Not only at baptisms, but also at marriages, the same spirit was displayed. In every country, it has been usual to make merry at marriages; partly from a natural feeling, and partly, perhaps, from a notion that a contract, so often productive of misery, might, at all events, begin with mirth. The Scotch clergy, however, thought otherwise. At the weddings of the poor, they would allow no rejoicing;159 and at the weddings of the rich, it was the custom for one of them to go for the express purpose of preventing an excess of gaiety. A better precaution could hardly be devised; but they did not trust exclusively to it. To check the lusts of the flesh, they, furthermore, took into account the cookery, the choice of the meats, and the number of the dishes. They were, in fact, so solicitous on these points, and so anxious that the nuptial feast should not be too attractive, that they fixed its cost, and would not allow any person to exceed the sum which they thought proper to name.160

Nothing escaped their vigilance. For, in their opinion, even the best man was, at his best time, so full of turpitude, that his actions could not fail to be wicked.161 He never passed a day without sinning, and the smallest

159 They forbad music and dancing; and they ordered that not more than twenty-four persons should be present. See the enactment, in 1647, respecting "Pennie bryddells," in Minutes of the Presbyteries of St. Andrews and Cupar, p. 117. In 1650, "The Presbyterie being sadly weghted with the report of the continwance, and exhorbitant and unnecessarly numerous confluences of people at pennie brydles, and of inexpedient and wnlawfull pypeing and dancing at the same, so scandalous and sinfull in this tyme of our Churches lamentable conditioun; and being apprehensive that ministers and Kirk Sessiouns have not bein so vigilant and active (as neid werre), for repressing of these disorders, doe therfor most seriously recommend to ministers and Kirk Sessiouns to represse the same." Ibid., pp. 169, 170. See, further, Registers of the Presbytery of Lanark, p. 29; and Extracts from the Presbytery Book of Strathbogie, pp. 4, 144.

160 See two curious instances of limitation of price, in Irving's History of Dumbartonshire, p. 567; and in Wodrow's Collections upon the Lives of Ministers, vol. ii. part ii. p. 34.

161"What a vile, haughty, and base creature he is-how defiled and desperately wicked his nature-how abominable his actions; in a word, what a compound of darkness and wickedness he is-a heap of defiled dust, and a mass of confusion-a sink of impiety and iniquity, even the best of mankind, those of the rarest and most refined extraction, take them at their best estate.” Binning's Sermons, vol. ii. p. 302. Compare Boston's Human Nature in its Four-fold State, pp. 26, 27.

sin deserved eternal wrath.162 Indeed, every thing he did was sinful, no matter how pure his motives.163 Man had been gradually falling lower and lower, and had now sunk to a point of debasement, which made him inferior to the beasts that perish.164 Even before he was born, and while he was yet in his mother's womb, his guilt began.165 And when he grew up, his crimes multiplied thick and fast; one of the most heinous of them being the practice of teaching children new words,-a horrible custom, justly visited by divine wrath.166 This, however, was but one of a series of innumerable and incessant offences; so that the only wonder was, that the earth could restrain herself at the hideous spectacle which man presented, and that she did not open her mouth, as of old, and swallow him even in the midst of his wickedness. 167 For it was certain, that in the whole creation, there was nothing so deformed and monstrous as he.168

162 The least sin cannot but deserve God's wrath and curse eternally." Dickson's Truth's Victory over Error, p. 71. "All men, even the regenerate, sin daily." Ibid., p. 153.

163Our best works have such a mixture of corruption and sin in them, that they deserve his curse and wrath." Ibid., p. 130.

164 But now, falling away from God, hee hath also so farre degenerated from his owne kind, that he is become inferiour to the beasts." Cowper's Heaven Opened, p. 251. "O! is not man become so brutish and ignorant, that he may be sent unto the beasts of the field to be instructed of that which is his duty?" Gray's Spiritual Warfare, p. 28. "Men are naturally more bruitish than beasts themselves." Boston's Human Nature in its Four-fold State, p. 58. "Worse than the beast of the field." Halyburton's Great Concern of Salvation, p. 71.

165 Infants, even in their mother's belly, have in themselves sufficient guilt to deserve such judgments;" i.e. when women with child are “ript up. Hutcheson's Exposition on the Minor Prophets, vol. i. p. 255.

