B R O 



B R O 



ill 1685, to enlarge it to two volumes in 4to. In London 

 he became foon dillinguiflied for his fuperior learning 

 and abilities, ard was made fellow of the Royal College 

 of Phyficians, and of the Royal Society, phyfician to 

 Bartholomew's hofpital, and iirll phyfician to king 

 Charles II. He affifted Dryden with a tranflation of the 

 lives of Tiiemiftocles and Scrtorius, toward his verlion of 

 Plutarch's lives, and is faiJ to have given fome communica- 

 tions to the Royal Society, on the fubjeft of chymillry, in 

 which we have the tellimony of Mr. Boyle, he was more 

 than commonly ficillfd. But his manners were as polite as 

 his learning was various and profound, which made king 

 Charles II., no ill judi^e of the chaiafters of men, fay, " he 

 was as learned as any of the colle-re, and as well bred as any 

 at court." He was, however, left out of the lill of court 

 phyficians by James II. but was afterwards confulted by his 

 fncceffor, king William. In I 705, he was chofen prefident 

 <'f the college of pl.yfieians, which office he continued to 

 fill untill 1708, the time of his death, which happenedin the 

 month of Augult in that year, at his feat at Northflcet, near 

 Grccnhithc, in Kent. Gen. Biog. 



Browne, Simon, a learned minifter, and writer amongthc 

 Protellant dillenters, was born at Shepton-Mallet, in Somir- 

 fetfhire, about the year 1680, and received his academical 

 education at Bridgcwater under the inftniflioii of the Rev, 

 Mr. Moor. Diftiiiguilhed by his talents and proficiency, he 

 commenced the exercife of-his miniftry before he had at- 

 tained the age of 20 years, and was fettled far a confider- 

 able time with a refpectable congregation at Portfmonth. 

 During his refidence in this town, he publidied, in 1706, his 

 " Caveat againft evil Company," and in 1709, " The true 

 Charafter of the real Chriltian," in one volume 8vo. In 

 1 7 16, he removed to London, and took the charge of the 

 congregation in the Old Jewry, which was one of the moft. 

 refpeftable and confiderable in the kingdom. In 1720, he 

 publiftied a volume of " Hymns and Spiritual Songs, in 

 Three Books," i2mo. ; and in 1722, a volume of " Ser- 

 mons." In his addrefs to the congregation, prefixed to 

 this volume, he avows it to have been his " dtfign to pro- 

 mote pure, peaceable, and praftical religion, without rage 

 or bitternefs againft any, and to fpread the fpirit of Clirilli- 

 anity, not that of a party." He adds, that " to raife the 

 paffions, without tirfl; fetting the judgment right, is to carry 

 the man into all the wilds and wanton freaks of enthufiafm." 

 — " But, on the other hand, it will fignify little to the ad- 

 vancement of real religion to fet the head right, if we can- 

 not alfo warm and engage the heart. For though the af- 

 fcftions flionld not have the fuprcmc direftion, they mull 

 be the immediate fprings of human aftioii." Such were 

 the principles and views with which he condudled his mirjif- 

 terial fervices, and which rendered the congregation at the 

 Old Jewry fo numerous and fo refpeclable. The publication 

 of his fermons was foon followed by " A Letter to the Rev. 

 Mr. Tliom.as Reynolds," in vidiich he reproaches ihofe dif- 

 fentcrs, whofe zeal for orthodoxy made ttiem arxions to 

 compel their brethren, iiiconfiftenlly v\ith their principles as 

 dificnters, to make very particular and explicit declarations 

 of their belief in the doftrine of the Trinity, and in which 

 he alfo pointed out the unreafonabienefs and inefficacy of 

 requiring any fubfcription to human articles of faith. 



