John Howie of Lochgoin

1 6 THE PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL REVIEW
than that. In discussing the date of Henderson's admis-
sion to Leuchars, Aiton makes this statement : "In the
Biographia Scoticana, it is said that Henderson entered to
Leuchars about the year 1620." Apparently James Howie,
A.M., did not know that Biographia Scoticana was the old
name of The Scots Worthies, the work which he was edit-
ing, and so, in borrowing from Aiton, he refers to the
Biographia Scoticana as if it were a different book!
I am not quite certain how many editions of the Scots
Worthies have been published : but my own collection con-
tains nearly twenty, and I feel safe in asserting that there
are probably fifty. How few of the most prominent literary
men of the present day can expect to rival in long contin-
ued popularity the imperfectly educated farmer of Lochgoin!
Though John Howie had produced nothing else than The
Scots Worthies, he would have erected a noble monument
to his own memory, as well as to the men whom he admired
and wished to honour. But when he was once in touch with
the reading public, he issued volume after volume. The
first of these appeared in 1779, and is entitled: —
"A collection of Lectures and Sermons, preached upon
several subjects, mostly in the time of the late persecution.
Wherein a faithful doctrinal testimony is transmitted to pos-
terity for the doctrine, worship, discipline and government
of the Church of Scotland against Popery, Prelacy, Eras-
tianism, etc. By these faithful and eminent servants of
Jesus Christ : Messrs. William Guthrie, Michael Bruce, John
Welwood, Richard Cameron, Donald Cargill, Alexander
Peden and Alexander Shields. To which are added some
sacramental discourses by Mr. John Livingston and Mr.
John Welch, and a sermon on the breach of Covenant, by
Mr. John Guthrie. Carefully collected and transcribed
from several manuscripts by J. H. ; and now published at the
desire of the owners of that cause, which some of the worthy
authors sealed with their blood. [Isaiah lii. 7 partly quoted.]
Glasgow : Printed and sold by J. Bryce. M.DCCLXXIX."
In the preface (dated "Lochgoin, March 9th, 1779")
Howie explains that the discourses were mostly taken from
the mouths of the preachers in shorthand "by the common