Bygone Church Life in Scotland Part 10

"For the accomplishment of this resolution, the three kingdoms lie under no small debt of grat.i.tude to the Covenanters. They suffered and bled both in fields and on scaffolds for the cause of civil and religious liberty; and shall we reap the fruit of their sufferings, their prayers and their blood, and yet treat their memory either with indifference or scorn? No! whatever minor faults may be laid to their charge, whatever trivial accusations may be brought against them, it cannot but be acknowledged that they were the men who, 'singly and alone,' stood forward in defence of Scotland's dearest rights, and to whom we at the present day owe everything that is valuable to us either as men or as Christians."

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE MARTYRS' MONUMENT, EDINBURGH.]

It only remains for us to add that James Currie, who was the means of raising the original monument, suffered much during the persecution and more than once narrowly escaped capture.

INDEX

Alloway Kirk, witches in, 178

Antiquity of bells, 34

a.s.sa.s.sins of James I., 6

Averting evil spirits at birth, 194

Bag-pipes at funerals, 254

Banns, publication of, 213

Banquets at baptism, 207

Baptism of bells, 42

Beating bounds, 16

Begg, Dr, opposes the organ, 107

Behaviour at kirk, 119

Bell Lore, 34-45

Beltane superst.i.tions, 46

Betrothals, 212, 213

Bible and witchcraft, 166

Bible thrown into the fire, 191

Biers, 241

Biggar, witchcraft at, 184

Birth and Baptism. Customs and Superst.i.tions, 194-209

Black Rood, 29

Brank, 115

Brechin Cathedral, 66

Bristo Port, heads on, 252

Burghs, origin of, 64-66

Burning witches, 163, 168, 184, 191

Calvinism, advent of, 164

Care of the poor, 149

Celtic crosses, 24, 28

Charter of St. Giles's Church, 6

Children, marriage of, 216

Christmas, punished for keeping, 117

Church, marriages to be celebrated in, 222

Church music, 98-107

Churches, interment in, 243

Clova jougs, 113

Coins, objection to foreign, 144

Compulsory attendance at kirk, 119, 137

Consent of parents to be given for marriage, 216

Covenanters slain, 262

Covenanters' flag, 27, 28

Craft-gilds, 128

Creeping to the cross, 27