Chapter XXIII: Discipline
“October, 1606.—The which day compeared Mr. Alex. Maxwell of Kilmakome, and produced judicially before the Presbytery ane supplicatioun in name of his brother germane, John Maxwell of Barefill, containing an earnest and humble desire of the said John to be relaxit by the brethren fra, the fearful sentence of excommunicatioun, and that because the said John protested he is resolved in the grounds of true religion, and from his heart renounces Papistrie. The Moderator, enquiring at Mr. Daniel Cunninghame quhat assurance he had of the trew and unfeinit conversioun of the said John, answered that he could perceive no external sign in him, but that, in his judgment, he dealt sincerely with the Kirk ; and thairfore the brethren, advis¬ing upon the manner of absolving the said John from the said fearful sentence, they ordain that Mr. Daniel Cunninghame, Mr. W. Brisbane, and Mr. Andro Hamilton, confer with him upon the several points of religion controvertit, before he be absolved, to the end he may be moved to renounce his Papistrie and embrace the true religion with the greater sinceritie, as also that before his absolutioun the said brethren shall receive of him these bonds following of his good behaviour in tyme coming :—First, that he shall publicklie, in the Kirk of Kilmacolme, in presence of the congregatioun, subscryve the Confession of Faith, sware by halding up his hand in the presence of the people that fra his heart he willingly renounces, and shall renounce hereafter, Papistrie, and shall walk according to the truth of God for the present publickly preached in Scotland. Also, that he shall find sufficient caution, under the pain of five hundred merks, that he shall communicate at the table of the Lord betwixt the date hereof and Whitsunday, and produce a testimonial under the hands of the pastor of the church where he communicates before that time ; that he shall be a diligent hearer of the Word and maintainer of trew religion ; and that he shall noways, directly or indirectly, privatly or publickly, speak or reason against the same, but defend the same to his live's end, and shall have no traffick with the enemies of the land : the which having been subscribed in manner aforesaid, the brethren ordains the saids Mr. Daniel and Mr. Andro to relax the said John from the sentence of excommunicatioun on the Sabbath thereafter.”
The following is a very curious entry bearing upon the same subject. The excommunicated asks leave to attend church.
“October 25, 1626.—The which day Hew Steward, excommunicate, gave in a supplication entreating humblie that the brethren would be pleased to grant unto him some reasonable and convenient tyme to resolve such important business which touched his salvation, as likewise that he might have liberty to frequent the Kirk and hear sermons, whereunto the brethren agreed this—That, for frequenting the Kirk and hearing sermons, they thought it lawful he should do so, providing he came in after the first prayer and went out before the last ; and as for delay of tyme which he sought for, they thought he had gotten great favour already, and that they were willing to continue the same, if he would at the next synod give obedience and satisfaction.”
Before the restoration of any excommunicated Papist, he was bound by the Presbytery to give a very full recantation of his errors. The following were some of the points of Romish doctrine he was called on to abjure:—
“The point of transubstantiation wherein he confessed the body and blood of Christ is not eaten and drunken corporalie, and that the bread and wine in the sacrament is not changed into the body and blood of Christ. 2, That he should abjure the point of justification by works, and that he acknowledged that he and all the faithful were justified by faith in the merits of Jesus Christ. 3, That he should abjure the invocation of saints and prayer to them. 4, That he abjured and should abjure the point of praying in an unknown tongue. And, 5, The said Robert promised to use all means of instruction anent whatsoever doubt he conceived, and shall labour to give satisfaction, as likewise without any tergiversation to communicate at the first occasion.”
The Presbytery, though greatly occupied in enforcing unity of faith, exercised also very strict supervision over the morals of the people and their manner of life. Certain cases of immorality were dealt with by the sessions of the various parishes, but more flagrant ones were brought before the Presbytery, and were very severely treated, as these extracts, taken from among many similar notices, shew:—
“November 16, 1626.—The which day compeared John Robesoune, and in all humilitie confessed his guiltiness of the sinne of adulterie. The brethren therefore ordained that he shuld remove the said slander so farre as laye in him in this manner, namely, that the said John, being not only convict but confessing his guilt, shuld, according to the acts and lawes of the Kirk, stand and abyde six Sabbaths barefooted and barelegged at the Kirk door of Pasley between the second and third bell ringing, and thereafter to goe to the place of public repentance during the said space of six Sabbaths, and further, ay and until it shuld evidentlie be kythed by tokens of unfeened repentance that he was truelie penitent.”