Works

POLECIE we call ane exercise of the Churche¹ in suche thingis as may bring the rude and ignorant to knawledge, or ellis inflambe the learned to greater fervencie, or to reteane the Churche in gude ordour. And thairof thair be two sortis: the one utterlie necessarie; as that the word be treulie preched, the sacramentis richtlie ministrat, common prayeris publictlie maid; that the children and rude personis be instructed in the cheaf pointis of religioun, and that offences be corrected and punisched; these thingis, we say, be so necessarie, that without the same thair is no face of ane visible Kirk. The other is proffitable, bot not of mere necessitie; as, that Psalmes suld be sung; that certane placis of the Scripturis suld be red whan thair is no sermon; that this day or that day, few or many in the weeke, the churche suld assemble. Off these and suche utheris we can not se how ane certane ordour can be establisched. For in some churcheis the Psalmes may be convenientlie sung; in utheris, perchance, thay can not. Some churcheis may convene everie day; some thryise or twise in the weeke; some perchance bot onis. In these and such like must everie particular Churche, by thair awin consent, appoint thair awin Polecie.

In greit Tounis we think expedient that everie day thair be eathir Sermon, or ellis Common Prayeris, with some exercise of reiding the Scripturis. What day the publict Sermon is, we can neathir require or gretlie approve that the Commoun Prayeris be publictlie used, least that we shall eathir fostar the peple in superstitioun, wha come to the Prayeris as thay come to the Messe; or ellis give thame occasioun to think that those be no prayeris whiche ar maid before and efter Sermon.

In everie notable Toun, we require that one day besydis the Sunday, be appointed to the Sermone and Prayeris; whiche, during the tyme of Sermone, must be keipit fre frome all exercise of laubour, alsweill of the maister as of the servandis. In smaller tounis, as we have said, the commoun consent of the Churche must put ordour. But the Sunday must straitlie be keipit, both before and efter noon, in all tounis. Before noon, must the word be preached and sacramentis ministered, as also Mariage solempnissed, yf occasioun offer: After noon must the young children be publictlie examinated in thair Catechisme in audience of the pepill, in doing whairof the Minister must tak gret deligence, alsweill to cause the Pepill to understand the questionis proponed, as the ansueiris, and the doctrine that may be collected thairof. The ordour² and how much is appointed for everie Sunday, is alreaddy distinctit in oure buke of Common Ordour;³ whiche Catechism is the most perfite that ever yit was used in the Churche. At efter noon also may Baptisme be ministered, whan occasioun is offered of great travell before noon. It is also to be observit, that prayeris be used at after noon upoun the Sunday, whair thair is neathir preching nor catechisme.

It apperteaneth to the Policie of the Churche to appoint the tymes whan the Sacramentis shall be ministered. Baptisme may be ministrat whensoever the word is preached; but we think it more expedient, that it be ministered upoun the Sunday, or upoun the day of prayeris, onlie after the sermon; partlie to remove this gross errour by the which many deceaved, think⁴ that children be dampned yf thay die without Baptisme; and partlie to mak the people assist the administratioun of that sacrament with greater reverence than thei do.⁵ For we do see the people begyn alreddie to wax weary be reasoun of the frequent repetitioun of those promisses.

Foure tymes in the yeare we think sufficient to the administratioun of the Lordis Tabill, which we desire to be distincted, that the superstitioun of tymes may be avoided so far as may be. Your Honouris ar nocht ignorant how superstitiouslie the people ryn to that actioun at Pasche, evin as [if] the tyme gave virtue to the Sacrament; and how the rest of the hoill yeare thai ar cairles and negligent, as [if] that it apperteaneth not unto thame but at that tyme onlie. We think thairfore most expedient, that the first Sunday of Marche be appointed for one [time]; the first Sunday of Junij for ane uther; the first Sunday of September for the thrid; and the first Sunday of December for the fourt. We do not deny but that any severall churche, for reasonable causses, may change the tyme, and may minister ofter; but we study to suppresse⁶ superstitioun. All Ministeris must be admonisched to be more cairfull to instruct the ignorant than readdie to satisfie⁷ thair appetiteis, and more scharp in examinatioun then indulgent, in admitting to that great Mysterie⁸ such as be ignorant of the use and virtu of the same: and thairfore we think that the administratioun of the Table aught never to be without that examinatioun pass before, especiallie of those whose knawledge is suspect. We think that none ar apt to be admitted to that Mysterie who can not formalie say the Lordis Prayer, the Articles of the Beleif, and declair the soume of the Law.⁹

