In the next P•…•…ragraph he mentions one Mr. Gregory Curate o•…•… Torboltoun, who, he says, was taken in the Act of Uncleanness on a Dunghil. Whereas I'm inform'd, there was none of the Name of Gr•…•…gory, Minister at that place. Mr. James Gill•…•…spie was Minister at Torb•…•…ltoun, and Mr. Alexander Gregory Parson of Air. But they are both Men of an untainted Reputation, and were never so much as slandered with such a Crime, and far less convicted of it.
The next whom he Attacks, is Mr. Pearson, Curate of Pasley, who he says, was seen in his own Garden committing Indecencies with his Wife. Whereas Mr. Pearson was three years Minister at Pasley, during all which time his Wife was never in Pasley, nor nearer to it than Burn•…•…island in Fyfe, which is about fifty miles distance; and this all the Presbytery and Parish of Pasley can attest.
The next I shall take Notice of, is Mr. Lawson Minister at Yron∣gray▪ whom this Libeller Accuses for procuring Souldi•…•…rs to be Quar∣•…•…ered on his Parishioners, till they were quite eaten-up, and f•…•…r informing against his Par•…•…shioners, and causing sev•…•…ral of them to be Hanged. The Falshood of this Accusation is so manifest, that Mr. Lawson chal∣lenges his Accusers to Name any one of his Parish▪ that were hang∣ed, during the twenty years of his Ministry at Yrongray, except one Gordon, who suffered for his Notorious Rebellion. And he was so far from procuring Souldiers to be Quartered on his Parishioners, that by his Intercessions with the Government in their behalf; he actually saved many of them from Fines, Imprisonments, and other Legal punishments to which they were obnoxious, for their frequent Rebellions against the State. For the Truth of this he Appeals to the Testimony of James Jewine of Crockmare, Tho. Smith of Drum∣claye, James Grier in Dalwhaine, and others in the Parish of Yron∣gray, whom he protected from being Fined, and of John Welch of Cornlee, for whom, when he was Condemned to die for his Rebel∣lion, Mr. Lawson, by his Interest with the then Archbishop of Glas∣gow, obtained first a Reprieve, and afterwards a Pardon.
In the •…•…ext place he Accuses the said Mr. Lawson of b•…•…ing Drunk at Dumfreis, and in •…•…is return •…•…omewards quarrelling with some Drunken Coun∣try people▪ who beat him and made him Bleed, and that upon this Ac∣count, he caused five young Men to be Hanged, as being the Persons that did assassina•…•…e him. Now, the Villany as well as Falshood of this Ca∣lumny, will clearly appear from the short Narrative I shall give you of this Transaction. Some of Mr. Lawsons Parishioners being cited to appear before the Commissioner of that County to take the Test, (•…•…o which they had a great Aversion) the said Mr. Lawson, at their