James Peirce
His own ideal of church government was based on Baxter's rectoral theory; he had no theoretical objection to a modified episcopacy.
His move to the presbyterian congregation at Toomer's Court, Newbury, Berkshire, probably coincided with his first controversial publication (end of 1706) in defence of nonconformist positions against Edward Wells.
The work, which is dedicated to the clergy of the church of Scotland, contains a digest of nonconformist history and argument; the theology of the second part is strongly Calvinistic.
On hearing of Whiston's change of views, he wrote to him from Newbury (10 July 1708) expressing amazement that he should 'fall in with the unitarians,’ and referring to the case of Thomas Emlyn.
Preaching again at the ordination (19 October 1715) of John Lavington, as one of the ministers of Bow Meeting, Exeter, he distinguished between a valid and a regular ministry, asserting the irregularity of existing episcopal ordination, and maintaining, against the independents, that not the people, but the ministers, and they only, may judge the qualifications of candidates and ordain.
The controversy which wrecked Peirce's reputation, and broke the doctrinal accord of the old dissent, began at the end of 1716, when Lavington attacked he orthodoxy of Hubert Stogdon.
In April or May 1717 Henry Atkins of Puddington, Devonshire, preaching for Peirce during his absence in London, sounded an alarm of heresy.
Peirce was asked (30 May) to preach on the atonement, and did so (2 June) in a guarded way, and on principles which differed from those of Trosse, his predecessor.
Peirce complied; for a time complaint ceased, but it was revived during his absence in London (July and August).
In September the 'Exeter assembly' resolved, after much debate, that each minister should make a personal declaration on the subject of the Trinity.
All complied except Samuel Carkeet and two others, and all the declarations were accepted except that of John Parr of Okehampton, who merely quoted Ephesians iv.
He had defeated a presbyterian amendment to the bill for repealing the Schism Act which would have introduced a new test in regard to the Trinity, on the express ground of Peirce's alleged heresies.
Shute Barrington brought the Exeter dispute before the London committee, representing the civil interests of dissenters.
Both sections endorsed the principle of uncompromising independency, namely, that each congregation is sole judge of the errors which disqualify its ministers.
On 4 March the clerical council of seven gave judgment in writing, to the effect that denial of Christ's 'true and proper divinity' is a disqualifying error.
Hallett declined also; Withers faltered, and ultimately offered to subscribe the Nicene Creed; Lavington alone gave complete satisfaction.
But on 10 March the proprietors of the several meeting-houses held a joint meeting, and agreed, without consulting others, to exclude Peirce and Hallett from them all.
The congregation, which numbered about three hundred, was classed as presbyterian in the lists of the London fund of that name; but Peirce declined any designation except Christian.
He moved out of Exeter to a country house at St. Leonard's, in the suburbs, and lived among his books, working on paraphrases of St. Paul's Epistles, in continuation of the series begun by John Locke.
