Contributions to the Dictionary of Evangelical Biography [11]
ALEXANDER, WILLIAM LINDSAY (b. Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland. 24 Aug. 1808; d. Musselburgh. Midlothian, Scotland 20 Dec. 1884). Congregational divine. He was educated at the universities of Edinburgh and St Andrews and, although of Baptist extraction, he became a Congregationalist in 1826. In 1827 he studied at Glasgow Theological Academy under Ralph Wardlaw and Greville Ewing. After a period of classical tutoring at Blackburn Theological Academy, he commenced medical studies on 1831. In 1832 he became minister of Newington Independent Church, Liverpool moving to Edinburgh in 1834 to take up the charge of North College Street Congregational Church (which eventually became Augustine Congregational Church) where he remained until 1877. An eminent scholar, he served both as professor of theology and principal at the Edinburgh Congregational College; he was also a member of the Old Testament Revision Committee. In 1884, the year of his death, he was awarded the degree of LLD, having previously received the degree of DD from St Andrews University in 1846.
BANNERMAN, JAMES (b. Manse of Cargill, Perthshire, Scotland, 9 April 1807; d. Edinburgh, 27 March 1868). He was educated at Perth Academy and Edinburgh University, licensed by the Presbytery of Perth in 1830 and ordained and inducted to the charge of Ormiston in 1833; he adhered to the Free Church in 1843. In 1849 Bannerman was appointed professor of apologetics and pastoral theology at New College, Edinburgh. A very able and distinguished scholar in the Reformed tradition, his work “Inspiration. The Infallible Truth and Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures” published in 1865, was written (in his own words) at a “time of transition in religious opinion”. The volume helped to clarify some of the main issues and contemporary attitudes in the debate over the inspiration of the Bible. While he remained an exponent of orthodox teaching until his dying day, Bannerman’s support for plenary rather than verbal inspiration was undoubtedly of considerable significance in the longer term. He was awarded the degree of DD by Princeton College in 1850.
BROWN, JOHN [of Broughton Place] [12] (b. Whitburn, Lothian, Scotland, 12 June 1784; d. Edinburgh, 13 Oct. 1858). Scottish Secession Divine. he was the grandson of the more famous John Brown of Haddington and a son of John Brown of Whitburn: although a less distinguished scholar than his famous grandfather, he was of a warmer nature and maintained connections with other Christian traditions. He studied at Edinburgh University 1797-1800 and received further theological education 1800-4 under the saintly George Lawson of Selkirk who had succeeded to John Brown of Haddington’s [13] position as sole professor of the Associate Synod.
He was inducted to his first pastoral charge of Biggar Associate Church in 1806 and remained there for some 16 years. During his time at Biggar he built up a justifiable reputation as an expositor of scripture. At the time when much expository preaching was either very formal or purely devotional, Brown returned to true expository preaching, opening up the Bible in a consecutive, doctrinal and practical manner.
In 1822, he was called to minister to the United Presbyterian congregation worshipping in Rose Street, Edinburgh and in 1829 he moved to the pastorate of Broughton Place Church in the New Town of the same city. The handsome classical building which housed Brown and his congregation (and which still stands) [14] was popularly known in Edinburgh as “Dr John Brown’s Chapel”. It was at Broughton Place that Brown’s ministry was most influential. A contemporary (Professor Masson) wrote of him: At that time there was no more venerable man in Edinburgh. People turned in the street to observe his dignified figure as he passed and strangers who went to hear him were struck no less with the beauty of his appearance, the graceful fall of the silver locks around his fine head and sensitive face than by his Pauline earnestness.[15]
In 1830 he was awarded the degree of DD by Jefferson College, Pennsylvania. In 1834 he was appointed as Scotland’s first professor of exegetical theology in the United Associate Synod; by this time, the training for Secession ministry had altered and there were four professors, of whom Brown was one, who also held full time pastoral charges. Students came to study in the Synod Hall in Queen Street, Edinburgh [16] over the summer months, working of the remainder of the year under the supervision of their home Presbyteries. Brown was able to use his expository gifts for the benefit of his students and, in later life, he was able to publish much of this material in commentary format; even today, some of his works are available in print.
