17. Junii 1646. Postmeridiem. Sess. 14.
Act concerning Expectants Preaching in Publike.
The General Assembly discharges any Person to preach in publike under the name and notion of an Expectant or under any other pretence whatsoever, except such as shall be tryed and found qualified according to the Acts of the General Assembly; Recommending to Presbyteries and Provincials to take special notice thereof, and to censure the Transgressors accordingly.
Act for censuring the Complyers with the publike Enemies of this Kirk and Kingdom.
The General Assembly taking to their serious consideration the great and scandalous provocation and grievous defection from the publike Cause, which some have beene guiltie of, by complying with the Rebels the publike Enemies of this Kirk and Kingdom: And judging it a dutie incumbent to them to bring such notorious Offenders to publike satisfaction, that the Wrath of God may be averted, and the publike scandal removed; Do therefore Require, Decern, and Ordain, that such as after [pg 312] lawfull tryall shall be found to have been in actuall Rebellion and to have carried charge with the Rebels, To have accepted Commissions for raising Horse or Foot unto them, To have been seducers of others to joyn in that Rebellion, To be the Penners or contrivers of James Grahames Proclamation for indicting a pretended Parliament, or of any other his Proclamations or Declarations, To have beene prime Instruments in causing publish the said Proclamations and Declarations; That all and every one of such offenders shal humbly acknowledge their offence upon their knees, first before the Presbyterie, and thereafter before the Congregation upon a Sabbath, in some place before the Pulpit; And in the mean time that they be suspended from the Lords Supper: And in case they do not satisfie in manner foresaid, that they be processed with Excommunication. And likewise Ordains; that such as shall be found to have procured Protections from the Rebels, To have execute their orders, To have invited them to their houses, To have given them intelligence, To have drunk James Grahames health or to be guilty of any other such grose degrees of complyance, shall acknowledge their offences publikely before the Congregation, and be suspended from the Communion, and while they doe the same. And further Decernes and Ordains, that all persons in any Ecclesiastick office guilty of any degrees of complyance before mentioned, shall be suspended from their office & all exercise thereof, for such time as the quality of the offence and condition of the offenders shall be found to deserve; And the Assembly hereby declares than Presbyteries have a latitude and liberty to agreadge the censures above specified, according to the degrees and circumstances of the offences; And gives in like maner the same latitude and liberty to the Commissioners of this Assembly for publike affairs, who have also power to try and censure the offenders in manner above exprest, and to take account of the diligence of Presbyteries thereintill.