Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

clxxxii JAMES JOIliN STONE, FIRST EARL OF HAKTFELL, 1G08-1GS3.
now settleJ as minister of Moffat. As tlie case was to come before the
General Assembly at its meeting in August, Lord Johnstone prepared a
statement of the case against George Buchanan. This statement contains
a long catalogue of sins and crimes alleged against him. These include
Sabbath profanation by gathering in tlie grain to the barnyard, frequent
drunkenness, refusal lo baptize the cliild of a Covenanter, praying that the
Covenanters might be converted or confounded, comparing them to Korah,
Dathan and Abiram, and going to England as an informer against Scotland.
For these causes Lord Johnstone asked condign censure on Buchanan.
Before the case was considered by the church court, additions were made to
tlie complaint against Buchanan, including simony, striking his parishioners
for not taking off their bonnets to him, and instances of drunkenness too
grotesque for repetition, with various other dclinrjueucies. Buchanan's deposi-
tion wa.s confirmed b\- tlie General Assembly 2Gth August 1639, because he
declined to obey the former Asserablj' and continued in his contumacy.^
This parochial contest between the noble patron and the parson of Moffat,
who rejoiced in the classical name of CJeorge Bucli;inan, was a symbol on a
small scale of the great national struggle whicli then engaged the Covenanters
and anti-Covenanters throughout Scotland.
From the other case in the 1G3S Assembly, in which Lord Johnstone
was specially interested, it will lie seen that ilr. George Buchanan was not
the only minister of Moflat with whom his lordship had a variance. In the
accusations against Mr. Buchanan above summarised, it is alleged that he
was guilty of simony in having procured the benefice of iloffat through
purchase or otherwise, from Mr. AVaUer AVhytford, tlie former minister of
the parish. Lord Johnstone complained of Whylford for obtaining unduly
leases of teinds of several lands in the parish, and thereby making his
* Docnmeuts in Aunandalc Chavter-chcst. sterling on acconnt ot liis loj-alty aud suffer-
After the Restoration he received, on 22d ings. [Acts of the I'arlianieuts'of Scotland,
May ICOl, from Parliament a grant of £100 vol. vii. p. 234.]