Farthir, we think it a thing most expedient and necessarie, that everie Churche have a Bibill in Inglische, and that the people be commanded to convene to heir the plane reiding or interpretatioun of the Seripturis, as the Churche shall appoint; that be frequent reiding this gross ignorance, whiche in the cursit Papistrie hath overflowne all, may partlie be removit. We think it most expedient that the Seripturis be red in ordour, that is, that some one buke of the Auld and the New Testament be begun and ordourlie red to the end. And the same we judge of preching, whair the Minister for [the] maist part remaneth in one place: For this skipping and divagatioun frome place to place of the Scripture, be it in reiding, or be it in precheing, we judge not so proffitabill to edifie the Churche, as the continewall following of ane text.

Everie Maister of houshald must be commandit eathir to instruct, or ellis caus [to] be instructed, his children, servandis, and familie, in the principallis of the Christiane religioun; without the knawledge whairof aught none to be admitted to the Tabill of the Lord Jesus: for suche as be so dull and so ignorant, that thei can neathir try thame selfis, neathir yit know the dignitie and misterie of that actioun, can not eat and drink of that Tabill worthelie. And thairfore of necessitie we judge it, that everie yeare at least, publict examinatioun be had by the Ministeris and Elderis of the knawledge of everie persoun within the Churche; to wit, that everie maister and maistres of houshald cum thame selvis and thair familie so many as be cum to maturitie, before the Ministeris and Elderis, to gyf confessioun of thair faith, and to ansueir to such cheaf points of Religioun as the Ministeris shall demand. Such as be ignorant in the Articulis of thair Faith;¹⁰ understand not, nor can not rehearse the Commandimentis of God; knaw not how to pray; neathir whairinto thair richtuousnes consistis, aught not to be admitted to the Lordis Tabill. And gif thay stuburnlie continew,¹¹ and suffer thair children and servandis to continew in wilfull ignorance, the discipline of the Churche must proceid against them unto excommunicatioun; and than must the mater be referred to the Civill Magistrat. For seing that the just levith be his awin faith, and that Christ Jesus justifieth be knawledge off him self, insufferable we judge it that men shall be permitted to leve and continew in ignorance as memberis of the Churche of God.¹²

Moreover, men, wemen, and children wald be exhorted to exercise thame selvis in the Psalmes, that when the Churche convenith, and dois sing, thai may be the more abill togither with commoun heart and voice to prayse God.

In private housses we think it expedient, that the most grave and discreate persoun use the Commoun Prayeris at morne and at nycht, for the confort and instructioun of uthiris. For seing that we behald and se the hand of God now presentlie striking us with diverse plagues, we think it ane contempt of his judgementis, or ane provocatioun of his anger more to be kendillit against us, yf we be not movit to repentence of oure formar unthankfulnes, and to earnist invocatioun of His name, whois onlie power may, (and great mercy will,) yff we unfeynedlie convert unto him, remove from us these terribill plagues whiche now for our iniquiteis hing oure our headis. "Convert us, O Lord, and we shall be converted."

[Sidenote: 1 Cor. 14:29]

To the end that the Churche of God may have a tryell of mennis knawledge, judgementis, gracis, and utterancis; and also, that suche as somewhat have proffited in Goddis worde, may from tyme to tyme grow to more full perfectioun to serve the Churche, as necessitie shall require: it is most expedient that in everie Toune, whaire Schollis and repair of learned Men ar, that thair be one certane day everie weake appointed [to] that Exercise, which Sanct Paull calleth prophecieing; the ordour whairof is expressed by him in these words: "Let two or thre propheitis speik; and lat the rest judge: But yf any thing be reveilled to him that sitteth by, lat the formar keip silence: [For] ye may, one by one, all prophecie, that all may learn, and all may receave consolatioun. And the Spreittis (that is, the judgementis) of the Propheitis, are subject to the propheitis." Off whiche wordis of the Apostle, it is evident that in Corinthus, whan the Churche did assemble¹³ for that purpose, sum place of Scripture was red; upoun the whiche, first one gyf his judgement to the instructioun and consolatioun of the auditouris; after whome did one uthir eathir conferme what the formare had said, or did add what he had omitted, or did gentillie correct or explane more properlie whair the hoill veritie was not reveilled to the formar. And in case sum thingis war hid frome the one and frome the uthir, libertie was gevin to the thrid to speik his judgement for edificatioun of the Churche. Above the whiche nomber of three, (as appereth,) thay passed not, for avoiding of confusioun.