166 "And in our speech, our Scripture and old Scots names are gone out of request; instead of Father and Mother, Mamma and Papa, training children to speak nonsense, and what they do not understand. These few instances, amongst many that might be given, are additional causes of God's wrath." The Life and Death of Mr. Alexander Peden, late Minister of the Gospel at New Glenluce, in Galloway, in Walker's Biographia Presbyteriana, vol. i. p. 140.

167

"Yea, if the Lord did not restraine her, shee would open her mouth and swallow the wicked, as she did Corah, Dathan, and Abiram." Couper's Heaven Opened, p. 257. Compare Hutcheson's Exposition on the Minor Prophets, vol. i. p. 507.

16s "There is nothing so monstrous, so deformed in the world, as man.” Binning's Sermons, vol. i. p. 234. "There is not in all the creation such a miserable creature as man. Ibid., vol. iii. p. 321. "Nothing so miserable." Abernethy's Physicke for the Soule, p. 37.

Such being the case, it behoved the clergy to come forward, and to guard men against their own vices, by controlling their daily actions, and forcing them to a right conduct. This they did vigorously. Aided by the elders, who were their tools and the creatures of their power, they, all over Scotland, organized themselves into legislative bodies, and, in the midst of their little senate, they enacted laws which the people were bound to obey. If they refused, woe be to them. They became unruly sons of the Church, and were liable to be imprisoned, to be fined, or to be whipped,169 or to be branded with a hot iron,170 or to do penance before the whole congregation, humbling themselves, bare-footed, and with their hair cut on one side,171 while the minister, under pretence of rebuking them, enjoyed his triumph.172 All this was

natural enough. For the clergy were the delegates of heaven, and the interpreters of its will. They, therefore, were the best judges of what men ought to do; and any one whom they censured was bound to submit with humility and repentance. 173

169 December 17th, 1635. Mention made of a correction house, which the Session ordeans persons to be taken to, both men and women, and appoints them to be whipt every day during the Session's will." Wodrow's Collections upon the Lives of Ministers, vol. ii. part ii. p. 67.

170 On the 22d October 1648, the Kirk Session of Dunfermline ordered that a certain Janet Robertson "shall be cartit and scourged through the town, and markit with an hot iron." Chalmers' History of Dunfermline, p. 437.

"As they punish by pecuniary fines, so corporally too, by imprisoning the persons of the delinquents, using them disgracefully, carting them through cities, making them stand in Iogges, as they call them, pillaries (which in the country churches are fixed to the two sides of the main door of the Parish Church), cutting the halfe of their hair, shaving their beards, &c., and it is more than ordinary, by their 'original' and 'proper power,' to banish them out of the bounds and limits of the parish, or presbytery, as they list to order it." Presbytery Displayd, p. 4.

12 The Scotch clergy of the seventeenth century were not much given to joking; but on one of these occasions a preacher is said to have hazarded a pun. A woman, named Ann Cantly, being made to do penance, "Here" (said the minister), "Here is one upon the stool of repentance, they call her Cantly; she saith herself, she is an honest woman, but I trow scantly." Scotch Presbyterian Eloquence, p. 125. From what I have read of Scotch theology, I can bear testimony to the accuracy of this book, so far as its general character is concerned. Indeed, the author, through fear of being entirely discredited, has often rather understated his case.

173 As Durham says, in his Exposition of the Song of Solomon, p. 451, “It

The arbitrary and irresponsible tribunals, which now sprung up all over Scotland, united the executive authority with the legislative, and exercised both functions at the same time. Declaring that certain acts ought not to be committed, they took the law into their own hands, and punished those who had committed them. According to the principles of this new jurisprudence, of which the clergy were the authors, it became a sin for any Scotchman to travel in a Catholic country.174 It was a sin for any Scotch innkeeper to admit a Catholic into his inn.175 It was a sin for any Scotch town to hold a market either on Saturday or on Monday, because both days were near Sunday, 176 It was a sin for a Scotch woman to wait at a tavern ;177 it was a sin for her to live alone ;178 it was also

is no burden to an honest believer to acknowledge Christ's ministers, to obey their doctrine, and submit to their censures.'

174 A man, named Alexander Laurie, was brought before the Kirk Session of Perth," and being inquired by the minister if, in his last being out of this country, he had been in Spain, answered that he was in Portugal, but was never present at mass, neither gave reverence to any procession, and that he was never demanded by any concerning his religion. The said Alexander being removed and censured, it was thought good by the (Kirk) Session that he should be admonished not to travel in these parts again, except that they were otherwise reformed in religion." Extracts from the Kirk-Session Register of Perth, in The Spottiswoode Miscellany, vol. ii. p. 274. Still earlier, that is, in 1592, the clergy attempted to interfere even with commerce, “allegeing that the marchands could not mak vayage in Spayne without danger of thair sawlis, and tharefore willit thayme in the nayme of God to absteyne." The Historie of King James the Sext, p. 254.

