James Baine (1710–1790) was one of the ministers of the secession from the
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland.
The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...
which took the name of the
Relief Church
The Relief Church (or Presbytery of Relief) was a Scottish Presbyterian denomination founded in 1761. In 1847 it united with the United Secession Church to form the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
In relation to the history of the Church ...
.
Life
Baine was the son of the parish minister of
Bonhill
Bonhill ( sco, B'nill; gd, Both an Uillt) is a town in the Vale of Leven area of West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It is sited on the Eastern bank of the River Leven, Dunbartonshire, River Leven, on the opposite bank from the larger town of Alexa ...
,
Dumbartonshire
Dunbartonshire ( gd, Siorrachd Dhùn Breatann) or the County of Dumbarton is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Dunbartonshire borders P ...
, and born in the manse there in 1710. His elementary education was received at the parish school. He afterwards proceeded to the
university of Glasgow
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
. He had a brilliant career there and graduated M.A. Having been licensed as a preacher of the gospel, he was presented by the
Duke of Montrose
Duke of Montrose (named for Montrose, Angus) is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Scotland. The title was created anew in 1707, for James Graham, 4th Marquess of Montrose, great-grandson of famed James Graham, 1st Marquess ...
to the church of
Killearn
Killearn (Scottish Gaelic: ''Cill Fhearann'', from orig. ''Ceann Fhearann'', "Head/End of (the) Land/Territory" – until the 15th century when ''Ceann'' was replaced by ''Cill''; denoting the presence of a house of worship) – is a smal ...
, the parish adjoining his father's. In 1756 he was translated to the high church of
Paisley, and in 1757 had the celebrated Dr.
John Witherspoon
John Witherspoon (February 5, 1723 – November 15, 1794) was a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister, educator, farmer, slaveholder, and a Founding Father of the United States. Witherspoon embraced the concepts of Scottish common sense reali ...
for a colleague.
Baine supported
evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...
doctrine, as opposed to what came to be known as
moderatism. In 1745 he was promoting revival in the west of Scotland. In the General Assembly and Presbytery, and from his pulpit, he defended the church's spiritual freedom against "ecclesiastical tyranny". When the
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Church's governing body.''An Introduction to Practice and Procedure in the Church of Scotland'' by A. Gordon McGillivray ...
in 1752 deposed
Thomas Gillespie of Carnock, Baine pleaded for him. In the end he joined Gillespie, the founder of the
Relief Church
The Relief Church (or Presbytery of Relief) was a Scottish Presbyterian denomination founded in 1761. In 1847 it united with the United Secession Church to form the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
In relation to the history of the Church ...
, resigning his living of
Paisley on 10 February 1766.
Called before the General Assembly, Baine made a statement, vindicating both himself and Gillespie. He foresaw the issue, viz. that he was declared to be no longer a member of the church of Scotland. He published, on his deposition, 'Memoirs of Modern Church Reformation, or the History of the General Assembly, 1766, with a Brief Account and Vindication of the Presbytery of Relief.' This rare book takes the form of letters to a ministerial friend. His sketches of the 'moderates' are in the vein made famous later by Witherspoon. On 13 Feb. 1766, he was inducted into the ministry of the first Relief congregation erected in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
— in College Street. He was soon surrounded by a vast and devoted body of adherents. College Street church remains one of the largest and most important of the now United Presbyterian churches. Prior to his deposition and induction — the latter of which was conducted by Thomas Gillespie, of
Carnock
Carnock ( gd, A' Chàrnaich) is a village and parish of Fife, Scotland, west of Dunfermline. It is east of Oakley, Fife. The name of the village derives from Scottish Gaelic, from ''ceàrn'' ("corner"), with a suffix denoting a toponym, thus ...
and
Dunfermline
Dunfermline (; sco, Dunfaurlin, gd, Dùn Phàrlain) is a city, parish and former Royal Burgh, in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. The city currently has an estimated population of 58,508. Accord ...
— a tradition runs that he and his people worshipped in
Old Greyfriars under the venerable Dr.
John Erskine, and sat down together at the sacrament of the
Lord's Supper
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instituted ...
there.
Baine had remarkable popular gifts, and even at Killearn his musically modulated voice had earned for him the name of the 'Swan of the West.' His sermons were eloquent and convincing. He was plain-spoken in denunciation of the vices of the day. He came into collision with Foote in 1770 by preaching and publishing a sermon entitled 'The Theatre Licentious and Perverted.' Foote's memorable ridicule of the great evangelist,
George Whitfield
George Whitefield (; 30 September 1770), also known as George Whitfield, was an Anglican cleric and evangelist who was one of the founders of Methodism and the evangelical movement.
Born in Gloucester, he matriculated at Pembroke College at th ...
, stung him.
John Kay, the caricaturist portrait-taker, introduced him into his gallery. In 1777 he published a volume of sermons of fairly representative character, though, as is frequently the case, it is very evident that they needed his eye and voice to interpret them. He married the only daughter of Dr. Michael Potter, professor of divinity in Glasgow University, and son of
Michael Potter
Michael Potter (born 24 September 1963) is an Australian professional rugby league football coach who is the interim head coach of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the National Rugby League, and a former professional rugby league football ...
, one of the martyrs of the
Bass Rock
The Bass Rock, or simply the Bass (), ( gd, Creag nam Bathais or gd, Am Bas) is an island in the outer part of the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland. Approximately offshore, and north-east of North Berwick, it is a steep-sided volcan ...
. By her he had a large family, and representatives remain till now of varied distinction. He died on 17 Jan. 1790, aged eighty.
References
;Attribution
Further reading
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baine, James
1710 births
1790 deaths
18th-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland
Alumni of the University of Glasgow
People from Bonhill
Ministers of the Relief Church