John Livingstone (minister)
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John Livingstone (or Livingston; born 21 June 1603, Kilsyth[1][2] – 9 August 1672) was a Scottish minister. He was the son of William Livingstone, minister of Kilsyth, and afterwards of Lanark, said to be a descendant of the second son James, of the fourth Lord Livingston.[3][page needed] His mother was Agnes, daughter of Alexander Livingston, portioner, Falkirk, brother of the Laird of Belstane.[1]
He was educated at
In 1631 he was suspended for nonconformity, but was soon reinstated through the friendly offices of
In 1648 the Commission of Assembly sent him to dissuade those troops from joining the army of the "Engagement," but his mission was a failure. On 13 July 1647, William, Earl of Lothian, presented Livingston to Ancram, and he was admitted and installed on 25 April 1648. He was a member of the Commission of Assembly in 1649. Next year he was one of those appointed to negotiate with Charles II., at Breda, as to the terms on which he should receive the Crown. While the royal ships were lying at anchor off Speymouth, Livingston obtained the King's oath of fidelity to the Covenants. He did not, however, trust Charles, and soon afterwards he identified himself with those who opposed the coronation and the conduct of the government. He was asked by the General Assembly of 1650 to write a History of the Church of Scotland from 1638, but this was never completed.[1]
In October 1651 he was chosen Moderator of a general meeting of the
Early life and education
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John Livingstone (1603–1672), Scottish divine, was born in Monyabroch now known as
Early ministry
He acted as assistant for a time in the parish of Torphichen, and afterwards as chaplain to the Countess of Wigton. He was in great request as a preacher and was still unordained, when, on the Monday after a communion, on his 27th birthday, in June 1630, he preached in the Kirk of Shotts, Lanarkshire, a sermon which is said to have produced a serious change in five hundred of his hearers.[9] Patrons and parishes were anxious to secure his services, but his refusal to give the promise then required of obedience to the articles of Perth stood in the way of his receiving ordination.[10] He would often preach for less than half an hour which was considered short at the time.[11]
Killinche ministry
As there was no prospect of a settlement at home, Livingstone went over to Ireland in 1630 on the invitation of
Stranraer ministry
In July of that year, he was inducted to the parish of
Ancrum ministry
In August of that year he was translated to the parish of Ancrum, Roxburghshire, on the presentation of the Earl of Lothian. He was one of the commissioners appointed by the church to treat with Charles II at Breda in 1650, and while the ships conveying the royal party were lying at anchor off Speymouth, on their return to Scotland, Livingstone received the king's oath of fidelity to the covenants. He did all this most reluctantly, not believing in the king's sincerity, and he afterwards joined the ultra-rigid party who opposed Charles's coronation and administration of the government. His party soon protested against the resolutions of the church that those who had taken part in the ‘Engagement’ might, on making professions of penitence, be allowed to serve in defence of the country. With his friends, Livingstone subsequently disowned the authority of the general assembly, and formed the first schism in the reformed church. He was elected moderator of the meeting of protesters held in October 1651, but he was among the less resolute of the party, and withdrew from their councils when he recognised their dangerous tendency. After Cromwell had put an end to the meetings of the general assembly, Livingstone resolved to introduce a system for managing Scottish ecclesiastical affairs similar to that of the ‘tryers’ in England, and sent for Livingstone and two other protesters to secure their cooperation. ‘Being at London,’ he says, ‘I found no great satisfaction, and therefore I left the other two there and came home.’ After the Restoration, he was called before the privy council, and on refusing to take the oath of allegiance because of its Erastian terms, was banished.
