55 4 FOR 
lmiverfity of Heidelberg, where he attended the divinity 
lectures of the celebrated David Parens. Afterwards he 
vifited other German univerfities, and made himfelf 
mailer of the Hebrew language. Some time after his re¬ 
turn to his native country, he was appointed to fill tit a 
new prpfefi'orfhip of divinity and ecclefiaflical hiflory 
which his father had been the means of edablidiing at 
Aberdeen, and difcharged its duties with eminent reputa¬ 
tion for feveral years. During the reign.of Charles I. at 
the time epifcopacy was abolidied in Scotland, on his re- 
fufal to conform to the prefbyrerian difcipline, lie was de¬ 
prived of his chair, and driven by perfecution to take re¬ 
fuge in Holland, where he firfl publillied his Hidorico- 
theological Inflitutions,which conftituted the moil learned 
and valuable work of the kind that had then been offered 
to the world. On returning to his own country he re¬ 
tired to his eflate of Corfe, where he made confiderable 
additions and improvements to the work above-mention¬ 
ed, which were not publifhed during the author’s life¬ 
time. In this fituation lie continued until his death in 
1648, in the fifty-fifth year of his age. His works were, 
1. Irenicum Amatoribus Veritatis & Pads in Ecclejia Scoticana, 
publifhed at Aberdeen in 1629, quarto. 2. Joannis For. 
tejii a Corfe Inf it ut ion es Hiforico-theologica, publillied at 
Amflerdam in 1645, fol. 3. Annotations to a Latin trans¬ 
lation of his father’s Commentary upon the Apocalypfe, 
publifhed at Amflerdam, in 164.6, 4to. 4. Ten Books of 
Moral Theology ; and other pieces, which were all col¬ 
lected and publillied together in two volumes folio, at 
Amflerdam, in 1703, accompanied with a life of the 
author written by George Garden. 
FORBES (William), a Scotch prelate, and firfl bifhop 
#f Edinburgh, born at Aberdeen, in 1585. He com¬ 
menced his academical (Indies in his native city, and 
when lie was fixteen years of age had completed his 
claftical and philofophical courfes, and was admitted to 
the degree of M. A. So didinguiflied were his abilities, 
that foon afterwards he was appointed profefior of logic 
in the new inflitution of Marifchal college, and difcharged 
the duties of that place with great applaufe for four 
years. That he might avail himfelf of all the advan¬ 
tages of literature, he (pent four years at different German 
univerfities, particularly thofe of Helmfladt and Heidel¬ 
berg, and diflinguifiied himfelf by his extraordinary 
proficiency. Afterwards he fpent f'ome months at 
Leyden, where he obtained the acquaintance and efleem of 
Scaliger, Grotius, Vofiius, and the other learned men 
who adorned that univerfity. From Holland lie paffed 
ever to England, where the fame of his learning occa- 
fioned his being invited to undertake the profefforfhip of 
Hebrew in the univerfity of Oxford. The (late of his 
health, however, rendered it neceffary for him to decline 
that honourable poll, and to return to Scotland for the 
benefit of his native air. After he had in a. confiderable 
degree recruited his flrength, he was nominated to the 
pofl of principal of Marifchal college ; foon after which 
lie was created dean of the faculty of theology, and made 
reCtor of the univerfity, which is the next honourable 
office to that of chancellor. When Charles I. was crown¬ 
ed at Edinburgh in 1633, Dr. Forbes was fele&ed, by his 
majefiy’s f'pecial command, to preach the fermon on that 
accafion ; which fervice he performed with fo much 
learning and eloquence, that the king pronounced him to 
be fo excellent a clergyman, that he deferved to be made 
a bifhop; and he in confequence ereCted Edinburgh into 
a fee, and nominated Dr. Forbes to be its firfl prelate. 
