John Willison
Encyclopedia
John Willison was an evangelical minister of the Church of Scotland
and a writer of Christian
literature.
His father was laird
of a small property near Stirling
, where John Willison was born. He was inducted to the parish of Brechin
as minister in 1703. In 1718 he moved to a charge in Dundee
.
His treatise on the sanctification
of the Lord's day was in response to the policies of James VI
and the Episcopalian
clergy. It provoked a reply from James Small, an Episcopalian, which was answered by Willison in his Letter from a Parochial Bishop to a Prelatical Gentleman. After this, he wrote a devotional work: A Sacramental Directory. Small replied to his earlier Letter, upon which Willison published An Apology for the Church of Scotland. He then moved on to political topics with A Letter to an English Member of Parliament.
After the ejection of Ebenezer Erskine
and his fellow-ministers for opposition to patronage
, Willison attacked their exclusion in a sermon to the Synod
of Angus
and Mearns
in 1733 (published as "The Church's Danger"). He tried to win them back and a majority was gained in the General Assembly of 1734 as a healing measure. As a result Willison was sent to London
as part of a deputation to labour for the repeal of patronage, but they were only successful insofar as they gained some important concessions. Erskine and his colleagues were not satisfied and formed a separate presbytery in 1739 (see United Presbyterian Church of Scotland
for Seceders
history).
In 1737 he wrote one of his most famous and most reprinted works The Afflicted Man's Companion, and also an explanation of the Shorter Catechism
called An Example of Plain Catechising. Other catechetical pieces published by Willison at different times were The Mother's Catechism (a famous and much used young children's catechism) and The Young Communicant's Catechism.
In 1742 he published another much printed work, The Balm of Gilead which includes twenty-four discourses, twelve of them relating to The Lord's Supper. In 1744 there followed his Fair and Impartial Testimony on the state of the Church of Scotland.
During the Jacobite
rebellion of 1745, having published in the same year Popery Another Gospel, he was threatened by soldiers of the Highland
army while conducting service in the church building and for a few weeks had to preach in private houses.
His last publication was Sacramental Meditations and Advices (1747).
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
and a writer of Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
literature.
His father was laird
Laird
A Laird is a member of the gentry and is a heritable title in Scotland. In the non-peerage table of precedence, a Laird ranks below a Baron and above an Esquire.-Etymology:...
of a small property near Stirling
Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
, where John Willison was born. He was inducted to the parish of Brechin
Brechin
Brechin is a former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin is often described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre-Reformation Roman Catholic diocese , but that status has not been officially recognised in the modern era...
as minister in 1703. In 1718 he moved to a charge in Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
.
His treatise on the sanctification
Sanctification
Sanctity is an ancient concept widespread among religions, a property of a thing or person sacred or set apart within the religion, from totem poles through temple vessels to days of the week, to a human believer who achieves this state. Sanctification is the act or process of acquiring sanctity,...
of the Lord's day was in response to the policies of James VI
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
and the Episcopalian
Scottish Episcopal Church
The Scottish Episcopal Church is a Christian church in Scotland, consisting of seven dioceses. Since the 17th century, it has had an identity distinct from the presbyterian Church of Scotland....
clergy. It provoked a reply from James Small, an Episcopalian, which was answered by Willison in his Letter from a Parochial Bishop to a Prelatical Gentleman. After this, he wrote a devotional work: A Sacramental Directory. Small replied to his earlier Letter, upon which Willison published An Apology for the Church of Scotland. He then moved on to political topics with A Letter to an English Member of Parliament.
After the ejection of Ebenezer Erskine
Ebenezer Erskine
Ebenezer Erskine was a Scottish minister whose actions led to the establishment of the Secession Church ....
and his fellow-ministers for opposition to patronage
Patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...
