Some Incidents in Troqueer Parish. 161 



keilie for an spoilzie alledged to have been committed by the said 

 Alexander, in regard he had refused to admit of the said Barn- 

 keilie his oath, both upon the ground where the goods were 

 poynded and also at the Cross of Kirkcubt, where they were 

 apprysed, as a legal probation, that the goods were his because 

 he was Excommunicate for his Apostacie from the Protestant 

 Religion to Poperie, and craveing the Presbyterie would so far 

 concern ymselves as to allow him an Extract of their sentence 

 and to writ in his favours to such persons as they 

 thought fit, that his oath might not be admitted." After serious 

 consideration, thev instructed their clerk to extract the minute. 



The foregoing are examples of the methods adopted by the 

 Presbyterian Church to ensure that the way of the transgressor 

 would be hard. First the priests were chased from the district 

 and prevented from fulfilling their offices. When a Catholic 

 desired to take a wife and asked for the sanction of the Church, 

 he must abjure his faith or his desire. He could not have both. 

 Forced into irregular ways, he might have recourse to outed 

 CUT ate or deposed minister, he would have to stand Church cen- 

 sure, and worse still would happen if he ignored the Church 

 altogether and " lived in sin." He would always be in the wrong 

 whatever he did if he held by his faith as strenuously as the 

 Covenanters had. 



It was the same with regard to his children. His blessing 

 must not be unmixed. On requiring baptism (a more fondly 

 cherished item of his faith then even than now) for his child, he 

 had to consent to the appointment of Protestant sponsers, who 

 would see that their god-child was educated in the Protestant 

 faith. A Catholic widow might have her children taken from 

 her and placed under the care of a Protestant relative for the 

 same purpose, and aliment might be taken from her estate. 

 Catholics might not have Catholic servants. Catholic servants 

 might not engage themselves to a master of the same faith. 



If these methods " worked no good amendment " Excom- 

 munication was proceeded with. This meant ostracism, a 

 powerful corrective at all times, but doubly so in small and stable 

 communities. People were forbidden to engage in trade with 

 the Excommunicated, to let them houses or provide them with 

 the necessaries of life. In business matters their oaths were 

 outside the law. The days of bloodshed were happily past, but 



