The Acts Of The General Assemblies of the Church of Scotland Part 41

The Generall a.s.sembly according to former recommendations, Doth Ordain that all young Students take the Covenant at their first entry to Colledges; And that hereafter all Persons whatsoever take the Covenant at their first receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper: Requiring hereby Provinciall a.s.semblies, Presbyteries and Universities to be carefull that this Act be observed, and accompt thereof taken in the visitation of and particular Kirks, and in the tryall of Presbyteries.

_Eodem die Postmeridiem,_ Sess. 32.

_Act concerning Presbyteries maintaining of_ Bursars.

The Generall a.s.sembly Understanding that the frequent Recommendation of preceding a.s.semblies for maintaining Bursars, is by many Presbyteries neglected, Do therefore Ordain Synods to crave accompt thereof from Presbyteries at every Provinciall meeting, Which with the Presbyteries answer, shall be put upon record, That so the part both of Presbyteries and Synods and their negligance or diligence in so pious a work may be known by the examination of the Provinciall books to each Generall a.s.sembly.

August 9. 1648. _Antemeridiem_ Sess. 25.

_Act for dis-joyning the Presbyteries of_ Zetland, _from the Provinciall Synod of_ Orkney _and_ Cathnes.

The Generall a.s.sembly now after exact tryall, finding that the Presbytery of _Zetland_ cannot meet with the Provinciall of _Cathnes_ and _Orknay_ to which it was adjoyned by an Act of the a.s.sembly 1646. Sess. 11. And that the allowance and dispensation granted in the preceding a.s.sembly for the halfe of their number to keep the meetings of the said Provinciall cannot be observed in respect of the great distance of that Isle by sea from the land, and the dangerousness of the seas there, and of the pa.s.sage through them, Therefore after hearing the parties interested and serious deliberation of the matter, The a.s.sembly doth hereby Dis-joyn the Presbytery of _Zetland_ from the Provinciall of _Cathnes_ and _Orknay_, And declares for these reasons, That the said Presbytery is to be hereafter subordinate immediately to the Generall a.s.sembly, For which cause, their Commissioners are to be sent to each Generall a.s.sembly the more carefully, And it is hereby recommended to them that they send to the next a.s.sembly a particular information of the quality and condition of all their Kirks according to the direction of the act of the preceding a.s.sembly Sess. 27. Ent.i.tuled an act for pressing and furthering the planting of Kirks.

Aug. 10. 1648. _Postmeridiem,_ Sess. 38.

_Overtures for the Remedies of the grievous and common Sins of the Land in this present time._

The Sins of the Land and the Causes and occasions thereof being considered, The following Remedies of these Sins were propounded.

Civill Remedies.

_For the present, untill the Overtures prepared to be presented to the Parliament, It is to be Recommended to every Congregation to make use of the 9. Act of the Parliament 1645. at_ Perth, _for having Magistrates and Justices in every Congregation, and of the 8. Act of the said Parliament against Swearing, Drinking and mocking of Piety, and all other Acts of Parliament for restraining or punishing of Vice; particularly for the better restraining of the sin of Wh.o.r.edom that each Magistrate in every Congregation exact and make compt to the Session of fourty Pounds for each Fornicatour and Fornicatrix, of an hundred Merks for each one of their relapse in Fornication, of an hundreth Pounds for each Adulterer and Adulteress according to express Acts of Parliament which is to be exacted of these who may pay it, and the discretion of the Magistrate is to modifie it according to the ability or inability of each Delinquent._

Domestick Remedies.

_1. Let care be taken of concionable receiving of Servants, that they have testimonials of their honest behaviour: And let all such as give testimonials take heed that these to whom they give them, be free of scolding, swearing, lying and such like more common sins, as well as fornication, adultery, drunkenesse, and other grosse and hainous evils; Let the ordinary time of giving Testimonials be in face of Session: And if an extraordinary exigent be: Let it be given by the Minister with __ consent of the elder of the bounds, wherein the person craving the Testimonial hath resided; If they have fallen or relapsed in scandalous sins, let their Testimonial bear both their fall and Repentance._

_2. Let care be had that the Worship of G.o.d be practised, and Discipline exercised in Families, according to the Directory for Family Worship in all things as was appointed in the General a.s.sembly 1647. especially in the Ministers constant Catechizing of the Family, and in the performance of the Duties of the Sabbath by all the Members thereof._

_3. Let Persons to be married, and who have Children to be baptized, who are very rude and ignorant, be stirred up and exhorted, as at all times, so especially at that time, to attain some measure of Christian knowledge in the grounds of Religion, that they may give to the Minister, before the Elder of the Bounds wherein they live, some accompt of their knowledge that so they may the better teach their family and train up their Children._

_4. Let every Family that hath any in it than can read, have a Bible and a Psalm-book, and make use of them; and where none can read, let them be stirred up to traine up their children in reading, and use any other good remedie the Minister and Session can fall on._

General Ecclesiastick Remedies.

