Mysticism and Prophecy in Early Eighteenth-Century Scotland

Abstract

In 1709 a group of prophets arrived in Edinburgh proclaiming that Christ had appeared to redeem the nations. They attracted the interest of a community of self-described mystics. The mystics maintained that Christians had a duty to turn inwards and follow the holy spirit in all that they did and believed that Christ would soon appear in spirit to convert the world to their beliefs. Some, therefore, accepted the prophets as harbingers of the millennium. But other mystics remained unconvinced and maintained that spiritual reformation would not appear by outward signs and wonders. The paper introduces the development of mysticism in Scotland. It then examines the debate which emerged after a group of mystics became converts to the prophets’ cause. It shows how mystical prophets successfully converted both mystics and prophets to their cause. In order to grasp the importance of the divisions within the movement, it recovers the discourse of spiritual discernment, which has been obscured by debates about reason and superstition. The prophets needed to prove to their mystical brethren that they were inspired by God and not by the devil.