, Willison attacked their exclusion in a sermon to the Synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
of Angus
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
and Mearns
Mearns
Mearns can refer to*Mearns Academy* Mearns, Alberta* Mearns Castle*Mearns Castle High School* Mearns FM* Mearns Primary School* Kincardineshire, the County of Kincardine, The Mearns in Scotland* Newton Mearnsin biology:...
in 1733 (published as "The Church's Danger"). He tried to win them back and a majority was gained in the General Assembly of 1734 as a healing measure. As a result Willison was sent to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
as part of a deputation to labour for the repeal of patronage, but they were only successful insofar as they gained some important concessions. Erskine and his colleagues were not satisfied and formed a separate presbytery in 1739 (see United Presbyterian Church of Scotland
United Presbyterian Church of Scotland
The United Presbyterian Church of Scotland was a Scottish Presbyterian denomination. It was formed in 1847 by the union of the United Secession Church and the Relief Church, and in 1900 merged with the Free Church of Scotland to form the United Free Church of Scotland, which in turn united with...
for Seceders
Seceders
Amongst other uses, Seceders is a name used for those who followed the 18th century Secession movement from the Church of Scotland, for the history of which see United Presbyterian Church of Scotland....
history).
In 1737 he wrote one of his most famous and most reprinted works The Afflicted Man's Companion, and also an explanation of the Shorter Catechism
Catechism
A catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
called An Example of Plain Catechising. Other catechetical pieces published by Willison at different times were The Mother's Catechism (a famous and much used young children's catechism) and The Young Communicant's Catechism.
In 1742 he published another much printed work, The Balm of Gilead which includes twenty-four discourses, twelve of them relating to The Lord's Supper. In 1744 there followed his Fair and Impartial Testimony on the state of the Church of Scotland.
During the Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
rebellion of 1745, having published in the same year Popery Another Gospel, he was threatened by soldiers of the Highland
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
army while conducting service in the church building and for a few weeks had to preach in private houses.
His last publication was Sacramental Meditations and Advices (1747).
Selected writings of Willison
- Treatise Concerning the Sanctification of the Lord's-Day (1712 or 1713)
- A Letter from a Parochial Bishop to a Prelatical Gentleman in Scotland, concerning the Government of the Church(1714)
- A Sacramental Directory: or, a Treatise concerning the Sanctification of a Communion-Sabbath (1716)
- An apology for the Church of Scotland : against the accusations of prelatists and Jacobites, particularly the reflections of J.S. late incumbent at Forfar (1719)
- A letter to an English member of Parliament : from a gentleman in Scotland, concerning the slavish dependencies, which a great part of that nation is still kept under, by superiorities, wards, reliefs, and other remains of the feudal law, and by clanships and tithes (1721)
- The Church's danger, and the minister's duty declared, in a sermon preach'd at the opening of the Synod of Angus and Mearns (1733)
- The Afflicted Man's Companion (1737)
- An Example of plain Catechising upon the Assembly's Shorter Catechism (1737)
- The balm of Gilead, for healing a diseased land (1742)
- A fair and impartial testimony : essayed in name of a number of ministers, elders, and Christian people of the Church of Scotland, unto the laudable principles, wrestlings and attainments of that Church; and against the backslidings, corruptions, divisions, and prevailing evils, both of former and present times (1744)
- Sacramental meditations and advices for the use of communicants : in preparing their hearts, and exciting their affections, on sacramental occasions ; and a Christian directory, consisting of forty scripture directions, proper for all those intending heaven (1747)
Sources
- Biographical introduction to John Johnstone's reprint of "The Afflicted Man's Companion"
- COPAC
External links
- A Puritan's Mind Etext of "The Young Communicant's Catechism"
- Christian Classics Ethereal Library Etext of "A Fair and Impartial Testimony"
- Electric Scotland John Willison biography
- The Highway Includes Etext of Willison's "Five Sacramental Sermons"
- Reformation Press Two booklets currently in print reprinting parts of Willison's writings under the titles "Directions for Christians" and "Meditations on the Lord's Supper"
- James Begg Society Sample from "An Example of Plain Catechising"
- Revival Library Letter from Willison about the Cambuslang Revival