fa far as lyis in thair power; git cheiflie and namelie, Chriftiane princes, kingis, and vtheris magiftratis, ar hauldin to do the fame.

2. For thay ar callit in the Scriptouris, Nureffaris of the Kirk, forfamekle as be thame it is, or at least aucht to be mantened, fofterit, vphauldin, and defendit aganis all that wald procure the hurte thairof.

3. So it pertenit to the office of ane Chriftiane magiftrat to affift and fortefie the godlie proceding of the Kirk in all behalfis; and, namelie, to fie that the publict eftait and ministrie thairof be mantenit and fuftenit as it apertenis, according to Goddis Worde.

4. To fie that the Kirk be not invaidit nor hurt be fals teacheris or hyrlingis, nor the rowmes thairof occupiit be dum doggis or iddill bellies.

5. To affist and mantene the difcipline of the Kirk, and punishe thame ciuilie that will not obey the cenfure of the fame, without confunding alwyis of the ane jurifdictioun with the vther.

6. To fee that fufficient prouifioun be maid for the ministrie, fcoles, and the pure; and gif thay haue nocht sufficient to await vpoun thair charges, to fupplie thair indigence, evin with thair awin rentis, gif neid requiris : To hauld hand to thame alfweill concerning thair awin perfonis, faifing thame from iniurie and oppin violence, as concerning thair rentis and poffeffionis, that thay be not defraudit, revit, nor spoilget thairof.

7. No to fuffer the patrimony of the Kirk to be applyit to prophane and vnlauchfull vfes, or to be devoirit be idle bellies, and fic as haue na lauchfull functioun in the Kirk, to the hurt of the ministrie, the scoles, the and vther godlie vfes, quhairvpoun the fame aucht to be bestowed.

pure,

8. To mak lawis and conftitutionis aggreable to Goddis Woorde, for the aduancement of the Kirk, and polecie thairof, without vfurping ony thing that pertenis not to the ciuile fworde, bot belangis to the offices that are mere ecclefiafticall; as is the miniftrie of the Woorde and Sacramentis; vfing of ecclefiafticall difcipline and the spirituall executioun thairof, or ony parte of the power of the fpirituall keyis, quhilk our Maifter gaif to his Apoftlis and thair trew fucceffouris.

9. And althocht kingis and princes that be godlie, fumtymis be thair awin auctoritie, (quhen the Kirk is corrupt, and all thingis out of ordour,) place minifteris, and restoir the trew feruice of the Lord, eftir the exemple of fum godlie kingis in Judea, [the quhilk they did be direction of Prophets,] and diuers godlie Emperouris and Kingis alfo, in the licht of the New Testament; git quhair the miniftrie of the Kirk is anes lauchfullie

institute, and thay that ar placed do thair office faithfullie, all godlie princes and magiftrattis aucht to heir and obey thair voce, and reuerence the Maieftie of the Sone of God speiking be thame.

Off the present Abuses remaning in the Kirk, quhilk we defire to be reformit. CAP. XI.

1. As it is the deutie of the godlie magiftrat to mantene the present libertie, quhilk God, of his mercie, hes grantit to the preaching of his Worde, and the trew miniftratioun of the Sacramentis within this realme; fa it is to provyid, that all abuses as git remane in the Kirk, fould be removit and vtterlie takin away.

2. Thairfore, firft, the admiffioun of men to papifticall titles of benefices, fic as feruis not, nor hes na functioun in the reformit Kirk of Chryft, as Abbattis, Comendatouris, Priouris, Prioreffis, and vther titleis of Abbayis, quhais places are now, for the maist parte, be the iuft iudgement of God, demolished and purgit of idolatrie, is plane abufioun, and is not to reffaue the Kingdome of Chryft amongis ws, bot rather to refuse it.

3. Off the lyke nature ar the Deannes, Archedeanes, Chanteris, Subchanteris, Thefauraris, Chancellaris, and vtheris haueing the lyke titleis flowit from the Paip and Canoun Law onlie, quha haue na place in the reformit Kirk.

