BLAC ,.BURNE, FRANCIS, a name which will ever be revered by the friends of religious liberty. He was born at Richmond, in Yorkshire, on.the 9th of June 1705, On the banks-of the river Swale, in that vicinity, his ancestors bad been in possession of an estate, which his grandfather was under 'the necessity of selling ; and, afterwards engaging in the stocking manufacture at Richmond, he was enabled to leave his son in flourishing circumstances. The latter died at an early age, and left two sons and a daughter. Francis Blackburne, the eldest' of these sons, received his grammatical education at the schools of Hawkshead in Lancashire, and Sedbergh in Yorkshire. In 1722 he was admitted a pensioner of Catharine Hall, Cambridge, where he took the degree of bachelor of arts. 'He was afterwards elect ed conduct, or chaplain-fellow'; and, on this title, obtained deacon's orders in 1728. It was not till 1739 that he received priest's orders, previously to his induction to the rectory of his native town. This living he obtained through the interest of Sir Con gers d'Arcy, and John York, Esq. the representa tives of that borough. For some was titular chaplain to Dr Matthew Button, archbishop of York ; who, collated him in 1750 to the archdeaconry of Cleveland; and to the 'prebend of Bilton. These are the only church preferments he enjoyed ; and the aggregate of his emoluments did not amount to R200 per annum.. From the period of his set tlement at Richmond, he applied himself, earnestness, to his •parochial duties ; and he became in every respect an exemplary minister. .His first ap pearance as an author Was in 1742, when he printed an assise sermon preached at York. His strenuous 'defence of 'Christian liberty he commenced in the year 1750, by. publishing An Apology for the Au thors of a ,Book, entitled Free and Candid Disquisi tions t'elating to the Church of England. It was ge nerally supposed, that, in the composition of that book, he had'some.share ; but this he solemnly de nied. In 1756 he in the controversy re specting the intermediate state of souls. This sub. ject had been discussed in a very learned and curious treatise of Dr Thomas Burnet ; and it still occupied the attention of theologians. - Mr Blackburne's ear• licst treatise on this topic, is entitled No Proof in the Scriptures of an Intermediate State of or Misery between Death and the Resurrection : in an swer to Mr Goddard's Sermon. He published se.. vcral other tracts on the same subject ; and conclu ded his labours in 1765, with A Short Historical View of the Controversy concerning the intermediate •State, deduced from the beginning of the Protestant 'Reformation to the present time : with a prefatory Discourse on the Use and:Importance of Theological •Controversy." An edition of this work, with large additions, was published Li tbeseproductions 'he displays a large fund of theological learning, and much forte of reasoning•; but they are not the productions which have chiefly endeared his name to an enlightened posterity. His
first publication the subject of subscription to arti cles of faith, is entitled, Remarks on the Rev. Dr Powell's 'Sermon, in , Defence of Subscriptions, preached Wore the University of Uanibridge on the Commencement Sunday, 1757. These remarks, which made their appearance in 1758, may be consi dered as preliminary to that masterly production which forms the basis of his reputation, The Con fes.sional ; or, a Full and Free Inquiry into the Right, Utility, Edification, and Success, of esta blishing Systematical Coyessions of Faith and Doc trine in Protestant Churches. Lond. 1766, 8vo. This production, which, like the rest of his contro versial works, appeared without the author's name, excited no ordinary degree of attention ; and its pub lication was succeeded by that of a of po lemical tracts. No satisfactory answer, however, has yet been produced ; and, we may venture to af firm, that his fundamental principles are, such as nothing but mere prejudice or sophistry will ever at tempt to explode. Blackburne repelled some of the attacks which were made on his truly liberal and ex cellent performance. In 1770, he published a third edition, with corrections and large additions. This work, in its state of final improvement, we earnestly recommend to the serious consideration of every man of learning and sincerity. — e It was natural to suppose, that, in his connection with a church which spreads so many snares for the .consciences of its ministers, the author, of The Con fessional might experience some secret uneasiness ; and, in consequence of such an impression, and of the archdeacon's high character, some leading mem bers of the dissenting congregation in the Old Jewry, London, authorised one of his friends, on the 'death of Dr Chandler in 1766, to ascertain whether he was inclined to accept- the situation of pastor to that ciety. This invitation he, however, declined, for reasons which have aofbeen made public, but which appeared satisfactory to the applicants. Although he disapproved of some of the forms and doctrines of the established church, yet he is said to have prefer red it on the whole to any other religious society, ; and, as his attack had been chiefly directed against its injunction of subscription to articles of faith, ex pressed in unscriptural language, he might think his consistency sufficiently maintained, by a refusal of Any further preferment which required a renewal of subscription. In'this honourable resolution he Rea dily persevered, when, in the year 1763, the living of Middleton-Fyas near Richmond became vacant, and the 'Lord Chancellor Northington was ready to be stow it upon him, in consequence of a promise which had been obtained by some of his friends. This liv ing was tenable with his other preferments, and in value exceeded them all.