Having carefully viewed, perused and considered the said registers, and every one of them, and being deeply and maturely advised, as in a matter of greatest weight and consequence, do attest before God, and upon our conscience declare to the world and this present Assembly, that the saids foure registers above expressed, and every one of them, are famous, authentick, and good registers; which ought to be so reputed, and have public faith in judgement and out-with, as valid and true records in all things; and that the said fifth and greatest book, beginning at the Assembly 1560 and ending 1590. being margined by the hand-writs of the Clerk, and reviser of the registers, cognosced, and tryed, and agreeable to the other foure registers, in what is extant in them, ought also to be free of all prejudice and suspicion, and received with credit. And in testimonie of our solemne affirmation, we have subscribed these presents with our hands. Sic subscribitur, Master ANDREW RAMSAY. Master IOHN ADAMSON. Master IOHN ROW. Master ROBERT MURRAY. Master ALEXANDER GIBSON. Master IAMES BONER. Master ALEXANDER PEERSON. Master ALEXANDER WEDDERBURN. _Reasons prooving the five Books and Registers produced before the Assembly to be authentick._ The books now exhibited unto us under-subscribers, which we have revised and perused by commission from the generall Assembly, are true registers of the Kirk: to wit, Five Volumes, whereof the first two contain the acts of the Assembly, from the year of God 1560. to the year 1572. all subscribed by Iohn Gray; Clerk: The third from the year of God 1574. to the year 1579: The fourth from the year of God 1586. to the year 1589: At which time Master Iames Ritchie was Clerk, who hath frequently written upon the margine of the saids two last books, and subscribed the said margine with his hand-writing. And the fifth book being the greatest volume, containing the acts of the generall Assembly, from the year of God 1560. to the year 1590. which agreeth with the foresaids other foure books and registers, in so far as is extant in them, and further recordeth, what is wanting by them, passing by what is mutilate in them, and which with the two Volumes produced by Master Thomas Sandilands from the year 1590. to this present, maketh up a perfect register. I. For the first two Volumes subscribed by John Gray, albeit it be not necessar in such antiquietie to proove that he was Clerk, seeing he designes himself so by his subscription, yet the same is made manifest by an act mentioned in the third book, in the time of Master Iames Richie, who succeeded him in the said office, and his hand-writ was acknowledged by sundry old men in the ministery. II. The uniformitie of his subscriptions through both Volumes, evident by ocular inspection above the ordinarie custome of most famous Notars, delivers the same from all suspicion _in facto tam antiquo_.