The Acts Of The General Assemblies of the Church of Scotland. Church of Scotland. General Assembly

In the 6. Sess. April 26. According to the ordinance made the day before; all persons that had any doubt or argument to propone, were required to propone the same; but none offered to propone any argument on the contrare.

      In the Assembly holden at Edinburgh, in October 1578. It was showen by the Moderatour thereof to the noble-men, who were present, viz. My Lord Chancelour, the Earle of Montrose, my Lord Seaton, and my Lord Lindsay, What care and study the Assembly had taken to entertain and keep the puritie of the sincere word of God, unmixed with the inventions of their own heads, and to preserve it to the posteritie hereafter, and seeing that the true Religion is not able to continue nor endure long without a good [pg 029] Discipline and policie, in that part also have they imployed their wit and studie, and drawen forth out of the pure fountain of Gods word, to bee a Discipline as is meet to remain in the Kirk.

      In the same Assembly, the speciall corruptions were set down, which they craved such of the Bishops as would submit themselves to the Assembly to remove, with promise, that if the generall Assembly, hereafter shall finde further corruptions in the said estate, then hitherto are expressed that they be content to be reformed by the said Assembly according to the word of God, when they shall be required thereto. First, That they be content to bee Pastours and Ministers of one flock: That they usurpe no criminall jurisdiction, that they vote not in Parliament in name of the Kirk, without Commission from the Kirk: That they take not up for the maintenance of their ambition and rictousnesse, the emoluments of the Kirk, which may sustain many Pastours, the Schools, and the poore; but be content with reasonable livings according to their office: That they claime not to themselves the titles of Lords temporall, neither usurpe temporall jurisdictions, whereby they are abstracted from their office: That they empyre not above the particular Elderships, but be subject to the same: That they usurpe not the power of the Presbyteries.

      The question being proponed by the Synod at Loutbian in the Assembly holden in July 1579. anent a generall order to be taken for erecting of Presbyteries in places where publick exercise is used, untill the time the policie of the Kirk be established by a law: It is answered, The exercise may be judged to be a Presbyterie. In the Assembly holden at Dundie in July 1580. Sess. 4, The office of a Bishop was abolished by a particular act; as appeareth by the tennour of the act following.

      For so much as the office of a Bishop, as it is now used and commonly taken withen this Realme, hath no sure warrand authoritie, nor good ground in the Scriptures, but is brought in by the foly and corruption of mans inventions, to the great overthrow of the Kirk of God, the whole Assembly of the Kirk in one voice after libertie given to all men to reason in the matter, none opponing himself in defending the said pretended office, findeth and declareth the said pretended office, used and termed, as is above said, unlawfull in the selfe, as having neither foundament, ground, nor warrand in the word of God, and ordaineth that all such persons, [pg 030] as brook or shall brook hereafter the said office, shall be charged simply to dimit, quite, and leave off the same, as an office whereunto they are not called of God: and suchlike, to desist and cease from all preaching, ministration of the Sacraments, or using any way the office of pastours, while they receive de novo, admission from the generall Assembly, under the pain of excommunication to be used against them, wherein if they be found disobedient, or contradict this act in any point, the sentence of excommunication, after due admonition, to be execute against them.

      In the same Assembly holden Anno 1580. Sess. 10. This article was appointed to be proponed to the King and Councel, that the book of policie might be established by an act of privie Councel, while a Parliament be holden, at which it might be confirmed by a law.

      The extent of the act made at Dundie, was interpreted and explained in the Assembly, holden at Glasgow, in April, 1581. Sess. 6. as followeth.

