V. Concerning Provision for the Ministers, and for Distribution of the Rents and Possessions justly appertaining to the Kirk.

Seeing that from our Master Christ Jesus and His Apostle Paul we have it that the workman is worthy of his reward, and that the mouth of the labouring ox ought not to be muzzled, of necessity it is that honest provision be made for the ministers. This we require to be such that they have neither occasion of solicitude nor of insolence and wantonness. And this provision must be made not only for their own sustentation during their lives, but also for their wives and children after them. For373 we judge it a thing most contrarious to reason, godliness, and equity that the widow and children of him who in his life did faithfully serve the Kirk of God, and for that cause did not carefully make provision for his family, should, after his death, be left comfortless of all provision.²⁴⁷²⁴⁷Provision for the wives of ministers after their decease to be remitted to the discretion of the Kirk. (Additio.)

It is difficult to appoint a stipend to every several minister, by reason that the charges and necessity of all will not be alike; for some will be continuers in one place, while some will be compelled to travel and oft to change dwelling-place if they shall have charge of divers kirks. Some will be burdened with wife and children, and one with more than another, and some perchance will be single men. If equal stipends be appointed to all those that in charge are so unequal, one would suffer penury, or another would have superfluity and too much.

We judge, therefore, that every minister should have sufficient whereupon to keep a house and be sustained honestly in all things necessary, as well for keeping of his house, as clothes, flesh, fish, books, fuel, and other things necessary. Provision should be made for this from the rents and treasury of the kirk where he serveth, at the discretion of the congregation, conform to the quality of the person and necessity of the time. It is thought good that every minister should have at least forty bolls meal and twenty-six bolls malt, to find his house in bread and drink, and so much more as the discretion of the kirk finds necessary. He should have, besides, money for buying other provision to his house, and other necessaries, and the modification of this is referred to the judgment of the kirk, to be made every year at the choosing of the elders and deacons of the kirk; providing always that there be advanced to every minister sufficient provision of all things for a quarter of a year beforehand.²⁴⁸²⁴⁸This paragraph was an additio of the Lords of the Congregation.

For those that travel from place to place, whom we call Superintendents, who remain a month or less in one place for the establishing of the Kirk, and thereafter, for the same374 purpose, change to another place, further consideration must be had. To each Superintendent there should be allowed, we think, six chalders²⁴⁹²⁴⁹A measure of about 90 bushels, roughly. bear,²⁵⁰²⁵⁰Barley. nine chalders meal, three chalders oats for his horse, and five hundred marks of money. This shall be eked and pared at the discretion of the prince and council of the realm, and be paid to him yearly.

The children of the ministers must have the liberties of the cities next adjacent the place of their father's labours, freely granted. They must have the privileges in schools, and bursaries in colleges; that is, they shall be sustained at learning, if they be found apt thereto, and failing thereof, they shall be put to some handicraft, or exercised in some virtuous industry, whereby they may become profitable members of the commonwealth.²⁵¹²⁵¹We require the same for their daughters; to wit, that they be virtuously brought up, and honestly doted when they come to maturity of years, at the discretion of the Kirk. (Additio.)

In God's presence we bear witness that we require these provisions not so much for ourselves, or for any that to us appertain, as for the increase of virtue and learning, and for the profit of the posterity to come. It is not to be supposed that any man will dedicate himself and his children to God, and so serve His Kirk that he will look for no worldly commodity. This cankered nature which we bear is provoked to follow virtue when it seeth honour and profit annexed to the same, as, contrarily, virtue is despised of many when virtuous and godly men live without honour. And, too, we should be sorry that poverty should discourage men from study and from following the way of virtue, whereby they might edify the Kirk and flock of Christ Jesus.

We have not spoken of the stipend of readers, because, if they can do nothing but read, they can be neither called nor judged true ministers. And yet regard must be had to their labours; but only that they may be spurred forward to virtue, and not by a stipend appointed for their reading be retained permanently in that estate. For a reader that is lately entered,375 we think forty marks, more or less, as the parishioners and readers can agree, should be sufficient. He must teach the children of the parish, besides reading the Common Prayers and the books of the New and Old Testaments. If from reading he begin to exhort and explain the Scriptures, then ought his stipend to be augmented, until, finally, he come to the honour of a minister. But if he be found unable after two years, then must he be removed from office, and discharged of all stipend, in order that another may be proven as long. It is always to be avoided, that any reader who is judged unable to come at any time to some reasonable knowledge, whereby he may edify the Kirk, shall perpetually be nourished upon the charge of the Kirk. Further, it must be avoided that any child, or person within twenty-one years of age, be admitted to the office of a reader. Readers ought to be endowed with gravity, wit, and discretion, lest by their lightness the Prayers or Scriptures read be of less price and estimation. The readers shall be put in by the Kirk, and admitted by the Superintendent.

For the other sort of readers who have long continued in godliness, have some gift of exhortation, are in hope to attain to the degree of a minister, and teach the children, we think a hundred marks, or more at the discretion of the Kirk, may be appointed; difference being made betwixt them and the ministers that openly preach the word and minister the Sacraments.

There still remain other two sorts of people to be provided for, from that which is called the patrimony of the Kirk, to wit, the poor and the teachers of youth. Every several kirk must provide for the poor within itself; for fearful and horrible it is that the poor (whom not only God the Father in His law, but Christ Jesus in His Evangel, and the Holy Spirit speaking by St. Paul, have so earnestly commended to our care) are universally so contemned and despised. We are not patrons for stubborn and idle beggars, who, running from place to place, make a craft of their begging. Them the civil magistrate ought to punish; but God commandeth His people to be careful for the widow and fatherless, the aged, impotent, or lamed, who376 neither can nor may travail for their sustentation. For these latter, as also for persons of honesty fallen into decay and penury, such provision ought to be made, that of our abundance should their indigence be relieved.

How, most conveniently and most easily, this may be done in every city, and in other parts of this realm, God shall show you wisdom and the means, if your minds shall godly thereto be inclined. All must not be suffered to beg that gladly so would do; neither yet must beggars remain where they choose; but the stout and strong beggar must be compelled to work, and every person that may not work must be compelled to repair to the place where he or she was born (unless of long continuance he or she have remained in one place), and there reasonable provision must be made, as the Church shall appoint. The order nor sums, in our judgment, cannot be particularly appointed, until such time as the poor of every city, town, or parish be compelled to repair to the places where they were born, or to the place of their residence. There their names and number must be taken and put in roll; and then may the wisdom of the kirk appoint stipends accordingly.