Ninthly, That his Majestie give order for the down casting of Gicht’s chappell, the house of John Cheine in Esselmonth, quho receipts all Jesuits and Seminarie Priests.
Tenthly, That order be taken with the Pilgrimages, viz., the Chappell callit Ordiquhill and the Chappell of Grace, and to ane well in the bounds of Enzie.
Eleventhlie, That such persons as are or shall be excommunicat and beares publick office within this realme, and thereafter put to the horne, that they nor their deputs shall bruik no office nor auctoritie under his Majestie efter their denunciatione, but that his Majestie shall appoynt wthers in their rowmes to doe and minister justice to his Majestie’s leidges.
Lastly, That his Majestie wald take order anent the planting of the Kirks that are presently destitute of pastors, and in speciall the Kirks of the Chappell Royall.
Quhilks haill causes of increase of Papistrie within this realme, with overtures for remeiding thereof, the Assemblie hes thought expedient that the same be direct to his Majestie, with ane humble supplicatione, requesting his Grace to take such order thereanent, as his Majestie shall think maist expedient for repressing of Papistrie, and increase of the truth and light of the gospell within this realme; quhereunto the Earle of Dumbar, his Majestie’s Commissioner, with the remanent of the nobility presently conveint in this Assemblie, hes promised to concurr: And therefore the Assemblie hes nominat, and be thir presents nominats,
{blank space} Earle of Wigtoune, ArchBishop of Glasgow, {blank space} Livingstoune of Kylsith, Mr William Cowper, minister at Perth, James Nisbet, merchand in Edinburgh, and Mr William Hart, of Presstoune, their very lawful Commissioners, giving them thair full power to present the humble supplicatione of this present Assemblie to his Majestie, together with the causes of increase of Papistrie, and overtures for remeid thereof above rehearsit, desyrand them that they wald maist humbly intreat his Majestie to consider of the same, and if his Heines thocht expedient, to cause the same to be put to executione, and that the rather because, that after the last conventione halden at Lynlithgow, quher there was many good acts and constitutions sett downe and concludit, the Papists, nevertheless, did most prowdly and contemptuously upbraid diverse of the ministrie, menassing them that they or the nobilitie conveint with them at that tyme, durst be bold to conclude any thing that might portend to the prejudice of Papists or Papistrie, as was clearly understood be the brethren conveint in this Assembly.
Sess. 6, 29 Julii, Ante Meridiem.
The qwhilk day the Assemblie thocht expedient that the Commissioners above specifeit, elect and chosen to present this supplicatione to his Majestie as is above rehearsit, shall with all possible diligence repare toward his Majestie, and with all humility present the said supplicatione to his Heines, and what ane answer it shall please his Majestie to give, that they reporte the same betwixt and the 15 of November nixt to come; and to that effect, the Assemblie hes chosen out of their number the Noblemen, Barrons, and brethren underwritten, viz. Earles of Crawford, Mortoune, Glencairn, Lithgow, Kinghorne, the Lords Grahame, Lyndsay, Saltone, Lowatt, Torphichen, Lowdon, Scoone, Balcleuch, Blantyre, Halyrudehouse, the Constable of Dundie, the Lairds of Kynnaird, Balvaird, Carnall, Houstoune, Edmistoune, Broxmouth, Polwart, Sir John Hoome of Northberwick,—the Commissioners of Edinr., Perth, St Androis, and Glasgow, with the brethren after following, viz. Mrs William Dowglass, Alexr. Lawsone, Abraham Sibbald, John Reid, Arthur Futhie, Androw Ramsay, John Kynneir, David Lyndsay, Adam Bannatyne, Patrick Weymes, Edward Hepburne, George Ramsay, Wm. Methven, Patrick Schaw, Walter Stewart, Hew Fullertoune, James M‘Quhorne, Thomas Ramsay, Robert Glendynning, together with the Commissioners of this Generall Assemblie, to convene at Edinr. the said 15 of Novr. nixt to come, and there to receave from the saids Commissioners the report of his Majestie’s most gracious answer to the supplicatione forsaid, in name of the haill Assemblie; and in the meantyme, the Assemblie commands and ordaynes the haill Presbytries within this realme to proceed against Papists of all sorts within their bounds with the censures of excommunicatione, &c.
