Sir John Arthur, a priest, was indicted for baptising and marrying
several persons ‘in the auld and abominable papist manner.’ Here and
there, the old church had still some adherents who preferred such
ministrations to any other. It appears that Hugh and David Kennedy
came with two hundred followers, ‘boden in effeir of weir;’ that is,
with jacks, spears, guns, and other weapons; to the parish kirk of
Kirkoswald and the college kirk of Maybole, and there ministered and
abused ‘the sacraments of haly kirk, otherwise and after ane other
manner nor by public and general order of this realm.’ The archbishop
of St Andrews in like manner came, with a number of friends, to
the Abbey Kirk of Paisley, ‘and openly, publicly, and plainly took
auricular confession of the said persons, in the said kirk, town,
kirk-yard, chalmers, barns, middings, and killogies thereof.’--_Pit._
‘After great debate, reasoning, and communication had in the council
by the Protestants, wha was bent even to the death against the said
archbishop and others kirkmen, the archbishop passed to the Tolbooth,
and became in the queen’s will; and sae the queen’s grace commandit him
to pass to the Castle of Edinburgh induring her will, to appease the
furiosity foresaid.’--_D. O._ The other offenders also made submission,
and were assigned to various places of confinement. William Semple of
Thirdpart and Michael Nasmyth of Posso afterwards gave caution to the
extent of £3000 for the future good behaviour of the archbishop.--_Pit._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: 1563.