Series 1 > Journal of the Hon. John Erskine of Carnock, 1683-1687

1684]
JOHN ERSKINE OF CARNOCK
33
This [day] were called to compear before the Council Mr.
Baird and Mr. Eccles, indulged ministers, and Mr. Black and
Elliot, other two indulged men, for not reading the King’s
declaration anent the late plot, for not preaching every 29th
day of May, for going without their respective charges, and for
not observing others of their instructions with which that
liberty was qualified, as was urged against them by their
accusers. Only Mr. Eccles and Elliot compeared. Mr. Eccles
of himself before sentence demitted his indulgence ; Mr. Elliot
being required to declare upon oath if he had not said in the
pulpit that there had been no protestant or phanatical, but a
Jesuitical plot. He said that he had indeed declared that he
thought there was no true Protestant guilty of so terrible a
plot, and that it could be by none but people of Jesuitical and
Sectarian principles. Their sentence was that their places
were now declared to be vacant, and the indulgence granted
to them at an end, and they ordained to find caution under the
penalty of 5000 merks to either not to exercise the functions
of ministers in Scotland, or go off the kingdom and not return.
ls£ February 1684.—I paid to Robert Mill, writer, 500
merks, due by my Lady to James Hamilton, collector. I was
at night in company with Boquhan. Mr. Will. Crichton,
Alexander Inglis, and Will. Cuningham, supped with us in a
change house.
2d.—The Mistress of Balmerino was buried this day ; there
was about fourty coaches at her burial, near the half of them,
I think, were hackneys.
I was the most part of this afternoon with my brother, and
standing at a window in his chamber, I saw a man in the
habit of a fool inviting people to some common play, and a
man in woman’s cloaths (as was said), or a brazen-faced hussey,
dallying with him in the publick streets, she was said to be a
man in woman’s cloaths.
3d.—I heard Mr. John Law. Psa. 89. 9.
4ih.—I was a while at night with Robert Preston, now of
that Ilk, and his brother Alexander, whom they called Doctor,
who was frequently with them. They spoke somewhat reflect-
ingly of my brother’s ruining himself with his religion. There
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