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9 November 1641
Answeris of the commissioneris of the kirk to the observatiounes of the committie, 5 November 1641
We renew our desyre that everie kirk provydit may have ane competent stipend of aucht chalders victuall or 8C merks quhair the treu worth of the teinds of that parochine will extend to the quantatie, and answeris unto the first opinione of the committee which grant the commissioris a latitude to goe beneath that quantatie whensoevir they sall pleis to think reasonabill in kirkis to be provydit. And to the second opinione of the comittie which grants onlie augmentatioune in thrie caisis therinmentioned to kirks alreddie provydit bot beneath that quantatie, we answer primo that we can not conceave any uthair reasone of thes opinions except thes tuo oft objected unto ws: to wit, that some kirks ar so meane that the minister neids not so muche stipend or that the heritors have boght thair teinds and thairfoir cane spair no moir to the minister.
We answer to the first that the stipends of ministeris ar not to be measured so muche by the obscurnes of the place altogither as by ether respects, suche as first that the ministeris live honestlie and be not forced to use husbandrie or uthair imployments unbeseiming thair calling for the necessarie mentinance of thair familie. 2. To provyde competencie of books. 3. To educat thair childrene in learning and vertew. 4. To leave some comfortable provisionne for thair vidows and orphants and not to leave theme to the cold chiritie of the tymes. 5. To use some measur of hospitallitie recommendit by the holy ghost to all ministeris.
To the secund we answer that sieing viij chalders victuall or viijC merks was declared to be the lawest competencie for the mentinance of ane minister as their could be no just reasone to goe beneath it bot deficiencie of teinds and of maitter to be carved on, so quhair their was sufficiencie of teinds, no heretor could be in bona fide to buy the samyn in prejudice of that lawest competencie. 2. Albeit in the former commissions this wes ane expres claus that thes teindis should no farther burdenit, yet the parliament 1633 fend it necessar and the commissioune 1633 did grant augmentatioune notwithstanding thairof far mair now may the kirks not fullie provydit be supplied, sieing thair is no such claus conceaved in the favours of the heritors or the buyers in that commissioune 1633. 3. As the commissioune 1633 did not declair the buyars frie of subsequent burdeins as former commissioune had done, so they did appoynt the teinds to be sold att ane easie rate of nyne yeirs purchase and everie quhair the buyers hes takine thame cum onere of subsequent augmentatiounes as of uthair burdeinis.
2lie, we answer to thes opinions that as the word of God requyreth a compitent mentinence of the ministrie and the law of this kingdome (besyde his majestie manifold declaratiounes) appointed the samyn to be takine out of the teynds of everie paroche quhair they may be had, so the manifold dowllfull experience of many, yea, verie many kirks of Scotland frustrat from that lawest compitence from the former commissiouris under the pretest of that generall caus of finding reasonable and expedient causis, albeit the trew caus was ether the powerfull moyane of the parties or the real hatred of the prelats against the honest incumbents for the tyme, as for instance they have oft appoynted fyve hundreth merks quhair the teinds ar dowble, somtymes triple or quadruple aucht chalders victuall. This dowlfull experience maketh ws justlie to fear the same inconvenient from the renewing of that claus, and to desyre that the parliament wald be pleased to grant that generall reull of aucht chalders of victuall or 8C merks for everie kirk provydit, or to be provydit, and presentlie to condiscend rathair speciallie upon the prelat caises and exceptiounes fra the reull, and to give this commissioune power to revise and consider thes causis that moved the former commissioris to goe beneath that quantitie, that give they be not agrieable to the caices and exceptiounes now to be set doune in parliament, thane thes kirks may be provydit according to the generall reull.
As for the opinion of the comittie anent the not allowing of the chairges of ministeris attending the assemblie and parliament, it is answered that it is contrarie to the opinion of the former comittie sitting the day befoir, contrarie to the judgment and answer of his majestie, commissiour and lords of the articles to the commissiouris of the kirk, contrarie to the promeis of the Erle of Wemys, his majestie commissiour to the lest generall assemblie, and directlie contrarie to the lettre of this parliament directit with the Erle of Cassills to the leatt assemblie at Sanct Andrews.
We can not understand anie reasone why it should be craved that this commissioune may grant recompence for augmentatiounes maid in the former commissione which hes not fund any necessitie or reasone to grant that recompence.
We wald humblie crave sieing tyme straits that the differencis may be determined by the parliament and ordor gevin to the king's advocat and advocat for the kirk to alter the draught of the commissioune conforme to thair determinatiounes.
And becaus tyme so straits we most humblie desyre that the parliament weld be pleised athair be thameselfs to heir our overtours or caus the committie meit for heiring of thame that we may have our answer.