Following his banishment, there was an incident in his parish at Ancrum when a Mr. James Scott, a person under sentence of excommunication, was presented to the charge. On the day fixed for his settlement in the parish, several people met to oppose it, and particularly a countrywoman desiring to speak with him, with the view of dissuading him from intruding himself upon a reclaiming people, pulled him by the cloak, entreating him to hear her a little; on which he turned and beat her with his staff. This provoked a number of boys to throw a few stones, but they did not touch him or any of his company. The occurrence was, however, magnified into a great offence, and the sheriff and justices fined and imprisoned some of the people. But the punishment being deemed too lenient, the offenders were taken to Edinburgh, and dealt with as criminals. The boys admitted throwing the stones, and were sentenced to be scourged through the streets of Edinburgh, burned in the face with a hot iron, and then sold as slaves to Barbadoes. Two brothers of the woman, named Turnbull, were banished to Virginia, and the woman was ordered to be whipped through the streets of Jedburgh. The bishop of Glasgow, when applied to for a mitigation of the sentence, lest the woman should be with child, mildly answered that he would make them claw the itch out of her shoulders.[13]
In Rotterdam
He chose Rotterdam as his place of exile, and spent the remainder of his life there, often preaching in the Scottish church and devoting himself to theological study. He died on 9 August 1672, aged 70, and is widely remembered as a preacher of extraordinary popular gifts. His own estimate of his sermons was, however, a very modest one, and he describes himself generally as ‘timorous, averse from debates, rather given to laziness than rashness, too easy to be wrought upon.’ In his later years, he expressed a great abhorrence of sectarianism. He had a good knowledge of Latin, Hebrew, and Chaldee, and could read French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, and German.[14]
Personal life
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Livingstone married on 23 June 1635 (in St Cuthbert's Church, Edinburgh), Janet Fleming (d. 1693 at Rotterdam), the eldest daughter of Bartholomew Fleming, an Edinburgh merchant, and Marion Hamilton, and had a large family. One of his sons emigrated to America, and has left distinguished descendants. There are original portraits of Livingstone and his wife at Gosford, East Lothian, the seat of the Earl of Wemyss.[16]
- John, born 30 June 1636, died 8 January 1639;
- William, merchant in Edinburgh, born 7 January 1638, buried 12 June 1700;
- Bartholomew, born 3 September 1639, died 24 September 1641;
- Agnes, born 20 September 1640, died 17 October 1641;
- Marion, born 10 October 1642 (married John Scott, minister of Hawick);
- Janet, born 28 September 1643 (married Andrew Russell, merchant, Rotterdam), died August 1696;
- John, born 20 August 1644, died October 1645;
- Agnes, born 18 August 1645 (married David Cleland, surgeon);
- James, merchant, Edinburgh, born 22 September 1646, died 1700. He was the father of Robert Livingston The Younger;
- Johanna, born September died October 1647;
- Barbara, born 21 June 1649 (married James Miller, merchant);
- John, born 29 January, died 12 October 1652;
- Andrew, born August 1653, died 7 February 1655;
- Robert, ancestor of the Livingstons of Livingston Manor, New York, born 13 December 1654, died April 1725;
- Elizabeth, born 7 January 1657, died 31 October 1666.
[17] Original portraits of John Livingston and his wife are at Gosford, East Lothian, and Monymusk, Aberdeenshire, and others were in the possession of Mrs Ralston Crosby, New York.[17]
Works
Hew Scott:
- A Letter to his Paroch (Leith, 1663);
- A Brief Historical Relation of the Life of Mr John Livingston (Glasgow, 1754; Edinburgh, 1848; edited by Thomas Houston);
- Memorable Characteristics and Remarkable Passages of Divine Providence exemplified in the Lives of a considerable number of the most Eminent Divines and Private Christians who lived in Scotland during the first century after the Reformation (Glasgow, 1754). These, with other Letters and Papers of Livingston, were edited by William King Tweedie' for the Wodrow Society (Select Biographies, vol. i., Edinburgh, 1845). [17]
DNB: His works are:
- 1. ‘Letters from Leith to his Parishioners,’ 1633, 4to, 1673.
- 2. His ‘Life,’ first published at Glasgow in 1754, together with
- 3. ‘Remarkable Observations upon the Lives of the most eminent Ministers and Professors in the Church of Scotland.’ The last work was edited in 1845–6 for the Wodrow Society by W. K. Tweedie. An edition of the ‘Life’ by T. Houston was published at Edinburgh in 1848. Livingstone also wrote during his exile a new Latin translation of the Old Testament, which was approved by eminent Dutch divines but was not published.[18]
Bibliography
Hew Scott's:
- Lamont's, Brodie's, and Nicoll's Diaries ;
- Kirkton's, Beattie's, and Wodrow's Hists. ;
- Reg. Old Dec. ;
- Acts of Pari., vi. ;
- Acts of Ass., 1649, 1704;
- Reid's Ireland,, i., 124;
- Blair's Autob. ;
- Fleming's Fulfilling of Scripture ;
- Steven's Hist, of the Scots Church, Rotterdam ;
- Edinburgh Christian Instructor, xxiii. ;
- Anton's Kilsyth ;
- The Border Magazine, 1907;
- Dict. Nat. Biog. ;
- The Livingstons of Callendar.[17]
DNB:
- Life of Livingstone and Life of Blair (Wodrow Soc.);
- Stevens's Hist. of the Scots Church, Rotterdam;
- Reid's Irish Presbyterian Church;
- Scott's Fasti.[18]
References
- Citations
- ^ a b c d e Scott 1917, p. 99.
