PROFESSORS OF THEOLOGY.

1641. That professors of divinity and ministers shal not, by their demission of, or cessation from, their charge through age and inability, be put from enjoying their old maintenance and dignity.-Act Sess. 5, July 30.

1643. If professors of theology in universities be ninisters, they may be chosen commissioners to General Assemblies, either by the presbytery as ministers, or by the -university as professors of divinity.-Act Sess. 3, Aug. 4.

1645. That provincials diligently consider and try who within their bounds most probably may be fit for a profession in the schools, and report their names to the General Assembly, that such may be stirred up and encouraged by the General Assembly to compose and frame their studies, that they may be fitted for such places.Act Sess. ult. Feb. 13.

1646. For keeping the universities pure, and provoking the professors of divinity to greater diligence, they are desired to present to the next Assembly their dictates of divinity, and the professors present to give intimation to the professors absent; but the determination of an overture proposing it as a constant and perpetual order, that each professor in the universities within this church and kingdom bring with them, or send with the commissioners to the General Assembly, a perfect and well written copy of his dictates, to be revised by the General Assembly, or such as they shall appoint for that work, ilk year, is continued till the next Assembly.—Sess. ult. June 18.

PSALMS.

1647. A commission is granted to some brethren, to examine the paraphrase of the psalms sent from England; to observe what they think needs to be amended, and set down their own essay for correcting thereof; and for that effect, it is recommended to them to make use of the

travails of Rowallan, Mr Zachary Boyd, or any others on that subject; but especially our own paraphrase, and choose what they find best in any of these works; and likewise, to make use of the animadversions sent from presbyteries, and to report their labours to the commission of that Assembly; who, after revising thereof, shall send the same to provincial assemblies, to be transmitted to presbyteries, that by their farther consideration, the matter may be fully prepared for the next Assembly; empowering them also to turn these psalms, which in the English paraphrase are turned to verses not agreeing with our common tunes, to verses agreeing thereto. And it is recommended to Mr Zachary Boyd to translate the other scriptural songs in metre; and to report his travails also to the commission of that Assembly; that after their examination thereof they may send the same to the presbyteries, to be there considered, until the next General Assembly.-Sess. 25, Aug. 28.

1648. Row's paraphrase of the Psalms, with the corrections thereof, given in by persons appointed by the preceding Assembly for that purpose, sent to presbyteries to be revised and sent, with their corrections, to the commission, who are to re-examine the animadversions of presbyteries, and prepare a report to the next Assembly: And two brethren appointed to revise Mr Zachary Boyd's labours upon the other scripture songs, and to report to the commission; who, after examination, are to report to the next Assembly.-Act Sess. 38, Aug. 10.

1649. Some ministers are appointed to correct and examine the new paraphrase of the Psalms in metre, with the corrections and animadversions thereupon, sent from several persons and presbyteries; and to report to the commission, who, after perusal and re-examination thereof, are authorized with full power to establish the paraphrase, and to publish and emit the same for public use.—Act Sess. ult. Aug. 6.

1694. It is recommended to all congregations and families who worship God in the Irish language, to make use therein of the paraphrase of the Psalms in Irish metre, approven and emitted by the synod of Argyle, conform to

the Act of the General Assembly 1690; and that where preaching and prayer are used in Irish, the singing off psalms, at the same diet, in a different language, be foreborne thereafter, as an incongruous way of worshipping God; as also, to make use of the translation of the Shorter Catechism of this church in Irish, bound with the said psalms in one volume, as an uniform mean of catechising the people.-Act 20.

1706. Recommended to the several presbyteries of this church to endeavour to promote the use of the scriptural songs in private families within their bounds, according to the recommendation of the late Assembly, and to facilitate the Assembly's work in preparing the said songs for public use; recommended to presbyteries to buy up the printed copies of the said songs, and compare them with the originals, and make further amendments thereon; and the amendments already made thereon are ordained to be printed and transmitted.-Act 4.

1707. The revising of the scriptural songs is recommended to presbyteries, and they are desired to transmit their opinions respecting them to the next Assembly; and in the meantime a committee, nominated by the commission of last Assembly, for revising the same, is renewed.Act 16.

