John Strang

On William's death in 1588, his mother married Rev Robert Wilkie (d. 1601), minister of Kilmarnock, and young Strang received his early education at the grammar school there, Zachary Boyd being one of his schoolfellows.

On 29 July 1616 he was made doctor of divinity by his alma mater, being one of the first on whom that honour was conferred, after its revival, by order of the king; and in the following year, took part in a disputation held in the royal presence at St. Andrews.

He resisted the imposition of the new liturgy, but, with other Glasgow professors, he disapproved of the national covenant, though he afterwards subscribed it in so far as it was not prejudicial to the royal authority and episcopacy.

Shortly before the Glasgow assembly of 1638 he and others drew up a protest against lay elders sitting in that court or voting in presbyteries at the election of the clerical members; but his supporters backed away, and the covenanting leaders threatened to treat him as an open enemy unless he also withdrew his name.

Baillie tells us that his position as principal was greatly jeopardised by his protesting against elders, signing the covenant with limitations, and deserting the assembly after sitting in it several days.

[1] After this Strang submitted to the measures of the Covenanters; but enemies soon accused him of heresy because in his dictates to the students he had expressed opinions as to God's providence about sin which conflicted with the Calvinism of Samuel Rutherford and others of that school.

His tenure of office had been marked by additions to the university buildings, to the cost of which he was himself a contributor out of his private means, and the income of the bishopric of Galloway was added to the revenue.