We, your Grace’s most obedient subjects, the confessors of Christ Jesus and his holy Evangell within this realme, in name and behalfe of our ministers, exhorters, and readers; That where oft and diverse tymes promise hes been made unto us that our saids brethren, preachers and travellers in the kirk of God, should not be defrauded of their appointed stipends, neither yet should be in any wayes molested in their functions, yet notthelesse universallie they want their stipends appointed for diverse tymes bypast, violent hands are put in the same, for no uther cause, as they alledge, but for reproving of vyce, and nane knaws what assurance he shall have of ane reasonable life in tyme to come: Our maist humble request is therefore unto your Majestie, that our ministers may be payed of their bygone stipend, that sic as have receaved assignationes thereof from the former collectors may have execution of their assignation, that your Grace pleases to appoint them the assignation promised in your Hienes last answers to the petitiones of the kirk, so that we may know by what means our saids ministers shall be sustained in tyme to come; and, finally, how they may live without molestatione of wicked men; and your Grace’s answer we most humbly beseik.
Anent the question, Whether any man might marry his wife’s brother daughter, or his wife’s sister daughter, or what order should be taken in any sic marriages were made; It was voted, and found be the word of God, that nane may marry his wife’s brother daughter, or sister daughter, and if any sic marriages were contracted, to be null, and not to stand.
Persons revolting from the profession of the gospel, be offering their children to be baptized after the papistical manner, or receiving themselves the sacraments of the altar, after admonitione, to be excommunicat if repentance interveen not.
Sessio 3tia, December 27, 1565.
Anent the complaint given in be the Superintendant of Lowthiane, against Mr Patrick Craicke, minister of Ratho, for marrying of Robert Patersone and Jonat Little, in Dummaine kirk, neither the bands being proclaimed, nor yet satisfactione made to the Kirk of Edinburgh, according to the tenor of the decreet of the last Assemblie:
The said Mr Patrick granted publickly that he had offended, and submitted himself to the correction of the kirk. Therefore, be the haill Assembly, he was ordained to satisfie the will of the Kirk of Edinburgh, upon two severall Sundayes, be his own open confession, when the said Kirk of Edinburgh shall require him, and the third Sunday to satisfie the kirk of Dummainie, where the offence was committed; suspending for this present all farther correction, in hope of his better bearing in tyme to come.
The haill Assembly, with one voyce, statutes and ordaines, That no ministers hereafter receave the parochiners of ane uther parochine to be married, without ane sufficient testimoniall of the minister of the parochine wherefrae they came, that the bands are lawfullie proclaimed, and no impediment found, so that the order that has been taken be the kirk, in sic affaires, be dewlie observed under the paine of deprivation frae his ministrie, tinsell of his stipend, and uther paines, as the Generall Kirk shall hereafter think to be imponed.
Anent the complaint given in be the Superintendant of Fyfe, against John Melvill, minister of Carraill, alleadgeand the said John to proceed to the solemnizatione of marriage betwixt Robert Arnot and Euphame Corstorphine, notwithstanding ane uther woman claimes the said Robert: The haill Kirk Assemblie ordained ane inhibitione to pass against the said John, that he on nowayes solemnize the said marriage until sic tyme as Mr John Douglass, Rector of the Universitie, and Mr James Wilkie, Regent, hear the complaints to be given in be the said Superintendant, and alse be any uther partie havand enteres, and the same be discussed be them; givand power to them to give forth sentence according to God’s word, and use the censures of the kirk against the disobeyers.
Sessio 4ta, December 28, 1565.