Читать книгу The Booke of the Universall Kirk of Scotland - Various - Страница 25

Table of Contents

The Generall Assembly of the Kirk, halden at Edinburgh in the Nether Councill House, the 5th day of July 1570, quhair was assembleit the Nobilitie, Barrones, Superintendants, Commissioners of Kirks, Provinces, Townes, and Ministers: the prayer made be Mr John Craige.

The haill brethren presently conveint, chuse Mr Robert Pont Moderator for this Assembly.

Penitents that, for their offences, resorts to the Generall Assemblie, either to receive injunctions for to schaw signes of their repentance, or that sould present themselfes before the same in linnen cloathes and receave farther injunctions, that they be warnit to compeir the second day of the Assembly peremptorlie.

Ministers, at their publick inauguration, shall protest solemnlie that they sall never leive their vocatione any tyme thereafter under the paine of infamie and perjurie.

Anent the tryall of young children, and how they are brought up be thair parents in the trew religion of Jesus Christ: It is ordainit, that ministers and elders of kirks shall, universallie within this realme, take tryall and examine all young children within their parochines that are come to nyne years, and that for the first tyme; thereafter, when they are come to twelve yeares for the second tyme; the third tyme, to be examined when they are of fourteen years, wherethrough it may be knawne what they have profited in the schoole of Christ from tyme to tyme.

Sessio 3^a.

It is ordained, be reasone of the great troubles fallen out lately in this realme be defectione of some from the King’s Majestie’s lawfull authoritie, that certaine brethren be sent from the Kirk to all sortes, Earles, Lords, Barrones, and gentlemen whatsumever, that hes made the foresaid defectione, and travell with them be all meanes possible, to reconcile them to the lawfull obedience of his Majestie, and to certifie them that disobeys, that the haill Kirk will use their sword against them, quhilk God’s word hes committit to them. Commissioners for that effect—Mr Andrew Hay and Mr David Lindsay, to my Lord Duke’s Grace, the Earles of Argyll, Eglintoune, Cassills, the Lord Boyde, and uthers barrones and gentlemen that they can gudlie meit with within the wast parts; The Laird of Dunn, Superintendent of Angus and Mernes, to the Earle of Crawford, the Lord Ogilvie, and their assisters: Qwhilk Commissioners war commandit to report their answers to the next Generale Assemblie.

Sessio 4^a.

The controversie in St Androis betuixt Mr Robert Hamiltoune, minister there, and his Colleges on the ane parte, and Mr James Carmichael and his Colleges on the uther parte, is traitit and discussit be the Assembly of the haill Kirk, because the same concerns doctrine, sclander that may rise therein, or discipline of the Kirk.

Cloakers of adulterie sould be callit and convict; and if it be fund that they have cloakit publick adulterie after their knawledge, then let the law haue place. Consentientes et agentes pari pœna puniantur.

Quhen a woman beares a bairne to a certain man, and, in the tyme of her birth, before the midwife, alleadges the bairne to be this man’s, and beand callit before ane judge, beand readie to sweir the same, and this man is ready to swear the contrare, and that he never had carnall dealings with this woman, and there is no other witness, Whether shall credence be gine to the man’s oath or to the woman’s? and shall the bairne be left without ane father knowne?

Answer, Neutri credendum.

All things being done that the civil ordour requires of them that withhalds the dewtie of the Kirk, whereby the ministers wants their stipends, the Kirk may proceed to excommunication for their contempt.

Sessio 5^a.

Compeirit Mr James M‘Gill of Rynkelour Nather, Clark of Register and Counsellor to our soveraigne Lord L., John Ballantyne of Auchnouchill, Knight, Justice Clark, and Mr Archbald Douglass, ane of the Lords of the Colledge of Justice, who, in presence of the haill Assembly, proponit in my L. Chancellor’s name, how his L. had understand that in the contraversie amongst them in St Androis there was continwet some heads tending to treasone and against the King’s Majestie’s authorities, Therfore requirit the Kirk presently assemblit to superside all devisione in that matter concerning the King’s Majestie, untill the tyme the nobilitie conveine, qwhilk will be within ten days, before whom that heid aucht to be sichted; nottheless that the Kirk proceed to sic things therein as pertayns to their owne jurisdictione; unto the qwhilk protestation the Kirk agriet.

The said day the haill Kirk presently assemblit, in ane voyse and mynde, gives full commissioune and power to the honorable their brethrene, John Erskine of Dunn, knight, superintendant of Angus and Mernes, Mrs John Wynrhame and Spottiswood, superintendants of Fyffe and Lawthiane respective, Mr James M‘Gill, Rankelour Nather, Clark of Register and Counsellor to our soveraigne Lord, Mr John Knox and John Craige, David Lyndsay of Edinburgh and Leith, ministers, the proveist of Dundie, Mr Thomas M‘Allzean, The Lairds of Balvaird, Spott, Braid, Carnaill, Dreghorne, Lundie, Howstowne, Drumqwhassell, Coldenknows, Carden, Fawdensyde, Thorntowne, Inchbrakie, David Forrest, Generall of the Conzie, David Ramsay of Dundie, Patrick Morray in St Johnstowne, and Robert Campbell of Kinzeaunclewghe, or any eight or seven of them, To compeir in Edinburgh the VI of this instant moneth of July, with continuatione of dayes, so oft as the nobilitie of this realme shall conveine betwixt this and the next Generall Assembly of the Kirk; and there, in name and behalf of the haill kirks of Scotland, propone and present to the said nobilitie, articles, heids, supplicationes, and complaints, such as the said Kirk hes pennit and delyverit to the said brethren, or hereafter shall, before the next Generall Assembly, delyver maist humbly in their names, to require answer and grant to their articles and supplicationes, and with redress of their complaintes according to equitie and justice, To assist, concurr, and consent to all and whatsumever shall be treatit in the said conventione tending to the setting forward of the glory of God, preaching and maintaining of trew religion within this countrie, King’s Majestie authoritie, commonweall and authoritie of this realme: As also to take cognitione in all and whatsumever complaints, supplications, and requests of brethren speciallie remittit to them be this Assembly; and whatsumever beis done be them in the præmises, to report the same to the nixt Generall Assembly of the Kirk to begine in Edinburgh the first day of March nixt to come, ffirm and stable haldand and for to hald, all and whatsumever the saids brethren any aucht or sevine of them in the premises leads to be done. The Kirk presently assemblit, for certaine causes moving them, discharges all and sundrie assignationes and pensiones grantit be the Kirk dureing their will, to whatsumevir persone or persones before the date heirof, and ordaines the Collector of the Kirk to intromett therewith heirafter, and to put inhibitione to all them that heretofore hes had any sic assignationes or pensiones, except that whilk is assignit to the King’s Majestie’s hand allanerly.