Brown.In 1827 he became minister of St.David's, Glasgow, and was soon very influential as a preacher." His delivery wanted some of those outward graces which often gloss over defect in matter.He was far from fluent; and indeed lie preached apparently with effort.In consequence of the weakness of his chest, there was often a straining in the getting out his words, which was at times painful to the listener; though it added to, rather than detracted from, the earnestness with which his discourses were delivered."He gathered a large congregation of thoughtful people, including not a few students of Glasgow University, who were delighted with his clear, chaste language, his fine reflection, and his warm piety.He was a noble example of a philosopher, teaching, not philosophy, but the doctrines of the cross, always in a philosophic manner and spirit.In 1831 he was elected professor of church history in the university of Edinburgh, where he was a conscientious, careful teacher, and a discerner and patron of young men of promise.He did not take a very prominent part in church politics, but was a consistent opponent of church patronage, and a firm supporter of popular rights and the spiritual independence of the church.He was moderator of the general assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1842, which passed a solemn " claim, declaration, and protest against the encroachment of the civil courts." In 1843 he had to preach at the opening of the assembly, and took as his text, " Let every one be fully persuaded in his own mind; " and delivered a sermon, through which there runs a vein of fine philosophy.After reading the protest he headed the imposing procession of ministers, who marched through the streets of Edinburgh to the Canon Mills Hall.In the Free Church of Scotland he especially interested himself in the cause of education.He died April 24, 1845.
In his life of Brown we have a very interesting account of the man, and an able abstract of his philosophy.He gives a full and fair statement of the favorite tenets of Brown, and defends them from objections which have been taken to them.He dwells with fondness on the additions which Brown is regarded as making to philosophy by his theory of causation, by his analysis of the faculties, by his account of suggestion simple and relative, and specially of generalization.As might be expected of one who had felt the fascination and enjoyed the eloquence of his master, be over-estimates his merits." In the philosophic love of truth, and in the patient investigation of it, Dr.Brown may be pronounced as at least equal, and in subtlety of intellect and powers of analysis as superior, to any metaphysician that ever existed.Or if there ever was any philosopher who might dispute with him the palm for any one of these qualities, of this at least I am certain, -- that no one ever combined them all in equal perfection."It was hoped by many that Dr.Welsh would write a philosophic work of his own.But he became " fully convinced of the substantial truth of the doctrines originally published by Dr.Gall." He is careful to explain: " The cerebral organs are not the mind, nor is any state of these organs the mind.{410} The mind we believe to be a simple and indivisible substance." In a sketchy article in an early number of the " North British Review," of which he was editor at the time, he showed that he was able to grapple with the deeper problems of the day.We see in all his sermons and papers an underlying philosophy gendered by the study of the Scottish school.But his energy was directed to preaching, to lecturing on church history, and to philanthropic objects.
