10. Pont recommended by the king to be visitor bishopric of Caithness.

11. The books of the kirk presented, found to been mankit, and redelivered to George Young.

12. Letter to the king anent Robert Pont's matt 13. Concluded, that all pastors, of whatever sort be, shall be subject to the censures and trial of their l ren in Presbyteries, Synods, and General Assem concerning life, conversation, and doctrine.

14. Commissioners to parliament appointed.

15. The king's five articles touching disputed ma with the kirk.

16. Instructions to the commissioners appointed to on the parliament.

1587-8, Feb. 6.] LII. Fifty-second Assembly, at I burgh.-Robert Bruce, moderator.

1. An extraordinary meeting to consider of pu down papistry; and committee appointed to consider same, and confer with the king. Advice of the noble and others, anent purging the land of idolatry and se ous traitors. Report thereon, &c.

2. Proceedings anent Montgomery and Gibson. 3. Humble suit of the kirk to the king, and grieva of the kirk given in to the king.

4. Adamson convicted of transgressing the act of ference, and declared to have incurred deprivation f his office of commissioner.

5. Fast appointed, and causes thereof.

1588, Aug. 6.] LIII. Fifty-third Assembly, at E burgh. Thomas Buchanan, moderator.

1. Injunctions for improvement of discipline; dang of the kirk; landing of ship with papists, &c.

2. Supplication to the king ordered, that grants rights of patronages, and benefices to lands, &c. be called by act of parliament, and presbyteries and comm sioners, in the meantime, inhibited from giving collat and admission by the new patrons.

3. Committee appointed to crave endowments to kirks, and ministers exhorted in their sermons to delait openly all who spulzie the patrimony of the kirk. Commissioners named to confer with the king anent stipends, &c.

4. Arrangement of some presbyteries in synods.

5. The first day of every Assembly there shall be a fast and humiliation of the inhabitants of the place where they meet, as well as of the members.

1590, Aug. 4.] LIV. Fifty-fourth Assembly, at Edinburgh.-Patrick Galloway, moderator.

1. Names of members of this Assembly.

2. John Innes accused for admitting Robert Dunbar, without advice of presbytery of Forres, and his defence. Dunbar ordered to be tried, de novo, by presbytery of Edinburgh.

3. Proceedings anent Fintrie, an excommunicate, and the Earl of Angus; profanation of the Sabbath; instructions to presbytery of Brechin and Dundee anent admission of a minister.

4. In presence of the king, the moderator craved three special articles-the ratification of the liberties of the kirk; purging the land of Jesuits and Papists; and provision for a pastor to every kirk of a sufficient living: the king's answers thereto.

5. Humble petitions of the Assembly to the king and council.

6. On petition of Lord Angus, for an order to the presbytery of Lanark to give effect to his presentation to Carmichael, the kirk ordains the presbyteries of Lanark and Glasgow to concur for deciding and taking order finally therein.

7. All ministers enjoined to subscribe the heads of discipline of the kirk, set down and allowed by the acts of Assembly in the Book of Policy, which is recorded in the register- under the pain of excommunication; and the clerk of Assembly ordered to give to the moderator of every presbytery a copy thereof for general information. 8. Concluded, that whenever presbyteries are constituted, the order of commisioners shall cease.

9. Inquisition ordered as to state of benefices; case discipline, and some minor points discussed.

10. Commission named to inquire anent insurrectio the Bridge of Dee.

1591, July 2.] LV. Fifty-fifth Assembly, at E burgh.-Nicoll Dalgleish, moderator.

1. Proceedings anent Egyptians and beggars.

2. Injunction of last Assembly, anent subscribing B of Policy, renewed; order anent sacrilege, &c.

3. Committee of bills, not to answer the same, but consider if such as come in be pertinently brought be the Assembly; when impertinent, to give answer on b of bills, and when pertinent, to bring them before whole Assembly.

4. Found, that persons who usurp the name of bisho who will neither serve the kirks themselves, nor pay oth who do so, ought to be censured, and if they amend to be excommunicated.

