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A Famous Minister of Dauiot, 1672-1726. :i45
the crocd i>v law c'stal)lislu'(l. 'I'lio [icoplc of DavioL aiul l)unlichity
were strongly attached to it, l»iit their minister, Mr Alex.
Fraser, who was never an adniirer of bislioj)s, latterly ojtenly
.ulvocated Presbyterianism, with the result that he {:(ot into trouble
with the ecclesiastical authorities, and lost his influence over his
rough parishioners, among whom he found it difficult to exercise
the somewhat strict Church discipline of the time. John Mackintosh,
a brother of the Laird of Aberarder, was especially a sore
thorn in the minister's licsli. Mackintosh, having incurred the
censure of the Chuich, Mr Alexander was in the year 1G71 ordained
by the Presbytery to give him three public admonitions from the
pulpit, and the first admonition was administered with such good
will that—to quote the minister's own words— "immediately after
tlivyn worshipe ye said John Mcintoshe in presence of ye whole
congregatione cam and said to him at ye church dore, you base
raskall I how durst yee bee so ])ert as to abuse me yis day? Yee
wi's too bold to doe it. Yee might have used your own equalls so,
and not me." The minister took the g(!ntlemen present to witness;
liut Mackintosh's Highland pride had been sorely wounded, and
instead of apologising, he again addressed the parson—
" You base
raskall ! Think you will I eat ray words'? Were not for little to
uiee I wold bruiss your bones !" For these insnlts and threats the
ofl'ender
minister.
was subsequently fined ; but no peace came to the
His objections to Episcopacy weighed moi'e and more
heavily on his conscience, and in May 1672 he resolved to (juit his
charge. The Presbytery took him in hand, and dealt tenderly
with him ; but he refused to serve under a bishop, and by September
his church was declared vacant. Next month, on 20th October,
a letter from the Bishop was read bi^fore the Presbytery, proposing
Mr Michael Fraser as minister of the united parish. Mr Michael
had not at the time gone through the " trials" which were necessai-y
before he could be ordained, but the Bishop desired the
Presbytery to accelerate these— " that is to say, that Mr ]\Iichael
have his common head Wednesday innnediate after his addition,
and his populare sermon and the tryell of the languages,
his questiouarie tryalls, the Presbyterie meeting yreafter.
with
Mr
Michael is appointed to have his theses in readiness against the
next day, the subject of his commone head being De peccnto
(rriijinnliy
The young divine speedily passed through these trials to the
satisfaction of the Presbytery, and in December Mr Roderick
Mackenzie, minister of Moy, was appointed to preach him into the
united parishes of Daviot and Dunlichity.