Synods to adde or alter these Rolls given by the
Presbyteries, as they thinke reasonable: And that the Synods shall send
the Rolls made by them in this manner, to the next Generall Assembly, who
shall also examine the Rolls of the Synods, and adde or alter the same as
shall be thought expedient. Which Roll made by the Generall Assembly,
shall be sent to every Presbyterie & that the Presbyterie, with consent of
the most or best part of the Congregation, shall make a List of six
persons willing to accept of the presentation out of that Roll of the
Assembly, upon every occasion of vacation of any Kirk within their bounds,
and shall send the samine together with a blank presentation: The which
(if His Majesty be Patron to the vacant Kirk) shall be sent by the said
Procurator and Agent, to such as the Commissioners of the Generall
Assembly, or in their absence the Presbyterie of _Edinburgh_: shall direct
and think at that time most able and willing to obtain the presentation,
to be signed and filled up by His Maj. choise of one of the List. And if
the vacant Kirk be of a Patronage disponed by His Majesty since the 3. of
_January_, in that case either the Presbyteries themselves shall send a
List of six persons in maner aforesaid, with a blank presentation to the
Patron, to be filled up by his choise, & subscribed or send the samine to
the saids Officers of the Kirk, to be conveyed by them to the Patron of
the vaiking Kirk, as the Presbyterie shall think most expedient. It is
always declared, that this order shall be without prejudice to the
Presbyteries, with consent foresaid, to put actual Ministers upon the said
List of six persons, to be sent to the Patron of the said vaiking Kirks,
if they please. And least that the nomination of Expectants by
Presbyteries, Synods, or Assemblies, in their Rolls or Lists foresaid, be
mis-interpreted, as though the Expectants nominated in these Rolls and
Lists, were thereby holden & acknowledged to be qualified, which is not
the intention of the Assembly, who rather think, that in respect of this
Order, there should be a more exact tryal of Expectants then before:
Therefore the Assembly ordaines, that no Expectants shall be put on the
Rolls or Lists above-mentioned, but such as have been upon the publike
exercise, at the least by the space of half a year, or longer, as the
Presbyterie shall finde necessary. And suchlike ordaines, that hereafter
none be admitted to the publike exercise, before