5. The Lord President and others of the Court Session appear, and complain that Lord Halyards, of their number, had been called, at the instance of Sir son, for calling him, when sitting in judgment, a s orner, in a civil suit; desiring the kirk not to proceed derogation of the College of Justice. The Assem answered, they would do nothing derogatory to th privileges, nor judge in any civil matter, but being cupied in purging the members of their own body, wh is ecclesiastical, they might judge without prejudice to civil judicatory. After questioning the Justice-Clerk, Assembly pronounced that they found themselves jud primario in this cause, and instantly to proceed therein, 6. Orders to proceed against all beneficiaries who h granted long tacks, &c.

7. Revocation of all acts done by persons in name the kirk, prejudicial to themselves, their discipline, pat mony, and living.

8. Humble petitions of the Assembly of the kirk cra of his majesty and council, and commissioners appoint to present the same, and report to next Assembly.

1592, May 22.] LVI. Fifty-sixth Assembly, at Edinurgh.-Robert Bruce, moderator.

1. Principal heads to be proponit to parliament anent overnment, discipline, &c. of kirk.

2. Commissioners appointed to present articles to his ajesty, and to lament decay of religion, &c.

3. Form of excommunication approved, and ordered to e purchased and used in families and schools.

4. Various orders anent excommunication, deposed ministers, &c.

[At this time, the act of Parliament 1592, called the Charter of the Presbyterian Church, and other relative statutes, were passed.]

| 1593, April 24.] LVII. A General Assembly was convened at Dundee.-Mr David Lindsay, moderator. 11. The Assembly sent a deputation to the king, with articles, wherein they craved that Jesuits and other popish priests be declared culpable of treason and lese majesty, and that the laws be enforced against them.

2. It also remonstrated against the erection of tithes into temporalities, to the prejudice of the kirk.

3. The act of parliament 1592, concerning the ratification of the Presbyterian church government, was laid before the Assembly, by order of his majesty, with a message as to the appointment of General Assemblies, &c.

4. The Assembly answered, that Assemblies should be called according to the tenor of the act of parliament, and ordained that no minister within this realm utter from the pulpit any rash or irreverent speeches against his majesty, or his council, or their proceedings, but that all their public admonitions proceed upon just and necessary causes, and sufficient warrant, in all fear, love, and reverence, under pain of deposition.; that the brethren to be chosen by his majesty be placed and admitted by the presbytery, &c.

5. The names and number of presbyteries were given up as follows: One presbytery in Zetland, viz. Tingwall; m Orkney, Kirkwall; in Caithness, Thurso; in Sutherland, Dornoch; in Ross, two, Tain and Channonry; in

Murray, four, Inverness, Forres, Elgin, and Ruth win; in Aberdeen, five, Banff, Deer, Innerurie, Aber deen, Kincardine; in Mearns, one, Cowie; in Angus five, Brechin, Arbroath, Migel, Dundee; in Dunkeldon one, viz. Dunkeldon; in Perth, two, St Johnston an Dunblane; in Fife, four, St Andrews, Couper, Dur fermline, Kirkaldie; in Stirling, one; in Linlithgow one; in Lothian, four, Edinburgh, Dalkeith, Hadding ton, Dunbar; in Tweeddale, Peebles; in the Merse, two Chirnside and Dunse; in Teviotdale, two, Jedburg and Melrose; in Nithsdale one, Dumfries; in Gallo way, two, Kirkcudbright, Wigton; in the sheriffdom o Ayr, two, viz. Ayr and Irwine; in Ranthrow, Paisley in Lennoxshire, Dumbarton; in Clydsdale, three, Glas gow, Hamilton, and Lanark.

6. The Assembly gave commission to certain brethre to visit, and try the doctrine, life, conversation, diligence and fidelity of the pastors within the said presbyteries; t try if there be any non-residents who have dilapidate their benefices, &c.

7. For as much as in synodal assemblies the books o particular presbyteries are tried and visited, it is con cluded that in time coming the books of the synoda assemblies be directed by the synods to the Genera Assembly, to be sighted and considered, for understand ing the better of their proceedings, under the pain of th censures of the kirk.

8. The Assembly ordaineth, that no disposition of rent and livings of colleges be taken, or other title be made without the advice and consent of the General Assembly under the pain of deposition of the persons doing in th

contrair.

9. It was ordained, that where ministers, for lack o manses, are non-residents, or where the manses are ruin ous, they repair and build the same, upon their own ex penses, to be refunded to them or their heirs.

10. It is concluded, that where any private controversy shall arise betwixt two of the brethren, they shall submi the same to others of the ministry.

11. The General Assembly dischargeth every Christia