SAURIN, Jacques, a celebrated preacher, was the son of a Protestant lawyer, and was born at Nismes in 1677.
He applied to his studies with great success; but being captivated with a military life, he relinquished them for the profession of arms. In 1694 he made a campaign as a cadet in Lord Galloway's company, and soon afterwards obtained a pair of colours in the regiment of Colonel Renault, which served in Piedmont. But the Duke of Savoy having made peace with France, he returned to Geneva, and resumed the study of philosophy and theology under Turretin and other professors. In 1700 he visited Holland, then went to England, where he remained for several years, and married. In 1705 he returned to the Hague, where he fixed his residence, and preached with the most unbounded applause. To an exterior appearance highly prepossessing, he added a strong and harmonious voice. The sublime prayer which he recited before his sermon was uttered in a manner highly affecting. Nor was the attention excited by the prayer, dissipated by the sermon. All who heard it were charmed; and those who came with an intention to criticise, were carried along with the preacher and forgot their design. Saurin had, however, one fault in his delivery; he did not manage his voice with sufficient skill. He exhausted himself so much in his prayer and the beginning of his sermon, that his voice grew feeble towards the end of the service. His sermons, especially those which were published during his life, are distinguished for justness of thought, force of reasoning, and an eloquent, unaffected style. Saurin died on the 30th of December 1730, aged fifty-three years.
He wrote, first, Sermons, which were published in 12 vols. 8vo and 12mo, some of which display great genius and eloquence, and others are composed with negligence. One may observe in them the imprecations and the aversion which the Calvinists of that age were wont to utter against the Roman Catholics. Saurin was, notwithstanding, a lover of toleration; and his sentiments on this subject gave great offence to some of his fanatical brethren, who attempted to obscure his merit and embitter his life. They found fault with him because he did not call the pope Antichrist, and the Church of Rome the whore of Babylon.
Secondly, he published Discours, historical, critical, and moral, on the most memorable events of the Old and New Testament. This is his greatest and most valuable work. It was first printed in 2 vols. folio. As it was left unfinished, Beausobre and Roques undertook a continuation of it, and increased it to four volumes. He also published L'Etat du Christianisme en France, 1725, 8vo, in which he discusses many important points of controversy, and calls in question the truth of the miracle said to have been performed on La Fosse at Paris; and an Abrégé of Christian theology and morality, in the form of a catechism, 1722, 8vo.
A Dissertation which he published on the Expediency of sometimes Disguising the Truth raised a multitude of enemies against him. He was immediately attacked by several adversaries, and a long controversy ensued; but his doctrines and opinions were at length publicly approved of by the synods of Campen and the Hague. This work was translated into English by Chamberlayne, London, 1723. Five volumes of his Sermons were likewise translated by R. Robinson, 1775.