The unplantit kirks wald be effectuallie recommendit to his Majestie’s care, qwhais authoritie only is able to accomplishe that wark; and for the better furtherance thereof, that his Majestie wald cause take heed that the thirds be keepit unvitiat. Nothing more necessar nor to have his Majestie’s houss, the Prince’s houss, the Earles’ housses, and places of their residence, and wthers places of chiefest importance, as the town of Dumfries, to be well plantit with learnit, godly, and wyse persones; and qwhere the laike of provisione might be ane hinder to the present planting, as at the Earles’ houses, it were requisite for a tyme that the meetest for that purpose, not being in places where the cause may be so far interest be the want of a resident pastor, sould be transportit fra their awn places, to remaine for ane quarter or halfe ane year, that ane substantious meine may be found out for ane constant provisione and planting of these rowmes, be qwhais labors, in the meantyme, the Earles and their families might be confirmit in the truth, and the enemies debarrit from their companies, and thereafter to return to their awne charges; the Presbytries, in the meaneqwhile, taking order for helping of their kirks in tyme of their absence; and to that effect, ordaynes Mr George Gladstanes to be direct to awayte upon the Earle of Huntlie; Messrs Alexr. Lindsay and William Cowper upon the Earle of Erroll; Messrs James Law and John Spotswood upon the Earle of Angus; Mr John Carmichaell upon the Lord Hoome; Messrs David Lyndsay and John Hall upon the Lord Heres.
That ane petition be given in to his Majestie and Secret Councill, desyring that these qwham his Majestie knawes, or shall knaw hereafter, to deale in favours of profest traffiqueing Papists farther nor the lawes of the countrey shall permitt, shall be comptit and holden as men suspect in religione, and shall not have the honour to be in his Majestie’s house, counsell, or sessione.
That it be cravit lykewise of his Majestie and Secret Councill, that all Papists, men and women, challengit be the kirk for their religione, and not satisfyand the kirk for the same, be dischargit from resort to court, qwhill they have satisfyit and bring from the Presbytrie of their bounds ane sufficient testimoniall of their obedience.
Item, For disobedience of the adversaries of trew religione lurking within this countrie, it is ordaynit that every Presbytrie, immediately after the dissolving of this present Assembly, take up the names of the new communicants within their bounds, and send them to his Majestie’s ministers with all expeditione, subscrivit be the moderator and clark of the Presbytrie, and minister of the paroche, and that from this tyme furth, at every Provinciall Assemblie, the names of the non-communicants be tane up, and sent up to his Majestie’s ministers.
Item, That it be inquyrit anent the late reconcilit Lords to the kirk, be the Presbytries qwher they make residence, qwhether they have keepit and performit the articles subscrivit be them at the receaving, and that they be urgit severally to perform every ane of the saids articles, and if they refuse, that the Presbytries certifie the King’s Majestie’s ministers thereof.
Item, For escheweing of farther evill qwhilk might come to the estate of religione be the evill educatione of the youth furth of the country, it wald be cravit of his Majestie and Secret Councill, qwhen such noblemen and wthers as directs ane pedagogue with their sonnes furth of the country, that their pedagogue be knawne godly and of good religione, learnit and instructit in the same, and approvit in his religione be the testimoniall of his Presbytrie; that their remaining out of the country be in places qwher religione is presently professit, or, at the least, qwher there is no restraint of the same be the cruelty of inquisitione; that dureing the tyme of their absence they shall not haunt any idolatrous exercise of religione; and such as hes not the moyen to sustaine ane pedagogue with their sonnes furth of the country, that they send them to such pairts qwher there is no restraint of religione; and in caice their sonnes, after their depairting out of the countrey, haunt these parts qwher the profession of the trew religione is restraint, that they find caution not to intertaine them: And in caice any that passes furth of the countrey imbrace any religione except that qwhilk is presently profest within this realm, that they shall not be able to brooke moyen, heritage, honours, nor offices, within this realme; and this to be ane exception against the service of their brieves, and at the tyme of admissione of them to any office or honours, and in caice any of their parents contraveine any of the premisses, that they incurre such paine as his Majestie and Secret Councill shall modifie, and that such as are already out of the country, either be callit back againe before ane day to be appoyntit be his Majestie and Secret Councill, or else that their parents be subject to the lyke conditiones as is before sett downe.
Item, It wald be cravit of his Majestie and Secret Councill, that all skippers, mariners, and owners of ships, be inhibite that they bring in any Jesuites, Seminary Priests, declarit fugitive traytors and rebells within the countrie, but such as they knaw to be of good religione, or hes sufficient testimoniall of their honesty in religion, from the places qwher they have been conversant, under the paine of escheating their haill goods, and under the same payns, that they deliver them in the hands of the magistrate of the toune or port qwher they shall happen to arryve at, there to be keepit, ay and qwhill they be examinat, and his Majestie’s warrant obtainit for their liberty after they have been tryit and fand honest in religione, and shall keep them, their goods, books, and geir in schipboard, ay and qwhill they receive ane warrand, or the ordinarie magistrate for relieving of the same; and to that effect, they sett nane upon land but in common parts, qwher there is ane magistrate to receave the passengers from their hands.
Item, That his Majestie be dealt earnestly with anent the removeing of his dochter out of the Lady Livingstone’s company, in respect of her obstinate continuing in the professione of Papistry, for the qwhilk cause, his Majestie being requestit be the haill Assemblie, promised that his Heines’ daughter sould be transportit betwixt and Martimes next to come to his awne house.
And because of the nane planting of kirks is ane great part of the wyte of defection from the puritie of religione, and that the best way for the planting of the saids kirks is the furtherance of the constant platt for locall stipends to be appoyntit to every kirk within this realme, therefore the Assemblie hes ordaynit the brethren following, viz., Messrs David Lyndsay, James Nicolsone, Robert Pont, Patrick Galloway, George Gladstones, John Nicolsone, or any three of them, to conveen upon the first day of Junii with my Lords Chancellour, President, Secretar, Collector, Comptroller, Sir Patrick Morray, Mr George Young, to intreat and advyse upon such overtures as be their common consent shall be found most meet and expedient for advancing of the warke of the constant platt, and to lay doune such grunds as they shall finde most profitable for prosecuting of the same, and to reporte their diligence to the nixt Assemblie.
Sessio 3. May 14.