JEAN DAILLÉ

ON

THE EPISTLES

TO THE

PHILIPPIANS AND COLOSSIANS.

$ 576.9

AN

EXPOSITION

OF

THE EPISTLE OF SAINT PAUL

TO THE

PHILIPPIANS.

BY THE REV. JEAN DAILLÉ,

MINISTER OF THE FRENCH REFORMED CHURCH AT CHARENTON, A. D. 1639.

TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH

BY THE REV. JAMES SHERMAN,

MINISTER OF SURREY CHAPEL.

LONDON:

HENRY G. BOHN, YORK STREET,

COVENT GARDEN.

MDCCCXLIII.
с

MEMOIR

OF THE

REV. JEAN DAILLÉ.

JEAN DAILLE, a celebrated French protestant minister, was born at Chattellerault, in the year 1594. His father, who was the receiver of the consignations at Poitiers, designed him for business, and to become his successor in his office. But observing his son's strong inclination to books, he judiciously yielded to it, and sent him, when he had attained his eleventh year, to St. Maixent, in Poitou, to acquire the rudiments of learning. He continued his studies successively at Poitiers, Chattellerault, and Saumur. At the last place he finished his course of philosophy under the celebrated Mark Duncan; and began his theological studies at Saumur, in the year 1612. In the same year he was received into the family of the illustrious M. du Plessis-Mornay, in the honourable capacity of tutor to his two grandsons. This was one of the most felicitous providences in M. Daille's life; for though he was, doubtless, well qualified for his trust, and faithfully discharged it, yet it is said that he received as much instruction from the venerable grandfather as he communicated to the grandsons. Mornay was extremely pleased with him, and frequently read with him, and imparted to him those rich stores of learning and knowledge with which his own mind. was furnished; so that some have attributed the great celebrity which Daillé afterwards attained to the assistance he received from his noble patron; and it may be justly supposed that the counsels and instructions of that excellent man were not wasted on him. After enjoying the advantages of this situation for seven years, he set out on his travels with his pupils, and went to Geneva, and thence through Piedmont and Lombardy to Venice, and other parts of Italy. While at Mantua one of his pupils was taken ill, and he removed him, with all speed, to Padua, where greater liberty was allowed to protestants than in other parts of Italy; but there the young man died, and it was not without great address that Daillé, aided by the memorable Father Paul, avoided the observation of the inquisitors, in removing his corpse to France, that it might be interred in the burial-place of his ancestors. While at Venice M. Daillé entered into a most intimate friendship with the erudite and candid historian of the Council of Trent, and afterwards spoke of the results of this intimacy as the principal benefits which he received from his travels; and, on the other hand, such was the affection that Paul conceived for him, that he used his utmost endeavour with a French physician, of the protestant religion, and one of his intimate friends, to prevail with him to stay at Venice.*

This circumstance, among many others, has been thought no inconsiderable proof that Father Paul concealed, under the habit of a monk, a temper devoted to protestantism and its professors. His detestation of the corruptions of the Romish Church appears in all his writings, but particularly in the following remarkable passage in one of his letters: “There is nothing more essential than to ruin the reputation of the Jesuits. By the ruin of the Jesuits, Rome will be ruined; and if Rome be ruined, religion will reform of itself."