towns of Aberdeen be held as forming one city, so far as respects the provisions of this act.-Act 6.

OATHS.

1641. The oath called The Bond, and bonds of the like nature, declared unlawful, and the subscribers not restricted by their oaths to the tenor thereof.--Act Sess. 17, Aug. 9.

1642. For eviting contrary oaths, synods, presbyteries, and sessions, are discharged to take the oaths of both parties in all time thereafter, in trying of adulteries, fornications, and other faults and scandals; but all other order and ways of trial used in such cases are recommended to them; and that there may be a common order and course kept in the kirk for trying public scandals, presbyteries are ordained to advise upon some common order thereuntil, and to report their judgments to the then next Assembly.-Act Sess. 11, Aug. 5. Vide Form of Process, cap. 4, p. 149, Vol. I. of Compend.

1712. The proceedings of the commission of Assembly 1711, respecting the oath of abjuration, and more espe cially the address and representation made to the queen in that matter, are approven, and judged to have been true, dutiful, faithful, and most seasonable; and the said address is, by order of the Assembly, inserted verbatim in the act; and the Assembly, in the words of the foresaid oath, solemnly declare and ascertain their allegiance to the queen, disown and disclaim the Pretender; and promise to maintain the protestant succession; and they do most seriously obtest all ministers and members of this church, whatever may be their different practice, to entertain a good understanding herein.—Act 16.

1712. The Assembly, in an address to the queen, suggest to her majesty, that a scruple remained with many, as if the conditions mentioned in the acts of parliament, establishing the succession to the crown, referred to in the oath of abjuration, were to be understood as a part thereof, which is judged inconsistent with their known princi

ples; and therefore plead to be relieved in the terms of the treaty and articles of the union: They renew the declaration and assertion of their loyalty to her, and their concern for the protestant succession, which is expressed in the above act; and declare their willingness to affirm the points thereof, by their great oath, if thereto required: And therefore plead, that such as may remain unclear, as to the taking of the oath as it stands, may be favourably regarded by her majesty, as her most loyal and dutiful subjects; and that she would interpose for their relief. -Act 17.

1715. His majesty having immediately upon his accession to the crown, in pursuance of the Act 6, Parl. 1707, which is made a part of the acts of the parliaments of both kingdoms of Scotland and England, ratifying the treaty of union, in presence of his privy council, by his solemn oath, faithfully promised and sworn, according to the form used in the law of Scotland, that he shall inviolably maintain and preserve the settlement of the true protestant religion, with the government, worship, discipline, rights and privileges of the church of Scotland, ́as established by the laws made there, in prosecution of the claim of right, and particularly by the foresaid Act 6, Parl. 1707, and acts of ratification above mentioned, and subscribed the said oath in two several instruments made thereupon: The double of the said oath and instruments were, for the satisfaction and encouragement of the ministers, and other members of this church, openly read from the books of the late commission, where the same stands recorded, and are, by order of the Assembly, also recorded in Act 4.

OFFICE-BEARERS IN THE CHURCH.

1638. That none be intruded into any office in the church, whether pastors, readers, &c., contrary to the will of the congregation to which they are appointed.—Act Sess. 23, 24, Dec. 17, 18, Art. 20.

1648. That every elder have certain bounds assigned

him, that he may visit the same every month at least, and report to the session what abuses are therein.-Act Sess. 38, Aug. 10, Art. 2.

1719. Recommended to all ministers to take care that deacons, as well as elders, be ordained in congregations where deacons are wanting: But declared, that deacons, as such, shall have no decisive voice, either in the calling of ministers, or in the exercise of church discipline.-Act 7.

1722. Kirk-sessions, presbyteries, and synods, are appointed strictly and impartially to observe this and all former Acts of Assembly, relative to the office-bearers in the church; and presbyteries are appointed at their privy censures to inquire into the behaviour of their members, and of all the deacons and elders in their bounds.-Act 9.

1727. Enjoined on presbyteries to have a strict regard to what is required with respect to the duties and qualifications of elders by the above Act 9, Ass. 1722: especially in choosing elders to represent them in General Assemblies, and attesting the commissions of such as are chosen either by themselves, by universities, or by royal burghs.-Act 7.

