curred in 1722. The crude and most pernicious notions. associated with witchcraft faded with the advance of education, the diffusion of definite intelligence, and more exacting modes of testing evidence; and lingered longest in the remote corners of the country, least affected by the stirring influences of modern civilisation. The social morality of the nation in the seventeenth century cannot be characterised as elevated, though in some directions there was evidence of improvement. An account of the means adopted for the amelioration of the morals of the people after the Reformation was given in the second volume of this work, and an indication of its operation on the national character throughout the century under review is all that seems requisite. The discipline exercised by the Presbyterian Church was rather severe and rigid, though from this standpoint it has frequently been greatly exaggerated. It should be distinctly remembered that the presbyterian form of worship and polity was the choice of the people themselves, and they were fully represented in all the church courts, in the sessions, in the presbyteries, in the synods, and in the General Assemblies; they had a voice in the election of their ministers, and the members of every congregation had votes in the election of the elders and the deacons, who constituted the session. Indeed, in the history of Presbyterianism, we meet with evidence at every turn, that the clergy were themselves much under the influence of the people, who in various ways wielded a practical and effective control over their ministers. The Scots submitted to some severe rules and curious forms of punishment for social and moral offences, which emanated from the church courts; but even in these matters resistance was frequent, and the tyranny of the presbyterians over one another was never of long duration. All licentious conduct in the relations of the different sexes was severely handled. In the beginning of the century the church session of Aberdeen was exercising a strict surveillance over the citizens. John Mitchel was ordered to be imprisoned in the vault of the church, until he found caution that he would adhere to his wife and maintain her. At the same time, John Davidson, a wright, who had been twice warned to appear and answer to the complaint of his wife, but had failed to appear, was for his contumacy ordered by the session to be apprehended, and put into the steeple until he obeyed their ordinance, touching his adhering to his wife and his future behaviour to her. Christian Burnet was ordained to stand a certain time in the sessionhouse, " and then to be led through the town in a cart, with a crown of paper on her head, and she to be publicly banished at the market-cross, and this because she had seduced her sister to harlotry with James Sinclair, which was committed in Christian's own house; and the reason why she was so used to be openly proclaimed by the hangman". It was quite common for the session to interfere on the side of a wife against her husband, or on the side of a husband against his wife, when either of them had failed in performing their mutual duties.& 35 The church session of Aberdeen adopted the following heads of reformation in 1604, applicable to every family in the city. The whole family should keep the Sabbath, abstaining from all manual labour, attending all the sermons in the parish church, and those who could read should learn to sing publicly. The heads of families should attend all the sermons on the week days, and should meet to the catechising as often as they were called by the church-officer. All families should humble themselves, privately or openly, twice every day, using divine worship and frequent prayers. There should be no swearing, no profane language, no unseemly behaviour in any family; and if a member of the family transgressed, he was "to be sharply punished with a palmer on the hand, or a penalty in money, and in case of persistence, it should be reported to the visitors. The masters of all families should diligently report all persons guilty or suspected of charming, of popery, of harlotry, of drinking, of night-walking, or any other inordinate livers. No house proprietor in the town 35 Selections from the Records of the Kirk-Session of Aberdeen, pp. 23, 40-41. should let any houses to, or lodge, any persons known or suspected to be excommunicated, or any obstinate Catholic, Jesuit, priest, or other stranger, till they have first informed the magistrates and the minister, and received their permission." Certain rules were also approved for the guidance of the visitors of the borough. The ministers agreed that every Thursday afternoon they should wait on their people for examining and catechising them, and to continue this instead of the morning sermons until the people be better acquainted with the knowledge and the grounds of their salvation. The visitors were instructed to assemble the families under them for examination, and to inform the examiners of such faults in the families as required rebuke and admonition, before making any public complaint against them.36 At stated times each presbytery visited the churches within its bounds, when a strict and searching examination was instituted into the