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Acontius inundated by the Thames in the parishes of Erith, Lesnes, and Plumstead, and an act was passed decreeing that he should have as a reward one half of all such land recovered by him within four years from 10 March 1562. He also petitioned the queen on the subject, and obtained a license on 24 June 1563 to take up workmen. By 8 Jan. 1566, a tract of 600 acres had been won from the river. A portion was again lost, and then he entered into a partnership with G. B. Castiglione and some English tradesmen to make further efforts.

He enjoyed the patronage of the Earl of Leicester, to whom, in August 1564, he presented a remarkable treatise on the use and study of history, which still remains in manuscript.

In 1565 he brought out his famous ‘Stratagemata Satanæ,’ printed at Bâle in Latin and French by his friend Perna. He distinguishes between the fundamental and accessory dogmas of Christianity, and reduces the number of the former to very few, among which are not reckoned those of the Trinity and Real Presence. The apostles' creed contains all necessary doctrines, and the numerous confessions of faith of different communions are the ruses of the Evil One, stratagemata Satanæ, to tempt man from the truth. Orthodox divines have objected to the dangerously catholic spirit displayed in this book, and the writer has been styled Arian, Socinian, and even Deist. His Arianism can scarcely be doubted; his theological career in England certainly favours the charge. But he deserves all honour for the strong protests against capital punishment for heresy and for the liberal reasoning in favour of toleration which give the book its permanent place in ecclesiastical literary history. It attracted great attention. Three editions of the original text appeared in the sixteenth century, and eleven (three being in England) in the seventeenth century, besides French, English, German, and Dutch translations. ‘Stratagemata Sathanæ’ is placed in the appendix to the Tridentine ‘Index Libb. Prohibb.’ (1569) among anonymous books. Evidently the title alone was sufficient to condemn the book. The Roman Index of 1877 describes it with fitting bibliographical accuracy. The opinions of theologians on the work have been collected by Crussius (Crenii Animadv. pt. ii. 32) and Ancillon (Mélange critique, i. 24–9).

Acontius's heterodox religious opinions were once more to bring him into trouble. The last we hear of him is from a letter dated 6 June 1566, in answer to a charge of Sabellianism. He is believed to have died shortly afterwards, leaving his papers under the charge of G. B. Castiglione, the queen's master of Italian and groom of the privy chamber, who published the ‘Timor di Dio.’

The following is a bibliographical list of his works: — 1. ‘J. Acontius de Methodo, h. e. de recta investigandarum tradendarumque scientiarum ratione,’ Basileæ, ap. P. Pernam, 1558. First edition, reprinted at Geneva in 1582 ap. Eustathium Vignon, ‘multo quam antea castigatius;’ again at Lugd. Bat. 1617, sm. 8vo, and in G. J. Vossii et aliorum de studiorum ratione opuscula,’ Ultraj. 1651, sm. 8vo. 2. ‘Satanæ Stratagemata libri octo, J. Acontio authore, accessit eruditissima epistola de ratione edendorum librorum ad Johannem Vuolfium Tigurinum eodem authore,’ Basileæ, ap. P. Pernam, 1565, 4to. The genuine first edition, of extreme rarity. Bibliographers are unaware of the existence of two editions of this year. The one usually quoted is in smaller type, and is entitled ‘Stratagematum Satanæ libri octo,’ &c. Basileæ, ap. P. Pernam, 1665, sm. 8vo. Reprinted Basileæ, 1582, 8vo, and ‘curante Jac. Grassero,’ ib. 1610, 8vo, ib. ap. Waldkirchium, 1616, ib. 1618, ib. 1620, Amst. 1624, Oxon. G. Webb, 1631, sm. 8vo, Lond. 1648, Oxon. 1650, Amst. Jo. Ravenstein, 1652, sm. 8vo, ib. 1674, sm. 8vo, Neomagi, A. ab. Hoogenhuyse, 1661, sm. 8vo. The French translation is ‘Les Ruses de Satan receuillies et comprinses en huit liures,’ Basle, P. Perne, 1565, 4to; printed with the same type as the first Latin 4to, wanting the ‘Ep. ad Wolfium’ and the index. The first issue of the English translation is called ‘Satan's Stratagems, or the Devil's Cabinet-Council discovered. . . together with an epistle written by Mr. John Goodwin and Mr. Durie's letter concerning the same,’ London, J. Macock, sold by J. Hancock, 1648, 4to. The date of Thomason's copy (British Museum) has been altered by him to 1647; he purchased it on 14 Feb. The translator announces that if the work found favour he would finish it, but only the first four books were published. There are three dedications — one to the parliament, one to Fairfax and Cromwell, and one to John Warner, lord mayor. The stock seems to have been sold to W. Ley, who issued it with a new title, ‘Darkness Discovered, or the Devil's Secret Stratagems laid open,’ &c., London, J. M. 1651, 4to, with a doubtfully authentic etching of ‘James Acontius, a Reverend Diuine.’ Thomason dated his copy July 7. A German translation came out at Bâle in 1647, sm. 8vo, and a Dutch version, Amst. 1662, 12mo. 3. ‘Eruditissima epistola de ratione