And this in Goddis presence we witness, we requyre nott so muche for oure selfis, or for any that till us apperteneth, as that we do for the encrease of vertew and learnyng, and for the proffeit of the posteritie to come. It is nott to be supposed that all man[415] will dedicat him self and childrene so to God, and to serve his kirk, that thai luyke for no warldlie commoditie. But this cankered nature quhilk we beare, is provokit to follow vertew quhen it seith honour and profeit annexit to the same;[416] as, contrairlie, then is vertew of mony despised, quhen verteouse and godlie men leve without honour. And sorye wuld we be that povertie suld discourage men from studye, and from following the way of vertew, by the quhilk thai mycht edifie the kirk and flock of Christ Jesus. [415] In edit. 1621, "any man." [416] In edit. 1621, "when it seeth profite and honour thereto annexed; and." Nothing have we spokin of the stipend of Readaris, becaus, gif thai can do nothing but reade, thai neather can be called nor jugit trew ministeris: And yit regard must be haid to thair lawbouris; but so that thai may be spurred fordwart to vertew, and nott by a stipend appointed for thair reading, to be reteaned still in that estait. To a Readare thairfor that is laitlie enterit, we think fourty markis, or mair or less, as the Parochenaris and Readaris can agree, sufficient: providing that he teiche the childrene of the parische, quhilk he must do, besydis the reading of the Commoun Prayeris,[417] and buykis of the New and Auld Testamentis. Gif frome Reading he begin to Exhorte[418] and explane the Scriptures, then aucht his stipend to be augmented; till finallie he come to the honour of a Minister: But and gif he be found unable efter two yeiris, then must he be removed from that office, and dischargit of all stipend, that another may be provin als lang. For this alwayis is to be avoyded, that none quho is jugit unabill to come at ony tyme to some reasonable knawlege, quhairby he may edifie the Kirk, sall perpetuallie be nurisshed[419] upone the charge of the kirk. Farther, it must be avoided, that no child or persone within aige, that is, within xxj yeir of aige, be admitted to the office of a Readare; but Readaris aucht to be endewed with gravitie, witt, and discretioun, lest be thair lychtness the Prayeris or Scripturis read be of less price and estimatioun. It is to be noted, that the Readaris be putt in by the Kirk, and admissioun of the Superintendent. [417] See note 1, page 196. [418] There were persons styled Exhorters, employed in the Church about this time: see next paragraph. [419] In edit. 1621, "shall be perpetually sustained." [Sidenote: _NOTA_]