Anent the planting of the kirks of Edinburgh: John Robertsone and George Herriot, Commissioners for the said towne, being callit, declarit that for the present they had but three kirks, qwhilk already were plantit with sax ministers, and qwhen as their fourth kirk, qwhilk is presently bigging, is compleit, they would crave supplement of wther two ministers.
Sess. 5a.
The brethren appoyntit for penning the forme and subject of visitatione of kirks, gave in their advyce as followes:
The visitors shall appoynt two or three dayes for the tryall of every presbytry within the bounds of their visitatione, and be the space of ane moneth, or twenty dayes, at the leist, before their edicts, they shall make the presbytries acquaintit therewith, and send them the edict following, to be published at every paroche kirk be some other brother then the minister of the place, that it may be dewly execute, reportit, and indorsat, to the visitors at the first dyet of their meeting.
Let the edicts be so direct be the Presbytries that ane equall number shall be tryit in every ane of the dayes appoyntit for tryall of ilk Presbytrie, and the Commissioners of congregationes to be chargeit to their awne dyets accordingly.
Try the estate of every minister particularly, thereafter the estate of the congregations and countrie, and last the estate of the Presbytry in generall.
The particular Tryall of Pastors.
Try ilk Pastor seuerallie in his graces and habilitie to discharge his calling, in his furniture of books and necessare helps that may inable him in his calling, with what fidelitie and prudence he discharges himself in doctrine and discipline in his lyfe and the estate of his living. For this effect, inquyre first of the commissioners of his congregatione, what testimonie he hes of his awne sessione and remanent of his flock, and in speciall if he be resident in his parochine, upon his manss and gleib;—if his awne life and the goverment of his family be such as breeds no offence, but edifies his flock;—if he teaches every Sabbath ance or twyse, and if he teaches any wther dyets in the week;—gif he ministers the communion yearly with dew examinationes preceeding; if he hes ane established session of elders and deacons; if he keeps ane weekly conventione with his session for the exercise of discipline; if he catechises weekly ane part of his parochine; if he keeps ane ordinar visitatione of some families of his congregatione weekly; if he visits the sick and distressed qwhen occasion requyres; if he be carefull to take away all eylists and variances that falls out in the congregatione: Thereafter, if neid beis, let him be tryit be opening up some place of Scripture, and be questions; let it be inquyrit of him what helpe he hes for the advancement of his studies; if he hes the text of the Scripture in the originall languages, in caice he be sene in the tongues; if he hes Tremellius’ translatione of the Old Testament and Beza’s of the New, with the vulgar Inglish translatione; if he hes the Common Places; if he hes the Ecclesiasticall historie; what Commentaries he hes upon the Scripture, and speciallie upon his ordinar text; if he hes the Acts of the Councill of {blank space} and what wther wreits of the controversies of religione, and if he uses the conferrence of brethren for his reformatione in the doubts that he finds in his reading, and of qwhom; if he hes ane ordinary course of reading the Scriptures, ecclesiasticall stories, and controversies; if he maks any memorialls of his travells in wreit; what is his ordinar text; if he be provydit in title of the personage or viccarage, and if he have sett any tacks thereof, to qwhom and on qwhat conditione; in qwhois hands are the rents of his kirk, and qwhat is the best overture that he can give for provisione of a stipend thereat, in caice it be not already sufficiently provydit, and sicht the Sessione Book. The breither beand removit, let the Presbytrie be inquyrit ane by ane, and declare wpon their conscience qwhat they knaw anent his graces, fidelitie in doctrine and discipline, and anent his lyfe and conversatione: after the qwhilk tryall let him be judgit, and either allowed or admonisched, or wtherwayes censured, as the cause requyres.
The Tryall of the Congregationes.
Try every minister particularly if there be any Jesuites, Papists, Seminarie Priests, traffiquers against the estate of Religione and quietness of the country, within their congregatione, or resetters of them: if there be any witches, excommunicats, contraveeners of the discipline of the Kirk; if there be any superstitious dayes keepit be setting out of banefires or wtherwayes; if there be any superstitious places of pilgrimages, walls, and chappells; if there be any non-communicants; if there be any homicides or deadly feuds; if there be any adulterers or incestuous persones; if the Sabbath be profaned be keeping of mercats and labouring, specially in tyme of harvest: and as they finde in the premisses, to take order for reformatione of the poynts forsaids.