Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-06-20
JAMES ALLEN BROWN.
A Lilo OF Labor ami NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.,
Theologian and Parriot-P0ints In
his Dist.nSuIs shed Career

tcIuoJs Was OoIh Ia DrumOfc tONOSN1p,
this county, on the 10th of February, 1921,
and was consequently in his sixty-second
year. He was son of James Brown,
farmer and two brothers, Lea P. farmer,
and David, farmer, survive him. Deceased
was brought up on the farm at home, and
was self-educated, havin. received but
the rudimentary schooling usually gained
by farmers boys. On the last day Of
December, 1910. being then not yet
20 years Of age, he walked to Lancaster
AMI: purchased Greek grammar at Baer's
book store. In nine months, by steady
application and hard study, he had So
mastered the difficulties which
beset him that he was qualified to enter
the senior class Of Pennsy lvania college at
Gettysburg. He entered in November
and was graduated there. lie then took
the regular theological course, ana his
career as Il preacher comprised 2! years at
Baltimore, year at York and 1O years at
Reading when, having achieved reputa-
tion rs theOlogian and scholar, he was
elected to the presidency of the theological
seminary at Newberry, S. &. After a
brief service lie was elected president of
ceed DR.. Stork. This was in the
GlOuDiOuS GALuC pICCCulus, tuC oAGDACbh
of the rebellion, and IN incident
much of interest as illustrating the
strength of character and fearless devotion
to his convictions that distinguished him.
the vessel sent by the administration to
the relief OF Fort Sumter, was fired on
by the rebels, and when public feeling in
ho itxyr hin1, hov nG H..
Browns friends came to him and told him
that committee Of citizens purposed
waiting upon him to get from him Ill ex-
preston of opinion on tho pending diff
Guilty. That same day, after the usual
service of evening prayer at the college, in
the presence of a large assemblagc that
comprised the faculty and students of the
institution, President Brown arose. and,
very pale but with look of stern deter
mination upon his countenance, informed
the audience of tho notice that had been
given him, and said that he there and
then proposed to anticipate the action of
the committee of citizens who had been
appointed to interview him. He said he
had been born in tho North and reared in
the North, and that his sympathies in the
approaching struggle were unequivOcally
with the North ; that he would resign his
connection with the institution, return to
the home of his nativity, the old keystone
state, and if necessary take up arms in de-
fense Of the Union. DR.. Brown followed
this announcement by suiting the action
to the word, resigned the presidency of
the college, and signified his intention of
returning North ut once. Mr.. Johnston,
who was chancellor Of tho state Of South
Carolina, and very close friend
Of DIR. Brown, came TO the latter and
asked to be permitted to drive him
to a small station about nine miles from
Newbcrry, where he could take the ears,
and thereby avoid any expression Of vio-
lence from the excited pOpulace. DR..
Brown declined The offer. He said he had
come to South Carolina openly and with
out fear, and he proposed to leave the
state with his family in the same manner.
He did so and there were 10 hostile dem
onstrations from the people. He came
North directly, and entered the army as
chaplain in the S1th Pennsylvania regi-
ment. After period Of field service, he
was transferred to tho hospital at York,
where he performed a labor of love in mir
istering to tho spiritual wants of the sick
and dying heroes of the wax.
At the close Of the great struggle DIR.
Brown succeeded DR.. S. S. Schnlucker as
president Of the theological seminary at
Gettysburg, in this state, one of the great
institutions of the Lutheran church in
America. When DR.. Brown was quite
young DR.. Schmucker was standard au
thority Oh Lutheran doctrine, and DR..
Brown was an earnest student of his
works. Shortly after his accession to the
Gettysburg presidency DR.. Brown COM
pleted work which he called " The New
Theology it's Abetters and Defenders
The depth of learning and scholarly re-
search evinccd III this production at once
sent It's author to the front rank Of think
erS and thcologians of the Lutheran
church, and he has since been regarded as
one of the foremost men in that great de-
nomination.
While yet holding the position of presi-
dent of Gettysburg seminary. in 1879, DIR.
Brown noticed falling in his right eye,
and on consulting DR.. Chesholm, of Balti-
more, in regard to the matter, was inform
cd by the latter that tho trouble lay with
the brain ; and the physician advised ces
satiOn from work of all kind, stating that
rest was what the patient needed to gain
for the impaired faculty. Ac-
cordingly hc went to Bedford in company
with DR.. }. A. Seiss, of Philadelphia, but
instead Of indulging in the rest to which
he had been commended he devoted
himself to an exhausting work OH
theological subjects. Ho returned
homo in August, 1879, unimproved.
and at times found himself entirely blind
in the injured eye. On December Q, 1879,
he sustained partial stroke of paralysis
that confined him to his bed for three
weeks, and when he was again able to be
about his right arm was parallyZed and
he was speechless. IL the latter part OF
1880 lie resigned the presidency Of the
but tho board of trustees &c
fused to accept it, in the hope that their
beloved head might not be beyond the
range of recovery. In 1881, finding him
self no better he again rendered his re-
signation of a post which he had filled
with so much honor to himself, to the
institution and to the Lutheran church,
from 1864 to 1881, and this time it was
accepted. DR.. Brown then
came to Lancaster, and has since resided
on North Duke street, above the railroad
bridge.
DR.. Brown was a prolific writer and lib
eral contributor to church journals. AT
the time of his resignation OF the Gettys-
burg presidency, he was the owner and
of the Quarterly Reciee7 of the
Lutheran church, and also wrote largely
for tho BibliOthecG Sacra and the Princeton
Reuieu. He had also been associated with
The late Rev. DR.. J. |. Mombert, of this
city, in the production Of a work, and was
the author of numerous other works on
subjects.