The said day, the Commissioners of the last Generall Assemblie being callit to give compt of their haill proceeding since the last Assemblie, compeirit and offerit themselves to be tryit on their proceedings be this present Assemblie, and to abyde at the censure of the same; and being demandit for productione of their acts and proceedings in wreit, declairit be the mouth of Mr John Hall, their Moderator, in absence of Mr Patrick Galloway, that the same could not be found, be reasone that sometyme umquhill Mr James Nicolsone, minister at Meigle, and in his absence umquhill Richard Thomsone, minister at Cassiltoune, were ordinar scribes and keepers of the rolls of all their proceedings, quha are both departit this lyfe; and albeit they have made travell at their executors hands for obtaining of the said scrolls, yet they could on no wayes attain unto the same—and therefore they and every ane of them did offer themselves to be particularlie censurit be this present Assemblie, and therefore being ordaynit all to remove; qwhilk being done, Mr Wm. Cowper, Moderator, appoyntit to this effect, demandit publickly if any of the Assemblie had aught to object against the saids Commissioners proceedings why the samen sould not be ratified and allowit? In respect of the taciturnitie of the haill brethren, and that nothing worthy of censure was objectit to any of them for their proceedings,—the saids Commissioners being receivit in the Assemblie, took instruments of the ratificatione and allowance of their saids proceedings.
The said day, the brethren of the Generall Assemblie presently convenit, having advisedly considerit the necessitie of electing and chuseing Commissioners from this present Assemblie for giving advice to his Majestie anent the suppression of papisticall superstition qwhilk increases mair and mair dayly within this realme; therefore they have made, and constitute, and ordaynit, likeas they, be the tenor heirof, maks, constitutes, and ordaynes Mr George Gladstones, Bischop of St Andrews; John Spotswood, Bischop of Glasgow; David Lyndsay, Bischop of Ross; Alexander Lyndsay, Bischop of Dunkeld; Peter Blackburne, Bischop of Aberdeene; James Law, Bischop of Orknay; Alexander Douglass, Bischop of Morray; Gavin Hamiltone, Bischop of Galloway; Alexander Forbes, Bischop of Caithnes; Andrew Lamb, Bischop of Brechine; Andrew Knox, Bischop of the Isles; Patrick Galloway, Patrick Simsone, David Hoome, John Clappertoune, John Knox, Robert Howie, John Hall, John Caldcleuch, John Strachane, Andrew Boyde, Andrew Leitch, Robert Wilkie, Patrick Scharpe, George Hay, Patrick Lyndsay, William Scott, Adame Ballantyne, John Hay, William Cowper, or any elevin of them, their very lawfull and undoubtit Commissioners from this present Assemblie; givand, grantand, and committand unto them, or any elevin as said is, their full power to plant such kirks in burrowtownes as presently are or shall be found destitute of pastors, before the next Assemblie. Attour, if it shall happen the King’s Majestie to be grievit at ony of the ministry for qwhatsoever enormitie committit be them against his Heines, with power to them, or any elevin of them, as said is, to try and cognosce thereupon, and to take such order thereanent as they shall think expedient to the glory of God and weill of the Kirk; and, finally, with power to them to present the grieves and petitiones of the Kirk to his Majestie, his Heines Secret Counsell, Generall Conventiones and Parliaments that shall happen to occurr before the next Assemblie, and to crave redresse of the samen; ordayning them to give accompt of their proceedinge to the next Generall Assemblie quhen it shall happen to conveine, &c. It is alwayes speciallie provydit, that this present nominatione of the same Commissioners quhilk were for the most part Commissioners in the last Assemblie, shall no wayes be prejudiciall to the Assemblie’s liberty in choising and electing Commissioners quhom they shall think most meit and expedient, neither shall this election indure or import any perpetuity of the office in the persone of the persones electit.—Item, It is statute that the haill Commissioners be desyrit and warnit to keep all their conventiones is opportunitie the same day may be done.