- ^ Livingstone 1845, p. 129.
- ^ Livingston 1910.
- ^ Scott 1917, p. 99-100.
- ^ Livingston 1910, p. 20-21.
- ^ Livingstone 1845, p. 130-131.
- ^ Philip 1932, p. 151.
- ^ Livingstone 1845, p. 132.
- ^ Fleming 1840, p. 300.
- ^ Sprott 1885–1900, p. 401-402.
- ^ Wodrow 1842, p. 118.
- ^ Kirkpatrick 2015.
- ^ Jeffrey 1855, p. 354-355.
- ^ Sprott 1885–1900, p. 402.
- ^ Anderson 1851.
- ^ Sprott 1885–1900, p. 402-403.
- ^ a b c d Scott 1917, p. 100.
- ^ a b Sprott 1885–1900, p. 403.
- Sources
- Aikman, James (1850). Annals of the persecution in Scotland, from the restoration to the revolution. Vol. 1 (2nd American ed.). Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publications. pp. 113–114.
- Anderson, James (1851). The ladies of the Covenant. Memoirs of distinguished Scottish female characters, embracing the period of the Covenant and the persecution. New York: Redfield. pp. 181–199.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- Anderson, William (1877). "Livingstone, John". The Scottish nation: or, The surnames, families, literature, honours, and biographical history of the people of Scotland. Vol. 2. A. Fullarton & co. pp. 678–679.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- Anton, Peter (1893). Kilsyth: A Parish History. Glasgow: John Smith & son. pp. 25–41.
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- Baillie, Robert (1841–1842a). Laing, David (ed.). The letters and journals of Robert Baillie ... M.DC.XXXVII.-M.DC.LXII. Vol. 1. Edinburgh: R. Ogle.
- Baillie, Robert (1841–1842b). Laing, David (ed.). The letters and journals of Robert Baillie ... M.DC.XXXVII.-M.DC.LXII. Vol. 2. Edinburgh: R. Ogle.
- Baillie, Robert (1841–1842c). Laing, David (ed.). The letters and journals of Robert Baillie ... M.DC.XXXVII.-M.DC.LXII. Vol. 3. Edinburgh: R. Ogle.
- Blair, Robert (1754). Memoirs of the life of Mr. Robert Blair. Edinburgh: Printed by David Paterson.
- . Edinburgh: Wodrow Society.
- Brodie, Alexander (1863). Laing, David (ed.). The diary of Alexander Brodie of Brodie, MDCLII-MDCLXXX. and of his son, James Brodie of Brodie, MDCLXXX-MDCLXXXV. consisting of extracts from the existing manuscripts, and a republication of the volume printed at Edinburgh in the year 1740. Aberdeen: Printed for the Spalding club.
- Chambers, Robert; Thomson, Thomas (1855). A biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen. Glasgow: Blackie. pp. 464–471. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
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- Fleming, Robert (1840). The fulfilling of the scripture. p. 300.
- Gillies, John (1845). Bonar, Horatius (ed.). Historical collections relating to remarkable periods of the success of the gospel. Kelso: J. Rutherfurd. pp. 170-207.
- Graham, A (1896). "John Livingston of Ancrum". The Border magazine. Vol. XII. Galashiels: A. Walker & son, ltd. pp. 72–74, 92–94.
- Howie, John (1870). "John Livingstone". In Carslaw, W. H. (ed.). The Scots worthies. Edinburgh: Oliphant, Anderson, & Ferrier. pp. 367–377.
