It is not thought good that the prayers already conteinit in the Psalme Book be alterit, but if any brother wald have any uther prayers eikit qwhilks are meet for the tyme, ordaynes the same first to be tryit and allowit be the Assemblie.
The Generall Assemblie, for causes and considerationes moving them, hes ordaynt Mrs James Balfour, Walter Balcanquall, and William Watsone, to be transportit out of their awne places of the ministrie in Edinburgh, and plantit in such places as the Commissioners deput be this present Assemblie thinks expedient; and lykewayes ordayns the saids Commissioners to plant such uthers of the ministry in their places in the Kirk of Edinburgh as shall be found expedient to God’s glory within the same.
The Commissioners for the Towne of Edinburgh, viz. John Johnstone and George Heriot, protestit in the name of the said Towne, that seeing the Generall Assemblie had ordaynit their ministers abovenamit to be transportit furth of Edinburgh, the said Towne sould be free of their burden fra this tyme of their present transportatione, and that the said transportatione should not be prejudiciall to them in any tyme thereafter, but that they might be reponit in their awne places when it sould please his Majestie and the Kirk to lyke well thereof; qwhilk protestatione his Majestie and the Assemblie willingly agreet unto, qwherupon the said Commissioners askit instruments.
The Assemblie hes ordainit, that in every Assemblie to be conveint in all tyme coming, such as shall happen to be appoyntit Commissioners for the Generall Assemblie to indure qwhill the Generall Assemblie next thereafter, shall give ane accompt of their proceedings dureing the haill tyme of their commission in the beginning of the Assemblie before any wther cause or matter be handlit, and their proceedings to be allowit and disallowit as the Assemblie shall think expedient.
The Generall Assemblie having ryply weyit the necessity of appoynting Commissioners for this Generall Assemblie, not only to advyse and awayte upon such affaires as shall be for the weill and wtilitie of the Kirk of God, but also in giving advyce to his Majestie anent the holding furth the enemies of the same qwhen they shall be requyrit be his Heines thereto; Therefore, the brethren conveint in this Assemblie hes given and grantit, lykeas, be the tenor heirof, gives and grants thair power and commission to thir brethren,—Mrs Alexr. Dowglass, John Strachane, Peter Blackburne, George Monro, James Nicolsone, Androw Leitch, Alexander Forbes, Patrick Symsone, Wm. Cowper, Alexander Lyndsay, George Gladstanes, Wm. Scott, John Caldcleuch, Robert Wilkie, David Lyndsay, Robert Pont, John Spottiswood, John Hall, James Low, John Knox, John Abernethie, John Hay, Gavine Hamiltone, Alexander Scrymgeour, David Barclay, with the King’s Majestie’s Ministers, or any nyne of them; givand, grantand, and committand unto them their full power, to plant such kirks in Burrow Tounes as are destitute of pastors in generall, and specially to plant the Kirk of Edinburgh, vaikand be transportatione of the ministers thereof; with full power also to plant Mrs James Balfour, Walter Balcanquall, and William Watsone, ministers transportit out of Edinburgh, with his Majestie’s advyce, in such convenient places as they sould finde expedient for the glory of God; with power also to transport any of the ministry within the realme from their awne places qwher they presently serve, and to plant them in the saids vaikand places of the Kirk of Edinburgh, in the planting qwherof they shall take the advyce of the Presbytry of Edinburgh, according to the acts and statutes of the Generall Assemblie made of before. Attour, if it shall happen the King’s Majestie to be grievit at any of the ministry for qwhatsomever enormitie committit be any of them against his Majestie, with power to them, or any nyne of them, as said is, to try and cognosce thereupon, and take such order thereanent as they shall think maist meit to the glory of God and weill of the Kirk; and, finallie, with power to them to present the grieves and petitiones of this present Assemblie to his Majestie and Secret Councill and generall Conventione of the Estates and Parliaments, if any shall happen to be, and to crave redresse of the samen—promitten de rata.
The Assemblie ordaynes Mrs James Nicolsone, James Robertsone, Alexr. Lyndsay, and William Cowper, to take tryall anent the union of the paroche of Forgandyne to the kirk of Arnegose, and if they finde the same to have been done of old, and to be commodious for the people, to ratifie the same.
Forsuameikle as in the Assemblies halden of before, it hes been very wisely considerit that there hes been nothing more profitable for advancing of the glory of God by the preaching of the gospell, then appoynting of Commissioners for every schyre within this realme, qwhois care and diligence should be pairtly to try the lyfe, doctrine, and manner of conversatione of the ministry within the bounds committit to their visitatione, and pairtly to plant the kirks qwhilks as yet ly destitute of the comfort of the word, be dealing with such as hes the Kirk livings in their hands for ane reasonable moyen to sustain a minister at every kirk within this realme; qwhilk loueable custome this present Assemble being mindfull to prosecute, therefore hes given and grantit, lykeas, be these presents, gives and grants their full power and commissione to thir brethren: Mrs Robert Pont and Robert Durie for Orknay and Zetland; Mr George Gladstanes for Cathness and Sutherland; to Mrs Alexr. Dowglass and Alexr. Rawsone for Rosse; to Mrs George Hay and Androw Crombie for Morray; Mr George Gladstanes for Aberdeene; for Angus and Merns, Mrs Robert Wilkie and James Melvill; for Perth and Stratherne, Mrs Thomas Dowglass and John Fairfoull; for Fyfe, Mrs James Nicolsone and Robert Howie; for Lothiane, Mrs Patrick Simsone and Harie Livingstone; for Merss and Teviotdale, James Gibsone and Mr Adam Colt; for Clydsdale, Mrs David Lyndsay and John Spotswood; for Irvine and Aire, Mrs Gavine Hamiltone and Androw Knox; for Annandaill, Mrs John Knox and Patrick Schaw; for Nithsdale and Galloway, Mrs David Barclay, Alexr. Scrymgeour, and Nathaniell Inglish: with power to them to try the brethren within the bounds particularly above designit, in their lyfe, doctrine, qualificatione, and conversation, and how they have behaved themselves touching the rents of their benefices—qwhether they have sett tacks of the samen, but consent of the Generall Assemblie or not, and so dilapidate the same—to depose such as deserves depositione—to plant ministers in such places that hes not been plantit heretofore; and to that effect to deall with the tacksmen of every paroche kirk for provision of ane minister to their kirks, and to report to the next Generall Assemblie ane answer of the tacksmen in wreit, containing the planting of the kirks qwherof they possess the teinds, and to reporte their diligence to the nixt Assemblie—promitten de rata.
The nixt Assemblie appoyntit to be halden at St Androis the last Twesday of July 1602.