Everything about Moses Amyraut totally explained
Moses Amyraut (September,
1596 –
January 8,
1664), also known as
Amyraldus, was a
French Protestant theologian and
metaphysician. He is perhaps most noted for his modifications to
Calvinist theology regarding the nature of
Christ's atonement, which is referred to as
Amyraldism or Amyraldianism.
Life
Born at
Bourgueil, in the valley of
Anjou, his father was a lawyer, and, designing
Moses for his own profession, sent him on the completion of his study of the humanities at
Orléans to the university of
Poitiers.
At the university he took the degree of licentiate (BA) of
laws. On his way home from the university he passed through
Saumur, and, having visited the pastor of the
Protestant church there, was introduced by him to
Philippe de Mornay, governor of the city. Struck with young Amyraut's ability and culture, they both urged him to change from law to theology. His father advised him to revise his philological and philosophical studies, and read over
Calvin's
Institutions, before finally determining a course. He did so, and decided for theology.
He thereupon removed to Saumur--destined to be for ever associated with his name--and studied under
John Cameron, who ultimately regarded him as his greatest scholar. He had a brilliant course, and was in due time licensed as a minister of the French Protestant Church. The contemporary
civil wars and excitements hindered his advancement. His first church was in
Saint-Aignan, in the province of
Maine. There he remained two years. The eminent theologian
Jean Daillé, being then removed to
Paris, advised the church at Saumur to secure Amyraut as his successor, praising him "as above himself." The university of Saumur at the same time had fixed its eyes on him as professor of theology. The great churches of
Paris and
Rouen also contended for him, and to win him sent their deputies to the provincial
synod of
Anjou.
Amyraut had left the choice to the synod. He was appointed to Saumur in
1633, and to the professor's chair along with the pastorate. On the occasion of his inauguration he maintained for thesis
De Sacerdotio Christi. His co-professors were
Louis Cappel and
Josué de la Place, who also were Cameron's pupils. Very beautiful was the lifelong friendship of these three remarkable men, who collaborated in the
Theses Salmurienses, a collection of theses propounded by candidates in theology prefaced by the inaugural addresses of the three professors. Full of energy, Amyraut very speedily gave to French Protestantism a new force.
In
1631 he published his
Traité des religions; and from this year onward he was a foremost man in the church. Chosen to represent the provincial synod of
Anjou,
Touraine and Maine at the national synod held in 1631 at
Charenton, he was appointed as orator to present to the king
The Copy of their Complaints and Grievances for the Infractions and Violations of the Edict of Nantes.
Previous deputies had addressed the king on their bent knees, whereas the representatives of the Catholics had been permitted to stand. Amyraut consented to be orator only if the assembly authorized him to stand. There was intense resistance.
Cardinal Richelieu himself, preceded by lesser dignitaries, condescended to visit Amyraut privately, to persuade him to kneel; but Amyraut held resolutely to his point and carried it. His "oration" on this occasion, which was immediately published in the French
Mercure, remains a striking landmark in the history of French Protestantism. During his absence on this matter the assembly debated "whether the
Lutherans who desired it, might be admitted into
communion with the
Reformed Churches of
France at the Lord's Table." It was decided in the affirmative previous to his return; but he approved with astonishing eloquence, and thereafter was ever in the front rank in maintaining
intercommunion between all churches holding the main doctrines of the
Reformation.
Pierre Bayle recounts the title-pages of no fewer than thirty-two books of which Amyraut was the author. These show that he took part in all the great controversies on
predestination and
Arminianism which then so agitated and harassed all
Europe. Substantially he held fast the
Calvinism of his preceptor Cameron; but, like
Richard Baxter in
England, by his breadth and charity he exposed himself to all manner of misconstruction. In
1634 he published his
Traité de la predestination, in which he tried to mitigate the harsh features of predestination by his
Universalismus hypotheticus. God, he taught, predestines all men to happiness on condition of their having
faith. This gave rise to a charge of
heresy, of which he was acquitted at the national synod held at
Alençon in
1637, and presided over by
Benjamin Basnage (
1580-
1652). The charge was brought up again at the national synod of Charenton in
1644, when he was again acquitted. A third attack at the synod of
Loudun in
1659 met with no better success. The university of Saumur became the university of French Protestantism.
Amyraut had as many as a hundred students in attendance upon his lectures. One of these was
William Penn, who would later go on to found the
Pennsylvania Colony in America based in part on Amyraut's notions of religious freedom
(External Link
). Another historic part filled by Amyraut was in the negotiations originated by
Pierre le Gouz de la Berchère (
1600-
1653), first president of the
parlement of
Grenoble, when exiled to Saumur, for a reconciliation and reunion of the Catholics of
France with the
French Protestants. Very large were the concessions made by Richelieu in his personal interviews with Amyraut; but, as with the
Worcester House negotiations in
England between the
Church of England and
nonconformists, they inevitably fell through. On all sides the statesmanship and eloquence of Amyraut were conceded. His
De l'elevation de la foy et de l'abaissement de la raison en la creance des mysteres de la religion (
1641) gave him early a high place as a metaphysician. Exclusive of his controversial writings, he left behind him a very voluminous series of practical
evangelical books, which have long remained the "fireside" favourites of the peasantry of French Protestantism. Amongst these are
Estat des fideles apres la mort;
Sur l'oraison dominicale;
Du merite des oeuvres;
Traité de la justification; and paraphrases of books of the
Old and
New Testament. His closing years were weakened by a severe fall he met with in
1657. He died on
18 January 1664.
Seventeenth century opponents
There were a number of theologians who defended Calvinistic orthodoxy against Amyraut and Saumur, including
Friedrich Spanheim (
1600-
1649) and
Francis Turretin (
1623-
1687). Ultimately, the
Helvetic Consensus was drafted to counteract the theology of Saumur and Amyraldism.
Further Information
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