42

1685.

fcured Divinity, and started a thousand Difficulties, by reasoning about things of which they have no Ideas. For our Author thinks, that we must not extend the ufe of the Faculties we have received from God, beyond the Bounds he has prefcribed them, unless we will fall into infinite Errors: and that, as our Senfes teach us no more of Bodies, than what is neceffary for the Prefervation of our Lives; fo the Light of Reason is of no farther ufe to us, than to make us obey the Laws of God, and lead us to the fupreme Felicity. The fourth Dialogue contains an Examination of feveral Places in Scripture, which Metaphyficians have abufed, in making them fubfervient to their abftrufe Notions; and the fifth an Explication of the ixth, xth, and xith Chapters of the Epistle to the Romans, taken chiefly out of Dr. Hammond's Paraphrafe; where that learned Man contends, that the Decrees, there fpoken of, do not relate to the Predestination of particular Perfons to Eternal Salvation or Damnation, but to the Calling of whole Nations to the Knowledge of the Gospel of Christ.

IN the Year 1685, our Author published another Book, entitled, Sentimens de quelques Theologiens de Hollande fur l'Hiftoire Critique du Vieux Teftament, compofée par R. Simon; which confifts of twenty Letters, wherein he has comprised the Opinions of feveral Perfons concerning this Critical History of the Old Teftament, and gives an Account of the Conversation of fome Friends, difcourfing with great freedom of this Book, and fome Subjects relating to it, in which Method he thought himself at liberty to propofe certain Conjectures, which he does not pretend to maintain, but is willing to give up at any time, when, upon better Reflection or Information,

2

mation, they appear to be erroneous. F. Simon, who was warmly enough attacked in the Sentimens, &c. published an Answer full of Paffion and contumelious Language, as his manner was; wherein he endeavoured to perfuade the World, that Dr. Allix, who was formerly Minister of Charenton, and Mr. Aubert de Verfé, were the Authors of the Book; and that the eleventh and twelfth Epiftles, which related to the Infpiration of the Sacred Writings, were the Work of Mr. Aubert: which Calumny, and every other falfe Infinuation, our Author amply refuted in the Vindication of his Work, comprised in feventeen Letters, and published the Year following.

IN the Year 1686, he undertook to write a 1686. Journal, in imitation of thofe that were published in feveral Parts of Europe, which he called Bibliotheque Universelle, and wherein he endeavoured to do two Things, viz. to give larger and more exact Extracts of all remarkable Books wrote in Latin, French, English, Italian, or Dutch, than were to be found in other Journals, and, at the fame time, to insert several Pieces of his own; fuch as a Specimen of the fabulous Hiftory, in the firftVolume; an Explication of the Fable of Adonis in the Third, and of the Fable of Ceres in the Sixth; an Essay concerning the Poefy of the Hebrews in theNinth; the Life of Eufebius of Cæfarea in the Tenth; the Lives of St. Cyprian and Prudentius in the Twelfth; and the Life of Gregory Nazianzen in the Eighteenth: Works which muft needs have coft a great deal of Labour, and which feem to be above the power of any moderate Writer to compofé,

IN

1690. IN the Year 1690, while he was writing his Bibliotheque, &c. he tranflated into Latin the laft Books of Thomas Stanley's Philofophical Hiftory, which contain the History of the Eastern Philofophy, whereof he published an Extract, in the feventh Volume of his Bibliotheque; and as foon as he had laid afide the laborious Work of his 1692. Bibliotheque, he published in the Year 1692 his Logick, his Ontology, and Pneumatology; and (to compleat his Courfe of Philofophy) in the Year 1695, his Syftem of Natural Philofophy. His Logick he dedicated to the great Philofopher Robert Boyle; but he dying before it came to hand, in the next Edition he addreffed it, as he had likewise done his Ontology and Pneumatology, to his learned Friend Mr. Locke.