Mr. Browne, having continued in the e.xercife of the paf- 

 toral office with i^reat reputation on his own part, and very 

 much to the fatisfaftion and improvement of his congrega- 

 tion for about 7 years, was viiited, in 1723, with a very 

 complicated and fcvsre affliction, occafioned by the lofs of 

 his wife and an only fon, which dillrefied him to fuch a 

 degree, that he was for fome time in a llate bordering upon 



diftraftion ; bwt his diforder at length fubfided into a me- 

 lancholy of a very extraordinary nature. He dcfiikd from 

 the duties of his fiindion, and could not be perfuaded to 

 join in any atl of worlhip, either public or private. He 

 imagined " that almighty God, by a fiiigular inltance of di- 

 vine power, had, in a gradual manner, annihilated in him the 

 thinking fnbllance, and utterly divclled him of conlciouincfi : 

 that thougli he rctaiiud the human (hn.pc, ;md the ficulty 

 of Ipeaking, in a manner that appeared to others rational, 

 he had all the while no more notion of vfhat he laid than a 

 parrot. And, very conillleiitly with this, he looked upon 

 himfelf no longer as a moral agent, a fiibje£l of reward or 

 • punidiment." In this perfuafion, he continued, with little 

 variation, to the end of his life. He feemid to be much 

 grieved, and to think his veracity qucftioncd, wdien he could 

 not perfuade others to think of him as he thought of him- 

 felf. This incredulity, on the part of others, he fome- 

 times reprefented as the judicial efleft of the fame divine 

 power 'liat had reduced him to his diftrefled (late. For 

 fome tin.'- he was unwilling that any prayers fliould be made 

 on his account, and he declined putting up any for himfelf, 

 and refufed even to fay grace at table. Being once impor- 

 tuned to fay grace at the table of a friend, he repeatedly 

 excufed himfelf; but the requeft being repeated, and the 

 company kept Handing, he manifeded tokens of great dil- 

 trefs, and, after fome irrefolute gefturcs and hefitation, ex- 

 prcffed, with great fervour, this ejaculation : " Moft mer- 

 ciful and Almighty God, let thy fpirit, which moveth upon 

 the face of the waters, when there was no light, defcend 

 upon me; that from this darknefs there may rife up a man 

 to praife thee!" On another occafion, when he was 

 earnettly folicitcd to fay grace, he at length complied, and 

 expreflcd himfelf in the following manner : " Lord, I am 

 nothing, 1 aflc nothing, and I want nothing ; but blefs 

 thefe good crcatuies to thofe who are about to receive 

 them!" It appears, however, that after his retirement 

 into the country, and towards the clofe of his life, he was 

 kfs uninclined to juin in afts of devotion, and that he was 

 even dclirous that prayers (hoidd be put up for himfelf. At 

 the commencement of his diforder, he felt fo unhappy as to 

 be frequently inclined to deftroy himfelf; but he afterwards 

 became more calm and compofed, and feemed to experience 

 little or no terror of mind ; and he was often not o"dy ra- 

 tional and ferious, but cheerful and pleafant in con.vtrfation, 

 provided nothing was faid relating to his own cafe. It is 

 remarkable, that, whilll this llrange phrenzy continued, his 

 faculties appeared to be in every other rcfpcrt in then- full 

 vigour ; his conceptions were clear, and his powers of rcafon- 

 ing ftrong ; and he purfucd his ftudies without intermilTuni. 

 His congregation reipeclcd him fo much, that they delayed, 

 for a confiderable time, appointing a fucce'for ; but wlitu 

 he was reduced to the nectffity of quitting the mmillry, and 

 his place was fnpplied by Mr. (alterwaids l.)r. ) ChiinL*;er, 

 Mr. Browne retired to his native town of Sliepton-Mallet. 

 He there amufed himl'clf with tranflating feveral parts of 

 the ancient Gieek and I^atin poet-- into F.nglifli verfe. He 

 afterwards compofed feveral littl.- pieces for the nfe of chil- 

 dren, an Engliihgrammar and fpelling book, an abilraCt of 

 the fcripture hiilory, and a collection of fables ; the tvs-o 

 lall being in metre. He a4fo amr.ded together, in a Short 

 compafs, all the themes of the Latin and Greek tongues, 

 and compiled a diftionary to each of thcfe, in order to ren- 

 der the acqnifition of thofe languages more e; fy and com- 

 pendious. During the two lall years of his life, he was 

 employed in defend ng the truth of Chriftianity,againft f.,-me 

 of tlie attacks then made againft it, and in recommending 

 mutual candour to Chriliians of different fetitiments coa- 

 3 li t ctr.iing 



