Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Burroughs, Joseph
BURROUGHS, JOSEPH (1685–1761), baptist minister, was born in London, 1 Jan. 1685, of wealthy parents, his father being Humphreys Burroughs. He was educated under Rev. John Kerr, M.D. (a pupil of Thomas Doolittle), at Highgate, where he was class-fellow with John Ward, afterwards Gresham professor of rhetoric; and at the university of Leyden. In 1714 he received a call to be co-pastor with Richard Allen at the Barbican. He declined the call to the pastorate, but undertook to act as preacher, and on Allen's death he became pastor. He was ordained 1 May 1717. John Gale, and subsequently the famous James Foster, became his colleagues. His views of believers' baptism were sufficiently strict to place him with the party of close communion; but his general sentiments were not those of a narrow man. He was a non-subscriber at Salters' Hall in 1719. He allowed Emlyn, the unitarian, to occupy his pulpit. His studies abroad had given him facility in speaking and preaching in French; and in 1734 he preached in Latin to the ministers of the three denominations at their annual meeting in Dr. Williams's library, then at Redcross Street. This discourse is printed in his volume of sermons. He died 23 Nov. 1761. His publications were: 1. ‘A Sermon occasioned by a total Eclipse of the Sun, 22 April,’ 1715, 8vo. 2. ‘Funeral Sermon for Rev. John Gale,’ 1722, 8vo. 3. ‘Sermon at Ordination of Deacons, 15 July,’ 1730, 8vo. 4. ‘Sermons preached before the Societies for the Reformation of Manners,’ 1731, 8vo. 5. ‘Sermon on the Popish Doctrine of Auricucular Confession and Plenary Absolution,’ 1735, 8vo (contained in ‘Seventeen Sermons against Popery, preached at Salters' Hall,’ 1735, 8vo, p. 367). 6. ‘A View of Popery taken from the Creed of Pope Pius IV,’ 1735, 8vo; 2nd ed. 1737, 8vo. 7. ‘Sermons,’ 1741, 8vo. 8. ‘Two Discourses relating to Positive Institutions,’ 1742, 8vo. 9. ‘A Defence’ of the last piece, 1743, 8vo. 10. ‘Funeral Sermon for Rev. John Weatherly,’ 1752, 8vo. 11. ‘Funeral Sermon for Rev. Isaac Kimber,’ 1755, 8vo. Noble says he edited the eight ‘Occasional Sermons,’ 1733, 8vo, of his brother James, who was trained for the ministry under the Rev. John Jennings at Kibworth, and died young. He edited also the posthumous sermons of Joseph Morris, baptist minister at Glasshouse Yard, prefixing a memoir, 1753, 8vo.
[Funeral Sermon by Daniel Noble, 1761; Crosby's Hist. of the Eng. Baptists, 1740, iv. 183; Wilson's MSS. in Dr. Williams's Library.]