Jacques Bernard

Who was Jacques Bernard?

Jacques Bernard, French theologian and publicist, was born at Nions in Dauphiné.

Having studied at Geneva, he returned to France in 1679, and was chosen minister of Venterol in Dauphiné. He moved to the church of Vinsobres. As he continued to preach the reformed doctrines he was obliged to leave the country and retired to Holland, where he was appointed one of the pensionary ministers of Gouda. In July 1686 he began publishing the Histoire abregée de l'Europe which he continued, monthly, till December 1688.

In 1692 he began his Lettres historiques, containing an account of the most important events in Europe. He carried on this work till the end of 1688. When Le Clerc discontinued his Bibliothèque universelle in 1691, Bernard wrote the greater part of the twentieth volume and the five following volumes. In 1698 he collected and published Actes et mémoires des négociations de la paix Ryswick, in four volumes 12mo.

In 1699 he began a continuation of Bayle's Nouvelles de la republique des lettres, which continued till December 1710.