AMYRAUT, MOÏSE

Calvinist theologian; b. Bourgeuil, Touraine, September 1596; d. Saumur, Jan. 8, 1664. He was intended for a legal career and became at 21 a licentiate of law at Poitiers; but, having been introduced to Calvin's Institutes, he studied theology at Saumur under John cameron, whose doctrine of divine election he was to develop and defend. After pastorates at Saint-Agnan and Saumur, he was from 1633 a professor in the Saumur academy. For the Synod of Charenton, 1631, he presented King Louis XIII with a memorandum on infractions of the Edict of nantes. A man of courtly manners, he moved with ease among eminent persons and was on occasion consulted by Richelieu and Mazarin. He was twice acquitted of heresy before national synods of his church. He was a prolific and in his time an influential writer, firm in his principles and courteous to his opponents. His "hypothetic universalism" on divine election is set forth in

his Echantillon de la doctrine de Calvin sur la prédestination (c. 1634), and other treatises. His ecumenical proposals appear best in his E ἰρνηικóν (1662), but his whole work is irenic in tone.

Bibliography: e. and É. haag, La France protestante, 10 v. (Paris 1846–59) 1:72–80, lists and describes his works. r. stauffer, Möise Amyraut: Un Précurseur français de l'oecuménisme (Paris 1962). o. e. strasser, Die Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart ³ 1:347–348. j. dedieu, Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques 2:1380–81.

[j. t. mcneill]