_1. Let the Remedies which were given at Perth 1645. and are mentioned in the General a.s.sembly 1646. anent the Sins of Ministers be put in execution._

_2. Let suspension from the Lords Sacrament be more carefully executed._

_3. Let Persons relapse in Adultery (or above) quadrilapse in fornication (or above) or often guilty of other grosser scandals, be Excommunicat somewhat more summarly nor in an ordinary processe (except there be more nor ordinary signes, and an eminent measure of Repentance made known to the Session and Presbyterie) both for the hainousness of the sins and continuance therein, and also for terrour to others; And these not to be relaxed from the sentence of Excommunication without evidence, and undeniable signes of Repentance._

_4. Let unpartial proceeding be used against men of all quality, for their scandalous walking, and in particular for drunkenesse, swearing, and other scandalous sins. And this to be tryed at the Visitation of Kirk._

Particular Ecclesiastick Remedies.

And 1. against ignorance.

_1. Let Ministers Catechise one day every week (whereon also they may Baptise and Lecture or Preach) and let them preach every Lords Day both before and after noon, according to former Acts of General a.s.semblies, Let Presbyteries and Synods be very careful of this; And let every Provincial Book, contain an exact accompt thereof._

_2. Let Ministers examine all of every quality of whose knowledge they have no certain notice._

_3. Let young Persons be Catechized by the Minister from the time they are capable of instruction, and let them not be delayed till they be of age to Communicat._

_4. Let Persons grossly ignorant be debarred from the Communion; for the first and second time, let them be debarred, suppressing their names; for the third time, expressing their names; for the fourth time, bring them to publick repentance; all this is to be understood of those that profit nothing, and labours not for knowledge: But if they be profiting in any measure, or labouring that they may profit, their case is very considerable, they ought to have more forbearance._

2. Ecclesiastick Remedies against Prophanesse.

_1. Let ignorant and scandalous Persons be put off, and kept off Kirk Sessions._

_2. Let every Elder have a certain bounds a.s.signed to him that he may visit the same every moneth at least, and report to the Session what scandals and abuses are therein, or what persons have entered without Testimonials._

_3. Let all scandalous persons be suspended from the Lords Supper._

_4. Let the Minister deal in private with them that are professing publick Repentance before the Elder of the bounds, thus to try the evidence of their Repentance._

_5. Let these who have fallen in Fornication make publick profession of Repentance three several Sabbaths, who is guilty of relapse in Fornication six Sabbaths, who is guilty of relapse in Fornication, or hath once fallen in Adultery, 26. Sabbaths, and these sins to be confessed both in one_ viz. _in Sackcloth, Quadrilapse in Fornication and relapse in Adultery, three quarters of a Year, Incest or Murder a Year, or 52. Sabbaths, in case the Magistrate do not his duty in punishing such crimes capitally; They that fall in Fornication or relapses therein, are first to confesse their Sin before the Session, and thereafter before the Congregation; They that are guilty of greater degrees of that Sin and of the other Sins mentioned in this Article, are to confess their Sin both before the Session & Presbyterie, and there to shew some signes of Repentance before they be brought to the Congregation._

_6. Some are to be rebuked at the time of Catechising, who deserve more nor a privase reproof, and yet needs not to be brought to publick Repentance._

_7. It will be a good remedie against Sabbath-breaking by Carriers and Travellers, That the Ministers where they dwell cause them to bring Testimonials from the place where they rested on these Lords dayes wherein they were from home._

_8. Let all Persons who flit from one Paroch to another have sufficient Testimonials, This is to be extended to all Gentlemen and Persons of quality and all their followers, who come to reside with their Families at_ Edinburgh, _or elswhere, and let the Minister from whom they flit, advertise the Minister to whom they flit, if (to his knowledge) they be lying under any scandal._

_9. Let Ministers be free with Persons of quality for amendment of their faults, and (if need shall be) let them take help thereto of some of the Brethren of the Presbyterie._

_10. Let the Presbyteries take special notice of Ministers who do converse frequently and familiarly with Malignants, and with scandalous and prophane Persons, especially such as belongs to other Paroches._

_11. Let privie Censures of Presbyteries and Synods be performed with more Accuracie, Diligence and Zeal._