Arran, and Buite, with their adjacents, with [the countrey of Lochwhaber, his residence to be in Argyle.

4. The superintendent of Aberdene, whose diocesse is betwixt Dee and Spay, conteining the shirefdoms of Aberdene and Bamfe, whose residenee shall be in Old Aberdene.

5. The superintendent of Brechen, whose diocesse shall be the whole shirefdoms of the Merns and Angus, and the Brae of Mar to Dee, his residence to be in Brechen.

6. The superintendent of Fife, [whose diocesse shall be Fife,] and Fotherinhame to Stirling, and the whole sherifdome of Perth, his residence to be in Saint Androes.

7. The superintendent of Edinburgh, whose diocesse shall comprehend the whole sherifdoms of Lowthian, and Stirling on the south side of the water of Forth, his residence to be in Edinburgh.

8. The superintendent of Jedburgh, whose diocesse shall comprehend the whole Tivitdail, Tweeddale, Liddisdail, and thereto is added by consent of the whole kirk* the Merse, Lawderdaill, and Weddaill, with the Forrest of Ettrick, his residence to be in Jedburgh.

9. The superintendent of Glasgow, whose diocesse shall comprehend Clidsdaill, Renfrew, Menteth, Lennox, Kyle, and Cunninghame, his residence to be in Glasgow.

10. The superintendent of Dumfries, whose diocesse shall comprehend Galloway, Carrik, Nithsdail, Anandaile, with the rest of the Dailes in the West, his residence to be in Dumfriese.

4. Those men must not be suffered to live as your idle bishops have done heretofore, neither must they remaine where gladly they would; but they must be preachers themselves, and such as may not make long residence in any place till their kirks be planted and provided of ininisters, or at the least of readers. Charge must be given to them that they remain in no place above twenty daies in their visitation, till they have passed through their whole bounds. They must thrice everie week preach at

This seems to have been done after the first division. For in some copies the Merse, Lawderdaill, and Stow of Tweeddail are in the diocess of Edinburgh.

the least, and when they returne to their principall town and residence, they must be likewise exercised in preaching and edification of the kirk; and yet they must not be suffered to continue there so long, that they may seem to neglect their other kirks: But after they have remained in their chiefe towne three or foure moneths at most, they shall be compelled (unlesse by sicknesse they be retained) to re-enter in visitation, in which they shall not onely preach, but also examine the life, diligence, and behaviour of the ministers; as also the order of the kirkes [and] the manners of the people. They must further consider how the poore be provided, how the youth be instructed: They must admonish where admonition needeth, and dresse such things as by good counsell they be able to be appease. And finally, they must note such crimes as be heynous, that by the censure of the kirk the same may be corrected.

5. If the superintendent be found negligent in any of the chiefe points of his office, and specially if he be noted negligent in preaching of the word, and visitation of the kirkes; or if he be convict of such crimes which in common ministers are damned, he must be deposed without respect of his person or office.

III. The Election of Superintendents, &c.

6. In this present necessity, the nomination, examination, and admission of the superintendent, cannot be so straight as we require, and as afterward it must be. For this present therefore, we thinke it expedient, that either your honours by yourselves nominate so many as may serve the fore-written provinces; or that ye give commis sion to such men as ye suppose the feare of God to be in, to doe the same: And the same men being called in your presence shall be by you, and such as your honours please call unto you for consultation in that case, appointed to their provinces. We thinke it expedient and necessarie, that as well the gentlemen, as burgesses of every diocie be made privy at this time to the election of the superin tendent, as well to bring the kirk in some practise of her liberty, as that the pastor may be the better favoured of

D

ces.

