OLD JEWLY - English Presbyterian.

During the two last years of his life, he employed himself in the defence of the truth of Christianity, against some of the attacks which were then made against it; and also in recommending mutual candour to Christians of different sentiments concerning the doctrine of the Trinity. In 1732 he published, "A sober and charitable Disquisition concerning the Importance of the Doctrine of the Trinity; particularly with Regard to Worship, and the Doctrine of Satisfaction: endeavouring to shew, that those in the different Schemes should bear with each other in their different Sentiments; nor separate Communions, and cast one another out of Christian Fellowship on this Account."-The title of this piece sufficiently expresses the design for which it was composed; he therein observes, that it does not " seem to have been the divine purpose, that all men, in all different points of religion, however near they may seen to the foundation, should have the same sentiments. No doubt, God could have delivered his mind so plainly, on every head of religion, that none should have more disagreed about its precise meaning, or certain truth, than they do about that of a mathematical definition, axiom, or demonstration. And had he purposed there should have been no disagreement, doubtless he had expressed himself with this plainness."* It is said, that when this book first made its

OLD JEWRY. - English Presbyterian.

appearance, some sentiments which it contained not being exactly agreeable to the orthodox doctrine, a false and uncharitable report was circulated concerning its author, that his lunacy was a punishment for having written it: whereas that calamity was prior to the publication ten years.* In the Life of Job Orton, it is said, that he used to recommend this book, together with Dr. Daniel Scott's Essay towards a demonstration of the Scripture Trinity;" as what had given him most satisfaction upon the subject.+

In the same year Mr. Browne published, "A fit Rebuke to a ludicrous Infidel; in some Remarks on Mr.Woolston's fifth Discourse on the Miracles of our Saviour. With a Preface concerning the Prosecution of such Writers by the civil Powers." Dr. Leland observes, that this piece " is written with great smartness and spirit."‡ In the preface, the author expressed, in very strong terms, his disapprobation of the prosecution of Mr. Woolston, or any other Deist, on account of their writings; and he proved in a very able manner, that all such interpositions of the civil magistrate, to prevent attacks against Christianity, were extremely dishonourable. It was in the same year also, that he published his, "Defence of the Religion of Nature, and the Christian Revelation, against the defective Account of the one, and the Exceptions against the other, in a Book, entitled, Christianity as old as the Creation.". Mr. Atkey observes, that " some of the best judges have thought this defence superior to most, and inferior to none, that have appeared on the same subject."§ It is observed in the Adventurer, that this work of our author, " is universally allowed to be the best book which that controversy pro

Protestant Dissenter's Mag. vol. iv. p. 328-9.

+ Orton's Life, prefixed to his Letters to Dissenting Ministers.

View of the Deistical Writers, vol. i. p. 110.

$ Funeral Sermon, p. 25.

OLD JEWRY. English Presbyterian.

duced."* This, it has been observed, is, perhaps, speaking of Mr. Browne's performance somewhat too highly ;† though it is certainly a very valuable piece; and is styled by Dr. Leland, a solid and excellent answer" to Tindal.+ In all these pieces, though written in his retirement, with little assistance from books, or learned conversation, he yet displayed great extent of knowledge, and uncommon argumentative powers. To the last of these performances, he had prefixed a very singular dedication to Queen Caroline, expressive of the unhappy delusion under which he laboured. This, his friends found means, at the time, to suppress; but a copy of it was preserved, and afterwards published in the Adventurer.§ As it will be deemed by many readers a great curiosity, we shall insert it in the note (s).

(s)

• Adventurer, No. 88.

Deistical Writers, vol. i. p. 130.

" Madam,

† Biog. Brit. ubi supra. § Adventurer, No. 88.