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- Jeffrey, Alexander (1855). The history and antiquities of Roxburghshire and adjacent districts, from the most remote period to the present time. Vol. 2. Jedburgh: W. Easton. pp. 354–355.
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- Johnston, Archibald, Lord Warriston; Guthrie, James (1653). Causes of the Lords wrath against Scotland, manifested in his sad late dispensations : Whereunto is added a paper, particularly holding forth the sins of the ministery.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Johnston, Archibald, Lord Warriston; Guthrie, James; Gillespie, George (1732). Causes of the Lord's wrath against Scotland : manifested in his sad late dispensations. Whereunto is added a paper, particularly holding forth the sin.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Johnston, Archibald, Lord Warriston (1896). Paul, George Morison (ed.). Fragment of the Diary of Sir Archibald Johnston, Lord Wariston. (May 21-June 25 1639), The preservation of the honours of Scotland, 1651-52, Lord Mar's Legacies, 1722-27, Letters concerning Highland affairs in the 18th century. Vol. 26. Edinburgh: Printed at the University Press by T. and A. Constable for the Scottish History Society.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Johnston, Archibald, Lord Warriston (1911). Paul, George Morison (ed.). Diary of Sir Archibald Johnston of Wariston (Volume 1: 1632-1639). 1. Vol. 61. Edinburgh: Printed at the University Press by T. and A. Constable for the Scottish History Society.
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Johnston, Archibald, Lord Warriston (1919). Fleming, David Hay (ed.). Diary of Sir Archibald Johnston of Wariston (Volume 2: 1650-1654). 2. Vol. 18. Edinburgh: Printed at the University Press by T. and A. Constable for the Scottish History Society.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Johnston, Archibald, Lord Warriston (1940). Ogilvie, James D. (ed.). Diary of Sir Archibald Johnston of Wariston (Volume 3: 1655-1660). 3. Vol. 34. Edinburgh: Printed at the University Press by T. and A. Constable for the Scottish History Society.
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Kirkpatrick, Laurence (2015). "The "Eagle Wing" 1636". The Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
- Kirkton, James (1817). The secret and true history of the church of Scotland from the Restoration to the year 1678. Edinburgh: J. Ballantyne. pp. 16–23.
- Livingston, Edwin Brockholst (1910). The Livingstons of Livingston manor. New York: The Knickerbocker press. pp. 20–21. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
- Livingstone, John (1845). Tweedie, William King (ed.). Select biographies. Vol. 1. Edinburgh: Printed for the Wodrow Society. pp. 129–370.
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- Scott, Hew (1917). Fasti ecclesiae scoticanae; the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation. Vol. 2. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd. pp. 99–100. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
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- Smellie, Alexander (1903). "John Livingston tells his own Story". Men of the Covenant : the story of the Scottish church in the years of the Persecution (2 ed.). New York: Fleming H. Revell Co. pp. 97–106. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
- Sprott, George Washington (1885–1900). Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
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. - Steven, William (1832). The history of the Scottish church, Rotterdam. Edinburgh: Waugh & Innes, etc. pp. 51–54. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
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- Thompson, Mark (2006). "The Dawn of the Ulster-Scots - Part Six: Three Ulster-Scots Spiritual Revivals,the Death of Montgomery and the "Eagle Wing" sets sail" (PDF). The Ulster-Scot July 2006. Archived from the original on 28 July 2007. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
- Thompson, Mark (2006). "The Dawn of the Ulster-Scots - Part Seven: Scotland's National Covenant, The Black Oath and the 1641 Massacre" (PDF). The Ulster-Scot July 2006. Archived from the original on 28 July 2007. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
- Walker, James (1888). The theology and theologians of Scotland : chiefly of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries (2nd ed.). Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark. pp. 23–24.
- Wodrow, Robert (1828–1830). Burns, Robert (ed.). The history of the sufferings of the church of Scotland from the restoration to the revolution, with an original memoir of the author, extracts from his correspondence, and preliminary dissertation. Vol. 1. Glasgow: Blackie, Fullarton & co., and Edinburgh: A. Fullarton & co. pp. 287–332.
- Wodrow, Robert (1842). Leishman, Matthew (ed.). Analecta: or, Materials for a history of remarkable providences; mostly relating to Scotch ministers and Christians. Vol. 3. Glasgow: Maitland Club. p. 118.