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pag. 605.

calf, but a head only. According to fome authors, the fear of falling a facrifice to the refentment of the people by giving a "refufal, made Aaron comply with their defire; and they allege alfo, that he hoped to elude their requeft, by demanding of the women to contribute their ear-rings, imagining they would rather choose to remain without a visible deity, than be deprived of their peffonal ornaments; but he found Corn. à La- that minds intoxicated with fuperftition and idolatry, will pide com. in facrifice every thing to this paffion. About the beginning of Exod. xxii. 4. the feventeenth century, one Monceau or Moncæius publifhed an apology for Aaron, which was condemned by the inquifition of Rome: in this it is fuppofed that Aaron intended to represent the fame image which Mofes did fome time after, viz. a Cherubim, and that the Ifraelites fell down and worshipped it contrary to his intention. A doctor of the Sorbonne, canon of Amiens, completely refuted this fuppofition in 1609. Some have afferted, that this calf was only made of gilded wood, but the fcriptures feem not to favour fuch an opinion, for it is exprefsly faid in the thirty-second chapter of Exodus, that it was a molten calf, and though we are afterwards told that Mofes burnt and reduced it to powder, yet it does not thence follow that this idol was formed of combustible matter; the words may fignify that Mofes melted down the gold again, and divided it into very fmall particles, which being thrown into the water became imperceptible, like fuch as are faid to be found in the Tagus and Pactolus (a). Some authors are of opinion, that Aaron only

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(a) We are told, "that the " tranflated,” fo that we are to look powder of the golden calf which on the story of the gilded beards as "Mofes ordered to be burnt and matter of fact; as alfo another of the "mixed with the water to be drunk fame ftamp in the abovementioned by the Ifraelites, ftuck to the beards chapter, viz. " that upon Hur's reof fuch as had worshipped it, fofusing to make gods for the If"that they appeared gilt ; which "raelites, they spit upon him with "fo much violence that they stifled "him." The ftory of the gilded beards is not the only fiction which the Rabbies have endeavoured to pass upon the world: they tell us alfo that the water impregnated with the particles of the golden calf, which Mofes obliged them to drink, had almost the fame effect as the waters of jealousy, raising tumors and ulcers upon the guilty, and doing no hurt to the in

was a diftinguishing mark upon "thofe who had been guilty of this idolatry." This is recited in the thirty-fecond chapter of Exodus, in a French bible printed at Paris in 1495, by command of Charles VIII. which was afterwards printed with emendations. In the preface we are given to understand that the French tranflator" had given nothing but "the genuine truth, and omitted only what was improper to be nocent. Jeremiah de Pours, divine melodie, pag. 829. † See Salian, vol. II. p. 165. Bacharti Hierozoic, par. I. lib. ii, cap. 34.

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ordered the workmen to caft the golden calf, but did not concern himself with it; and that Mofes did not command the Ifraelites to drink the gold duft, but having thrown it into̟ the brook, which was the only place where they could drink, this gave occafion to fay that he obliged them to fwallow the idol they had worshipped, This affair of the See Rivetus golden calf happened in the third month after the Ifraelites on Exod. xxxii. tom. I. came out of Egypt. In the firft month of the following p. 1184 year, Aaron was appointed high priest by God, which office he executed during the time that the children of Ifrael continued in the wilderness. He died in the fortieth year after their departure from Egypt, upon Mount Hor, being then a hundred and twenty-three years old, A. M. 2552.

377.

AARSENS (Francis) lord of Someldyck and Spyck, was one of the greatest minifters for negotiation the United Provinces could ever boast of. Cornelius Aarfens his father was register to the ftates, and being acquainted with Mr. du Pleffis Mornay at the court of William prince of Orange, he prevailed upon him to take his fon under him, with whom he continued fome years. John Olden Barnevelt, who prefided Du Maurier's over the affairs of Holland and all the United Provinces, fent memoirs, pe him afterwards agent intoFrance, where he learned to negotiate under thofe profound politicians, Henry IV. Villeroy, Rofny, Silleri, Jeannin, &c. and he acquitted himself so well as to obtain their approbation. Soon after he was invested with the character of ambassador, being the first who was recognized as fuch by the French court, at which time Henry IV. declared that he should take precedence next to the Venetian minifter. He refided in France fifteen years, during which time he received great marks of esteem from the king, who created him a knight and baron, and for this reafon he was received amongst the nobles of the province of Holland. How- Ibid, ever, he became at length so odious to the French court, that they defired to have him recalled. He was afterwards deputed to Venice, and to feveral German and Italian princes, upon occafion of the troubles in Bohemia: this was in 1620, and it is to be obferved (fays Mr. Wicquefort) "French king ordered the duke of Angouleme, the count baffadors, "of Methune, and Abbé des Preaux, his three ambaffadors, tom. I. p. "not to receive vifits from Mr. Aarfens, who came from 658. "the states of the United Provinces to negotiate with fome "German and Italian princes, upon the fame affairs of Bohemia, for which the ambaffadors of France had been "depated." The order fent for this purpose, fignified that it

