EXTRACTS FROM THE BUIK OF THE

GENERAL KIRK OF EDINBURGH.*

APR. 29. 1574.-Publicatioun of the Generall Fast.-Forsamekill as the haill kirk of Scotland being convenit within this burgh, in thair sessioun haldin the tent day of Merche last bypast, and forseing the moneyfald appeirand dengeris and greit trublis that ourehang not only the heidis of all the trew professouris of Christis evangell within this realme, bot als universall dispersit upoun the haill face of the erth; for

* The Record from which these Extracts are transcribed, is called the Buik of the General Kirk of Edinburgh. This General Kirk (or Session) was a Court composed of the ministers, elders and deacons of the city; the ministers being entitled to a seat during their incumbency, and the elders and deacons being annually changed. This Court continued to sit after the erection of Presbyteries in 1578, but its power was less extensive than before. From this period there were four distinct assemblies in the Church of Scotland, Kirk Sessions, Presbyteries, Synods, and the General Assembly (then called the Universal Kirk of Scotland;) and in the city of Edinburgh it became the practice to hold particular Sessions for various causes, besides the General Session or General Kirk, which was engaged chiefly in administering those concerns in which all the congregations in Edinburgh had a common interest. This volume is mutilated in various parts.

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euoding and eschewin quhairof, that Ministeris hes thocht maist necessar that ane publict humiliatioun and fast, togidder with ane ernest vocatioun and prayar, be institutit and adjunit thairto to be maid as the only ordinarye menis quhairby the saidis scurgis may be removit, appoyntit within Godis holly word, and the feirsche wrayth of God appesit : The kirk of Edinburgh being myndfull thairof, hes ordeinit thair Ministeris to signifie the samin vpon Sonday nixt tocum, to the hail kirk maist ernistlie, in the name of the living God, &c.; to continew for the space of aucht dayis, &c.

..

Item, In lyk manner the kirk hes thoucht guid that the holly table of the supper sall . . . . . and follow upoun the said fast, and bygayne Sonday ; wairning thairfoir the haill brethering of the north syd of the toun that thai prepair thame selffis thairto; the seruandis and sic utheris that plessis to cum to the mornyng sermond, quhilk salbegyne a litill. . . . iiij houris in the mornyng, and to continew quhill fyve houris; and the ministratioun than to begyne, quhilk sall indure quhill sevin houris or thairby; the secund sermond to begyne at ix houris, and to continew. . . houris; and thaireftir the ministra

tioun thane to begyne, and continew quhille xii houris at nowne. Ordinances of the Kirk.-ITEM, That na stranger that hes bene aganis our souerane lordis auctoritie, athir derectlie or inderectlie, presome to cum to the said table,

as yit publictlie satisfiit the kirk, certifeing thame gif thai do the same, thai salbe resit.

ITEM, That sic brether that hes not ressavit thair tekettis, cum to the places of thair examinatioun upoun Fryday and Setterday nixtocum, and ressave the samin.

ITEM, That na inhabitant of this burgh that remanit within the samin

the lait trublis, that hes not ressauit the injunctionis of the kirk,

.thame to present thame to the table, certefeing thame gif thai do the same, thai salbe debarit and rasit.

ITEM, To signifie to the haill kirk that the generall assemblay of the

haill brethering salbe upoun Teudinsday at ij houris eftir nowne in the Ouir Tolbuith, Thairfoir the kirk ernistlie requestis the haill communicantes to be thair present.

AND in lik maner, that all strangeris that plessis to resort to the table, that thai pas to Johnne Durye to ressaue thair tekettis.

AND in lik maner, that na fornicatouris, ather of auld or new, that hes

sclander, and as yit not satisfiit the kirk for the samin, presome ... thame selffis to the said holly table; certifeing thame that thai sall not only be rasit thairfra, bot als mak thair for the samin, &c.

Margaret Sympsone fornicatrice Declaratioun.-The said day Margaret Symsone being wernit to ansuer the kirk super inquirendis, compeirand; and being inquirit to quhome it wes that scho buir the last barne unto, ansuerit, that it wes to ane gentill man in the northland; thaireftir confessit that the samin wes to Mr Thomas Craige; the kirk ordanis the said Mr Thomas to be warnit agane this day aucht dayis.