As foon as our Author's PhilofophicalWorks were finished and reprinted, the Bookfellers of Holland having a mind to print Morery's Hiftorical Dictionary, proposed to him in 1689 to revife it; which he undertook to do, fuppofing that because the Work had bore five Impressions in France, it could not want much Correction: but having gone about the Work, he foon perceived his Miftake, and that the Revifion of the Book would be a tedious Work, of no great honour and lefs profit; but he was obliged to go through when he had began, and in three feveral Revifions has corrected a prodigious Number of Faults, especially in the Articles which concern ancient Hiftory; tho', for want of Books and convenient Leifure, he could not amend all, as himself tells us, both in the fourteenth Volume of his Bibliotheque Univerfelle, and the Preface before the Holland Editions.

1693. IN the Year 1693 he published at the request of the Sieur Huguetan, Bookfeller of Amfterdam,

Hiftoire

Hiftoire d'Emeric Comte de Tekeli: ou Memoires pour fervir à fa Vie, où l'on voit ce qui s'eft passé de plus confiderable en Hongrie depuis fa Nailfance. jufqu'à prefent. But it being only compiled out of the Gazettes, or other publick News, he never owned it as his Work, nor mentioned it in the Catalogue of his Writings.

OUR Author had all along an Intention to write a Commentary on the Old Testament; and therefore, to give the World a Specimen of his Abilities, in the Year 1690, he published the Prophet Obadiah in one Sheet in Quarto, tranflated by him, with a Paraphrafe, and a critical. Commentary; which meeting with a general Approbation, encouraged him to fet about the Work in fuch earnest, that, in 1693, he publifhed his Commentary on the Book of Genefis, in the fame way as he had done Obadiah, together. with fome Critical Differtations; and but two Years after [viz. 1695] the other four Books of Mofes appeared, explained and illuftrated after the fame manner, whereof we have a juft Ab-, ftract in his Bibliotheque Choifie, Vol. 21.

T

IN the Year 1694, he put out, at the defire 1694. of the aforefaid Huguetan, an hiftorical Book, intitled, Vie d'Armand Jean Cardinal Duc de Richelieu, principal Miniftre d'Etat fous Louis XIII. Roi de France & de Navarre, 2 Vol. 12mo. This Hiftory was univerfally liked, as favouring of no kind of Partiality, but representing the Actions of that great Man in a true Light. There was a fecond Impreffion in the Year 1696, and a third corrected and enlarged in 1714. To this laft Mr. le Clerc prefixed his Name.

WHILE his Commentary on the laft Book of 1695. Mofes was printing, he had occafion to publish his Thoughts concerning the Beginning of

St.

1696.

St. John's Gofpel; which he did the rather, be cause, fince the time that he entered into the Communion of the Remonftrants, there were bad Men enough, who were continually calumniating him, as if he adhered to Socinianifm: but of this Afperfion he fufficiently cleared himself, by fhewing the Falfenefs and Abfurdity of the Unitarian Interpretation.

In the Year 1696 our Author publifhed his Ars Critica in two Volumes, which was foon after reprinted in England. In the former of thefe, he gives us a Definition and Divifion of the Art of Criticism; and then, having fhewn the use and benefit thereof, proceeds to the Method, wherein we may beft learn the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew Languages; and fo lays down general Rules for the right Interpretation of Words, or any Forms of Speech; wherein their Difficulty lies, and by what means it may be furmounted. In the latter Volume, he confiders the Origin or Occafion of Faults, and in what manner they may be amended; how to distinguish any Spurious Place or Writing from what is genuine; and how to form our Judgements concerning the Stile and Character of any Writer. In the whole Work (tho' it has not wanted its Adverfaries) our Author has fhewn a great deal of good Judgement and Reading; and the Philofophical Turn, which he has given to feveral Things relating to human Learning, and the useful Examples he has quoted out of facred and profane Writers, fhew the Connexion of thefe Sciences, and how much they help one another.

In the fame Year, he published a little Book in French, du Bonheur & du malheur en Matiere de Lotteries; wherein he fhews that the Divine

Providence