Sabbath-breaking was, unquestionably, a fruitful source of church income. On December 26, 1619, it was shown to the minister that Robert Barrie, hind to the Lady Bass, had thus offended by carrying peat; and on February 4, 1621, the said Lady Bass had to pay 18s. for a servant who again broke the Sabbath. "Profanation of the Sabbath," with its attendant fine, was again and again reported. Sometimes it was football on the links after the afternoon sermon, and drinking after the pastime, which had to be atoned for by a money payment, or again, it might be that "for not being in the kirk in time in the afternoon" the offender had to pay ten shillings, even though he might have "come to the kirk shortly after the third bell." Occasionally, it would seem, the fines were imposed with drastic severity:--January 21 (1644).--"James Kirkwood gave to the session, to be put in the box, in name and behalf of George Hay, in Scougall, tasker to said James, 7s., because he came not with his companie tymeouslie to the kirk that Lord's Day his wyffe was buryed, as he aucht to have done.... He said that the days were short, and they had few to carry hir corpes, and the pepill did not conveine so tymeouslie as he expectit, and this was the caus." Absence from worship caused many a shilling to fall into the coffers of the kirk. "Advertise them that they come to the kirk every Sabbath and that they that were convicted of absence, without lawful excuse, should pay six shillings every person, seeing they might now, the farthest of them, the days being long and the weather fair, come every day." This was in 1619. What a significant entry is the following:--"October 14, 1621.--The minister exhortit the peple to repentance. George Shortus searchit the towne." Or this:--"This day Alexander Davidson seairchit ye towne, and delatit some persons absent fra ye kirk in tyme of preiching." Absentees were followed and fined with an almost relentless pertinacity. Elders were ordered by the minister to search the town and "to delate the absentees." As soon as public worship began, the elder started on his quest, and the luckless delinquents were hunted in home and alehouse. A few days after, their names, with penalties attached, appeared in the session books. Sometimes no excuse was taken. An elder, even though he pleaded headache as reason for his absence, had to pay a fine; so had a deacon with like adequate excuse; each exaction tending to increase the income of the kirk.