JAMES, an eminent dissenting minister, was born at Wapping, in London, in the year 1674, and was educated at Utrecht and Leyden; after which he spent some time at Oxford, in order to enjoy the benefit of frequenting the Bodleian library. He then for two years preached the Sunday-evening's lecture at the meeting-house in Miles-Lane, London, and then settled at Cambridge. In 1713 he was removed to a congregation at Exeter, where he continued till the year 1718; when the Calvinists among the dissenters proposing a subscription to articles of faith to be signed by all the dissenting ministers in the kingdom, several articles were proposed to him and Mr John Hallet, another dissenting minister at Exeter, in order to their subscribing them, they both refused, imagining this proceeding of their dissenting brethren to be an unworthy imposition on religious liberty and private judgment; and for this they were ejected from their congregation. Upon this, a new meeting was opened for them at Exeter, of which Mr Peirce continued minister till his death, in 1726. He was a man of the strictest virtue, exemplary piety, and great learning. He wrote, 1. Exercitatio philosophica de Homeria Anaxagorea. 2. Thirteen pieces on the Controversy between the Church of England and the Dissenters. 3. Ten pieces on the Controversy about the Ejection at Exeter. 4. Six pieces on the Doctrine of the Trinity. 5. A Paraphrase and Notes on the Epistles of St Paul to the Colossians, Philippians, and Hebrews. 6. An Essay in favour of giving the Eucharist to Children. 7. Fourteen Sermons.