Martin, Jacques De

Martin, Jacques de a French ecclesiastic, noted as a writer on philosophical subjects, was born in the diocese of Mirepoix, May 11, 1684; was educated at 'Toulouse; entered the order of the Congregation of St. Maur in 1709; taught the humanities at Sorize; went to Paris in 1727, and died there Sept. 5, 1751. He was a multifarious writer, and possessed an unusual acquaintance with the most diversified subjects of learning. But he was censured for the immodesty of his illustrations. His most important work is La Religion des Gaulois (Paris, 1727, 2 vols. 4to), in which he attempts to prove that the religion of the Gauls was derived from that of the patriarchs; and that, consequently, an illustration of their religious ceremonies must tend to throw light on many dark passages in the Scriptures. He wrote also Explicastions de plusieults textes dtficiles de l'Ecriture Sainte: — Ie l'origine de l'amine, selon le sentimenzt de Saint Augusstin (1736, 12mo). See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, 34:37.