Series 3 > Minutes of the Synod of Argyll, 1639-1651 (1652-1661) > 1639-1651

INTRODUCTION
xxi
to have been destroyed by order of the Synod. The story,
which Reeves and Laing regarded with incredulity, first
appeared in print in 1702 and has been revived at intervals
during the last two centuries. If crosses in Iona or else¬
where had been an object of such superstitious reverence
as to be an obstacle to the preaching of the gospel, the
Synod would have considered themselves amply justified
in giving orders to the Presbytery responsible to carry out
the duties with regard to the removal of ‘ idolatrous
monuments ’ prescribed by civil and ecclesiastical law,1
and if these orders had in fact been given, the Synod would
have recorded them with the same precision as their
recommendations for the filling up of the wishing well at
Loch Long, or for the suppression of ‘ yuill,’ ‘ pasch ’ and
the other reputed holy days. With regard to the alleged
destruction of manuscripts, the Synod’s labours on behalf
of learning and literature should be sufficient to absolve
them from this charge. If there were manuscripts in
existence in Iona at this period, it would be possible to
account for their disappearance by the neglect of the
buildings in which they were housed, and there are indica¬
tions towards the end of the second section of the Synod
record that the ecclesiastical buildings in Iona were being
dilapidated owing to the Marquis of Argyll and Maclean
of Lochbuie, who were intromitting with the funds from
which they were due to be maintained, failing to make
adequate provision for their preservation.
Other matters of historical interest to which reference
is made in these pages include the signing of the Covenant,
the unrest among the Macleans in Mull in 1642, the Royalist
invasion of Argyll in 1644-7, when the Synod’s courageous
policy of excommunicating the Highland ringleaders was
fully justified by results, and the support given to the
1 Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland, v. 351.