The brether ordaynit the Moderator to concurre with Mrs James Lawsone, Robert Pont, David Lyndsay, Andrew Hay, Andrew Melvill, Andrew Polwart, Peter Blackburne, David Fargysone, and Alexander Arbuthnott, Assessors.
Sessio 2.
The Assembly ordayns Mrs John Craig, John Durie, and Alexander Hoome, to passe to the King’s Majestie, and humbly desire his Grace to send Commissioners in his name to assist this Assemblie, in treating and concluding in matters proponit; and farther to desyre his Grace, seeing his embassador is departing to England, to give ane charge to him to travell, that ane unione and band may be made betwixt his Grace, her Majestie, and uther Christiane Princes and realmes professing the trew religione, for defence and protection of the trew word of God, and professors thereof, against the persecutione of Papists and confederats joyned and united together, be the bloodie league of Trent;—and also, that her Majestie will disburden their breither of England, of the yoke of ceremonies imposed to them against the libertie of the word, and upon thir three heads to reporte the answer againe.
Sessio 3.
Anent the summonds direct by the Synodall Assemblie of Fyfe againes Mr David Russel, baillie of St Androis, to hear ane sentence definitive pronuncit upon ane proces deduced before the Presbytrie heireof, against him, for ane sclanderous letter, publisched the 17 of March last, in presence of the congregatione: The said Mr David being present, protesting first before God, he never meinit nor meins to doubt of the authoritie of the Kirk, made a discourse of the vaiking of the pulpit of St Androis, and of the receit of the wreiting from my Lord Marche, qwhilk was present in forme be him, and read in the kirk; qwherein he grants that there were thir words;—calumnious pretendit maner,—being discreitly considered,—sould not be found offensive; allwayes he hes appealit to this Assemblie from this Presbytrie, for the causes containit in his appellatione, qwhilk he exhibite, desyreing the Wisdome of the Assemblie that he might have ane sicht of the proces led against him to be advysit, with his just defence, and that rather or the matter came in open reasonyng, that private conferrence were had amongst the discreetest therein; with the qwhilk desyre the Kirk being advysit, votit to the reading thereof openly; lykeas the samen being publickly read and heard, together with the copie of the wreiting gine out be the said Synodall Assembly, read in the paroche kirk, the farther consideratione of the causes was left till afternoone, and he warnit to be present.
Sessio 4.
Mr David Russell being inquyrit if he had the principall wryting alleadged, read upon the 17 day of Marche, denyit the same, and exhibite ane double thereof, as he termit it, receavit be him, as he alleadgit, from ane servant of the Earle of Marche’s, nothing different from the originall, qwhilk he pennit, and was read in the said kirk, as he himselfe testified. As to the appellatione interponit be him, from the said Presbytrie, the haill Assemblie votit uniformlie, that he had weill appeallit; with whose sentence the said Mr David said he stood content. As to the sentence to be pronounced in the said matter, as also against William Leirmonth, ane uther of the saids Baillies, the Kirk continewit the same to the morne, warnyng them both presently thereto.
Sessio 5.
Mr David Russell submittit himself absolutlie to the judgement of the Assembly, concerning the process laid against him.
Ordayned Mrs Alexander Arbuthnott, David Fargysone, and John Durie, with the King’s Ministers, to pass to his Grace and Counsell, and in name of the Kirk crave earnestly, that the French ambassador whaise trauells hire are suspect to tend both against religione and common weall, may be dispatchit; That Mr Hault, the Jesuit, may be accusit and tryit, and according to his offence, if he be guiltie, to be punisched: Sicklyke my Lord Settone’s sone may be send for, and accusit of the wrytings sent to the Jesuites, and order put to him therefore.