Among his more influential works are Discourses and Sayings of our Lord Jesus Christ and Expository Discourses on I Peter; among his commentaries are works on Romans, Galatians, Hebrews and I Peter. C H Spurgeon wrote of him:[17] We always think of Brown as a Puritan born out of due time. Everything he has left us is pure gold. He is both rich and clear, profound and perspicuous. Equally, expounding scripture seems to have been Brown’s greatest delight; writing of his work on Hebrews [18] he said: Happier hours than those which I have spent in composing these expository discourses I can scarcely expect to spend on this side of the grave.
In 1841, Brown became involved in a controversy of which he was never to be entirely free. The Reverend James Morison of Clerk’s Lane, Kilmarnock and a former student of Brown’s was indicted for heresy in that he held and preached a universal view of the Atonement. This was not denied by Morison but Brown, while not agreeing with everything that Morison said, spoke on his behalf and suggested that ...there ought to be room in the United Secession Church for men who held similar views to Mr Morison... although he also stated that Morison was certainly in error in certain respects. As it happened, Morison effectively deposed himself and went on to form the Evangelical Union in 1843. As Morison attributed at least some of his views to Brown’s teaching and since Brown was perceived as having taken Morison’s side at the trial, he had laid himself open to the suspicion of the Hyper-Calvinists, led by Dr Andrew Marshall of Kirkintilloch. To them, Brown’s views at least tended in the direction of Amyraldianism (sometimes known as Universal Calvinism) and they charged him before the synod of twelve counts of teaching unsound doctrine. In 1845 he was finally cleared of all such charges.
Interestingly, Brown and Marshall were allies in another matter – the movement which sought to disestablish the Church of Scotland and move towards what later came to be known as the “voluntary principle”. Brown was so strongly against any church/state connection that he refused to pay the annuity tax levied on citizens of Edinburgh to pay the stipends of the ministers of the Burgh Churches. Rather than pay this tax, he allowed his goods to be poinded and sold by the civil authorities. He had a son, also named John, a medical doctor and the author of Rab and his Friends [19] and other works.
BUCHANAN, ROBERT (b. St Ninian’s, Stirling, Scotland 15 Aug. 1802; d. Rome 31 March 1875). Disruption worthy. After studies at the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh he was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Dunblane in 1825. He was ordained and inducted to Gargunnock in 1827, translated to Saltoun in 1830 and to the Tron Church, Glasgow in 1833. Though opposed to a “voluntary” church, he moved the Independence Resolutions in the 1838 General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, declaring its spiritual jurisdiction independent of all state control. In 1840 he was awarded the degree of DD by Glasgow University. In 1843, he signed the Deed of Demission and adhered to the Free Church of Scotland. The first minister of the Free Tron Church, Glasgow and the historian of the Disruption [20], he was also a social reformer, champion of the poor, an educationalist, scholar and a respected evangelical leader. He was convener of the Free Church Sustentation Fund, 1847-75, became minister of Glasgow: Free College Church in 1857 and moderator of the Free General Assembly in 1860.
CLASON, PATRICK (b. Dalziel, Lanarkshire, Scotland, 13 Oct. 1789; d. Edinburgh, 30 July 1867. Presbyterian minister.
The third son of Rev Robert Clason, minister of Dalziel, he was educated privately and at the universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. He was licensed to preach by the presbytery of Hamilton in 1813; in 1815 he was ordained and inducted to the charge of Carmunnock and was translated in 1824 to St Cuthbert’s Chapel of Ease (afterwards Buccleuch Church) Edinburgh. An unsuccessful candidate for the chair of Divinity at St Andrews University in 1830, he was awarded the degree of DD by Glasgow University in 1836. He signed the Deed of Demission in 1843, adhering to the Free Church of Scotland and, in the same year, became first minister of Free Buccleuch Church and also joint Clerk to the Free General Assembly. He held both offices until his death.
