The Acts Of The General Assemblies of the Church of Scotland Part 11

Most Gracious Souveraigne.

Wee Your Majesties most humble and loyall Subjects, the Commissioners from all the parts of this your Majesties ancient & native Kingdome, and members of the Nationall a.s.sembly, conveened at _Edinburgh_ by your Majesties speciall indiction, and honoured with the presence of Your Majesties high Commissioner, have been waiting for a day of rejoycing, and of solemne thanksgiving to be rendred to G.o.d by this whole Kirk and Kingdome, for giving us a King so just and religious, that it is not only lawfull for us to be Christians under Your Majesties government, which sometime hath been the greatest praise of great Princes, but also that it hath pleased Your gracious Maj. to make known that it is Your Royall will and pleasure, that all matters Ecclesiasticall be determined in free Nationall a.s.semblies, and matters civill in Parliaments; which is a most n.o.ble and ample expression of Your Majesties justice, and we trust shall be a powerful mean of our common happinesse under your Majesties most blessed Reign. In the mean while we do most humbly, upon the knees of our hearts, blesse your Majesty for that happinesse already begun in the late a.s.sembly at _Edinburgh_; in the proceedings whereof, next under G.o.d, we have laboured to approve our selves unto Your Majesties Vice-gerent, as if Your Majesties eyes had been upon us, which was the desire of our souls, and would have beene the matter of our full rejoycing, and doe still continue Your Majesties most humble supplicants for Your Majesties civill sanction and ratification of the const.i.tutions of the a.s.sembly in Parliament; That your Majesties Princely power, and the Ecclesiasticall Authority joyning in one, the mutuall embracements of religion and justice, of truth and peace may be seen in this Land, which shall be to us as a resurrection from the dead, and shall make us, being not only so farre recovered, but also revived, to fill Heaven and Earth with our praises, and to pray that King CHARLES may be more and more blessed, and His throne established before the Lord for ever.

_The a.s.sembly appoints the next Generall a.s.sembly, to sit at_ Aberdene _the last Tuesday of_ July _next,_ 1640. _years. And warneth all Presbyteries, Universities and Burrows, to send their Commissioners, for keeping the same. And thereafter the a.s.sembly was concluded by giving of thanks by the Moderator, and singing of a Psalme, according to the custome._

THE GENERALL a.s.sEMBLY, CONVEENED AT ABERDENE, JULY 28. 1640.

Sess. 2. July 29. 1640.

The a.s.sembly having past the first day before they would make any Act in attending of His Majesties Commissioner.

This day the Moderator openly asked in face of the a.s.sembly, if there was any Commissioner come from His Majestie: And finding there was none, the a.s.sembly proceeded according to their Liberties.

_Overtures given in by the Committee appointed by the last a.s.sembly, anent the ordering of the a.s.sembly-house: Which being read in audience of the a.s.sembly they approved the same._

I. The a.s.sembly finds it expedient for the ordering of the House in all time coming, that the Commissioners sit together unmixt, and that the places where they sit be railed about, or some other way divided from the seats of others, and that places be provided without the bounds of the Commissioners seats to persons of respect, who are not Commissioners, and others according to their qualities, as the Magistrates of the Town shall find most convenient.

II. Also that the Commissioners, having received tickets from the Magistrates of the Burgh, at the delivery of their Commissions, whereby they may have ready accesse to the a.s.semblie-House and place appointed for them, do keep the hour of meeting precisely, and whosoever comes after the time, or shall be found absent at the calling of the Rols, to be censured as the a.s.semblie sees fitting: And whatsoever Presbyterie, Burgh, or Universitie, shall not send Commissioners, or Commissioners sent from them doe not come at all to the a.s.sembly, be summond unto the next a.s.sembly, and censured as the a.s.sembly shall find reasonable.

III. That foure persons of respect have warrant from the a.s.sembly to injoyne that there be no standing, no din, nor disorderly behaviour; And if any shall disobey them, or direct his speech to any, except to the Moderator, and that one at once with leave at first asked and given, to be rebuked publikely by the Moderator: And if he desist not be removed out of the a.s.sembly for that Session.

IV. That no motion come in unto the a.s.sembly but by the Committee appointed for matters of that nature: And if the Committee refused to answer the same, let it be proponed to the a.s.sembly with the reasons thereof.

V. That the minutes of ilk Session be read before their rising, and if the matter concerne the whole Kirk, let it be drawn up in forme and read in the beginning of the next ensuing Session, that the a.s.sembly may judge whether or not it bee according to their minde.

