Bible and Sword: the Cameronian Contribution to Freedom of Religion
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BIBLE AND SWORD: THE CAMERONIAN CONTRIBUTION TO FREEDOM OF RELIGION. By DAVID OSBORNE CHRISTIE. DISSERTATION PRESENTED FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF STELLENBOSCH. Promoter: PROFESSOR PIETER COERTZEN, University of Stellenbosch. Co-promoter: PROFESSOR GRAHAM DUNCAN, University of Pretoria. MARCH 2008 BIBLE AND SWORD: THE CAMERONIAN CONTRIBUTION TO FREEDOM OF RELIGION by DAVID OSBORNE CHRISTIE DISSERTATION PRESENTED FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF STELLENBOSCH Promoter: PROFESSOR PIETER COERTZEN, University of Stellenbosch Co-promoter: PROFESSOR GRAHAM DUNCAN, University of Pretoria MARCH 2008 DECLARATION I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the work contained in this dissertation is my own original work and that I have not previously, in its entirety or in part, submitted it at any university for a degree. Signature: ……………………………. Date: …………………………… Copyright © 2008 Stellenbosch University. All rights reserved. i ABSTRACT BIBLE AND SWORD: THE CAMERONIAN CONTRIBUTION TO FREEDOM OF RELIGION Presented for the Degree of Doctor of Theology of Stellenbosch University, by D.O. Christie During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Stewart rulers of Scotland and England endeavoured to enforce Royal Absolutism on both countries. This included ecclesiastical pressure on the Scottish Presbyterians, giving rise to a move- ment known as the Covenanters. One identifying aspect was their field- preachings, or Conventicles, held in secret, frequently on the moors. As per- secution increased, worshippers took weapons to these Conventicles for self- defence in case of attack during the service. Royal efforts to impose Episcopalianism on Scotland intensified after the Restoration of 1660 and were met with resistance. In 1666 open revolt broke out in The Pentland Rising, which was put down with great severity after the Covenanters were defeated at Rullion Green. Open revolt broke out again in 1679, when some Covenanters defeated a small royalist force at Drumclog, but they were soundly defeated by the royal army at Bothwell Brig shortly afterwards. The Covenanters split into two factions, moderate and extreme; the extreme element becoming known as Cameronians after the martyred covenanting preacher Rev Richard Cameron, “The Lion of the Covenant.” The hypothesis researched was that; The development and actions of the Cameronian movement made a significant contribution to Freedom of Religion in Scotland. The hypothesis rests on whether Cameronian influence was significant, and to what degree. ii Subsequent to Bothwell Brig, the Covenanting movement virtually collapsed in Scotland. The leaders fled to Holland and the common people who remained were severely persecuted. But by early 1680, two covenanting ministers, Richard Cameron and Donald Cargill, had returned from Holland to preach in the fields against Erastian limitations on doctrine, worship, discipline, and church government. They were hunted down and killed, but their followers (now called Cameronians) formed their own ecclesiastical polity known as the United Societies. This was a presbyterial Church, separate but not sundered from the Church of Scotland (The Kirk), which had by now largely accepted a considerable degree of Erastianism. The Cameronians became a small but vociferous pressure group, not only persecuted, but denigrated by moderate Presbyterians. Throughout this period they ensured a considerable degree of freedom of religion for themselves, despite the ever intensifying persecution. Their stance was vindicated at the Glorious Revolution of 1688/9, one outcome being the raising of both a guard, and a regiment, of Cameronians, both of which enabled a period of comparative calm and safety to prevail, thus allowing Parliament and the General Assembly to finalise the Revolution Settlement for both Church and State, without any external threat from Jacobitism. The Cameronian clergy then became reconciled with the Kirk in 1690, and brought two-thirds of the United Societies with them, thus ending their period of isolation, and once more presenting a (virtually) united Presbyterian front to the world. Rev Alexander Shields was critical to both the formation of the regiment and reconciliation with the Kirk. The thesis demonstrates that the Cameronians made four significant contributions to freedom of religion in Scotland. Firstly, they made a significant contribution to freedom of religion by their struggle to protect the right to retain their own freedom of doctrine, worship, discipline and church government, resisting every effort to remove these by force. In 1690 they secured these freedoms. iii Secondly by their new-found military effectiveness, they