John Knox (1514-1572), a Calvinist, established Presbyterianism as the national Chur ch of Scotland. However, Scotland and Ireland had plenty of free thinkers who studied the Bible for themselves. John Glas (1695-1773), a Presbyterian minister, found no basis in the New Testament for a state church. True reform, he insisted, should not rely on political force but on Christ’s word. Presbyterian officials expelled him for publishing The Testimony of the King of Martyrs (1729).His independent congregations grew, aided by his son-in-law Robert Sandeman (1718-1771). Among those influenced was Archibald McLean (1733-1812) who later concluded that the Bible taught immersion for adults. His congregations associated as the Scotch Baptists, distinct from the Baptist denomination.
TRUE REFORM IS NOT BY POLITICAL FORCE.
The Haldane brothers, Robert (1764-1842) and James Alexander (1768-1851), were laymen in the Church of Scotland. Disillusioned by its sterile formalism, they began independent congregations organized along New Testament lines. In 1807, realizing that infant baptism was unauthorized, they were immersed as adults. Their business wealth allowed James to focus on evangelism. Based in Edinburgh, where their building seated 3,000, James traveled extensively and arranged training for other lay preachers. His messages had telling effect across Great Britain, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and North America.