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Engraved for The New Christian's Magazine.

XX

UNIV

The Right RevDJOHN BUTLER
LORD BISHOP of OXFORD.

Acurately Drawn & Engraved from an original
Picture taken from the life .

Published by Alex? Hogg N°16) Paternoster Row, Dec 11783.

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REV. MR. JAMES ABBADIE, DEAN OF KILALO, IN IRELAND.

HOUGH this philofopher en

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joyed a great reputation, we know but little of his manner of living. His life must have been very obfcure and quiet, a circumftance which does honour to his character. The authors of the memoirs of illuftrious men, have faid but very little refpecting him, however they esteem his merit. They were, doubtlefs, unable to get better information, and we are not more happy than they; no great events therefore are to be expected, or additions to the memoirs already given refpecting him; but the moft authentic are here chofen, as history of this fort ought not only to con

tribute to the reader's tranfient amufement, but also to his real inftruction.

His

Mr. James Abbadie was born in the year 1654, at Nai, a town in France, about four leagues from Pau in the territory of Bern. parents are unknown; but we are affured that the famous M. de Placette, minister of Nai, took care of his education, and himfelf directed his first ftudies; after which he fent him fucceffively to PuyLaurens, Saumur, and Sedan, to ftudy philofophy and divinity. He was admitted a doctor in the academy of this laft city. Some writers tell us that his firit voyage was to Holland. But father Niceron, on the contrary, fays that he went to Paris, where he became acquainted with the count d'Efpence, maiter of the horse to the elector of Branden-. burgh, who engaged him to follow Cc a

him

him to Berlin, and on his arrival, procured him the place of minister to the elector in the French church of Berlin, which he held for fome years. During his ftay in this city, he went feveral times to Holland, as well to get printed the works he had compofed, as on other affairs. The firft of his works appeared in 1689: confifting of Sermons on diverfe texts of Scripture, and a Panegyric upon the Elector. Four years after he published a

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tife of the truth of the Chriftian, Religion," in two volumes, which gained univerfal approbation. Emboldened by this fuccefs, in the year 1685, he gave out fome " Reflexions upon the real prefence of the body of Jefus Chrift in the Eucharift:" This production had not the fame fate with the foregoing, and feveral divines found it hardly intelligible. This, however did not prevent his reputation from gaining new luftre from it. His name reached the marshal de Schomberg, who on being informed of his great fagacity, refolved to omit nothing to attach him to him; and at length his foficitations and his learning determined our philofopher to follow him to Ireland, towards the latter end of the fummer of 1689; but the marfhal being killed at the battle of Boyne, July 22, 1690, Mr. Abba. die quitted Ireland, and came to London. Here he was received fuitably to his merit. At first he officiated at the French church in the Savoy, as minifter; and foon after, he deanery of Killalo in Ireland being vacant, he was promoted to that dignity, which he enjoyed till his death. in 1692, he went to Holland, and published an edition of his works, which appeared in the following order: I.

The art of knowing one's felf, or an inquiry into the fource of morality," in two parts, izmo, This book met with univerfal efteem; and has been frequently reprinted, and translated into various

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languages. II. "The defence of the British nature, wherein the laws of God, of nature, and of society are clearly established, with refpect to the revolution in England, against the author of The important advice to refugees," London, 1692. III. " A panegyric on the queen of England," Hague, 1695. IV. An hiftory of the laft confpiracy in England, &c." London, 1695. This hiftory was compofed by order of king William, from the original papers communicated to him by the fecretary of state. V. "The truth of the reformed religion:" Rotterdam, 1718. And VI." The triumph of providence and religion, with avery evident demonftration of the Chriftian religion." Amfterdam, 1723.

His voyages and travelling. greatly affected his health, already enfeebled by age: he died of ficknefs, at Marybone, September 25, 1727, aged feventy-three years.

No one, perhaps, ever had fo prodigious a memory as Mr. Abbadie. He compofed his works from his own ideas and memory, and wrote them only as he printed them off. This extraordinary advantage of retaining the whole plan of a compofition, has deprived us of two important books; namely, "A new method of proving the immortality of the foul;" and, "Notes upon Mr. Bayle's philofophical commentary." This celebrated metaphyfician was entirely mafter of the learned languages, and the claffics; well skilled in hiftory, both ecclefiaftical and profane; and had particularly a very: piercing wit, vaft elevation of foul, and a manly eloquence.

Our materials for the life of this great man are fo fhort, that we' doubt not it will be agreeable to see more closely his character, as it appears in his Syftem on the art of felf-knowledge.

"The first principle fays he, of felf-knowledge, is, that man is a

very little thing; all his ages bring with them fome peculiar weakness or mifery. Childhood is only a forgetfulness and ignorance of itfelf, youth a mere tranfport, and age but a languishing death, with the appearances of life; fo closely is it attended with infirmities. The body of man is the centre of infirmities his mind is filled with errors, and his heart with unruly affections. He fuffers by the confideration of the past, which cannot be recalled, and by that of the future, which is unavoidable. His mind continually wishes to know, and his heart is inceffantly craving.

When in poverty, his prayers are only to have the neceffary: when that neceffary to nature is enjoyed, he requires the neceffary to rank and condition. Does he reach this ftate? He then feeks what may gratify his appetites: and when he has obtained all that his heart feems able to defire: contrary to reason, he then forms new defires.

