The Booke of the Universall Kirk of Scotland Wherein the Headis and Conclusionis Devysit Be the Ministers and Commissionaris of the Particular Kirks Thereof, Are Specially Expressed and Contained.

Anent ane act made in the last Assembly, the 28th of Aprile 1578, concernyng the collatione of benefices to uther persones nor the ministers of the kirk quhairof the benefices v...

It is concludit be the Generall Assembly, that in every principall Assemblie, there shall be certaine assessors nominat to them, to concurr with the Commissioners of the Countri...

The Kirk giues commission to the Laird of Dun to summond Mr James Fotheringhame before him, and to take tryall of the haynous sclander of adulterie betwixt him and Margaret Lynd...

That everie minister in his admission shall swear obedience to his Majestie, and to his ordinar, according to this forme following: I A. B. now nominat and admitted to the kirk...

We have receavit your Grace’s maist loving letter, direct to us by your Grace’s Commissioner, Mr Mark Ker, Mr of Requests, and are compellit to burst out most humble thanks to o...

8. Unto the pasture onlie apperteins the administratioun of the sacramentis, in lyk manor as the ministratioun of the word: for baith ar appointit be God as meanis to teache us;...

The Generall Assembly of the Kirk, conveint att Edinburgh, in the Laigh Tolbooth thereof, the 25th of October 1577, where there was present the Commissioners of Countries, Provi...

Mr Ninian Dalzell producit to the Assemblie his opinione concernyng the heads of religion qwhilks are in controversie subscryvit with his hand, agrieing in all poynts with the o...

Hereunto the said Mr Walter answerit, Seeing in the King’s Majesties letter and credite gine to the bearer thereof, he is accusit,--praying the Moderator to suffer him to give h...

The Superintendant of Lothian complained upon Mr John Furd, Minister of Dummaine, that where, in the last Generall Assemblie of the Kirk, it was decerned that Robert Patersone a...

My Lord Angus his excommunicatione reducit be reasone of informalitie; and because there is sufficient cause of such censure against my Lord in the said sentence, if the proces...

The qwhilk brethren having at lenth communicat their informatione, together with their awne knawledge anent the premisses, Finds that ane of the chiefest causes of danger procee...

Seeing that Satan, be all our negligences, (Right Honourable,) hes so far prevailed within this realme of late dayes, that we stand in extream danger not only to losse our tempo...

After our maist hearty commendations; Seeing we are not able to be present at the Assembly now approachand, as our intentione was, We thocht it convenient, brieflie to give you...

Anent the commission direct from his Majestie to Sir John Cockburn of Ormistoune, Knight, Justice-Clerk, and Edward Bruce, Commendator of Kynloss, with all expeditione, to repar...

Anent the appellatione persewit be the Presbytrie of Dumfermling frae the decreit pronuncit be the Synodall of Fyfe, halden at Couper the 6 of March 1598, ffinding that the said...

The qwhilk day the brethren conveint, having ryplie weyit how necessar it is that ane generall visitatione be for inquyrand in the life, doctrine, and conversatione of every ane...

Because syndrie sclanders aryses through the disorder of Readers be baptizing of bairnes gotten in adulterie and fornicatione before satisfactione made be the offendars, and cel...

Anent the foresaid matter, the Assemblie, after grave reasonyng had, if it was expedient to proceed in this cause before the Lords of Session had giuen their decisione, thought...

That supplication be made to her hienes for punishing of all vyces commanded be the Law of God to be punished, and yet not commanded be the law of the realme, viz. blasphemie of...

This book was published in 1839 and was compiled from manuscripts and printed records from 1560 to 1616 regarding the early history of the Reformed Church in Scotland. The langu...

Anent the lamentable supplicatione gine in be the Earle of Arrane, bearing, That qwhair, upon the diuerse supplicationes presentit to the Generall Assemblies at Dundie and Edinb...

_Thirdlie_, Qwhereas the Kirk, on all occasions, hes insistit to declair to his Majestie, Counsell and Estates, the dangers evident for the tyme, and to craue convenient remedie...

Exhortatione being made be Mr Robert Pont, last Moderator, the brethren appoyntit on leets Mrs Nicol Dalgleische, James Melvill, Patrick Simpsone, Patrick Sharpe, Thomas Buchana...

The brethren appoynted to try the proceedings of the Commissioners of the last Assemblie, and the grieves given in against the same, with the Commissioners’ answers thereto, dec...

_Item_, It is statute and ordainit, that qwhatsoever persone, knowne of before tyme to have been a Papist, and after reconciling to the Church, he shall be tryit and found to we...

And if any beis found to doe in the contrair heirof, the censures of the Kirk to proceed against them: And sicklyke, that Masters, Regents, and Teachers, Auditors, or wthers, as...

Anent the matter of offence conceavit be his Majestie against John Rosse, minister, be occasione of ane sermone made be him in presence of the Provinciall Assembly of Perth: The...

The quhilk day the Quenis Majestie and Lordis of Secreit Counsall, being weill myndit that the Ministerie within this haill realme be interteneit alsweill to burgh and land as h...

That ministers take speciall care in wsing godly exercises in their families, and teaching of their wyfes, children, and servants--in useing ordinarie prayers and reading of Scr...

The said day, the brethren of the Generall Assemblie presently convenit, having advisedly considerit the necessitie of electing and chuseing Commissioners from this present Asse...

