James Morison, the Scottish Finney. I

Morisonianism. The word probably means nothing at all to most people. The first definition found on the internet is extremely meagre. Another site has a fuller definition. Morisonianism was a nickname for the Evangelical Union, a denomination founded in 1843 by James Morison and three other ministers, including his father. All four had been expelled from the United Secession Church, the largest of the Scottish Secession denominations, for rejecting the Calvinism of the Westminster Confession. But who was James Morison, and why did he reject the Calvinism of his Church? That is the question that this series sets out to explain.

James Morison was a son of the manse. He was born in the manse of the Secession Church, Bathgate, Linlithgowshire. His father, Rev. Robert Morison, was an able, intelligent minister of the Secession Church. Robert Morison came from the Perthshire Morisons, who have always spelled their name with one 'r', not two.
James Morison was a bright boy, but his childhood was darkened by tragedy. His mother died when he was only five years old, and he could not, in later life, remember anything about her. A clever boy, he used to enjoy acting the minister in his childhood (remember this picture?). He enjoyed greatly his father's preaching, even before he could talk.
He was sent to the local School, and from there he went through Edinburgh University, where he was noted for his serious application to studies. He was an able and popular student, a lover of languages and Greek in particular. He suffered from occasional depression, probably the result of not getting enough fresh air and exercise, a frequent problem with scholars.
From the university, Morison went on to the Theological Hall of the United Secession Church. And that, God willing, shall be our subject next time.