that his own brothers durft not speak to him, nor falute him when they met him in the ftreets (c). Finding himself thus fituated, he wrote a book in his juftification, wherein he endeavours to fhew, that the rites and traditions of the Pharifees are contrary to the writings of Mofes; he foon after adopted the opinion of the Sadducees, having worked himself up to a belief, that the rewards and punishments of the old law relate only to this life, being induced thereto because Moses no where mentions the joys of heaven, nor the torments of hell. His adverfaries were overjoyed at his embracing this tenet, foreseeing it would tend greatly to juftify, in the fight of the Chriftians, the proceedings of the fynagogue against him. Before his book was printed, there appeared a piece upon the immortality of the foul, wrote by a phyfician, who omitted nothing he could fuggeft to make Acofta pafs for an Atheist. The very children were even spirited up to infult him in the ftreets, and to batter his house with ftones; but, however, all this did not prevent him from writing a treatise against the phyfician, wherein he endeavoured to confute the doctrine of the foul's immortality. The Jews now made application to the magiftrates of Amfterdam, informing against him as one who wanted to undermine the foundation of both Jewish and 'Chriftian religions. Hereupon he was thrown into prifon, but was bailed out about a week or ten days after; however all the copies of his pieces were feized, and he himself fined three hundred florins. Acofta, however, went ftill farther in his fcepticism. He now began to examine whether the laws condemn." Quia minime decebat ut propter talem metum terga verteret ille, qui pro libertate natale folum et utilitates alias contempferat, et fuccumbere hominibus, præfertim jurifdictionem non habentibus, in tali caufa nec pium, nec virile erat; decrevi potius omnia perferre et in fententia perdurare. Acofta Exemplar Vitæ Humanæ, p. 347.

(c) The inquifition of Portugal (fays Mr. Bayle) appeared dreadful to Acofta because they had an immediate or a mediate power of imprisoning, tormenting, or burning. Had they only been invested with an excommunicatory prerogative, he would not have dreaded them. For this reafon he despised the threats of the Jewish fynagogue; but experience taught him, that the bare power of excommunicating is very terrible,

though unaided by the fecular power; for, after his excommunication, he was looked upon as a monster. Ipfi fratres mei (fays Acofta) quibus ego præceptor fueram, me tranfibant, nec in platea falutabant, propter metum illorum. (Acosta Exemplar Vita Humanæ, p. 347). The hardhips he underwent, upon account of his excommunication, were fo great, that he at laft found them infupportable; for, notwithstanding his ha tred to the fynagogue, he chose to return to it by a feigned reconciliation, rather than to continue publicly feparated from it. He said to fome Chriftians, who intended to turn Jews, that they knew not what a yoke they were going to lay on their necks. Nefciebant quale jugum fuis. cervicibus imponerent. Ibid. page 348.

of

of Mofes came from God, and he fuppofed he had at length found reasons to convince him, that it was only a political invention; but instead of drawing this inference from thence, "I ought not then to return to the Jewish communion;" he thus argued with himself, "Why should I continue all my life cut off from the communion, exposed to so many inconveniencies, especially as I am in a country where I am a stranger, and unacquainted with the language? Had I not better play the ape amongst apes?" He accordingly returned to the Jewish church, after he had been excommunicated fifteen years, and, having made a recantation of what he had written, fubfcribed every thing as they directed. A few days after, he was accufed by a nephew, who lived in his houfe, that he did not, as to his eating and many other points, conform to the laws of the fynagogue. This accufation was attended with very bad confequences; for a relation of Acofta, who had got him reconciled to the fynagogue, thought he was in honour bound to perfecute him with the utmost violence (d), The Rabbis and the reft of the Jews were animated with the fame spirit, especially when they found that Acofta had diffuaded two Chriftians, who had come from London to Amfterdam, from turning Jews. He was fummoned before the grand council of the fynagogue, when it was declared to him, that he muft be again excommunicated, if he did not give fuch fatisfaction as fhould be required. He found the terms fo hard, that he could not comply. The Jews thereupon again expelled him from their communion, and he afterwards fuffered various hardships and great perfecutions, even from his own relations. After remaining seven years in a moft wretched fituation, he at length declared he was willing to fubmit to the fentence of the fynagogue, having been told that he might eafily accommodate

