Changes

The Reformation leaders required that every parish must operate a school.  Supposedly many oatmeal-eating poor boys went on to university and became intellectul leaders. A myth grew up in the 19th century to the effect that Scotland thereby became the best educated nation in Europe and this democratic system helped cause its leading role in the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution.  Historians have exploded the myth.  West showed in 1972 that the Scots were not significantly better educated than the English.  Anderson in 1995 demonstrated that the schools indeed existed (as they did in other Protestant countries), but they were not free and they generally imparted only basic literacy—the ability to read the Bible, which was the original goal.  Poor children, starting at age 7, were done by age 8 or 9; the majority were finished by age 11 or 12. The result was widespread basic reading ability; since there was an extra fee for writing, half the people never learned to write.<ref>Inspection of wills shows that 65% of the men could sign their names in the 1750s, compared to only 25% of the women. Devine (1999) pp 96-97.</ref>  A few talented poor boys did go to university, but usually they were helped by aristocratic or gentry sponsors. Most of them became poorly paid techers or ministers, and none became important figures in the [[Scottish Enlightenment]] or the [[Industrial Revolution]].  The schools had a lesser role in the Highlands or the islands, or in the fast-growing industrial cities. The Disruption of 1843 proved fatal to the tradition of parish schools, and in 1872 Scotland moved to a system like England's state-sponsored free schools, dedicated to efficiency and high performance.<ref>Devine (1999) pp 91-100; R. D. Anderson, ''Education and the Scottish People, 1750-1918'' (1995).</ref>

The Reformation leaders required that every parish must operate a school.  Supposedly many oatmeal-eating poor boys went on to university and became intellectul leaders. A myth grew up in the 19th century to the effect that Scotland thereby became the best educated nation in Europe and this democratic system helped cause its leading role in the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution.  Historians have exploded the myth.  West showed in 1972 that the Scots were not significantly better educated than the English.  Anderson in 1995 demonstrated that the schools indeed existed (as they did in other Protestant countries), but they were not free and they generally imparted only basic literacy—the ability to read the Bible, which was the original goal.  Poor children, starting at age 7, were done by age 8 or 9; the majority were finished by age 11 or 12. The result was widespread basic reading ability; since there was an extra fee for writing, half the people never learned to write.<ref>Inspection of wills shows that 65% of the men could sign their names in the 1750s, compared to only 25% of the women. Devine (1999) pp 96-97.</ref>  A few talented poor boys did go to university, but usually they were helped by aristocratic or gentry sponsors. Most of them became poorly paid techers or ministers, and none became important figures in the [[Scottish Enlightenment]] or the [[Industrial Revolution]].  The schools had a lesser role in the Highlands or the islands, or in the fast-growing industrial cities. The Disruption of 1843 proved fatal to the tradition of parish schools, and in 1872 Scotland moved to a system like England's state-sponsored free schools, dedicated to efficiency and high performance.<ref>Devine (1999) pp 91-100; R. D. Anderson, ''Education and the Scottish People, 1750-1918'' (1995).</ref>

===Enlightenment===

===Enlightenment===

During the [[Scottish Enlightenment]] The Moderate party within the Church of Scotland was led by William Robertson (1721–93) from 1750 to 1775. Opponents of the Moderates accused them of hypocrisy and Arminianism for their failure either to reject the Westminster Confession or to truly accept it. Moderates focused their scholarship on history, not theology. They practiced conjectural history and “stadialism”, which projected current trends back into the past and divided history into developmental stages of human progress. This view of history allowed the Moderates to assume superiority over the founders of the Scottish Reformation and the Convenanters while continuing to respect their achievements and recognize their accompanying flaws. Generally the Moderates sought to defend the Church of Scotland and the stadialist approach allowed them to assume a progressive evolution of doctrine. It also redirected theological study from dogmatics to historical theology.<ref>Colin Kidd, "Subscription, the Scottish Enlightenment and the Moderate Interpretation of History" ''Journal of Ecclesiastical History''  2004 55(3): 502-519. Issn: 0022-0469</ref>

