CHARACTERS. 
tischal College of that place, and 
early devoted himself to the mini- 
stry. His first preferment, at least 
that we know of, was to be mini- 
ster at Brechin, where he officiated 
asearly as the year 1752. He soon 
after became minister of Alloa, 
where he remained until about the 
_year1760. At that period he came 
to London, and proposed himself as 
a candidate for a vacancy at the 
meeting at Carter’s-lxne, in which 
he was unsuccessful. On this occasi- 
onit was objected tohimas strangely 
inconsistent, for any person who 
had subseribed the arvicles of the 
Scotch confession of faith, to offer 
himself in the character of a mini- 
ster to a dissenting congregation 
which had so very different a creed. 
This obje€tion, however, was not 
sufticiently powerful to prevent his 
being chosen as coadjutor to Dr. 
Lawrence, to the- Pastorship at 
Monkwell-street, where Itc con- 
tinued to preach to crowded au- 
diences, for a great number of 
years. In that year he was ho- 
noured by the university of Glas- 
gow with the degree of Dottor of 
Divinity. In May 1771, he mar- 
ried Miss Henrietta) Cummyng, 
and in 1.775 was involved in a dis- 
pute with his coadjutor, the Rev. 
Yhomas Toller, son-in-law of Dr. 
Lawrence, at first, as it appears, 
in the letters published on the oc- 
casion, on account of the omission 
of some ceremonials of politeness, 
which, by want ‘of mutual conces- 
sions increased, until ‘the breach 
became too wide to be healed. 
On this occasion Dr. Fordyce took 
a step which was not universally 
approved of by his brethren the 
dissenters; he engaged to do the 
duty both of Mr. Toller and him- 
self, and caused the former to be 
[361 
ejeted, without any charge against 
him (for he was a man of? irre. 
proachable character), from his 
office in the meeting. From this 
period, if we are not misinformed, - 
the meeting itself was less attended 
than before, and on Dr. Fordyce’s 
feeling the infirmities of age grow- 
ing on him, the congregation by 
degrees dwindled away, and the 
house itself has been since shut up, 
Finding himself incapable of con- . 
tinuing his exertions as a preacher, 
in the manner he had been used, 
he retired, first into Hampshire, 
and then to Bath, where he died 
the rst of O@ober, 1796, at the 
age of 75. 
The following is the list of Dr. 
ath ciate works. 
The eloquence of the gulpies 
ne Ordination Sermon. ‘To which 
is added, A Charge. :2mo.1752. | 
2. An Essay on the Action proper 
for the Pulpit. 12mo. 
Both these are printed at the end 
of Tieodorus. A Dialogue con--° 
cerning the Art of Preaching. By 
Mr. David Fordyce. Third Edi. 
tion. i2m0. 1975. 
3. The methods of promoting 
Edification by Public Institutions. 
An Ordination Sermon. To which 
is added, ACharge. 1zmo. 1754. 
These were delivered at the Ordi- 
nation of Mr. John Gibson, Mini- 
ster of St. Ninian’s, May 9, 1754. 
4. The Temple of Virtue. A 
Dream. t2mo. 1757. The 2d 
eer much altered, tz2mo, 1775+ 
. The Folly, Infamy, and Mi. 
is ‘of unlawful Pleasure. A Sere 
mon, preached before the General 
Assembly of the Church of Scotland, 
May 25,1760. 8vo. 1760. 
6. A Sermon occasioned by the 
Death of the Rey. Dr.* Samuel 
Lawrence, 
