ISAAC LA, a remarkable character for versatility in religious opinions, was born at Bordeaux, of protestant parents, in 1594. He entered the service of

(A) In the town of Rumsey there is a house which was given by him for the maintenance of a charity-school; the rent of which is still applied to that use. of the Prince of Conde, who was much pleased with the singularity of his genius. From the perusal of St Paul's writings he took into his head to aver, that Adam was not the first of the human race; and, in order to prove this extravagant opinion, he published in 1655 a book, which was printed in Holland in 4to and in 12mo, with this title: Preadamites, seu exercitatio super veribus 12, 13, 14. cap. 15. Epistolae Pauli ad Romanos. This work was burnt at Paris, and the author imprisoned at Bruxelles, through the influence of the archbishop of Malines's grand vicar. The Prince of Conde having obtained his liberty, he travelled to Rome in 1656, and there gave in to Pope Alexander VII. a formal renunciation both of Calvinism and Preadamism. His conversion was not thought to be sincere, at least with regard to this last heresy. His desire to be the head of a new sect is evident; and his book discovers his ambition; for he there pays many compliments to the Jews, and invites them to attend his lectures. Upon his return to Paris, notwithstanding the earnest solicitations of his holiness to remain at Rome, he went again into the Prince of Conde's service in the quality of librarian. Some time after he retired to the seminary des Vertus, where he died the 30th of January 1676, at the age of 82, after the sacraments of the church had been administered to him. Father Simon says, that when he was importuned in his last moments to retract the opinion which he had formed respecting the Preadamites, his answer was, Hi quæcunque ignorant blasphemanter. His having no fixed sentiments of religion is supposed to proceed more from a peculiar turn of mind than a corruption of the heart; for good nature, simplicity of manners, and humanity, seem to have formed his character. "He was (says Niceron) a man of a very equal temper, and most agreeable conversation. He was a little too fond, however, of indulging his wit, which sometimes bordered on railing; but he took care never to hurt or wound the feelings of his neighbour. His learning was extremely limited. He knew nothing either of Greek or Hebrew; and yet he ventured to give a new interpretation of several passages of the sacred volume. He piqued himself on his knowledge of the Latin; but excepting a few poets which he had read, he was by no means an adept in that language. His style is very unequal; sometimes swelling and pompous, at other times low and grovelling." Besides the work already mentioned, he has left behind him, I. A treatise as singular as it is scarce, intitled, Du rappel de Juifs, 1643, in 8vo. The recal of the Israelites, in the opinion of this writer, will be not only of a spiritual nature, but they will be reinstated in the temporal blessings which they enjoyed before their rejection. They will again take possession of the holy land, which will resume its former fertility. God will then raise up to them a king more just, and more victorious, than any of their former sovereigns had been. Now, though all this is doubtless to be understood spiritually of Jesus Christ, yet our author is of opinion, that it ought also to be understood of a temporal prince, who shall arise for the purpose of effecting the temporal deliverance of the Jews; and that this prince shall be no other than the king of France, for the following reasons, which, it is believed, will carry conviction to few minds: 1. Because the two titles of Most Christian, and of Eldelf Son of the Church, are ascribed to him by way of excellence. 2. Because it is presumable, if the kings of France possess the virtue of curing the evil or scrofula, which can only affect the bodies of the Jews; that they will likewise have the power of curing their oblique incredulity, and the other inveterate diseases of their souls. 3. Because the kings of France have for their arms a fleur de luce; and because the beauty of the church is in scripture compared to the beauty of lilies. 4. Because it is probable that France will be the country whither the Jews shall first be invited to come and embrace the Christian faith, and whither they shall retreat from the persecution of the nations that have dominion over them; for France is a land of freedom, it admits of no slavery, and whoever touches it is free.

Peyrere, after explaining his strange system, proposes a method of converting the Jews to Christianity; a method, says Niceron, which will not be acceptable to many. He proposes to reduce the whole of religion to a bare faith or belief in Jesus Christ; taking it for granted, without any shadow of proof, that "it is as difficult to comprehend the articles of our faith, as to observe the ceremonies of Moses."—From this scheme (says he) there would result a double advantage to the church; the reunion of the Jews, and of all those Christians who are separated from the body of the church." Peyrere, when he wrote this book, was a Calvinist; but his Calvinism too nearly resembled the Deism of our age. He confessed himself, that his reason for quitting the Protestants was on account of their being the first and principal opposers of his book concerning the Preadamites.

II. A curious and entertaining account of Greenland, printed in 8vo, 1647. When he was asked, on occasion of this work, why there were so many witches in the north? he replied, "It is because part of the property of these pretended conjurers, when condemned to suffer death, is declared to belong to their judges."

III. An equally interesting account of Iceland, 1663, 8vo. IV. A letter to Philotimus, 1658, in 8vo, in which he explains the reasons of his recantation, &c. We find in Moreri the following epitaph of him, written by a poet of his own times.

La Peyrere ici git, ce bon Israélite, Huguenot, Catholique, enfin Preadamite: Quatre religions lui plurent à la fois, Et son indifférence étoit si peu commune, Qu'après quatre-vingts ans qu'il eut à faire un choix, Le bon homme partit, & n'en choisit pas une.