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Significant Scots
Thomas
Halyburton |
HALYBURTON, THOMAS, an eminent author and
divine, and professor of divinity in the university of St Andrews, was
born in December, 1674, at Dupplin in the parish of Aberdalgy, near
Perth, of which parish his father had been clergyman for many years, but
being a "non-conformist," was ejected after the Restoration.
Upon his death, in 1682, his widow emigrated to Holland with Thomas, her
only son, then eight years old, on account of the persecutions to which
those of their persuasion were still exposed in their native country.
This event proved fortunate for the subject of this notice, who attained
uncommon proficiency in all branches of classical literature. He
returned to Scotland in 1687, and after completing the usual curriculum
of university education, turned his views to the church, and entered
upon the proper course of study for that profession. He was licensed in
1699, and in the following year was appointed minister of the parish of
Ceres, in Fifeshire. Here he continued till 1710, distinguished by the
piety of his conduct, and the zeal with which he performed the duties of
this charge, when his health becoming impaired in consequence of his
pastoral exertions, he was appointed, upon the recommendation of the
Synod of Fife, to the professor’s chair of divinity in St Leonard’s
college at St Andrews, by patent from queen Anne. About this period, Deism
had partly begun to come into fashion in Scotland, in imitation of the
free-thinking in England and on the continent, where it had been revived
in the preceding century. Many writers of great learning and talent had
adopted this belief, and lent their pens either directly or indirectly
to its propagation, the unhappy consequences of which were beginning to
display themselves on the public mind. To counteract their pernicious
influence, Mr Halyburton assiduously applied himself, and on his
induction to the professor’s chair, delivered an inaugural discourse,
taking for his subject a recent publication by the celebrated Dr
Pitcairn of Edinburgh, containing an attack on revealed religion under
the feigned name of "Epistola Archimedis ad Regem Gelonem albae
Graecae reperta, anno aerae Christianae, 1688, A. Pitcarnio, M.D. ut
vulgo creditur, auctore." One of the earliest, and perhaps the most
powerful, of all the deistical writers that have yet appeared, was
Edward lord Herbert of Cherbury in Shropshire, (elder brother of the
amiable George Herbert, the well known English poet,) who figured
conspicuously in the political world in the time of Charles I., and
wrote several works in disproof of the truth or necessity of revealed
religion. His most important publication, entitled, "De Veritate,"
was originally printed at Paris in 1624, in consequence, as the author
solemnly declares of the direct sanction of heaven to that effect, but
was afterwards republished in London, and obtained very general
circulation. Mr Halyburton applied himself zealously to refute the
doctrines contained in these works and others of similar tendency from
the pens of different other writers, and produced his "Natural
Religion Insufficient, and Revealed Necessary to Man’s
Happiness," a most able and elaborate performance, in which he
demonstrates with great clearness and force the defective nature of
reason, even in judging of the character of a Deity, - the kind of
worship which ought to be accorded him, &c. Dr Leland, in his
letters, entitled "View of Deistical Writers," expresses great
admiration of this performance, and regrets that the narrowness and
illiberality of the writer’s opinions on some points operated
prejudicially against it in the minds of many persons. Neither this nor
any other of Mr Halyburton’s works were given to the world during his
life, which unfortunately terminated in September, 1712, being then only
in his thirty-eighth year. Besides the above work, which was published
in 1714, the two others by which he is best known in Scotland are
"The Great Concern of Salvation," published in 1721, and
"Ten Sermons preached before and after the celebration of the Lord’s
Supper," published in 1722. A complete edition of his works in one
vol. 8vo. was some years ago published at Glasgow. |
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