Tag Archives: A1692/1/28

Commission by the Council, 14 January 1692, Edinburgh

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Att Edinburgh The Fourteenth day of January Jaj vjc nyntie tuo years

A1692/1/281

Commission by the Council

Earl of Lothians Commission to the Generall Assemblie

A Commissione under their Majesties great seall In favoures of Robert Earle of Lothian To be their Majesties High Commissioner for representing their sacred persones and bearing their royall authority in the Ensuing Generall assemblie of the kirk of Scotland redd and appoynted to be recorded in the books of Privy Councell wherof the tenor folloues
Gullielmus et Maria Dei Gratia Magnae Brittaniae Franciae et Hyberniae Rex et Regina fideique defensores Omnibus probis hominibus ad quos presentes Literae nostrae pervenerint salutem Quandoquidem nos regio nostro animo perpendentes quam necessarium sitt ad religionem reformatam melius firmandam pietatem et sanctitatem propagandam et Genuinam pacem et unitatem fraternam in ecclesia antiquioris hujus nostri scotiae regni efficanter acquirandam ut Generalis dictae ecclesiae conventus […] Die mensis Januarii proxime allabentis debite observetur Nos autem in dicto conventu Interesse nequimus Ideoque eminentissimo cuidem et illustrissimi ordinis viro pietate aliisque perpulchris et singularibus animi Dotibus Imbuto sacras nostras personas et authoritatem in eodem representandi Jus et potestatem committere statuimus Nosque Itidem Considerantes exim[i]as animi dotes Integritatem et fidelitatem quod Interesse nostrum Intimatam fidelissimi et dilectissimi nostri Consanguinei et Conciliarii Roberti Lothianae Comitis in universsis et singulis provinciis a nobis ipse concreditis constanter ab ipso demonstratam Atque etiam mutabilem stabilitatem et firmam tam suam tam patris et familiae suae temporibus retroactis ad lesionem2 Juribus reformatae religionis unde ad sumae fiduciae munus Infra expressum debite et exacte obeundum et pia et regia nostra proposita superius mentionata efficaciter promovenda usque quaque est adaptatus Noveritis igitur nos nominasse constituisse et ordinasse sicut per hasce nostras patentes Literas nominamus constituimus et ordinamus Eundem Robertum Lothiane Comitem Supremum nostrum Commissionarium quoad effectum infra expressum damus pariter et concedimus illi plenissimam et amplissimam nostram potestatam et Commissionem sacras nostras personas representandi authoritatem nostram regiam gerendi Locum que nostrum in dicto subsequenti Generali conventu tanquam Commissionario nostro in hunc effectum specialiter constituto tenendi omniaque alia ad Imperium et munus Commissionarii pro Generali ecclesiae conventu per agendi tam plene adeoque Libere in quovis respectu quam quilibet alius ejusdem characteris fecerit seu quovis tempore retroacto facere potuerat atque adeo sicuti nos ipsi personaliter presentes facere poterimus Quaequidem omnia et singula a dicto Roberto Lothianae Comite in hac nostra Commissione prosequenda Legittime facienda nos firmiter approbamus ratihabemus et habituri sumus omnibus et singulis insuper antedicti Conventus et ecclesiae pastoribus et presbyteriis et ceteris cujuscumque hujus regni nostri subsiditis cujuscunque qualitatis seu conditionis ut praefatum Robertum Lothianae Comitem tanquam Supremum nostrum Commissionarium quoad effectum et modum supra mentionatum Agnoscant Colant et dicto ipsius audientes prebent stricte mandamus et Imperamus Et denique hanc nostram Commissionem a die quo magnum nostrum sigillum presentibus est appensum durante toto tempore dicti Generalis Conventus vell usque donec hec nostra Commissio per nos scripto revocetur Continuare declaravimus et per presentes declaramus In Cujus rej testimonium presentibus magnum sigillum nostrum appendi mandavimus Apud aulam nostram De Kensingtoune penultimo die mensis decembris anno Domini millesimo sexcentesimo nonagesimo primo regnique nostri tertio per signaturam manu S D: N Regis subrascribtam wryten on the back thus wryten to the Great Seall and registrat the fifth day of January Jaj vjc nyntie tuo sic subscribitur William Kerr sealled at Edinburgh the fifth of January Jaj vjc nyntie tuo sic subscribitur Alexander Inglis

At Edinburgh 14 January 1692

A1692/1/281

Commission by the Council

[Robert Kerr] earl of Lothian’s Commission to the General Assembly

A commission under their majesties’ great seal in favour of Robert Earl of Lothian to be their majesties’ high commissioner for representing their sacred persons and bearing their royal authority in the ensuing general assembly of the kirk of Scotland read and appointed to be recorded in the books of privy council whereof the tenor follows:
William and Mary by the grace of God, king and queen of Great Britain, France and Ireland and defenders of the faith, to all good men to whom our present letters will have come, greetings. Since we, weighing with our royal mind how necessary it may be for strengthening the reformed religion better, promoting piety and sanctity and acquiring genuine peace and fraternal unity in the church of this our ancient kingdom of Scotland effectively so that the general assembly of the said church on the […] day of the advancing month of January next be observed duly. But we are unable to be present in the said assembly and so to a certain most eminent man and of illustrious rank imbued with piety and other very beautiful and singular qualities of character, we have decided to commit the right and power of representing our sacred persons and authority in the same. And we considering in the same way the exceptional qualities of character, integrity and fidelity which is made known to us of our most faithful and dearest kinsman and councillor Robert [Kerr] earl of Lothian, shown constantly by him in all and single official duties granted to him by us. And also the unchangeable stability and firm adhesion so much his own as of his father and family in times past to the laws of the reformed religion from whence he is entirety fitted to reaching the office of greatest trust within expressed duly and exactly and promoting our pious and royal proposals mentioned above effectively. Know therefore that we have nominated, constituted and ordained, just as by these our letters patent we nominate, constitute and ordain the same Robert earl of Lothian our high commissioner as far as the effect within expressed. Equally, we give and grant to him our most full and ample power and commission of representing our sacred persons, of bearing our royal authority and holding our place in the said following general assembly as our commissioner specially constituted in this effect, and of doing all other things to the power and duty of a commissioner for the general assembly of the church so fully and freely in whatever respect as any other of that character did or could have done in whatever time past and so just as we are able to do ourselves personally present. Which all and single things to be carried out in this our commission to be done legitimately by the said Robert earl of Lothian, we approve firmly, ratify and we will hold to all and single. Moreover, we command and order that to the pastors and elders of the foresaid assembly and church and other whatsoever subjects of this our kingdom of whatever quality or condition that they should recognise, cultivate and provide listening closely to the foresaid Robert earl of Lothian as our high commissioner, as far as the effect and way above mentioned. And finally, we have declared and by the presents declare this our commission to continue from the day on which our great seal is appended to the presents during the whole time of the said general assembly or until this our said commission is revoked by us in writing. In witness whereof, we command our great seal to be appended to the presents. At our court of Kensington on 30 December 1691, the penultimate day of the month of December in the one thousandth, six hundredth and ninety-first year of the Lord, and the third year of our reign, by the sign manual of our supreme lord the King underwritten. Written to the great seal and registered 5 January 1692, signed thus, William Kerr, sealed at Edinburgh 5 January 1692, signed thus, Alexander Inglis.

1. NRS, PC1/47, 571-2.

2. Sic*.* *Recte* adhaesionem?

1. NRS, PC1/47, 571-2.