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ters;" all together consisting of three full octavo volumes.
His 66
Exposition" has lately been republished by the
reverend Mr. Foster; and it is much to be wished, that
the volume of his "Select Works" had accompanied that
edition. The truly pious soul can scarce find more pro-
fitable reading beside the Bible.

MONSIEUR CLAUDE.

THE good and great Mr. John Claude, a minister of

the church of Paris, born at Sauvetat in the province of Angenois, in the year 1619, was one of the most eminent men of the ecclesiastical profession. He studied as far as philosophy under his father, who was also a minister; and afterwards, going through a course of divinity, was ordained at Montauban in the year 1645. He was made minister of a church of Fief, called la Freine, where he officiated a twelvemonth. Afterwards he became minister of a church of St. Africk in Rovergne; and eight years after, pastor of that of Mimes. As the protestants had an university in the city of Mimes, Mr. Claude had there an opportunity of displaying one of his chief talents, which was happily explaining a theological subject; and he used to read private lectures to such as were candidates for the ministry. He had undertaken to refute the piece, called The Method,' which was written by Cardinal Richelieu against the protestants; but hearing that Mr. Martel, the professor of divinity at Montablau, had a synodical commission for that purpose, he laid aside that design. Having opposed, in the Synod of the Lower Languedoc, a man, whom the court had won over to attempt a re-union, he was punished for it by a decree of council, which forbad him the exercise of the functions of a minister in Languedoc, after he had exercised them eight years at Mimes. He went to Paris to get, if possible, this resolution taken off; and, after staying

there

books our language affords, and cannot but consider it as a great honour conferred upon me by Providence, to have been an instrument of presenting it to the world in so correct a form; as well as of rescuing many other instructive pieces of that excellent and amiable Author, from the oblivion in which they had so long been buried.'

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there six months to no purpose, he took a journey to Montauban, where he preached the day after his arrival, and accepted the offer which the people of that church made him.

During this journey, he wrote a little book, which gave rise to the most famous dispute that ever was car ried on in France between the protestants and Roman catholics. The occasion of it was this: Messieurs de Port-Royal were at that time using their utmost endeavours to make a convert of Mr. de Turenne to the Romish religion; and for that purpose presented him with a little piece, in which they pretended to shew, that the protestant churches had always believed what is taught in that of the Romanists, concerning the real presence, and that a change of belief, such as the protestants suppose, is impossible. Mr. de Turenne's lady, who always dreaded what happened after her decease, namely, that her husband would turn Roman catholic, did all that lay in her power to confirm him in the protestant faith. For this reason she caused an answer to be made to the piece of Messieurs de Port-Royal, and Mr. Claude was appointed to write it. He acquitted himself so admirably well upon this occasion, that several copies were taken of his answer, which were spread every where, both in Paris and in the provinces; so that had it been printed, it could not have been made much more public. Messieurs de Port-Royal, hearing of this, thought themselves absolutely obliged to answer it; which they did, by publishing, in the year 1664, the famous work, entitled, La perpetuitè de la foi de l'eglise catholique touchant l'euchariste,' that is, The perpetuity of the catholic church in regard to its doctrine of the eucharist. It contains the first piece, and a reply to Mr. Claude's answer. This minister, who was then at Montauban, wrote a reply, which was printed with his first answer in the year 1666. This work is entitled, "Response aux traites, intitulez, La perpetuitè,” &c. that is, An answer to two treatises, entitled, The perpetuity," &c. There is no doubt, but the merit of Mr. Claude's book contributed greatly to its fame; but nevertheless, the state in which Jansenism was at that time, was pne chief cause of the mighty noise this work made. For the Jansenists considered Mr. Claude's triumph as nothing, provided it could but lessen the joy of Messieurs de Port-Royal; and therefore, for the sake of promoting their own cause, they spread in all places the name and merit of Mr. Claude. So necessary is it, as Bayle justly

