The Bulwark Magazine of the Scottish Reformation Society JULY - SEPTEMBER 2012 // £1 July - September 2012 1 The Bulwark The Gospel in Magazine of the Scottish Reformation Society The Magdalen Chapel 41 Cowgate, Edinburgh, EH1 1JR Tel: 013 1220 1450 Caithness: Part 1 Email: [email protected] www.scottishreformationsociety.org.uk Registered charity: SC007755 John Smith I. THE REFORMATION Chairman Committee Members » Rev Dr S James Millar » Mr Norman Fleming After the Reformation in 1560, the Vice-chairman » Rev Maurice Roberts Presbyterian system of Church government » Rev John J Murray was established across the whole of » Rev Kenneth Macdonald Secretary Scotland. In many places the doctrines of » Rev Douglas Somerset » Mr James Dickson grace were received with enthusiasm by the Treasurer people and there was an extensive work of » Rev Andrew Coghill revival. However, it seems that there was little enthusiasm for reform in the North and Reay Parish Church many wealthy noblemen cynically used the CO-OPERATION OBJECTS OF THE SOCIETY Other members of the cathedral chapter Reformation as an excuse for enriching In pursuance of its objects, the Society may co- (a) To propagate the evangelical Protestant followed his example and transferred the faith and those principles held in common by themselves with Church property, thus lands and teinds of their parishes to their operate with Churches and with other Societies those Churches and organisations adhering to depriving the Reformed Church of valuable relatives and friends. Robert Stewart was whose objects are in harmony with its own. the reformation; resources which could have been used for subsequently commissioned by the General (b) To diffuse sound and Scriptural teaching on the work of the Gospel. Assembly to plant kirks in Caithness, while Magazine Editor: Rev Douglas Somerset the distinctive tenets of Protestantism and George, Earl of Caithness, was appointed Roman Catholicism; All literary contributions, books for review and The Diocese of Caithness encompassed Justiciar of the diocese, even though he papers, should be sent to: the modern counties of Sutherland and (c) To carry on missionary work among remained a Papist. The Magdalen Chapel adherents of the latter faith with a view to Caithness. The episcopal seat was at winning them to the doctrines of grace and to 41 Cowgate, Edinburgh Dornoch, where the cathedral and bishop’s For some decades after the overthrow the fellowship of the true Gospel; castle can still be seen today. The bishop EH1 1JR of Romanism, Caithness suffered from a also had a castle at Scrabster. Another (d) To produce and distribute evangelistic, shortage of ministers and several parishes religious and other literature in connection with impressive relic of medieval times is the old were supplied by readers. Not until 1609 The views expressed in articles are those of the promotion of the Protestant religion; St Peter’s Church in Thurso. At the time of were all the vacant pulpits filled. In common the contributor and may not necessarily reflect the Reformation, Bishop Robert Stewart, with most of the Northern Highlands, the (e) To promote the associating together of men those of the Editor or the Committee of the having professed Protestantism, promptly and women, and especially young people, progress of the Reformed faith was painfully Society. Scriptural references are from the A.V. for systematic Bible Study and holding of made over the valuable church lands to slow and many more generations would except where stated otherwise. meetings for the above specified purposes. John, Earl of Sutherland who was married pass before the Glory of Christ was seen to Elanor, the bishop’s sister. These estates, across Caithness. However, when it came, DESIGNED & PRINTED BY: situated on the north shore of the Dornoch and though it was but short, the brightness of Firth, included some of the best farmland in that Gospel day has seldom been equalled, www.visionsolutionsni.co.uk Sutherland. and never surpassed. Tel: 028 9073 1841 2 The Bulwark July - September 2012 3 were generally diligent in visiting the parishes Royalists dragged Mr Smith behind a boat of the diocese. The best of them was John from Thurso to Scrabster. He was then held Abernethy, who was ejected by the 1638 in irons on board a ship until the Royalists Glasgow Assembly. He had decidedly was defeated at the battle of Carbisdale, on evangelical views and wrote a book entitled the Kyle of Sutherland. Montrose fled from A Christian and Heavenly Treatise, containing the scene in disguise but was eventually a physic for the soul, very necessary for all captured by MacLeod of Assynt and taken that would enjoy true soundness of mind, to Edinburgh where he was executed for and peace of conscience. treason. In 1626 many Caithness men joined Sir The Episcopalian clergymen were deposed Donald MacKay of Reay’s Regiment in the but the position was again reversed when