The Episcopal Congregation of Charlotte Chapel, Edinburgh, 1794-1818

This thesis examines developments within the ministry of the Congregational churches of the northwest of England in the period 1689-1829, with a number of aims in mind. In focusing on the role of Scottish-born and Scottish-trained ministers within these churches the attempt had been made to get away from the narrow national and denominational dogmas that have constrained our understanding of English Congregationalism. In line with recent historiograpical attempts to produce historical explanations that recognise the inter-connectedness of the nations of the Union, this study attempts to assess the contribution of other national church traditions within one English region and to understand the development of British Evangelicalism amongst British Reformed churches, of which the Congregational Churches of Lancashire in the 1830s were such examples. After providing the historical background of the Protestant Dissenting churches of Lancashire, an attempt to quantify the number of churches within emerging church traditions in the eighteenth century will be made and to assess the survival of orthodox Reformed churchmanship. The argument followed here, in contradistinction to the vast majority of denominational historians, is that denominational theories are poor in explaining the survival of orthodox piety amongst Dissent and that the social and economic profile of congregations provides a far better explanation of the ecclesiology of these churches. Cumberland and Westmorland are examined and an understanding of the geographical spread of Dissent is attempted, noting particularly the survival of orthodox piety in the rural north of the region and in particular the dependence of the churches of Cumberland on Scottish ministers, without whom Protestant Dissent in that county would have disappeared. Finally an attempt is made to assess the contribution of Scottish-born and Scottish-trained ministers in the emergent Congregational tradition in Lancashire in the period 1770-1829.

Theology in Scotland, 2020

Records of the Scottish Church History Society, 2013

This paper reassesses the significance of Daniel Sandford, Bishop of Edinburgh (1806-1830), arguing that he was a groundbreaking and influential figure in Regency Edinburgh despite being largely overlooked by historians. The study reconstructs Sandford's crucial roles in the reunification of the Scottish Episcopal Church and the foundation of the Edinburgh Lancastrian Schools, Edinburgh's first step towards universal primary education. Both these projects, the paper contends, demonstrate Sandford’s commitment to Enlightenment universalism. From close reading of Sandford’s own publications, the paper argues that Sandford was a more radical Regency theologian than the “via media Anglican” depicted in his son's posthumous biography. It examines Sandford's commitment to religious toleration and unity, exemplified by his collaboration with progressive Whigs and evangelical Presbyterians in the Lancastrian Schools project. His support for these schools is presented as a significant act, reflecting his belief in the power of education and missionary religious toleration. The paper compares Sandford’s theology with both High Church contemporaries and other Anglican evangelicals, particularly on the doctrine of baptismal regeneration and conversion. It argues that Sandford navigated this complex issue by affirming baptism as full entry to Christianity while also emphasising the importance of a ‘converted life’, maintaining theological integrity during a controversial period. The paper posits that Sandford's ministry was a reconciliation and revival, successfully integrating Enlightenment methods, evangelical theology, and Episcopalian ecclesiology, contributing significantly to the flourishing of Episcopalianism in early nineteenth-century Edinburgh.

During the nineteenth century the Scottish Episcopal Church emerged from the margins of British church life to become a significant denomination. This paper explores how during that process its character was also transformed. The paper was delivered as part of the Scottish Church History Society conference, 'Scotland's Other Reformations', 18 November 2017. I would be grateful for comments on it.

Institutional Change and Stability: Conflicts, Transitions and Social Values, 2009

The Church of Scotland was disestablished as an episcopalian institution in 1689 and presbyterian church government was set up in its place. The episcopalian response to this outcome ranged between intellectual opposition, anti-government Jacobite activity, and pragmatic comprehension. The presbyterians of Scotland used violence, cynical legal mechanisms, and political influence in an attempt to consolidate their authority and status. The primary concern of the government of Scotland, however, was not confessional but political and its endeavours to reform the government of the church brought it into conflict with both the episcopalians and the presbyterians. A workable compromise could not be achieved and the decades that followed the religious settlement required repeated attention and amendment by successive governments. The presbyterians continued to pursue means of expanding their influence across the country. The episcopalians split into two parties: jurors, who were willing to accept accommodation with the government; and non-jurors, who were not. These changes required intellectual as well as political responses from episcopalians, as justification was sought for respective positions. Furthermore, as the status of episcopalians was continually altered and adjusted, the non-jurors embarked on theological investigation and spiritual reforms. This chapter provides a brief survey of the rapid institutional transformation of the Scots Church beginning in 1689 and shows how sudden change not only provokes conflict among alternative institutions but also innovations within individual ones.

is a PhD candidate in the department of history at the University of Stirling.

The Scottish Historical Review, 2010

reviews conventicle', which conjures up the atmosphere among Covenanters. The eighteenth century miscellany starts with Ebenezer Erskine on covenant renewal and ends with Robert Burns' 'The Cottar's Saturday Night'; along the way, Cheyne illustrates the development of hymnody, through the Scottish Paraphrases of 1781. In the nineteenth century, he highlights figures like Thomas Chalmers,

2011

The Search for Salvation: Lay Faith in Scotland, 1480-1560. By Audrey-Beth Fitch. (Edinburgh: John Donald, 2009, Pp. xvii, 206. $41.95.) Reforming the Scottish Parish: The Reformation in Fife, 1560-1640. By John McCallum. (Burlington: Ashgate Publishing Company, 2010, Pp. xvii, 259. $124.95.) Commonwealth and the EngUsh Reformation: Protestantism and the Politics of Religious Change in the Gloucester Vale, 1483-1560. By Ben Lowe. (Burlington: Ashgate Publishing Company, 2010, Pp. xv, 308. $119.95.) How and why did Protestant convictions take hold in the lives of everyday British parishioners? Many familiar histories of the period neglect this important query. It is one thing to contrast theologies or chronicle national or international controversies; It is quite another to look at how both parishioners and civil and ecclesiastical leaders adapted the Protestant reforms in their parishes and local jurisdictions. Three fine new monographs address these questions. Audrey Beth-Fitch&#39...

Religions, 2022

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