Laufifer, Jacob, a Swiss Protestant minister and historian, was born at Zoffingen July 25, 1688, and stud- ied theology at Halle and Utrecht. In 1718 he became professor of history and eloquence at Berne. He died Feb. 26, 1734. His works are not of special interest to theological students, excepting, perhaps, De llostium tSpoliis Deo sacratis et sac?-amlis (1717).
Laughter (pnif, yfAwc,), an action usually ex- pressing Joy (Gen. xxi, 6; Psa. cxxvi, 2; Eccles. iii, 4; Luke vi, 21); sometimes mockery (Gen. xviii, 13; Ec- cles. ii, 2 ; James iv, 9) ; and occasionally conscious se- curity (Job V, 22). 'When used concerning God (as in Psa. ii, 4; lix, 8; Prov. i, 26) it signifies that he de- spises or pays no regard to the person or subject. See Isaac.
Laughton, George, D.D., an English minister, lived in the latter half of the IHth century. Among his works of importance are his History of A ncient Egypt (Lond. 1774, 8vo) : — Reply to Chap. XV of Gibbon's De- cline and Eall (1780-86). His Sermons were published from 1773-90. — .\llibone, Diet, of British and Amei-ican Authors, ii, 1064.
Laugier, Marc Antoine, a French Jesuit, was born at Manos July 25, 1713. He was a priest at Paris imtil 1757, when he was appointed to the abbey of Ri- beaute. He died April 7, 1769. For a list of his works on various subjects, see Hoefer, Nouv, Bioyr. Generule, xxix, 894.
Launay, Pierre de, lord of La Motte and Vaufee- lan, a French Protestant theologian, was born at Blois in 1573. After holding a high position in the war de- partment, he resigned in 1613, retaining only the title of secretary' and counsellor to the king, and devoted liimself exclusively to study. He acquired the mastery over Greek, learned Hebrew from a Jewish teacher, and was for forty years a member of the Consistory of Cha- renton. He took part in several provincial synods, and was secretary of the two national synods of Charenton in 1623 and of Alen^on in 1637. He died at Paris June 27, 1661. His works are. Paraphrase et Erposition du Prophete Daniel (Sedan, \(>i\) ;— Paraphrase et claire Exposition du Lie re d^' Salomon vnlr/airement appele r Ecclisiitste (Saiut-Manrice, 1624, 8vo) : — Paraphrase et Exposition des Prorerbes de Salomon et du premier Chapitre du Cantique des Caniiques (Charenton, 1650, 2 vols. 8vo; 2d cd. 1655, 12mo) -.—Paraphrase et Exposi- tion de VEpistre de Saint Paul aux Romains (Saumur, 1647, 8vo) : — Para})hrase sur les Epistres de Saint Paul (Charenton 1650, 2 vols, -ito): — Paraphrase et Exposi- tion de r Apocalypse (Geneva, 1651, 4to) ; published un- iler the name of Jonas le Buy de la Prie. In this work he advances opinions on the jNIillFunium which were strongly opposed by Amyraut : — Examen de la RepUque de M. A myraut (Charenton, 1658, 8vo) : — Traite de la Sainic Cene du Seigneur, uvea I' Explication de quelques
Passages difficiles du Vieux et du Nouveau Testament (Saumur, 1659, 12mo): — Remarques sur le Texte de la Bible, ou Explication des Mots, des Phrases, et des Ei- gures difficiles de la sainte Eci-itui-e (Geneva, 1667, 4to), a posthumous and highly esteemed work. See Haag, La Erance Protestante. — Hoefer, Nouv, Biog. Generale, xxix, 907.
Lauiioi, Jean de, a noted French Roman Catholic historian and canonist, was born at Yal-de-Sis, near Ya- logne, Dec. 21, 1603. He studied at Constance and Par- is, where he was received magister in June, 1034. In the same year he entered the Church. He was highly esteemed among the learned men of his time. On a journey to Rome he became the intimate friend of Luc Holstenius and Leo AUatius. His whole life was de- voted to the study of theology at the Sorbonne in Paris ; he never sought any promotion, but preferred to serve his Church by his pen, which he wielded with great power and ability. He died at Paris March 10, 1678. Moreri says of him : '• The great number of his works, and the manner in which they are written, give ample evidence of his extensive reading and ready ability. But his style is neither ornate nor polished ; he uses awkward, obsolete expressions; handles his subjects very peculiarly ; and, if he overcomes his adversaries, he also tires his readers by the profusion of his quotations. He coukl not endure I'ables nor superstitions, and defended with great firmness the rights of the Church and of the king, which were endangered by the idtramontanes." In a noble spirit of independence, he preferred expulsion from the Sorbonne rather than to indorse the condem- nation of Arnauld by that body, although he differed from that theologian in his views on grace. He even went so far as to ■v\Tite against the Eormulaire of the assembly of the clergy of 1656. He particularly distin- guished himself by his acumen in discovering the spu- riousness of most of the acts of the saints, as also of a number of ecclesiastical privileges. Dom Bonaventure, of Argonne, writes of him : '• He is dangerous alike to heaven and to earth ; he has overthrown more saints in paradise than were canonized by any ten popes. He looked with suspicion on the whole martyrologia, and ex- amined the claims of the saints one after another, as they do in France about the nobility." His writings are main- ly of a historico-critical nature, and in tendency apolo- getical in behalf of Gallicanism. The most important of them are. Syllabus ratiomtm quibus caussa Durandi de modo cmijuctionis concursuum Dei et creaturce, dfferuli- tur (Par. 1636, 8vo) : — De mente cotwilii Tridentini circa satisfactionem in sacramento pcenitentia; (1644), in which he maintains that the Coimcil of Trent and the practice of the Church do not prove that satisfaction must pre- cede absolution : — De frequenti Confessionis et Eucharis- tim 1ISU (1653) -. — De commentitio Lazari, Magdalerm, Martha ac Maximini in provinciam Appulsu (1660, 8vo) : — De auctoritate negantis argumenti (Paris, 1050 and 1662, 8 vo), wherein he affirms he had himself seen at Sienna, in 1634. the statue of the popess Joanna placed between those of Leo IV and Benedict HI. It produced quite a controversy, and abbot Thiers wrote against it Defensio adversus Joh.de Launoi in qua defensione Lau- noii fraufks calumnice, plagia, impostura, etc. (Paris, 1664): — De recta Nicani canonis VI,et prout a Rufno explicatur, Inielligentia : — De veteri Ciborutn Delectu in jt'jvniis Christianorum: — Judicium de Auctore libri De Imitatione Christi (Paris, 1649, 1650, 1052, 1063, 8vo). Launoi advocates the claim of Gersen. See Kkmpis, TiiojiAS A : — De Cura Ecclesim pro Miseris et pauperi- bus (Paris, 1663, 8vo) -.—Epistola; (Par. 1664-1673,8 vols. 8vo ; Cambridge, 1689, 1 vol. folio) : — De rero A uctore fidei professionis qum Pelagio Hieronymo, A ugustino tri- bui solet, in which he attempts to prove that Pelagius is the only author of the profession of faith attributed to Jerome and Augustine : — Explicala Ecclesice Traditio circa canonem " Omnis utriusque sexus^' (Par. 1672, 8vo), a highly-esteemed work: — Regia in Matrimonium Potes- tas, vel de jure scecularium principum Christianorum in