Obituary Notices. 
XXXV 
But, as the subjects dealt with in them lie outside of those chiefly 
dealt with in this Society, I do little more than name them, in 
order that the record of Dr Brown’s work, all round, may be as full 
as possible. In the Annals he sought to do for the Disruption men 
something analogous to what Dr Calamy did for the 17th century 
Nonconformists in his Nonconformist s Memorial^ but, both in 
subject-matter, in style, and in the gift of supplying a setting for 
dry ecclesiastical details and incidents by associating them with 
phases of social, domestic, or religious life, which are ever fresh 
and interesting, the Annals take the foremost place. The goodly 
volume on Church and State in Scotland consists of six lectures 
delivered by Dr Brown as “ Chalmers Lecturer.” I may state that, 
in 1880, Eobert Macfie, Esq., of Airds and Oban, transferred £5000 
to trustees for the founding of this lectureship in memory of Dr 
Chalmers, and in connection with the Free Church. I heard all 
Dr Brown’s lectures, and was struck with their clear, crisp style, 
graphic descriptions, and wide-minded appreciation of praiseworthy 
points, irrespective altogether of party considerations. 
In the foregoing notes little has been said of his work as a 
Christian minister, though it was in this that his best qualities 
found highest expression. His friends love to say that, had he 
devoted his time to scientific pursuits, he might have taken a distin- 
guished place among men of science. But the fact that all the 
points of his individuality fell so well into the profession of his 
choice makes this doubtful. It was in fulfilling the life-work to 
which he was set apart, that his quiet gentlemanly bearing, culti- 
vated mien, extensive yet accurate knowledge of books and of men, 
his ever thoughtful consideration for the opinions of those from 
whom he differed, and his ready though never obtrusive exercise 
of the charity that suffereth long and is kind, were signally mani- 
fested. Unlike so many of his class, he had qualified himself to 
read both branches of the one revelation of God to man, and had 
found in Nature not only a revelation but a mental discipline also : 
“ Flomo, naturae minister et interpres, tantum facit et intelligit, 
quantum de naturae ordine re vel mente observaverit ; nec amplius 
scit aut potest.” — Bacon, Nov. Org.^ Aph. i. 
