Glas, John, 1695-1773

John Glas (1695-1773) founded the Glasite church after being deposed from his charge in Tealing for deviating from the doctrines of the Church of Scotland. His views on the lack of a scriptural basis for both the Scottish nation and the national church were expressed in The Testimony of the King of Martyrs concerning his Kingdom . His followers built the first Glasite church in Dundee; the movement spread mainly amongst weaving communities. Glas wanted to create a community of saints, with an independent church of self-governing congregations following faithfully the model of the New Testament, with strict discipline, in a renewed spiritual atmosphere based on intellectual Calvinism. The leadership of the church passed to his son-in-law, Robert Sandeman, and followers were known as Sandemanians.

William Walker was a writer in Dunkeld, then Dundee. He was a member of the Glasite church, son of John Walker and Elizabeth Blair, who was daughter of James Blair, glover in Dundee. The items in this collection came from his office.

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