.After his confecration he applied himfelf diligently to 
the functions of his new dignity, but was haflily cut off 
by a fever in 1634, when lie had enjoyed it only three 
months, and was in the fiftieth year of his age. Of his 
great abilities, extenfive learning, difinlereded integrity, 
exemplary regularity of life and manners, and ardent 
piety, all -the teflimonies concerning him make honour¬ 
able mention. After his death a treadle of his, tending 
to pacify controverfies, was printed at London/ entitled, 
FOR 
Coifderation es modefa & padfeee Controvcrfarum de Jufifca- 
tione, Purgatorio, &c. 8vo 1658 ; of which a more correct 
edition was publifhed at Frankfort, in 1707, under the 
infpection of the celebrated John Albert Fabricius. 
Bifiiop Forbes bad alfo filled all the margins of the four 
volumes of Bellarmin with excellent notes, which he 
would have publifhed had he not been prevented by 
fudden death. 
FORBES (John), a diflinguifiied Britifh admiral, re¬ 
markable, above all other men, for his extenfive and 
univerfal knowledge of naval affairs, having fludied 
them, in all their branches, with a perfeverance, and 
obferved upon them with an acutenefs and judgment, 
altogether unparalleled. His mind was capable of em¬ 
bracing the greatefl and mod complicated objects ; and, 
having bent it towards the ftudy of that profeflion of 
which he was allowed, by the univerfal voice of his con¬ 
temporaries, to be a principal ornament, he attained fuel! 
a fummit of nautical (kill as rendered him the oracle of all 
who were mod eminent, whether-in the direction of the 
fleets of this nation, or in the equally arduous talk of 
fuperintending the civil departments of the different 
branches of the marine. In the earlier part of his life, 
he was peculiarly noticed as an able, enterprifing, and 
intrepid, officer. He fervedwith much reputation under 
dr John Norris ; and was no lefs diflinguifiied as captain 
of the Norfolk of 80 guns, in the aCtion of Mathews and 
Ledock, with the combined fleets of France and Spain, 
■when his gallantry contributed in a high degree to fave 
his brave friend, admiral Mathews, whofe fecond he was 
in that engagement. So bright was his honour, and fo 
clear his reputation in thofe turbulent days, that though 
his evidence on the trial of the admirals went wholly 
againd admiral Ledock, yet that officer was often heard 
to declare, “ that Mr. Forbes’s tedimony was given like 
an officer and a gentleman.” In lord Chatham’s glorious 
war, admiral Forbes was feledled as the abled affidant the 
fil'd lord could have in the management of the admiralty, 
and conducted himfelf in a manner highly creditable to 
his abilities, and eminently ferviceabie to his country. 
When the warrant for executing the unfortunate admiral 
Byng was offered for fignature at the admiralty-board, 
admiral Forbes refufed to dgn it, at the fame time humbly 
laying at his late majedy’sffeet his objections. A copy 
of the paper given by the admiral to his majedy on thate 
occafion, may be feen in Smollet’s Hidory of England, and 
is well worthy the attention of all men of honour, as it 
contains, perhaps, the bed f'pecimen of an upright and 
independent mind, an honed and benevolent heart, that 
is to be found in any language. During a late admini- 
dration, it was thought expedient to offer a noble lord, 
very high in the naval profeflion, and very defervedly a 
favourite of his fovereign and his country, the office of 
general of the marines, held by admiral Forbes, and 
fpontaneoufly conferred upon him by bis majedy, as a 
reward for his many and long fervices. A meffage was 
fent by the minifters, to fay it would forward the king’s 
fervice if he would relign ; and that he diould be no lofer 
by his accommodating the government, as they propofod 
recommending it to the king to give him a penfion in Ire¬ 
land of 3000I. per annum, and a peerage to defeend to his 
daughter. To this admiral Forbes lent an immediate 
anfwer ; he told the minifters the generaldtip of the 
marines was a military employment, given him by his 
majefty as a reward for his fervices; that he thanked 
God he had never been a burthen to his country, which 
lie had ferved during a long life to the bed of his abi-. 
lity ; and that he would not condefcend to accept of a 
penfion or bargain for a peerage. He concluded by lay¬ 
ing his generalfhip of the marines, together with his rank 
in the navy, at the king’s feet, entreating him to take 
both away, if they could forward his fervice : and, at 
the fame time, adoring his majedy, he would never prove 
himfelf unworthy of the former honours he had received', 
by ending the remnant of a long life as a penfioner,, or 
accepting. 
