390 NOTICE ON TWO MINISTERS OF ROXBURGH 



minister of Kennoway, who was one of the six ministers 

 chosen to draw up the Scots Confession of Faith, and the 

 First Book of Discipline, and whose son was John Eow, 

 minister of Carnock, the historian of the Church of Scotland. 



Dr Hew Scott states, under the parish of Glencairn, that 

 this James Betoun was minister there in 1574, and that "he 

 also held the parsonage of Auld Eoxburghe 27th February 

 1575, and continued 25th October 1577." He may have 

 been minister of Glencairn before he came to Roxburgh, 

 but it was the other James Betoun who was minister of 

 Eoxburgh at the dates mentioned. 



There are two references to this second James Betoun in 

 the "History of the Kirk of Scotland," by David Calderwood, 

 who seems to have had a poor opinion of him, probably 

 because they held different views of ecclesiastical policy. In 

 giving an account of the Assembly of 1606, which appointed 

 a constant moderator for every Presbytery, he says (vi., 608) 

 that 125 ministers supported the proposal, "all of them 

 corrupted with hope, feare, honour, money ; or of the baser 

 sort of the ministrie, as James Eeid, Mr James Betoun, 

 Mr Johne Dalyell, Mr Adam Mitchell, and suche others." 

 Again, writing of the same Assembly, he says, p. 626 : 

 " Sindrie were there of verie meane gifts, written for to 

 come whether they had permissioun of the presbyterie or 



not ; as in the presbyterie of Kelso, old James 



Betoun." 



He must have died soon after this, for his successor, Mr 

 William Wemyss, was admitted minister of the parish in 1608. 



With regard to another statement of Dr Hew Scott, — that 

 " The church was dedicated to St. James, and previous to 

 the Eeformation belonged to the Abbey of Kelso. It was 

 a Prebend of Glasgow," — it may be well to mention that 

 here he is confounding two things, as before he confounds 

 two persons. It was the church in the Eoyal Burgh of 

 Eoxburgh that was dedicated to St. James, and belooged to 

 Kelso Abbey. The Parish Church was probably dedicated 

 to the Virgin, and belonged to no Monastic House. But 

 Dr Scott is right in saying that it was a Prebend of 

 Glasgow. 



