Andrew Symington  1785-1853


SYMINGTON, ANDREW (1785–1853), Scottish divine, eldest son of a Paisley merchant, was born in that town on 26 June 1785. After attending the Paisley grammar school for four years he entered Glasgow University, where he carried off the first honours in mathematics, natural philosophy, and divinity, and graduated M.A. in 1803. Being destined for the ministry of the reformed presbyterian church, of which his father was a member, he studied theology under the Rev. John Macmillan. On being licensed to preach he accepted a call from his native town, and was ordained in 1809. In 1820 he was appointed professor of theology in the reformed presbyterian church, as successor to John Macmillan, his old instructor. In 1831 he received the degree of D.D. from the Western University of Pennsylvania, and in 1840 he obtained the same degree from the university of Glasgow. He died at Paisley on 22 Sept. 1853. By his wife, Jane Stevenson, of Crookedholm, Riccarton, Ayrshire, whom he married in 1811, he had fourteen children, of whom three sons and three daughters survived him.

From the Dictionary of National Biography

Find Geneological Information about Andrew Symington here.

From ElectricScotland.com
SYMINGTON, ANDREW, D.D., an eminent divine, the son of a merchant in Paisley, was born in that town, 26th June, 1785. At the university of Glasgow, he carried off the first honours in several classes, in the higher mathematics, in natural philosophy, and in divinity, and in 1803 he took the degree of A.M. Being intended for the ministry in the Reformed Presbyterian Church, of which his father was a member, he studied theology under the Rev. John MacMillan of Stirling, and soon after being licensed to preach, he received no less than four calls, one of which was from Paisley. He accepted the last, and was ordained in 1809.
In the year 1820, he was chosen to succeed his old instructor, Professor MacMillan, in the chair of theology in the Reformed Presbyterian Church. His lectures in that capacity were described as being always solid and useful, rising occasionally into a strain of devout eloquence.

In 1831, he received the degree of doctor of divinity from the western university of Pennsylvania, and in 1840 his own alma mater, the university of Glasgow, conferred the same honour upon him. A few public sermons which he had preached in behalf of important charities and societies were published by request; and, besides preparing a Guide for Social Worship, a Book of Discipline, and similar documents, at the request of his Synod, he composed a new Doctrinal Testimony in adaptation to the existing state of the church to which he belonged. He died Sept. 22, 1853, in the 69th year of his age.

Besides numerous tracts and sermons, Symington wrote: 1. ‘The Martyr's Monument,’ Paisley, 1847. 2. ‘Elements of Divine Truth,’ Edinburgh, 1854, 8vo. He also contributed ‘The Unity of the Heavenly Church’ (1845) to ‘Essays on Christian Union,’ wrote memoirs of Archibald Mason and Thomas Halliday, which are prefixed to the collected editions of their discourses, and supplied an article on the Reformed Presbyterian church to the ‘Cyclopædia of Religious Denominations,’ 1853, 8vo.

[Anderson's Scottish Nation, iii. 548; Funeral Sermon by William Symington; Preface to Symington's Elements of Divine Truth.]

His works are:

The God of Paul’s Fathers. A sermon. 1813.
The Dismission, Rest, and Future Glory of the Good and Faithful Servant. A sermon preached on the death of the Rev. Archibald Mason, D.D. 1832.
The Blood of Faithful Martyrs precious in the sight of the Lord. A sermon. 1834.
The Child Jesus. A sermon. 1839.
Private Social Prayer. A sermon. 1840.
Death Swallowed up in Victory; a sermon preached on the death of the Rev. William Goold, senior minister of the Reformed Presbyterian Congregation, Edinburgh. Published by request. Third edition. Edinburgh, 1844.
The Martyr’s Monument. A Brief View of the Principles and character of the Scottish martyrs. Paisley, 1847.
On Intemperance. A sermon.
Guide to Private Social Prayer.
Essay on the Unity of the Heavenly State.
Tract on the Sabbath.
Lecture on the Claims of the Church and Society on Young Men. Glasgow, 1850.
Memoir of the Rev. Thomas Halliday, Airdrie, Prefixed to his Discourses.
Elements of Divine Truth. A series of Lectures on Christian Theology to Sabbath School Teachers. 8vo. Edinburgh. 1854. Posthumous.

