Sessio 8.
Anent requisitione of the Assembly made to James, Bischop of Glasgow, to give his answer if he will accept the charge of ane particular flock and visitatione of sic bounds as the Kirk shall think good to appoint to him, conforme to the acts concludit in the Assemblie. The said Bischop beand present, exhibite to the Kirk his answer thereto in wreit as follows:
Forswameikle as it is not unknawne to your wisdomes that ye gaue Commissioune and charge to certaine learnit, godly, and discreet brether of the ministrie and uthers, elders of the Kirk, to commone, treate, conclude, and agrie, with certaine uther noblemen, Commissioners from the King’s Majestie, John umquill Earle of Marr, his Regent; att the qwhilk conference it was agriet be the haill Commissioners, alswell of the King as of the Kirk, anent the name, style, and jurisdiction of the Bischopes, with the forme and manner of their institution, ordaynit to stand and remayne qwhill the King’s yeares of minoritie, or at leist qwhill ane parliament sould utherwayes decyde, and conforme to the order thairin contanit, he was received in the said Bischoprick of Glasgow, and made his sermone to the King’s Majestie in things pertayning his highness; and swa giue he sould change or alter any thing pertayning to the order, manner, or priviledges, or power of the samen, I sould be afrayed to incurr perjurie, and might be callit be the King’s Majestie for changing any member of his estate. But to the effect their wisdomes may knaw he desyres not to be exemit to travell, and bestowing sic gifts as God hes committit to him, he is content, at their command, to haunt to ane particular kirk, and teach thereat when he dwells in the sheriffdome of Aire, and that be discretione and sicht of the brethren of that countrie; and, when he is in Glasgow, to exercise lykewayes at some part where the brethren there thinks maist necessarie, and to abyde their judgement of his diligence in that behalfe, without binding him any wayes or prejudgeing the power of jurisdictione qwhilk he receavit with the Bischoprick, unto the tyme prescryvit in the conferrence that farder order be tane be the haill estates thereuntill; at the qwhilk tyme he shall be content with all reformatione as shall be fund expedient: Qwhilk answer beand read, the Kirk continuet and continues the said Bischope in the visitatione of the bounds qwhilks he had of before, to the nixt Assemblie, and as to the particular flock, as is mentionat in his answer, to the nixt Generall Assembly.
Anent the forme of repentance of the fornicators, the Kirk and Commissioners present hes votit and concludit, that ane of the dayes of their appearance to make repentance for their offence on ane Sonday at ten houres before noon, in tyme of preaching, in presence of the congregatione, and that double fornicators receive double punischment for their offence.
[THIRTY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY.]
The Generall Assembly, conveinit att Edinburgh, in the Counsell House, the first of October[16] 1577, qwhair war present the Bischopes of Glasgow and Dumblaine, Superintendants, Commissioners of Countries, Kirkes, and Universities, Ministers, and uthers: Mr Alexander Arbuthnet, Principal of the Colledge of Aberdeen, Moderator.
Sessio 1.
Because the said Mr Alexander, Moderator, was absent from the last Assemblie, in that respect not foirseen of the things done therein, at his desyre, the Kirk appoyntit the Laird of Dun, Mrs James Lawsone, Robert Pont, David Lyndsay, Andrew Hay, John Craig, Andrew Melvill, to conveine the morne with him at sevine houres in the morneing, and advyse upon sic matters as sall be thocht good to be handlit in this Assemblie. The principall argument to be intreatit in this Assemblie is this, The Policie of the Kirk. The brethren deput to the conceiving and forming of the heids thereof, being callit to give ane account of their diligence, presentit the same as they had made partitione thereof at their Assemblie at Streviling.