Series 5 > Religious Controversy in Scotland 1625-1639

HISTORIE OF CHURCH AND STATE
33
Good men and learned men they have manie [Qthe Almightie increase there
number!), hot of idle, prophane, ill-sett men, two for one good. I pray God put it
in their parliment’s hearts and the assembly of devines49 to see for remeeds to
this, utherwise these people cannot but perish for want of knowledge and there
blood will be required at the watchmen’s hands who should helpe them.
I have seine these of Eske, Lyne, Rokcleife, Bonihouse,50 and Carleile itselfe
come up with their loads and pouks one twenties and thirties one the Sabbath
day for the mercat of Dumfries while it held one the Monday, and when I and
other of my brethren have regrated this to there ministers, they could not mend
it, hot weill I wott on any of their saincts or holy dayes, they durst not travell at
all, yea, not do the least pointe of a servile worke under a great penaltie, which
was not forgiven.
Bot I returne to my countrie. Wee were even posting after them to
profaneatione of the Lord’s day, and keepeinge of holie dayes, chiefly Yule and
Pash, in great solemnity. Bishopps gave good examples to cry downe afternoone
sermons, for in there discourse they afirmed them neidles,51 and for themselves,
either they keiped at home in tyme of afternone service, or went to bowleinge at
John Dickson’s house in the Potter Row [which] was to some of them there
Sabbath’s afternoone place for recreationes, and amongst us ministers many were
well acquainte with that profane peice of Doctor White s one the Sabboth52 and
of that of Heyling,53 and manie alowed there people to goe to footeball, or
penistone,54 on the Sabbath. And to shew his Christian libertie and that the
commandement of the Sabboth was not morall, Mr Thomas Forbus then
preached at Millrosse,55 ‘haveinge but one ruckle56 of corne, [I] would cast that
in, even on the Lord’s day’.To poperie and profanitie fast were wee postinge.57
49 The Westminster Assembly of Divines met from 1 July 1643 to 22 Feb. 1649.
50 Esk and Lyne are rivers north of Carlisle, and Rockcliff is a settlement near the estuary of the
Eden, below Carlisle. I have not located Bonihouse.
51 i.e., needless.
52 Francis White, A Treatise of the Sabbath-Day (London, 1635). A rebuttal to a work byTheophilus
Brabourne, who had maintained the Sabbath according to puritan notions of purity and perpetuity.
White referred to such people as ‘Sunday-Sabbatizers’ (235).
53 Peter Heylyn, The History of the Sabbath (London, 1636) .This is a historical consideration of the
Sabbath, thereby mounting an attack upon those who would observe the fourth commandment in all
rigour, and claiming dominical and apostolic sanction for so doing.
54 penny-stone, a game.
55 Thomas Forrester of Melrose. See Mullan,‘Arminianism’, 20.
56 var. of rickle, a stack of hay, etc.
57 A. Stevenson, The History of the Church and State of Scotland,from the Accession of King Charles I to the
year 1649 (Edinburgh, 1840; cf. 1st edn., 1753-7), 125.