for L. 30, according to the form established by the General Assembly, so soon as notice shall be given him by the trustees or their clerk there is money in the collector's hands for payment of the same, as such ministers shall be answerable to the Assembly.-Act 4.

1757. It is appointed, That, for the future, the separate registers be divided into as many parts as the respective presbyteries consist of parishes; and that the facts respecting the ministers and vacancies of every parish be stated under its own proper head or division, marked with the name of the parish: And further, That when the abstract of the acts relative to the widows' fund is transmitted, every presbytery and university shall cause it to be bound up with a separate quire of paper, in order that whatever regulations shall be found necessary with respect to the fund, may be copied into the book; by which means the whole of the rules concerning the fund will be always at hand.—Act 4.

WITNESSES.

Vide Form of Process, cap. 2, p. 143, of Vol. I. of this Compendium.

WORSHIP PRIVATE.

1639. That every minister, besides his pains on the Lord's day, shall have weekly catechising of some part of the parish, and not altogether cast off the examination of the people till a little before the communion: Also, that in every family the worship of God be erected where it is not, both morning and evening, and that the children and servants be catechised at home by the masters of families, whereof account shall be taken by the ministers and elders assisting him in the visitation of every family; and lest they fail, that visitation of the several kirks be seriously followed by every presbytery, for this end, amongst others; the execution and success whereof, being tried by the sy

nods, to be represented to the General Assembly.—Act Aug. 30.

1642. That the several synods and presbyteries, especially those in the North, take care that family exercise in religion, visitation of churches, catechising, keeping of presbyterial and provincial meetings, both by preaching and ruling elders, be carefully observed.-Act Sess. 11, Aug. 5.

1647. Rules and directions for cherishing piety, and preventing division and schism, are approven; and ministers and ruling elders in each congregation appointed to take care that they be observed and followed; as likewise, That presbyteries and provincial synods inquire and make trial whether they be duly observed in their bounds; and to reprove and censure, according to the quality of the offence, such as shall be found reproveable or censurable therein; and ministers and ruling elders are appointed to make diligent search and inquiry in the congregations committed to their charge respectivè, whether there be amongst them any family or families, which use to neglect the necessary duty of family worship; and if any such family be found, that the head of that family be first admonished privately to amend that fault; and in case of his continuing therein, he is to be gravely and sadly reproved by the session; after which reproof, if he be found still to neglect family worship, that for his obstinacy in such an offence he be suspended and debarred from the Lord's supper, as being justly esteemed unworthy to communicate therein, till he amend.-Sess. 19, Aug.

1697. Recommended to ministers and elders in each congregation, to take care that the worship of God, and calling upon his name, be daily performed in all families; and the Act of Assembly 1694, which recominends that none be ruling elders who make not conscience of this unquestionable duty, is renewed. And appointed, That in case any elder or deacon shall neglect to worship God in their families, by themselves or others appointed for that effect, that they be seriously admonished to amend, and, if need be, rebuked for the same; and if, notwithstanding of the admonition and rebuke of the minister and other

elders, any elder or deacon continue obstinate in their neglect, that such elder or deacon be removed from his office by the presbytery.-Act 7.

1711. Seriously recommended to presbyteries to use their utmost endeavours that the worship of God be set up and performed, in all its parts, in the families within their bounds, according to the former acts of Assemblies, and directions given concerning the same.-Act 7.

WORSHIP PUBLIC.

1643. Act appointing a directory for worship to be framed with all diligence, and put into the hands of the commissioners of Assembly, to be by them revised and transmitted to the several synods, to the end that being reported, with their consent and observations, to the next Assembly, they might, after full trial and approbation, order and authorize the same to be received and practised by all ministers and particular kirks; and in the meantime, forbidding all disputations by word or writing, in private or public, about different practices in such things as had not been formerly determined by the kirk, and all condemning of one another, in such lawful things as had been universally received, and by perpetual custom practised by the most faithful ministers of the gospel, and opposers of corruptions in the kirk, since the first beginning of reformation to these times, under the pain of censures of the kirk; and appointing, that all beginning of separation, all scandals and divisions, be by all means avoided.-Act Sess. 12, Aug. 15.

