FOSTER (Dr. James), a most distinguished and popular dissenting minister, born at Exeter in 1697. He began to preach in 1718; and strong disputes arising soon after, among the dissenters, concerning the Trinity and subscription to texts, his judgment determining him to the obnoxious opinions, the clamour grew loud against him, and occasioned more than one removal. His talents were hid among obscure country congregations, until 1724; when he was chosen to succeed Dr. Gale in Barbican, where he laboured as pastor above 20 years. The Sunday evening-lecture, begun in the Old Jury meeting-house in 1728, and which he conducted with such uncommon applause for more than 20 years, indisputably showed his abilities as a preacher. Persons of all persuasions and ranks in life
flocked to hear him: and Mr. Pope has honoured him with a commendatory couplet in his satires; which, however, his commentator laboured to destroy the intention of by a frivolous note. In 1746, he attended the unhappy lord Kilmarnock, at his execution on Tower-hill; an office which those who lived with him imagined made too deep an impression on his sympathizing spirit, as his vivacity abated from that time. He died in 1753; after having published several valuable compositions and sermons; particularly, 1. A Defence of Christianity, against Tindal's Christianity as old as the Creation. 2. An Essay on Fundamentals. 3. Four volumes of Sermons. 4. Discourses on Natural Religion and Social Virtue, in 4to.