Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 01.djvu/16

 important of them he had already contemplated at Paris; it bore the title of ‘Traité de la Vérité de la Religion chrétienne,’ 2 vols. 8vo, Rotterdam, 1684. The book went through a vast number of editions and was translated into several languages, an English version, by Henry Lussan, appearing in 1694. Completed by a third volume, the ‘Traité de la Divinité de Nôtre Seigneur Jésus-Christ,’ it appeared at Rotterdam, 1689, seventh edition, Amsterdam, 1729. An English translation, entitled ‘A Sovereign Antidote against Arian Poyson,’ 12mo, appeared in London, 1719, and again ‘revised, corrected, and, in a few places, abridged, by Abraham Booth,’ under the title of ‘The Deity of Jesus Christ essential to the Christian Religion,’ 8vo, London, 1777. The entire apology for Christianity formed by the three volumes of the ‘Traité,’ which combated severally the heresies of atheism, deism, and Socinianism, was received with unanimous praise by protestants and catholics. Abbadie continued to occupy his pastorate at Berlin until the death of the great elector, which took place 29 April 1688. He then accepted the invitation of Marshal Schomberg to accompany him to Holland and England, and in the autumn of 1689 he went to Ireland with the marshal. It was in the Irish camp that Abbadie commenced one of his most successful works, which was published at Rotterdam in 1692, as ‘L'Art de se connoître soi-même; ou, La Recherche des Sources de la Morale,’ 8vo, and went through many editions and amplifications. Translations of this work into other languages include a popular English version by the Rev. Thomas Woodcock, ‘The Art of Knowing One-self,’ 12mo, Oxford, 1694.

After the battle of the Boyne, Abbadie repaired to London, where he was presently appointed minister of the French church in the Savoy, which had been founded about the year 1641. Abbadie subsequently published a revised version of the French translation of the English liturgy used at this church, with an epistle dedicatory to King George I. Abbadie's sermons have been variously judged. He was often appointed to deliver occasional discourses, both in London and Dublin, but his want of facility in English prevented his preferment in England, and also excluded him from the deanery of St. Patrick's, Dublin, to which William III wished to promote him. Abbadie's health suffered from devotion to his duties in the Savoy, and from the climate of this country. He therefore settled in Ireland, and in 1699 the deanery of Killaloe was conferred upon him by the king, whose special favour he had attracted by a spirited vindication of the Revolution of 1688, ‘Défense de la Nation Britannique,’ 12mo, La Haye, 1693, written in answer to Bayle's ‘Avis important aux Réfugiés,’ 1690, and by the funeral oration on Queen Mary (Author:Henry Cotton (1789-1879), Fasti Ecclesiæ Hibernicæ, i. 412;, Diocese of Killaloe, 8vo, Dublin, 1878). Abbadie had also written, at the request of the king, ‘Histoire de la dernière Conspiration d'Angleterre,’ 8vo, London, 1696, which was reprinted in Holland and translated into English, and for which the Earl of Portland and Secretary Sir William Trumbull placed original documents at the author's disposal. It was this work, now extremely scarce, that chiefly helped Abbadie's preferment. After its production, ‘his majesty sent him to Ireland, with an order to the lords justices to confer upon him some dignity in the church, which order was complied with by his promotion to the deanery of Killalow’ (Daily Courant, 5 Oct. 1727).

The remainder of Abbadie's life was spent in writing, preaching, and in the performance—not too sedulous, for he was frequently absent from his benefice—of the ordinary duties of his office, varied by visits to England and to Holland, where most of his books were printed. Amongst his productions of this period the principal was entitled ‘La Vérité de la Religion Chrétienne Réformée, 2 vols. 8vo, Rotterdam, 1717, second edition 1718, a controversial treatise which in its four parts attacks the characteristic doctrines of the Romish church; it was translated into English, for the use of the Roman catholics of his diocese of Dromore, by Dr. Ralph Lambert, afterwards bishop of Meath. The work was completed in 1723 in ‘Le Triomphe de la Providence et de la Religion; ou, l'Ouverture des sept Seaux par le Fils de Dieu, où l'on trouvera la première partie de l'Apocalypse clairement expliquée par ce qu'il y a de plus connu dans l'Histoire et de moins contesté dans la Parole de Dieu. Avec une nouvelle et très-sensible Démonstration de la Vérité de la Religion Chrétienne,’ 4 vols. 12mo, Amsterdam. Abbadie visited Holland to see ‘La Vérité’ through the press; and afterwards stayed more than three years at Amsterdam, 1720–23, during the preparation of ‘Le Triomphe’ and other works. He returned to Ireland in 1723. Abbadie's income as dean of Killaloe was so small that he could not afford a literary amanuensis; and Dr. Boulter, archbishop of Armagh, having appealed in vain to Lord Carteret, the lord lieutenant, on Abbadie's behalf, gave him a letter of introduction to Dr. Edmund Gibson, bishop of London, and Abbadie left Ireland. He established himself at Marylebone, 