![Covenanters01hewi orig 0413](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Covenanters01hewi_orig_0413.png)
Hugh Binning (1627–1653) was a
Scottish
Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including:
*Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland
*Scottish English
*Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
philosopher
A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...
and
theologian
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
. He was born in Scotland during the reign of
Charles I Charles I may refer to:
Kings and emperors
* Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings
* Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily
* Charles I of ...
and was ordained in the (
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
)
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland.
The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...
. He died in 1653, during the time of
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...
and the
Commonwealth of England
The Commonwealth was the political structure during the period from 1649 to 1660 when England and Wales, later along with Ireland and Scotland, were governed as a republic after the end of the Second English Civil War and the trial and execut ...
.
Personal life
![Sir James Dalrymple of Stair](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Sir_James_Dalrymple_of_Stair.jpg)
Hugh Binning was the son of John Binning of Dalvennan,
Straiton,
South Ayrshire
South Ayrshire ( sco, Sooth Ayrshire; gd, Siorrachd Àir a Deas, ) is one of thirty-two council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire and North Ayrshire. On 30 June 2 ...
. and Margaret M'Kell. Margaret was the daughter of Matthew McKell,
[Binning, Hugh; Kindle Locations 20469-20474]
["Matthew M’Kell, was a minister in the parish of ]Bothwell
Bothwell is a conservation village in the South Lanarkshire council area of Scotland. It lies on the north bank of the River Clyde, adjacent to Uddingston and Hamilton, east-south-east of Glasgow city centre.
Description and history
An ancie ...
, near Glasgow. "After having been, on different occasions brought before the Privy council, and imprisoned, he was, on the 8th of January, 1674, upon his refusing to engage not to preach, ordered to confine himself to the parish of Carluke
Carluke (; gd, Cathair MoLuaig) is a town that lies in the heart of the Lanarkshire countryside in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, northwest of Lanark and southeast of Wishaw.
Carluke is largely a commuting town, with a variety of small stores ...
, and security was required from him that he would appear before the Council at their summons ... He died at Edinburgh, in March 1681". (Works of Hugh Binning: Kindle Locations 20469-20474)
who was a minister in the parish of Bothwell, Scotland, and sister of Hugh M'Kell, a minister in Edinburgh.
[Binning, Hugh; Kindle Locations 20476-20478][Some authors suggest that Matthew M'Kell was either the grandfather or uncle to Hugh M'Kail (sometimes Hugh M'Kell), which would make Hugh M'Kail a brother-in-law to Hugh Binning. The spelling of names was not as precise in those days, e.g. when describing Hugh Binning in the same document, there are variations of the spelling of the Binning name. Hugh M’Kell was arrested for being concerned in the insurrection at ]Pentland Rising
The Battle of Rullion Green took place on 28 November 1666, near the Pentland Hills, in Midlothian, Scotland. It was the only significant battle of the Pentland Rising, a brief revolt by Covenanter dissidents against the Scottish government.
S ...
. Hugh M'Keil was imprisoned and tortured (his foot was mangled to the point of compound fractures using the boot
A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is cle ...
). In the end, M'Kell was executed in Edinburgh on 22 December 1666 because he would not sign the Test Act—because his preaching would not conform to the Anglican tradition. "The address of young M’Kail on the scaffold concluded with these sublime expressions—"“Farewell, father and mother, friends and relations. Farewell the world, and all delights. Farewell meat and drink. Farewell sun, moon and stars. Welcome God and Father! Welcome sweet Lord Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant! Welcome blessed Spirit of grace, and God of all consolation! Welcome glory! Welcome eternal life! Welcome death!" We are told by Kirkton that “when Mr. M’Kail died, there was such a lamentation as was never known in Scotland before, not one dry cheek upon all the street or in all the numberless windows in the market place". It was discovered afterwards, that Alexander Burnet
Bishop Alexander Burnet (1615–1684) was a Scottish clergyman.
Life
Born in the summer of 1615 to James Burnet and Christian née Dundas, he gained an MA from the University of Edinburgh in 1633. He chose to follow the career of his father, wh ...
, then the archbishop of Glasgow, had in his possession at the time, a letter from the king, forbidding any more blood to be shed. But to the disgrace of his sacred profession, and of his feelings as a man, "Burnet let the execution go on, before he produced his letter, pretending there was no council day between". (Binning, Hugh (24 March 2011) The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning (Kindle Locations 20474-20487)) Binning was born on his father's estate in Dalvennan. The family owned other lands in the parishes of Straiton and
Colmonell as well as
Maybole in
Carrick.
