A new history of ecclesiastical writers containing an account of the authors of the several books of the Old and New Testament, of the lives and writings of the primitive fathers, an abridgement and catalogue of their works ... also a compendious history of the councils, with chronological tables of the whole / written in French by Lewis Ellies du Pin.

(x) Who say that the History of Job is wholly feigned.] This is the Opinion of the Talmu∣dists, of Maimonides, and several Rabbins; but Ezekiel, ch. 14. v. 14. Tobit, ch. 2. v. 12. and St. James in his Epistle, speaks of him as a Man that really was. The proper Names of Job, of his Friends, of his Country, of the Number of his Children, serve to shew that it is a true History. St. Cyprian in his Treatise of Patience, St. Jerome in his Ep. 103, St. Basil, Homily the 4th, St. Austin in his Sermon 103, and all the Fathers, speak of him after this manner. 'Tis alledged a∣gainst this Opinion, that the proper Names of this Book have Mystick Significations; That Job signifies a Man in Grief; Uz, Counsel; Zophar, one that is Watchful; Eliphaz, the Law of God; Elihu, God himself. To this it is answered, That most Hebrew Names have such sort of Significa∣tions. All the other Objections only prove, That this History is delivered Poetically. This is re∣ally true in this History, that there was a cer∣tain great Person named Job, who was reduced to the extremity of Misery, by the loss of his Goods, and his Children, heighten'd by a very severe fit of Sickness; that he supported himself under all these Afflictions with incredible Pati∣ence; and at last was restored to a prosperous Condition. Upon the Occasion of this remark∣able Event, some one or other composed the Book of Job, the Discourses of his Friends, the Answers of Job, &c.