Acts and Proceedings: 1592, May

A. D. M. D. XCII.

At Edinburgh, the Generall Assemblie of the Kirk of Scotland conveinit upon the 22 of May 1592.

Exhortatioun beand made be Mr Nicoll Dalgleish, the Moderatour of the last Assemblie: The Kirk proceidit to the electioun of a Moderatour, and appointit on the leits, Mrs Robert Bruce, David Lindsay, James Balfour, and James Nicolsone. The said Mr Robert, be pluralitie of votis, was electit Moderatour hac vice.

Sessio 2^a. 23 Maij.

Forsameikle as the necessitie of the tyme requyres that the gravest and weghtiest heids be first handlit; it was proponit to the haill brether to considder and decerne, If they thought meitt or not, the Kirk should make sute for the Articles following:

First, That the acts of Parliament made in the ȝeir of God 1584 aganis the discipline of the Kirk, libertie and authoritie therof, be annullit; and the samein discipline quherof the Kirk hes bein in practise, ratified.

Secondly, The abolitioun of the Act of Annexatioun, and restitution of the patrimonie of the Kirk.

Thirdlie, That Abbots, Pryours, and vther Prelats, pretending the title of the Kirk, and votting for the samein, without thair power and commissioun, be not sufferit in tyme comeing to vote for the samein, either in Parliament or vther Conventioun.

Last, That the countrey, quhilk is pollutit with fearefull idolatrie and blood, be purgit.

Quhilk haill articles the full Assemblie thought most necessar to be cravit: and for putting the same in good ordour, employit thair brether, Mrs Robert Pont, David Lindsay, Thomas Buchannan, James Melvill; willing them to present the samein, at ten hours, to the full Assemblie to be considderit be them.

As concerning the voting in Parliament in name of the Kirk, If it salbe thought leisum the Ministrie sould succeid in that part in the Prelats place: It is reserritt to consultatioun quhill the morne. And every Minister is ordainit to wey and debait the argument with himselfe, and be ready the morne to reasone thair opinioun in the same.

Sessio 5^a. 24 Maij.

It is ordanit, in tymes comeing, that the brether receiving commissiouns from the Kirk, and slouthfullie oversieing the execution therof, salbe rebukit in the face of the Assembly for thair negligence.

Sessio 6^a.

Forsameikle as the Kirk considdering thair duetie first to God, and the necessitie of the charge quhilk is imposit vpon them, seeing the daylie decay of religioun, and lake of justice, quherof the effects, to the regrate of all true Christians, mair and mair falls out in miserable experience; and that the dewtie of thair office burdeineth them to discharge thair conscience in this behalse to thair Soveraine, to quhom chieflie it appertaineth to procure remedie therof: Therfor directs thair brether quhilk were nominat befor, to present thair Articles to his Majestie, together with Mrs Nicoll Dalgleishe, Patrick Simsone, Patrick Sharp, John M^ccolme, and David Ferguxone, to passe immediatlie to his Majestie to lament the daylie decay of religioun, dissordour and lake of justice within this realme, to crave his duetie, as he wald answer to God, to be done for remeid therof, and gravelie to admonisch his Majestie, in the name of the Eternall, to have respect in tyme to the estate of the true religioun perishing, and to the manifold murthers, oppressiouns and enormities daylie multiplied through impunitie and lack of justice; and to discharge his kinglie office in both, as he wald eschew the fearefull challenge of God, and turne his wrath ass his Majestie and the haill land: And to the effect his Majestie may be the better informit of the particulars, to lay down the same particularlie to his, and crave his ansuer, that they may report the same to the haill Assemblie.

Sessio 10^a. Penultimo Maij.

Forsameikle as, at the speciall desire of the Kirk, and Forme of Examinatioun befor the Communioun was pennit and formit be thair brother Mr Johne Craig, quhilk now is allowit and imprintit be the voyce of the haill Assemblie: Therfor it is thought neidfull that every Pastour travell with his flock, that they may buy the samein booke, and reid it in thair families, that they may be the better instructit; and that the samein be red and learnit in lecture Schooles in the place of the Litle Catechisme.

Sessio 15^a. 2 Junij.

Mr Alexander Dicksone compeirand, and [being] inquyrit, If he had subscryvit the Articles of Religioun presentlie professit and establischit within the Reformit Kirk of this realme, and communicat at the Lords Table, ansuerit, He did both [when he was a student] in the Colledge of Sanct Androes. And after being inquyrit, In quhat heids he differs to subscrive, ansuerit, He had sundrie heids quherin he aggried not with the Confessioun of Faith and Articles of Religioun forsaid; quherwith being prest be the Assemblie, and that either now be word, or the morne be wryte, he sould be special, at length plainlie qvowit and protestit he differit from them in all the substantiall heids and points of religioun quherin the Papists contraverts with them: With quhilk consessioun and declaratioun forsaid, the brether of the Assemblie being advysit, sand that the had committit apostasie, and therfor to have incurritt the paines therof.

Sessio 17^a. 3 Junij.

Anent the supplicatioun of Mr Alexander Dicksone, in conclusion offerand either to subscryve the Confessioun of Faith, or within xl dayes to passe out of the realme, and to that effect desyreand to be gred from captivitie: The Assembly being advyseit therwith, desyrit the Bailyie of Edenburgh to take ordour with him according to the tenour of the act of Parliament, and to sett him frie vpon catioun.

Sessio 22^a. 6 Junij.

Anent the forme and ordour of excommunicatioun to be vsit against notorious murtherers: The Assemblie hes concludit that the ordour containit in the Booke of Excommunicatioun be keipit and followit out according to the tenour therof.

Anent the haynous and cruell murther of the Erle of Murray, committit be the Erle of Huntlie and his complices: The brether and Assemblie present hes gevin and givis ordinance and strait command to the brether of the Presbitrie of Brechin, quho hes already entrit in process with him, to proceid, with concurrence of twa brether of every ane of the Presbytries of Angus and Mernes, aganis him for the said cruell fact, according to the acts of the Assemblie.

Sessio 23^a. 7 Junij.

Anent the act made concerning deposit Ministers or Persons at this last Parliament: It was thought meitt in the nixt Parliament, or Conventioun haveing the force or commissioun of Parliament, to crave, that quher it els hes bein inactit, that notwithstanding the Pastour be deposit, the taks and titles sett be him sall nevertheless stand, it be now provydit and additt be the said act, That in case the tack or title [be] sett after the committing of the fact for the quhilk the person is deposit, that such taks, factories, or titles quhatsumevir, salbe null and of none avail, force, nor effect.