[A1641/8/6]¹

[Articles given in to parliament by the commissioners of the general assembly]

Articles and desires given in by the commissioners of the kirk to the estates of parliament

1. They humbly petition that the parliament would be pleased to appoint some good course whereby marriages made out of the kingdoms or by deprived ministers or seminary priests and marriages made without the consent of parents or those who are under parental guardianship may be restrained.

2. They petition the parliament that they would be pleased to set down some solid course that ministers may get timeous payment of their stipends both for bygones and to come. And that they be not withdrawn from their charges by unjust suspensions, nor long detained in discussing the same.

3. They petition the parliament to grant this common benefit to the ministers regarding the taxation that shall happen to be imposed upon them as beneficed men: that the report of horning against them in due time that are obliged for their relief be received for freeing of them. As also that the vicarages which ministers have for their stipend may be free of all taxation.

4. They petition that the parliament will be pleased to determine what shall be the measure and quantity of pasturage, winter grazing, fail and divot that every minister shall have for his accommodation.

5. That the parliament would be pleased to make choice of such men to be upon the commission who are best acquainted with the affairs of the kirk and may most conveniently attend, and that they appoint the diet for down-sitting of the commission to be as soon as may be.

6. They petition that commissioners be granted for visitation of all hospitals within this kingdoms which are pitifully dilapidated.

7. That they would be pleased (according to their promise in their letter to the general assembly) to set down a solid and present course for bearing of the charges of the commissioners to the last four general assemblies, and to grant power to the commission for prescribing the same for commissioners to subsequent assemblies.

8. That they would be pleased to take to their consideration the overtures herewith given in for universities and schools with the commission for plantation of kirks, and that these may be effectuated, since by God's providence the rents lately belonging to prelacies are now vacant and out of the possession of all men. That they would be pleased first and before all to provide the kirks, universities, colleges, schools and hospitals out of the same, and that there pass no act nor disposition thereof to any person until these be sufficiently provided, which is the earnest desire and confident expectation of the kirk from their piety and goodness.

9. They petition (for suppressing of popery for the present and preventing the increase thereof in time coming) that a way may be taken for breeding up the children of papists in the truth. And because there have been diverse papists and some presently are whose children, having a desire to join with us in the profession of the truth and resorting to the use of the public means of God's worship, who by their parents have been either violently kept back or otherwise have been threatened to be deprived of any benefit they could expect of them if they should join with us, remedy would be provided for preventing of those evils in time coming.

10. It is humbly desired that order may be taken with sturdy beggars, Egyptians and vagabonds, and a solid course be laid down for removing the horrible wickedness committed by such persons in all time coming.

11. They petition that the parliament would take order for demolishing of all monuments of superstition and idolatry.

12. They petition the parliament for appointing charges to the visitors appointed by the general assembly to visit Shetland, Orkney, Caithness, Sutherland and Ross.

13. They petition that the acts of parliament regarding charmers, sorcerers and consulters with witches be renewed, and a solid way taken how the same acts may be put to execution.

14. They petition the parliament, because the execution of the laws of the kingdom against papists, excommunicated persons etc. is eluded by giving the escheats of the parties excommunicated and denounced to the horn to themselves or their friends to their benefit, that the parliament may be pleased to give order relating thereto, lest they thereby be encouraged in their obstinacy.²