(d) Acofta was just going to marry a fecond wife: he had great part of his effects in the hands of one of his brothers, and it was his interest that the trade carried on betwixt them fhould continue. This relation abovementioned hurt him greatly in thefe particulars; for he got the match to be broke off, and he perfuaded Acofta's brother to keep all the goods in his possession, and to trade no longer with him. This ufage (fays Mr. Bayle) may perhaps be accounted one of the reasons which confirmed Acofta in his impious way of thinking, being perfuaded, that fuch unjust

proceedings might be authorised by fome passages in the Old Testament, wherein the law commands brothers, fathers, and husbands, not to fpare the lives of their brothers, children, and wives, in cafe they prove apoftates. And it is to be observed, that he brought in this as an argument against the law of Mofes, affirming that a law which overthrew the reli-gion of nature, could not proceed from God, who was the author of that religion. "Now, fays he, (Exemplar Vitæ Humanæ, p. 552) the religion of nature establishes a bond of friendship amongst relations.”

matters;

matters; that the judges, being fatisfied with his fubmiffioft, would foften the severity of the difcipline. Acofta, however, was caught in a fnare; for they made him undergo the penance in its utmost rigour (e). These particulars, relating to the life of Acofta, are taken from his piece, entitled, Exemplar Humanæ Vitæ, published and refuted by Limborch (ƒ). "Ts fuppofed he composed it a few days before his death, after having determined to lay violent hands on himfelf. He executed this horrid refolution a little after he had failed in his attempt to kill his principal enemy; for the piftol, with which he intended to have fhot him as he paffed his house, having miffed fire, he immediately fhut the door and shot himfelf with another piftol. This happened at Amfterdam, but in what year is not exactly known (g).

(e) The penance he underwent, as he himself defcribes it, was as follows: (Exemplar Vitæ Humanæ, P. 349, 350) A vaft crowd of men and women being affembled at the fynagogue, Acofta entered, and at a time appointed afcended the pulpit, where he read aloud a writing, wherein he confeffed he had deferved a thousand deaths for not keeping the fabbath day, nor the promise he had made; and for having diffuaded fome perfons from embracing the Jewish religion: that, as an atonement for thefe crimes, he was ready to fuffer whatever they should command, and promifed never to be guilty of the like offences. Being come down from the pulpit, he was ordered to retire to a corner of the fynagogue, where he stripped himself to the waist, and pulled off his shoes and stockings. The door-keeper then fastened his hands to the pillar, and the mafter chanter gave him exactly

thirty-nine lashes with a whip; for in these cases they are always careful not to exceed the number prescribed by law. Then the preacher came, who, making him fit upon the ground, declared him abfolved from the excommunication; fo that the gates of Paradife were no longer fhut against him. Acosta after this put on his cloaths, and laid himself on the ground at the door of the fynagogue, where all who came out walked over him.

(f) Mr. Limborch has inferted it at the end of his Amica collatio cum Judæo de Veritate Religionis Chriftianæ.

(g) 'Tis highly probable he killed himself foon after the ceremony of his abfolution, being exasperated at the treatment he had received. It is fuppofed in the Bibliotheque Univerfelle, that he killed himself about the year 1647; but, according to others, it was in 1640, tom. VII. p. 327.

ACRONIUS (John) a native of Friezland, who taught mathematics and phyfic at Bafil with great reputation. He wrote the following books, viz. De Terræ Motu, De Sphæra, De Aftrolabii et Annuli Aftronomici Confectione. He died at Bafil in the flower of his age, in 1563.

There was another John Acronius, a clergyman, born in the fame province as the former. This man was of a turbulent fpirit: he deferted the church of Wefel at a time when it was in great danger. The citizens of Daventer refused him for their

pastor,

paftor, being fenfible he was a very troublesome man. He was chofen minifter of the church of Groningen, which he left in a very abrupt manner; and after he had thrust himself into the divinity chair at Franeker, was found not to have sufficient learning in theology for this charge. He was elected minifter in Haerlem, where, according to his ufual cuftom, he contradicted and criticized every thing. The hiftoriographer of that city allows him to have been a man of great learning; but cenfures him for his feditious fpirit. Some Theodoru writer has compared him to Hefhufius, upon whom was Screvclips, made the following diftich:

Quæritur, Helhufi, quarto cur pulfus ab urbe ?

In promptu caufa eft, feditiofus eras.

"It is afked, Hefhufius, why you was driven from four different cities? The answer is plain, Hefhufius was fedi

tious."

