[1592/4/45]¹

Procedure: commission

Commissioun to confer and treat with the ministre anent the provisioun of sufficient and locall stipendis to the ministeris

²Oure soverane lord and estaitis of this present parliament, being all ressolvit and of deliberat mynd and purpois that in all tyme cuming thair salbe ane sGopeciall minister appointit to make residence at ilk particular kirk within this realme for teaching and preaching of the evangell of Jesus Christ and ministratioun of the sacramentis thairat; and siclyk that thair be ane locall stipend designit and appointit to ilk minister to be taken up yeirlie of the thriddis, teyndis and utheris dewties lyand within ilk parochin, quharout the ministeris stipendis wer in use to be takin and payit of befoir; and seing the grytest pairt of the same thriddis, teyndis and utheris rentis, assignit yeirlie of befoir in the saidis ministeris stipendis, ar now exhaustit and taken away be the anexatioun, erectionis and utheris dispositionis maid thairof to divers personis, sua that without the guidwill of the present possessouris of the teyndis, temporall landis and utheris kirk rentis, it will be hard and difficill to modifie and appoint the saidis locall stipendis at ilk parocho kirk, and that the schortnes of tyme will nawayis permit sic ane wechtie mater to be intreatit in this present parliament; thairfoir his majestie and estaitis of this present parliament hes gevin and grantit, lyk as thay, be the tennour heirof, gevis and grantis full power and commissioun to the personis undirwrittin, thay ar to say: to Walter, commendater of Blantyre, lord privie seill, Eduard, commendater of Kinlos, Johnne, erll of Montrois, lord Grahame etc, Alexander, lord Urquhart, Mark, lord Newbotle, maister of requestes, Scherif Johnne Cokburne of Ormeistoun, knicht, justice clerk, Maister David Carnegie of Culluthie and George Hume of Wadderburne, or ony fyve of thame conjunctlie, and siclyk to Maisteris Robert Bruce, David Lindsay, Patrik Galloway, James Nicolsoun, Johnne Duncansoun, Peter Blakburne, James Melvill and Patrik Schairp, ministeris, or ony fyve of thame conjunctlie, and to my lord chancellair, clerk of register and utheris officiaris of estait quhan thair lasser may serve to be present, to conveine at sic tyme and places as the saidis commissionaris sall appoint amang thame selffis, and thair to treat and confer upoun the particuler heidis following: viz: how in quhat maner thair may be a minister provydit at ilk paroch kirk within this realme; quhat locall stipend is necessar for the ministre serving the cure at ilk paroche kirk, and be quhat meanis the same may be best convenientlie haid and provydit to thame that they be not abstractit fra thair cure in tyme cuming be suiting of thair stipend utherwayis; and to confer upoun quhatsumevir heidis necessar for performing of the premises; and to the effect that the samyn may be the better accomplischit, with pour to the foirsaidis comissionaris to direct furth lettrez in his hienes name and auctoritie, chargeing all takkismen of the teyndis and landis of quhatsumevir prelaciis or utheris inferior benefices within this realme or ony pairt thairof to compeir befoir thame quhatsumevir tyme and place thai pleis to appoint be the saidis lettrez, bringand with thame thair saidis takkis and utheris richtis to be sene and considderit be the saidis commissionaris, quhat speciall dewtie ilk tak contenis, the nowmer and quantitie of the yeiris contenit in thair takkis, and quhat yeirlie commoditie the takisman gettis thairof; and consideratioun being haid of the premises, the saidis commissionaris be guid and godlie ressonis to move and induce the saidis takismen ilk ane for thair awin partis, conforme to the yeirlie valour and proffite of thair teyndis, to aggrie and condiscend to sum ressonable yeirlie proffite and conditioun quhairby the saidis locall stipendis may be providit to stand at ilk paroche kirk in tyme cuming to the persoun exercesing the functioun for the tyme; and as the saidis commissionaris aggreis, concludis and endis thair saidis conference, ordanis thame to report the same to his majestie and his privie counsaill, to the effect that schortlie thaireftir his hienes may appoint ane conventioun of certane of the nobilitie and utheris his estaitis to considder the saidis commissionaris procedingis, advise and determinatioun in the premises, with powir to the said conventioun and estaitis to end, conclude and determine upoun the premises as thai sall think best and maist expedient eftir reading and advysing of the report to be maid in thair haill presence be the saidis commissionaris of thair procedingis in the said mater, quhais determinatioun oure said soverane lord and his saidis estaitis presentlie convenit findis and declaris to be als guid and sufficient as gif the same had bene determinat, endit and finallie concludit in this present parliament; and ordanis the same to be put to dew executioun, and to have full force, strenth and effect in all tymes cuming.