1737. Enjoined on presbyteries to be careful that all to be chosen elders of this church be qualified according to the Acts of Assembly; and particularly that they attest none as members of Assembly but such as are qualified, not only by subscribing the formula prescribed, but likewise according to all the other qualifications required by former Acts of Assembly.—Act 8.

1779. Enacted, 1. That no person be ordained an elder of this church before he is twenty-one years of age complete. 2. That all presbytery elders be elected within two months after the sitting of the synod of that bounds; and in case of death or demission, that a new election be made within one month of the same. 3. That every elder so chosen produce an extract of his election under the hand of the session-clerk, before he be received on the roll of either the presbytery or synod.—Act 12.

1816. Enacted and ordained, that no person be set apart to the office of an elder, unless he hath attained

the age of twenty-one years complete, and produce a certificate to that effect, to remain in retentis, and unless he is a communicant: That no person be ordained an elder who is not an inhabitant of the parish, liable to pay stipend and other parochial burdens, or who is not the apparent heir of an heritor of that description in the parish: That when any person who does not generally reside, but only occasionally, be proposed to the kirk-session to be ordained an elder, there shall be produced a certificate, under the hands of the minister and kirk-session of the parish where he generally resides, that he is of unblemished character, and regular in giving attendance on the public ordinances of religion. Enacted further, that if any elder be ordained in future, without being thus qualified, he shall not be held as entitled to any of the privileges of that office: But in any city or town where there are more congregations than one, that they shall be held as one parish, in as far as this act is concerned.Act 11.

ORDERING OF THE ASSEMBLY-HOUSE.

1640. For order in the Assembly-house in all time time thereafter, it is appointed, 1. That the commissioners sit together unmixed, and that the places where they sit be railed about, or some other way divided from the seats of others, and that places be provided without the bounds of the commissioners' seats, to persons of respect, who are not commissioners, and others according to their qualities, as the magistrates of the town shall think most convenient. 2. Also, that the commissioners having received tickets from the magistrates of the burgh, at the delivery of their commissions, whereby they may have ready access to the Assembly-house, and place appointed for them, do keep the hour of meeting precisely; and whosoever comes after the time, or shall be found absent at the calling of the rolls, is to be censured, as the Assembly sees fitting; and that whatsoever presbytery, burgh, or university shall not send commissioners,

or commissioners sent from them do not come at all to the Assembly, be summoned to the next Assembly and censured, as the Assembly shall find reasonable. 3. That four persons of respect have warrant from the Assembly to enjoin, that there be no standing, nor din, nor disorderly behaviour; and if any shall disobey them, or direct his speech to any, except to the moderator, and that one at once, with leave first asked and given, that he be rebuked publicly by the moderator; and if he desist not, be removed out of the Assembly for that session. 4. That no motion come into the Assembly, but by the committee appointed for matters of that nature; and if the committee refuse to answer the same, that it be proponed to the Assembly, with the reasons thereof. 5. That the minutes of each session be read before the rising; and if the matter concern the whole kirk, that it be drawn up in form, and read in the beginning of the next ensuing session, that the Assembly may judge whether or not it be according to their mind.-Act Sess. 2, July 29.

1642. The foresaid Act of Assembly at Aberdeen 1640, for ordering the Assembly-house, is ordained to be kept thereafter punctually, and for that effect, the same is to be read the first session of every Assembly.-Act Sess. 13, Aug. 6.

Mr. John Law, ordered to continue moderator to Assembly 1694, till the Friday next after the sitting down of the General Assembly 1695, by Act 2 of that Assembly. The king's commissioner's speech, and that of the moderator, are printed amongst the Acts of the same Assembly 1695, in Act 7.

1718. All references, appeals, and complaints, that shall be made in time coming to the Assemblies of this church, are appointed to be lodged in the clerk's hands, on or before the second or third days of the Assembly's meetings, with certification, that all appeals and complaints not so lodged shall be held as deserted and fallen from, and shall not thereafter be received, unless, upon the first opportunity, the parties concerned make it appear to the Assembly that insuperable difficulties did withhold them from lodging the same, in manner above