Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/281

 A N G E L U S. 245 born at Peloponnefus in Greece, and obli"c<l by thcTurks to abandon his country on account of his religion, after having differed a variety of torments. He came afterwards to Eng- land, where he was fupportcd by the bifhop of Norwich ami fcveral of the clergy. By this prelate's recommendation, he went to Cambridge, and fludied about thret- ycais in Tnnitvv, college. In Whitfuntide 1610, heremovcdto Oxford, and Al1 '"' iC,. ftudied at Baliol college, where he did great fervice to thec,,*.',^ ' young fcholars of the univeriity, by initructing them in thcr^"i><i c,jit. Greek language ; in which manner he employed himfclf till I 7 il< his death, which happened on the i ft of February, 1638. ANGLUS (THOMAS), an Englifli prieft, well known for the fingularity of his opinion*, and feveral little traiSts which he wrote in the feventeenth century, was born of a good family. He went by ffveral names: Mr. B:<il!et faysVie Dts his true name was White, but that he uft-d to difguife it t " irt ".' under that of Candidus, Albius, Bianchi, and Richworth ; (, ' but he was moft known in France by the name of Thomas Anglus. DCS Cartes generally called him Mr. Vitus. He palled fome time in moft countries of Europe ; but his longeft flay was at Rome and Paris. When he was in England, he lived a confiderable time in the family of fir K^nelm Digby, and fcems to have had a great efteem for the opinions of this gentleman, as may be feen in his writing?, particularly in the preface to his Latin work, " Concerning the inftitutions " of the Peripatetic Philofophy, accoiding to the Hyporhcfis " or Sir Kenelm." He wa^ a great advocate for the peripa- tetic philpfophy. He attempted even to make the principles of Ariftotle fubfervient to explaining the moft impenetrable myfleiies of religion ; and with this view he engaged in the dilcuffion of predeftination, free-will, and grace. Mr. Bail- let fays,** What he wrote upon this fubjedl refemblcs thean- brought againft him by feveral authors, may not perhaps be improperly mentioned here, as it gives an idea of the peculi- arity of his temper and genius : " I value myfelf," fays he, " upon a brevity and concifenefs, which is fuitable to the " teachers of fcience. The divines are the caufe that my l< tunity of explaining myfelf: in (hort, either the learned underftand me, or they do not : if they do underrtand me, and find me in aji error, it is eafy for them to refute me j if they do not underftand me, it is unreafonable tor them to exclaim againft my doclrines." In fuch abftrufe points R 2 as (C tc 4(
 * cient oracles forobfcurity." His anfwcr to this acculation
 * writings are obfcure, for they refufe to give me any oppor-