ONE Sunday morning, some time before Burns commenced author, when he and his brother Gilbert were going to the Parish Church of Tarbolton, they got into company with an old man, a Moravian, travelling to Ayr. It was at that time when the dispute between the Old and New Light Burghers was making a great noise in the country; and Burns and the old man entering into conversation on the subject, differed in their opinions about it, the old man defending the principles of the Old Light, and Burns those of the New Light. The disputants at length grew very warm in the debate, and Burns, finding that, with all his eloquence, he could make nothing of his antagonist, became a little acrimonious, and tauntingly exclaimed:-
“Oh! I suppose I have met with the Apostle Paul this morning.”
“No,” replied the old Moravian coolly, “you have not met with the Apostle Paul; but I think I have met one of those wild beasts which he says he fought with when at Ephesus.”