Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/247

 A M O R Y. 21 1 be deemed (I range that he fhotild be induced to quit his fitu : - tion. This, however, he did, in October 1759, at which time he removed to London, to be afternoon pr'-acher to the Society in the Old Jewry, belorvging-to Dr. ^imuel Chand- ler. But the grand motive, bcfidcs the hope of more exten- five ufefulnefs, fl-ems to have been, th.it he might advarita- geouflydifpofe of his children, in which refpeft he fucceeded. it mud, indeed, be acknowledged, that he did not, in the metropolis, UK .ft with all that acceptance and popularity, as a preacher, to which he was entitled by his real merit. His delivery was clear and ditlinct, and his difcourfes excellent; but his vbice was not powerful enough to roufe the bulk of mankind, who arc flruck with noife and parade : and his fermons, though practical, ferious, and afte6ting to the at- tentive hearer, were rather too clofe, judicious and philofo- phical for the common run of congregations. Tothisitmuft be added, that the liberality of his femiments was not cal- culated for the vulgar, who are. for the moft part, devoted to bigots and enthufufts. Hut Mr. Amory had, what he va- lued much more, the attention and regard of the intelligent and rational diiTenters ; he enjoyed a general refpeft ; and he received every mark of diftinclion which is ufually paid, in J^ondon, to the moft eminent ministers of the prefbyterian denomination. In 1767, he was chofen. one of the truftees to the charities of Dr. Daniel Williams. In 1768, the Uni- verfity of Edinburgh conferred upon him, by diploma, the degree of D. D. and in the fame year, he was elected one of the fix Tuefday Lecturers at Salter's Hall, in the room of Dr. Jabez Earle decc?fed. It ought to have been mentioned, that, previous jo thele laft eventSj he was chofen, at the death of Dr. Chandler, in 1766, a paftorofthe fociety at the Old Jewry; and the Rev. Mr. White, from Leeds rn Yorkfhire, was foon united with him as joint paftor. In this fituation Dr. Amory continued till hisdeceafe. ^1770, he became morning-preacher at Newington Green, and colleague with the Rev. Dr. Richard Price. When the dif- fenting minitters, in 1772, formed a defign of endeavouring to procure an enlargement of the toleration aft, Dr. Amory was one of the committee appointed for that purpofe ; and none could be more zealo-js fur the profecution of the fchcme ; rone could be lefs diverted from it by political confiderations, or artificial reafonings. He thought that the petition to par- liament was right in itfelf ; that it was founded on the prin- ciples of natural juitice, and of true Chriftianity ; and, there- fore, he was for having it urged with a manly vigour and P ?.