|
Rev John
Welsh of Ayr (1568 - 1622)
John Welsh (or
Welch) was born of a an ancient and well-to-do family in Dumfriesshire
about the year 1568. His father was a gentleman of considerable
note in Nithsdale, where he possessed a pretty extensive and valuable
estate called Collieston.
The early
years
His early life gave to his family little prospect of his future
greatness as a minister of Christ and son-in-law to Knox himself.
While at school, he was noted for the unsteadiness of his habits,
an utter disregard for the benefits of instruction and the admonitions
of his friends and preceptors. He used to play truant from school
frequently and for long periods, a habit continued until he quit
not only school, but left his father house and took to the Borders,
where he joined one of the numerous bands of border gangs or freebooters
- the thieves of Liddesdale.
It is unknown
what motivated young Welsh to change his ways, it may be that a
new spirit over took him, or that he found the life of a border
marauder either not such as he had pictured it, either way, within
a few years he repented the path he had taken and resolved to return
to his father’s house. He contacted an Aunt - who lived in Dumfries
- and asked her to mediate between himself and his father, which
she did.
The outset of
Mr Welch’s career was an extraordinary one, and presents one of
the most striking and singular contrasts of conduct and disposition
in one and the same person at different periods of life which can
perhaps be found in the annals of biography. This faithful and exemplary
minister of the church (for he became both in an eminent degree)
began the world by associating himself with a band of border thieves.
Apparently
young Welsh convinced his father he had changed his ways, begged
his father forgiveness and asked that he be allowed to go to college.
His father pardoned him and Welsh shortly after entered
the newly-formed University of Edinburgh to prepare for the ministry
of the Scottish Church. The University was still in its infancy,
having been opened in 1583 by its distinguished Principal, Robert
Rollock. Scotland was enjoying a revival of letters at this time
and the study of theology was being earnestly pursued by persons
of all ranks. University of Edinburgh was a the time no a secular
institution, but rather a model Reformed Theological Seminary -
a well of pure Calvinism - with its curriculum focussed on ensuring
students were grounded in the glorious truths of the Word of God.
Welsh was apparently
a diligent student who demonstrated much ability, quickly gaining
a mastery of Latin and a competent knowledge of Greek. But it was
Divinity, rather than the Humanities, which must have made the deepest
impression on the young mind of Welsh. He completed the M.A. degree
in August 1588 and was the very
first Edinburgh graduate to be ordained to the ministry.
Selkirk and
Marriage
His first posting after graduation was to the town of Selkirk
- thirty-eight miles south of Edinburgh. Selkirk was a hard posting,
its population was generally poorly educated, and Welsh notes them
as "uncouth", and they resisted his ministry - often violently.
He spent about six years in Selkirk, a time of consistent struggle
during which he is reported to have spent up to eight hours each
day in prayer.
The one positive
element of his time in Selkirk was his marriage in 1594 to Elizabeth
Knox - youngest daughter of John Knox the reformer and his second
wife Margaret Stuart.
Elizabeth Knox
and her two elder sisters had been brought up near Abbotsford in
that part of the Borders now associated with Sir Walter Scott. Knox
had urged his wife - on his death bed - to attend carefully to the
education of the girls. When Mrs Knox remarried - two years after
the Reformer's death - to Ker of Faldonsyde, she had taken pains
to bring up the girls in the principles of the Christian religion.
Welsh's posting at Selkirk was not far from Faldonsyde and it is
not difficult to understand how he met his future bride. The marriage
ended up being a positive and fortuitous one, as Elizabeth Knox
was to prove a worthy helpmeet for her husband in all his sufferings
for the gospel's sake.
Kirkcudbright
In 1595 Welsh was called to a post in Kirkcudbright - South-West
of Scotland - which he accepted. Kirkcudbright was a dangerous posting
for a newly married man, it was a hot bed of Catholicism, and its
previous minister - Andrew Blyth, who was personally selected by
Andrew Melville - had been murdered. It was here during his four
year ministry that he began to see a trickle of converts, who responded
to his powerful preaching. This period saw a great revival of the
Presbyterian religion in Southern Scotland. In 1596 at the General
Assembly in Edinburgh, over four hundred men experienced a great
'refreshing from the Lord.'
At this time,
Welsh and his brethren were buoyed by James VI statements of fondness
for Presbyterianism and his stated desire to see an increase in
the number of Reformed clergy in his realm.
