Acts: 1750

Acts of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland 1638-1842. Originally published by Edinburgh Printing & Publishing Co, Edinburgh, 1843.

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'Acts: 1750', in Acts of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland 1638-1842, (Edinburgh, 1843) pp. 701-704. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/church-scotland-records/acts/1638-1842/pp701-704 [accessed 24 March 2024]

In this section

The principal acts of the general assembly, holden and begun at Edinburgh, May 10, 1750.

I. Sess. 1, May 10, 1750.—The King's Commission to Alexander Earl of Leven produced, and ordered to be recorded.

The General Assembly, &c.

II. Sess. 1, May 10, 1750.—The King's most gracious Letter to the General Assembly, presented to them by his Majesty's Commissioner.

George, R., &c.

III. Sess. 3, May 12, 1750.—The General Assembly's Answer to the King's most gracious Letter.

May it please your Majesty, &c.

IV. Sess. 7, May 17, 1750.—Act and Resolution concerning an Application to Parliament for an Augmentation to Ministers' Stipends.

The General Assembly, considering the distressed circumstances of many ministers of this Church, arising from the smallness of their stipends, the expense of processes for augmentations, and the dilatory payment of stipends, do resolve on an humble application to be made to the King and Parliament for the following purposes:—That in raising of summonses for modification, locality, or augmentation of stipends, instead of the usual method of summoning by a messenger, it shall be sufficient that a general citation be made by every parish clerk from his desk, upon a Lord's Day, immediately after divine service in the forenoon, and that letters be written, by the Moderator of the Presbytery, to the absent heritors, except such as are forth of the kingdom, who are to be summoned by a messenger, at the market cross of Edinburgh, pier and shore of Leith: That it shall be in the power of the Moderator, with consent of the Presbytery, to pursue for modification, locality, or augmentation, whether there be a minister settled in the parish, or the parish be vacant: That ministers' stipends, if not paid within the year, shall bear interest from the first half year after they become due: That power be given to the Commission of Teinds to suppress parishes which they find not proper to be continued separate parishes, and to annex them to one or more of the adjacent parishes: That the said Commission have likewise a power to alter the divisions of parishes, on a view to divide them as they see cause. The General Assembly instructs those to be commissioned by them most humbly to pray for relief in the premises, and for such further relief as to his Majesty and the two Houses of Parliament shall, in their great wisdom, seem meet. And it was declared by the Moderator from the chair to be the mind of the Assembly, that, by this last clause, it was understood, that the commissioners to Parliament might apply for an increase of the minimum.

V. Sess. 10, May 21, 1750, ante meridiem.—Commission to some Ministers and Ruling Elders for Reformation of the Highlands and Islands, and for Managing his Majesty's Royal Bounty for that end.

The General Assembly, &c.

VI. Sess. 10, May 21, 1750, ante meridiem.—Commission to some Ministers and Ruling Elders for discussing Affairs referred to them.

The General Assembly, &c.

VII. Sess. ult., May 21, 1750, post meridiem.—Congratulatory Address to his Majesty, on the late increase of the Royal Family, by the birth of a Prince.

TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY,

The humble Address of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

May it please your Majesty,
We, your Majesty's most loyal and dutiful subjects, the ministers and elders of the Church of Scotland, met in the General Assembly, humbly beg leave to approach your sacred person, with our sincere and hearty congratulations on the birth of a young Prince in your illustrious and royal house.

We cheerfully embrace this opportunity to assure your Majesty, that the increase of the family of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales gives us the highest and most sensible pleasure, as it is, under God, a pledge of all the happiness of a good government, of all the blessings of religion and liberty to us and to our latest posterity, as it is the firmest security of the Protestant interest, and of the peace and freedom of Europe; and as it tends to prevent our fears, and to extinguish the hopes of the enemies of our country, and of our present happy constitution.

In this, as in many other happy events, we contemplate and adore the wisdom and goodness of the Divine Providence, and cease not, with most thankful acknowledgments, daily to present our earnest and ardent prayers to the Sovereign of the universe, and our merciful Father in Christ Jesus, to make us, with all the subjects of your Majesty's happy government, worthy of those instances and proofs of Divine favour.

That your Majesty may be long preserved to reign in the hearts of a free and flourishing people, and at last receive a crown of unfading glory;—that their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales, blest in a numerous progeny, his Royal Highness the Duke, and all the branches of your august family, may live long the objects of the love and affection of all your faithful subjects; and, having finished a course of honour and virtue here, may receive the reward of immortal glory, are the constant and servant prayers of,

May it please your Majesty, your Majesty's most faithful, most dutiful, and most loyal subjects, the Ministers and Elders met in the National Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

Signed in our name, in our presence, and at our appointment, by
Robert Patoun, Moderator.

VIII. Sess. ult., May 21, 1750, post meridiem.—Act appointing the Diet of the next General Assembly.

The next General Assembly of this National Church is appointed to be held in this place, upon the second Thursday of May next, being the 9th day of that month, in the year 1751.

Collected and extracted from the Records of the General Assembly, by
George Wishart, Cls. Eccl. Scot.

Sess. ult., May 21, 1750.—Overture about the more frequent Celebration of the Lord's Supper.

(See Act 7th, Assembly, 1751.)

Sess. ult., May 21, 1750.—Overture about the Psalmody.

The General Assembly finding, that, with respect to the overture about the Psalmody, as the Translations and Paraphrases of Sacred Scripture were not transmitted to Presbyteries since last Assembly, no reports were sent up to this Assembly; but it being informed that it is now reprinted, with amendments, at sight of the committee of last Assembly, the General Assembly do transmit the same, as amended, to the several Presbyteries, that they may report their opinion thereupon to the next General Assembly.

Sess. ult., May 21, 1750.—Overture about Licensing Probationers.

(See 1742 and 1749. This overture is again transmitted, with another slight alteration.)

Sess. ult., May 21, 1750.—Overture anent Presbyteries neglecting to send up their Opinions on the Overtures transmitted to them by the Assembly.

(See Act 7th, Assembly, 1752.)

Sess. ult., May 21, 1750.—Overture anent Processes against Probationers.

(See 1746 and 1748. Overture re-transmitted.)