11. That he shall have ane ordinare minister resident in his awne house continuallie; with power to them to conveen the 22d day of March instant, or sooner if they can possiblie, and to conferre with the Earle of Huntlie, and resolve him of the Articles forsaids, and to report his minde and resolution thereanent at the next Generall Assemblie, to be halden at Dundee the tenth day of May nixt to come.
Anent the supplicatione given in be Dame Elizabeth Oliphant, Countess of Angus, making mentione, That where diverse and frequent sutes hes been made to herself and the remanent friends of William, sometyme Earle of Angus, desyrand conferrence with certaine of the ministrie, for his farther resolutione in the heads of Christian Religion, qwhilk hes not tane such good effect as was lookit for, be reason of certain impediments qwhilk hes fallen out in the meantyme; requesting, therefore, most earnestlie to appoynt certaine of the wysest brethrene where he makes his residence to conferre and resolve him of the doubts that stayes from imbracing and professing of the trew and Christian Religion publickly professit within this realme: The Assemblie ordaynis the ministrie of Angus and Meirnes to conferr with the Earle of Angus anent such doubts as he wald be resolvit upon, and speciallie to conferre with him anent the Articles preceeding, qwhereupon the Earle of Huntlie is ordaynit to be tryit, exceptand only such as concerns the Earle of Morraye’s slauchter, and to report his resolutione in the premisses to the next Generall Assemblie.
Anent the offers given in be Francis, sometyme Earle of Arroll, to the Generall Assemblie presently conveint at Perth, beirand as follows:
First, I offer to abide any just tryall of the alleadged traffiqueing against the Religione presently professt within this country, indureing my absence off the countrie, and make all sufficient purgatione to your Wisdomes for the same. Farther, I offer all possible securitie and caution, in all tymes comeing, never to traffique against the said religione, and that neither the said religione nor discipline thereof shall any wayes be hinderit be me, but have the ordinare course in my bounds, as in uther parts of the countrie, and to declare my willingness to be resolvit in the said religione, I am content to accept conferrence therein, and requires the same at your Wisdomes, who hes power, that ye will appoynt ane or mae of your number indifferently, as they shall be requyrit of me in the pairts qwhere I presently dwell, and have the leasure or occasione to resort where I shall happen to be, to conferre with me upon the haill controvertit heads, that I may have instructione; and if I shall be thereby movit, that the haill number of that Synod where my residence is, will take the paines to convince and meet me at some competent place, to hear and testifie of me; indureing the qwhilk tyme of conferrence, I shall no wayes respect any Jesuite, Seminarie Priest, or excommunicat persone. And if it shall happen that I be resolvit in the heads of controversie, shall unfainedly from my heart imbrace the said religion, and make publick confession thereof in tyme coming, and shall make satisfaction for my defection from the same, as shall be injoynit: Lastly, desyres to be absolvit, or at least suspendit, from the sentence of excommunicatione indureing the tyme of conferrence, so that nane of my friends that resorts to me, and may be stedable to me be their counsell, either in the said conferrence or uther my leisum affaires, be troublit be your censure therefore, but may have your licence to have accesse to me, and I to them, in qwhatsomever part of the countrie I shall resorte, lykeas I have obtained his Majestie’s licence and charge to your Wisdoms to give me conferrence, qwhilk it may please yow receive, and do accordingly as ye wold give me argument of your good intention toward my conversione, qwhereof I doubt not, and for performing of the premisses shall finde cautione and seuertie.
The Assemblie ordaynes the ministrie of Morray and Aberdeene, with the fyve ministers adjoynit unto them, for conferring with the Earle of Huntlie, to trait lykewayes with the Earle of Erroll anent the premisses, and to report unto the nixt Generall Assemblie what resolutione they finde in him concerning the Articles conteined in their Commissione direct for the tryell of the Earle of Huntlie—exceptand alwayes such articles as concerns the slauchter of the Earle of Morray. Farther, the Assemblie ordaynes these Commissiones granted for conferrence with the saids Earles of Angus, Huntlie, and Arroll, to be extended to the Lairds of Newtoune and Bonnytoune, in caice they offer themselves to satisfy the Kirk.
Attour, if it shall happen the said excommunicat persones, or any of them, to resorte or repare to any uther part within the realme, the Generall Assemblie gives full power and commissione to the ministrie of the Presbytries where they shall chance to resorte, to treat and conferre with them anent the heads and articles above written.
Anent the supplication given in be Mr John Rutherfurde, desyreing the process of his deprivation led be the Presbytrie of St Andrews to be produced, seen, and considerit be the Assemblie, the Assemblie ordaynes the Presbytrie of St Andrews to produce the said proces at the next Generall Assemblie, and there to answer to the said Mr John his complaint given in against them.
Certaine Petitiones given in be the Ministrie presently conveint to the King’s Majestie.
1. It is humbly cravit be this present Assembly, that your Majestie, with advyce of the Estates presently conveint, considering how it hes pleased God to giue ane good successe to this present Conventione, and that all things concludit herein tends to the peace and quietness of the haill Estate of this countrie, and the disappoynting the expectation of the adversaries, will, with advyce forsaid, publish be open proclamation the good success of this present Conventione, together with ane declaratione of your Majestie’s intentione, utterit be yourselfe at this tyme in presence of your Estates, declaring your good will to maintaine the trew religione presently professit within your countrie, with the discipline adjoinit thereunto, and the ministers to whom the charge of the same is committit; and to declare that your Majestie’s will is, that qwhatsoever lawes, act, or proclamatione hes been made, prejudiciall to the same, shall be esteemit contrair to your Majestie’s mining, and to have no force nor effect in no tyme hereafter, and that nane of your subjects pretend be any cullour thereof to molest or trouble any of the saids ministers, but that they be under your Majestie’s protection, and that ye will esteem the contraveiners, troublers of your Majestie’s estate, and punish them accordingly.
2. That all Papists, Jesuites, and Excommunicats remaining within this countrie, be chargit to passe off the same betwixt this and the first of May nixt to come, or else to satisfie the Kirk; and if they doe not the same before the day appoynted, that Sheriffs in shyres, Provests and Baillies in townes, be commandit to apprehend and present them before his Majestie and Councill, to be punischit according to the law; and if they be negligent in apprehending them, that commissione be given to certaine most zealous and willing persones to doe the same.