JURIEU, PIERRE. - Protestant controversialist, born 24 Dec. 1637 at Mer (diocese of Blois), died at Rotterdam 11 Jan. 1713. He studied at the Calvinist Academy of Saumur, in Holland and in England, where he received Anglican orders. Returning to France, he succeeded his father as minister and was reordained according to the Calvinist rite. Becoming professor of theology and Hebrew at the Academy of Sedan, he remained there until its closure by royal decree (1682). Taking refuge in Holland, he was immediately appointed professor at the University of Amsterdam and minister of the Walloon Church. After the revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1685), he devoted himself to the aid of exiled coreligionists and, with secret and constant action, reinforced all the hatreds which French monarchy had incurred through its religious policy.
A man of talent, a convinced Calvinist, sometimes fanatical, for many decades he was the most formidable adversary of Catholic doctrine, which he attacked in numerous works: *Examen du livre de la réunion du christianisme* (Paris 1671); here he refutes the anonymous work of some Calvinists who advocated the reunion of all Christians on the basis of the Apostles’ Creed alone; the theory of fundamental articles (v.) already makes its appearance, later to be warmly defended; *Apologie pour la morale des réformés* (ibid. 1675); a rebuttal of Arnauld’s accusations; *Traité de la puissance de l’Église* (ibid. 1677); an attempt to mitigate the antinomies of Calvinism, which in theory accepted the sole authority of Scripture and in practice submitted to synodal decisions; *Préservatif contre le changement de religion* (ibid. 1677); here he refutes Bossuet’s *Exposition de la doctrine de l’Église catholique sur les matières de controverse*: whereas Bossuet had emphasized points of contact between the two confessions to facilitate the return of Calvinists, J. sought to magnify their opposition; the work did not succeed in halting the celebrated rhythm of conversions, which, begun with that of Turenne (1668), brought back to the Church eminent personalities. Mortified by these successes of Catholicism, he published, anonymously, a series of pamphlets in which he attempted to explain everything by legal coercion. He also wrote: *Examen de l’Eucharistie de l’Église romaine* (Amsterdam 1682); this is the reply to the second edition of Arnauld and Nicole’s classic work, *Perpetuité de la foi touchant l’Eucharistie*. Soon after he wrote two libellous pamphlets against Arnauld, in which his religious intolerance passed all bounds. In 1683 he published four volumes on the history of Calvinism, “the utensil and popery,” in reply to Maimbourg’s attacks. Other writings: *Vray système de l’Église* (ibid. 1686); *Traité de l’unité de l’Église et des points fondamentaux* (ibid. 1688); a rejoinder to Nicole, based on the principles expounded in the analogous work of 1677. After 1688 he engaged in refuting Bossuet’s celebrated *Histoire des variations*: his *Lettres pastorales*, written for this purpose, enjoyed extraordinary success in France, but did not neutralize the beneficial effect of the work he attacked. In his final writings he meddled in the Quietist controversy and sought to make himself heard once more in his native land, but his hour was fixed and he died, as a contemporary attests, in despondency.