The brethren appoyntit to visite the diligence of the visitors appoyntit in the last Assemblie, finds fault that in all their diligences producit, except of Caithnes and of Fyfe, the visitors hes not exactly tryit the lyfe, doctrine, and conversations of every minister at his awne kirk and be his awne flock, but nakedly and slenderly by a generall view of the Synodall Assemblie, qwhilk the Assemblie finds fault with, and ordayns it to be mendit in tyme coming.
The qwhilk day the brethren conveint, having ryplie weyit how necessar it is that ane generall visitatione be for inquyrand in the life, doctrine, and conversatione of every ane of the ministry in particular, the qwhilk, albeit it was committit to the charge of visitors appoyntit to the last Assemblie, nevertheless they, at the leist the maist of them, hes done small or no diligence in the executione of that profitable wark committit to their charge, excusit partly be infirmitie and sickness, and partly be wther necessar effaires qwherein they were imployit as they alleadgit: Therefore the Assemblie, not willing that such a necessar and profitable wark sould want their awne good execution, hes nominate, and be thir presents nominats the brethren following their very lawfull Commissioners, for visitatione of the bounds underwritten, every ane of them for their awne parts as they are particularly designit, viz., for Orkney, Mr Robert Pont; for Caithnes and Sutherland, Mr George Gladstones, Mr Alexr. Rawsone; for Ross, Mr David Lyndsay; for Morray, Mr Peter Blackburne, Abraham Sybbald; for Aberdeen, Mrs Wm. Scott, Alexr. Lyndsay; for Angus and Marnes, Mrs Robert Wilkie, James Melvill; for Perth and Striviling, Mrs James Martine, James Dalgleisch; for Fyfe, Mrs James Nicolsone and Robert Howie; for Lothiane, Mrs Patrick Scharp, John Cowper; for Merss and Teviotdale, Mrs John Carmichaell and James Law; for Clydsdaill, Mrs John Spottiswood, William Arthure; for Aire and Irving, Mrs Andrew Boyd, John Hay; for Nithsdale and Annandale, Mrs John Knox, Patrick Schaw, John Smith; for Galloway, Mrs John Welsche, Hew Fullertone; for Argyle, Mrs Andrew Knox, Andrew Lambe: Givand, grantand, and committand unto them conjunctlie, and in caice of sickness of any ane of them, with power to the wther, &c., to try the brethren of the ministry within the bounds particularlie committit to every ane of their charges respective, in their lyfe, doctrine, qualificatione, and conversatione, and how they behave themselves touching the rents of their benefices, qwhether they haue sett tacks of the samen, but consent of the Generall Assemblie or not, and so incurrit the sentence of dilapidatione; with power, also, to try the Presbytries within their visitationes, if they have keepit their ordinarie conventiones and particular visitationes of their awne kirks, and wsit and exercisit all things as pertaines to the Presbytrie; with power, also, to them to try every particular congregatione within the bounds committed to their visitatione, and generally, to try every ane of the ministers, presbytry, and congregatione, conforme to the particular order of visitatione sett down in this Assemblie; and in caice any fault or enormity be found be them in any of the saids visitationes committit to them, with power to censure the same according to the act of the Generall Assemblie; and as they proceed in their said visitatione, that they report their haill proces and diligence to the next General Assemblie, promitten de rato.
Sess. 4a.
The said day it being considerit be the Assemblie, that for inlaike of ane constant and uniforme order of visitatione of synods, presbytries, and particular kirks, the labours and travells taken hitherto hes been almost unprofitable, Therefore, that ane solide order may be generallie observit in visitationes in all tyme coming throughout the haill kirks within this realme, the Assemblie ordaynes the brethren following, viz., Mrs Robert Pont, Patrick Galloway, James Carmichael, William Scott, and Alexr. Lyndsay, to advyse anent the subject of visitationes, and they forme ane order of proces that shall be wsit in the same in all tyme coming, and to produce the same in wreit to the Assemblie the morne.
The qwhilk day the brethren having considerit the great travells and paines taken in [be] their brother, Mr John Howisone, in answering to Bellarmine in three sundrie volumes, and how profitable the same will be to the kirk of God, qwhilk he presentit to the Assemblie, desyring the same to be revysit be them, to the effect, if they be found worthy, they may be put forth in print, they appoyntit the said wark to be revisit by Mr Robert Howie, James Nicolsone, and James Robertsone; thereafter be Mr Andrew Melvill; and last, be Mrs Robert Pont and John Hall, and to report to the next Assemblie; qwhilks books are presently delyverit to Mr Robert Howie.
Anent the constant platt, the brether appoyntit to sitt thereupon with his Majestie’s Commissioners being demandit, qwhat effect their travells had taken in the same? they producit the conclusione of the commissioners of the said platt, resolving in three heads, out of the qwhilk ane should be chosen, as the most ready way for effectuating the said wark, qwhereof the tenor follows:
Overtures of the Commissioners of the Plat to be devysit with his Majestie.
If every minister’s stipends being assigned out of the fruits of the kirk qwhere he serves be the benevolence of the tacksmen, that they shall grant to the augmentation of the said stipend? If there shall be ane perpetuall securitie made be the saids tacksmen of their teinds upone ane speciall grissome, to be condescendit upon for ilk chalder, for the space of nynteine yeares, to be renewit yearly thereafter for the said space for the lyke grissome, upon this conditione, that the said principall tacksmen shall grant and renew the lyke securitie to their sub-tacksmen, for payment of their part of the said grissume pro rata, qwhere any sub-tacks are? Or if the great benefices shall be provydit to ministers upon this conditione, that all the kirks of the prelacies be plantit with sufficient ministers, and be provydit with competent livings, as the modifiers of the constant platt shall think expedient, and he to pay to the King’s Majestie yearly the tent-part of the fruits of the said benefice qwhilk shall rest, by and attour the sustentatione of the ministry, and that all the inferior benefices shall be provydit to ministers serving the cure of the saids kirks, alse well parsonages as vicarages? Or if all the great benefices shall be dissolvit, and the prelate to have the principall kirk of the prelacie, with the temporall lands thereof, and the rest of the kirks to be provydit with qualified ministers, and the said prelat and titulars of the saids kirks to pay ane yearly dewtie to his Majestie, as the benefice may beir at the sight of the Commissioners forsaids?
Qwhilks overtures being read in presence of the Assemblie, it was ordayned that every synod should have ane copie of them to be advysit therewith, until the morne, that they might give their advyce to his Majestie, qwhilk of [the] three were maist meet to be imbracit.