CHAPTER 11.

Of the Present Abuses remaining in the Church which we Desire to be Reformed.

1. As it is the duty of the godly magistrate to maintain the present liberty which God of his mercy has granted to the preaching of his Word, and the true administration of the Sacraments within the realm; so it is (his duty) to provide that all abuses which as yet remain in the Church, be removed and utterly taken away.

2. Therefore, first, the admission of men to Papistical titles of benefices, such as serve not, nor have a function in the reformed Church of Christ, as Abbots, Commendators, Priors, Prioresses, and other titles of Abbeys, whose places are now, for the most part, by the just judgment of God demolished and purged of idolatry, is plain abuse, and is not to receive the kingdom of Christ among us, but rather to refuse it.

3. In the same manner, they that of old were called the Chapters and Convents of Abbeys, Cathedral Churches, and the like places, serve for nothing now but to set feus and tacks (leases), if anything be left of the Church lands and teinds, in hurt and prejudice thereof, as daily experience teaches; and therefore ought to be utterly abrogated and abolished. Of the like nature are the deans, chantors, sub-chantors, treasurers, chancellors, and others having the like titles flowing from the Pope and Canon law only, who have no place in the Reformed Church.

4. The churches also, which are united together and joined by annexation to these benefices, ought to be separated and divided, and given to qualified ministers, as God's Word craves.

5. Neither ought such abusers of the Church's patrimony to have Vote in Parliament, nor sit in council under the name of the Church and Churchmen, to the hurt and prejudice of the liberty thereof, and laws of the realm made in favour of the Reformed Church.

6. Much less is it lawful that any person among these men should have five, six, ten, or twenty churches, or more--all having the charge of souls--and use the patrimony thereof, either by admission of the prince or of the Church, in this light of the Gospel; for it is but mockery to crave reformation where such like have place.

7. And albeit it was thought good, for avoiding of greater inconveniences, that the old possessors of such benefices who had embraced the true religion should enjoy by permission the two parts (two-thirds) of the rent which they possessed before, during their life-time; yet it is not tolerable to continue in the like abuse, to give these places, and other benefices of new. to men as unmeet, or rather, more unmeet, who are not minded to serve in the Church, but live an idle life as others did who enjoyed them in the time of blindness.

8. And in so far as in the order taken at Leith in the year of our Lord 1571, it appears that such may be admitted, being found qualified; either that pretended order is against all good order, or else it must be understood not of them that are qualified in worldly affairs, or to serve in Court, but of such as are qualified to teach God's Word, having their lawful admission of the Church.

9. As to Bishops, if the name Episkopos be properly taken, they are all one with the Ministers, as before was declared. For, it is not a name of superiority and lordship, but of office and watching. Yet, because in the corruption of the Church, this name, as others, has been abused, and is still likely to be; we cannot allow the fashion of these new-chosen Bishops, nor of the Chapters that are electors of them to such offices as they are chosen to.

10. True Bishops should addict ( devote) themselves to one particular flock, which sundry of them refuse; neither should they usurp lordship over their brethren, and over the inheritance of Christ, as these men do.

11. Pastors, in so far as they are Pastors, have not the office of visitation of a plurality of churches joined to the pastorship, except it be given them. It is a corruption that Bishops should have farther bounds to visit than they may lawfully. No man ought to have the office of visitation, but he that is lawfully chosen by the Presbytery thereunto. The Elderships being well established, have power to send out visitors, one or more, with commission to visit the bounds within their Eldership; and in like manner, after account taken of them, either to continue them, or remove them from time to time, to the which Elderships they shall be always subject.

12. The criminal jurisdiction in the person of a Pastor is a corruption.

13. It agrees not with the Word of God that Bishops should be Pastors of Pastors, Pastors of many flocks, and yet without one certain (particular} flock, and without ordinary teaching. It agrees not with the Scriptures that they should be exempt from the correction of their brethren, and discipline of the particular Eldership of the Church where they shall serve; neither that they usurp the office of visitation of other churches, nor any other function beyond other Ministers, but so far as shall be committed to them by the Church.

14. Wherefore we desire the Bishops that now are to agree to that order that God's word requires in them, as the general Church will prescribe to them, not passing those bounds either in ecclesiastical or civil affairs, or else to be deposed from all function in the Church

15. We deny not in the mean time that Ministers may, and should assist their Princes, when they are required, in all things agreeable to the Word, whether it be in Council or in Parliament, or otherwise, providing always they neither neglect their own charge, nor through flattery of Princes, hurt the public estate of the Church. But generally we say no person, under what title so ever of the Church, and specially the abused titles in Papistry of Prelates, Convents, and Chapters, ought to attempt any act in the Church's name, either in Council, or Parliament, or out of Council having no .commission of the Reformed Church within this realm.

16. And by Act of Parliament it is provided that the Papistical Church and jurisdiction should have no place within the same, and no Bishop nor other Prelate in times coming should use any jurisdiction following from his authority. And again, that no other ecclesiastical jurisdiction should be acknowledged within this realm, but that which is, and shall be in the Reformed Church, and flowing therefrom. So we esteem holding of Chapters in Papistical manner, either in Cathedral Churches, Abbeys, Colleges, or other conventual places, usurping the name and authority of the Church, to hurt the patrimony thereof, or use any other act to prejudice of the same, since the year of our Lord 1560, to be abuse and corruption, contrary to the liberty of the true Church and laws of the realm, and therefore ought to be annulled, reduced, and wholly prohibited.

17. The dependencies also of the Papistical jurisdiction are to be abolished, of the which sort is the mingled jurisdiction of the Commissioners, in so far as they meddle with ecclesiastical matters, and have no commission of the Church thereto, but were instituted in the time of our Sovereign's mother, when things were out of order. It is an absurd thing that sundry of them having no function of (from) the Church, should be judges to Ministers, and depose them from their places. Therefore they either should be prohibited from meddling with ecclesiastical matters, or it should be limited to them in what matters they might be judges, and not hurt the liberty of the Church,

18. They also that were of the ecclesiastical estate of the Pope's Church, or that have recently been admitted to the Papistical titles, and now are tolerated by the laws of the realm to possess the two (third) parts of their ecclesiastical rents, ought not to have further liberty, but to intromit with the portion assigned and granted to them for their lifetime. And not under the abused titles which they had, to make over to others the rents of the Church, set leases and feus thereof at their pleasure, to the great hurt of the Church, and the poor labourers that dwell upon the Church lands, contrary to all good conscience and order.