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n, ABSTRACT This Thesis sets out to examine in its eighteenth century context a Scottish Calvinist sectarian group of churches deriving the main features of their faith and practice from the writings of John Glas and Robert Sandeman. kt proceeds by way of a description of the milieu out of !výjch they came to describe the birth and spread in Scotland of these groups, the Glassites, the Scotch Baptists and the Old Scots Independents, and a similar group, the Bereans. Using some manuscript evidence and other sources, it looltf; at the social origin of the churches, and the composition of the groups. Some main theological distinctives are outlined, and the social and religious life of the groups illustrated, from contemporary sources. With this material as the evidence, an attempt is made to place the group in a wider settinge by comparison with other sectarian movements, and the conclusion drawn that the eighteenth century Independent movement in Scotland can be classified as a variety of the Revolutionary type of Sect, although other characteristics occur. That both social change and deeply held theological and ecelesiological beliefs contributed to the special shape of the groups is demonstrated. I certify that this dissertation has been done by myself, and not offered or accepted in any previous application for a higher degreq in this or any other University. Signed: 41--ow" Derek Boyd Murray undertook and completed the research for the accompanying Ph. D. Thesis during the period January 1968 to September 1975. He was accepted as a research student under ordinance The conditions of the regulations have been fulfilled. Signec I THE SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS ORIGINS OF SCOTTISH NON-PRESBYTERIAN PROTESTANT DISSENT FROM 1730-1800 by DEREK BOYD MURRAY. M. A., B. D. A DISSERTATION-PRESENTED IN APPLICATION FOR -. THE DEGREE.OF DOCTOROF PHILOSOPHY IN THE DEPARTMENTOF ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS EDINBURGH, MARCH 1976 TABLE OF 6ONTENTS pp 1-31 Chal2ter I Background: Social and Religious Change In Sc6tland 1690-1735. Section One: From the Settlement of 2690 to the Union of the Parliaments in 1707. Section Two: Social Changes in Scotland 1690-1735. Section Three: The Religious Climate in Scotland in'the early eighteenth Century. Section Four: Two Contrasted Controversies. Section Five: The Secession. pp 31-68 Chapter 2 The Beginnings - An Outline of the Historical Origins of the Independent Churches. Section One-:' The Brownists and the Commonwealth. Section Two: Tentative Beginnings. Section Three: John Glas. Section Four: The Old Scots Independents. Section Five: The Scotch Baptists. Section Seven: The Distribution of Independent Churches in Scotland. pp 69-108 Chapter 3 The Social Origins and Structure of the Independent Churches. Section One: Introduction. Section Two: The General Evidence. Section Three: The Private Evidence of the Societies. Section Four: Some Later Evidence. pp 109-155 ChaRterj The Theological Factors in the Rise and Progress of Independency. Section One: Introduction. Section Two: The Primacy of, Scripture. Section Three: The Doctrine of Revelation. Section Four: The Nature of the Church. Section Five! The Ministry of the Church. Section Six: The Doctrine of Saving Faith. Section Seven: The Doctrine of Assurance. Section Eight: The Doctrine of the Eternal Sonship of Christ. Section Nine: Eschatology. Section Ten: Evangelism. pp 156-198 ChaRter The Inner Life of the Churches. Section One: The Ministry and the Eldership. Section Two: The Sacraments. Section Three: The Fellowship. Section Four: Discipline. Section Five: The Liturgy of the Church. pp 199-219 ChUter 6 The Response to a Wider Society. Section One: Persecution and Reaction. Section Two: Loyalty to the State. Section Three: Christian Behaviour. Section Four: The Verdicts of Outsiders. Section Five: Religious Isolation as a Response. Section Six: Social Isolation. Section Seven: The Response to Alienation. pp 220-253 Chapter 7 The Scottish Independents as a Sectarian Group. Section One: Introduction. Section Two: The Theoretical Back- ground. Section Three: The Typology of Sects. Section Four: The Origins of Sects. Sect ion Five: The Independents' Self 7P1acing. Section Six: A More Comprehensive Attempt at Placing. section seven: conclusion. pp 254-271 Notes pp 272-280 Bibliography pp 281-282 Appendix Chapter 1 BACKGROUND * SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS CHANGES IN SCOTLAND, 1690-1735. Section 1*. From the Settlement of 1690 to the Uhion'of- the Parliaments, 1707. The year 1690 forms a watershed in Scottish history, especially in the ecclesiastical realm. William and Mary reigned in the United Kingdom, and the exiled Stuarts