<31 .87/.5>8<4/ <9.04<476 46 ;/7<5.60! &)++"&*++ 0?RGB .KBNCS 0NGKKLK . <FCOGO ;Q@JGPPCB DLN PFC 0CENCC LD 8F0 ?P PFC =KGRCNOGPU LD ;P .KBNCSO '%&( 2QII JCP?B?P? DLN PFGO GPCJ GO ?R?GI?@IC GK 9COC?NAF-;P.KBNCSO,2QII<CTP ?P, FPPM,$$NCOC?NAF"NCMLOGPLNU#OP"?KBNCSO#?A#QH$ 8IC?OC QOC PFGO GBCKPGDGCN PL AGPC LN IGKH PL PFGO GPCJ, FPPM,$$FBI#F?KBIC#KCP$&%%'($((+* <FGO GPCJ GO MNLPCAPCB @U LNGEGK?I ALMUNGEFP <FGO GPCJ GO IGACKOCB QKBCN ? /NC?PGRC /LJJLKO 5GACKOC The Apocalyptic Tradition in Scotland, 1588-1688 David Andrew Drinnon This thesis is submitted for the degree of PhD in History at the University of St Andrews October 2012 ii Abstract Throughout the seventeenth century, numerous Scots became convinced that the major political and religious upheavals of their age signified the fulfillment of, or further unfolding of, the vivid prophecies described in the Book of Revelation which foretell of the final consummation of all things. To date, however, an in-depth analysis of the evolution of Scottish apocalyptic belief during the seventeenth century has never been undertaken. This thesis utilizes a wide variety of source material to demonstrate the existence of a cohesive, persistent, and largely conservative tradition of apocalyptic thought in Scotland that spanned the years 1588 to 1688. Chapter One examines several influential commentaries on the Book of Revelation published by notable Scots during the decades either side of the Union of Crowns. These works reveal many of the principal characteristics that formed the basis of the Scottish apocalyptic tradition. The most important of these traits which became a consistent feature of the tradition was the rejection of millenarianism. In recent years, historians have exaggerated the influence of millenarian ideals in Scotland during the Covenanting movement which began in 1638. Chapter Two argues that Scottish Covenanters consistently denounced millenarianism as a dangerous, subversive doctrine that could lead to the religious radicalism espoused by sixteenth-century German Anabaptists. Chapter Three looks at political and religious factors which led to the general decline of apocalyptic expectancy in Scotland during the Interregnum. It also demonstrates how, despite this decline, Scottish apocalyptic thinkers continued to uphold the primary traits of the apocalyptic tradition which surfaced over the first half of the century. Lastly, Chapter Four explains how state-enforced religious persecution of Scottish Presbyterians during the Restoration period led to the radicalisation of the tradition and inspired the violent actions of Covenanter extremists who believed they had been chosen by God to act as instruments of his divine vengeance in the latter-days. iii Declarations I, David Andrew Drinnon, hereby certify that this thesis, which is approximately 75,000 words in length, has been written by me, that it is the record of work carried out by me and that it has not been submitted in any previous application for a higher degree. Date: 02/10/2012 Signature: I was admitted as a research student in September 2008 and as a candidate for the degree of PhD in History in September 2008; the higher study for which this is a record was carried out in the University of St Andrews between 2008 and 2012. Date: 02/10/2012 Signature: I hereby certify that the candidate has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution and Regulations appropriate for the degree of PhD in History in the University of St Andrews and that the candidate is qualified to submit this thesis in application for that degree. Date: 02/10/2012 Signature: In submitting this thesis to the University of St Andrews we understand that we are giving permission for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations of the University Library for the time being in force, subject to any copyright vested in the work not being affected thereby. We also understand that the title and the abstract will be published, and that a copy of the work may be made and supplied to any bona fide library or research worker, that my thesis will be electronically accessible for personal or research use unless exempt by award of an embargo as requested below, and that the library has the iv right to migrate my thesis into new electronic forms as required to ensure continued access to the thesis. We have obtained any third-party copyright permissions that may be required in order to allow such access and migration, or have requested the appropriate embargo below. The following is an agreed request by candidate and supervisor regarding the publication of this thesis: Access to printed copy and electronic publication of thesis through the University of St Andrews. Date: 02/10/2012 Signature of candidate: Signature of supervisor: v Acknowledgements First and foremost I would like to thank my PhD supervisors, Roger Mason and Grant Tapsell, for their continued support and encouragement during my time at