      Anent the Act made in the Assembly holden at Dundie against Bishops, because some difficultie appeareth to some brethren to arise out of the word (office) contained in the said act, what should be meaned thereby, The Assembly consisting for the most part of such as voted, and were present in the Assembly at Dundie, to take away the said difficultie, resolving upon the true meaning and understanding of the said act, declare that they meaned wholly to condemne the whole estate of Bishops, as they are now in Scotland, and that the same was the determination and conclusion of the Assembly at this time, because some brethren doubted, whether the former act was to be understood of the spiritual function only, and others alledged, that the whole office of a Bishop as it was used, was damnable, and that by the said act, the Bishops should be charged to dimit the same: This Assembly declareth that they meaned wholly to condemne the whole estate of Bishops, as they were then in Scotland, and that this was the meaning of the Assembly, at that time.

      The Kings Commissioner presented to this Assembly the Confession of Faith, subscribed by the King, and his houshold, not long before, together with a plot of the Presbyteries to be erected, which is registrate in the books of the [pg 031] Assembly, with a letter to be directed from his Majestie to the noble-men and gentle-men of the Countrey, for the erection of Presbyteries, consisting of Pastours, and Elders, and dissolution of Prelacies, and with an offer to set forward the Policie untill it were established by Parliament. The Kings letter subscribed by his hand, to the Noble-men, and Gentle-men, was read in open audience of the whole Assembly.

      This Assembly ordained the book of Policie to be insert in the register by the act following.

      For as much as travels have been taken in the framing of the Policie of the Kirk, and diverse suits have been made to the Magistrat for approbation thereof, which yet have not taken the happie effect, which good men would wish, yet that the posteritie may judge well of the present age; and of the meaning of the Kirk; The Assembly hath concluded, that the book of Policie agreed to in diverse Assemblies before, should be registrat in the acts of the Kirk, and remaine therein ad perpetuam rei memoriam: and the coppies thereof to be taken to every Presbyterie: of which book the tennour followeth, &c.

      Immediatly after the inserting of the book of Policie, called there the book of Discipline, the Assembly ordained that the confession of Faith be subscribed as followeth.

      Anent the confession of Faith lately set forth by the Kings Majestie, and subscribed by his highnesse. The Assembly in one voice, acknowledgeth the said Confession to be a true, Christian, and faithful confession, to be eagreed unto by such as truly professe Christ, and have a care of Religion, and the tennour thereof to be followed out efoldly as the samine is laid out in the said Proclamation, wherein that Discipline is sworn to.

      In the general Assembly holden at Edinburgh in October 1581. Sess. 10. Mr. Robert Montgomery is accused for teaching that Discipline is a thing indifferent. Sess. 23. The Assembly gave commission to the Presbyterie of Stirling, to charge Mr. Robert Montgomerie, to continue in the ministerie of Stirling, and not to medle with any other office or function of the Kirk, namely in aspyring to the Bishoprick of Glasgow, against the word of God, and acts of the Kirk, under the pain of excommunication.

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      In the same Assembly it is acknowledged that the estate of Bishops is condemned by the Kirk, a commission for erection of moe Presbyteries was renewed: and a new ordinance made for subscribing the confession of Faith, and to proceed against whatsoever persons that would not acknowledge and subscribe the same.

      In the Assembly holden in April 1582. there was a new commission for erection of Presbyteries, where none was as yet erected, Mr. Robert Montgomerie, pretending to be Bishop of Glasgow, was ordained to be deposed and excommunicat, except hee gave evident tokens of repentance, and promise to superseed, which he did not: and therefore he was excommunicat shortly after, according to the ordinance of this Assembly.

      In the generall Assembly holden at Edinburgh, 1582. The generall Assembly gave commission to some Presbyteries, to try and censure such as were called Bishops, for the great slander arising by their impunitie. Commission was given at this Assembly to present some articles to the Councel and Estates, for approving and establishing by their authoritie the Presbyteries, the Synodall, and generall Assemblies. In the 19. Sess. The Assembly declared, that no Bishop may sit upon the Councell in name of the Kirk.

      In the Assembly holden Anno 1586. These two articles were agreed upon. First It is found that all such as the Scripture appointeth governours of the Kirk,