A precocious child, Binning was admitted to the study of philosophy at the
University of Glasgow
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
at age thirteen. Binning has been described as "an extraordinary instance of precocious learning and genius."
In 1645,
James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount of Stair, who was Hugh's master (primary professor) in the study of philosophy, announced he was retiring from the University of Glasgow. Dalrymple was afterward President of the Court of Session, and Viscount Stair. After a national search for a replacement on the faculty, three men were selected to compete for the position. Binning was one of those selected, but was at a disadvantage because of his extreme youth and because he was not of noble birth. However, he had strong support from the existing faculty, who suggested that the candidates speak extemporaneously on any topic of the candidate's choice. After hearing Hugh speak, the other candidates withdrew, making Hugh a regent and professor of philosophy, while he was still 18 years old.
[Scottish Worthies p 203]
On 7 February 1648, (at the age of 21) Hugh was appointed an Advocate before the Court of Sessions (an attorney). In the same year, he married Barbara Simpson (sometimes called Mary), daughter of James Simpson a minister in Ireland. Their son, John, was born in 1650.
Binning became a minister on 25 October 1649. As minister of Govan, he was the successor of William Wilkie. His ordination took place on 8 January 1649, when
Mr David Dickson, one of the theological professors at the College of Glasgow, and author of ''Therapeutica Sacra'', presided. He was ordained in January, at the age of 22, holding his regency until 14 May that year. At that time Govan was a separate town rather than part of Glasgow.
Hugh died around September 1653 and was buried in the churchyard of Govan, where
Patrick Gillespie, then principal of the University of Glasgow, ordered a monument inscribed in Latin, roughly translated:
Hugh's widow, Barbara (or Mary), then remarried James Gordon, an Anglican priest at Cumber in Ireland. Together they had a daughter,Jean who married Daniel MacKenzie, who was on the winning side of the
Battle of Bothwell Bridge serving as an ensign under Lieutenant-Colonel William Ramsay (who became the third
Earl of Dalhousie
Earl of Dalhousie, in the County of Midlothian, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, held by the Chief of Clan Ramsay.
History
The family descends from Sir George Ramsay, who represented Kincardineshire in the Scottish Parliament in 1617. ...
), in the Earl of Mar's Regiment of Foot.
Binning's son, John Binning, married Hanna Keir, who was born in Ireland. The Binnings were
Covenanters
Covenanters ( gd, Cùmhnantaich) were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. The name is derived from ''Covenan ...
, a resistance movement that objected to the return of Charles II (who was received into the Catholic Church on his deathbed). They were on the losing side in the 1679
Battle of Bothwell Bridge. Most of the rebels who were not executed were exiled to the Americas; about 30 Covenanters were exiled to the Carolinas on the Carolina Merchant in 1684. After the battle, John and Hanna were separated.
In the aftermath of the battle at Bothwell Bridge, Hugh Binning's widow (now Barbara Gordon) tried to reclaim the family estate at Dalvennan by saying that John and his wife owed his stepfather a considerable some of money. The legal action was successful and Dalvennan became the possession of John's half-sister Jean, and her husband Daniel MacKenzie.
In addition, Jean came into possession of Hanna Keir's property in Ireland.
By 1683, Jean was widowed. John Binning was branded a traitor, was sentenced to death and forfeited his property to the Crown. John's wife (Hanna Keir) was branded as a traitor and forfeited her property in Ireland. In 1685, Jean "donated" the Binning family's home at Dalvennan and other properties, along with the Keir properties, to Roderick MacKenzie, who was a Scottish advocate of
James II (James VII of Scotland), and the
baillie of
Carrick. According to an act of the Scottish Parliament, Roderick MacKenzie was also very effective in "suppressing the rebellious, fanatical party in the western and other shires of this realm, and putting the laws to vigorous execution against them".
Since Bothwell Bridge, Hanna had been hiding from the authorities. In 1685, Hanna was in Edinburgh where she was found during a sweep for subversives and imprisoned in the
Tolbooth
A tolbooth or town house was the main municipal building of a Scottish burgh, from medieval times until the 19th century. The tolbooth usually provided a council meeting chamber, a court house and a jail. The tolbooth was one of three essen ...
of Edinburgh, a combination city hall and prison. Those arrested with Hanna were exiled to North America, however, she developed
dysentery
Dysentery (UK pronunciation: , US: ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications ...
and remained behind. By 1687, near death, Hanna petitioned the
Privy Council of Scotland for her release; she was exiled to her family in Ireland, where she died around 1692.
