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vance any Thing, that may countenance Sabellianifm, Arianifm, or the Opinion of those who admitted Three Eternal and Independent Beings. Whereupon he calls the Doctrine of Sabellius, who denied the Trinity, Atheism. We fhould wrong the Memory of that Illuftrious Father, fhould we believe that he really took Sabellius to be an Atheist for denying the Trinity. Too great a Strefs ought not to be laid upon the Words of that Ancient Doctor: He fpeaks Rhetorically, as Mr. Thirlby obferves. "Attamen, fays he, ut quod res eft fateamur, non tam verè Sabellium

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Aias poftulat Gregorius, quam pro fua dicendi Copia ac Facultate, ingeniofe: cum alibi eum re"tius multo Judaifmi infimulet, (Sc. Orat. XXIII) ”. I have obferved in one of my foregoing Sheets, that Servetus called the Trinitarians Atheists: It was not a Rhetorical, but an Enthusiastical way of Speaking.

Mr. Thirlby fays, the Latin Tranflation of the Abbot de Billy, (Billius), tho' it be the beft, is nevertheless full of Mistakes; and that he has mended feveral Faults, and rectified the Latin Stile in many Paffages. As for what concerns the Notes of Mr. Thirlby, they discover his Judgment and Learning in a very young Age, and are a fine Specimen of what the Publick may expect from him hereafter.

ARTICLE XXVII.

LET DEN.

Collection of Teftaceous Fishes, Snails, Shells,

A Collineaf, Test been lately engraved, and

publifh'd by a Virtuofo.

Thefaurus

Thefaurus Imaginum Pifcium teftaceorum, quales funt Cancri, Echini, Echinometra, Stellæ marinæ, &c. ut

Cochlearum; inter quas numerantur Lunares; Laciniata; Valvatæ, five Semilunares; Valvatæ ftriatæ ; Caffides tuberofa, verrucofa, læves & Murices; Globofæ; Buccina; Strombi; Volute; Alate; Porcellanæ majores & minores; Cylindri, &c. Quibus accedunt Conchylia, ut Nautilus, Cornu Ammonis, &c. Concha univalvie & bibalvie; quarum Species Sunt Solenes univalvii, Chamæ afpera, Chamæ læves, Pectines, Pectunculi, Tellinæ, Solenes bivalvii, Muf culi, Pinna, Oftrea, &c. Denique Mineralia; uti Metalla, Lapides & Argillæ, variis in locis reperta. Quorum omnium maximam partem Georgius Everhardus Rumphius, M. D. Academie Cafaree Nature Curioforum Collega, dictus Plinius Indicus, collegit; jam vero Nature Amator & Curiofus quidam in hunc ordinem digeffit, & nitidiffimè ari incidi curavit. Lugduni Batavorum, 1711. in Folio. Pagg. 15. with LX CopperCurs.

This Collection contains the Figures of all the Curiofities lodged in the Cabinet of Dr. Rumphius, befides feveral others, that have been communicated to the Publisher. Here follow fome of the most Curious Pieces engraved in this Book. 1. A Lump of Ambergris weighing an Hundred and eighty two Pounds, which belongs to the Eaft-India Company of Amfterdam. 2. A Figured Stone of a red tranfparent Colour, on which an Hexagone Fort, furrounded with Ramparts and Ditches, is naturally defcribed. 3. Another Stone, which represents a kind of irregular Citadel. Its Circumference of a brownifh transparent Colour, confifting of Three variegated Lines, denotes the Rampart. The Middle of it looks like frozen Water: And there is in its Centre a great Ifland, furrounded with many small ones, of a blue, purple, and red Colour. 4. A Piece of Egyptian Marble, on which one may plainly fee the Figure of a Pope fay ing his Prayers. That Piece was found among the Ruins of a Temple near Rome.

PARIS.

PARIS.

A

BOOK, confifting of Five Differtations upon
Genefis, has been lately published,

Differtations Hiftoriques, Chronologiques, Geographi ques, Critiques fur la Bible. Paris 1711. In 8vo. Pagg. 476.

