Chapter XXIII: Discipline
“4th May, 1635.—The brethren were informed that there was very great profanation of the Sabbath at Douecot Hall by pyping, whereby multitudes of people were convened, preaching, vilipended, and misesteemed ; and that John Dunlop receives the said pypers, and entertained drinkers in his house in time of sermon. The brethren ordained the said John to be cited.
“18th May, compeired John Dunlop, and confessed he had sold drink in tyme of sermon, and had received pypers, and promised reformation faithfullie. The brethren interdicted him all such enormities in tyme coming, under the pain of church censures.”
The Presbytery seem to have been greatly opposed to sports and amusements of all kinds at Christmas. The festivities of that joyous time were very sternly forbidden as savouring of “Papistrie,” and the people who, under the old clergy, were permitted freely to enjoy themselves, saw the season pass altogether unnoticed. They attempted in some places to keep up the old games, but without much success. Their jollity was very severely repressed.
“19th January, 1604.—The Presbyterie being informed by their brother, Mr. Patrick Hamilton, that Robert Arthur and Robert Miller, parochiners of Lochquinoche, superstitiously behaved themselves by ringing of girdles, the day of January ; as also that Hendrie Paslay, Robert Paslay, Robert Paton, and James King in Muirdykes, after ane profane and godless manner behavit thaimselves, in disagyissing (disguising) themselves, quhilk is naething less than abomination in the eyes of the Lord, as also being informit by their brother, Gavin Hamilton, vicar of Kilbarchan, that James Andro, Robert Henderson, John Hutcheson, &c., usit superstitious plays a lytle before Yuile; also on the day callet Yuillevening, came throu the clachan of Kilbarchan, making open proclamation and giving open liberty to all men to take pastime for the space of aucht days, as also usit superstitious playis upon the 26th December at the Corsefurd, and gave themselves to strolling and drinking,—the brethren ordainit all the foresaids persons to be summoned to the next Presbytery day by their brothers, Patrick Hamilton and Gavan Hamilton, vicar of Kilbarchan.”
“February 2, 1604.—The persons, proclaimers of Yuille within the parochin of Kilbarchan, upon the day callit Yuill Evening, and passing throu the clachan of Kilbarchan to that effect, and many of them afterwart upon the Monday callit St. Steven's Day passing to the Corsfurd, carrying ane brechan, strolling and drinking, and using sundry other godless and profane behaviour, whose names follows, viz., James Andro, &c., superstitiously using themselves at the said two places and dayes foresaid, compearing as they were summoned, and being accusit of ye godless and profane misbehaviours foresaid, and pairt of them denying and pairt of them confessing that they were proclaimers of Yuile ye foresaid tyme, as all admit, are ordainit to compear before ye civil magistrat ye Laird of Craigends, mister to a great number of ye foresaids persons, whom ye brethren requestis to punish thame civilly in body or gear, or both, as he thinks fit, and before ye session of Kilbarbarchan, and in the meantime direct our loving brethren, Mrs. Andro Knox and Patrick Hamilton, commissioners to continue at the said session and try the foresaid offenders, and thereafter to shew their diligence to the Presbyterie, that injunctions may be given unto them according to the worthiness of the offence they shall happen to be convicted of.”
The girdle-ringers and the disagysit persons are to be summoned pro secundo.
“20th April, 1604.—The which day compeared William Atken, in Lochquinoch parochin, and being accused of using superstitious pastyme by disguising himself upon the last of December, confessit that upon the said nicht he put his cloke about his waist in form of women's clothing, that he put his Bark above his doublet, and his napkin upon his face, and thairfore the brethren ordainet the said William to remove the said sclander by making his repentance two days in sackcloth, and that in the publick place of repentance ; and found David Henderson, burgess of Pasley, caution under the payne of xx. pounds for abstinence in time to come.
“May 10, 1604.—The which day compeared William Dougall, and being accusit for going superstitiouslie at Yuille in dancing, and, in greater contempt to God and his Kirke, that he came throu the Kirk yard with a drawn quhinger in his hand, confessit that he was in company with the pypers and dancers, and therefore the said Presbyterie ordeint him to remove the said sclander by making his repentance in his lynin (linen) clothes two Sabbath days for abusing himself in the superstitious tyme of Yuille, and for his blasphemous aiths and injurious language given to the session of Kilbarchan and commissioners of the Presbyterie, as also that he find burgess of Paisley, caution, under the payn of six pounds, for obedience to the said injunction and ab-stinente in time to come.”
“August 21, 1606.—The which day George Maxwell, minister at Mearns, delatit to the Presbyterie these persons following, namely, John Miller, David Pollock, John Gilmour in Hillhead, John Gilmour in Malletsheuch, and that for the offence following, to wit, that the said persons abovenamed upon Sunday at even, the day of being disagysit in the nicht, came to Robert Watson's house in Kirkhill, and for some malicious purpose invadit the said Robert, his some, and hurt his servant, intending also to bring sclander upon his house and bairnes, of the which the brethren taking due consideration, and finding the said persons guilty of nichtwaking, which is a common offence in that parochin, brewing manifold sclanders and contentions, they ordained George Maxwell to summond, pro primo, the said persons to appear before the brethren the 4th September next to answer for the saime.”
These lively persons, however, unlike the girdle-ringers of Kilbarchan, escaped punishment.