Antiquities of Girthon. 81 



Revelation may fall upon me, particularly that I may never see the 

 face of God in mercy, but be excommunicat from his presence and 

 have my portion vs^ith divels and reprobats in hell to all eternitie 

 if I be guilty ; which forsaid oath I take in its true, genuin and 

 ordinary sense, without equivocation or mentall reservation, and 

 that this paper may stand as a witness against me if I be guilty," 

 &c. 



Perhaps it may be worth adding that there is in the Girthon 

 Session records a passage which throws some light on the relations 

 between the Pi'esbyterian clergy and their Episcopalian prede- 

 cessors. In 1701 there was living in Girthon a Borgue man 

 named James Dallzell, who seems to have been regarded as a 

 suspicious character. The Session " appoints the minister to ask 

 at Mr Mouteith " (minister of Borgue) "at meeting what's the 

 reason why this man gets not a testimonial." A fortnight after 

 " the minister according to appointment spoke to Mr Monteith 

 anent James Dallzell, who told him that he was not well looked 

 upon by the people of Borg since the abuse he committed in Mr 

 Hasty's House, late Incumbent at Borg." 



Now, this Mr Hasty was an Episcopal curate, inducted to 

 Borgue in 1682, and "rabbled" out in 1689. Hence probably the 

 word " incumbent," unusual in Scotch church records. They 

 would not admit he was " minister." Perhaps they looked upon 

 " curate " as an illeg-al — at anyrate a very odious — title. " Incum- 

 bent" was neutral. One would like to know what the "abuse" 

 committed in his house was. If it refers to the " rabbling," it 

 would seem that Mr Monteith and his people (strong Presbyterians 

 though they were) did not approve of the violent and lawless 

 expulsion of the curate. On the other hand, Monteith was himself 

 an instigator of the mob in the dyke-levelling riots of 1724. 



Perhaps an explanation of the mysterious " abuse " may be 

 found in a minute of Session of the same year, 1701 — "Appoints 

 John Aikine and John M'Knay to wait on Fryday at the Gatehous 

 mercat to take notice and delate such within this Parish as shall be 

 found swearing or drinking, drunk, or committing- any other abuse. 

 And the rest of the Elders jjer vices thereafter." So after all the 

 " abuse committed in Mr Hasty's house " may have been some- 

 thing of the nature of undue festivity. And I am afraid the 

 zealous Presbyterians of 1700 were no" likely to look with favour 

 on a man who had been a companion of an "incumbent" before 

 the Revolution. 