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that the Wicquefort's

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was not intended as any indignity to the ftates, with whom "the king was defirous to live always in friendship, but "entirely upon account of Mr. Aarfens, for his having acted "in a manner inconfiftent with the intereft and dignity of his "majefty." (a) Mr. Aarfens was the first of three extraordinary Wicquefort, ambafadors fent to England in 1620, and the second in 1641. vol. I. p.650 In this laft embaffy his collegues were the lord of Brede and 750. rode first ambaffador, and Heemfvliet as third; they were to treat about the marriage of prince William, fon to the prince -of Orange. He was alfo ambassador extraordinary at the Du Maurier, French court in 1624; and cardinal Richlieu having just taken P. 386. the adminiftration into his hands, and knowing he was an able man, made ufe of him to serve his own purposes.

Aarsens died in a very advanced age, and his fon, who furvived him, was reputed the wealthieft man in Holland.

He has left very accurate and judicious memoirs of all those embaffies in which he was employed; and it must be observed, that the various inftructions given him by the states, and all the credential letters he carried in his later embaffies, were drawn by himself; whence we may conclude, fays Mr. Wicquefort, that he was the ableft perfon in all that country, Vol. II. p. not only for conducting of negotiations, but for inftructing ambaffadors what to negotiate upon.

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Memoirs, pag. 376.

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Du Maurier, in his memoirs, fays, "that he was of a "fpirit the most dangerous which ever arofe in the United "Provinces, and the more to be dreaded, as he concealed all "the malevolence and artifice of foreign courts, under the appearance of Dutch bluntnefs and fimplicity; that he was "vehement and perfuafive, could advance arguments in fa"vour of the worst causes, had an intriguing genius, and "had kept a fecret correfpondence with fome great men in "France, whose conduct was not only fufpected, but highly "offenfive to the king, and that having bribed the French "ambaffador's fecretary at the Hague, he thereby discovered "the most secret defigns of the French court.' By this account we may see that Aarsens was a man of great abilities, and had an excellent turn for political negotiations: but whilst Du Maurier inveighs fo warmly against this statesman, he lets us into a circumftance, which may teach us not to give too much

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matory libel, written, figned, and

published by Francis Aarfens ; to "the great fcandal and difhonour of "the members of his majefty's coun"cil: for which no fatisfaction could "then be obtained."

credit to his invectives, for he informs us that there was an irreconcileable enmity betwixt his father and Aarfens.

ABBADIE (James) an eminent proteftant divine, born at Hay, in Berne, in the year 1658, as Niceron affirms in his hiftory of illuftrious men, though fome fay he was born in 1654. He studied at Saumur, at Paris, and at Sedan, at which laft place he took the degree of doctor in divinity. Thence he went to Holland, and afterwards to Berlin at the defire of count d'Efpenfe, where he was made minister of the French church lately establifhed by the elector of Brandenbourg. He refided in this city for many years, and was always in high favour with the elector. The French congregation at Berlin was at first but thin, but upon the revocation of the edict of Nantes, great numbers retired to Brandenbourg, where they were received with the greatest humanity, fo that Dr. Abbadie had in a little time a great charge, of which he took all poffible care, and by his interest at court did many fervices to his diftreffed countrymen. The elector dying in 1688, Abbadie accepted of marshal Schomberg's propofal to go with him firft to Holland, and then to England with the prince of Orange. In the autumn of 1689, he went with the marshal to Ireland, where he continued till after the battle of Boyne in July 1690, in which his great patron was killed; this occafioned his return to London, where he was appointed minifter of the French church in the Savoy. Some time after he was promoted to the deanry of Killaloe, in Ireland, which he enjoyed for many years. Having made a tour to Holland in order to publifh one of his books, foon after his return, he was taken ill in London, and died at Mary-le-bon, on the 23d of September, 1727. He was ftrongly attached to the cause of king William, as appears by his elaborate defence of the revolution, and his history of the affaffination plot. He had great natural abilities, which he improved by true and useful learning. He was a moft zealous defender of the primitive doctrine of the protestants, as appears by his writings; and that strong nervous eloquence, for which he was fo remarkable, enabled him to enforce the doctrines of his profeffion from the pulpit with great fpirit and energy (a). AB