In 1690, the Scottish Parliament rescinded John's fines and forfeiture, but he was unable to recover his family's estates, the courts suggesting that he had relinquished his claim to Dalvennan in exchange for forgiveness of debt, rather than forfeiture.
There is little documentation about John after his wife's death. John received a small income from royalties on his father's works after parliament extended copyrights on Binning's writings to him. However, the income was not significant and John made several petitions to the Scottish parliament for money, the last occurring in 1717. It is thought that he died in
Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
, locator_map =
, coordinates =
, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
, established_by =
, preceded_by =
, origin =
, lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
, lord_ ...
county, in southwestern England.
He died of
consumption at the age of 26 on September 1653. He was remarkably popular as a preacher, having been considered "the most accomplished philosopher and divine in his time, and styled the Scottish
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the estab ...
." He married (cont. 17 May 1650), Mary (who died at Paisley in 1694) and had a son, John of Dalvennan. She was the daughter of Richard Simson, minister of Sprouston. After John's early death Mary married her second husband, James Gordon, minister of Comber, in Ireland. A marble tablet, with an inscription in classical Latin, was erected to his memory by his friend
Mr Patrick Gillespie, who was then Principal of the University of Glasgow. It has been placed in the vestibule of the present parish church. The whole of his works are posthumous publications.
He was a follower of
James Dalrymple. In later life, he was well known as an
evangelical Christian.
Impact of the Commonwealth
Hugh Binning was born two years after
Charles I became monarch of England, Ireland, and Scotland. At the time, each was an independent country sharing the same monarch. The
Acts of Union 1707
The Acts of Union ( gd, Achd an Aonaidh) were two Acts of Parliament: the Union with Scotland Act 1706 passed by the Parliament of England, and the Union with England Act 1707 passed by the Parliament of Scotland. They put into effect the te ...
integrated Scotland and England to form the
Kingdom of Great Britain
The Kingdom of Great Britain (officially Great Britain) was a Sovereign state, sovereign country in Western Europe from 1 May 1707 to the end of 31 December 1800. The state was created by the 1706 Treaty of Union and ratified by the Acts of ...
, and the
Acts of Union 1800 integrated Ireland to form the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was a sovereign state in the British Isles that existed between 1801 and 1922, when it included all of Ireland. It was established by the Acts of Union 1800, which merged the Kingdom of Great B ...
.
The period was dominated by both political and religious strife between the three independent countries. Religious disputes centered on questions such as whether religion was to be dictated by the monarch or was to be the choice of the people, and whether individuals had a direct relationship with God or needed to use an intermediary. Civil disputes centered on debates about the extent of the King's power (a question of the
Divine right of kings
In European Christianity, the divine right of kings, divine right, or God's mandation is a political and religious doctrine of political legitimacy of a monarchy. It stems from a specific metaphysical framework in which a monarch is, before b ...
), and specifically whether the King had the right to raise taxes and armed forces without the
consent of the governed. These wars ultimately changed the relationship between king and subjects.
In 1638, the
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland voted to remove bishops and the ''
Book of Common Prayer
The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 in the reign ...
'' that had been introduced by Charles I to impose the Anglican model on the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Public riots followed, culminating in the
Wars of the Three Kingdoms
The Wars of the Three Kingdoms were a series of related conflicts fought between 1639 and 1653 in the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland and Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland, then separate entities united in a pers ...
, an interrelated series of conflicts that took place in the three countries. The first conflict, which was also the first of the
Bishops' Wars
The 1639 and 1640 Bishops' Wars () were the first of the conflicts known collectively as the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms, which took place in Scotland, England and Ireland. Others include the Irish Confederate Wars, the First and ...
, took place in 1639 and was a single border skirmish between England and Scotland, also known as ''the war the armys did not wanted to fight.''
To maintain his English power base, Charles I made secret alliances with Catholic Ireland and Presbyterian Scotland to invade Anglican England, promising that each country could establish their own separate state religion. Once these secret entreaties became known to the English
Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was an English Parliament which lasted from 1640 until 1660. It followed the fiasco of the Short Parliament, which had convened for only three weeks during the spring of 1640 after an 11-year parliamentary absence. In Septem ...
