quhilk cannot stand be the law, of the haill, or of the most part of the fruites of any benefice, and to infift diligentlie therin.

Anent mariages: The Affemblie declarit thir two forts to be vnlawfull; firft, when ane perfon marieth another quhom they have pollutit by adulterie; nixt, quhen the innocent perfon is content to remaine with the [nocent and] guiltie, and the guiltie will have another, or takis another.

As concerning mariages made be excommunicat Preifts, or vthers that hes ferved in the Kirk, and [are] depofit from thair office, or be privat perfons: The Affemblie declares fuch mariages to be null; ordaining the brethren of Edenburgh to travell with the Commiffars of Edenburgh, that they decyd according to the faids conclufions.

Anent the contraverfie betuixt the Miniftrie of Sanct Androes and William Balfour: The brethren appointit to conferre theranent reportit thair judgement following, That the faid William fall declare that he knew no vther but that Mr David Black, Minifter of the towne forfaid, had left the procefs of the manfs contravertit, and that he hes no wayes proceidit therin, in contempt of the Kirk, or any particular perfon within the fame; and thir things he does proteft in confcience, and confeffes that he hes done vnduetifullie; that is to fay, that he hes ovirfein himselfe in his duetie towards the Kirk, in midling, not forwarning them with the title of the house quherin he dwells, in respect of the Kirks defignatioun therof paft of befor, for the quhilk he is penitent befor God and his Kirk: provyding alwayes, that the faid confeflioun be no wayes prejudiciall to the said William in the right and title of the faid house, and that the samein be no wayes objected against him, in judgement or out of judgement; and that the faid William fall make the faid confeffioun befor the brethren of the Conference of this Affemblie, the brethren of the Prefbitrie that are heir being prefent: The quhilk being done, that this prefent Generall Affemblie fall discharge the faid Prefbitrie of Sanct Androes from all proceidings be cenfures aganis the faid William for that matter, and in lyke maner, the faid Mr David from all publict invectiouns aganis the faid William in his fermouns for that caufe; and the faid Mr David and William, in token of forgivenes of all mutuall offences bygane, and profeffioun of christian amitie in tyme to come, fall joyne hands together before the faid brether of the conference, and keip the famein amitie in tyme comeing; remittand the contraversie of thair titles to the difcretioun of the Judges ordinar: and this to be ordainit be the General Affembly, to be declarit in the paroch kirk of Sanct An

droes, be Mr William Scott, Minister at Kennoquhy. The brethren appointit to conferre be the Generall Affemblie were thir, Mrs Robert Bruce, Peter Blackburne, William Scot, Thomas Buchannan, Andro Lamb, Johne Caldcleugh: Quhilk judgement of the faid brethren the Generall Affemblie approvit in all points.

Anent Gramer Schooles in Townes: Every Presbitrie, within thair awin bounds, is ordainit to take ordour for vifitatioun and reformatioun therof, and to deale with the Magiftrats for augmentatioun of thair flipends and provifioun of Maifters; as alfo appointing of fome perfons most meitt of thair Counsell, to attend carefullie on the Schooles, and to affift the Maifters in difcipline.

Anent the actis of the Affemblie: The brether hes ordainit that the famein be fichtit, and fpeciall acts for practife of the Kirk be extractit and joynit with the Booke of Difcipline, to be publifchit either in wryte or print, that none pretend ignorance therof; and to this effect to concurre with the Clerk, Mrs Robert Pont, Thomas Buchannan, James Melvill, Johne Johnstoun, and James Carmichael.

Anent Colledges: In refpect that it is thoght neceffar that ane visitatioun be had of the famein, the prefent Affemblie hes givin commiflioun to thair brether, Mrs James Melvill, Thomas Buchannan, James Balfour, Robert Rollock, Walter Balcanquell, Nicoll Dalgleifch, James Nicolfone, and Alexander Forbes, to conveine together the firft day of January nixt to come, to the vifitatioun of the faids colledgis, to try, examine, and confider the doctrine, lyfe, and diligence of the Maifters; the difcipline and ordour vfit be them; the eftate of thair rents and livings; and quher they find abuse, to reforme so farre as they [may :] remittand to the Affemblie fuch things as they cannot take ordour with; and quhat they effectuat heirin, to report to the nixt Affemblie.

A. D. M.D.XCV.

THE Generall Affemblie of the Kirk of Scotland, haldin at Edenburgh, in the New Kirk thereof, the 24 [22. P.] day of Marche 1595.

Exhortatioun beand made be Mr James Nicollone, laft Moderatour, the Affemblie proceidit to the electioun of a new Moderatour, and appointing on the leits Mrs David Fergusone, David Lindsay, James Balfour, Robert Pont, the said Mr Robert, be pluralitie of votis, was chofin Moderatour hac vice.

