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We have spokin no thing of those that commit horrible crymis, as murtheraris, man-slayaris, and adulteraris; for suche (as we have said) the Civill swearde aught to punische to death: But in case thei be permitted to leve, than must the Churche, as before is said, draw the swearde whiche of God scho hath receaved, halding thame as accursed evin in thair [very] fact. The offendar being first called, and ordour of the Churche used aganis him, in the same maner as the personis that for obstinat impenitence ar publictlie excommunicat: So that the obstinat impenitent efter the sentence of excommunicatioun, and the murtherar or adulterar stand in one case as concernying the judgement of [the Churche]; that is, neathir of both may be receaved in the fellowschip of the Churche to prayeris or sacramentis, (but to heiring of the word thei may,) till first thei offer thame selfis to the Ministerie, humblie requiring the Ministeris and Elderis to pray to God for thame; and alsua to be intercessouris to the Churche, that thei may be admitted to publict repentence, and so to the fruitioun of the benefitis of Christ Jesus, distributed to the memberis of his body.

Yf this requeist be humilie maid, then may not the Ministeris refuise to signifie the same unto the Churche, the nixt day of publict preaching,¹ the Minister geving exhortatioun to the Churche to pray to God to performe the work whiche he appearit to have begun, wirking in the heart of the offendare unfeyned repentence of his grevous cryme, and the sence² and fealing of his great mercy, by the operatioun of his Holie Spirit. Thairefter ane day aucht publictlie to be assignit unto him to gif oppin confessioun of his offence and contempt, and sa to mak ane publict satisfactioun to the Churche of God. Whiche day the offenderis must appeare in presence of the hoill Churche, and with his awin mouthe dampne his awin impietie, publictlie confessing the same; desiring God of his grace and mercy, and his congregatioun, that it will please thame to accept him in thair societie, as before is said. The Minister must examinat him diligentlie whethir he find a haitrent and displesour of his syn, alsweill of his cryme as of his contempt:³ whiche yf he confesse, he must travell with him, to se what hope he hath of Goddis mercy.

And gif he find him reasonabillie instructed in the knawledge of Christ Jesus, in the virtu of his death; than may the Minister confort him by Goddis infallibill promisses, and demand of the Churche yf thei be content to resave that creature of God, whome Sathan before have drawin in his nettis, in the societie of thair body, seing that he declairis him self penitent. Whiche yf the Churche grant, as thai may not justlie deny the same, than aught the Minister in publict prayer to commend him to God, confesse the syn of that offendar, and of the whole⁴ Churche, desiring mercy and grace for Christ Jesus saik. Whiche prayer being endit, the Minister aught to exhort the Churche to resave that penitent brothir in thair favouris, as thay require God to resave thame selfis, whan thay have offendit; and in signe of thair consent, the Elderis and cheaf men of the Churche sall tak the penitent by the hand, and one or two in name of the whole shall kiss and imbrace him with all reverence and gravitie, as a member of Christ Jesus.

Whiche being done, the Minister shall exhort the reconcilled⁵ to tak diligent heid in tymes cuming, that Sathan trap him nocht in suche crymes, admonissing him that he will nocht cease to tempt and trye [by] all meanis possibill to bring him frome that obedience whiche he hath gevin to God, and to the ordinance of his Sone Christ Jesus. The exhortatioun being ended, the Minister aught to gif publict thankis unto God for the conversioun of that thair brothir, and for the benifittis quhilk we resave by Jesus Christ, praying for the increase and continewance of the same.

Yf the penitent, efter that he have offered him self to the Ministerie, or to the Churche, be fund ignorant in the principall pointis of oure religioun, and cheaflie in the article of Justificatioun, and of the office of Christ Jesus, than aucht he to be exactlie instructed before he be receaved: For ane mocking of God it is to receave thame in repentence, who knoweth not whairin standis thair remeid, whan thai repent thair syn.

To Discipline must all Estaitis within this Realme be subject, yf thay offend,⁶ alsweil the Reullaris as thay that are reulit; yea and the Preachearis thame selfis, alsweill as the poorest within the Churche. And becaus the eye and mouth of the Churche aught to be most single and irreprehensibill, the life and conversatioun of the Ministers aucht most diligentlie to be tryed. Whairof we shall speake, efter that we have spokin of the electioun of Elderis and Deaconis, who must assist the Ministeris in all public effaires of the Churche, &c.⁷

MEN of best knawledge in Goddis word, of cleanest life, men faithfull, and of most honest conversatioun that can be fund in the Churche, must be nominated to be in electioun; and the names of the same must⁸ be publictlie red to the whole Kirk by the Minister, geving thame advertisement, that frome amongest these must be chosin Elderis and Deaconis. Yf anye of the nominated be noted with publict infamye, he aught to be repelled; for it is not seamlie that the servand of corruptioun shall have authoritie to judge in the Churche of God. Yf anye man knowis utheris of better qualiteis within the Churche then these that beis nominated, lat thame be put in electioun, that the Church may have the choise.

Yf churcheis⁹ be of smaller nomber than that Seniouris and Deaconis can be chosin frome amangis thame, then may thay weill be joyned to the nixt adjacent Churche: For the pluralitie of churcheis, without ministeris and ordour, shall rathir hurt than edifie.

