One of the best-known Ministers to be called during the 17th century was John Bonar, an ancestor of Horatius Bonar, the well-known hymn writer. He was called to the Parish on the 7th August 1692, though he was not settled until March the following year. The Manse at that time was in the Kirk Gate, as the manse, which is now called "The Glebe" was not built until 1760, when the Rev Paton was called.

Perhaps the best way to begin the story of John Bonar's ministry at Torphichen is to look at some of the comments and actions made by his great, great grandson when he was Minister at Collace and came to preach at Torphichen Free Kirk (St John?s Hall) on 2nd August 1849. Andrew Bonar came at the invitation of the Rev John Dunns, the young Minister at the Free Kirk. This was to mark the 6th Anniversary of the opening of the Free Kirk. Andrew Bonar recorded in his diary "The memory of the just is still fragrant here. Old Mr Bonar is well known by tradition. An old woman showed me his grave in the Preceptory, I know not how, but there was all the time upon me a peculiar solemnity and pleasant yet serious delight in being here, mixed with much hope. I felt too, as if the Lord, who used to be here with His Saints, was still here remembering days of old; and when the Minister pointed to the Kilsyth Hills from which strangers used to come, and over which Mr Bonar went, I felt as if the feet of these Saints were still scarcely lifted from these scenes."

What kind of Minister was John Bonar? It is said he was a man before his time. He was a strong character who had the courage of his own conviction. He was said to be of the Evangelical rather than of the moderate camp. He criticised the establishment but was against separation, which resulted in the secessions, which came about as a result of Ministers ejected. The first of these was to take place on the 5th December 1733, when four Ministers formed themselves into the Associated Presbytery. He was a great lover of the Sacrament. He supported Ralph and Ebenezer Erskine who were at the forefront of Evangelism and he stood by their opinions. John Bonar was one who refused to take the Oath of Abjuration because he would not support the theory that the Sovereign should always be a member of the Prelatical Church of England; and in another field, being one of the twelve members of the General Assembly who made a protest against the condemnation of the Evangelical doctrines expressed in the book called "The Morrow of Modem Divinity". However when the Erskines seceded, his loyalty to the Church of Scotland prevailed and he parted company with them.

The Rev John Bonar made his name in the manner in which he preached. This fact is best found in the way in which, he conducted the Sacrament. His services were in great demand in the neighbouring parishes.

As Torphichen was a Parish Kirk, on Communion Sundays, people would come from far and wide. According to the custom of the time, he was in great demand as a preacher in neighbouring Parishes and when he celebrated in Torphichen, visitors would come during the previous evening and passed the night singing and praying under the trees, "there being no room for them in the houses". It should be remembered at that time, the Kirk was still the old nave of the Preceptory. It was at one of these large attendances that there was a great number of the congregation crowded into Lord Torphichen?s private loft, which was then at the west end of the nave. Due to the great number, the front gave way. The Kirk Session promptly effected repairs, lest they incurred the displeasure of his Lordship.

During the early months of 1742, on hearing the accounts of the Cambuslang Revival, with fifty years of ministry behind him, he set off on his pony to see the Lord's work for himself. The Cambuslang Revival was the result of a membership response to good preaching It was also associated with the work of a travelling preacher, George Whitefield, who came from England. Although the journey to Cambuslang is only 25 miles away, Bonar took three days to get there. He arrived in time for the second great Communion Service. Although Communion at that time was only celebrated once or twice a year. there were at least two on this revival. According to the records "when helped up to the tent, he preached three times with great life, and returned with much satisfaction and joy". The services were held in the open air and the ?tent? was the pulpit of the Kirk, which had been place on a bank opposite. The congregation at times was said to number at least 30,000. It is said that, on his return to his manse, which was then in the Kirk Gate, as he crossed the threshold, he quoted the cry of Simeon, "Lord now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen Thy Salvation". Rev Bonar had still a few years of ministry left.

One regrettable episode during Rev Bonar?s ministry began in 1709, when the Kirk Session saw fit to rearrange the celebration of Communion. New tokens were struck and new cloths were bought for the "Communion Boards" (Tables). Unfortunately, at this time the Kirk Session judged the pre-reformation Communion Cup as old fashioned - today they would be priceless. They were taken to a silversmith in Edinburgh who melted them down and produced two "modern cups", which bear the date 1709. The one redeeming feature of this event, with the inadequacy of just two cups, moved William Nimnio of Bridgehouse to leave funds for a second pair, which bear the date 1715. The use of these four cups over the past 275 years is, next to the pulpit and other parts of the building the longest unbroken visible link in the chain of the Parish history.

The Torphichen Case