However after
the death of Chancellor Maitland, James began to execute his long
premeditated scheme to put down the Presbyterian Church and to replace
it with an Episcopal Church of the English type. He had more than
one reason for seeking to subvert Presbytery. The Presbyterian ministers
were apt to be rather too zealous in exalting the Headship of Christ
to please a Stuart monarch's ambitions. Furthermore, by assimilating
the Scots to the English Church he hoped to smooth the way more
easily to the throne of both Kingdoms. The details of this notorious
conflict do not concern us here. But it is sufficient to say that
a man of John Welsh's character and principles could not fail to
fall foul of the King's policy. Outspoken in defence of the Church's
true liberties, Welsh preached a notable sermon in St Giles, Edinburgh,
in December of that same year, 1596. It was admirable theology;
but, under the existing political circumstances, it was deemed to
be a virtual act of treason. King James would soon have his revenge
on Welsh in ample measure.
It seems that
Welsh's preaching took on a new power during this time.
Welsh's sermons
are of that 'torrential' kind that sweep all before them. The following
specimen drawn from the pages of James Young's biography (4) may
serve to illustrate the sort of denunciation of royal encroachment
with which the walls of St Giles must have rung in that December
sermon. The passage is taken from a condemnation of selfishness
in those landowners who preferred to pocket funds intended to support
the gospel ministry: 'A great many of you . . . are the cause of
the everlasting damnation of a great part of the people, for want
of the preaching of the Word of Salvation unto them . . . Vouchsafe
so much upon every kirk as may sustain a pastor to break the bread
of life unto them, and think of the damnation of so many millions
of souls of your poor brethren who might have been saved, for ought
that ye know, if they had had the gospel preached unto them . .
.'
Ayr
In 1600 John Welsh left Kirkcubbright and travelled northward
to his third and last Scottish charge in the county-town of Ayr.
Welsh would spend a little less than five years in the town - from
August 1600 to July 1605 - to which his name has ever after been
most closely associated. It was here that his preaching was noted
and that Welsh took his place among a great Reformed Scottish revivalists.
Ayrshire, situated
a little to the south of the Clyde, had become more favourably disposed
in Welsh's time to evangelical doctrine then almost any part of
Scotland.
Welsh was not the first but the fourth Reformed preacher to come
to Ayr. An Englishman, Christopher Goodman, had been the first labourer
about the years 1559-1560. But he had quickly transferred to St
Andrews, probably to be nearer the centre of affairs. He was succeeded
by James Dalrymple who continued at Ayr to the year 1580. Following
Dalrymple came John Porterfield, a man respected but not conspicuous
for ability or exertion. It was indeed as assistant to Porterfield
that Welsh now came to Ayr in August 1600. On his arrival, he found
at Ayr a small band of exemplary Christians, especially among the
wealthier inhabitants of the town.
| Welsh
found the bulk of the people at Ayr to be still "crude
and barbaric, immoral and ignorant", with street duelling
and private feuds of competing noblemen frequently led to
the loss of many lives. Welsh immediately set his mind to
resolving the problem, and would often be seen rushing into
the thick of a fight clad in a helmet, urging the combatants
to sit down to a meal and discuss the issue peacibly. Gradually
this procedure used by Welsh proved successful. Little by
little Ayr grew more peaceful.
Welsh
laboured to suppress Sabbath games, promoted decent sociality,
disciplined and warned the unruly, studied intensely, prayed
fervently and preached frequently, with two daily Services.
Welsh's
preaching was so moving that Accounts of his sermons state
the "his hearers would often |
Ayr Auld
Kirk where Welsh preached |
experience the
presence of God and would weep through his messages." Occasionally
Welsh shrank from entering the pulpit and intensified his prayer for
Divine assistance. At such times the elders, who were intimate with
their minister and his spiritual exercise, would notice that he enjoyed
an unusual degree of liberty in the pulpit. He became more sought
after than any preacher in Scotland except Robert Bruce of St Giles,
Edinburgh. Only Bruce excelled him in the pulpit.
In 1604 two
events took place which enhanced Welsh's usefulness in Ayr. On the
death of John Porterfield, Welsh became sole minister of the town
in that year. But of far greater consequence were Welsh actions
which prevented the recent outbreak of the plague in the east of
Scotland from infecting the town. Even more interestingly, he took
full advantage
of the opportunity offered by the plague, calling the people of
Ayr to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The event
which bolstered him no end in the towns eyes was when he refused
admittance to two pedlers arriving at the north side of the river
- despite clean bills of health from the last place they visited.
