James, a learned French writer, was born in 1661. After studying at Saumur, he went to Heidelberg, where he received imposition of hands for the ministry in 1684. He discharged the functions of this character with great reputation there, as chaplain of the electress dowager Palatine, and pastor in ordinary to the French church. The descent of the French into the Palatinate obliged our author to depart from Heidelberg in 1687. He went to Berlin, where the elector Frederic, afterwards king of Prussia, appointed him one of the ministers. There he continued 39 years, distinguishing himself by his writings. He was preacher to the queen of Prussia, Charlotta Sophia; and after her death, to the late king of Prussia. In 1707 he took a journey to England and Holland, where he had the honour to preach before Queen Anne; and might have settled in London, with the title of chaplain to her majesty. In 1712 he went to Helmstadt, in 1715 to Leipzig, and in 1725 to Breslau, to search for rare books and MSS. It is not certain whether it was he that first formed the design of the Bibliothèque Germanique, which began in 1720; or whether it was suggested to him by one of the society of learned men, which took the name of Anonymous, and who ordinarily met at his house. He died in 1728. His principal works are, 1. The History of the Council of Constance, 2 vols 4to. 2. A History of the Council of Pisa, 2 vols 4to. 3. The New Testament, translated from the Greek into the French, with Notes by Beaufourbe and Lefant, 2 vols 4to. 4. The History of Pope Joan, from Spanheim's Latin Dissertation. 5. Several pieces in the Bibliothèque Choise, La République des Lettres, La Bibliothèque Germanique, &c.