Communion Tokens. 107 



Matthew M'Gill, 1832-1864, was the first minister. 

 (See Plate correction, p. 52.) 



r.r'juvcii. 



232. E.G. No. 136. RUTHWELL / CHURCH in upper and 



under border frames. 1830 across centre. Reverse, 

 SACRAMENTAL / TOKEN likewise, with pentacle 

 in centre (signifying health). Borders, ov., 17 x 13. 



233. F. Stock pattern. Type II., as Closeburn F. Oval, 



19x13. 



That there was an earlier token in Ruthwell is almost 

 certain. Possibly it is the small square token shown 

 in Mr Brook's list on page 153. Continuing Mr 

 Brook's numbering, the piece refeired to will be 1177 

 — a small square with rude capital R. 

 Rev. Henry Duncan, 1799-1843, was the third son of 

 the Rev. George Duncan, of Lochrutton. Had D.D. 

 from University of St. Andrews in 1823, and was 

 elected Moderator of the General Assembly, 1839. 

 At the Disruption he joined the Free Church and 

 was minister of the Ruthwell Free Church at Kedar 

 Mount from 1843 till his death in 1846. In Feb- 

 ruary, 1810, he formed first an Auxiliary Bible 

 Society in Dumfries, and in the following May he 

 established in his own parish the first parish or 

 savings bank, with the founding of which his name 

 and fame will best be known. Dr Duncan's token, 

 dated 1830, is unique in the symbol it bears. What 

 suggested the pentacle, pentagram, or pentalpha, is 

 not known. As a member of the Speculative Society 

 he may have culled the emblem from the ancients to 

 signify "mystery," "perfection," or "the uni- 

 verse." As a churchman he may have borrowed it 

 from ecclesiastical architecture, in which, at least on 

 the Continent, it is to be found. Or perhaps he 

 detected a worthy idea in the superstition of the 

 Middle Ages which regarded the " wizard pentacle " 

 as a powerful symbol for the warding off and expel- 

 ling of evil spirits. More probably as a Mason he 

 adopted the Masonic emblem as the most fitting orna- 

 ment for his communion token. It may be allowed 

 to stand as a religious symbol for the perfection and 

 mystery of the saving health of the Gospel, as that is 

 dispensed in the Sacrament of the Supper. 



