8. He is content, at the sicht of the Commissioners, and his best advysit freinds, to provyde stipends for his kirks, how soon he shall be absolvit and restorit to his living.
9. He will maist willinglie take a minister and intertaine him in his awn house, be the advyce of the Commissioners.
10. He confest he most justly deservit to be excommunicat.—Sic subscribitur,
Angus.
The qwhilk report made be the saids Commissioners, in discharging of their forsaid commissione, the Generall Assembly, presently conveint, ratifies and allowes, as agreeable and answerable to the ordinance of the last Assembly, halden at Perth, in all poynts; and therefore ordayns the saids Commissioners, respective, to proceed farther with the saids Earles in the said matter, and to receive ane full satisfactione of such things as are promised be them, in the saids conditiones, and to crave the present accomplishment thereof, so far as possible can be done; They are to say, that as they, in their answer, hes allowit and subscryvit, so that they presently shall confesse the verity of the haill grounds of our religione, affirmative, and with some measure of knawledge, refuse and detest all heads of Papistrie, contrarie to the same: That they acknowledge the Reformit Kirk of Scotland to be the trew Kirk;—That they efaldlie joyne themselves, and acknowledge them, members thereof, submitting them to the same, and shall be ready at all occasiones to hear the word, and obey the same, participat the sacraments, and obey the haill discipline of the Kirk, as is allowed be his Majestie and Estates.
That before their absolutione, they swear solemnly and subscryve the Confession of the Faith, in presence of the haill Commissioners; that, as they have testified by their wreite, even so be their band they promise to remove out of their company, in all tyme coming, all Jesuites, Priests, excommunicat Papists, but such as shall be licentiat be the Kirk; That the tyme of their absolutione, they satisfie in most humble manner in the kirks of Aberdeen and for their former apostacie, and there ratifie their former promises in most solemne manner; That the Earle of Huntlie, before his absolutione, ask God mercy for the Earle of Moray’s slauchter, and declare his penitencie for the same; and because their lordships hes promised upon their fidelitie, never to quarrell any gentlemen of the countrie, that hes persewit or wtherwayes troublit them, and thereby incurrit their wrath in his Majestie’s service, and at his Heines’ command, Therefore, to the effect the fruits thereof may evidently appear, that their lordships promise faithfully, lykeas their sonnes hes obtained, or at the least are to obtaine of his Majestie, of free grace and meer donatione, the gift of their forfaultries, even so, the gentlemen of the countrie that are vassalls to them, and hes incurrit the lyke sentence of forfaultor, and perrillit their lands, not through their owne evill demerite, but be reasone they were vassals unto them, may receave and obtaine of their lordships, the lyke grace as is imparted unto them be their Sovereigne; and as his Majestie grantit a benefit unto them, who had offendit, even so, their lordships’ vassalls be not troublit for any compositione of their lands, qwhilk, not be their fault, but their lordships’ faillzie, were endangerit and holden in non-entrie, and that their lordships renew the promise of remitting all rancour and malice of heart against the said gentlemen: And as to the provision of kirks qwhilks pertaynes to ilk ane of the saids Earles respective, that the advyce of their best affectionat friends and the saids Commissioners sett downe ane solide order, how the ministrie may be plantit, and honestly susteinit at the same, qwhilk they shall ratifie and approve, and put in executione immediately after their absolutione: That be the advyce of the Commissioners, they make choyse of ane minister qwha shall be intertaint in their house for instructing of the same: That they renew the confessione of their sinnes, acknowledging that they were justly excommunicat for the same. And to the effect all sclander may be removit from the Earle of Huntly, and speciallie the qwhilk did ryse upon the slauchter of Mr William Mure, qwhilk was committit dureing his Lordship remaining in Aberdeen, that his Lordship provide some remeid that the poor woman, mother to the said Mr William, may be satisfyed, and such assythment made, alseweell for him as her husband’s slauchter, as the Commissioners shall think expedient, with power to the saids Commissioners, after the accomplishment of the premisses, to absolve the saids Earles from the said sentence of excommunicatione, and receave them againe in the bosome of the Kirk.
Sess. 7. May 14.
Anent the Articles given in be his Majestie in the last Assembly halden at Perth, the decision and answering qwhereof was referrit to the said Assemblie, to be reasonit and intreatit be certaine Commissioners, and thereafter concludit in this present Assembly, and anent the declaration of certaine acts made in the said Assemblie halden at Perth, for satisfaction of such as were not present at that tyme, nor acquainted therewith: The said Articles and questions being reasonit and votit in face of the haill Assemblie, his Majestie being present for the tyme, these declarationes and conclusiones efter following were sett downe and concludit be the said Assemblie.
Notes in forme of Declaratione of certaine of the Acts made in the Generall Assemblie halden at Perth in February last bypast, for explaining of his Majestie’s and the Assemblie’s meaning, for the satisfaction of such as were not acquainted therewith, Qwhilk are ordainit to be registrat in the Acts of this present Assemblie.
First, Anent the lawfullness of the said Assemblie halden at Perth: It is declareit be this present Assemblie, that ane of the reasons moving the brethren to acknawledge the lawfullness of the said Assemblie was found to have been, that the Commissioners of the Kirk accordit with his Majestie thereanent, as is expressly set downe in his Majestie’s letter.