John Brown (July 12, 1784 – October 13, 1858) was a Scottish minister and theologian, known for his exegesis as a preacher.
Life
The grandson of
John Brown of Haddington
John Brown of Haddington (1722 – 19 June 1787), was a Scottish minister and author. He was born at Carpow, in Perthshire. He was almost entirely self-educated, having acquired a knowledge of ancient languages while employed as a shepher ...
, he was born at
Whitburn,
Linlithgowshire
West Lothian ( sco, Wast Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Iar) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and was one of its shires of Scotland, historic counties. The county was called Linlithgowshire until 1925. The historic county was bounded geogra ...
. He studied at
Glasgow university
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, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
, and afterwards at the divinity hall of the Burgher branch of the
Secession church at
Selkirk, under
George Lawson. In 1806 he was ordained minister of the Burgher congregation at
Biggar,
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark ( gd, Siorrachd Lannraig; sco, Lanrikshire), is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the central Lowlands of Scotland.
Lanarkshire is the most populous county in Scotl ...
, where he laboured for sixteen years. While there he had a controversy with
Robert Owen the socialist.
Transferred in 1822 to the charge of Rose Street church,
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
, he at once took a high rank as a preacher. In 1829 he succeeded James Hall at Broughton Place church, Edinburgh. In. 1835 he was appointed one of the professors in the theological hall of the Secession church. The first in Scotland to use in the pulpit the
exegetical
Exegesis ( ; from the Greek , from , "to lead out") is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text. The term is traditionally applied to the interpretation of Biblical works. In modern usage, exegesis can involve critical interpretation ...
method of exposition of Scripture, and as a professor he illustrated the method and extended its use. To him chiefly is due the abandonment of the principle of interpretation according to the analogy of faith, which practically subordinated the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...
to the creed. He had a considerable share in the
Apocrypha controversy; and he was throughout life a vigorous and consistent upholder of anti-state-church or voluntary views. He supported the separation of church and state.
In Edinburgh an impost called the annuity tax was levied for the support of the city's Church of Scotland ministers. This Brown finally refused to pay, whereupon in 1838 his goods were twice seized and sold. His two sermons on ''The Law of Christ'' respecting civil obedience, especially in the payment of tribute, called forth by this grievance and the controversy it engendered, were later published with extensive additions and notes. The part he took in the discussion on the Atonement, which agitated all the Scottish churches, led to a formal charge of heresy against him by those who held the doctrine of a
limited atonement. In 1845, after a protracted trial, he was acquitted by the
synod.
From that time he enjoyed the thorough confidence of his denomination (after 1847 merged in the
United Presbyterian Church of Scotland
The United Presbyterian Church (1847–1900) was a Scottish Presbyterian denomination. It was formed in 1847 by the union of the United Secession Church and the Relief Church, and in 1900 merged with the Free Church of Scotland to form the Uni ...
), of which in his later years he was generally regarded as the leading representative.
In later life he lived in Arthur Lodge, an impressive Georgian villa in the
Newington district.
Family
He was married to Jane Nimmo (d.1816). Their children included
Dr John Brown.
[Grave of John Brown, New Calton, Edinburgh]
Works
His major works were:
*''Expository Discourses on First Peter'' (1848)
*''Exposition of the Discourses and Sayings of our Lord'' (1850)
*''Exposition of our Lord's Intercessory Prayer'' (1850)
*
The Resurrection of Life' (1851)
*''Expository Discourses on Galatians'' (1853)
*''Analytical Exposition of the Epistle to the Romans'' (1857).
*''An Exposition of the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Hebrews'' (1862)
Further reading
*John Cairns (1860), ''Memoir of John Brown, D.D.''.
History of the congregations of the United Presbyterian Church, from 1733 to 1900, page 438page 456
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, John
1784 births
1858 deaths
Scottish tax resisters
Brown, John 1784-1853
People from Whitburn, West Lothian
Ministers of Secession Churches in Scotland
Ministers of the United Presbyterian Church (Scotland)