[Mr Davidfon, Minifter at Saltprestoun, and a member of the Presbytrie of Hadintoun, produced the advice of that Prefbytrie, touching the heads of the letter fent from the Commiflioners of the Generall Affembly to them. The tenor whereof followeth :

Touching the two heads proponed be the Commiflioners of the Generall Affembly to their brethren, to advise upon against this Affembly; viz. Of universal repentance, and earnest turning to God: And of order taking for refifting the enemies, and maintainance of the liberty of religion and country.

Our advice in the firft is, That yet once at the laft, the chief and grofs fins of all eftates, which procure this prefent wrath of God, be agreed upon

by name feveraly, and acknowledged by this Affembly, for the more easie provocation of the whole body of this realme to earnest repentance, and speedy turning away from the fins forefaid; for as John faith, If wee acknowledge our fins, God is faithfull and just to forgive us our fins: otherwayes, if in fo great a multitude of our iniquities, which this day answer fo plainly to the faces of all eftates of this realme, wee fay one ftill with the unhappy Jewes, as hitherto wee have done, Wherein have wee fined: what else do wee, but as desperatly they did, and faid in the days of Jeremy, Surely wee will walk after our own imaginations, and doe every man after the ftubbornefs of his wicked heart. And fo as it is faid in the Law, The Lord will not be mercifull vnto us, but will fhew us the back, and not the face, no not though Mofes and Samuel would pray for us in the day of our deftruction.

And to begin at ourselves of the Ministry, That wee acknowledge our publick tranfgreffions in our perfons, and office particularly, whereof the catalogue is in readiness to be feen, according to the admonition of the Lord by his prophet, faying, Let the priests, the minifters of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them fay, Spare thy people, O Lord, &c.; left it be found according to the faying of the Apoftle, That wee that teach others, teach not ourselves, and fo be found reprobats.

Next, That this Affembly agree upon the true and right taking up the fins of our Princes, and Magistrats fuperior and inferior; and on the found means to deal with them duetifully and faithfully, without all flattery, for their true amendment, according to Gods command to the prophet, faying, Say unto the King, and to the Queen, humble yourselves, fit down, for the crown of your glory fhall come doun from your heads; ffor their fins are not the leaft caufe of the plague of God on the people, as by David, Manaffes, and others may be feen.

Thirdly, and laft, That the most notorious fins of the whole body of the people in burgh and land, be given in, and acknowledged, and order taken for the fpeedy ammendement thereof by the Miniftry and Magiftrats, according to the examples of Jofuah, Jehofaphat, Ezekias, Jofias, the King of Ninivel, Conflantius, Conftantine, &c., the Prophets, and Apoftles, &c. The catalogue over eafy to be made.

As for refifting the common enemy, which is the fecond, our judgement is, That the found following out of the former advice touching the first, fball make an eafy way for the fecond; otherwayes, which God forbid, it

will be but loft labour to travel much in that matter; yet wishing and hoping the best, wee have remitted the particulars of that matter, and our advice thereanent, to the Commiffioners of this Prefbytrie, who faithfullie (wee doubt not) will discharge their duty in the fame.

This advice was approved be many, but withstood be fome, namely, the Moderator himself, Mr Robert Pont, who alledged, that the first and chief motive of their conveening was to confult upon their withstanding the Spainards. The Commiffioners letter was read, and it was found that Mr Davidson had faid right.

Mr Davidson was appointed to give up the particular catalogue of the chief offences and corruptions in all eftates.

He presented the catalogue of offences in Minifters, upon Wednesday before the Affembly. Mr Andrew Melvill defired to be added, The cenfure answerable to the offence. Whereupon Mr Nichol Dagliesh, Peter Bleckburn, Walter Balcanquall, John Mackquhern, Adam Johnstoun, John Knox, James Law, John Johnftoun, and Mr Davidfon himself, were appointed to goe apart, and to confider what offence merited admonition, what deprivation; which they did. C.]

Seffio 4a. 25 March. [1596.]

[Upon Wednesday the 25 of Marche, the King came himself to the Affembly. He urged a contribution of the whole realme, not to be lifted prefently, but when need should require. The Moderatour exponed to his Grace, the two heids quherin the Kirk hes hitherto bein occupied, and how farre els it hes proceidit, viz. First, The substantiall heid, [for] moyen how to refift the enemie, quhilk was verbo recited be my Lord Kinlofs, for the rest of the number deput to advyfe therwith; and nixt, concerning the purgatioun of the Kirk of offences: And because the first is not get thoroughlie concludit, the Affembly thocht it expedient that the Barrones and Miniftrie quhilk mett thervpon, take farther refolutioun afternoone, and prefent thair advyce to the Affemblie in wryte. C. & B.]

His Majestie therafter proponit the lamentable diffordour of the geirlie alteratioun of the platt [appointed for the modification of Minifters ftipends,] and therfor defyrit that ane conftant platt fould be made, quhervnto his Majestie was moft earnestly bent. The Affemblie hes thoght meit