army of Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden ‘the Charles II was restored to the throne in Lion of the North’, who came to the aid of 1660. The godly Mr Smith ended his days the persecuted Protestants in Germany. In living in poverty in Thurso, supported by gifts Covenanting times, some of the Caithness from friends and admirers. One who visited Old St Peter’s, Thurso gentry such as Innes of Thrumster, Sinclair of him lamented, “If the Lord regarded riches Assery and Baillie of Newton, were fined for there would be greater plenty in this house”. In pre-Reformation days, it would seem that Knox’s daughter, Margaret, was minister of supporting Presbyterianism. John Sinclair, Although Presbyterianism was finally re- the county was a stronghold of saint worship Bower. His successor, Dr Richard Merchiston, Master of Berriedale, was a prominent established at the Revolution in 1688, there and every parish had several chapels and was a zealous iconoclast and went around Covenanter, “a religious, devout gentleman”, was such difficulty in finding replacements shrines, each containing a statue of a patron the chapels destroying statues. In about who was one of five Commissioners that the Episcopalian clergy, though forbidden saint. Even into the eighteenth century, 1633, when he smashed a stone statue of appointed by the Scottish nobility to obtain to sit on church courts, were temporarily people would visit these places on certain St Fergus, the patron saint of Wick, many signatures for the Covenant. The county “for allowed to continue preaching. In an attempt days of the year to perform rituals, in the of the townspeople were infuriated and only the most pairt subscrivit” but it seems that to bolster Presbyterianism, the General forlorn hope of obtaining the saint’s blessing. the intervention of the magistrates prevented this was a matter of expediency rather than Assembly sent ministers and probationers For instance, people would go to St. them from attacking him. However on his principle. Sir James Sinclair of Murkle raised from the south to Caithness for short Dudock’s Chapel near Wick before sunrise way home in the evening, a group of local a regiment and joined the Covenanting army periods, to supply the empty pulpits. The on Christmas Day to leave offerings of toughs followed Dr Merchiston and drowned at Elgin in 1638. Presbytery of Caithness was reconstituted bread, cheese and coins on the altar, which him in the Wick River. The Romanists later in September 1697 although there were only subsequently ‘miraculously’ disappeared. absurdly claimed that the saint himself In 1650, during Cromwell’s rule, the Marquis three loyal ministers in the county. In 1762, At St. John’s Chapel in Dunnet, sick people miraculously appeared and helped to hold of Montrose landed in Orkney with several Robert Forbes, the Episcopalian Bishop of would walk around the nearby loch, bathe, the minister down under the water. hundred Danish and German mercenaries, Moray, visited Caithness and his published throw money in the water (there being no with the aim of restoring Charles II to the journal reveals that he received a warm throne. Montrose crossed to Caithness welcome from most of the gentry. priest to receive it) and make sure they were II. PRESBYTEriANisM where he hoped to recruit more men before out of sight of the place before sunrise. In AND EPISCOPACY attempting to end these idolatrous practices, heading south. He ordered the ministers of III. ALEXANDER POPE OF REAY the county to submit to Episcopacy which the Protestant ministers faced stubborn and The Caithness lairds remained largely (c.1706-1782) they did with the sole exception of William often violent resistance. sympathetic to Episcopacy and were quite Smith of Watten. In an unsuccessful effort In the eighteenth century Ross-shire became happy when it was re-established by James to ‘persuade’ him to change his mind, the a veritable Garden of the Lord under the Zachary Pont, who was married to John VI. In fairness, the Episcopalian bishops 4 The Bulwark July - September 2012 5 IV. JOHN SUTHERLAND OF HALKIRK his shotgun, muttered a prayer and baptised the young John there and then. John Sutherland was minister of Halkirk from 1745-53. He was fearless in reproving sin and The famous lay preacher James Haldane forceful in appealing to the consciences of his spent six weeks in the county during his people. People from as far away as Canisbay preaching tour in 1797. When he arrived would be gathered outside his church early in Thurso, Haldane learned that the people on a Sabbath morning. However Satan was had not been catechised for over forty years. determined to end his witness and a false The parish minister cautioned his people to charge of immorality was spread around by stay away from Haldane’s meetings, warning three local lairds who had been offended them that Christ’s blood was “only for the by Mr Sutherland’s preaching.