John Cockburn

John Cockburn (20 April 1652 – 20 November 1729) was a Scottish theologian. Early life He was the son of John Cockburn, a gentleman of some estate in the north of Scotland, who married a sister of Patrick Scougal of Salton, afterwards bishop of Aberdeen. In 1666 he was entered at Edinburgh University, but was taken thence by his uncle the bishop, and entered in November 1668 at King's College, Aberdeen, as "Joh. Cobron, Edinb.", pursuing his studies under Scougall's eye, and graduating A.M. on 20 June 1671. In 1673 he became tutor to Lord Keith, son of George, Earl Marischal, and remained in this situation till 1675, when he was ordained by his uncle, who presented him on 14 February 1676 to the living of Udny, Aberdeenshire. He was instituted on 21 (or 31) May, but not without "great tumult", the laird of Udny claiming the right to present. In the following August (before the 15th) his cousin Cockburn, laird of Langton, Berwickshire (a Presbyterian whom the bishop of Edinburgh had much difficulty in getting to present any "orderly person"), presented him to the living of Langton, but he did not accept. He was translated from Udny to Old Deer (a parish partly in Aberdeenshire, partly in Banffshire), between 10 August and 7 September 1681, on the presentation of George, earl Marischall. On 31 August the Test Act was passed, compelling the holders of all offices, civil and ecclesiastical, to swear adherence to the confession of faith of 1560, and to pledge themselves to support the existing government of church and state. Cockburn refused the test (of which his uncle the bishop was one of the strongest opponents), but early next year (1682) he complied with the act, being among the last of the clergy of Aberdeen diocese to do so. On 13 June 1683 he was translated to the living of Onniston, Haddingtonshire, of which Sir A. Cockburn was patron. This living had been vacant since the deprivation of John Sinclair in December 1682 for refusing the test. During his occupancy Cockburn, though assiduous in the duties of his charge, got into many difficulties. He was obnoxious to the Presbyterians, and could not until 25 November get any of his parishioners to act as elders and "keep session with him". Robert Wodrow states that the Scottish bishops issued blank warrants to their clergy for the appointment of elders, leaving them to fill in the names of men who, it was known, would not serve, for the purpose of mulcting them in the courts.