Charles Le Cène
Encyclopedia
Charles Le Cène was a French Huguenot
controversialist, in exile in England and the Netherlands after 1685.
in Normandy
, of well-to-do parents. He studied theology at Sedan
from 1667 to 1669, and then at the University of Geneva
(August 1669 to November 1670) and Saumur Academy (1670 to March 1672). In 1672 he received ordination as a protestant minister at Caen, and received a call to the church of Honfleur
. While there he married a lady with a fortune, bought a library, and began a new French translation of the Bible, at which he continued to work throughout his life.
Le Cène's ministry at Honfleur ceased by his own request on 2 September 1682, and in the following year he officiated temporarily at Charenton
. His settlement at Charenton was opposed on account of his Socinian views, and he remained under some suspicion. On the 1685 revocation of the edict of Nantes, he travelled to The Hague
(22 December 1685).
On reaching London, he went to live with Pierre Allix
and other friends and countrymen, who established a ‘conformist’ French congregation in Jewin Street, London, in 1686. But the Huguenots in England were soon involved in controversy on doctrinal questions, and Le Cène's Soc views rendered him unpopular. In 1686 or 1687 Jacques Gousset
heard him preach in London in an unorthodox and Arminian sense, and the congregation expressed dissatisfaction.
Before 1691 Le Cène withdrew to Holland; perhaps in 1699 he returned to England, and died in London in 1703. His son, Michel Charles, who on 30 September 1699 was received as a member of the church at Amsterdam, followed him to London in December 1706, and remained in England till 1718.
Attribution
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
controversialist, in exile in England and the Netherlands after 1685.
Life
He was born around 1647 at CaenCaen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, of well-to-do parents. He studied theology at Sedan
Sedan
A sedan or saloon car is a passenger car in a three-box configuration with A, B & C-pillars and principal volumes articulated in separate compartments for engine, passenger and cargo...
from 1667 to 1669, and then at the University of Geneva
University of Geneva
The University of Geneva is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland.It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin, as a theological seminary and law school. It remained focused on theology until the 17th century, when it became a center for Enlightenment scholarship. In 1873, it...
(August 1669 to November 1670) and Saumur Academy (1670 to March 1672). In 1672 he received ordination as a protestant minister at Caen, and received a call to the church of Honfleur
Honfleur
Honfleur is a commune in the Calvados department in northwestern France. It is located on the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine across from le Havre and very close to the exit of the Pont de Normandie...
. While there he married a lady with a fortune, bought a library, and began a new French translation of the Bible, at which he continued to work throughout his life.
Le Cène's ministry at Honfleur ceased by his own request on 2 September 1682, and in the following year he officiated temporarily at Charenton
Charenton
-France:* Charenton-le-Pont, in the Val-de-Marne département, a commune which has a common border with Paris* Saint-Maurice, Val-de-Marne, a neighboring commune that was called Charenton-Saint-Maurice until 1842** Charenton...
. His settlement at Charenton was opposed on account of his Socinian views, and he remained under some suspicion. On the 1685 revocation of the edict of Nantes, he travelled to The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
(22 December 1685).
On reaching London, he went to live with Pierre Allix
Pierre Allix
Pierre Allix was a French Protestant pastor and author.-Life:Born in 1641 in Alençon, France, he became a pastor first at Saint-Agobile Champagne, and then at Charenton, near Paris. The revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 compelled him to take refuge in London where, under the sanction of...
and other friends and countrymen, who established a ‘conformist’ French congregation in Jewin Street, London, in 1686. But the Huguenots in England were soon involved in controversy on doctrinal questions, and Le Cène's Soc views rendered him unpopular. In 1686 or 1687 Jacques Gousset
Jacques Gousset
Jacques Gousset was a French Protestant theologian and philologist, after 1685 in exile in the Netherlands.-Life:He was born in Blois, the son of Pierre Gousset and Marguerite Papin; he was a cousin of Denis Papin...
heard him preach in London in an unorthodox and Arminian sense, and the congregation expressed dissatisfaction.