Such is the man in general. To know him particularly we must know what are his natural duties and obligations. This knowledge. is founded upon two principles. The first is, that we naturally love ourfelves, being fenfible of pleafure, defirous of good, and taking care for our prefervation. The fecond, that together with this propenfity to love ourfelves, we have. alfo reafon to conduct us.

That we naturally love ourselves is a truth of fentiment: that we are capable of reafon, is a truth of fact. Nature inclines us to make ufe of reason to direct this love of felf; because we cannot truly love ourfelves, without employing our understanding in the fearch after that which is fuitable to us.

This natural law, or law of nature, is divided into four others, which are particular fpecies. The first is the law of Temperance, caufing us to fhun excefs and debauchery, which ruin our bodies,

and injure our fouls. The fecond is the law of Juftice, which engages us to render to every one his own, and to treat him as he would with him to treat us. The law of Moderation is the third, which forbids us to revenge, by convincing us, that we cannot do this but at our own expence; and that, in this particular, to respect the laws of God, is to take care of ourselves. The laft is called the law of Beneficence, and leads us to do good to our neighbours.

All this may be reduced to thefe two faculties in man, fenfation and reafon. Reafon is the foul's counfellor: Senfation is, as it were, the force or weight which determines it. In our actions we compare one with the other. The foul confiders not only what gives it pleasure at the inftant, but also what may give it in future. It compares pleasure with pain; prefent good with remote good; the advantage which it hopes, with the dangers it is to run; and determines itfelf agreeably to the inftruction it receives in it's different refearches: its liberty being only the extenfion of its knowledge, and the obligation which it lies under not to chufe till after having fully examined.

Thus we are not avaritious, when afraid of injuring our honour by the meanneffes of intereft. We are not prodigal if afraid of ruining our affairs, though we fhould afpire to make ourselves efteemed of others for our liberality. The fear of diseases makes us refift the temptations to voluptuoufnefs; felf-love renders us moderate and circumfpect; and we appear modeft and humble out of pride.

Pleasure and glory are the two general advantages, which give a zeft to all others. They are, as it were, their fpirit and falt. There is this difference, however, between them, that the understanding makes itfelf beloved and defired, out of love to itfelf; whereas glory makes itfelf

felt,

felt, in the fatisfaction attending it. This fatisfaction confifts in our gaining the esteem of others, and in the efteem of others for us, confirming the good opinion which we have of ourfelves. Thus, however we may acquire this efteem, whether real or feeming, our felf-love is flattered. Hence arife prefumption, vanity, ambition and haughtiness.

The exceffive. defire we have of making ourselves efteemed by other men, occafions us paffionately to defire to be endued with eftimable qualities, and to be extremely afraid of fuch defects as may injure us in the minds of men, or of betraying ourselves. by not giving a fufficiently good opinion of us. Now, as we are perfuaded of what we too ftrongly desire and fear, we either conceive a too good opinion, or fall into an exceffive mustruft, of ourselves. The first of thefe faults is called prefumption; that cond timidity. Prefumption is amfident pride, and timidity a pride which is afraid of being betrayed.

Vanity is a difpofition to atrribute to ourselves advantages which we have not, or to extol thofe we have. It's most common food is luxury; embroidery and lace are particular caufes of esteem: a man well-dreffed meets with lefs oppofition than another. We give efteem and confideration to horfes, equipages, furniture, liveries, &c. and the trappings of the body, partake of that glory, which feems to us the most brilliant decoration of the foul. Cicero called a man who forgot the glory of his profeffion,

"Virin dicendis caufis bené veftitus."

Vanity is alfo fed by oftentation. We pique ourselves on our wit, and we do all we can to perfuade our felves that we really have it. We contradict others, that we may be thought to have more understanding than they. We difdain those who know more than we, that they may not humble us. We speak in a tone of confidence of things which we know not but very fuperficially, that we may be thought to understand them perfect. In a word, both in our difcourfes and actions, we inceffantly give ourselves the lie; that is to fay, we endeavour to perfuade others that we poffefs qualities, which we well know we have not.

Ambition is a defire of lifting ourfelves above others. A defire which produces envy, an implacable fenfation which lives as long as merit. fubfifts. A perfon fhall pardon you the utmost injuries he has received from you; but he will never pardon you your good qualities.

Haughtiness and pride are a fort of drunkenness of the foul, as hatred, envy and malignity are the madness of it. This fenfation is pretty nearly the fame in all men ; in fome it manifests itself more openly; in others it is more concealed. Pride lives in the error of others, and in delufions which it puts upon itself. To be cured of thefe delufions, we should moderate that love of esteem, which reigns in our hearts.

Thus, by knowing ourselves, we fhall be able to overcome our faults, and to acquire perfections.

CHRISTIAN, JEWISH, AND ROMAN ANTIQUITIES. ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.

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expofed. In the year 116, the city of Antioch, the capital of Syria, where the emperor Trajan then refided, was afflicted with a very great earthquake, the caufe of which was, by their magicians, imputed to the Chriftians: the emperor upon this account, decreed against them the moft capital punishments. This is: what is commonly called the third

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