Item, It is statute that the haill names of the persons excommunicat within this realme quhilk shall be given up be the Commissioners, be delyverit to the Bischope of every diocie, quho shall delyver a catalogue of the names to every minister within his diocie, ordayning every minister to make publick intimatione thereof at every ane of their paroche kirkes, upon Sunday, in tyme of divyne service, that no man pretend ignorance of the same; charging and inhibiting every one of their paroche, that they neither receipt the saids excommunicants nor intercommon with them; certifying them and they doe in the contrare, they shall be callit and conveinit as receipters of traffiqueing Papists and excommunicat persones, and punisched for the same.
Item, The Assemblie recommends to the care of Bischops within their dioces, and Ministers within their congregationes, to travell with the noblemen, gentlemen, and burgesses, that there be the ordinarie exercise of reading and prayer within their houses, as also ane prayer for the King’s Majestie and his children every meal.
Sess. 15.[55] August 15, 1616.
Item, Because there are some pamphlets and books full of calumnies quyetly sett furth and spread within this countrie be the Papists and enemies of trew religion; therefore the Assemblie hes ordaynit Mr Wm. Scott, minister at Cowper, and Mr William Struthers, minister at Edinburgh, shall make answers to the said books and pamphlets, to the effect that thereby the people may be instructit how to beware of the same, and the said errors and calumnies may be refutit.
Item, Because it is certainly informit that certaine women tacks upon them to bring up the youth in reading, sewing, and wthers exercises in schools, under pretext and cullour quherof traffiquing Papists, Jesuites, and Seminarie Priests, hes their appoyntit tymes of meeting, at the quhilk tyme they catechise and pervert the youth in their growing and tender age, in such sort that heirby thereafter, by great paines and travells, can they be brocht from their errors to the acknowledging of the truth presently profest within this realme: It is therefore statute and ordaint that it shall not be leisume to quhatsoever persone or persones to hold any schools for teaching of the youth, except, first, they have the approbation of the Bischop of the diocie, and be first tryit be the Ministers of the Presbytry quhere they dwell, and have their approbatione to the effect forsaid.
Item, Because it is ane great abuse in people passing to pilgrimages, wells, and old chapells, as lykewayes in putting up of banefyres; Therefore it is ordaint that the brethren of the ministry be diligent in teaching of the people and preaching against such abuses and superstitione, to the effect they may be recallit from the saids errors, and lykewayes that the minister take diligent tryall of the names of those quho haunts those pilgrimages, and delait the same to the Archbischopes of St Androis and Glasgow, every ane within their owne provinces, to the effect they may be callit before the Commission and punischit for the same.
It is lykewayes ordaynit that their names be delyverit to the Justices of Peace within the places of their pilgrimages and dayes of their meetings, and that they be requestit and desyrit to attend upon the saides dayes of their meetings, and to disturbe and divert them therefrom be apprehending and punisching them.
Item, It is ordaynit that every minister give up the names of idle sangsters within their paroche to the Justices of Peace, that they may be callit and convenit before them and punischit as idle vagabonds, conforme to the Acts of Parliament and power given to the saids Justices thereanent.
Item, Because it is found that diverse of the saids Jesuites, traffiquing Papists, and Seminarie Priests, goes about under collour and pretext of Doctors of Physicke and Apothecaries, deceaving and perverting the people from the trew religione profest within this countrie; Therefore ane supplicatione wald be direct to his Majestie, that it wald please his Hienes to statute and ordayne that none hereafter be sufferit to wse and exerce the office of ane Doctor of Physicke or Apothecar whill first he have ane approbatione from the Bischop of the dioces qwhere he maks his residence, of his conformity in religione, as lykewayes from the Universitie qwhere he learnit and studyit, of his qualificatione in the said airt.
The qwhilk day appearit in presence of the haill Assemblie, John Gordoune of Buckie, in name and at the directione of ane noble and potent Lord, George Marques of Huntlie, and presentit ane petitione direct be the said Marques to the said Assemblie, subscrivit with his hand, desyrand ane answer of the same to be given be the Assemblie, qwhereof the tenor follows, as is to be found in the end of this Assemblie.*[56] As lykewayes was producit be {blank space} ane letter direct from the Archbishop of Canterburie, together with ane uther letter from the King’s Majestie, concerning the absolutione of the said Lord Marques from the sentence of excommunicatione made be the said Archbischop of Canterburie, qwhilk were both read in presence of the haill Assemblie, and ordainit to be registrat in the Acts of the Generall Assemblie ad perpetuam rei memoriam, qwhereof the tenor follows: