Anent the forme of receaving of the homicid or adulterer to the societie of the Kirk.
Nane that hes committit slaughter, adulterie, or incest, or hereafter shall committ the same, shall be receavit to repentance be any particular kirk, till that first they present themselffs before the Generall Assemblie, thair to receave their injunctions; and thereafter they shall keep the same order that was prescryved to Paull Methven in his repentance; this being addeit, that he or they shall beir in their hand at all the tymes of their publick repentance the same or lyke weapon wherewith the murther was committit.
It was declared and fund, that Thomas Bassendie, printer in Edinburgh, printed ane book, intituled the Fall of the Roman Kirk, nameing our King and Soveraigne supreame Head of the primitive Kirk. Also, that he had printit ane Psalme Book, in the end whereof was fund printed ane baudy song callit Wellcome Fortune; whilk books he had printed without licence of the magistrat or revising of the Kirk: Therefore, the haill Assembly ordained the said Thomas, to call in againe all the forsaids books that he has sauld, and keep the rest unsauld untill he alter the forsaid title, and also that he delait the said baudy song out of the end of the Psalme Book; and, farther, that he abstaine in all tyme comeing from further printing any thing without licence of the supreame magistrate, and reviseing of sic things as pertaine to religione be some of the Kirk appointit for that purpose. Attour, the Assembly appointit Mr Alexander Arbuthnot to revise the rest of the forsaid tractat, and report to the Kirk what doctrine he finds therein.
Anent the excommunication of Papists, and separation of them from the societie of Christ’s bodie, after dew admonitione, refuising to joyne themselffes to the Kirk: It is concludeit, that, after they have receavit sufficient admonitions, according to the order established in particular kirks, and, they yet remaining obstinate, they shall be declareit publickly in all congregations necessar, to be out of the societie of Christ’s bodie, to be excommunicat.
First, That his Grace knaw the heavie and grievous complaints of ministers against them, to subscryve the assignatiounes through the quhilk they are altogidder disappointed of their stipends, for the assignationes standing, the thirds are not able, as they are ordered, to pay the ministers’ half-year stipends; in some parts, not the quarter thereof.