciall to Northberrick.

Item, That my Lord Regent’s Grace will give commissione and authoritie to certaine persones for reformatione of the Colledge of Aberdeene, that the corrupt office beirers, Regents and uthers be removit, and uther qualified persones placeit in their rowmes, so that the zouth may be instructed in godliness and guid literature.

Item, To desyre my Lord Regent’s Grace, order to be taken for suppressing of vice; whereby the plague of God may be withdrawne from the countrie, and that his Grace will take diligent care anent the execution of justice againes sic odious crymes as shall be giue his Grace in wreit, be the Superintendants and Commissioners of Countreyes.

Item, That his Grace would cause sic as are appointed of the Councill, conveen with them that are appointed of the Kirk, touching the jurisdiction of the same to decyde therein, that tyme and place may be condescended upon to that effect; and that it be done before the Parliament.

Item, To advyse with my Lord Regent’s Grace and Councill, that in the rowmes and countreyes where no superintendants are, they may be placed.

Item, To understand what may augment or appoynt ministers’ stipends.

Answers to the foresaids Articles be my Lord Regent’s Grace.

Att Edinburgh, the 8th day of July 1568, being on the Secret Councill my Lord Regent’s Grace, my Lord Simple, my Lord Glames, Secretar, Lord Ochiltrie, and my Lord Balmirrynoche.

Anent the complaint maid be the Kirk for default of payment of the thirds of benefices to the sustentation of the ministrie:

The persones addebtit for payment of the same, being at the horne, and no farther diligence to be usit for obtaining of payment, my Lord Regent’s Grace, with advyce of the Lords of Secret Councill, ordayne the thesaurer to receive all letters of horning to be presentit be whatsumever collectors, either of the 1556 yeares crope, or of the 1557, or in tyme comeing; and upon the saids letters of horning, to direct letters of horning to officers of armes, or to the shreffs of the shyres, or uthers ordinare judges, to uptake the escheits of the persones denunced and put to the horne, and of the first and readiest escheats to pay to the collectors the soumes auchtand, for the quhilks the saids persons was put to the horne; friely taking up the remanent to our soveraigne Lord’s use: At the leist takeing so meikle above the valour of the debt auchtand as will make the expenses upon the executione of the letters in uptaking the escheit; So that no expenses in execution of the saids letters be made utherwayes but of the escheit of the persone denuncit.

All commone kirks shall be gine to qualified persons, ministers and els within any prebendaries founded upon the fruits of the teinds of Kirks, as Dumberney, and Ormistoune in Lowthian, as the prebendarie vaiks, to be uptaken be the collectors.

Ordaines ane Commissione to be maid for the reformation of the Colledge of Aberdein, and for placeing of godlie persones masters thairin.

The row of the committers of vices to be presentit to my Lord Regent’s Grace, wha shall cause the Justice-Clerk to proceed in forme of justice againes them.

Item, The Lord Regent’s Grace shall giue warning to the persones nameit in the end of the parliament, to conveine the 8th day of August.

To the sixth head, That fforsuameikle as superintendants cannot be presently appoynted, the Kirk mann appoint commissioners for the same purpose, as they shall think guid to give commission, whill the next Generall Assembly.

To the seventh head, anent the advyse for augmenting of minister’s stipends, was be aduyce of my Lord Regent’s Grace and Councell, the Clark Register, the Laird of Pittarro, and Mr Henrie Balnewis, with foure of the Kirk, as they shall think meit, or any twa of them.

The Regent’s Letters anent the Chaplenries.

Wee understand that there is some chaplenrie properly pertayning to the King’s Majesties presentatioune, and some at this present to be disponit: We heirfore have thought good to require your opinione how we sall proceid in that behalfe presently and in tyme comeing, that ignorantly we doe nothing wherewith the Kirk may justly find fault hereafter. Sic subscribitur,

James, Regent.

Sess. 5^a. July 9, 1568.

Ane Reader was proven and convict for meddling with ane certaine woman, and afterward was verified that the same woman had ane husband livand when the same reader medled with her, but alleadges he knew not the same, and that he had not been in the uther man’s companie ane certaine space before. Att command of the Kirk the reader put away the said woman, who hes been from him the space of ane year or thereabout. This reader desyres to be admittit to his office again, in respect of his bypast conversatione be the said space of ane year, and doe farther what the Kirk will injoyn him. Quæritur?

Answer: After publick repentance according to the order, receive him.

Ane minister convenit be contract with ane certaine vicar, and the vicar sauld his viccarage of the Kirk whill the minister servit, in favors of the minister, and the minister againe promised to pay him ane certaine small sowme at times and dayes for the goodwill of the viccarage, and that in manner of compositione, nomine pensionis; and now ane uther minister accuses this former minister before the Kirk, as ane man unworthie to bruik office, because of the said contract, whilk he alleadges to be simoniall, and the uther protests that he be convict in pena talonis in caise it be not fundine: Quæritur, primum an predictus contractus sit simonis, et si sit, qua pœna puniendus est ille primus minister; Secundo, Si accusator cadet causa, qua pœna est ille puniendus qui illud scandalum suscitavit? Answer: Publick repentance for the accusatione.

Sessio 6^a. July 10, 1568.

It is statute and ordained be the haill Assembly, that ministers, exhorters, readers, or uthers persones hereafter trouble or molest not the Generall Assembly with sic things as superintendants may and aught decide in their synodall conventiones; and if any chances to doe hereafter in the contrare, thir letters shall be receitit.

Touching the Bishop of Orkney’s suspensione from the ministry the last Assembly, and his obedience and submission: The Kirk restores him againe to his ministrie of the word, and alse ordaines him upon some Sonday, when he best may for weakness of his body, to make ane sermone in the kirk of Halyrudehouse, and in the end thereof to confess his offence in marrying the Queene with the Earle Bothwell, and desyre the Kirk there present for the tyme to forgive him his offence and sclander gine be him in doing the forenamed act; the whilk the Bishop promised to doe.