Anent the subscriptione of the Book of Policie, injoynit in the last Assembly: In respect the greatest pairt of the presbytries as yet hes not satisfyit the ordinance of the Kirk, the Assemblie hes ordaynit the former act to be observit and execute betuixt and the next Assemblie, and the Moderator of everie presbytrie to sie to the executione thereof, under the paine of forty shillings, to be imployit to the use of the poore, besyde the open rebuke in the open Assembly.
Anent sacriledge universallie reigning throw the whole realme: Seeing it is commonly esteemit no sinne, and is unknawne to many for the maist part: It is thocht meit that some trauell be taken be some godly breither, to sett downe and draw that monster unto the awne collours, and therefore desyres their brother, Mr Robert Pont, to take paines in that subject.
The Kirk present hes willit their breither, Mrs Robert Bruce, David Lyndsay, Peter Blackburne, Andrew Melvill, Robert Rollock, Thomas Buchanan, James Carmichaell, John Davidsone, and John Johnstoune, or any three of them, to peruse and visite the said Mr Robert his Treatise, and to give to him their judgement therein, to the effect the samin being perfytit, may be put in mundo, and presentit againe to the full Assembly, that they may giue their opinion therein.
Sessio 5a. Julii 6.
Forsuameikle as the order observit of before, in giving power to certaine of the breither nominat thereto, to read and answer to the Bills given in to the Generall Assemblie, it appeares to some brethren to be inconvenient and derogatorie to the provinciall Assemblies, speciallie in that far as the matters qwhilk are thocht doubtsome to them and referrit to the full Assemblie, are committit to the decisione of ffour or fyve brethren: It is thocht, therefore, expedient in tyme coming that certain brether be chosen and namit be the Assembly, who shall have power only to take in the supplicationes and complaints qwhilks are to come before the full number, read them, and consider if they come in pertinently before the Generall Assembly; and if they be impertinent, to giue them answer on the back of the Bills; and qwheneas they are pertinent, to bring them back to the haill Assembly to be answerit therewith, their opinion in word, qwhat they have considerit thereof, and where they think meit to be answerit.
Sess. 10a. July 8.
Anent the questione proponit—Whether they who usurpes the names of Bischopes, and have been sometyme in the ministrie, and now will neither serve the kirk themselves qwhereof they take up the fruits, neither pay the stipends of them that serves as they are appoyntit be the platt, there being sufficient rent to doe the same, but spend the same in profane uses, aught to be censurit be the Kirk; and if they will not amend, be excommunicat? It is answerit—Such persones aught to be censurit be the Kirk—and if they amend not, to excommunicate them.
Sessio 11a. Eodem die.
Compeird my Lord Provand, President, with my Lord Culross and Barnbarroche, and in name of the haill Sessione declareit, that they understood that my Lord of Halʒairds, ane of their number, was yesterday callit at the instance of Mr Patrick Simpsone, for calling him before them, ane suborner; qwhilk matter indifferently depends before them, being ane civill cause and proper to their cognitione, and qwhereunto the Kirk is not judge; desyreing, therefore, that the Kirk sould not proceed in their judgement thereupon until the said cause before them took end, qwhereon, so diligently as was possible, they were proceeding, and that they sould doe nothing to the derogatione of the priviledge of the College of Justice.
After they were removit and the Kirk advysit with their petitione, being callit in againe, The Assembly answerit, they wald doe nothing to hurt or derogate to their priviledges, nor yet proceid or judge in any civill matter; but in this cause, being chiefly occupied in purgeing the members of their awne bodie, qwhilk is ecclesiasticall, they micht judge without any prejudice to the civill judgement, desyrand the Lords as they wald not hinder nor wish the hinderance of their judicature, so they wald not think evill that the Kirk proceeded in purging of their awne bodie and meddling ecclesiasticallie.