Ministers, or neglect of the duties of
particular Callings, or such other evils as are the works not of the
Spirit but of the Flesh, and are contrary to Truth and Peace.

_Act against such as withdraw themselves from the publike Worship in their
own Congregation._

Since it hath pleased God of his infinite goodnesse to blesse his Kirk
within this Nation, with the riches of the Gospel, in giving to us his
Ordinances in great purity, liberty, and withall, a comely and
well-established order: The Assembly, in the zeal of God, for preserving
Order, Unitie and Peace in the Kirk, for maintaining the respect which is
due to the Ordinances and Ministers of Jesus Christ, for preventing
Schisme, noisome Errours, and all unlawfull Practices, which may follow on
the Peoples withdrawing themselves from their own Congregations, Doth
charge every Minister to bee diligent in fulfilling his Ministerie, to be
holy and grave in his conversation, to be faithfull in Preaching,
declaring the whole counsell of God, and as he hath occasion from the Text
of Scripture to reprove the sins and errours, and presse the duties of the
time; and in all those, to observe the rules prescribed by the Acts of
Assembly; wherein if he be negligent, he is to be censured by his own
Presbytery. As also Ordains every Member in every Congregation to keep
their own Paroch Kirk, to communicate there in the Word and Sacraments;
And if any person or Persons shall hereafter usually absent themselves
from their own Congregations, except in urgent cases made known to, and
approven by the Presbytery, The Ministers of these Congregations whereto
they resort, shall both in publike by Preching, and in private admonition,
shew their dislike of their withdrawing from their own Minister; That in
so doing, they may witnesse to all that heare them, their due care to
Strengthen the hands of their fellow labourers in the work of the Lord,
and their detestation of any thing that may tend to separation, or any of
the abovementioned evils; Hereby their own Flock will be confirmed in
their stedfastnesse, and the unstable spirits of others will be rectified.
Likeas the Minister of that Congregation from which they do withdraw,
shall labour first by private admonition to reclaim them; And if any after
private admonition given by their own Pastour do not amend, in that case
the Pastour shall delate the foresaid persons to the Session, who shall
cite and censure them as contemners o