secured a climate of comparative peace and stability in the latter half of 1689 and 1690, during which both Parliament and General Assembly were able to carry through vital legislation for Church and State, without any external threat. Thirdly, through the reconciliation of their clergy with the Kirk, the Cameronians were catalytic in the establishment of a [virtually] united Presbyterian front in Scotland,1 thereby ensuring that the Kirk was strong enough to accept the existence of other denominations without feeling unduly threatened. Fourthly, Rev Alexander Shields stands out as catalytic in the achievement of the Second and Third significant contributions. It can be argued that his behaviour, in itself, was a significant contribution to Freedom of Religion. December 2007. KEYWORDS Cameronian(s) Covenanters Erastianism Freedom of Religion Kirk Presbyterianism Reconciliation Revolution Royal Absolutism Scotland 1 The Kirk’s future problems came rather from within, with the First and Second Secessions of 1733 and 1761, which lie outside the scope of this dissertation. Most of the RPC joined the Free Church in 1876, and there was general re-unification in 1929, when most of the United Free Church joined the Kirk, (after Burleigh 1960). iv OPSOMMING DIE BYBEL EN DIE SWAARD: DIE CAMERONIAANSE BYDRAE TOT GODSDIENSVRYHEID Voorgelê vir die graad van Doktor in Teologie aan die Universiteit Stellenbosch deur D.O. Christie Gedurende die 16de en 17de eeue het die Stewart heersers van Skotland en Engeland daarna gestreef om Koninklike Absolutisme op albei lande af te dwing. Dit het kerklike druk op die Skotse Presbiteriane ingesluit, wat tot ’n beweging genaamd die Covenanters aanleiding gegee het. Een identifiserende aspek was hul veldprediking, of geheime godsdienstige same- komste, dikwels in die heivelde van Skotland. Namate vervolging toegeneem het, het aanbidders wapens na hierdie geheime byeenkomste geneem vir selfverdediging indien hulle tydens die diens aangeval sou word. Koninklike pogings om Episkopalisme op Skotland af te dwing het ná die Restourasie van 1660 toegeneem en is met weerstand begroet. In 1666 is daar openlik gerebelleer in die Pentland opstand, wat hewig onderdruk is nadat die Covenanters by Rullion Green verslaan is. In 1679 het ’n openlike opstand weer uitgebreek toe sommige Covenanters ’n klein koningsgesinde mag by Drumclog verslaan het, maar kort daarna is hulle deeglik deur die koninklike weermag by Bothwell Brig verslaan. Die Covenanters het in twee faksies verdeel – gematigdes en ekstremiste - met die ekstremiste wat bekend geword het as die Cameronians, vernoem na die gemartelde Covenanter prediker, eerw. Richard Cameron, “Die Leeu van die Verbond.” Die Hipotese van die navorsing was die volgende: Die ontwikkeling en optrede van die Cameronian beweging was ‘n betekenisvolle bydrae to Vryheid van Geloof in Skotland. Die hipotese het gerus op die vraag of die Cameronian invloed betekenisvol was en indien wel tot watter mate. v Ná Bothwell Brig het die Covenanter beweging in Skotland feitlik in duie gestort. Die leiers het na Holland gevlug en dié mense wat agtergebly het, is wreed vervolg. In ’n poging om die gematigdes te herenig, het die regering in Junie 1679 ’n vergunning aangebied wat Presbiteriaanse predikante toegelaat het om hul gemeentes onder sekere beperkinge te bedien. Dit het ’n mate van sukses onder die gematigdes gehad. Vroeg in 1680 het twee Covenanter predikers, Richard Cameron en Donald Cargill, uit Holland teruggekeer om in die veld teen Erastiaanse beperkinge op leerstellings, aanbidding, kerklike dissipline en regering te preek. Hulle is agtervolg en doodgemaak, maar hul volgelinge (nou Cameronians genoem) het hul eie kerklike regeringsbestel gevorm, genaamd die Verenigde Verenig- ings. Hierdie was ’n Presbiteriaanse kerk, apart, maar nie afgesny van die Kerk van Skotland (die Kirk) nie, wat teen hierdie tyd reeds ’n aansienlike mate van Erastianisme aanvaar het. Die Cameroniane het ‘n klein maar duidelike drukgroep geword. Gematigde Presbiteriane het hulle nie alleen vervolg nie, maar ook verguis. Dwarsdeur hierdie tydperk het hulle ‘n aansienlike mate van vryheid van geloof vir hulleself verseker ten spyte van die vervolging wat steeds toegeneem het. Hulle standpunt is egter ten tyde van die Glorieryke Revolusie (Glorious Revolution) van 1688/9 bevestig. Een gevolg was die totstandkoming van ‘n militêre Wag en ook ‘n Cameronian Regiment. Beide het ‘n tydperk van redelike kalmte en veiligheid teweeggebring. Dit het aan die Parlement en Algemene Vergadering die geleentheid gebied om ‘n Skikking vir beide die Kerk en die Staat te weeg te bring sonder enige eksterne bedreiging deur die Jakobiste. In 1690 is die Cameronian leraars met die Kerk (Kirk) versoen terwyl hulle twee-derdes van die Verenigde Verenigings (United Societies) saam met