This thesis tackles Presbyterian Church government and the Covenanted interest during the Commonwealth and Protectorate, and for the first time examines the subject in a three kingdoms context. It reasserts the importance of Presbyterians and their Solemn League and Covenant during the decade. The first part of the thesis demonstrates that despite their difficult journey during the Commonwealth, Presbyterians in all three kingdoms retained loyalty to the Covenant. It also highlights Presbyterian attempts to propagate their church government in difficult circumstances. Part two explores these themes further during the Protectorate and argues that Presbyterian Church government was in ascendancy. The Presbyterian Church in Ulster flourished; there was a revival of Presbyterian Church government in England. The Scottish kirk, despite English attempts to bring it into line with the Tiers and Ejectors’ system in England, stood and held fast for the traditional practices of the kirk, so much so, it forced a u-turn on certain aspects of English religious policy in Scotland. Lastly and overall, this thesis highlights the continual threat which Presbyterians and their Covenant continued to pose to the English state throughout the 1650s, their relationship with the Royalists in the three kingdoms during the decade, and the confusion of successive regimes over the loyalty of Presbyterians to the English state. Therefore the thesis constructs a picture whereby Presbyterians and their Covenant were significant elements in religious and political developments in the 1650s.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:495931 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Mackenzie, Kirsteen M. |
| Publisher | University of Aberdeen |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=59563 |
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