(a) The account of his writings in the order they were published, is as follows:

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on feveral texts of fcripture, 8vo.

2. Panegyrique de Monfeigneur l'Electeur de Brandebourg; Rotter1. Sermons fur divers textes de dam, 1684. A panegyrick on the l'Ecriture; Leiden, 1680: Sermons elector of Brandenbourg. B 3

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ABBOT (George) Archbishop of Canterbury, was born October 29. 1562, at Guilford, in Surrey (a). He received the rudiments of his education at the place of his nativity, under the care of Mr. Francis Taylour, Mafter of the freefchool at Guilford, founded by Edward VI. From thence

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3. Traité de la verité de le Religion Chretienne; Rotterdam, 1684. A treatife of the truth of the Chriftian religion. This has gone through feven editions. The Abbe Houteville speaks of it in these terms: The most fhining of these treatises for defence of the christian religion, which were published by the proteftants, is that written by Mr. Abbadie. The favourable reception it met with, the praises it received, almoft without example, immediately after its publication, the univerfal approbation it ftill meets with, renders it unnecessary for me to join my commendations, which would add fo little to the merit of fo great an author. He has united in this book, all our controverfies with the infidels. In the first part, he combats the atheists; the deists in the, fécond; and the focinians in the third philofophy and theology enter happily into his manner of compofing, which is in the true method, lively, pure, and elegant, especially in the first books *.

4. Reflexions fur la prefence reelle du corps de Jefus Chrift dans l'Euchariftie, comprises en diverses lettres; Hague, 1685. Reflexions on the real prefence in the facrament.

L'Art de fe connoitre foi-meme, 5. Qu la recherche des fources de la morale; Rotterdam, 1692. The art of knowing one's felf, or an enquiry into the fources of morality.

6. Defense de la nation Britannique; où les droits de Dieu, de nature, et de la focieté font clairement erablis au fujet de la revolution d'Angleterre, contre l'auteur de l'avis important aux refugies. A defence, of the revolution in England.

7. Panegyrique de Marie reine d'Angleterre, decedée le Decembre 28,

1694; Haye, 1695. A panegyrick on Mary queen of England.

8. Hiftoire de la confpiration derniere d'Angleterre, avec le detail des diverfes entreprises contre le roi et la nation, qui ont precedé ce dernier attentat; London, 1696. An account of the late confpiracy in England. This piece was wrote by order of king William III, and the materials were furnished by the earl of Portland, and fir William Trumball, fecretary of state.

9. La verité de la religion reformée; Rotterdam, 17 8. The truth of the reformed religion. Dr. Henry Lambert, Bishop of Dromore, translated this piece into English, for the intruction of the Roman Catholicks in his diocèfe.

10. La triomphe de la providence et de la religion, ou l'ouverture des fept fceaux par le fils de Dieu; Amfterdam, 1723. The triumph of providence and religion, or the opening the feven feals by the fon of God, &c. Mr. Voltaire fpeaks contemptuously of this performance in his lift of writers in the age of Lewis XIV. He was celebrated, fays that author, for his treatife upon the christian religion, but he afterwards difcredited that work by his Opening of the feven feals."

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Befides what we have mentioned, he publifhed several fingle fermons, and some other little pieces, which met with general approbation.

(a) His father Maurice Abbot was a clothworker, and fettled at Guilford, where he married Alice Marth; he fuffered a great deal for his stedfaftness in the proteftant religion, thro' the means of Dr. Story, who was a great perfecutor of such persons in the reign of queen Mary.

Difcours biftorique et critique fur la meslode des principaux auteurs, foc. p. 187.

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