MONKWELL-STREET.- English Presbyterian.

other individuals to him as their minister. Another cause which led to the diminution of the number of his hearers, was an unhappy breach which took place in the year 1775, between the Doctor and his coadjutor, Mr. Toller, a very worthy and amiable man, and the son-in-law of the Doctor's predecessor. The issue of it was a division in the congregation, when several families, who considered Mr. Toller' to have been injured by some proceedings which were sanctioned by the majority, withdrew with him to another place of worship.

After this division, Dr. Fordyce discharged the whole duty at Monkwell-street, until about Christmas, 1782, when his health, which had been long declining, rendered it necessary, in his own opinion, and in the opinion of his medical friends, to discontinue his public services. In the following year he delivered a "Charge," at the ordination of his successor, the Rev. James Lindsay, which is, perhaps, the finest specimen of pulpit oratory that ever fell from his pen. It is indeed one of the best productions of the kind that was ever published, and deserves the attentive perusal of every minister, of every denomination, who wishes to discharge his duty with credit to himself, and with advantage to his people.

After resigning his pastoral charge, Dr. Fordyce spent the greater part of his remaining years at a retirement in Hampshire, in the neighbourhood of the Earl of Bute, with whom he lived in great intimacy, and to whose valuable library he had free access. He removed afterwards to Bath, where, after suffering much from an asthmatic complaint, to which he had been subject for several years, and enduring that and other infirmities incident to age with Christian fortitude and resignation, he ended his days without a groan, on the 1st of October, 1796, in the seventy-sixth year of

his age.

Dr. Fordyce's writings discover much genius and imagination, a correct taste, no little knowledge of the world, and at

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happy method of engaging the attention, and interesting the feelings of his readers; and they are marked by a devotional spirit, and a zeal for the interests of virtue, which they are well adapted to subserve. His religious sentiments inclined to what is termed liberal, and this liberality increased with his age. It is even said to have ended in deism; but from this charge, he is exculpated with great animation by his successor Dr. Lindsay. In private life he is represented to have been highly amiable, and justly beloved; conciliating the affections of the young, as well as of his friends in more advanced life, by his cheerful, pleasing, and instructive conversation.

Besides the pieces already mentioned, Dr. Fordyce was the author of "Sermons to Young Women," in two volumes, twelves, 1765, which met with a very favourable reception from the public, and have been translated into several European languages; "A Sermon on the Character and Conduct of the Female Sex," 1776; "Addresses to Young Men," in two volumes, twelves, 1777; "Addresses to the Deity," 1785; a volume of "Poems," 1786; “A Discourse on Pain," 1791; and additions, to his brother's "Temple of Virtue."*

THOMAS TOLLER.-This respectable minister received his education at Plaisterers'-Hall, under Dr. Marryat, and Dr. Walker, and, in 1754, was chosen pastor of the congregation in Nightingale-lane. This situation he resigned in 1760, having been previously chosen morning preacher at Monkwell-street. About the same period he became afternoon preacher to a society at Hoxton-square. In the year 1774, an unpleasant difference took place between Mr. Toller and Dr. Fordyce, the pastor and afternoon preacher at Monkwell-street. The occasion and consequence of this dispute are already before the public, in a narrative pub

General Biography, Art. FORDYCE.-Lindsay's Sermon on the death of

Fordyce.

MONKWELL-STREET.-English Presbyterian.

lished by Mr. Toller, including the correspondence that took place between them. In this statement the conduct of Dr. Fordyce does not appear to advantage. On the contrary, Mr. Toller appears to have received very injurious treatment; and though, by the management of the Doctor's friends, a resolution passed the society, on the 28th of February, 1775, by which he was dismissed from his situation, yet a very considerable part of the congregation thought him an injured man, and putting themselves under his pastoral care, withdrew to Silver-street. There, and at Hoxton-square, he continued to preach several years; but we abstain from any further mention of him in this place, as a more particular account of his life and character will come, with greater propriety, under the article last mentioned. After Mr. Toller's exclusion, Dr. Fordyce undertook the service at Monkwell-street on both parts of the day.

