Records of the Kirk of Scotland / containing the Acts and Proceedings of the General Assemblies from 1638 downwards, as authenticated by the clerks of assembly.

by Church of Scotland. General Assembly

Act concerning Presbyteries maintaining of Bursars.

The Generall Assembly Understanding that the frequent Recommendation of preceding Assemblies 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 negligence or diligence in so pious a work may be known by the examination of the Provinciall books to each Generall Assembly.

August 9, 1648. Ante Meridiem. Sess. XXXV.

Act for dis-joyning the Presbytery of Zetland, from the Provinciall Synod of Orkney and Cathnes.

The General Assembly now after exact tryal, finding that the Presbytery of Zetland cannot meet with the Provincial of Cathnes and Orknay to which it was adjoyned by an Act of the Assembly 1646, Sess. 11, And that the allowance and dispensation granted in the preceding Assembly 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 passage through them, Therefore after hearing the parties interessed and serious deliberation of the matter, The Assembly doth hereby Dis-joyn the Presbytery of Zetland from the Provincial of Cathnes and Orknay, And Declares for these reasons, That the said Presbytery is to be hereafter subordinate immediately to the Generall Assembly, For which cause, their Commissioners are to be sent to each Generall Assembly the more carefully, And it is hereby Recommended to them that they send to the next Assembly a particular information of the quality and condition of all their Kirks according to the direction of the act of the preceding Assembly Sess. 27, Entituled an act for pressing and furthering the planting of Kirks.

Aug. 10, 1648. Post Meridiem. Sess. XXXVIII.

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 Whoredom that each Magistrate in every Congregation exact and make compt to the Session of fourty pounds for each Fornicatour and Fornicatrix, of an hundreth 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 those who may pay it, and the discretion of the Magistrate is to modifie it according to the ability or inability of each Delinquent.