the University of St Andrews. Through several distressing periods of my life as a postgraduate student they provided me with the confidence necessary to complete my thesis and to produce what I hope will be a valuable contribution to the study of early-modern Scottish apocalypticism. Four years ago, I came to Roger Mason with a very vague idea for a thesis topic. I am extremely thankful that he believed in my abilities and had the patience to work with me, and keep me focused as I ironed out the specifics of my thesis. Grant Tapsell’s additional insight and eye for detail has been invaluable. From day one, he helped me maintain a broader perspective and awareness of the ongoing scholarly debates in which historians of the seventeenth century must be able to engage. I am very grateful that he continued to serve as my supervisor and remained concerned with my progress even after accepting a much deserved position at the University of Oxford. My ability to conduct research at the University of St Andrews would have been impossible without the helpful assistance of the staff of the Special Collections Department in the university library who continued to provide an excellent service for research students despite the interruption caused by the relocation of the university archives. Additionally, I received much needed support from Thomas Burman, Head of the University of Tennessee History Department, and his staff. Without their assistance, my ability to return home and obtain the sources required for completion would have been extremely difficult. I would also like to thank Doug Cross, Dean of Library Services at Walters State Community College, for providing me with a quiet workspace in the library this past year. I am also truly grateful for the friendship and support I have gained from the Walters State Library staff – particularly Jamie Posey, Jim Damewood, Kathy Shupe, Julie Lafleur, Chasity Brogan, and Ann Rogers. I would like to thank my former Renaissance/Reformation instructor at East Tennessee State University, Allen Rushing, for inspiring me to study the world of apocalyptic thought and for his continued friendship and advice. To my colleagues within the Reformation Studies Institute and the Institute of Scottish Historical Research at St Andrews, I am thankful for the friendship and support you provided me whilst I lived and studied in Scotland. I would especially like to thank Andrew Pettegree, Bruce Gordon (now at Yale University), Bridget Heal, Paul Hammer (now at the University of Colorado), and Emily Michelson for the advice and encouragement they have given me these past few years. I am much indebted to Mark Elliot, Siobhan Talbott and Graeme Kemp for their friendship and for convincing me not to give up on my thesis when times got tough. I am also extremely blessed to have gained the friendship of Daniel Thomas, Sophie Mullins, John Condren, and Claire McLoughlin while at St Andrews. I would also like to thank Joel Halcomb whose friendship and unwavering support helped me maintain my sanity during the final two years of my PhD. To my best friend and colleague, Elizabeth Tapscott, thank you for being there. Lastly, I would like to thank my family, especially my parents, for the generous love, care, and support they provided me since I began my journey through higher education. Morristown, Tennessee, October 2, 2012 vi Contents Abbreviations and Conventions . 1 Introduction . 2-17 Chapter One . 18-62 The Formative Years of the Scottish Apocalyptic Tradition, 1588-1625 Chapter Two . 63-104 A Tradition Maintained: Millenarian Belief and Scottish Apocalypticism, 1625-1647 Chapter Three . .105-144 A Tradition in Decline: Scottish Apocalypticism, 1647-1660 Chapter Four . .145-196 The Radicalisation of the Scottish Apocalyptic Tradition, 1660-1688 Conclusion . .197-204 Bibliography . 205-225 1 Abbreviations and Conventions CLS John Howie, A Collection of Lectures and Sermons: Preached upon Several Subjects, mostly in the Time of Late Persecution (Kilmarnock, 1809). Communion Sermons Samuel Rutherford, Fourteen Communion Sermons by the Rev. Samuel Rutherford with a Preface and Notes by Rev. Andrew A. Bonar, D.D. (Glasgow, 1877). Letters Samuel Rutherford, Letters of Samuel Rutherford: With a Sketch of His Life and Biographical Notices of His Correspondents, Rev. Andrew A. Bonar, D.D., ed., (Edinburgh, 1984, reprinted from 1891 edition). LJRB Robert Baillie, The Letters and Journals of Robert Baillie, David Laing, ed., 3 vols (Edinburgh, 1841-1842). Puritan Eschatology Peter Toon, ed., Puritans, the Millennium and the Future of Israel: Puritan Eschatology 1600-1660 (London, 1970). ODNB Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press, 2004) (www.oxforddnb.com). RSCHS Records of the Scottish Church History Society SNC Arthur Williamson, Scottish National Consciousness in the Age of James VI: The Apocalypse, the Union and the Shaping of Scotland’s Public Culture (Edinburgh, 1979).