A fortuitous move, because the pair travelled on to Cumnock - a
few miles to the east, where the plague unhappily broke out, with
fearful loss of life.
After this his
popularity was at an all time high. These years, 1604 and 1605,
were the most comfortable of Welsh's whole life. There were many
hundreds of god fearing people in Ayr with whom he could share the
burdens of his heart. Visitors to Ayr used to be visit him in the
manse gardens - off the High Street - where he used to retire for
prolonged seasons of prayer, pleading progress of the gospel throughout
the whole land 'O God, wilt thou not give me Scotland! O God, wilt
thou not give me Scotland!'
But Welsh was
not to enjoy this comfort for long. James was now firmly seated
on the throne of both Kingdoms, and the time of his revenge had
nearly come. His maxim of 'No Bishop, no King' was beginning to
find practical expression not only in the suppression of free Assemblies
but now also in the imprisonment of faithful and able preachers.
In 1605, Welsh
arrived late at the Aberdeen Assembly. The
King had forbidden the Assembly to convene at all - expecting that
the commissioners would be too intimidated to meet. But a number
of men did convene in Aberdeen despite the royal prohibition. They
did no more than constitute themselves and then disperse. So that
when Welsh arrived the men had departed. But this circumstance was
not permitted to save him from the wrath of the King.
Sensing the
growing troubles, Welsh worked hard, on stirring sermons to ensure
the commitment of his parish, with two sermons on the 'great white
throne' are followed by eight on the need of repentance and nine
on the Christian warfare, etc. Copies of the sermons show Welsh
to be a scholarly, balanced preacher - no ranter or fanatic - and
a careful student of Scripture. He delivered his final
sermon at Ayr was delivered in the morning of 23rd July, 1605.
The sermon contains what is close to a valedictory prayer:
"Now let the Lord give his blessing to his word,
and let the Spirit of Jesus, who is the author of this verity, come
in and seal up the truth of it in your hearts and souls, for Christ's
sake."
Immediately
after the sermon, Welsh was summoned to appear before the Privy Council
in Edinburgh.
Arrest and
Banishment
Upon
arrival in Edinburgh, Welsh and a number of his brethren were thrown
into prison - the charge was for convening the Aberdenn Assembly
- or diet - in opposition to the wishes of the court of delegates
of synods.
The Privy Council
declined the jurisdiction of their court for the case, and the ministers
were indicted to stand trial for high treason at Linlithgow. The
trial was conducted - many declare it a sham, with unjust, illegal,
and arbitrary proceedings on the part of the officers of the crown
- and a verdict of guilty was obtained against them, and they were
sentenced to suffer the death of traitors. The wives of the condemned
clergyman - amongst
those of Elizabeth Knox (AKA Mrs Welch) had left their families
and hastened to Linlithgow to be present at the trial of their husbands.
On being informed of the sentence of the court, these ladies apparaent
"instead of lamenting their fate, praised God
who had given their husbands courage to stand to the cause of their
Master, adding, that, like Him, they had been judged and condemned
under the covert of night."
| Welsh
was immediately committed to the Tolbooth prison in Edinburgh,
from where he was shortly transferred to Blackness Castle
in West Lothian - the principal state prison of the reign
of James VI. Blackness was a brutal place of confinement -
noone knows who built it or why, but it its architecture dates
from the age of bows and arrows - where Welsh was put into
the dungeon which can only be entered through a hole in the
floor. The floor of the cells were of uneven, shelving rock,
sharp and pointed underfoot so that the prisoner can neither
sit, walk nor stand without pain. There is no fire-place and
scarcely enough light to read by.
For reasons
unknown - may it was the popularity of the prisoners - on
September 26 1606 - via a letter to the Privy Council from
Hampton Court - James VI decided that rather than being put
to death, the prisoners sentences would be commuted to banishment.
So
after eight months confinement, Welsh was released on 6th
November, 1606. Many of them were condemned to the most remote
parts of the Kingdom - Bute, Kintyre, Arran, Orkney, Caithness,
Sutherland and Lewis. Robert Bruce was sent to Inverness,
where he speedily learnt Gaelic that he might spread the gospel
among the ignorant Highland population. |
Tolbooth
Edinburgh |
It was decide
by the King that Welch, and a number of other ministers would be
less dangerous if they were sent from Scotland all together. So
at 2 a.m. on the morning of the 7th November, 1606, John Welsh,
and a number of his brethren sailed from Leith in the Firth of Forth
for the continent. So great was the public sympathy for these persecuted
men, that, despite the early hour, and the fact that it was the
middle of winter, a great number of persons came to bid them farewell.