JAMES LINDSAY, D. D. the present minister at Monkwell-street, was born and educated in Scotland, where he commenced preacher. Soon after Dr. Fordyce's resignation, he was invited to become his successor, and accepting the call, was ordained at Monkwell-street, on the 21st of May, 1783. On this occasion Dr. Kippis proposed the questions; Dr. Fordyce delivered the Charge; and Dr. Hunter preached to the people. For the first three or four years after his settlement, we believe, he performed the service on both parts of the day; but relinquished that in the afternoon about the year 1787, upon his being elected afternoon preacher to the Presbyterian society at Newingtongreen. He also fixed his residence at that place, and opened an academy. As the interest at Newington-green had dwindled almost to nothing, Mr. Lindsay resigned his services there, about the year 1803, soon after which it was shut up. About the same time he removed his academy to Old-Ford, and received, we believe, from Aberdeen, a diploma creating him Doctor of Divinity. Dr.

Lindsay has published two funeral sermons; one for Dr. Fordyce, 1796; and another for Dr. Towers, 1797.

JOHN ARMSTRONG, M. A.-We notice this gentleman as assistant preacher with Mr. Lindsay, for a short time, to the society in Monkwell-street. He was a native of Leith, in Scotland, and received the first rudiments of · a classical knowledge, at the grammar-school in that place. He afterwards pursued his studies at the high school and college of Edinburgh, where he received marks of particular attention from the different masters and professors he attended, and was honoured with the degree of Master of Arts. He was particularly fond of the Belles Lettres, and before his twentieth year, had perused most of the authors who had written on that subject. From his earliest years he had a taste for poetry; and at the age of eighteen, published a volume at Edinburgh, under the title of "Juvenile Poems," many of which met with very considerable approbation. In this publication he also inserted, "An Essay on the best Means of punishing and preventing Crimes," for which, in January, 1789, a few months before, he had received the gold prize medal, given by the Edinburgh Pantheon Society, for the best specimen of prose composition. About the end of the same year, he, at the request of several gentlemen, composed the words of the songs, which were introduced during the procession which took place, when Lord Napier, as Grand Master Mason of Scotland, laid the foundation-stone of the new college. Some time previous to this he had entered himself at the Divinity Hall, and was employed as a tutor in one of the most respectable families in Edinburgh. But having a literary turn of mind, he thought he could indulge it better in London, and removed thither in 1790: He first offered himself to the conductors of some periodical publications, and engaged himself as a writer in one of the daily papers. In 1791, he published a collection of sonnets from Shakspeare, many of which had appeared in

GLOVERS-HALL.-Extinct.

the public prints, under the signature of Albert. About this time he commenced preacher; in which capacity he had to struggle with a natural awkwardness of manner, and an unfortunate defect in his speech, which were, however, somewhat balanced by his bold and energetic, yet correct and highly finished stile. After preaching about occasionally for a short time, he was appointed afternoon preacher to the society in Monkwell-street, which in the morning attended Mr. Lindsay's ministry; but for want of a sufficient fund, to afford Mr. Armstrong an adequate compensation, the afternoon service was, after some considerable time, discontinued. Some time previous to his death, his different engagements produced him an income of above four hundred and fifty pounds per annum; and he was forming a plan of life, more adapted to the impaired state of his health, when a decline, originally arising from excessive fatigue, both of mind and body, terminated his life on the 21st of July, 1797, about a month after he had completed the 26th year of his age.

GLOVERS'-HALL.

EXTINCT.

GLOVERS'-HALL is situated just at the entrance of Beech-lane, leading out of Beech-street, into White-Crossstreet. No part of the building is visible from the street, but it is accessible by means of a narrow passage, or gateway, on the right hand side of the lane. It was originally part of a palace belonging to the Abbots of Ramsay, who VOL. III.

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