Dr. Symington married, in 1811, Miss Jane Stevenson of Crookedholm, and had a large family. Three sons and three daughters survived him. His brother, the Rev. William Symington, D.D., minister of the first congregation of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Glasgow, succeeded him as professor, and died in Jan. 1862. He was the author of several standard works in theology.

Another brother, Robert Brown Symington, was father of Andrew James Symington, merchant in Glasgow, born at Paisley, 27th July, 1825, author of “Harebell Chimes,’ a volume of poetry, London, 1848; Genevieve, and other poems, printed for private circulation; ‘The Beautiful in Nature, Art, and Life,’ 2 vols. Crown 8vo. London, 1857; and ‘Pen and Pencil Sketches of Faroe and Iceland.’ London, 1862.

The following descriptions of Andrew Symington's works are from "Treasury of the Scottish Covenant" by Rev. John C. Johnston (1887)









The duties of the gospel minister : a sermon preached at the ordination of the Rev. Andrew Symington to the pastoral charge of the Reformed Presbyterian Congregation, Paisley, April 26, 1809 (1809) by John Cowan

A Lecture on "The Principles of the Second Reformation" - 1841 - Andrew Symington, D.D.

Lectures on the Principles of the Second Reformation - 1841 - By Ministers of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Scotland.  Delivered at the Request of the Glasgow Society for Promoting the Scriptural Principles of the Second Reformation.

LECTURE I.—INTRODUCTORY ON THE PRINCIPLES OF THE SECOND REFORMATION.—REV. ANDREW SYMINGTON, D.D. 


LECTURE II.—THE HEADSHIP OF CHRIST OVER HIS CHURCH, AND HER INDEPENDENT JURISDICTION.—REV. JAMES FERGUSON.

LECTURE III.—EVILS, CONSTITUTIONAL AND PRACTICAL, OF THE PRELATIC ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE.—REV. THOMAS NEILSON, A.M.

LECTURE IV.—THE REVOLUTION SETTLEMENT OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.—REV. JOHN GRAHAM.
LECTURE V.—PATRONAGE OPPOSED TO THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE CHURCH, AND TO THE SCRIPTURAL RIGHTS OF THE CHRISTIAN PEOPLE.—REV. W.H. GOOLD.

LECTURE VI.—THE HEADSHIP OF CHRIST OVER THE NATIONS.—REV. ANDREW SYMINGTON, D.D. UNDER CONSTRUCTION

LECTURE VII.—THE NATURE AND OBLIGATION OF PUBLIC VOWS; WITH AN EXPLANATION AND DEFENCE OF THE BRITISH COVENANTS.—REV. WILLIAM SYMINGTON, D.D. UNDER CONSTRUCTION

LECTURE VIII.—THE SIN AND DANGER OF UNION BETWEEN THE CHURCH OF CHRIST AND AN IMMORAL, OR ANTICHRISTIAN CIVIL GOVERNMENT: ILLUSTRATED FROM REASON, SCRIPTURE, AND EXPERIENCE.—REV. STEWART BATES, D.D. UNDER CONSTRUCTION

LECTURE IX.—THE EVIL OF RELAXED DISCIPLINE IN THE CHURCH.—REV. JOHN MILWAIN. UNDER CONSTRUCTION

The Reformed Presbyterian Church - By Rev. Andrew Symington, D.D., Professor of Divinity to the Reformed Presbyterian Synod.  (See page 151 of "Cyclopaedia of Religious Denominations: containing authentic accounts of the different creeds and systems prevailing throughout the world.  Written by members of the respective bodies." 1853)

Religious Principles of the Scottish Martyrs by Andrew Symington AUDIO

Critical Notice in the Original Secession Magazine for 1847-1848, Volume 1 - 1848 (page 341): The Martyr's Monument by Andrew Symington



Most widely held works by Andrew Symington

The dismission, rest, and future glory of the good and faithful servant : two discourses, preached to the Reformed Presbyterian Congregation, Wishawtown, November 27, 1831: being the Sabbath after the funeral of the Rev. Archibald Mason, D.D. their late pastor by Andrew Symington ( Book )
2 editions published in 1832 in English and held by 8 libraries worldwide

