John, a very learned English bishop in the 17th century, was born at Snoring in 1613. After his education at Eton and Cambridge, he entered into holy orders in 1629, and was the same year collated to the prebend of Netherhaven in the church of Sarum. In 1640 he was appointed chaplain to the lord keeper Finch, and by him presented to the living of Torrington in Suffolk. In 1650 he was made minister of St Clement's, East Cheap, in London. In 1657, he and Mr Gunning had a dispute with two Roman Catholics upon the subject of schism; a very unfair account of which was printed at Paris in 1658. Some time after, he published at London An Exposition of the Creed, in folio, dedicated to his parishioners of St Clement's East Cheap, to whom the substance of that excellent work had been preached several years before, and by whom he had been desired to make it public. The same year he likewise published The Golden Remains of the ever memorable Mr John Hales of Eton; to which he prefixed a preface, containing, of that great man, with whom he had been acquainted for many years, a character drawn with great elegance and force. Soon after the Restoration, he was presented by Juxon, then bishop of London, to the rectory of St Christopher's in that city; created doctor of divinity at Cambridge, in pursuance of the king's letters mandatory; installed prebendary of Ely, archdeacon of Surry; and made master of Jesus college in Cambridge: all before the end of the year 1668. March 25th 1661, he was appointed Margaret professor of divinity in that university; and, the first day of the ensuing year, was nominated one of the commissioners for the review of the liturgy in the conference at the Savoy. April 14th 1662, he was admitted master of Trinity college in Cambridge; and, in August, resigned his rectory of St Christopher's and prebend of Sarum.—In 1667 he was admitted a Fellow of the Royal Society. In 1672 he published at Cambridge, in 4to, Vindicatio Epistolae S. Ignatii, in answer to Mons. Daille; to which is subjoined, Vindici Voffii epistolae duae adversus Davidem Blondelum. Upon the death of the celebrated Wilkins, Pearson was appointed his successor in the see of Chester, to which he was consecrated February 9th 1672-3. In 1682, his Annales Cyprianici, five tredecim annorum, quibus S. Cyprian, inter Christianos verutius est, historia chronologica, was published at Oxford, with Fell's edition of that Father's works. Pearson was disabled from all public service by ill health a considerable time before his death, which happened at Chester, July 16. 1686.