1708. The commission is appointed to consider the printed version of the scriptural songs, with the remarks of presbyteries thereupon; and after examination thereof, they are empowered to conclude and establish that version, and to publish and emit it for the public use of the church, as was formerly done on the like occasion, when our version of the Psalms was published, in the year 1649: And recommended to ministers and others to buy up for private use, in the meantime, the copies of them that are lying on the author's hands.-Act 15.

1713. Recommended to presbyteries to use endeavours to have such schoolmasters chosen as are capable of teaching the common tunes; and that the said schoolmasters not only pray with their scholars, but also sing a part of a psalm with them, at least once every day.-Act 17.

1745. The consideration of the pieces of sacred poetry

entitled, "Translations and Paraphrases of several Passages of Scripture," is remitted to presbyteries, in order to their transmitting their observations to the next General Assembly; that they, or any subsequent Assembly, may give such orders about the whole affair as they shall judge for edification; and this resolution is appointed to be affixed to the impression.-Act 6.

1746. It is recommended to private families, That in their religious exercises, in singing the praises of God, they go on without the intermission of reading each line: And it is recommended to the schoolmasters in the several parishes, that they be careful to instruct the youth in singing the common tunes.-Act 8.

PUBLIC ENEMIES.

1644. Presbyteries and synods respectivè are ordained to proceed against the principal actors in that rebellion in the north and south with the highest censures of the kirk, if they give not satisfaction by public repentance; and when the sentence of excommunication should be pronounced, the said judicatories are discharged to relax any of them from the sentence without the advice of the General Assembly or commission, nisi in extremis; to whom also the said presbyteries and synods are appointed to be answerable for their diligence in the premises as they shall be required: And recommended to parliament to cause take such course, as the persons guilty may be exemplarily punished, according to the demerit and degree of their offence.-Sess. 6, June 3.

1646. It is appointed, That such as, after lawful trial, shall be found to have been in actual rebellion, and to have carried charge with the rebels, to have accepted commissions for raising horse or foot to them, or have otherwise assisted them in manner mentioned in the act, shall humbly acknowledge their offence upon their knees, first before the presbytery, and thereafter before the congregation, upon a Sabbath, in some place before the pulpit ; and in the meantime be suspended from the Lord's Supper: And in case they do not satisfy in manner foresaid,

that they be processed with excommunication: And such as have been guilty of any of the gross degrees of compli ance expressed in the act, shall acknowledge their offence publicly before the congregation, and be suspended from the communion, aye and while they do the same; and that all persons in any ecclesiastic office, guilty of any of these degrees of compliance, be suspended from the office, and all exercise thereof, for such time as the quality of the offence, and the condition of the offenders, shall be found to deserve: And presbyteries are declared to have a latitude and liberty to aggrege the censures above specified, according to the degrees and circumstances of the offences. And the same latitude and liberty is given to the commissioners of the Assembly for public affairs, who have also power to try and censure the offenders in manner above expressed, and to take account of the diligence of presbyteries therein.-Act Sess. 14, June 17.

1647. That no person guilty of compliance, in the first class mentioned in the above act, be received into any ecclesiastical charge until the evidence of his repentance before the presbytery and congregation be reported to the synod to which he belongs, and to the General Assembly, and their consent obtained to his bearing office; and that any such person already received into the eldership of any particular congregation, be not admitted to be a member of any presbytery, synod, or General Assembly, until (upon evidence of his repentance) the consent and approbation of these judicatories respectivè be obtained.—Act Sess. 27, Aug. ult.

1649. That all those who joined in the unlawful engagement in war against England, and were censured by the commission of the General Assembly 1648, with suspension, from the renewing of the covenant, and from the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, and withal, who do not, by their addresses to church judicatories, testify their dislike thereof, be processed, and continuing obstinate, be excommunicated; but if, withal, they go on in promoting malignant designs, that they forthwith be excommunicated. See this at large in Act Sess. 19, July 20.

1746. Appointed, That presbyteries inquire into the behaviour of the office-bearers in the church during the