Guillaume Bude
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature [1]
a French scholar, was born in Paris in 1467. Being librarian of Francis I, he used his influence for a more liberal science independent of scholasticism. He was a secret adherent of the Reformation, and even before Luther he had written against the corruption of the clergy and papacy, and of the necessity of a reformation. In his work De transitu Hellenismi ad Christianismum (libri tres ad Franciscum regem, Paris, 1535), he pointed out that the true wisdom is not found in the knowledge of ancient classics, but in the practice of the teachings of Christ. He died August 23, 1540, having expressly declined in his testament all honors of the Catholic Church at his funeral, since he regarded them as "an imitation of heathen customs."
Some years after his death, his widow, together with his sons, joined the Reformed Church, and, in order to avoid persecution, they went to Geneva. One of his sons, Louis, was appointed there professor of Oriental languages, and published a French translation of the Psalms (Geneva, 1551), Proverbs, and some other parts of the Old Test. (Lyons, 1558). Another of his sons, Jean, rendered very important services to the Protestant cantons of Switzerland, in his capacity as ambassador of the Geneva council. In connection with Ch. de Jonvilliers, he collected a portion of Calvin's lectures on the prophets, and published them in French. Guillaume Bude's works were published at Basle in 1557, 4 volumes. See Rebitd, G. Bude (Paris, 1846); Schmidt in Herzog's Real-Encyklop. s.v.; Lichtenberger, Encyclopedie des Sciences Religienses, s.v. (B.P.)
