(Dr James), a most distinguished and popular dissenting minister, born at Exeter in 1697. He began to preach in 1713; and strong disputes arising soon after, among the dissenters, concerning the Trinity and subscription to tests, 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 Kilmarock, 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.

(Samuel), an ingenious English mathematician of the last century, and astronomical professor in Gresham college, was one of that learned association which met for cultivating the new philosophy during the political confusions, and which Charles II. established into the Royal Society. Mr Foster, however, died in 1652, before this incorporation took place; but wrote a number of mathematical and astronomical treatises, too many to particularize. There were two other mathematical students of this name; William Foster, a disciple of Mr Oughtred, who taught in London; and Mark Foster, author of a treatise on trigonometry, who lived later than the former two.