observes

observes upon this occasion, for some books to appear at certain seasons, and to be wrote against certain persons, rather than at other junctures. Mr. Arnauld undertook to refute Mr. Claude's book, and published a large volume in the year 1669. Father Nouet, a famous jesuit, engaged in the controversy, and published a book against Mr. Claude, who wrote an answer to it, which was printed in 1668. Some prefer this answer to his other pieces; and we are told, that it was his favourite piece. The author of the Journal des savans,' discharged his artillery against Mr. Claude, by inserting an extract of that jesuit's book: And this occasioned Mr. Claude to publish a very witty provinciale against the author of the journal. It is an anonymous letter, and entitled, "Lettre d'un provincial à un de ses amis sur le sujet du journal du 28 Juin 1667:" that is, "A letter from a provincial to a friend, occasioned by the journal of the 28th of June 1667;" which letter was answered by the journalist some time after. This contest went no farther; but with regard to Mr. Arnauld, who had added two more volumes to the former, Mr. Claude was forced to engage in a very laborious study, in order to examine the tenets of the Greek church, and those of the Eastern schismatics: And he shewed great learning and abilities in the answer he made to him. The Jansenists only made a general reply to Mr. Claude's book. They published their Prejugez legitimes contre le Calvinisme: that is, Just prejudices against Calvinism: Which Mr. Claude refuted by one of the best works, says Bayle, that either himself or any other protestant clergyman ever composed. It is entitled, "Defense de la reformation:" that is, "A defence of the reformation:" was first printed in 4to. at Rouen in 1673, and afterwards at the Hague in 1682, 12mo.

Mr. Claude, as we have observed, was elected minister of the church of Montauban: It was about the year 1662. Four years after, he was forbid by the court to exercise his functions there, which obliged him to go a second time to Paris. He continued there near nine months, without being able to remove the obstacles of his return to Montauban. During this interval, he was invited to the church of Bourdeaux; but the congregation of Charenton being unwilling to lose a person of Mr. Claude's abilities, gave him also an invitation in the year 1666, From that time to the revocation of the edict of Nantz, he did very great service to that church, and to the whole body, by his excellent works; and by the detail he de

scended

scended to, concerning the affairs which the deputies of provinces communicated to him. No man was ever better qualified to head either a consistory or a synod, or to dispute off-hand. He discovered this latter talent in the last conference, which Mademoiselle de Duras desired to hear. This lady, it seems, would not forsake her religion, till she had heard Mr. Claude and the Bishop of Meaux dispute in her presence: She accordingly had her wish; for these two illustrious champions disputed together at the Countess de Roie's, her sister's, the first of March 1678. Each disputant wrote the relation of his conference, and ascribed the victory to himself. These relations were at first only handed about in manuscript; but at last the Bishop of Meaux published his relation in the year 1682, and that of Mr. Claude followed soon after. Mr. Claude was distinguished from the rest of the ministers, by the manner in which the court ordered him to leave the kingdom. He, like them, had a fortnight allowed him to leave it: But the Romish clergy found means to shorten even that time. For on Monday the twenty-second of October 1685, the day on which the revocation of the edict of Nantz was registered at Paris, Mr. Claude at ten in the morning was ordered to leave France in twenty-four hours. He obeyed with the utmost submission, and set out, attended by one of the king's footmen, who was ordered to conduct him to the frontiers of France; and who, though he executed his orders faithfully, yet treated Mr. Claude with civility: so true it is, that exalted merit has a great influence even on the hearts of those who do not love the Protestant religion. He set out from Paris in the Brussels coach, and his fame flying before him, procured him several obliging offices from many persons in his journey. He passed through Cambray, where he lay, and was there presented with some refreshments by the jesuits. The father rector did Mr. Claude the honour to pay him a visit, which Mr. Claude returned; and the difference of religion did not interrupt this obliging correspondence and mark of reciprocal esteem.

Mr. Claude made Holland his place of refuge, where he met with a very kind reception, and was honoured with a considerable pension by the Prince of Orange. He used to preach from time to time at the Hague; and his last sermon was on Christmas day 1686: where he displayed his excellent talent so admirably, that the Princess of Orange was greatly affected and extremely pleased with him. The authors of the Supplement to Moreri's Diction

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