4. Sicklike, thay that wer callet of auld the Chapteris and Conventis of Abbayis, Cathedrall Kirkis, and like places, feruis for na thing now bot to fett fewis and tackis, (gif ony thing be left,) of Kirk landis and teyndis, in hurt and preiudice thairof, as daylie experience teached, and thairfore aucht to be allutterlie abrogat and aboliffet.

5. The Kirkis also quhilk ar vnitit and jonit togidder be annexatioun to thir benefices, aucht to be feperated and diuidit, and gevin to qualefiit minifteris, as Goddis Word cravis.

6. Nather aucht fic abufearis of the patrimony of the Kirk of Chrift to haue voit in Parliament, nor fit in Counfale vnder the name of the Kirk and Kirkmen, to the hurt and preiudice of the libertie thairof, and lawis of the realme maid in fauouris of the Reformit Kirk.

7. Mekle les is it lauchfull, that ane perfoun amongis these men fould haue fyue, fex, ten, tuentie, or ma Kirkis, all haveing the charge of

faulis, and bruke the patrimony thairof, ather be admiffioun of the Prince, or of the Kirk, in this licht of the Euangell; for it is bott mockage to craue reformatioun quher ficlike hes place.

8. And albeit it wes thocht guid for avoiding greittare inconuenientis, that the auld poffeffouris of fic benefices quha imbraffit the religioun, fould injoy be permiffioun the tua partis of the rentis quhilk thay poffeft of befoir, during thair liftymes; git it is not tollerable to continew in the like abuse, and gif these places and vtheris benefices of new to als vnmeit men, or rather vnmeittar, quha ar not myndit to ferue in the Kirk, bot leid and leve ane idle life, as the vtheris did quha broukit thame in tyme of blindnes.

9. And in fa far as in the ordour tane at Leith, in the geir of our Lord Mv fevintie ane geir, it appeiris that fic may be admittit, being fund qualefiit, &c.; ather that pretendit ordour is aganis all guid ordour, or ellis it must be vnderstandit not of thame that be qualefeit to warldlie effearis to ferue in Court, bot fic as ar qualefiit to teache Goddis Woorde, haifand thair lauchfull admiffioun of the Kirk.

10. As to Bifchoppis, gif the name еTiσкоTоs be propirlie takin, they ar all ane with Minifteris, (as wes befoir declairit ;) for it is not the name of fuperioritie and lordfchip, bot of office and watcheing.

11. it becaus in the corruptioun of the Kirk, this name, as vtheris, hes bene abused, and git is like to be, we can not allow the faiffoun of thais new chofin Bifchoppis, nather of the Chapteris that are the electouris of thame to fic office as they ar chofin.

12. Trew Bifchoppis fould addict thame felffis to ane particulare flok, (quhilk findrie of thame refuifes ;) nather fould thay vfurp lordfchip owr thair bretherine, and owr the inheritance of Chrift, as thefe men do.

13. Pasturis, in fa fare as thay ar pafturis, hes not the office of visitatioun of ma kirkis jonit to the pasturefchip, without it be gevin to thame. 14. It is ane corruptioun, that Bifchoppis fould haue forder boundis to vefeit, nor thay may lauchfullie.

15. Na man aucht to haue the office of vifitatioun, bot he that is lauchfullie chofin be the Prefbyterie thairto.

16. The Elderfchippis being weill established, hes power to fend out vifitouris, ane or ma, with commiffioun to vefeit the boundis within thair Elderfchippis; and ficlike, eftir compt tane of them, ather to continew

thame, or remove thame from tyme to tyme; to the quhilkis Elderfchippis thay falbe alwayes fubiect.

17. The criminall jurisdictioun jonit in the perfoun of ane Pasture, is ane corruptioun.

18. It aggreit not with the Woorde, that Bifchoppis fould be pafturis of pafturis, pafturis of mony flokkis, and git without ane certane flok, and without ordinare techeing.

19. It aggreit not with the Scriptouris, that thay fould be exemit fra correctioun of thair bretherine, and difcipline of the particulare Elderschip of the Kirk quher thay fould ferue; nather that thay fould vfurp the office of vifitatioun of vther kirkis, nor ony vther functioun beside vther minifteris, bot sa far as beis committit to thame be the Kirk.

