James Morison, the Scottish Finney. VI

James Morison had revied a call to the divided Secession congregation of Clerk's Lane, Kilmarnock. The call, signed by a majority of the people of the church, was brutally honest. Morison could not expect anything but trouble at the church.
Morison took it as a call from God. As a soldier of the cross he had no option, he could do nothing but obey it. He accepted the call.

For Morison knew that he was himself in trouble. There were people in the Secession Church who suspected him of heresy. To take charge of a divided church in Kilmarnock might distract his opponents, as well as giving him a God-sent opportunity to be a true pastor. In order to be a minister, Morison had to pass the 'trials' before the Presbytery, a series of tests that were supposed to test his orthodoxy and aptitude. It was well known that Morison believed Christ died for all, and he was sure to be tested on it. Morison passed through the trials, and he then had to prepare for his next hurdle, ordination.
It was rumoured that the Presbytery was going to put pressure on Morison to conform to a five-point Westminster Confession Calvinism. The day came, and one of the ministers of the presbytery challenged him about the teaching of his tract. Morison produced a copy of the tract from his pocket, and explained his teaching. He admitted that he had been unwise, and he promised to supress the tract and to be more careful in future. The Presbytery was satisfied, and James Morison was ordained was inducted into the pastorate of Clerk's Lane Church, Kilmarnock.

But James Morison could not be an obscure pastor. Controversy followed him. How it followed him, we shall see next time, God willing.