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

Particular Ecclesiastick Remedies: and I. against Ignorance.

1. Let Ministers Catechize one day every week (whereon also they may Baptize and Lecture or Preach) and let them Preach every Lords Day both before and after noon, according to former Acts of Generall Assemblies, Let Presbyteries and Synods be very carefull of this; And let every Provinciall 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 grosly 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.

II. 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 assigned to him that he may visit the same every moneth at least, and report to the Session what scandalls 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.