"Of all the extraordinary things that have been tendered to your royal hands, since your first happy arrival in Britain, it may be boldly said, what now bespeaks your Majesty's acceptance, is the chief. Not in itself; it is a trifle unworthy your exalted rank, and what will hardly prove an entertaining amusement to one of your Majesty's deep penetration, exact judgment, and fine taste. But on account of the author, who is the first being of the kind, and yet without a name. He was once a man, and of some little name, but of no worth, as his present unparalleled case makes but too manifest: for by the immediate hand of an avenging God, his very thinking substance has, for more than seven years, been continually wasting away, till it is wholly perished out of him, if it be not utterly come to nothing. None, no not the least remembrance of its very ruins remains; not the shadow of an idea is left; nor any sense that, so much as one single one, perfect or imperfect, whole or diminished, ever did appear to a mind within him, or was perceived by it. Such a present from such a thing, however worthless in itself, may not be wholly unacceptable to your Majesty, the author being such as history cannot parallel and if the fact, which is real and no fiction, nor wrong conceit, obtains credit, it must be recorded as the most memorable, and indeed astonishing, event in the reign of George the IId. that a tract composed by such a thing was presented to the illustrious Caroline; his royal consort needs not be added; some, if I am not misinformed, will tell that, with pleasure, to all succeeding times. OLD JEWRY.-English Presbyterian.

After his retirement into the country, he could not be prevailed upon to use any kind of exercise or recreation; so that a complication of disorders, contracted by his sedentary life, brought on a mortification in his leg, which put a period to his life at the close of the year 1732, in the 52d year of his age.* His remains were interred in the meeting

He has been informed, that your Majesty's piety is as genuine and eminent. as your excellent qualities are great and conspicuous. This can, indeed, be truly known to the great Searcher of hearts only; he alone, who can look into them, can discern if they are sincere, and the main intention corresponds with the appearance; and your Majesty cannot take it amiss, if such an author hints, that his secret approbation is of infinitely greater value than the commendation of men, who may be easily mistaken, and are too apt to flatter their superiors. But if he has been told the truth, such a case as his, will certainly strike your Majesty with astonishment, and may raise that commiseration in your royal breast, which he has in vain endeavoured to excite in those of his friends; who, by the most unreasonable and ill founded conceit in the world, have imagined, that a thinking being could, for seven years together, live a stranger to its own powers, exercises, operations, and state, and to what the Great God has been doing in it and to it. If your Majesty, in your retired address to the King of kings, should think of so singular a case, you may, perhaps, make it your devout request, that the reign of your beloved Sovereign and consort may be renowned to all posterity, by the recovery of a soul now in the utmost ruin; the restoration of one utterly lost at present amongst men. And should this case affect your royal breast, you will recommend it the piety and prayers of all the truly devout, who have the honour to be known to your Majesty: many such there doubtless are: though courts are not usually the places where the devout resort, or where devotion reigns. And it is not improbable, that multitudes of the pious throughout the land may take a case to heart, that under your Majesty's patronage comes thus recommended. Could such a favour as this restoration be obtained from heaven by the prayers of your Majesty, with what a transport of gratitude will the recovered being throw himself at your Majesty's feet, and adoring the Divine Power and Grace, profess himself,

OLD JEWRY.-English Presbyterian.

house at Shepton, where there is a monument erected to his memory.* Mr. Anthony Atkey, minister of Shepton, preached a discourse upon his death from Jeremiah xii. 1. Righteous art thou, O Lord, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments. This discourse is printed, and contains an interesting account of the de

ceased.

To the foregoing account of Mr. Browne's life, we shall subjoin a short view of his character. His knowledge, we are told, was very extensive. There was scarcely any art or science with which he had not some acquaintance. Hardly could any topic be started on affairs of a speculative nature, or relating to common life, but he was capable of talking on it with penetration and judgment. He had an admirable talent at conducting conversation agreeably; having a great command of expression, joined with uncommon accuracy, and the art of enlivening it by many sprightly narrations. With a great compass of learning, he had none of the affected airs of the pedant, or the ill-natured critic. He was very earnestly and impartially set upon the pursuit of truth; and whether he met with it in the beaten tract, or, as it sometimes happens, in less frequented paths, it was alike welcome to him. If he found that he had been, at any time, deceived in his inquiries, he was as ready to quit his former sentiments, when they appeared fallacious, as he was at first to entertain them, when they appeared under the disguise of truth. He could readily suffer his tenets to be questioned, and was willing to give a reason for his opinion to every candid inquirer, though he abhorred all kind of wrangling in conversation. Mr. Browne could never believe, that the favour of heaven was entailed on any set of opinions; and he often observed, that the poor blind man in the gospel had much juster notions of divinity, than some of those who would pass under the character of the greatest Divines,

• Prot. Diss. Mag. vol. iv. p. 323.