Duchal, James

, a learned dissenting minister, was born in Ireland 1697. He had his early education under the direction of an uncle his preparatory studies were greatly assisted by the well-known Mr. Abernethy and he finished his course of study at the universitv or Glasgow which, in- testimony of his merit, conferred en him the degree of D.D. He resided for ten or eleven years at Cambridge, as the pastor of a small congregation there; where he enjoyed the advantage of books, and of learned conversation, which he improved with the greatest diligence. On Mr. Abernethy’s removal from Antrim, he succeeded him in that place; and on the death of that gentleman, was chosen to be minister to the protestant dissenting congregation of Wood-street, Dublin, in which situation he continued to his death, which happened in 1761.

During his residence here, when he was in the decline of life, of a valetudinary habit, and had frequent avocations in the way of his profession, he composed and wrote sermons to the amount of more, it appears on the best computation, than 700. From this mass a collection was taken after his death, and published in 1764, 3 vols. 8vo. They are mostly on new and uncommon subjects; and though they cannot bear a strict critical examination, yet a vein of strong manly sense and piety runs through the whole. During his life, he published a volume of excellent discourses on the presumptive arguments in favour or the Christian religion; and many occasional tracts, both in England and Ireland. ¹