e disorderly principle of a promiscuous admission to the
Lord's table, by coming to it themselves without acquainting the
minister, or being in a due manner found worthy of that privilege.----It
being Mr. Guthrie's turn to serve at that table, he spoke to them, when
they were leaving their pews in order to make the attempt, with such
gravity, resolution and zeal, that they were quite confounded, and sat
down without making any further disturbance.

About this time that set of heretics, called quakers, endeavoured to sow
their tares in Fenwick parish, when Mr. Guthrie was some weeks absent,
about his own private affairs in Angus.--But he returned before this
infection had sunk deep; recovered some who were in hazard of being
tainted by its fatal influence; and confounded the rest, that they
despaired of any further attack upon his flock.--This wild set had made
many proselytes to their demented delusions in Kilbryde, Glasgow, and
other neighbouring parishes; yea, they prospered so well in Glasford
parish, that there is yet a church-yard in that place, where they buried
their own dead, with their heads to the east, contrary to the practice
of all other christians.

After this, he had several calls for transportation to other parishes,
of more importance than ever Fenwick was; which places were, Renfrew,
Linlithgow, Stirling, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. But the air and recreation
of a country life were useful to him, in maintaining a healthful
constitution; and, above all, the love his flock had to him caused him
put on an invincible obstinacy, against all designs of separation from
them; a relation, when it is animated with this principle of the
spiritual life, and founded on so noble a bottom, enters deepest into
the soul; and a minister can scarce miss to have peculiar tenderness and
warmth of divine affections to those whose father he is after the
Spirit; and hath been honoured of God, in bringing them to the kingdom
of his Son, and begetting them through the gospel; whose heavenly birth
is now the highest pleasure and brightest triumph of his life, and will
be one day his crown of glory and rejoicing. And doubtless, when Mr.
Guthrie preferred Fenwick, a poor obscure parish, to the most
considerable charges in the nation, it was a proof of his mortification
to the world, and that he was moved by views superior to temporal
interests.

About the year 1656, or 1657, some unknown person somehow got a copy of
a few imperfect