DAVIDSON, ALEXANDER DYCE (b. Aberdeen, Scotland, 8 May 1807; d. 27 April 1872). Presbyterian minister.
Davidson was educated at Marischal College, licensed by the presbytery of Aberdeen on 31 March 1830 and inducted to the South Parish Church of Aberdeen in 1832. He was translated in 1836 to the West Parish Church of the same city. A greatly esteemed, popular and earnest evangelical preacher [21] he, in company with all the established church ministers in Aberdeen he adhered to the Free Church; he thus became the first minister of the West Free Church of Aberdeen.
KIDD, JAMES (b.Loughbrickland,Co. Down, Northern Ireland, 6 Nov. 1761: d. Aberdeen, Scotland, 24 Dec. 1834). Scottish Presbyterian minister and professor. [22]
He had little formal education and, after emigrating to America in 1784, he studied at Pennsylvania College in 1787 and 1789. After coming to Scotland to complete his theological education at Edinburgh University, he was presented in 1795 to the chair of oriental languages in Marischal College, Aberdeen, a position which he held until his death. He was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Aberdeen in 1796 and appointed as evening lecturer at Trinity Chapel of Ease, Aberdeen. In 1801 he became minister of Gilcomston Chapel of Ease in a crowded working class area of the same city. Though somewhat of an eccentric, he was held in great affection as an evangelist, champion of the poor, social reformer and founder of the first Sunday School in Aberdeen. He was awarded the degree of DD by Princeton College in 1819.
MAKELLAR, ANGUS (b. Kilmichael-Glassary, Argyll, Scotland, 22 June 1780: d. Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland 10 May 1859). Presbyterian minister.
He was educated at Glasgow University and licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Glasgow in 1810. He was ordained and inducted to the charge of Carmunnock in 1812 and translated to Pencaitland in 1814. He was awarded the degree of DD by Glasgow University in 1835 and in 1849 was moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. He signed the Deed of Demission in 1843 but never took a pastoral charge in the Free Church of Scotland. He was Moderator of General Assembly of the Free Church in 1852 and served as chairman of the Boards of Mission and Education in that church. Though he was an able expositor and evangelical preacher, his manuscript works were never published.
THOMSON, ALEXANDER (b. Banchory House [23], near Aberdeen, Scotland, 21 June 1798; d. Banchory House, 20 May 1868). Benefactor of the Free Church of Scotland.
Educated at Marischal College, Aberdeen and the University of Edinburgh, he was admitted in 1820 to the Society of Advocates in Aberdeen.[24] At the time of the Disruption, he adhered to the Free Church of Scotland and, throughout the rest of his life, was a munificent benefactor of its causes. In 1844, he promoted a lay committee to undertake a scheme of Free Church manse-building throughout Scotland. Deeply interested in social questions and spiritual work, his dearest cause was the Free Church College,[25] Aberdeen which he supported generously.
WILSON, WILLIAM (b. Westruther, Berwickshire, Scotland, 15 June 1808: d. Edinburgh, 15 Jan 1888). Disruption worthy.
He was educated at Edinburgh University and licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Earlston in 1833. From 1835 to 1837 he was editor of the Scottish Guardian. He was inducted as minister at Carmylie in 1837 and adhered to the Free Church of Scotland in 1843. In 1848 he was translated to the charge of Dundee: Free Mariners (later Free St Pauls) A prolific writer,[26] he took a very active part in the affairs of the Free Church of Scotland including terms of office as convener of the Sustentation Fund and Home Mission Committees. He was appointed joint clerk to the Free General Assembly in 1868 and senior clerk in 1884, also serving as moderator in 1866. He was awarded the degree of DD by the University of Edinburgh in 1870.