John Wemyss (''c.'' 1579–1636), also spelled Weemes or Weemse, was a

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 ...

minister, Hebrew scholar and

exegete Exegesis ( ; from the Greek , from , "to lead out") is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text. The term is traditionally applied to the interpretation of Biblical works. In modern usage, exegesis can involve critical interpretations ...

Life

John Wemyss was born at Lathocker in eastern

Fife Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...

, and educated at the

University of St Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

. In 1608, he was appointed minister of Hutton in

Berwickshire Berwickshire ( gd, Siorrachd Bhearaig) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in south-eastern Scotland, on the English border. Berwickshire County Council existed from 1890 until 1975, when the area became part of th ...

, and in 1613 he was translated to

Duns Duns may refer to: * Duns, Scottish Borders, a town in Berwickshire, Scotland ** Duns railway station ** Duns F.C., a football club ** Duns RFC, a rugby football club ** Battle of Duns, an engagement fought in 1372 * Duns Scotus ( 1265/66–1308 ...

. For several years Wemyss acted as a representative of Presbyterian ministers in altercations with champions of episcopacy, for example at the Falkland Conference (4 May 1609) and the

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

Assembly of 1618 which issued the Five Articles. After appearing before the

Court of High Commission The Court of High Commission was the supreme ecclesiastical court in England. Some of its powers was to take action against conspiracies, plays, tales, contempts, false rumors, books. It was instituted by the Crown in 1559 to enforce the Act of U ...

in 1620 for disobeying the Articles, he apparently gave up ecclesiastical affairs and devoted himself to study and writing. In his writings Wemyss gave prominence to

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

and to

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

writings, from the

Midrash ''Midrash'' (;"midrash"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. he, מִדְרָשׁ; ...

through the medievals to the early moderns, which made him one of the pioneers in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

of the study of Jewish life and learning. John Wemyss is seen as one of the first

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

writers who presented a positive argument in favor of

Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""Th ...

s being allowed to settle in a Christian country. His writings provided a positive view in favor of the

resettlement of the Jews in England The resettlement of the Jews in England was an informal arrangement during the Commonwealth of England in the mid-1650s, which allowed Jews to practise their faith openly. It forms a prominent part of the history of the Jews in England. It hap ...

. In addition to readmission, Wemyss believed in the

conversion of the Jews Many Christians believe in a widespread conversion of the Jews to Christianity, which they often consider as an end-time event. Some Christian denominations consider the conversion of the Jews imperative and pressing, and as a result they make i ...

. He rooted his beliefs in the Biblical injunction regarding the treatment of strangers. Although his attitude to the Jews included both negative and positive views, he did express a hesitancy about persecuting them; this marked the start of the move to enlightenment tolerance. Over the years his commitment to

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 ...

also gave way to Episcopalian sympathies. King Charles I appointed him a

prebendary A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the ...

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county *Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in No ...

in England on 7 June 1634. William Hutchinson, ''The history and antiquities of the county palatine of Durham'', Publ. Durham G. Walker (1823)

Bibliography

*
The Christian Synagogue
wherein is contained the diverse reading, the right poynting, translation and collation of Scripture with Scripture'' (1623, 1630, 1633, 1636) *
Exercitations Divine
Containing diverse Questions and Solutions for the right understanding of the Scriptures. Proving the necessitie, Majestie, integrity, perspicuity, and sense thereof'' (1632, 1634) * ''An exposition of the ceremoniall lavves of Moses, as they are annexed to the Tenne Commandements'' (1636) *
An exposition of the iudiciall lawes of Moses
' (1636) * ''An exposition of the lawes of Moses'' (1632, 1633) *
An exposition of the morall lavv
or, The Ten commandements of Almightie God set dovvne by vvay of exercitations'' (1632) *
Observations, Naturall and Morall
With a short Treatise of the Numbers, Weights, and Measures, used by the Hebrews; with the valuation of them according to the Measures of the Greeks and Romans. For the clearing of sundry places of Scripture in which these weights and measures are set downe by way of Allusion'' (1633, 1636) *
The Portraiture of the Image of God in Man
In his three estates, of Creation, Restauration, Glorification. Digested into two parts. The first containing, the Image of God both in the Body and Soule of Man, and Immortality of both…The second containing, the passions of man in the concupiscible and irascible part of the soule…All set downe by way of collation, and cleared by sundry distinctions, both out of the Schoolemen, and moderne Writers'' (1627, 1632, 1636) *
A treatise of the fovre degenerate sonnes
' (1636) * ''The workes of Mr. Iohn Weemse, of Lathocker in Scotland'' (1633, 1636, 1637)

References

Sources

John Weemes
(ODNB)
John Weemes
(Open Library)
John Weemes
(Bibliography) * Shim, Jai-Sung.
Biblical Hermeneutics and Hebraism in the Early Seventeenth Century as Reflected in the Work of John Weemse (1579-1636)
'. PhD diss., Calvin Theological Seminary, 1998. * Carlyle, E. Irving. "John Wemyss". In ''Dictionary of National Biography'', ed. Sidney Lee, 60:249-250. London: Smith, Elder, & Co., 1899.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wemyss, John 1579 births 1636 deaths Alumni of the University of St Andrews Christian Hebraists People from Fife Scottish Calvinist and Reformed theologians Scottish chaplains