John Glas, Min. of Tealing

Biographical Summary

John Glas, born Auchtermuchty, 21st Sept. (bapt. 5th Oct.) 1695, only son of Alexander G., min. of Auchtermuchty, afterwards of Kinclaven (descended from the family of Glas of Sauchie) ; educated at Parish School of Kinclaven and Univs. of St Andrews, M.A. (6th May 1713), and Edinburgh; licen. by Presb. of Dunkeld 20th May 1718 ; called 19th Feb., and app. by the Presb. jure devoluto 4th March, and ord. 6th May 1719. He became very popular as a preacher. On 13th July 1725 he formed a society of nearly a hundred persons within the parish for a monthly celebration of the Communion. He further adopted views in regard to the National Covenants, the relation of the Church to the State, and the right of the latter to interfere in matters of religion, which brought him into conflict with the Church Courts. Having renounced certain passages of the Confession of Faith and withdrawn his signature from the Formula, he was suspended by the Synod of Angus and Mearns, 18th April 1728, which sentence was confirmed by the General Assembly in May of that year. Heedless of this sentence and continuing to exercise ministerial functions, he was dep. by the Synod 15th Oct. thereafter, the Commission of Assembly affirming the same, 12th March 1730, notwithstanding strong appeals in his favour, notably by Duncan Forbes of Culloden, then Lord Advocate. G. now removed to Dundee, where he set up a church according to his views, whose members became known as Glassites. In 1733 he went to Perth, where he formed a church in face of much opposition, steps being taken to eject him from the city. At Perth he was joined by Robert Sandeman (1718-71), a youth of twenty, who became his son-in-law, and from whom the sect is known in England and in America (to which it spread, largely through Sandeman's labours there). In 1738 George Byres, min. of St Boswells, dem. his charge and ministered to a small body of Glassites at Kippilaw, parish of Bow den. On 22nd May 1739, the General Assembly on its own initiative reponed G. to the office of the Christian ministry, but declined to recognise him as a min. of the Church until he should renounce the principles embraced by him and inconsistent with the constitution of the Church. He latterly returned to Dundee, where he died 2nd Nov. 1773. He marr. 1721, Katherine (died Dec. 1749), eldest daugh. of Thomas Black, min. of Perth, and had issue —

• Captain George (sometimes called John), born 1725, bred a sailor, made several voyages to the West Coast of Africa and the Canary Islands, and after an adventurous life was murdered by mutineers off the south coast of Ireland in 1765, his wife and daugh. being thrown overboard and drowned. The murderers were discovered and executed. Captain Glas was translator of Galindo's History of the Discovery and Conquest of the Canary Islands (London, 1764) [also in Pinkerton's Collection of Voyages and Travels, vol. xvi., 808]. He wrote A Description of Teneriffe ;
• Thomas, bookseller, Dundee, and pastor of the Glassite Congregation there, died of fever in the prime of life ;
• Alexander, author of The River Tay : a Fragment, and other poems, and Glassite hymns, died young;
• Katherine (marr. Robert Sandeman, founder of the Sandemanians, and author of Letters in Criticism of Hervey's " Theronand Aspasio," 2 vols., 1757), died 1746 ;
• and eleven others, all of whom predeceased their parents.

SOURCE: Fasti ecclesiae scoticanae: the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation, Vol. V, page 370

Other References

• Wikipedia contributors. "John Glas." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.