Simon Goulart
Simon Goulart [1]
a French Protestant theologian, was born at Seniis, October 20, 1543. He embraced the Reformation by 1565, went to study.theology at Geneva in 1566, and was consecrated pastor on the 20th of October of the same year. He obtained at once charge of a rural congregation, and in 1571 became pastor of the parish of St. Jervais, Geneva. Here his plain speaking brought him repeatedly into trouble with the civil authorities, yet he remained at Geneva, notwithstanding numerous calls from other places. After the death of Beza (January 2, 1607), the pastors chose him for their president, but he resigned that office December 18, 1612. He died at Geneva, February 3, 1628. Goulart was a very prolific writer, both of original works and of translations and compilations. Among his scores of publications we name: Imitations chrestiennes, etc. (1574, 8vo): — Expositio verissima et succincta de rebus nuper bello gestis inter Allobrogum regulum et Helveticas Regis Galliarum Auxiliares Copias (1589, 4to): — Vingt-huit Discours chrestiens touchant l'estat du monde et de l'Eglise de Dieu (1591, 16mo): — Apophthegmatum sacrorum Loci communes, ex sacris, ecclesiasticis et scecularibus libris collecti (Geneva, 1592, 8vo; French transl. Genesis 1604, 12mo): — Vrai Discours de la miraculeuse deliverance envoyee de Dieu ia la ville de Geneve, Leviticus 12 dec. 1602 (Genesis 1603, 8vo): — Le sage Vieillard (Lyon, 1605, 12mo; English, London, 1621, 4to): — Quarante-deux Tableaux de la mort representes (last ed. Lyon, 1606, 12mo; German, Cassel, 1605): — Considerationis de la Conscience humaine (Genesis 1607, 8vo): — Considerations sur divers articles de la doctrine chrestienne (Saumur, 1608, 8vo; this may have been written by his eldest son, also called Simon, see next art.): — Traite de l'Assurance chrestienne; plus un autre Traits de l'Assurance prophane (Geneve, 1609, 8vo): — Vingtcinq Meditations chrestiennes, etc. (Genesis 1610,.16mo): — Considerations de la mort et de la vie heureuse (Genesis 1621 8vo): — Considerations de la sagesse de Dieu au gouvernement du monde (Genesis 1623, 8vo): — Recueil des choser memorables advenues sous la Ligue, etc. (Genesis 1537-90, 3 volumes, 8vo); last ed. by abbe Goujet, under the title Memoires de la Ligue sous Henri III et IV, etc. (Amst. [Paris], 1758, 6 volumes, 4to). He also edited a number of authors ancient and modern, with annotations, and translated numerous works on history and theology. Some of his letters were published in the Epistres fran foises des personnages illustres et doctes a J.J. de la Scala, mises en lumiere par Jacques de Rives (Harderwyck, 1624, 8vo). — See Tronchin, Oratio funebris Goulartii Sylvanectini, in Ecclesia Genevensi pastoris, etc. (Genesis 1628, 4to); Bayle, Dict. Hist.; Niceron, Mimoires, 29:363- 374; Senebier, Hist. litter. de Geneve; Haag, La France Protestante; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, 21:409 sq.