20. Heirfore, we defyre the Bifchoppis that now ar, ather to aggrie with that ordoure that Goddis Worde requiris thame, and as the Generall Kirk will prefcriue vnto thame, not paffing that boundis, nather in ecclesiasticall nor ciuile effearis, or ellis to be depofit from all functioun in the Kirk.

21. We deny not, in the meane tyme, bot ministeris may and fould affift thair Princes, quhen thay ar requirit, in all thingis aggreable to the Woorde, quhidder it be in Counfall, or Parliament, or vtherevife; provyding alway is thay nather neglect thair awin chargis, nor, throch flatterie of Princes, hurt the publict eftait of the Kirk.

22. Bot, generalie, we say, na perfonis, vnder quhatfumeuer title of the Kirk, and speciallie the abused titles in Papistrie, of Prelattis, Conventis, and Chapteris, aucht to attempt ony act in the Kirkis name, ather in Counfall, Parliament, or out of Counfall, haveing na commiffioun of the reformit Kirk within this realme.

23. And be Act of Parliament it is prouydit, that the Papisticall Kirk and Jurifdictioun fould haue na place within the fame, and na bifchop nor vther prelate, in tymes cuming, fould vfe ony iurifdictioun flowing frome his auctoritie.

24. And agane, that na vther ecclefiafticall jurifdictioun fould be acknawlegit within this realme, bot that quhilk is and falbe within the reformit Kirk, and flowing therfra.

25. So we efteme halding of Chapteris in Papifticall maner, ather in Cathedrall kirkis, Abbayis, Collegeis, or vther conventuall places, vfurping the name and authoritie of the Kirk, to hurt the patrimony thairof, or

vfe ony vther act to the preiudice of the fame, fen the geir of our Lord 1560 geiris, to be abufioun and corruptioun, contrare to the libertie of the trew Kirk, and lawis of the realme; and thairfore aucht to be annullat, reducit, and in tymes cuming vtterlie dischargit.

26. The dependences alfo of this Papisticall jurifdictioun are to be abolefhed, of the quhilk fort is the mingled iurifdictioun of the Commiffaris, in fa far as they mell with ecclefiafticall materis, and haue no commiffioun of the Kirk therto, bot war erectit in tyme of our Soueranes moder, quhen thingis wer out of ordour. It is ane abfurde thing, that findrie of thame haveing na functioun in the Kirk, fould be iugeis to minifteris, and depofe thame fra thair rowmes: Thairfore, ather thay wald be dischargit to medle with ecclefiafticall materis, or it wald be limitat to thame in quhat materis thay mycht be jugeis, and not hurt the libertie of the Kirk.

27. They alfo that of befoir wer of the ecclefiafticall efteat in the Papis Kirk, or that ar admittit of new to Papisticall titles, and now ar tollerat be the lawis of the realme, to poffeffe the tua part of thair ecclefiafticall rentis, aucht not to haue ony forder libertie, bot to intromet with the portioun affignit and grantit to thame for thair liftyme; and nocht vnder the abufet titillis quhilkis thay had, to difpone the Kirk rentis, fett takkis and fewis thairof at thair plefour, to the greit hurt of the Kirk, and pure laubouraris that dwell vpon the Kirk landis, contrarie to all guid conscience and ordoure.

Certane speciall Headis of Reformatioun quhilk we crave. CAP. XII.

1. Quhatfoeuer haue bene fpokin of the offices of the Kirk, the feuerall power of the office beraris, thair coniunct power alfo, and laft, of the patrimony of the Kirk, we vnderstand it to be the richt reformatioun quhilk God cravis at our handis, that the Kirk be ordourit according thairto, as with that ordour quhilk is maift aggreable to the Word of God.

2. Bott becaus fum thingis will be twiched in particulare, concerning the efteat of the cuntrie, and that quhilk we principallie feik to be reformit in the fame, we haue collectit thame in thir headis following.

3. First, Seing the haill countrie is diuidit in prouinces, and thir prouinces agane ar diuidit in parrochis, alfweill in landward as in townis; in everie paroche of reafonable congregationis, ther wald be placeit ane or