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McMath, The Reverend John (1755-1825)
'Guid McMath' was assistant to Dr Peter Wodrow at Tarbolton Parish Kirk, and later Dr Wodrow's successor. McMath was a liberal, who supported Gavin Hamilton in that lawyer's conflict with the kirk authorities. In his middle years, however, he took to drink, and had to resign his charge in 1791, when he enlisted as a private soldier. He died in retirement at Rossul, Mull. On 17th September 1783, Burns sent McMath a copy of 'Holy Willie's Prayer', and with it an 'Epistle' addressed to McMath. The 'Epistle', apart from its intrinsic merit, is important in that it sets out clearly Burns's attitude to sectarianism and to religion. Confessing his own weaknesses frankly, the poet pays homage to Religion, 'maid divine', but says he would rather be an atheist than use the Gospel as talking of Mercy, Grace and Truth while at the same time ruining, pitilessly and hard-heartedly in the name of religion, an innocent man. Of such hypocrites the poet tells McMath: "But I gae mad at their grimaces,
Their sighin', cantin,' grace-proud faces,
Their three-mile prayers, an' hauf-mile graces,
Their raxin conscience,
Whase greed, revenge, an' pride disgraces
Waur nor their nonsense.'
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