The Assessors, Mrs Robert Pont, Thomas Smetone, Andrew Melvill, George Hay, William Chrystisone, David Fargysone, John Young, Patrick Auchinleck, Thomas Buchannan, the Laird of Braid, and John Johnstoune.
Sessio 3.
Mr John Craig, ane of the ministers of the King’s houss, presentit his heines wryting, which was opinly read in the face of the haill breither, with all humilitie, and praised God in his heines good zeal. The tenor:—
Trustie and well beloved Friends, We greet you weill. We haue direct toward yow our traist friend, the Prior of Pittenweyme, and the Laird of Lundie, instructed with our power to that effect, for assisting yow with their presence and councill, in all things that they may, tending to the glory of God, and preservatione of us and our estate; desyrand yow heartilie accept them and our good will committit to them for the present, in good part: So, we commend yow to God’s protectione. From our Palace of Falkland, July 12, 1580. Sic subscribitur,
James Rex.
Sessio 4.
Forsuameikle as the office of ane bischope, as it is now wsit, and commonlie taken within this realme, hes no sure warrand, auctoritie, or good ground, out of the Scripture of God, but is brought in by the folie and corruptione, to the great overthrow of the Kirk of God; The haill Assemblie of the Kirk, in ane voyce, efter libertie gine to all men to reasone in the matter, nane opposing himself in defending the said pretendit office—Finds and declairs the said pretendit office, usit and termit as is above said, unlawfull in the selfe, as haveing naither fundament, ground, nor warrant, within the word of God: And ordaynes that all sic persones as bruiks, or shall bruik heirafter, the said office, shall be chairgit simpliciter to dimitt, quyte, and leave of to the samen, as ane office whereunto they are not callit be God; and sicklyke to desist and cease from all preaching, ministratione of the sacraments, or wsing any way the office of pastors, whill they receive de novo admissioune from the Generall Assemblie, under the payne of excommunicatione to be wsit against them, qwherin if they be found disobedient, or contraveine this act in any poynt, the sentence of excommunicatione, after dew admonitiones, to be wsit against them. And for better executione of the said act, it is statute that ane Synodall Assemblie shall be halden in euery province where any wsurpit bischopes are, and begine the 18th of August nixt to come, whereto they shall be callit and summoned, be the Visitors of the saids countries, to compeir before their Synodall Assemblies; and namely, the Bischope of St Androis to compeir in St Androis, the Bischope of Aberdeen in Aberdeen, the Bischop of Glasgow in Glasgow, the Bischope of Morray in Elgine, to giue obedience to the said act; qwhilk if they refuse to doe, that the saids Synodall Assemblies shall appoynt certain breither of their ministrie to giue them publick admonitiones out of the pulpitt, and warne them in caise they disobey, to compeir before the next Generall Assemblie, to be halden at Edinburgh, the 20th day of October nixt to come, to heir the sentence of excommunicatione pronuncit against them for their disobedience; and to this act the Bischope of Dumblane agreit, submitting himself to be reulit thereby.
As to the order to be taken with the patrimonie of the Kirk, bruikit and possessit be the saids bischopis, the Kirk referres the reasoning thereof to the nixt Assemblie.
Sessio 5.