The said day, the Assemblie, considering that the conventiones of the people, especiallie on the Sabbath day, are very rare in many places, be distractione of labour, not only i...

The Erle of Monteith, my Lords of Lindesay and Ochiltrie, my Lord Secretarie, the Superintendent of Fyfe, the Gentlemen in the West, and amang them the Laird of Kars, and the Go...

Anent the proces deducit against Coline Campbell, Malcolme Stewart, Hector Stewart, John Grahame, elder, Gavine Grahame, and Archbald Hegget, concerning the violence done to Mr...

To the end that all that feares God may understand my proceedings in this matter, I shall shortly declare what I did, and what moved me to defend the samen, leaving the finall j...

It is thocht meet, and concludit, that no clark-playes, comedies, or tragedies, be made of the Canonicall Scriptures, alse weell new as old, on Sabbath day nor wark day, in tyme...

Ordaines all and sundrie Superintendants and Commissioners to plant kirks, to proceed summarly to excommunicatione against all papists within their provinces; and that within ei...

Sir,--Let it pleise your Heines; We have receavit your letter willing us to elect Mr Robert Pont to the Bishoprick of Caithness, vaickand be decease of umquhile Robert Earle of...

1. That all Jesuites, Seminarie Priests, excommunicat and traffiquing Papists, that shall happen in any tyme coming to returne within the countrey, or that are presently within...

Anent the contraversies betwixt the brethren of the ministrie: ffor uptacking thereof, it is resolvit and concludit be the haill brethren and Commissioners present, that qwhene...

The Kirk assemblit ordains all superintendants and commissioners to plant kirks, to present hereafter, their books of their visitationes, every ane within their province respect...

Anent the proces deducit against the Provest of Glasgow and his colleagues, The Kirk ordayns Mrs James Melvill, John Porterfield, and Patrick Scharpe, to examine the remanent wi...

“They exhibit the real character of the internal government of this national church. They display the operation of the principles by which the first Reformers and their immediat...

Our Souerane Lord Considering the greit abuses quhilkis ar laitlie croppen in the Kirk, throw the misbehaviour of sik personis as ar providit to ecclesiasticall functionis: sic...

Quhilk day, in presence of the haill Assemblie, compeirit Sir Thomas Kar of Hircha, Knight, in name of George Marques of Huntlie, and presentit ane supplicatione in name of the...

His Majestie craves that there be ane Act made, Ordayning that qwhosomever at any tyme shall practise any treasonable interpryse or conspiracie against his Majestie’s persone or...

Ordaynes ane supplication to be made to the King’s Majestie and Lords of the Articles, that no acts be past in Parliament repugnant to the trew word of God, and namely concernin...

Our Souerane Lord, with auise of his thre Estaittis and haill body of this present Parliament, hes ratifeit and apprevit, and be the tenoure heirof ratifies and apprevis, all an...

After most hearty commendationes in the Lord Jesus: We have received your writting, dated at Edinburgh, the 26th of Junii, schawand in effect, albeit God in his goodness hes sen...

Qwhilks haill premisses above specifeit the said noble Lord protests and declares that he hes made and subscrivit truely and with ane honest heart, butt any equivocatione, menta...

Ane Reader was proven and convict for meddling with ane certaine woman, and afterward was verified that the same woman had ane husband livand when the same reader medled with he...

Therefore, his Majestie, with advyse of his Estaits foresaids, Ordeins the saids persons possessours of the lands or teyndes of bishopricks by virtue of infeftments, confirmatio...

... pure at the sight of the remanent. And this to be ... Prestoun of that Ilk to my Lord Regent and Secret ... be him thairof, the ... ... secundo Decembris 1567. ... erunt. .....

8. And albeit it wes thocht guid for avoiding grett inconuenientis, that the auld possessouris of sic benefices quha imbracit the religioun, sould inioy be permissioun, the twa...

Ordaines that some of the brethren, in name of the haill Kirk, make supplication to the Lords of Secret Councill and Session of Justice, that no excommunicat person have proces...

It is his Majestie’s advyse to this Assemblie, and pleasure, that presentlie there be nominat in everie Presbyterie ane of the godlie and most grave, of greatest authoritie and...

Anent Commissione of Visitatione, aither the Bischop or uther: The Assemblie declaires, that all the saids Commissiones shall cease and take no effect in tyme comeing, without n...

Syndrie Papists, priests, confessing themselves to have said masse and preachit papistrie in this land, being apprehendit be the Magistrats of Edinburgh and putt in ward, are se...

Forsuameikle as in the Assemblies halden of before, it hes been very wisely considerit that there hes been nothing more profitable for advancing of the glory of God by the preac...

Mairover, ye shall lat the Assemblie understand, that in the particular conferrence bygane, syndrie matters hes beine agriet upon in generall termes as they were talkit and put...

Fitteresso. Dunnotter. Garvock. Catterling. Fordoune. Conveth. Kineth. Bernire. Rescoby. Arbuthnot. Benholme. Eglesgreig. Aberluchoch. Glenbervie. Fettercarne. Newdesk. Breichin...

[1] These MS. copies are sometimes referred to as _Abstracts_ or _Abridgments_. Neither of these characters, however, strictly speaking, is attributable to them; and _Excerpts_...