A supplement to The great historical, geographical, genealogical and poetical dictionary: being a curious miscellany of sacred and profane history / Collected especially out of Lewis Morery, D. D., his 8th ed. cor. and enl. by Monsieur Le Clerc; in two volumes in folio. By Jer. Collier. Together with a continuation from the year 1688, to this time, by another hand.
- Louis Moréri
- Date:
- 1705
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A supplement to The great historical, geographical, genealogical and poetical dictionary: being a curious miscellany of sacred and profane history / Collected especially out of Lewis Morery, D. D., his 8th ed. cor. and enl. by Monsieur Le Clerc; in two volumes in folio. By Jer. Collier. Together with a continuation from the year 1688, to this time, by another hand. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![AMY AMY at laft admitted to Audience, according to ancient Cuftom, and the InltruCtions of his Principals. This Delegation made him known to Cardinal Richlieu, who was lurpriz’d to find him Qualityd in fo many Rel'peCts beyond the ufual Furniture ot an Univerfity Man. Some time after he publifh'd a Tract, in which fie explain’d the Points ot Predeftination and Grace, by Camerons Hypothefis. Thefe Papers rais’d a lort of Civil War among the Protcliant Divines of France : Thole who were of a different Opinion cryd out up¬ on the Novelty of thele Tenents, ctpecially when they law Du Moulin appear again!! him ; this Adver- iary charging him with no lels than direCtly eroding the Synod of Don, and abetting Armhaamjm. The Authority of this Eminent Divine, who had got him- felf an extraordinary Reputation by a great many Controvcrfial TraCts, made fuch an Impreffion upon the Majority of the Minillers, that notwithllanding Amy raid w had pub bill’d a Dilcourfe, in which he en¬ deavour’d to prove that Calvin held Univerl'al Grace ; notwithllanding this. I lay, a great Number of the Delegates, lent to the National Synod at Alenpon, were charg’d with InllruCtions againll Amyraldus, and fomc of’em were lo warm in their Averfions, that nothing but calhiering him would lerve their turn : 'However* the Synod having heard Amyraldus explain his Opinion, and fatisfie the Objections made again!! it, dilinifs’d him to Ins Poll, with Marks ot ReipeCt, and enjoynd both fidesSilence in the Points conteilcd ; which Order notwithllanding wras not well oblerv’d. In 1645, there was a Complaint preferr’d againll Amyraldus to the National Synod at Charenton, letting forth That he had broken the Orders of Silence; whicn Charge was Recriminated upon his Adverlarics by Amyraldus. The Synod hulli’d all ilieie Com¬ plaints, fet outnewr Orders for Silence, lent oil' Amy¬ tal dm very honourably to his Poll, and gave lain Leave to defend himlelf againll thole Foreigners that lliould attack him, accordingly as the Synod of Anjou fhould think convenient. Now this Synod gave him Leave to publilh an Anfwer to Spanheims Three Vo¬ lumes touching UnivcrfJ Grace ; which gave occafion to the writing feveral other Books upon this Argu¬ ment. In 1645, fitting the National Synod at Cha¬ renton, Amyraldus wras dclir’d by the Delegates to en¬ gage in a Confeience with Monficur ci la Alilletiere, to try to bring him over : Tiie Conference lalled feve¬ ral Days, but broke ofl without Prolelyting either fide. At this Synod, the Opinion of Monfieur d‘ la Place concerning Original Sin, was pretty warmly attack’d. Mr. Amyraut (i. e. Amy raid us J being in¬ form’d of this Contell, appear’d at the Scffion on the behalf of his Collegue, and, in a long Dilcourfe up¬ on this SubjeCl, made it appear, that his Friend's Opi¬ nion was perfeCllv inoftenfive. Amy raid ns was not only commended for the Learning and Parts he lhew’d upon this occafion, but likewile fertile Difmterefled- nels and Generality ot his Temper ; for we mull un¬ derhand, that Amyraldus's Opinion and Dc la Places were not the fame upon this Point. Amyraldus lur- viv’d his two Collegucs, and liv’d to publilli a great many Books. To lay only he wrote with a great deal of Fale, is to cramp his CharaClcr; for he had an ex¬ traordinary Volubility in lpeaking both in Latine and French, in the Pulpit, and in tiie ProfeBor’s Chair. He underllood Men and Bufmels as well as Books, and was no lels a Gentleman than a Scholar, being very Entertaining in Convcrfation upon molt Sub¬ jects Foreign to his Employment. His being thus ac- complifh’d, and univertally furnilh’d, was that which made him lo much valu’d and refpected by Perlbrls of Quality of the Roman Catholick Religion. 