BELIN, ALBERT. - Benedictine bishop and writer, b. at Besançon, according to others at Dôle around 1610, and d. at Belley on 29 April 1677. Having pronounced his religious vows in the abbey of Faverney in 1630 and having been subsequently transferred to Cluny, Charité-sur-Loire, and Nevers, he was then assigned to Paris, where, on account of his reputation as a valiant preacher, he entered the circle of Colbert's friends, through whose good offices he was consecrated bishop of Belley in 1666. He devoted himself remarkably to the study of alchemy and astrology so as to be able to refute them with ease; but he also occupied himself with philosophy and with polemical-positive theology, particularly vindicating the perfect harmony between the principles of faith and of reason.
By him we have: Les emblèmes eucharistiques ou octave du Saint Sacrement (Paris 1647); Les solides pensées de l'âme pour la porter à son devoir (ibid. 1648); Poudre de projection démontrée (ibid. 1653); Pierre philosophale (ibid. 1653); Preuves convaincantes des vérités du christianisme (ibid. 1658, 1666); Aventures du philosophe inconnu (ibid. 1664, 1674); Traité des talismanes ou figures extraites (ibid. 1671); Poudre de sympathie justifiée (ibid. 1709). If, moreover, he is to be identified with Alfonso Belin, Benedictine prior of Charité-sur-Loire, one must also attribute to him: La vérité de la religion catholique et la fausseté de la religion prétendue réformée (Nevers 1683).
Bibliography4 works
Vito Zolini