Anent burialls; his Majestie thought good that ane supplicatione should be given in to the next Parliament, craving that for the avoyding of burialls in Kirks, every nobleman sould bigg ane sepulture for himselfe and his familie.
Anent adulterous marriages; his Majestie thought good that ane supplicatione should be given in to the next Parliament, craving such marriages to be declairit null in all tyme coming, and the bairnes gotten therein, bastards.
Anent murtherers; his Majestie declared, when any murtherer is relaxit from the horne, upon cautione to underly the law, that he is not, therefore, simpliciter relaxit, but to ane day to byde tryall of his fault, and therefore thinks that the Kirk may continow in their censures against such ane persone, and deny him any benefite of the Kirk, untill they see evident tokens of repentance in him, the partie satisfyed, and thereupon ane remission attayned.
Anent tryall of witchcraft, his Majestie declarit, that, be ane act of the last Parliament, it is remittit to certaine of his Heines’ Councill, certaine ministers and advocats, to conclude upon all solide order anent tryall of witches, and to advyse whether the forsaid carrying of witches is permissive or not: touching the qwhilk, the Assemblie ordaynit Mrs Patrick Galloway and John Duncansone to hold his Majestie in remembrance.
Anent the abuse in laick patronages, his Majestie thocht good lykewayes that ane supplicatione sould be given in to the next Parliament for redress thereof.
Because it was reportit in the Assemblie, that albeit sundry persones wer convict of witchcraft, nevertheless, the civill magistrate refusit not only to punische them, conforme to the lawes of the country, but also, in contempt of the same, setts the persones at liberty, qwhilks were convict of witchcraft;—therefore the Assemblie ordaynes that, in all tyme coming, the presbytrie proceed in all severitie with their censures against such magistrats as shall sett at liberty any persone or persones convict of witchcraft hereafter.
Item, Because diverse persones, with ane preposterous haist, proceed to the bond of matrimonie, without any lawfull proclamation of their bands, qwherthrough the ordinances of the Kirk are highly contemnit; Therefore it is statute and ordaynit, that no persones be coupled together in marriage, without they be thryce lawfully proclaimed at their awne paroche kirk, according to the consuetude observit within the realme; and in caice of contraveining the same, that the minister be depryvit of his office, and the parties ordayned to satisfie the Kirk, be publick repentance.
Anent burialls: It is ordaynit that no picturs or images be carried about in burialls, under the paine of the censures of the Kirk.
Item, Because it was regraitit, that certain of the ministrie being beneficit persones, hes sett tacks and assedationes of the fruits of their benefice, and thereafter hes obtaynit licence of transportatione from their kirks, so that the same, be reasone of the tacks sett be them, remaines continuallie unplantit, for laick of provisione; Therefore, it is statute and ordaynit that, in tyme coming, no minister get licence of transportatione from his kirk, before it be tryit that he hes not hurt the benefice from the qwhilk he craves to be transportit, be setting tacks of the fruits of the same; and if the tacks that were sett before his entrie to the said benefice, expyrit in his tyme, that he hes renewed no old tack, butt consent of the Generall Assemblie.