1 have oblerv d that Cardinal Rich lien had an Elteem for him : W e need not mention that he open’d his great Delign of Reconciling the Two Churches to him ; for this would have been no particular Mark of Confidence, the Cardinal having loundcd leveral French Protcllants in this Point, much inferior to Amyraldus: However, :t may not be improper to mention what pals’d be¬ tween Amyraldus and a ]eluit order’d by the Cardinal to treat with him upon the Head of Religion. The Jciuit’s Name was Father Audebert : This Father and Amyraldus Din’d together at Mohfieur D' Ttlleneuve’s, the King’s' Lieutenant,'at Saumur: After Dilitter,; this Gentleman left Amyraldus and Father Audebert toge¬ ther, that they might be in private for a Conference. Tis true, Mr. Amyraut declar’d, that lie fhould be ob¬ lig’d to communicate all that pafs’d between ’em to his Brethren. The Jcfuit open’d the Conference, by d daring, that the King, and his Eminence the Cardi¬ nal, had Lent him to make fome Propolals of Accom¬ modation in Religion : And then entring upon the Particulars of the SubjeCl, told him, That out of a Delire for Unity and Peace, they were willing to drop the Invocation of Saints, Purgatory, and the Merit of Works; That they vVouId take care that the Pope’s Power fhould be limited ; and that if the Court of Rome refus’d to comply in this Point, they would take an Occafion from thence to let up a Pa¬ triarch. He likewile declar’d, tiie Cup lliould be given to the Laity, and that they would relax far- ther upon other Points, if they perceiv'd the Pro- teltants were heartily defifous or a Re-union: But when Amyraldus put him upon lpeaking to the Eu- chariff, the Jeluit told him, There wrere no C011- celfions to be expected upon that Head , upon which the other reply’d. That then there was nothing to be done. Their Conference lalled about Four Hours: At taking Leave the Jeluit would have enjoyn’d him Se¬ crecy, but Amyraldus protellcd, That, according to his Declaration made to Mr. Villeneuve before the Con¬ ference began, he would certainly acquaint his Col¬ legucs with what had been dilcours’d between them, undertaking at the lame time, that he wrould anlwer for their Difcretion in keeping it private: He was as good as his word ; for, that Evening, he went to his Collegues and reported the Conference: Neither did he make any lcruple of lpeaking it to others upon oc¬ cafion, when he underllood Cardinal Richlieu and Fa¬ ther Audebert were dead. To proofed, Cardinal Ma¬ zarine treated Amyraldus with unulual Regard. ’Tis probable, that among other Realons, this Cardinal valued him particularly for declaring fo llrongly for the Doctrine of Pajfive Obedience. This Doctrine was prels’d in the Pulpit by Amyraldus during the Infur- rebtion and Civil Diilufbances of the Frondeurs • in which Tempelt Cardinal Mazarine was tofs’d with a Witnefs. Indeed, this Doctrine of Obedience was upon all Occafions fo vigoroully defended by Amyral¬ dus, that he came to a down-right Contell with a Mi¬ ni Her of Rochell upon this Subjebt ; and therefore in his Apology for the French Protcllants publifh’d in 1647, he declares frankly, That 'tis by no means his In¬ tention to jujlify Sub jells taking up Arms again/} their Prince upon any Pretence nhatfoever.-And that it has always been his Opinion, That ‘tis much more agreeable to the Tcnour of the Goipel, and the Practice of the ancient Church, to make ufe of no other Arms, excepting ihofe of Patience, Prayers and Tears.- And whenever, lays Ire, I read the Hijlory of cur Forefathers, I cannot but ex¬ tremely lament their Failings in this ATatter, and that they did not Crown their other Virtues by imitating the invincible Patience of the Primitive Chrijhans, under the Perjecutions of their Emperors. A Latine DilcoUrle,publilli d Two Years after this by Amyraldus is another Inflance of his Opinion in this Point: ’Tis Entiiuled. Adverfus EpifloU Hiftoru Criminationes, Mofts Amyraldi Defenjto„ The Book concerning the Sovereignty of Kings, pub¬ lilh’d in the Year 1650, is a farther Declaration of the Sentiments of Mr. Amyraut, concerning the Unlaw- fulnels of Subjects making War upon their Prince. And ialtly, in his Epiltle Dedicatory before his Latine Paraphrale of the Plalms, Amyraldus discovers his Senlc as fully as 'tis poilible. Here he aiierts, That,' by the true Principles of tiieChrillian Religion, Sub¬ jects have no manner of Authority to; make ulc of Force againll their Sovereigns: and, in lhort, is as plain a Champion for Pajjive Obedience as ’tis poffible. This Book was Dedicated to Charles II. King of Eng¬ land, loon'after his Rellauration ; for which the King lent him Thanks by Cojens Bifhop of Durham. To go on v/ith Mr. Amyraut, lie happen’d at fall to have a Mifuttderftandirig with a Mimltcr of Saumur call’d Mr. d' Hmjfeau: 'This Difference grew at'lalt to a pub- lick Complaint before the National Synod of Lbudun, where Amyraldus did' not receive that Satisfaction he expected. It was generally believed, that his extraor¬ dinary Reputation was unlcrviceable to him, hisEne- G fljies*](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30457750_0059.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