The electioun of Elderis and Deaconis aught to be used everie yeare once, (whiche we judge to be most convenient the first day of August;) least that by long continuance of suche officiaris, men presume upoun the libertie of the Churche. It hurtis not that one man be reteaned in office mo yearis than one, so that he be appointed yearlie, by common and fre electioun; provideit alwayes, that the Deaconis, thesauraris, be not compelled to receave the office againe for the space of three yearis.

How the voitis and suffreigeis may be best receaved, so that everie man may gyf his vote frelie, everie severall Churche may tack such ordour as best seameth to thame.

The Elderis being elected, must be admonischeit of thair office, which is to assist the Minister in all publict effares of the Churche; to wit, in judgeing and decernyng¹⁰ causses; in geving of admonitioun to the licentious lever; in having of respect to the manneris and conversatioun of all men within thair charge; for by the gravitie of the Seniouris aught the licht and unbridillit life of the licentious be corrected and bridillit.

Yea, the Seniouris aught to tak heyde to the life, manneris, deligence, and studye of thair Ministeris. Yf he be worthie of admonitioun, thei must admonische him; of correctioun, thei must correct him: And yf he be worthy of depositioun, thay with consent of the Churche and Superintendent may depose him, so that his cryme so deserve. Yf a Minister be licht in conversatioun, by his Elderis and Seniouris, he aught to be admonisched. Yf he be negligent in studie, or one that vaketh not upoun his charge and flocke, or one that proponeth not frutefull doctrine, he deservith scharpear admonitioun and correctioun. To the whiche yf he be fund stubburne and inobedient, than may the Seniouris of one Churche complaine to the Ministerie of the two nixt adjacent churcheis, whaire men of greater gravitie are; to whois admonitioun yf he be fund inobedient, he aught to be discharged frome his ministerie till his repentence appeare, and a place be vaking for him.

Yf any Minister be deprehendit in any notable cryme, as huredome, adulterie, murther, man-slauchter, perjurie, teaching of heresie, or ony such as deserve death, or [that] may be ane note of perpetuall infamye, he aught to be deposed for ever. By Heresie, we meane pernitius doctrine planelie taught, and obstinatlie defended, aganis the foundatioun and principallis of our faith: and such a cryme we juge to deserve perpetuall depositioun frome the ministrie; for most dangerus we know it to be, to commit the flock to ane man infected with the pestilence of heresye.

Some crymes deserve depositioun for ane tyme, and whill the persoun gyf declaratioun of gretar gravitie and honnestie: as yf a minister be deprehendit dronk, in brawling or fechting, ane oppin sklanderar, ane infamer of his nychtbour, factious and sawar of discord, be may be commandit to cease from his ministrie, till he declair the signis of repentence; upoun the whiche, the Churche sall abide him the space of twentye dayis or farther, as the Churche shall think expedient, before that thay proceed to ane new electioun.

Everie inferiour Churche shall by one of thair Seniouris and one of thair Deaconis, onis in the year, notifie unto the ministerie of the Superintendentis churche, the life, maneris, studye, and deligence of thair Ministeris, to the end that the discretioun of some may correct the lenitie of otheris.

Not onlie may the life and maneris of the Ministeris cum under censure and judgement of the Churche, bot also of thair wiffes, children, and familie; judgement must be tackin, that he neather live riotuslie, neathir yit avaritiuslie; yea, respect must be had how thay spend the stipend appointed to thair leving. Yf ane reasonabill stypend be appointed, and thay leve avariciuslie, thai must be admonisched to live so as thay resave; for as excesse and superfluitie is nocht tollerabill in ane minister, so is avarice and the cairfull sollicitude of money and geir¹¹ utterlie to be damned in Christis servandis, and especialie in those that are fed upoun the charge of the Church. We judge it unseamlie and not tollerabill that ministeris shall be burdeit in commoun aill-housses or tavernis.

Neathir yit must ane Minister be permitted to frequent and commonlie hant the Court, onless it be for a time, when he is eathir send be the Churche, eathir yit called for by the Authoritie for his counsall and judgement. Neathir yit must he be one of the counsall in Civill effaires, be he never judgeit so apt for that purpose; but eathir must he cease frome the ministerie (whiche at his awin plesour he may not do,) or ellis from bearing charge in Civill effaires, onles it be to assist the Parliament yf he be¹² called.

The office of the Deaconis, as is before declared, is to receave the rentis, and gadder the almous of the Churche, to keip and distribute the same, as by the ministerie of the Kirk shall be appointed. Thay may also assist in judgement with the Ministeris and Elderis, and may be admitted to read in the assemblie yf thei be required, and be fund abill thairto.

The Elderis and Deaconis, with thair wiffeis and houshaldis must be under the same censure that is prescribit for the Ministeris: for thay must be cairfull over thair office; and seing that thay ar judgeis to the maneris of uthiris, thair awin conversatioun aught to be irreprehensible: Thay must be sober, humill, luifaris and interteinaris of concord and peace; and, finalie, thay aught to be the exempill of godlines till otheris. And yf the contrarie thairof appeare, thay must be admonisched by the Minister, or by some of thair brethren of the ministerie, yf the falt be secreit; and gif it be oppin and knawin, it must be rebucked before the ministerie, and the same ordour keipit against the Seniour or Deacon, that before is describit aganis the Minister.

We think it nott necessarie that ony publict stypend shall be appointed, eathir to the Elderis, or yit to the Deaconis, becaus thair travell contineuis bot for ane yeare; and alsua becaus that thay are not so occupyed with the effares of the Churche, but that reasonabillie thay may attend upoun thair domesticall besynes.