_Act anent the demolishing of Idolatrous Monuments._

Forasmuch as the a.s.sembly is informed, that in divers places of this Kingdome, and specially in the North parts of the same, many Idolatrous Monuments, erected and made for Religious worship, are yet extant, Such as Crucifixes, Images of Christ, _Mary_, and Saints departed, ordaines the saids Monuments to be taken down, demolished, and destroyed, and that with all convenient diligence: And that the care of this work shall be inc.u.mbent to the Presbyteries and Provinciall a.s.semblies within this Kingdome, and their Commissioners to report their diligence herein to the next Generall a.s.sembly.

_Act against Witches and Charmers._

The a.s.sembly ordaines all Ministers within the Kingdome, carefully to take notice of Charmers, Witches, and all such abusers of the people, and to urge the Acts of Parliament, to be execute against them: And that the Commissioners from the a.s.sembly to the Parliament, shall recommend to the said supreme judicatory, the care of the execution of the Lawes against such persons in the most behoovefull way.

Sess. 5. Aug. 1. 1640.

_Act for censuring speakers against the Covenant._

The a.s.sembly ordaines, that such as have subscribed the Covenant and speakes against the same, if he be a Minister, shall be deprived: And if he continue so, being deprived, shall be excommunicate: And if he be any other man, shall be dealt with as perjured, and satisfie publikely for his perjury.

Sess. 10. Aug. 5. 1640.

_Act against Expectants refusing to subscribe the Covenant._

The a.s.sembly ordaines, that if any Expectant shall refuse to subscribe the Covenant, he shall be declared uncapable of a Pedagogie, teaching of a School, reading at a Kirk, Preaching within a Presbyterie, and shall not have libertie of residing within a Burgh, Universitie or Colledge: And if they continue obstinate, to be processed.

_The Generall a.s.sembly appoints the next a.s.sembly, to be in_ St. Andrews _the third Tuesday of_ July 1641. _And that the Moderator in a convenient way, by the secret Councell-or otherwise as may best serve, request the Kings Majestie to send his Commissioner to the said a.s.sembly. And if any exigent fall out, that the Presbyterie of_ Edinburgh _give advertis.e.m.e.nt for an a.s.sembly_ pro re nata.

THE GENERALL a.s.sEMBLY, HOLDEN AT ST. ANDREWS, AND EDINBURGH. 1641.

Sess. 1. July 20. 1641.

John _Earle of_ Weymes, _His Majesties Commissioner, presented His Majesties Letter to the a.s.sembly, whereof the tenor followeth._

CHARLES R.

Trustie and welbeloved, Wee greet you well. It is no small part of Our Royall care and desires, that the true Reformed Religion, wherein by the grace of G.o.d, We resolve to live and dye, be settled peaceably in that Our ancient and native Kingdome of _Scotland_, and that the same be truly taught, and universally received and professed by Our Subjects there, of all degrees. For preventing of all division and trouble hereafter, We did intend in Our Own Royall Person, to have been present at this a.s.sembly; but conceiving it to be unfitting, to detaine the Ministers from their particular charges, till the time of Our coming to the Parliament. We have resolved to make knowne unto you by these, and by Our Commissioner, That in the approaching Parliament, it is Our intention by Our authority, to ratifie and confirm the Const.i.tutions of the late a.s.sembly at _Edinburgh_, that they may be obeyed by all Our Subjects living in that Our Kingdome.

And that We will take into Our Royall consideration, by what meanes the Churches belonging to Our presentation, when any of them shall happen to need, may be best provided with well qualified Preachers: Like as We are not unwilling, to grant presentations unto such as in these times of trouble have entred into the Ministerie, providing they have been examined by the Presbyteries, and approved by them: Because We want not Our own feares of the decay of Learning in that Church and Kingdome, We intend also to consider of the best meanes for helping the Scooles and Colledges of Learning especially of Divinity, that there may be such a number of Preachers there, as that each Parish having a Minister, and the Gospel being preached in the most remote parts of the Kingdome, all Our Subjects may taste of Our care in that kinde, and have more and more cause to blesse G.o.d that we are set over them. And finally, so tender is Our care, that it shall not be Our fault if the Churches and Colledges there flourish not in Learning and Religion: For which Royall testimonie of Our goodnesse, We require nothing upon your part, but that which G.o.d hath bound you unto, even that you be faithfull in the charge committed unto you, and care for the soules of the people: That you study Peace and Unity amongst your selves, and amongst the people, against all Schisme and Faction; and that you not only pray for Us, but that you teach the People, which We trust are not unwilling to pay that honour and obedience which they owe unto Us, as his Vicegerent set over them, for their good; wherein We expect you will by your good example goe before them. Which hoping you will doe, We bid you farewell. _From Our Court at_ Whitehall, _the 10. day of July 1641._