, the
Congregationalist faction (of which
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...
was a primary spokesman) took matters into its own hands and Parliament established an army separate from the King. Charles I was executed in January 1649, which led to the rule of Cromwell and the establishment of the
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
. The conflicts concluded with
The English Restoration
The Restoration of the Stuart monarchy in the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland took place in 1660 when King Charles II returned from exile in continental Europe. The preceding period of the Protectorate and the civil wars came to be ...
of the monarchy and the return of
Charles II in 1660.
The
Act of Classes
The Act of Classes was passed by the Parliament of Scotland on 23 January 1649. It was probably drafted by Lord Warriston, a leading member of the Kirk Party, who along with the Marquess of Argyll were leading proponents of its clauses. It bann ...
was passed by the Parliament of Scotland on 23 January 1649; the act banned
Royalists (people supporting the monarchy) from holding political or military office. In exile, Charles II signed the
Treaty of Breda (1650)
The Treaty of Breda (1650) was signed on 1 May 1650 between Charles II (King in exile of England, Scotland and Ireland) and the Scottish Covenanters during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
Background
The Scots Covenanters had taken the side of ...
with the Scottish Parliament; among other things, the treaty established
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
as the national religion. Charles was crowned King of Scots at
Scone in January 1651. By September 1651, Scotland was annexed by England, its legislative institutions abolished, Presbyterianism dis-established, and Charles was forced into exile in France.
The Scottish Parliament rescinded the Act of Classes in 1651, which produced a split within Scottish society. The sides of the conflict were called the Resolutioners (who supported the rescission of the act – supported the monarchy and the Scottish
House of Stewart) and the Protesters (who supported Cromwell and the Commonwealth); Binning sided with the Protestors.
Binning joined the
Protesters
A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration or remonstrance) is a public expression of objection, disapproval or dissent towards an idea or action, typically a political one.
Protests can be thought of as acts of coopera ...
in 1651. When Cromwell had sent troops to Scotland, he was also attempting to dis-establish Presbyterianism and the
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland.
The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...
, Binning spoke against Cromwell's act.
On Saturday 19 April 1651, Cromwell entered Glasgow and the next day he heard a sermon by three ministers who condemned him for invading Scotland. That evening, Cromwell summoned those ministers and others, to a debate on the issue. a discussion on some of the controverted points of the times was held in his presence, between his chaplains, the learned
Dr John Owen, Joseph Caryl, and others on the one side, and some Scots ministers on the other. Mr. Binning, who was one of the disputants, apparently nonplussed the Independents, which led Cromwell to ask who the learned and bold young man was. Told it was Binning, he said: "He hath bound well, indeed," ... " but, laying his hand on his sword, this will lose all again." The late Mr. Orme was of the opinion that there is nothing improbable in the account of the meeting, but that such a meeting took place is certain. This appears from two letters which were written by
Principal Robert Baillie, who was then Professor of Theology at the University of Glasgow.At the debate, Rev Hugh Binning is said to have out-debated Cromwell's ministers so completely that he silenced them.
Politics
![EDI CITY CAC 1978 113](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/EDI_CITY_CAC_1978_113.jpg)
Hugh Binning's political views were based on his theology. Binning was a
Covenanter
Covenanters ( gd, Cùmhnantaich) were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. The name is derived from ''Covenan ...
, a movement that began in Scotland at
Greyfriars Kirkyard in 1638 with the National Covenant and continued with the 1643
Solemn League and Covenant
The Solemn League and Covenant was an agreement between the Scottish Covenanters and the leaders of the English Parliamentarians in 1643 during the First English Civil War, a theatre of conflict in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. On 17 August 1 ...
—in effect a treaty between the English
Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was an English Parliament which lasted from 1640 until 1660. It followed the fiasco of the Short Parliament, which had convened for only three weeks during the spring of 1640 after an 11-year parliamentary absence. In Septem ...
and Scotland for the preservation of the reformed religion in exchange for troops to confront the threat of Irish Catholic troops joining the
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governme ...
army. Binning could also be described as a Protestor; both political positions were taken because of their religious implications. However, he saw the evils of the politics of his day was not a "fomenter of factions" writing "A Treatise of Christian Love" as a response.
Theology
Because of the tumultuous time in which Hugh Binning lived, politics and religion were inexorably intertwined. Binning was a
Calvinist
Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...
and follower of
John Knox
John Knox ( gd, Iain Cnocc) (born – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
Born in Giffordgat ...
. As a profession, Binning was trained as a Philosopher, and he believed that
philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
was the servant of
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
. He thought that both Philosophy and Theology should be taught in parallel. Binning's writing, which is primarily a collection of his sermons, "forms an important bridge between the 17th century, when philosophy in Scotland was heavily dominated by Calvinism, and the 18th century when figures such as
Francis Hutcheson re-asserted a greater degree of independence between the two and allied philosophy with the developing human sciences."