The firft Differtation concerns the Hiftory of the Creation, and the Chronology and Description of the World from the Creation to the Deluge. That Differtation is divided into VIII Chapters. In the firft, the Author proves that the World is not Eternal; that it was made by an Intelligent and Wife Being; and that it has not a greater Antiquity than what Mofes affigns to it. The uneven Surface of the Earth affords the Author an Argument to fhew that it is not Eternal. It is naturally impoffible, (fays he) that there fhould be any Mountains and Valleys, if the Earth had exifted from all Eternity; for the Waters and the Rain do continually carry off fome Earth from the Mountains into the Valleys. Though that Quantity be never fo fmall, 'tis certain that Mountains would be at last levelled, and Valleys filled up; and therefore if the Earth never had a beginning, 'tis undeniable that there would be no Mountains nor Valleys, and that the Earth would be overflowed with Water, the leaft Diminution being fufficient to deftroy the highest Mountains during the infinite Space of Eternity. Perhaps it will be faid, continues the Author, that new Mountains are formed from Time to Time; but is there any natural Caufe, that can produce Mountains, and make fuch Valleys as those that contain the Waters of the Sea? All the Hiftories that are extant, will not afford one Inftance of a new Mountain appearing upon the Earth. The Winds raise now and then fome fmall Heaps of Sand, but never to a confiderable Height; and those Heaps

Heaps are frequently deftroyed by the fame Cause that formed them. The fecond Chapter contains fome Reflexions upon the firft Chapter of Genefis. In the Third, the Author treats of the Creation of Man: He confures the Book concerning the Preadamites. The Terreftrial Paradife, and the Fall of Man, are the Subjects of the Fourth and Fifth Chapters. In the next, the Author difcourfes of Cain, and his Pofterity; and fhews in what Time of the Year the World was created, and then computes the Time from the Creation to the Deluge.

The Second Differtation contains the Hiftory of the Deluge, with an Account of what happened afterwards till the Difperfion of Men. The Author applies himself particularly to defcribe Noah's Ark, and to remove the Difficulties relating to its Dimenfions.

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The Third Differtation concerns the Difperfion of Men, and the Chronology from the Deluge to the Vocation of Abraham.

In the Fourth Differtation the Author explains the Difficulties that concern the Life of Abraham, and gives an Account of the moft confiderable Occur rences of that Time. He difcourfes of Melchifedec, the Circumcifion, the Deftruction of Sodom, Lot and. his Inceft, the Birth of Ifaac, &c.

In the Laft Differtation, he goes on with the Hiftory of Ifaac, and then proceeds to Jacob and his Children, and to Efau; and concludes with an Ex plication of the Bleffings of the Twelve Patriarchs.

ARTICLE

ARTICLE XXVIII.

AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT, never before publish'd, of the Life and Trial of MICHAEL SERVETUS. In Several Letters to ****. By the Author of thefe Memoirs.

* Letter III.

SIR,

HE Letter of Servetus, inferted in my laft, was produced against him on the 17th of Auguft, to prove that he had abufed Calvin, and fome other Divines of Geneva. I proceed to give you an Account of the most Remarkable Transactions of that Day.

La Fontaine and Colladon exhibited the Two Letters of Oecolampadius, which I have already mentioned, and two Paffages of Melanchthon, to prove the firft Article, importing that Servetus had been condemned in Germany. Here follows the firft Paffage of Melanchthon. "Lufit homo fanaticus, Servetus, de voca"bulo Perfonæ, & difputat olim Latinis fignificaffe "Habitum aut Officii Diftin&tionem, ut dicimus Roscium alias fuftinere Perfonam Achillis, alias fuftinere "Perfonam Ulyffis; feu alia eft Perfona Confulis, alia "Servi,

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* The Second Letter may be feen above, Art. XVI.

† Melanchth. Loci Theologici, Page 321. of his Corpus Doctrine Chriftianæ, printed at Leipfick in 1560.

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