After prayer to God,
Mr John Row declaired—That a brether sone of his, who had bein in Germany and Pollᵈ these 13 yeires bygane, was willing, with heart and hand, to subscryve the Covenant, which the Assemblie willinglie accepted.
Then there was a Committie appoynted for gathering and viewing any overture that was to be made for good order of the Church in tyme comeing, when we had removed some of the cheefe corruptions—namely:
| Mr John Adamsone, | Mr John Row, |
| Mr James Sibbald, | Mr John Moncreife, |
| Balmerino, Kinliet, Auldbar, | |
| James Cochrane, | Gilbert Gourlay, |
Moderatour said—We must begin where we endit on Saturday and goe forward in that worke. There is ane great mountaine removed, blessed be our Lord, who have done it. Ye know that in the explanation of our subscribit Confession of Faith, we did oblische ourselves to forbeare the practice of all novations or approbation of the corruptions of the publict Government of the Kirk till a free Generall Assemblie, which hes beine done conscientiouslie by many; and now, blessed be our Lord, and blessed be he ten thousand tymes! and great reason have we to bless him more—and I hope the posteritie that heares of it shall call it a happie work that is past—hes bein done without any contradiction of the voites of the Assembly. Now it rests that we goe to the uther parte—the Inovations alreadie introduced. As for the Service Booke, Cannons, &c., the Assembly hes declaired their judgement of them. By the innovations introduced, I mean, principallie, the Fyve Articles of Perth Assembly, which now is null, and, by consequence, they must fall; yet we are obleist to hear the judgement of the Assembly anent these novations, and, to the end ye may be prepaired for voiting, ye shall heare something red concerning these novations; which the Clerk tooke and red. After reading the first concerning Festival Dayes,
The Moderatour said—It is knowne that a festivall and holy day hes, first, a cessation frae a’ warkes; 2, There is some service ordained to be done where there is feasting, rejoyceing, or hilaritie, as it is called. That commonlie is called a festivall day. Ye know the Apostles doctrine concerning these dayes; and, altho’ there hes bein great dispute about them, I think the brethren heir present are to satisfie what to think concerning them. There is three words that the Apostle uses. The first is to judge of a holy day—that is, to mentaine it in our judgements. The second imports, that we affect it because we esteime of it; and, thirdlie is, to proceid from our estimations and affection to observe it. Indeed the common and rude sort gave an estimation of ane day above ane uther as Baronius sayes—ane yeird of ground is more fertile then ane uther, so there is some dayes produces better effects then ane uther—as the day of Christs resurection, assension, &c.; and I thinke there are none heir that are judicious, but they can answer to this, and then truelie ye would consider that the Kirk of Scotland is utherwayes oblissed, as ye see by that which is red, then uther Churches. All uther Churches, except the Church of England, and even in it before the latter tymes, it would appeare that they rather speake of these dayes as tollerable then as a contendable observation; and, becaus they cannot amend it and the Church purged, therefore they excuse it. But, for us, we blesse God that our Reformers hes gone so far on as to purge out those dayes from this land. We are not to judge of uther reformed Churches, but to consider what is expedient for ourselfes. I have beine grieved many tymes to see the writtings of some divines, upon the Sabath day. They divide holy dayes, in ordinary and extraordinarie dayes, and anniversarie holy dayes, weeklie dayes, and the Lords day. Anniversarie are Pasche, Zuill, &c.; and is it not a fearfull sort of divinitie to matche these dayes with the Lords day? What dispute hes beene concerning these dayes thir yeares past, ye are not unacquainted with, and ye perceave what is attributed to these dayes of mens institution. Even als much is derogat from the Lords day; and therefore, if any of you hes any scruple to propone, there is now a tyme wherein ye shall be heard.
Mr John Row said—Truelie I am perswadit, in my soule and conscience, that, if the Bishops had not beine raised up amongst us, the memorie of these dayes had bein utterlie abolisched, both out of their owne hearts, and hearts of people; and therefore let them goe with the Bishops, in Gods name.
Then the Clerk proceidit in Kneilling at the Communion; and, as some things were cited out of the treatise before the Psalme Booke, printed at Aberden, 1625, where prayer is made against hyreling Papists, that God would confound them. In these that are printed at Aberden, Papists are left out. In ane uther prayer, these words, “the Romish Idol,” are left out in reading.
Then Doctor Guild, in Aberdene, desyred that the printer might macke accompt of it, who had bein the occasion of that. And after the Clerk had endit concerning kneilling,
These considerations (said the Moderatour) are not presented to yow concerning the gesture of Sacrament in generall, or concerning kneilling in uther places, but what we should think of it in Scotland, according to the order of our Church; neither doe we yet begin to dispute the question, but only this—Whether it ought not to be removed according to the Confession of Faith, and according to the order of the Kirk of Scotland?