Religiously, Hugh Binning was, what we would call today, an
Evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...
Calvinist
Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...
. He spoke on the primacy of God's love as the ground of salvation:
"... our salvation is not the business of Christ alone, but the whole Godhead is interested in it deeply, so deeply that you cannot say who loves it most, or who likes it most. The Father is the very fountain of it, his love is the spring of all."
With regards to the extent of the 'atonement', Hugh Binning, did not hold that the offer of redemption applied only to the few that are
elect
An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office.
Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operated ...
but said that "the ultimate ground of faith is in the electing will of God." In Scotland, during the 1600s, the questions concerning atonement revolved around the terms in which the offer was expressed.
Binning believed that "forgiveness is based on Christ's death, understood as a satisfaction and as a sacrifice: 'If he had pardoned sin without any satisfaction what rich grace it had been! But truly, to provide the Lamb and sacrifice himself, to find out the ransom, and to exact it of his own Son, in our name, is a testimony
of mercy and grace far beyond that. But then, his justice is very conspicuous in this work'."
Works
![Blaeu](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Blaeu.Atlas.of.Scotland.1654.Renfrew.Govan.jpg)
All of the works of Hugh Binning were published posthumously and were primarily collections of his sermons. Of his speaking style, it was said: "There is originality without any affectation, a rich imagination, without anything fanciful or extravert, the utmost simplicity, without an thing mean or trifling."
*''The Common Principles of the Christian Religion, Clearly Proved, and Singularly Improved; or, A Practical Catechism'' published by
Patrick Gillespie in 1660 An analysis of the
Westminster Confession of Faith
The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the " subordinate standard" ...
. The work was translated into Dutch in 1678 by James Koelman, a minister of Sluys in Flanders.
The Common Principles of the Christian Religion fulltext) Quotations from the publication include:
::''On the love of God''
:::And what is love but the very motion of the soul to God? And so till it have attained that, to be in him, it can find no place of rest.
[
]
::''On the free grace of the Gospel''
:::I am guilty, and can say nothing against it, while I stand alone. But though I cannot satisfy, and have not; yet there is one, Jesus Christ, who gave his life a ransom for many, and whom God hath given as a propitiation for sins. He hath satisfied and paid the debt in my name; go and apprehend the cautioner, since he hath undertaken it, nay, he hath done it, and is absolved.
[Kindle Locations 2597-2600]
::''On Learning''
:::Be not ignorant as beasts, that know no other things than to follow the drove; quæ pergunt, non quo eundum est, sed quo itur; ''they follow not whither they ought to go, but whither most go''. You are men, and have reasonable souls within you; therefore I beseech you, be not composed and fashioned according to custom and example, that is, brutish, but according to some inward knowledge and reason. Retire once from the multitude, and ask in earnest at God, What is the way? Him that fears him he will teach the way that he should choose. The way to his blessed end is very strait, very difficult; you must have a guide in it,—you must have a lamp and a light in it,—else you cannot but go wrong.
[Kindle Locations 1446-1451]
*''Sinner's Sanctuary, being forty Sermons upon the eighth Chapter of the Epistle of the Romans, from the First Verse down to the Eighteenth.'' a treatise originally published in 1670
*''Fellowship with God, being Twenty Eight Sermons on the First Epistle of John, Chap. 1st and Chap. 2nd, Verses 1, 2, 3.'' a treatise originally published in 1671 by "A.S. who in the preferace to the reader, styles himself, his servant in the gosple of our dearest Lord and Savior"
*''Heart Humiliation or Miscellany Sermons, preached upon some choice texts at several solemn occasions.'' originally published in 1676 by the same A.S. that published the treatice "Fellowship with God". The first of the sermons was preached July 1650
*
Learnedly and Accurately Discussed and Resolved, Concerning Associations and Confederacies with Idolaters, Infidels, Heretics, Malignants or any other Known Enemies of Truth and Godliness. '' The treatise was used by the
Covenanters
Covenanters ( gd, Cùmhnantaich) were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. The name is derived from ''Covenan ...
and seems to have been originally published in Holland in 1693. There is a reference to the treatise at a "general meeting of Society people ... at Edinburgh 28 May 1683." The treatise expressed the opinion that Scotland should not support Charles I without some restraint placed on relatively absolute royal power and without assurance the Presbyterian religion could be maintained.
