George Logan (minister)
George Logan (1678–1755) was a Scottish minister and controversialist.
Life
He was son of George Logan of Ayrshire, by his wife, a daughter of A. Cunningham, minister of Old Cumnock. He was educated at Glasgow University, and graduated M.A. in 1696. On 4 March 1703 he was licensed as a preacher in the Church of Scotland, and became chaplain to John Maitland, 5th Earl of Lauderdale.[1]
He was successively minister of Lauder, Berwickshire, 1707; Sprouston, Roxburghshire, 1718; Dunbar, East Lothian, 1721; and Trinity College Church, Edinburgh, 1732. On 8 May 1740 he was elected by a large majority Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and in that capacity solemnly deposed Ebenezer Erskine and seven other seceding brethren a week later.[1]
He strenuously supported the Hanoverian accession, and on the approach of the Jacobite army towards Edinburgh in 1745, was a warm but unsuccessful advocate for placing it in a state of defence. During the occupation of the town by the rebels his house near the Castle Hill, which he had left, was occupied by them as a guard-house. He died on 13 October 1755, at seventy-seven years of age. He married, first, a sister of Sir Alexander Home of Eccles, Berwickshire, by whom he had a son, George, minister of Ormiston, Haddingtonshire, and a daughter. His second wife was Lilias Weir.[1]
Works
His views on hereditary right involved him in a lively contest with Thomas Ruddiman, George Mackenzie, 3rd Earl of Cromartie, John Sage, and other prominent Jacobites. His writings, which cost him some ridicule, were:
- ‘An Essay upon Gospel and Legal Preaching,’Edinburgh, 1723.
- ‘A modest and humble Inquiry concerning the Right and Power of electing and calling Ministers to vacant Churches,’ Edinburgh, 1732.
- ‘A Continuation of the Inquiry,’ Edinburgh, 1732.
- ‘A Vindication of the Inquiry,’ Edinburgh, 1733.
- ‘An Overture for a right Constitution of the General Assembly, and an Illustration of it,’ Edinburgh, 1736.
- ‘The Lawfulness and Necessity of Ministers, their reading the Act of Parliament for bringing to Justice the Murderers of Captain John Porteous,’ Edinburgh, 1737.
- ‘A Treatise on Government: shewing that the right of the Kings of Scotland to the Crown was not strictly … hereditary,’ 8vo, Edinburgh, 1746, which was answered by Ruddiman.
- ‘A Second Treatise on Government,’ Edinburgh, 1747.
- ‘The Finishing Stroke; or, Mr. Ruddiman self-condemned, being a Reply to Mr. Ruddiman's Answer,’ &c., Edinburgh, 1748.
- ‘The Doctrine of the jure-divino-ship of hereditary indefensible Monarchy enquired into and exploded, in a Letter to Mr. Thomas Ruddiman,’ Edinburgh, 1749.
- ‘A Second Letter to Mr. Thomas Ruddiman, vindicating Mr. Alexander Henderson from the vile Aspersions cast upon him by Messieurs Sage and Ruddiman,’ Edinburgh, 1749. Defends reputation of Alexander Henderson.
References
- 1 2 3 Goodwin 1893.
- Attribution
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Goodwin, Gordon (1893). "Logan, George". In Lee, Sidney. Dictionary of National Biography. 34. London: Smith, Elder & Co.