THE GENERALL ASSEMBLAY of the kirk of Edinburgh, haldin in the Tolbuith of the samin the thrid day of Maij 1574. The Generall Assemblay.—The said day the haill brethering being convenit in the said Tolbuyth, the particular kirk being also callit, and compeirand; the ministeris, Mr James Lausoun, Johnne Durye, Johnne Carnis, being all removit outwith the presence of the haill brethering, &c.; and being oppinlie proclamit gif thair wes ony brothir that had ony thing to lay to the charge of the saidis ministeris, ather in life, doctering or conversatioun, thane declarit or thaireftir hald thair toungis, for thair wes tyme and place grantit to all that wald appone thame thairto; and being sua thre several tymes being removit; and the haill brethering being thair

glorifiit God

ony present,

lay ony thing to the charge of ony of the . . .

deaconis, thair was na thing opponit aganis thame, except aganis the

persone of Robert Gurlaw eldar of the said kirk, and that for bying and carying of certane victuallis furth of this realme; being ressonit at lenth, and the said Robert being callit in and confessand that he had coft and cariit mair victuall nor wes in his lycence, and supponit to haue had ane oursycht thair ressoune he wes merchand to the rest: The haill Assemblie findis that he hes gevin just occasioun of sclander, being ane eldar of the kirk of God, and transgressand the lawis in transporting mair victuallis nor wes contenit in his said lycence, and thairfoir ordanit him to remove the sclander; and it being ressonit gif. . . . . how this sclander suld be removit, and the forme of his repentance suld be modefiit heir or be the particular kirk, it wes concludit, that the samin suld be modefiit be the said particular kirk, and wes referrit thairto, &c.

James Nesbett and the kirk.-The said day it wes in lik maner menit be sum brethir, that James Nesbeth had in lik maner sclanderit the kirk, and that for allegit transporting of victuall furth of this realme; and being inquirit thairof, denyit the samin, and confessit that he culd be na menis obtene lycence of my lord regente, &c.

MAII 13.—Mr Thomas Maccalyene and the kirk.-The said day compeirit Maisteris Johnne Spottiswod superintendent of Laudiane, and Dauid Lyndisay minister in Leyth, and Johne Brand minister of Halyrudhous, as Commissionaris send from the generall kirk of this realme, and offerit thame reddie to adjoyne with the Ministeris, eldaris and deaconis of Edinburgh, for taking of tryall and cognesioun of sclander committit be Mr Thomas Maccallyane of Cleiftounhill, and ane of the senatouris of our soverane lordis college of justice, quhidder that the said Mr Thomas suld be instantlie ressavit to the participatioun of the holy table at this present or nocht, &c.; Quhairupoun the saidis Commissionaris disyrit ansuer. To quhome it wes ansuerit that thair minister Mr James Lousoun wes absent, togidder with ane greit parte

of the eldaris and deaconis, in respect quhairof the kirk present continewit thair ansuer quhill this day aucht dayis, &c.

Robert Gourlay and the kirk.-The haill kirk hes concludit that Robert Gurlaw eldar, sall satisfie and purge the sclander committit be him publictlie as salbe injonit be the said kirk; that is, that he sall compeir the morne in the mariage place, thair to confess publictlie his offence and sclander of careing away of victuall furth of this realme, confessit be him in the presens of the generall kirk, cled in his awin gowne; and the samin being performit and fulfillit as said is, the said gowne to be ressavit fra him, and gevin to ane of the puir at the discretioun of the said kirk: Quhilk ordinance being red to him in his presens, he obstenatlie refusit to resave the samin: In respect quhairof, the kirk suspendit him fra all functioun of his office quhill this day aucht dayis, and from participatioun of the lordis table in the mene tyme, &c.

MAII 16.-The said day compeirit Robert Gurlaw eldar in the kirk of Edinburgh, and thair in presens of the Minister, eldaris and deaconis, submittit him to the jugement of the kirk for the sclander committit be him, for transporting of certane quheit furth of this realme without lycence or congye, to his awne vtillitie and proffeit, and for the dissobedience committit be him in nonfulfilling the ordinance appoyntit to him, &c.

MAII 20.—The said day, anent the mater of Robert Gurlayis repentance, and removing of the sclander gevin be him for taking away of mair quheit nor wes contenit in his congye, the modificatioun thairof being remittit be the generall kirk to the particular assemblie of the Ministeris, eldaris and deaconis; thai all in ane voce, with the said Robertis awin submissioun, ordanis him to fulfill the ordinance maid this day aucht dayis; viz. to compeir the morne in the mariage place eftir sermond, and thair confess his falt, and ask God and the kirk forgyvenance, dispensand that he may compeir in clok or gowne as he sall think guid. And