During the [[Scottish Enlightenment]] The Moderate party within the Church of Scotland was led by William Robertson (1721–93) from 1750 to 1775. Opponents of the Moderates accused them of hypocrisy and Arminianism for their failure either to reject the Westminster Confession or to truly accept it. Moderates focused their scholarship on history, not theology. They practiced conjectural history and “stadialism”, which projected current trends back into the past and divided history into developmental stages of human progress. This view of history allowed the Moderates to assume superiority over the founders of the Scottish Reformation and the Covenanters while continuing to respect their achievements and recognize their accompanying flaws. Generally the Moderates sought to defend the Church of Scotland and the stadialist approach allowed them to assume a progressive evolution of doctrine. It also redirected theological study from dogmatics to historical theology.<ref>Colin Kidd, "Subscription, the Scottish Enlightenment and the Moderate Interpretation of History" ''Journal of Ecclesiastical History''  2004 55(3): 502-519. Issn: 0022-0469</ref>

===Empire===

===Empire===

The Scots were enthusiastic supporters of the Empire, and brought Presbyterianism along.

The Scots were enthusiastic supporters of the Empire, and brought Presbyterianism along.

The Free Church significantly influenced Swedish and American religious life. To Swedish Evangelicals, the Scottish church provided a model of how they could be dissatisfied with the established Lutheran Church and still consider themselves Lutherans. It also served as a model for Swedish-American Lutherans, especially members of the Augustana Lutheran Church, in the Midwest, although its influence was diminished by the lack of an established state church in the United States.<ref>Emmet E. Eklund, "The Scottish Free Church and its Relation to Nineteenth-century Swedish and Swedish-American Lutheranism." ''Church History'' 1982 51(4): 405-418. Issn: 0009-6407 Fulltext: [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0009-6407%28198212%2951%3A4%3C405%3ATSFCAI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-0  in Jstor]</ref>

The Free Church significantly influenced Swedish and American religious life. To Swedish Evangelicals, the Scottish church provided a model of how they could be dissatisfied with the established Lutheran Church and still consider themselves Lutherans. It also served as a model for Swedish-American Lutherans, especially members of the Augustana Lutheran Church, in the Midwest, although its influence was diminished by the lack of an established state church in the United States.<ref>Emmet E. Eklund, "The Scottish Free Church and its Relation to Nineteenth-century Swedish and Swedish-American Lutheranism." ''Church History'' 1982 51(4): 405-418. Issn: 0009-6407 Fulltext: [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0009-6407%28198212%2951%3A4%3C405%3ATSFCAI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-0  in Jstor]</ref>

The most brilliant Free Church intellectual was William Robertson Smith (1846-1894), who was removed from his professorship at Aberdeen University in 1881 on account of his "Higher Criticism" views on the Bible. By 1900, howver, the Higher Criticism won out and the Free Church's theology became largely based on the rationalizationing influence of German Protestant theology.  

The most brilliant Free Church intellectual was William Robertson Smith (1846-1894), who was removed from his professorship at Aberdeen University in 1881 on account of his "Higher Criticism" views on the Bible. By 1900, however, the Higher Criticism won out and the Free Church's theology became largely based on the rationalizationing influence of German Protestant theology.  

The last 150 years have witnessed the vital reunion of several bodies. In 1900, 1077 congregations of the Free Church Congregations entered a union  with 599 congregations of the United Presbyterian Church. The result was the United Free Church of Scotland, with 500,000 members (compared to 700,000 in the Church of Scotland).  It supported 300 missionaries in Asia and Africa.  In 1929 the United Free Church rejoined the Church of Scotland, although 100 congregations remain separate as the "Free Church of Scotland."<ref>See the website at [http://www.freechurch.org/about.htm] However the Free Church (Continuing) (FCC) split off in 2000; it now has 50 c0ngregations and a website at [http://www.freekirkcontinuing.co.uk/FCC/Welcome.html].</ref>

The last 150 years have witnessed the vital reunion of several bodies. In 1900, 1077 congregations of the Free Church Congregations entered a union  with 599 congregations of the United Presbyterian Church. The result was the United Free Church of Scotland, with 500,000 members (compared to 700,000 in the Church of Scotland).  It supported 300 missionaries in Asia and Africa.  In 1929 the United Free Church rejoined the Church of Scotland, although 100 congregations remain separate as the "Free Church of Scotland."<ref>See the website at [http://www.freechurch.org/about.htm] However the Free Church (Continuing) (FCC) split off in 2000; it now has 50 c0ngregations and a website at [http://www.freekirkcontinuing.co.uk/FCC/Welcome.html].</ref>