Home

Index for Chapters XXI-XXIX

Previous page

Next page

Chapter XXIII: Discipline


“December 24, 1626.—The quilk day compeared William Steward in Woodsyde, and in presence of the moderator and remanent brethren, in hairclothe, barefooted and barelegged, in all humilitie, with signes and tokens of unfeigned repentance, confessed his guiltiness, &c., wherefore the saids brethren ordained the said William to extract his injunctions, namely, that he shuld stand six Sabbaths in the said hairclothes upon the place of publick re¬pentance within the Kirk of Pasley.”

This offender seems to have returned again to his evil courses, and is more severely dealt with accordingly :—

“March 3, 1642.—Which day compeared William Steward in Woodsyde, and confessed his guiltiness, &c., who, for removing the scandal of the said offence committed, was ordained to make his repentance in sackcloth in all the churches within the Presbyterie, beginning at Paslay, and to report the testificat of every one of the saids ministers of his obedience, and that during said space the said William present himself every presbyterie day in the said habit, that the brethren after exercises may confer with him.”

“January 14. — The which day compeared William Wallace of Ellerslie, [1] confessing, &c., whose offence the brethren considering great, and he of the rank of a gentleman, ordained him, for the removing of the slander of the offence, to stand in his own desk in the Kirk of Pasley, and confess as he should be inquired by his pastor, and to pay to the Session of Pasley the sum of twentie pounds money.”

Various persons are summoned for the profanation of the Sabbath, and severely punished. The custom that prevailed in Scotland during the Roman Catholic period of having sports on Sunday and dancing on the village green seems in some parishes to have continued. It was, however, put down with a strong hand. Markets which appear occasionally to have been held on the Lord's Day were forbidden.

“October 14, 1602. —Because the mercat called the Fair of the Hill halden in Lochwinnoch yeirlie, the 6th day of November this yeir falls upon the Lord's Day, whairfore for eschewing the abuse of the Sabbath to the said mercat, the Presbyterie has ordained every brother to give admonition to his parochiners to keep the said mercat upon Saterday the fyfth day of the month.”

“December 19, 1602.—John Knox of Ranfurly, accused of profaning the Sabbath and Kirk of the Lord by evil words to the vicar of Kilbarchan and his elders, whereon followed ane tumult within the said Kirk, &c., ordained, after sermon made by Mr. William Brisbane, to come out of his own seat, and thereafter upon his knees confess his offence to God for profanation of the Sabbath and oversight of his duties to the vicar and the session.”

“19th June, 1606.—The brethren being informed be Mr. Andro Law, minister at Neilston; of the great profanation of the Sabbath by the great resorting of the common people of sundry parochins about, to the green of Little Caldwall, whairupon they profane the Sabbath day by pyping and dancing. Therefore ordains the ministers of the aforesaid parochins to inhibit and forbid openly, out of the pulpit, their own several parochiners to make any resort to the said green in any tyme hereafter, with certification that whosoever shall be found to contravene the said instruction shall be proceeded against be the censures of the Kirk. Also ordains Hew Erston, pyper, for keeping of a green to be summoned, pro primo.”

“August 21, 1606.—Gavin Maxwell reportit to the brethren that John Paterson, piper, in Mernis, was found guiltie of profaning the Sabbath, for keeping of the green of Over Pollok, and that he had summoned the said John, apud acta, before the Session of Merns, to compear before the Presbyterie. The said John being callit, and not compearing, was ordanit to be summoned, pro secundo.

“2nd July, 1607.—Mr. Andro Hamilton delated John Hall, parochiner of Kilbarchan, [2] for profanation of the Sabbath day by keeping of a green every Sabbath, at afternoon, with piping and dancing, and had summond the said John . . . not compearing, he is summond, pro secundo."

Paterson, Hall, and Robert Fisher, pyper, were cited, admonished and prayed for at various dates.

“September 3, 1607.—The which day Mr. Andro Hamilton reportit that according to the ordinance of Presbyterie, the 13th of August last, he had proceedit be admonitions against John Hall, pyper, who was to compear this instant day. John compeared, and being accusit of profaning the Sabbath, by keeping his grein for the convening of the common people thereon on the Sabbath. Qphilk he confessit, and therefore was ordainit to find caution to the Session of Kilbarchan, under the pain of twenty pounds money, that he shall abstain, in all time coming, from the keeping of the said grein, which he promissed faithfullie in presence of the Presbyterie to do.”


[1] The descendant of the patriot.
[2] It was in this village that the famous piper, Habbie Simson, lived, who is immortalised in the song of “Maggie Lauder,” and celebrated by Francis Semple of Beltrees.