Forsuameikle as it hes been found necessare of before, and profitable for the will of the Kirk, that certaine Commissioners be appoyntit frae Assemblie to Assemblie, qwhois speciall care and travell sould be to give their advyce to his Majestie in all affairs concernyng the weell of the Kirk, and intertainment of peace and concord betwixt his Majestie and the Kirk; Therefore, the Generall Assemblie, continowing in the same course, hes given and grantit, lykeas be the tenor heirof they give and grants, their full power and commission to Mrs James Strachane, James Nicolsone, Andrew Milne, Alexr. Forbes, Alexander Dowglass, Robert Howie, James Melvill, Jon Dalgleish, Robert Wilkie, Harie Livingstone, Alexander Lindsay, George Gladstanes, Robert Pont, David Lyndsay, Robert Bruce, John Hall, John Clappertoune, John Knox, Andrew Lamb, James Law, John Spottiswood, Gavin Hamilton, David Barclay, Andrew Knox, with the King’s Majestie’s ministers, or any nyne of them—givand, grantand, and committand to them their full power to plant such kirks in Burrow Townes as are destitute of pastors, and in speciall, the kirk of Leith, in place of Mr John Hall, last removit therfrae, and the South-wast Kirk of Edinburgh, vaikand be deceis of umqwhill Mr Robert Rollock;—to present the grieves of this present Generall Assemblie to the next Conventione, and receave the answers of the samen; and lykewise, in caice his Majestie finde himself greivit at any inormitie committit be any of the ministry, to try and cognosce upon the same, and take such order thereanent as shall be meitest to the glory of God and weell of his Kirk, to advyse with his Majestie anent the effectuating of the constant platt,—promitten de rata.
Thir are the Commissioners appoyntit to awayte on the Conventione: Mrs David Lyndsay, Robert Bruce, James Nicolsone, Andrew Lambe, William Couper, Alexander Lyndsay, John Spottswood, with the King’s Majestie’s Ministers.
Because it was understand be the Assemblie that Mr Androw Lamb, minister at Aberbrothick, licklie to be transportit to some other flock, qwher his gifts might profite the Kirk in greater abundance, therefore the Generall Assemblie gives licence to the said Mr Androw to be transportit from the said kirk of Aberbrothock.
The said day, the Generall Assemblie receivit and admittit Mr Thomas Hope to be Solicitor for the Kirk in place of James Mowat,—qwho being personally present, dimittit the same in the Assemblie’s hands,—after the said Mr Thomas had given his oath of fidelitie in the said office.
Anent the proces of appellatione persueit be James Lord Lyndsay of Byres, and remanent gentlemen and parochiners of the paroche of Syres, against the Presbytries of Couper and St Androis, concernyng the admissione of Mr Robert Buchanane, Provest of Kirkheuch, to the ministrie at the kirk of Syres, and transportatione of him from the kirk of Forgane in Fyfe; the brethren that were appoyntit to visite the said proces, having made their report to the haill Assembly, the rights, reasons, and allegations of all the saids Presbytries being heard and considerit, The Generall Assemblie decerns and ordaynes the said Mr Robert to remaine minister at the kirk of Syres, and suchlyke gives their power and commission to Mrs James Melvill, Robert Wilkie, James Nicolsone, Alexander Lyndsay, and William Scott, givand them power to elect and chuse out a discreet man, with consent of the saids parochiners of Syres, to be adjoynit to the said Mr Robert as minister and fellow-helper with him at the said kirk of Syres; with power also to them to modifie how meikle of his stipend shall be payit be the said Mr Robert, and how meikle be the saids parochiners of Syres. And in speciall, the Assemblie recommends to them their brother, Mr William Simpsone, minister at Bruntisland.
Forsuameikle as there is diverse partes of the countrey that for lake of visitatione are become almost desolate, Therefore the Generall Assemblie hes thocht good that certaine visitors be direct for visiting of the bounds of Kirkcudbright and Wigtoune: Mrs David Barclay, Alexr. Scrymgeour, and Nathaneill Inglish; off the bounds of Morray, Mrs George Hay and Androw Crombie; off the bounds of Orknay and Cathness, Mrs Robert Pont, John Monro, elder, and John Monro, younger; off the bounds of Ross, Mrs Alexr. Dowglass, John Carmichaill, and William Scott; and for Nithsdale, Mrs Robert Wallace and John Welsche: with power to them to inquyre in the lyfe, doctrine, and qualificatione of the ministry within the saids bounds, to try the sayers and hearers of mass within the samen: with power also to plant and transplant ministers unto such places as they shall think most expedient for the glory of God and weel of the Kirk, and to report to the nixt Generall Assemblie.
Because the Island of Errane lyes most commodious and adjacent to the Presbytrie of Irwing, therefore the Assemblie annexis the same to the said Presbytrie.
Anent the supplicatione given in be the Presbytrie of Meigle, makand mention, That seeing the Presbytrie had united the kirks of Essie and Niva to be and remain a congregatione under the charge of ane pastor, at ane kirk to be biggit in the mids of the saids two paroches presently; In respect of the fewness of the number [in] both the saids paroches, not extending to the number of fyve hundreth persones, partly in respect of the commoditie of the place, seeing the farthest part of both the saids paroches will not be distant halfe ane myle from the place qwhere the kirk sould be biggit, and partly in respect of the impossibility of the moyen to sustaine two sundry ministers at the saids kirks; Desyreing, therefore, ane ratificatione of the unione in this Assemblie, together with ane command to the brethren direct to the Estates conveint at Perth, to crave the samyn to be ratifyit in the said Conventione—as at mair lenth is conteint in the said supplicatione:
The Generall Assemblie ratifyes and approves the unione forsaid, and suchlyke ordaynes the brethren appoyntit to gang to the Conventione at Perthe to crave the said union to be ratified in the said Convention.
Anent the appellatione persewit be the Presbytrie of Dumfermling frae the decreit pronuncit be the Synodall of Fyfe, halden at Couper the 6 of March 1598, ffinding that the said Presbytrie had done wrang in planting of the kirk of Dalgatie with the hurt and prejudice of the kirk of Aberdour, being the greatest and most populous congregatione, and the haill stipend beand but ane meine provisione, and therefore decernand the haill stipend to remaine with the kirk of Aberdour: The said Presbytrie of Dumfermling compeirand be Mr John Fairfull, minister at Dumfermling, their Commissioner, and the Commissioners of the Synodall of Fyfe being lykewayes present, with the Commissioners of the Towne of Aberdour, the rights and reasones of both the said parties heard and considerit, The Generall Assemblie decerns and ordaines Mr William Patone, minister of Dalgatie, to serve the cure of both the saids kirks of Aberdour and Dalgatie, and to have assignit to him for his service thereat the haill old stipends of Aberdour and Dalgatie before the divisione thereof for the cropt 1599, and yearly in tyme coming, ay and qwhill sufficient provisione may be gotten for planting of both the saids kirks.