Page:Life and transactions of James Sharp.pdf/4

 whom they had appointed as a fit person to be near his person. The general returned an answer to Mess. Douglas and Dickson, assuring them, that the welfare of the church should be a great part of his care, and that he had sent a pass for Mr Sharp On receipt of which, several ministers met at Edinburgh, and agreed to send Sharp to take care of the affairs of the church of Scotland; and, gave him the following instructions.

1. You are to use your utmost endeavours, that the Kirk of Scotland, may without interruption or encroachmetencroachment [sic] enjoy the freedom and privileges of her established judicatures, ratified by the laws of the land.

2. Whereas by the late toleration, which is established, a door is opened to many gros errors and loose practices in this church; you shall therefore use all lawful and prudent means to represent the sinfulness and offensiveness thereof, that it may be timeously remedied.

3. You are to represent the prejudice the church doth suffer by the inverting of the vacant stipends, which by law where dedicated to pieus uses, and seriouslly endeavour, that hereafter vacanct stipends be intromitted with by presbyteries, and such as shall be warranted by them, and no others, to be disposed of and applied to pieous uses, according to the XXth act of parliament, 1644.

4. You are to endeavour that ministers, lawfully called and admitted by presbyteries to the ministery, many have the benifit of the XXXIXth act of parliment, intitled, act anent abolishing patronages, for obtaining summarily, upon the act of