Talk:Scottish religion in the seventeenth century

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After defeat in 1651, the kirk split into two factions. Those who supported the Resolution of December 1650 re-admitting Royalists and Engagers were known as 'Resolutioners' and formed over two thirds of the ministry. Protestors were largely former Kirk Party fundamentalists or Whiggamores who blamed defeat on that compromise with 'malignants.' Differences between the two were both religious and political, including church government, religious toleration and the role of law in a godly society.

Following the events of 1648-51, Cromwell decided the only way forward was to eliminate the power of the Scottish landed elite and the kirk. The Terms of Incorporation published on 12th February 1652 made a new Council of Scotland responsible for regulating church affairs and allowed freedom of worship for all Protestant sects. Presbyterianism was no longer the the state religion so while kirk sessions and synods functioned as before, its edicts were not enforced by civil penalties.

For religious and political reasons, Presbyterians were hostile to sects like the Congregationalists or Quakers because they advocated the complete separation of church and state. Apart from a small number of Protestors known as Separatists, the vast majority of the kirk could not accept these changes and Scotland was incorporated into the Commonwealth without further consultation on 21st April 1652.

The split became increasingly bitter due to contests for control of individual presbyteries and in July 1653, two rival General Assemblies were held in Edinburgh. Following the outbreak of Glencairn's insurrection, Resolutioner church services began including prayers for its success and Colonel Lilburne, the English military commander in Scotland responded by using troops to dissolve both Assemblies.

No further Assemblies were held until 1690, the Resolutioner majority instead meeting in informal 'Consultations' and Protestors holding field assemblies or Conventicles outside Resolutioner-controlled kirk structures. When the Protectorate was established in 1654, both sides appointed agents in London; the Protestors were marginally more acceptable because of their opposition to the Stuart monarchy but most were even more opposed to the English. The exception was Glasgow where Protestors used the English authorities in their contest with local Resolutioners and their leader Patrick Gillespie was appointed Principal of Glasgow University by Cromwell.

In 1655, the new head of the Council of State for Scotland Lord Broghill summarised the issue; 'the Resolutioners love Charles Stuart and hate us, while the Protesters love neither him nor us.' Rather than picking one side, Broghill deepened the kirk's internal divisions as deliberate policy by playing both sides against each other. Concessions were made first to one (eg removing financial penalties placed on Resolutioners for praying for the King), then the other, while also supporting Gillespie's faction of the Protestors. The repercussions of this affected the kirk for decades to come.

Although toleration did not extend to Episcopalians and Catholics, they were largely left alone while Quakers were the only Independents to establish a significant presence in Scotland. Attempts were made to convert the largely Catholic, Gaelic-speaking Highlands and Islands to Presbyterianism, with the first Gaelic catechism published in 1653 and the first Psalm book in 1659. In general, this period was later viewed as very positive for religion; being barred from politics meant ministers spent more time with their congregations and placed an emphasis on preaching that emulated the Independents. One Presbyterian noted that "there were more souls converted to Christ in that short period of time than in any season since the Reformation".

Robinvp11 (talk) 13:43, 2 December 2017 (UTC)