Before 1691 Le Cène withdrew to Holland; perhaps in 1699 he returned to England, and died in London in 1703. His son, Michel Charles, who on 30 September 1699 was received as a member of the church at Amsterdam, followed him to London in December 1706, and remained in England till 1718.
Works
Le Cène published:- ‘De l'Etat de l'Homme apres le Pèché et de sa Predestination au Salut,’ Amsterdam, 1684. This work was announced in the Nouvelles de la République des LettresNouvelles de la république des lettresNouvelles de la république des lettres was a periodical devoted to reviews of current publications, edited and in large part written by Pierre Bayle...
for July 1684. It bore no author's name, and was at first attributed to Allix, who had forwarded the manuscript from Paris to the Amsterdam printer. - ‘Entretiens sur diverses matières de Théologie, où l'on examine particulièrement les Questions de la Grace Immediate, du franc-arbitre, du Pèché Originel, de l'Incertitude de la Métaphysique, et de la Predestination,’ Amsterdam, 1685. Pierre BaylePierre BaylePierre Bayle was a French philosopher and writer best known for his seminal work the Historical and Critical Dictionary, published beginning in 1695....
identified the author of the first part with Le Cène, and of the second with Le ClercJean Leclerc (theologian)Jean Le Clerc, also Johannes Clericus was a Swiss theologian and biblical scholar. He was famous for promoting exegesis, or critical interpretation of the Bible, and was a radical of his age...
(Nouvelles de la République des Lettres, April 1685). - ‘Conversations sur diverses matières de Religion, où l'on fait voir la tolérance que les Chrétiens de différents sentimens doivent avoir les uns pour les autres et où l'on explique ce que l'Ecriture Sainte nous dit des alliances de Dieu, de la Justification et de le certitude du salut, avec un Traité de la Liberté de Conscience dedié au Roi de France et à son conseil,’ Philadelphia (Amsterdam), 1687. The first part is Le Cène's original work, and in it he shows an knowledge of English divinity, quoting the works of William ChillingworthWilliam ChillingworthWilliam Chillingworth was a controversial English churchman.-Early life:He was born in Oxford, where his father served as mayor; William Laud was his godfather. In June 1618 he became a scholar of Trinity College, Oxford, of which he was made a fellow in June 1628...
and others. The second part is a translation of the Socinian Johannes CrelliusJohannes CrelliusJohannes Crellius was a Polish and German theologian.-Life:...
's ‘Junii Bruti Poloni Vindiciæ pro Religionis Libertate’ (1637). In 1719 a fresh French translation of Crellius was printed anonymously in London. The author accused Le Cène of infidelity in his translation, and of printing the treatise without any acknowledgment of its derivation. - ‘Projet d'une nouvelle version Françoise de la Bible,’ Rotterdam, 1696. This consists only of a first part. A second part was promised, and was first printed by Michel Le Cène in his edition of his father's Bible (1741). In 1702 an incomplete and poor English translation by H. R. (probably Hilary Renaud), of the first part only, was printed in London, and its division by the translator into two parts has caused some bibliographical confusion. In 1729 a second edition of this translation appeared in London, with these errors uncorrected. Le Cène's ‘Projet’ criticises previous versions of the Bible, more especially the Geneva version, lays down rules for translation, and applies them to disputed passages, often giving his own Socinian views. It was attacked by Gousset, in his ‘Considérations … sur le Projet,’ 1698.
- ‘La Sainte Bible, nouvelle version Françoise,’ 1741, 2 vols. published by Le Cène's son, Michel Charles. On its appearance this work was denounced by the church of UtrechtUtrechtUtrecht is a city in the Netherlands.The name may also refer to:* Utrecht , of which Utrecht is the capital* Utrecht , including the city of Utrecht* Bishopric of Utrecht* Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Utrecht...
, referred to the synod of the Walloon churches on 6 September 1742, and condemned as heretical.
External links
Page at Dictionnaire des journalistes (1600-1789)Attribution