The thrid Sunday, the Minister aught to require yf the unpenitent have declared ony signis of repentence to ony of the Ministerie; and yf he hath, then may the Minister appoint him to be examinated be the hoill Ministerie; eathir then instantlie, or at ane uther day affixed to the consistorie: and yf repentence appeare, alsweill of the cryme, as of his long contempt, then may he be presented to the Churche, and mak his confessioun, and to be accepted as before is said. But yf no man signifie his repentence, then aught he to be excommunicat; and by the mouth of the Minister, consent of the Ministerie, and commandiment of the Churche, must sick a contempnar be pronunced excommunicat from God, and from the societie of his Churche.
After whiche sentence may no persoun, (his wife and familie onlie excepted,) have ony kynde of conversatioun with him, be it in eiting and drinking, buying or selling, yea, in saluting or talking with him; except that it be at the commandiment or licence of the Ministerie for his conversioun; that he by suche meanis confoundit, seing him self abhorrit of the faythfull and godlie, may have occasioun to repent and be so savit. The sentence of his Excommunicatioun must be publischeit universalie throwhout the Realme, least that any man sould pretend ignorance.
His children begottin or borne efter that sentence and before his repentence, may nocht be admitted to baptisme, till eathir thei be of aige to require the samin, or ellis that the Moder, or sum of his especiall freinds, members of the Churche, offer and present the child, abhorring and dampnyng the iniquitie and obstinat contempt of the impenitent. Yf ony think it seveir,[514] that the child suld be punischeit for the iniquitie of the Fader; let thame understand that the sacramentis appertene onlie to the faithfull and to thair seade: But suche as stuburnlie contempt all godlie admonitioun, and obstinatlie remane in thair iniquitie, can nocht be accompted amangist the faithfull.
II. The Ordoure for Publict Offendaris.
CONSENTED TO BE THE LORDIS.
We have spokin no thing of those that commit horrible crymis, as murtheraris, man-slayaris, and adulteraris; for suche (as we have said) the Civill swearde aught to punische to death: But in case thei be permitted to leve, than must the Churche, as before is said, draw the swearde whiche of God scho hath receaved, halding thame as accursed evin in thair [very] fact. The offendar being first called, and ordour of the Churche used aganis him, in the same maner as the personis that for obstinat impenitence ar publictlie excommunicat: So that the obstinat impenitent efter the sentence of excommunicatioun, and the murtherar or adulterar stand in one case as concernying the judgement of [the Churche]; that is, neathir of both may be receaved in the fellowschip of the Churche to prayeris or sacramentis, (but to heiring of the word thei may,) till first thei offer thame selfis to the Ministerie, humblie requiring the Ministeris and Elderis to pray to God for thame; and alsua to be intercessouris to the Churche, that thei may be admitted to publict repentence, and so to the fruitioun of the benefitis of Christ Jesus, distributed to the memberis of his body.
Yf this requeist be humilie maid, then may not the Ministeris refuise to signifie the same unto the Churche, the nixt day of publict preaching,[515] the Minister geving exhortatioun to the Churche to pray to God to performe the work whiche he appearit to have begun, wirking in the heart of the offendare unfeyned repentence of his grevous cryme, and the sence[516] and fealing of his great mercy, by the operatioun of his Holie Spirit. Thairefter ane day aucht publictlie to be assignit unto him to gif oppin confessioun of his offence and contempt, and sa to mak ane publict satisfactioun to the Churche of God. Whiche day the offenderis must appeare in presence of the hoill Churche, and with his awin mouthe dampne his awin impietie, publictlie confessing the same; desiring God of his grace and mercy, and his congregatioun, that it will please thame to accept him in thair societie, as before is said. The Minister must examinat him diligentlie whethir he find a haitrent and displesour of his syn, alsweill of his cryme as of his contempt:[517] whiche yf he confesse, he must travell with him, to se what hope he hath of Goddis mercy.
And gif he find him reasonabillie instructed in the knawledge of Christ Jesus, in the virtu of his death; than may the Minister confort him by Goddis infallibill promisses, and demand of the Churche yf thei be content to resave that creature of God, whome Sathan before have drawin in his nettis, in the societie of thair body, seing that he declairis him self penitent. Whiche yf the Churche grant, as thai may not justlie deny the same, than aught the Minister in publict prayer to commend him to God, confesse the syn of that offendar, and of the whole[518] Churche, desiring mercy and grace for Christ Jesus saik. Whiche prayer being endit, the Minister aught to exhort the Churche to resave that penitent brothir in thair favouris, as thay require God to resave thame selfis, whan thay have offendit; and in signe of thair consent, the Elderis and cheaf men of the Churche sall tak the penitent by the hand, and one or two in name of the whole shall kiss and imbrace him with all reverence and gravitie, as a member of Christ Jesus.
Whiche being done, the Minister shall exhort the reconcilled[519] to tak diligent heid in tymes cuming, that Sathan trap him nocht in suche crymes, admonissing him that he will nocht cease to tempt and trye [by] all meanis possibill to bring him frome that obedience whiche he hath gevin to God, and to the ordinance of his Sone Christ Jesus. The exhortatioun being ended, the Minister aught to gif publict thankis unto God for the conversioun of that thair brothir, and for the benifittis quhilk we resave by Jesus Christ, praying for the increase and continewance of the same.
Yf the penitent, efter that he have offered him self to the Ministerie, or to the Churche, be fund ignorant in the principall pointis of oure religioun, and cheaflie in the article of Justificatioun, and of the office of Christ Jesus, than aucht he to be exactlie instructed before he be receaved: For ane mocking of God it is to receave thame in repentence, who knoweth not whairin standis thair remeid, whan thai repent thair syn.