| Ireland Despite his continued failure to achieve a permanent parish of his own, Livingston consoled himself with having made the acquaintance of numerous ministers and professors in his travels. These were advantages he had gained, he maintained. One such person was James Hamilton, Viscount Clandeboye. In August, 1630 he invited Livingston to come to Ireland where the parish of Killinchy awaited him. Although the civil war in Ireland had ended in the earlier part of King Henry Vll`s reign, the suppression of the Irish rebels was not completed until Elizabeth l had ascended the throne. All this time the lands of the province had been lying at waste. The English were in possession of a few towns and parcels of land, while the Irish stayed within the woods and other safe hiding places. With the coming of the reign of James l there began the process of encouraging English and Scottish settlers, or planters to the province. Many of these moved from the south west of Ireland to the province of Ulster. The long rested land soon yielded to their labours and bore plentiful harvests. The majority of these persons had opted for the move, being driven by poverty. Others were attracted by the adventure, and others who had lived `scandalous lives`. It was asserted that the scum of both England and Scotland were among the prime movers. No care had been taken to plant any religion. Even some of the preachers at the time were of dubious quality. The land was ripe for such as Livingston to spread the gospel. On reaching Ireland, armed with references from Clandeboye and the Earl of Wigton, he met with the Bishop of Ratho, Andrew Knox.. He explained his failure at not having been ordained. Knox said he had no scruples and that he would arrange for him to receive the `imposition of hands.` He would present him with the Book of Ordination and he could mark anything for deletion that he found disagreeable. On examining later, he had found others before him had so marked the ones he found unacceptable. He was overjoyed at the events for, as he put it, "....the Lord was pleased to carry that business far beyond anything that I had thought or almost ever desyred". Livingston`s first encounter with his new parishioners was when he officiated at a funeral . From the book, `Killinchy: or The Days of Livingston,` by William McComb, it was recorded; "The mourners were soon seen winding their way up the hillside, and approaching with solemn steps and slow. At a little distance from the churchyard the procession was met by a tall thin looking man, well wrapped up in a rough cloak, whose sober walk, and sedate aspect attracted universal attention, and seemed to excite a feeling of agreeable surprise, it was John Livingston." He had been asked by Hamilton to orate at the funeral. His exhorations to the assembled mourners led them all to consider their mortality, and stirred them up to timely preparation for `lying down in the dust`. During the following winter he somewhat despaired of doing his people good. Although they were tractable, they were very ignorant. However in a short time some of them began to understand their condition. The parish had no organised `official court`, Decision was tolerable. He appointed elders from various heads of families to oversee the keeping of it, and deacons were chosen to gather and distribute collections. Each week he met with them and before them were called all who had transgressed. Some were heard in private while others were prevailed to confess their sins before the congregation. Those who failed to turn up suffered the ignominy of having their names, scandals, and inpenitency read out before the congregation. In the summer of 1631, he and his friend Robert Blair, minister of Bangor visited Scotland where he preached at several parishes including Shotts. Archbishop Law of Glasgow got to hear of this He passed the news of Livingston`s unauthorised preachings in Scotland back to Robert Eclun, Bishop of Down. Only by the intervention of Dr James Usher, Primate of Armagh was he saved from deposement. Within the space of six months another threat of deposement arose. He was accused with other ministers of stirring up the people to `extasies and enthusiasms.` One Edward Bryce, an aged parson had some of his congregation `fall upon a high breathing and panting, as those doe who have run long` during his sermons. Livingston thought this was not brought about by the sermon, but rather the people were as likely to react in the same fashion regardless of what was sermonised. In fact, he doubted if they were Christians at all. Despite their pleas, he and Blair were deposed and remained so until May, 1634. Three months before this date he and some others decided to attempt a new life in the Americas seeing there was no end in sight of the prelates` tyranny. Livingston and a Mr William Wallace were delegated to sail to New England and there "...try the condition of the country and to agree for ane place to settle in". They boarded the vessel at Weymouth in England and got as far as Plymouth where the ship was forced to seek anchorage due to storms. Here Mr Wallace fell ill. He was advised by doctors not to continue. Livingston, in turn, was informed by his friends in Ireland to abort the journey because of this. He returned to Ireland and remained there for a further 18 months after the deposement was lifted. During this time he returned to Scotland where he got married in Edinburgh on 23 June 1635 to Janet Fleming. "In June 1635 the Lord was graciously pleased to bless me with a wife, who, how well accomplished every way, and how faithfull an yoke-fellow, desire to leave to the memory of others." Janet Fleming was the eldest daughter of Bartholomew Fleming, an Edinburgh merchant, and her mother was Marion Hamilton. Although brought up in Edinburgjh, Janet moved to Malone in Ireland in 1633 when her mother remarried on the death of Bartholomew. Her new husband was a John Stevenson. Livingston had seen Janet several times in Scotland, and although he was to explain he had been attracted to her, he could never bring himself to approach her. It was only after she had gone to stay in Ireland that he plucked up the courage to approach her. "It is like I might have been longer in that darkness, except the Lord had presented me an occasion of our conferring together: for, in November, 1634 when I was going to the Friday meeting at Antrim, I foregathered with her and some others going thither, and propounded to them, by the way, to confer upon a text whereon I was to preach the day after at Antrim. "I immediately found her conference so just and spiritual, that I took that for some answer to my prayer to have my mind cleared. I could only blame myself for not taking the opportunity of so speaking with her before." Four days later he informed her of his feelings towards her and asked her to consider hers. Two weeks later, when alone with her in her mother`s house, he sought her answer. Janet was as yet undecided. "I went to prayer and desired her to pray, which at last she did: and in that time I got abundant clearness that it was the Lord`s mind that I should marry her, and then propounded the matter more fully to her mother." The wedding took place in St Cuthbert`s Church, Edinburgh on 23 June, 1635. Among those in attendance were the Earl of Wigton and his son Lord Fleming. The ceremony was not received favourably by Archbishop Spottieswood, Chancellor of Scotland, as some days before it he had issued orders for the apprehension of the groom. The seizure did notmaterialise for the couple remained free before returning to Ireland a few months later. |