James Melville who was present on the occasion, that he wrote of
the event,
"God grant me grace for my part never to forget
it!"
Welsh
in France
He arrived in the Port of Bordeaux in December 1606. It was more
than six months later that his wife and family arrived. By that time,
Welsh had learnt enough french to start addressing a French congregation.
By 1606 the Reform Church in France by in decline. In 1571 prior to
the St Bartholomew Massacre almost a quarter of the population were
Huguenots, however by 1598, the number of congregations represented
at the Synod of Rochelle had fallen to 760 and many of the Church
schools had been broken up.
Over the next
few years he served three French congregations - from 1608 to 1614
he was a pastor at Jonsac, thanks to an interim arrangement of the
Provincial Synod; from 1615 to 1617 he served as the minister of
one of four congregations at Nerac; he fnally ended up at St Jean
d'Angely, from late 1617 to the end of his public life in 1622.
In 1621, St Jean d'Angely - where Welsh preached - was laid to seige
by Louis XIII who was intent on crushing the Protestants in France
once and for all. During the siege, Welsh - despite his poor health
- apparently showed true heroism, venturing through the streets
amid a hail of bullets and carrying gunpowder in his own hat to
a Burgundian gunner on the city wall!
When the town
capitulated, Welsh continued to preach in public. Louis XIII ordered
Welch to be brought before him, sending the Duke D'Espernon. The
duke interrupted a sermon, only to be told by Welsh to sit down
and licence. When Welsh appeared before the king, the king asked
him, how he had dared to preach contrary to the laws of the kingdom.
Mr Welch’s reply was bold and characteristic.
"Sir, if your majesty knew what I preached, you
would not only come and hear it yourself, but make all France hear
it; for I preach not as those men you used to hear. First, I preach
that you must be saved by the merits of Jesus Christ, and not your
own, (and I am sure your conscience tells you that your good works
will never merit heaven:) next, I preach, that, as you are king
of France, there is no man on earth above you; but these men whom
you hear, subject you to the pope of Rome, which I will never do."
These remarks
amused the king, and Welsh gained the Kings protection. At this time,
Welsh contemplated
going to Nova Scotia to preach in the new Colony recently created
by James VI.
Welsh final
days
After the seige of St Jean d'Angely, Welch and his family returned
to Rochelles, and whilst there he became ill. His physician advised
him that the illness would be best served by returning to Scotland.
So in 1622 he and his family returned to London to petition King
James. The King - fearing Welsh's influence in Scotland - refused
his request. Many influential scots intervened on his behalf, one
of those to petition the king was Welsh' wife Elizabeth Knox. Her
interview with the King is quite famous
King James: 'Who is your father ?'
Mrs Welsh: 'John Knox'.
King James: 'Knox and Welsh! the Devil never made such a match
as that.'
Mrs Welsh: 'It's right-like, Sir, for we never asked his advice.'
King James: 'How many children did your father leave, and were
they lads or lasses?'
Mrs Welsh: 'Three, and they were all lasses'.
King James: 'God be thanked, for if they had been three lads
I had never enjoyed my three Kingdoms in peace'.
Mrs Welsh then asked permission for her husband to take
his native air in Scotland.
King James: 'Give him his native air! Give him the
devil!'
Mrs Welsh: 'Give that to your hungry courtiers'.
The King then agreed to allow Welsh to return to Scotland
on condition he would submit to the bishops. Mrs Welsh held out
her apron towards the King and said heroically: 'Please your
Majesty, I'd rather kep [receive] his head there'.
After many
petitions, James agreed to allow Welsh to preach in London, as an
alternative to refusing him permission to return to his native country.
Once
permission was granted, Welsh lost no time appeared once more in
the pulpit, preached a long sermon - it was to be his last - he
came down exhausted from the strain of speaking and returned to
his London lodgings, where he died two hours later. He was 53
Welsh never
lived to witness the 'Second Reformation' of 1638 in Scotland nor
the Long Parliament of 1641 in England, but the eye of faith pierced
the mists of time and saw Christ overturning His enemies with the
iron rod of his strength.
It is from his
daughter Lucy, born in Ponsac, France during his exile that Isabella
Todd is descended, through Lucy's marriage to James Alexander
Witherspoon, however their is some evidence that Lucy (or Louise)
did NOT marry a witherspoon, but rather married David Walker.
|