Death swallowed up in victory : a sermon preached on occasion of the death of the Rev. William Goold, senior minister of the Reformed Presbyterian congregation, Edinburgh by Andrew Symington ( Book )
2 editions published in 1844 in English and held by 7 libraries worldwide

The headship of Christ over the nations by Andrew Symington ( Book )
5 editions published between 1855 and 1998 in English and held by 4 libraries worldwide

The God of Paul's fathers. A sermon, preached Lord's Day evening, March 14. 1813, in the Reformed Presbyterian meeting-house, Calton, Glasgow by Andrew Symington ( Book )
1 edition published in 1813 in English and held by 4 libraries worldwide

Youth warned of the sin and danger of intemperance : a discourse delivered in the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Glasgow, on the evening of Sabbath, the 22d March, 1835 by Andrew Symington ( Book )
1 edition published in 1835 in English and held by 4 libraries worldwide

Youthful devotedness : or, The youth of the church instructed in the duties of practical religion by Thomas Houston ( Book )
1 edition published in 1857 in English and held by 3 libraries worldwide

The duties of the gospel minister : a sermon preached at the ordination of the Rev. Andrew Symington to the pastoral charge of the Reformed Presbyterian Congregation, Paisley, April 26, 1809 by John Cowan ( Book )
1 edition published in 1809 in English and held by 3 libraries worldwide

Act of the Reformed Synod for a public fast with a summary of its causes by Reformed Presbyterian Church (Scotland) ( Book )
1 edition published in 1816 in English and held by 2 libraries worldwide

The Sabbath : sin and evils of Sabbath mails by Andrew Symington ( Book )
1 edition published in 1848 in English and held by 2 libraries worldwide

Private social prayer; a sermon, preached in Albion-Street Church, Glasgow, on the evening of Thursday, October 24, 1839 by Andrew Symington ( Book )
1 edition published in 1840 in English and held by 2 libraries worldwide

The blood of faithful martyrs precious in the sight of Christ : a discourse, delivered in the Church of Paisley, on ... the 24th October, 1834 : on occasion of a collection to erect a monument commemorative of two martyrs by Andrew Symington ( Book )
1 edition published in 1834 in English and held by 2 libraries worldwide

"The Child Jesus" : a sermon preached to the children of the Paisley Sabbath and week-day evening schools by Andrew Symington ( Book )
The Evangelical Repository, Volume 1 - 1842 - page 576 (May Number)
The Evangelical Repository, Volume 2 - 1843 - page 232 (continued from May Number)
2 editions published between 1839 and 1841 in English and held by 1 library worldwide

Journal of conversations with John Craig and James Brown : previous to their execution at Paisley, 29th October, 1829, with an address to the prisoners, by the Rev. Professor Symington, Paisley / by John Geddes by John Geddes ( Book )
1 edition published in 1829 in English and held by 1 library worldwide

A & W Symington's sermons by Andrew Symington ( Book )
in English and held by 1 library worldwide

A letter to the Rev. A. Symington : containing Extracts from the testimony of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, and reasons for relinquishing that communion by John Begg ( Book )
1 edition published in 1834 in English and held by 1 library worldwide

A description of the above book by the book seller on page 576 of  "The General Tenor of Christianity, Illustrated from many parts of scripture, and especially from the epistle to the Romans" by Thomas Erskine - 1837



Resolutions adopted by the Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Scotland, met at Glasgow, April 22d, 1829 : its first meeting after the bill, to admit Roman Catholics into Parliament, had passed into a law by Andrew Symington ( Book )
1 edition published in 1829 in English and held by 1 library worldwide

Act of the Reformed Synod for a public fast with an outline of its causes by Reformed Presbyterian Church (Scotland) ( Book )
1 edition published in 1812 in English and held by 1 library worldwide

Religious principles of the Scottish martyrs by Andrew Symington ( Book )
in English and held by 1 library worldwide

Guide to private social worship : The duty of stated and select private Christian fellowship, briefly inculcated and directed by Andrew Symington ( Book )
1 edition published in 1837 in English and held by 1 library worldwide

Introductory lecture on the principles of the Second Reformation by Andrew Symington ( Book )
1 edition published in 1998 in English and held by 1 library worldwide