Laurence Richard, Dcl

Laurence Richard, D.C.L., a distinguished English prelate, was born at Bath in 1760; matriculated in the University of Oxford July 14, 1778, as an exhibitioner of Corpus Christi College; took the degree of B.A. April 10, 1782; that of M.A. July 9, 1785, and those of B. and D.C.L. June 27, 1794. Upon the appointment in 1796 of his brother, Dr. French Laurence, to the regius professorship of civil law, he was made deputy professor at Oxford. In 1804 he preached the Bampton Lectures, and the reputation thence acquired secured for him from the archbishop of Canterbury the rectory of Mersham, Kent. In 1814 he was appointed to the chair of regius professor of Hebrew, and to the canonry of Christ Church, Oxford, and in 1822 was elevated to the archiepiscopal see of Cashel. He died in Dublin December 28, 1838. His most important works are his translations of certain apocryphal books of the O.T. from the Ethiopic, accompanied by critical investigations: Ascensio Isaiae Vatis, opusculum pseudepigraphum, multis abhine saeculis, ut videtur, ut id depreditum, nunc autem apud AEthiopas compertum et cum versione Latina Anglicanaque public jurisfactum (Oxon. 1819, 8vo): — Primi Ezrae Libri, qui aplud Vulgatum apellatur quartus versio AEthiopica, nunc primo in medium prolata et Latine Angliceque reddita (Oxon. 1820, 8vo). The translation is followed by general remarks upon the different versions of this book, its apocryphal character, the creed of its author, and the probable period of its composition, SEE ESDRAS: — The Book of Enoch the Prophet, an apocryphal production, supposed to have been lost for ages, but discovered at the close of the last century in Abyssinia, now first published from an Ethiopic MS. in the Bodleian Library (Oxford, 1821, 8vo; 3d ed. 1838), SEE ENOCH, BOOK OF: — also, Remarks on the systemalical Classification of MSS. adopted by Griesbach in his Edition of the Greek Testameent (Oxf 1814, 8vo): — Dissertation on the Logos of St. John

(Oxf. 1808, 8vo): — Critical Relections upon some important Misrepresentations contained in the Unitarian Version of the N.T. (Oxford, 1811, 8vo): — The Book of Job in the Words of the A.T., arranged and printed in conformity with the Masoretic text (Dublin, 1828, 8vo): — On the Existence of the Soul after Death (London, 1834, 8vo). This work, written in opposition to Priestley, Law, and their respective followers, discusses the usage of the terms κοιμᾶσθαι and Sheol, and enters into the critical examination of various scriptural narratives: — An Attempt to illustrate those Articles of the Church of England which the Calvinists inmproperly consider as Calvinistical (seven sermons preached as Bampton Lectures, Oxford, 1838, 8vo); and several sermons on the doctrine of Atonement (Oxford. 1810, 8vo), Baptismal Regeneration (1815, 8vo), and on Baptism (1838, 8vo). See Kitto, Bibl. Cyclopl. volume 2, s.v.; Allibone, Dict. Brit. and Am. Auth. volume 2, s.v.; Lond. Gentl. Mag. 1839, part 1, page 205 sq.; Darling, Cyclop. Bibliograph. volume 2, s.v.