Editing Gilbert Burnet (section)

==Early life: 1643–1674==
[[File: GilbertBurnettBishopOfSailsbury.png|thumb|left| Portrait of Gilbert Burnett, Bishop of Salisbury, painted in the style of Pieter Borsseler.]]
Burnet was born at [[Edinburgh]], [[Scotland]], in 1643, the son of [[Robert Burnet, Lord Crimond]], a [[Cavalier|Royalist]] and [[Scottish Episcopal Church|Episcopalian]] lawyer, who became a judge of the [[Court of Session]], and of his second wife Rachel Johnston, daughter of James Johnston, and sister of [[Archibald Johnston, Lord Warriston|Archibald Johnston of Warristoun]], a leader of the [[Covenanters]]. His father was his first tutor until he began his studies at the [[University of Aberdeen]], where he earned a [[Master of Arts (Scotland)|Master of Arts]] in Philosophy at the age of thirteen. He studied law briefly before changing to theology. He did not enter into the ministry at that time, but travelled for several years. He visited [[Oxford]], [[Cambridge]], London, the [[Dutch Republic|United Provinces]] and France. He studied Hebrew under a [[Rabbi]] in Amsterdam. By 1665 he returned to Scotland and was ordained in the [[Church of Scotland]] (then episcopal) by the [[bishop of Edinburgh]].<ref name="DNB2" /> In 1664 he was elected a [[Fellow of the Royal Society]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://collections.royalsociety.org/DServe.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=Show.tcl&dsqDb=Persons&dsqPos=0&dsqSearch=%28%28text%29%3D%27burnett%27%29|title= Fellow details|access-date= 18 January 2017}}</ref>

He began his ministry in the rural church at [[East Saltoun and West Saltoun|East Saltoun]], East Lothian, and served this community devoutly for four years. In 1669, without his being asked, he was named to the vacant [[Professor of Divinity, Glasgow|chair of Divinity at the University of Glasgow]]. At first he declined, since his congregation unanimously asked him to remain at East Saltoun; but, when the [[Bishop of Edinburgh]], Leighton, urged him, he accepted the post. He was later offered, but declined, a Scottish bishopric.<ref name="DNB2" />

In 1672 or 1673 he privately married Lady Margaret Kennedy, daughter of the Earl of Cassilis, who was many years his senior. The great differences between the couple in age, rank and fortune caused them to keep the marriage secret for a considerable time. Burnet's motives for marriage were certainly not mercenary, as he entered into what has been described as an early form of "[[pre-nuptial agreement]]" by which he renounced any claim to his wife's money. Burnet himself recalled that they had been good friends for several years, but that in his view such a close friendship between a single man and a single woman could not continue indefinitely unless they married. The marriage seems to have been happy, despite their lack of children, which Burnet regretted. He was to have numerous children by later marriages.