15 December 1681 A.D. Scots Covenanters
December 15:
They Stood Alone Because They were Left Alone
Ministry in Troubling Times
Here’s
a question for those of you who are teaching elders and pastors:—how long would
your congregations exist without your presence, or any pastor-teacher’s
presence over them in the Lord? In other words, suppose your congregation did
not have a pastor for an extended period of time? And further, there were
no supply pastors available to minister the Word and Sacrament to
them. Question? Would they persevere in the faith as an organized body of
believers?
Such
was the case in Scotland in the late 17th century. Presbyterianism as a whole
in 1690 had been restored to Scotland by what is known as the Revolution
Settlement. Covenanters however were disappointed by this settlement as it
ignored early covenants made by the people. It further gave the civil
government some authority over the church. And to make matters worse for the
Covenanters, they were without an ordained minister at this time. Some 16 years
later, the Rev. John MacMillan left the Church of Scotland to minister to their
spiritual needs. But in hindsight, that was sixteen years down the
proverbial pike. Sixteen years without a pastor! It took a degree of faith to
stand together for the faith, by faith. And faith they did indeed possess, as
evidenced by their organizing themselves in what is known as the Society People
of Scotland.
These
groups, according to A.S. Horne in his small booklet “Torchbearers of the
Truth,” were not large in number, often being between ten and twelve
individuals. If they grew beyond this, then they were required to split
into two groups. They knew that the times were against them, as the
principles of the Reformation had been largely swept aside and abandoned by the
nation. Spiritual declension marked their times. Scrupulous care had
to be exercised as to new members in their society.
Listen
to one rule of entrance into a society, according to Horne. “None are to be
invited, or upon his own desire brought into any Society” wrote author Horne,
“but by the advice and consent of all the Society; and that he is particularly
known at least to some of the members; that he is one who makes conscience
of secret prayer, and of prayer in his family and he is of exemplary and
blameless conversation and free from all scandal.”
Further,
their meetings were quite obviously for the professing, committed Christian. A
full meeting was “four hours at least should be seriously and closely spent
about the work for which they meet, which is prayer and spiritual conference.”
In addition, they “are not to be diverted from their work by talking about
their worldly affairs or public news until they close, except something for the
informing of the meeting whereof may be useful.” It is clear that
the primary purpose of the Society meetings were for spiritual edification.
There
were other rules too, but space hinders their inclusion in this
post. Some 7000 Scottish Covenanters regularly met together in this way
throughout Central and Southern Scotland. Finally, a general meeting was held,
with representatives from as many of the societies as could attend. The first
of these general meetings was held on December 15, 1681 in Lanarkshire, Scotland. In
all, some forty-one general meetings were held during this twenty years of
persecution, “and never in one instance did informers succeed in getting
information of them in time to prevent them, or capture those who attended
them.”
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