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Rivet, Andre

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Rivet (de La Grange), Antoine

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a celebrated French Protestant theologian, was born at Saint-Maxent, Aug. 5, 1573. He studied theology at the Academy of Orthez under Lambert Daneau, and afterwards at La Rochelle under Rotan. He was ordained in 1595, and went to Thouars as chaplain to the duke de la Tremoille. After the death of his patron he remained in Thouars, and his reputation as a preacher and theologian steadily increased. In 1620 he was called to the chair of theology in the University of Leyden. He married, in 1621, the sister of the celebrated Pierre du Moulin, and while in England received a fellowship at Oxford. The Synod of Castres endeavored to persuade Rivet to return to France and devote his talents to the work of building up the Protestant Church in his native country, but nothing could induce him to leave Holland. He received from prince Frederick Henry a most distinguished mark of esteem, being chosen tutor and adviser for the young prince William. In 1632 he left Leyden to become director of the College of Orange, at Breda. Here he remained till his death, which occurred Jan. 7, 1651. Rivet was a firm Calvinist, and always ready to combat any of the foes of orthodoxy. He left a great number of works, a complete list of which may be found in La France Protestante. Among the most important are, Comment. in Hoseam (Leyden, 1625, 4to): — Catholicus Orthodoxus, etc. (ibid. 1630, 2 vols. 8vo): — Isagoge, seu Introductio Generalis ad Scripturam Sacram (ibid. 1627, 4to): - Theologicoe et Scholasticoe Exercitationes in Genesim (ibid. 1633, 4to): — Commentarii in Librum Secundum Mosis (ibid. 1634, 4to). The theological works of Rivet have been published in three volumes (Opera Theologica [Rotterdam, 1651-60, fol.]). See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Gé né rale, s.v.