life and the work of the pastors, as well as their flocks. An example or two will give the best idea of these proceedings, and of the ecclesiastical economy of the time. In September, 1609, the presbytery of Aberdeen visited the church of Durris, and after prayer by the bishop, they proceeded with the matters of the visitation. The elders of the congregation were present, and Alexander Youngson, the minister, was removed, and then the elders gave their opinion of his ministry. The record says that he was well commended both by the eldership and the parishioners, "praising God for him". The minister and the elders were commanded to put their acts into execution against all who contravened them, and among the rest against sleepers in the church during divine service.37 The presbytery of Strathbogie visited the church of Gartly on the 16th of July, 1651, and directly proceeded to business. John Chalmer, the minister of the parish, was called, and gave in a list of the elders and deacons of the parish, containing 36 Selections from the Records of the Kirk-Session of Aberdeen, pp. 32-34. eighteen names, and they were all sworn "to declare boldly what they knew in their minister, his doctrine, his life, his conversation, and the exercise of his calling among them, as in the sight of God, before whom they were shortly to answer. The minister and the other elders being removed, John Innes of Codrain, one of the elders, was asked whether the minister behaved himself like a man of his calling in his private conversation answered, he did lead an innocent, blameless life, and exemplary in these points, and that he did not frequent alehouses or such places, but was diligent in the restraint of such unlawful exercise when occasion offered. Being asked whether he had the worship of God set up in his own family, and reading of the Bible morning and evening: answered, that he had indeed, and that he was not forgetful of such holy exercise to have his children also instructed in this. Being asked concerning his doctrine, how he taught, how often, and if on the week-days: answered, that he did teach them soundly and convincingly out of the Scriptures, and seasonably, bringing forth ordinarily abundance of food, conveniently, sensibly, and articulately delivering the same in such a manner as all might be able to understand it; and that sometimes, as his text led him, as he saw the necessity, he did express himself against the errors of the times, to wit, malignancy and sectarianism: in his sermons he constantly showed himself against both, and argued for obedience to the public resolutions of the times. He preached twice on Sunday, and lectured before sermon in summer, baptised after it, before the blessing, with such reverence and due respect as stirs up all to be attentive and to countenance the ordinance. Sometimes he lectured on the week-days, and sometimes catechised; always had the psalms sung in the time of divine service; and before the celebration of the Lord's Supper, was more punctual and frequent in examining his people than ordinarily. Moreover, he declared that the minister was exact in discipline, and used no partiality in punishing delinquents, and was careful both in admonishing and in censuring when he saw it expedient; he visited the sick of his parish, and urged family worship. In a word, he remembered nothing at present to have the minister admonished for." Gordon of Colithy, the next elder called, concurred in everything that the last one had said, and added: "that their minister had a good popular gift of preaching, and was every day improving, for he applied himself to his work more than before, and engaged less in worldly business". All the rest of the elders intimated their concurrence, and also said that he was active in the distribution of the poor's money at set times of the year, according to their necessities, and was not behind anyone in giving them of his own when he saw it needful. The minister was then recalled, "and gravely encouraged to the work, with serious entreaty to consider the weight of his calling, and to be earnest with God for assistance and direction in it". The elders were then removed, and the minister reported favourably of their fidelity to the discipline of the Church. When recalled, they were encouraged to further diligence, and exhorted to hold family worship in their own homes, 38 In August, 1651, at a similar visitation by the presbytery of the church of Rhynie, Mr. William Watson, the schoolmaster, being removed, "was called a tippler and idle speaker sometimes; but he was careful enough of the children, and had taken much pains in educating them. He was admonished for the time, and exhorted to amend; otherwise to be removed." In 1652, James Reid, having been nominated and elected by the session of Grange to be schoolmaster there, appeared before the presbytery: "and having produced famous testimony of his literature and christian conversation under the hands of the presbytery of Old Aberdeen, his election was approved; and for his trial, prescribed to him the 3rd od., lib. 4, of Horace, to expound and explain, grammatically, logically, and rhetorically "" 38 Extracts from the Presbytery Book of Strathbogie, pp. 200-202. 39 Ibid., pp. 202, 209, 226. |