1645. The directory for the public worship of God in all the three kingdoms, agreed upon by both houses of the parliament of England, after consultation with the divines of both kingdoms assembled in England, is unanimously agreed to, and approven by the Assembly in all the heads thereof, together with the preface set before it; and they require, decern, and ordain, that according to the plain tenor and meaning thereof, and the intent of the preface, it be carefully and uniformly observed and

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practised by the ministers and others within this kingdom his whom it doth concern, from and after the time mentioned sac in the act: And it is recommended to the commission, to ap take special care for the timeous printing of the said di-ste rectory, that a printed copy of it be provided and kept for pu the use of every kirk within the kingdom, and that each the presbytery have a printed copy thereof for their use; and ste that they take special notice of the observation or neglect th thereof in every congregation within their bounds, and make known the same to the provincial or General As- th semblies, as there shall be cause: And it is provided, that the clause in the directory respecting the administration of the Lord's supper, which mentioneth the communicants sitting about the table, or at it, be not interpreted as if, in the judgment of the kirk of Scotland, it were indifferent and free for any of the communicants not to come to and receive at the table; or as if they approved the distributing of the elements by the minister to each communicant, and not by the communicants among themselves. It is also provided, that this act should be no prejudice to the order and practice of this kirk, in such particulars as are appointed by the books of discipline and acts of General Assemblies, and are not otherwise ordered and appointed by the directory; and God's goodness is acknowledged in bringing the uniformity in religion to such a period. Act Sess. 10, Feb. 3.

1645. That ministers bowing in the pulpit, though a lawful custom in this kirk, be thereafter laid aside, for the satisfaction of the desires of the reverend divines in the synod of England, and for uniformity with that kirk. -Act Sess. 14, Feb. 7.

1647. Every minister charged to be diligent in fulfilling his ministry; to be holy and grave in his conversation; to be faithful in preaching, declaring the whole counsel of God, as he has occasion from the text of Scripture; to reprove the sins and errors, and press the duties of the time; and in all these to observe the rules prescribed by the acts of the General Assembly; and if he be negligent therein, that he be censured by his own presbytery. As also, every member in every congregation is ordained to keep

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his own parish kirk, to communicate therein the word and sacraments, except in urgent cases made known to, and approven of by the presbytery; otherwise, that the ministers of these congregations whereto they resort do both in public by preaching, and in private by admonition, show their dislike of their withdrawing from their own ministers; and the ministers of that congregation from which they withdraw shall labour, first by admonition, to reclaim them; and if they amend not, shall delate them to the session, who shall cite and censure them as contemners of the comely order of the kirk; and if the matter be not taken order with there, that it be brought to the presbytery: For the better observing whereof, that the presbyteries, at the visitation of their several kirks, and provincial assemblies, in the censure of the several presbyteries, shall inquire thereanent; which inquiry and report shall be registered in the provincial books, that their diligence may be seen in the General Assembly.-Sess. 19, Aug. 24.

1705. The due observance of the directory for public worship is seriously recommended to all ministers and others within this national church.-Act 10.

1709. Recommended to persons of all ranks to forbear bowing, or other expressions of civil respect, and entertaining one another with discourses while divine worship is performing, and holy ordinances are dispensing; and that, as to this matter, people carefully observe what is enjoined in the first head of the Assembly's directory for the public worship of God in this church.-Act 4.

1812. Recommended to all the ministers of the church, according to their discretion, to read at one of the meetings for public worship such a portion of the Old or New Testament, or of both, as they may judge expedient. Declared, That it is not meant that this recommendation in any degree supersede the exercise of lecturing, which is enjoined to be observed throughout the church in conformity to the acts of Ass. 1694 and 1704, as a most important branch of the public ministrations of pastors and teachers. Act 19.

1819. Recommended earnestly to all the parish mini