262 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2n<i S. V. 117., Mar. 27. '58. 



>vhopfi had lived in the persecuting period, and died since 

 the Revolution ; and I had it a little time from a corre- 

 spondent before, when I transcribed out of my great grand- 

 father's dying testimony and last words ; now I intended 

 "to transcribe more of tiiem ; so I sent for and got them, 

 and William Wilson's dying testimony along with them. 

 I transcribed them, and amongst other duties they were 

 accustomed unto that of personal fasting and humiliation 

 for sin, either at set times ; or on emergent occasions. . . ." 



In the mind of one capable of drawing in 

 pleasure from an almost sacred spot, I would 

 refer him to the little " closet " (mentioned in the 

 foregoinpr by the author), or study where he em- 

 ployed his hours. It is a very small room, one 

 of the two domestic apartments of the house, and 

 entering off the kitchen, with a door leading into 

 a garden ; the latter, when I saw it, was blooming 

 with the choicest flowers. At a corner of the 

 garden was a bower covered with honeysuckles, 

 which his son James stated to me was the place 

 where bis father retired away from the din of the 

 house, and sometimes in it for days together held 

 communion with God, by prayer, meditation, and 

 fasting. In his autobiography there is one in- 

 stance of this in a documentary, covenanting 

 engagement, made between God and himself, con- 

 nected with his solemn moments : — " Subscribed 

 at Lochgoin, in the little Gai'den or Yard, June 

 10th, 1785 years, John Howie." 



The surname Howie has been supposed to be a 

 corruption of the French name Hauy. As the 

 Scotch would derive it rather from the local 

 situation of the farm, a little how or hollow. The 

 following epitaph on a gravestone in the church- 

 yard of Fenwich parish shows so far the genealogy 

 of the family : — 



" The dust here lies under this stone, 

 Of James Howie and his son John ; 

 These two both lived in Lochgoin, 

 And by Death's power were cali'd to join 

 This place. The first, November twenty-one, 

 Years sixteen hundred ninety one. 

 The second, aged ninety years, 

 The first of July was brought here, 

 Years seventeen hundred and fifty five, 

 Por owning truth made fugitives. 

 Their house twelve times, and cattle all 

 Once robb'd, and fam'ly brought to thrall. 

 All these before the Revolution, 

 Out-liv'd Zion's friends 'gainst opposition. 



" And he said unto me, these are they which came out 

 of great tribulation. Rev. vii. 14." 



Another verse : — 



" The'voice said crj', what shall I cry, 

 All flesh is grass, and so must ly, 

 As flow'r in field withereth away. 

 So the goodliness of man decay. 



Isa. xl. 6, 7." 



G.N. 



describes it as " lingering in a few obscure farm- 

 houses in the South of Scotland." The term is, 

 in truth, a mere nickname applied to designate 

 the religious convictions of a large body with con- 

 gregations, presbyteries, and synods in Scotland, 

 England, Ireland, and America — with missions to 

 the Jews, the South Seas, Syria, Northern India, 

 and several of the colonies. Their proper name is 

 Reformed Presbyterians. Their distinctive tenet 

 is the Headship of Christ over the nations, with 

 which it would be inconsistent, as they think, to 

 recognise by any formal oath a civil constitution 

 not framed according to this principle. As Pres- 

 byterians, for example, they decline oaths which 

 in their judgment bind them to the support of 

 Episcopacy and something more, though they 

 live quietly as subjects of the realm, and are the 

 descendants of the men who in the course of last 

 century furnished a regiment in support of the 

 present dynasty on the British throne. A full 

 statement of their doctrinal views will be found 

 in Dr. Symington's Messiah the Prince. Besides 

 the Westminster Standards, their chief symbolic 

 book is a Testimony, Docti'inal and Historical, of 

 which the last edition was emitted in 1 839. The 

 proceedings of this church are recorded in its 

 various periodicals : The Reformed Presbyterian 

 Magazine for Scotland; The Covenanter for Ire- 

 land; The Reformed Presbyterian, Covenanter, 

 and Banner of the Covenant for America. Any 

 respectable bookseller should be able to supply 

 copies of these publications ; say, for instance, 

 Johnstone, Hunter, & Co., Edinburgh. Anon. 



The Cameronians still exist as a distinct sect, 

 a small but tenacious body. Their chief strength 

 is in the West of Scotland, where they have several 

 congregations. Dr. Goold, who lately edited in a 

 very able manner the Works of Dr. John Owen, 

 in 24 volumes 8vo., is one of their ministers. They 

 had lately, and perhaps still have, a religious peri- 

 odical representing their sentiments. J. D. 



It is no wonder your querist should be in need 

 of information in regard to " Cameronianism," 

 •\vhen the great historian of the day, Macaulay, 



ROBES, SWORDS, AND MACES OF CIVIC 

 COMMUNITIES. 



Aldermen in Livery. — In reply to the Query 

 of your correspondent A. C. M. (2»'i S. v. 177.), 

 whether the robes and gowns of the Corporation 

 at Canterbury were purchased at the public ex- 

 pense, I can find no record of the same; and I am 

 confirmed in thinking they were procured at the 

 cost of the wearers by the fact that this practice 

 was in force during the latter days of the old 

 Corporation, previous to the enactment of the 

 Municipal Reform Act. 



Each alderman, on his election, had to provide, 

 not only his gown, but two leathern fire buckets, 

 and each common councilman one fire bucket. 