would never again return to power. Presbytery had triumphed over Prelacy, and Presbyterianism was to endure# and become consolidated as the, typical form of Church Government in Scotland., The road to this triumph had, been by no means easy or smooth. It. might seem that-a. Prince from another country would have been the only person who could succeed in recon- ciling the warring factions in the land and the Church, but initially this proved impossible even for him. The disputes which had grown up between Presbyterian and Episcopalian over so many decades had long, passed the bounds of mere theological questions and had_become deeply involved with political, personal and religious rivalries. When William landed the vidtory of Presbyterianism was no foregone con- elusion, and had the bishops of the old church regime not been so stubbornly loyal to James the story might have been quite different. The king told Dr Rose, the Bishop of Edinburgh, that he had learnt that the strength of Presbyter- ianism in Scotland had been greatly overstated, but that any chance that he might support the Episcopal cause had beon -2- 1 forfeited by their Jacobite loyalty. When, the , changeover came, many a parish remained loyal to its episcopally instituted incumbent. In East Lothianýand., Berwickshire some of the old order were still to be found in possession 2 of their parishes for many years, and in the, North, particularly in Aberdeenshire, episcopacy, or at least its 3 adherents, remained strong. None of, the bodies that are the main interest of this thesis took root, in these areas of episcopalian strength, or indeed anywhere across the Highland Line. The nature of the Revolution Settlement was dictated by the desire for political stability, rather than by the clear consent of the majority of the-Scottish people, although it must be allowed that Presbyterianism had the best-organised and most vociferous supporters. The Episcopalians, whose way of worship and government had, not until this time been so different from those of the Presbyterians, were, committed by their bishops to Jacobitism,, "for-loyalty to James became to 4, them what amounted to a first article of faith".. William, of Orange has been called a.. latitudinarian and an-Erastian, 5 and-"both words are probably fair'l. The nuances of polity and the wounds of history could scarcely mean as much to him as to the Scots, and in his ecclesiastical policy he relied a great deal-on William Carstares, a man of moderating influence, who added to a covenanting background a breadth of, culture and a wisdom denied to. some of his colleagues,. The process of establishing Presbyterianism was tortuous and complex. it involved both legislation in London and -3- Edinburgh, and action in the parishes. -- When the Estatesý: of Scotland met in, Uarch/April,, 1689 it was with this instruction from William: "it you find*-that interest is strongest which, is for restoring the church,, in the'Presbyterian way, -you shall endeavour to have, it, with-provision that the rules-of discipline may be adjusted and-all occasion for complaint be taken away. 11.6 The thtone was declared vacant, by the Whigs on the ground that the-contract between the king and his people had been broken, and by the-Tories because the king had withdrawn from his kingdom. 4illiam and Mary were pro- claimed and ministers-commanded to pray for them. -,The Act Royal Supremacy Charles-the Second of of was repealed"ou-, --- April 25th, and ministers-deposedprior to 1661 were ordered to be restored to their parishes. On 26th May theýWestminster Confession of-Faith was approved and engrossed in. the Record, and on 7th June episcopacy was abolished on the expedient and untested ground-that it-was "contrary to-the inclinations of 7 the4people" In June 1690 Presbyterian the generality of, . government was established-, --ratified and confirmed, and this Is the basis for Presbyterian Church, government inýScotland. An AcVwas passed abolishing Patronage, and the-rights of benefice were transferred to the Protestant heritors and elders of-the parish6s. The-action on the ground was immediate. All over Scotland, ý'especially south of, the Tay, such episcopally instituted ministers'as, had not already fled their parishes, were suddenly deprived and their places taken by the Ante- diluviansi-, who had themselves, been-l'outed"-in 1661,, -and other -4- good Presbyterians. In some ways the newly triumphant-party their in outdid predecessors persecuting zeal. -It was soon evident in Scotland, that the generality of the people wished to avoid the two extremes of Jacobite Episcopalianism and Covenanted Presbyterianism of the more intractable sort, and chose the Church of their country, - a Presbyterianism shorn of some of its more harsh and intolerant features.