175 See the case of Patrick Stewart, and Mr. Lawson's note upon it, in Lawson's Book of Perth, p. 238. In this instance, the "Roman Catholic gentleman" had been excommunicated, which made matters still worse.

176 The Presbytery of Edinburgh, " by their transcendent sole authority, discharged any market to be kept on Monday; the reason was, because it occasioned the travelling of men and horse the Lord's-day before, which prophaned the Sabbath." Presbytery Displayd, p. 10. In 1650, Saturday was also taken in by another ecclesiastical senate. "The Presbyterie doe appoint the severall brethren in burghes, to deale with such as have not changed ther Mondayes and Satterdayes mercats to other dayes of the weeke, that they may doe the same primo quoque tempore." Minutes of the Presbyteries of St. Andrews and Cupar, p. 53.

177 In 1650, "For the down-bearing of sin,' women were not allowed to act as waiters in taverns, but allenarly men-servands and boys.'" Chambers' Annals, vol. ii. p. 196. This order "wes red and publictlie intimat in all the kirkis of Edinburgh." Nicoll's Diary, p. 5.

178 Forsameikle as dilatation being made, that Janet Watson holds an

a sin for her to live with unmarried sisters.179 It was a sin to go from one town to another on Sunday, however pressing the business might be.180 It was a sin to visit your friend on Sunday ;181 it was likewise sinful either to have your garden watered, 182 or your beard shaved.183 Such things were not to be tolerated in a Christian land. No one, on Sunday, should pay attention to his health, or think of his body at all. On that day, horse-exercise was sinful;18 so was walking in the fields, or in the meadows, or in the streets, or enjoying the fine weather by sitting house by herself where she may give occasion of slander, therefore Patrick Pitcairn, elder, is ordained to admonish her in the session's name, either to marry, or then pass to service, otherwise that she will not be suffered to dwell by herself." Kirk-Sesssion Records of Perth, in The Chronicle of Perth, p. 86.

179 "Ordains the two sisters, Elspith and Janet Stewart, that they be not found in the house again with their sister, but every one of them shall go to service, or where they may be best entertained without slander, under the penalty of warding their persons and banishment of the town." Kirk-Session Register, in Lawson's Book of Perth, p. 169.

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180 Compeirit William Kinneir, and confest his travelling on the Sabbath day, which he declairit was out of meer necessitie, haveing two watters to croce, and ane tempestuos day, quhilk moowit him to fear that he wold not get the watters crost, and so his credit might faill. He was sharpelie admonished; and promist newer to doe the lyke again." Selections from the Records of the Kirk-Session of Aberdeen, p. 136.

181 Compearit Thomas Gray, and confest that one Sunday in the morning, he went to Culter to visit a friend, and stayed thair all night. The sessioune warnit him, apud acta, to the next day, and appointed Patrick Gray, his master, to be cited to the next day, to give furder informatioune in the matter. (Sharply rebuked before the pulpit.)" Selections from the Records of the Kirk-Session of Aberdeen, p. 146.

"Com

182 It was reported that Margaret Brotherstone did water her kaill wpon the Sabbath day, and thairwpon was ordained to be cited." peired Margaret Brotherstone, and confessed her breach of Sabbath in watering of her kaill, and thairwpon ordained to give evidence in publick of her repentance the next Lord's day." Extracts from the Register of the KirkSession of Humbie, p. 42.

"clergymen

183 Even so late as the middle of the eighteenth century, were sometimes libelled" "for shaving" on Sunday. Sinclair's Statistical Account of Scotland, vol. xvi. p. 34, Edinburgh, 1795. At an earlier period, no one might be shaved on that day. See The Spottiswoode Miscellany, vol. ii. p. 276; and Lawson's Book of Perth, pp. 224, 225.

184 66

Compeired John Gordon of Avachie, and confessed that he had transgressed in travailing on the Sabbath day with horse, going for a milston. Referred to the session of Kinor for censure." Extracts from the Presbytery Book of Strathbogie, p. 236. See also the case mentioned in Letters from a Gentleman in the North of Scotland, vol. i. p. 172; "This riding on horseback of a Sunday was deemed a great scandal."