These Exercisses, we say, ar thingis most necessarie for the Churche of God this day in Scotland; for thairby (as said is) shall the Churche have judgement and knawledge of the gracis, giftis, and utterances of everie man within thair awin body; the simple, and suche as have sumwhat proffited, shall be encurageit dalie to study and proceid in knawledge; the Churche shall be edifyed; (for this Exercise must be patent to suche as list to heir and learne,) and everie man shall have libertie to utter and declair his mynd and knawledge to the confort and edificatioun of the Churche.

But least that of a profitable Exercise mycht aryise¹⁴ debate and strife, curiouse, peregryne and unprofitable questionis ar to be avoided. All interpretatioun disaggreing from the principallis of oure faith, repugnyng to cheritie, or that standis in plane contradictioun to ony uthir manifest place of Scripture, is to be rejected. The Interpretour in that exercise, may nocht tack to him self the libertie of ane publict Precheour, yea, althocht he be a Minister appointed; but he must bind him self to his text, that he enter not by disgressioun in explanyng commoun places. He may use no invective in that exercise onles it be with sobrietie in confuting heresyes. In exhortationis or admonitionis he must be schorte, that the tyme may be spent in oppenyng of the mynd of the Holy Ghost in that place; in following the fyle¹⁵ and dependence of the text, and in observing suche notes as may instruct and edifie the auditour. For avoyding of contentioun, neathir may the interpretour, neathir yit any of the assemblie, move any questioun in oppen audience, whairto him self is not content¹⁶ to geve resolutioun without reasoning with any other; but everie man ought to speik his awin judgement to the edificatioun of the Churche.

Yf any be noted with curiositie, or bringyng in any strange doctrine, he must be admonished by the Moderatouris, the Ministeris and Eldaris, immediatlie after that the interpretatioun is ended. The hoill memberis,¹⁷ and nomber of thame that ar of the Assemblie, ought to convene togetther, whair examinatioun should be had, how the persones that did interprete did handle and convey the mater; thei thame selffis being removed till every man have gevin his censure; after the whiche, the persones being called, the faultes (yf any notable be found) ar noted, and the persone gentillie admonished. In that last Assemblie all questionis and dowtis, (yf any arryise,) should be resolved without contentioun.

The Ministeris of the Paroche churches to Landwarte, adjacent to everie cheaf toune, and the Readaris, gif thai have any gift of interpretatioun, within sex myles must assist and concur to those that prophecie within the townes; to the end that thei thame selves may eather learne, or ellis utheris may learne be thame. And moreover, men in whome ar supposed any giftis to be, which mycht edifie the Churche yf thei war weall apply ed, must be charged by the Ministeris and Eldaris to joyne thame selfis with that sessioun and cumpany of Interpretouris, to the end that the Churche may judge whether thei be able to serve to Goddis glorie, and to the proffeit of the Churche in the vocatioun of Ministeris or not. And yf any be found disobedient, and not willing to communicat the giftis and spirituall graces¹⁸ of God with thair brethren, after sufficient admonitioun, discipline must procead against thame; provided that the Civile Magistrate concur with the judgement and electioun of the Churche. For no man may be permitted to leave¹⁹ as best pleasseth him within the Churche of God; but everie man must be constrayned, by fraterall admonitioun and correctioun, to bestow his laubouris, when of the Churche thei ar required, to the edificatioun of otheris.

What day in the week is most convenient for that exercise, and what bookes of the Scripturis salbe most profitable to be red, we refer to the judgment of everie particulare Churche, we meane, to the wisdome of the Ministeris and Eldaris.