He wrote a book in the Flemish tongue, De Jure Patronatus. He is faid alfo to have been the author of Elenchus Orthodoxus Pfeudo Religionis Romano Catholice, printed at Deventer in 1615, and of a treatife De Studio Theo logico; but Konig afcribes this laft Piece to Acronius, who wrote on the sphere,

There was alfo one Ruard Acronius, who, according to Konig, published Catechetical Expofitions in 1606; and Mr. Bayle fays, that in the beginning of the troubles which the opinions of Arminius occafioned, he wrote a piece against the hypothefis of the Arminians, relating to the power of the ma giftrates in religious matters; and that he was one of the Proteftant champions for the reformed, against the Arminians, in the famous conference at the Hague in 1611,

ACROPOLITA (George) one of the writers in the By zantine Hiftory. He was born at Conftantinople, in the year Alb Fab. 1220, and brought up at the court of the emperor John Ducas, vol.vi.p 440 at Nice. He ftudied mathematics, poetry, and rhetoric under Theodorus Exapterygus, and learned logic of Nicephorus Blemmidas. In his one-and-twentieth year, he maintained a learned difpute with Nicholas the phyfician concerning the eclipte of the fun, before the emperor John. He was at length appointed great logothete, and employed in the most important affairs of the empire. John Ducas fent him embafiador to Lariffa, to establish a peace with Michael of Epirus. He was alfo conftituted judge by this emperor, to try Michael Comnenus for a fufpicion of being engaged in a conspiracy. Theodorus Lafcaris, the fon of John, whom he had taught VOL. I.

F

logie,

See Du Pin

Nouv. Bibl. des Aut. Eccl. tom. X. p. 93. Paris, 1702.

logic, appointed him governor of all the western provinces of his empire. When he held this government, in the year 1255, being engaged in a war with Michael Angelus, he was taken prifoner by him. In 1260 he gained his liberty by means of the emperor Palæologus, who fent him embarfador to Conftantine prince of Bulgaria. After his return, he applied himself wholly to the inftruction of youth, in which employment he acquitted himfelf with great honour for many years; but being at laft weary of the fatigue, he refigned it to Holobolus. In 1272, he fat as one of the judges upon the caufe of John Vecchus, Patriarch of Conftantinople. The year following he was fent to pope Gregory, to fettle a peace and reunion between the two churches, which was accordingly concluded, and he fwore to it, in the emperor's name, at the fecond council of Lyons, in 1274 (a). He was fent emballador to John prince of Bulgaria, in 1282, and died foon after his return. He left behind him several works in the Greek tongue (b). Gregory Cyprian, patriarch of Con

(a) Michael Palæologus having seized upon the empire, and forefeeing that the pope would excite the western princes to take up arms against him and recover Constantinople, he refolved to propofe a reunion of the Greek Church with that of Rome, and accordingly fent the bishop of Crotona for this purpose; but the emperor foon after finding himself out of danger, dropt the affair. However, his apprehenfion again reviving, he fent Embaffadors to Gregory X. to declare his defire for a reunion. The pope replied, That in order to bring about fuch a union, the patriarch, bifhops, and clergy of the Greek church must fign the confeffion of faith drawn up by Clement IV. The emperor, after fome difficulty, brought most of the bishops into his opinion, and fent embaffadors to the pope with a letter, wherein he declared that the Greek church had approved of the confeffion of faith which was fent from Rome, and acknowledged the primacy of the church of Rome. The Greek bishops fent alfo a deputy, with a letter from the archbishop of Ephefus, and thirteen bishops.

These letters were prefented to the pope and the general council at Lyons, in 1274; and George Acropolita fwore, in the emperor's name, to maintain the confeffion of faith above-mentioned, to recognize the primacy of the church of Rome, and to abjure the fchifm. The deputy of the Greek churches did the fame, and the union being thus concluded, the pope fung Te Deum, and ordered the confeffion of faith to be recited in Greek and Latin, and the article of the proceffion of the Holy Ghost to be twice repeated.

(b) 1. A continuation of the Greek Hiftory, from the taking of Conftantinople by the Latins, till it was recovered by Michael Palæologus in 1261. This work makes part of the Byzantine Hiftory. It was found at Pera, and brought to Constantinople by George Douza, and publifhed with a Latin translation and notes by his brother Theodore at Leyden in 1614. The year following it was reprinted at Geneva, without the notes, at the end of Laonichus Chalcondylas.

2. A Treatise concerning Faith, Virtue, and the Soul.

3. Thirty