The documents seem to have been presented to the Society either by Hugh Binning's son, John, or his widow, Barbara Gordon (who remarried about 1657 to James Gordon; he was born in Ireland and became a minister at Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland.)
An Useful Case of Conscience fulltext). In the treatise Binning writes:
::Where God hath given us liberty by the law of nature, or his word, no king can justly tie us, and when God binds and obliges us by any of these, no king or parliament can loose or untie us.
[Binning, Hugh; Kindle Locations 15527-15528]
*''A Treatise of Christian Love'' a sermon based on John 13:35, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” and 1 Corinthians 13. Binning explores the concept that as a believer in Christ, there is a need for Christians to show by their love for one another.
[
] fulltext) Binning argues:
::But Christ’s last words persuade this, that unity in affection is more essential and fundamental. This is the badge he left to his disciples. If we cast away this upon every different apprehension of mind, we disown our Master, and disclaim his token and badge.
[Binning, Hugh; Kindle Locations 16396-16398]
::''On Charity''
:::Charity "thinketh no evil."
Cor. 13:5Charity is apt to take all things in the best sense. If a thing may be subject to diverse acceptations, it can put the best construction on it. It is so benign and good in its own nature that it is not inclinable to suspect others. It desires to condemn no man, but would gladly, as far as reason and conscience will permit, absolve every man. It is so far from desire of revenge, that it is not provoked or troubled with an injury. For that were nothing else but to wrong itself because others have wronged it already, and it is so far from wronging others, that it will not willingly so much as think evil of them. Yet if need requires, charity can execute justice, and inflict chastisement, not out of desire of another’s misery, but out of love and compassion to mankind. Charitas non punit quia peccatum est, sed ne peccaretur, ''it looks more to prevention of future sin, than to revenge of a bypast fault'', and can do all without any discomposure of spirit, as a physician cuts a vein without anger. Quis enim cut medetur irascitur? "''Who is angry at his own patient''?"
[Kindle Locations 16505-16513]
* In 1735, the collections of Binning's works were published posthumously, originally edited by M. Leishman, a minister who was a later successor to Hugh in the parish of Govan, which contained sermons not previously published. There have been several editions of ''The Complete Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning'', one of the latest (Classic Reprint) was published by Forgotten Books in 2012.
Bibliography
*Scott's Fasti, ii. 67-8;
*Minutes Univ. Glasg.;
*Wodrow's Analecta;
*Reid's Presbyterianism of rights as against the invasion of the state, Ireland, i.;
*Edin. Christian Instructor, xxii. Acts of Assembly;
*New Statistical Account, vi.;
*Chalmers's Biogr. Dict.;
*Scots Worthies, i. 205-10, ed. Macgavin, 1837.
* "Evangelical Beauties of Hugh Binning," 1829, with a memoir of the author by the Rev John Brown of Whitburn.
*''The Common Principles of the Christian Religion, or a Practical Catechism'' (Edinburgh, 1659) ;
*''The Sinner's Sanctuary'' (Edinburgh, 1670) ;
*''Fellowship with God'' (Edinburgh, 1671);
*''Heart Humiliation, or Miscellany Sermons'' (Edinburgh, 1676) ;
*''A Useful Case of Conscience'' (1693) ;
*''Works'' (which were recommended to be published by the General Assembly, 28 March 1704 and 10 May 1717)(Edinburgh, 1735 ; Glasgow, 1842) ;
*''A Treatise of Christian Love'' (Edinburgh, 1743) ;
*''Sermons on the most important subjects of Practical Religion'' (Glasgow, 1760) ;
*''Evangelical Beauties'' (1829)
*Wodrow's Anal., i. 161, iii. 40, 438;
*Glasg. Tests.;
*Reid's Ireland, ii., 351 ;
*Inq. Ret., Ayr, 580;
*''Dictionary of National Biography''
Notes
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Biographical Sketch from the home page of the Reformed Presbyterian Church (Covenanted)John Binning of Dalvennan, The Forfeited: The Carrick Lairds at the Battle of Bothwell BridgeMap of Dalvennan, South Ayrshire, Scotland
{{DEFAULTSORT:Binning, Hugh
1627 births
1653 deaths
Scottish Calvinist and Reformed theologians
Academics of the University of Glasgow
Scottish philosophers
Alumni of the University of Glasgow
People from Ayr
17th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians
17th-century Scottish people
17th-century philosophers
17th-century deaths from tuberculosis
Tuberculosis deaths in Scotland