the flock whom themselves have chosen. If your honours cannot finde for this present so many able [men] as necessity requireth, then in our judgments, more profitable it is those provinces vaike till God provide better for them, then that men unable to edifie and govern the kirk, so suddenly be placed in that charge; for experience hath teached us what pestilence hath been engendered in the kirk by men unable to discharge their offiWhen therefore after three yeares any superintendent shall depart, or chance to be deposed, the cheefe towne within the province, to wit, the ministers, elders, and deacons, with the magistrate and councell of the same towne, shall nominate, and by public edicts proclaime, as well to the superintendents, as to two or three provinces, next adjacent, two or three of the most learned and godly ministers within the whole realme, that from amongst them one with public consent may be elected and appointed to the office then vacant: And this the chiefe towne shall be bound to doe within the space of twentie daies; which being expired and no man presented, then shall three of the next adjacent provinces, with consent of their superintendents, ministers, and elders, enter in the right and priviledge of the town, and shall present every one of them one or two, if they list to the chiefe town to be examined as the order requires; as also it shall be lawfull for all the kirks of the diocesse, to nominate within the same time such persons as they thinke worthy to stand in election, who all must be put in an edict.

7. After [the] nomination is made, publick edicts must be sent forth, warning all men that have any exception against the persons nominate, or against any of them, to be present in the chiefe town at the day affixed, and place, to object what they can against the election of any of them: Thirtie dayes we thinke sufficient to be assigned thereto. Thirtie dayes we meane after the nomination be made.

8. Which day of the election being come, the whole ministers of the province, with three or foure superintendents next adjacent, or that shall be thereto nominated, shall examine, not onely the learning, but also the man

ners, prudence and habilitie to governe the kirk, of all these that be nominated; that he who shall be found most worthie may be burdened with the charge. If the ministers of the whole province should bring with them the votes of them that were committed to their care, the election should be the more free; but alwayes the votes of them that convene should be required. The examinations must be publickly made, [and] they that stand in election must publickly preach; and men must be charged in the name of God, to vote according to conscience, and not after affection: If any thing be objected against him that standeth in election, the superintendents and ministers must consider whether the objection be made of conscience or malice, and they must answer accordingly. Other ceremonies then sharp examination, approbation of the ministers and superintendents, with the publicke consent of the elders and people, we cannot allow.

9. The superintendent being elected, and appointed to his charge, must be subject to the censure and correction of ministers and elders not of his chiefe town onely, but also of the whole province over the which he is appointed

overseer,

10. If his offence be known, and the ministers and elders of the towne and province be negligent in correcting of him, then the next one or two superintendents, with their ministers and elders, may convene him, and the ministers and elders of his chiefe towne, providing the same be within his owne province or chiefe towne, and accuse or correct as well the superintendent in these things that are worthy of correction, as the ministers and elders of their negligence and ungodly tollerance of his offence.

11. Whatsoever crime deserves deposition or correction of any other minister, deserveth the same in the superintendent, without exception of persons.

12. After that the kirk is established, and three yeares be passed, we require that no man be called to the office of a superintendent, who hath not at the least two years given declaration of his faithfull labours in the ministerie of some kirk.

13. No superintendent may be transferred at the plea

sure or request of any one province, no not without the consent of the whole councell of the kirk, and that for grave causes and considerations.

14. Of one thing in the end we must admonish your honours, to wit, that in the appoynting of the superintendents for this present, ye disappoint not your chiefe townes, and where learning is exercised, of such ministers as may more profit by residence in one place, then by continuall travell from place to place; for if ye so doe, the youth in these places shall lack the profound interpretation of Scripture, and so shall it be long before your garden send forth many plants; where by the contrary, if one or two townes be continually exercised as they may, the commonwealth shall shortly feast of their fruit, to the comfort of the godly.

CHAP. VII.

Of Schooles [and Universities.]

Seeing that the office and dutie of the godly magistrate, is not onely to purge the church of God from all superstition, and to set it at liberty from tyranny and bondage; but also to provide at the utmost of his power how it may abide in some puritie in the posterity following; we can [not] but freely communicate our judgments with your honours in this behalf.

I. The Necessitie of Schooles.

1. Seeing that God hath determined that his kirk here in earth shall be taught not by angels but by men, and seeing that men are borne ignorant of God and of all godlinesse, and seeing also he ceasses to illuminate men miraculously, suddenly changing them as he did the Apostles and others in the primitive kirke: Of necessity it is that your honours be most careful for the vertuous education, and godly up-bringing of the youth of this realm, if either ye now thirst unfainedly the advancement of Christ's glorie, or yet desire the continuance of his benefits to the generation following; for as the youth must