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Mary Anne Rawson's The Bow in the Cloud (1834): A Scholarly Edition

Pye Smith, John

Pye-Smith, John

Name ID: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6058440

Born: 1774

Died: 1851

Faith: Congregationalist

Note: John Pye-Smith (1774-1851) was Theological Tutor, effectively Principal, of Homerton Academy from 1806-1850. Born to a Sheffield bookseller John Smith and his wife Mary, John Pye Smith had little formal education, instead teaching himself using the many books available to him in his father’s shop. In 1800, after completing his studies at the Rotherham Academy, Pye Smith was appointed Resident Classical Tutor at Homerton Academy, and became Theological Tutor in 1806. Was friends with James Montgomery.

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The Abbé Grégoire, by John Pye-Smith

Henri Grégoire, a man distinguished for his uncompromising integrity, his active benevolence, and his enthusiastic ardour in whatever he believed to be a good cause, was born near Luneville, in 1750. In his education for the Roman Catholic priesthood, he annexed to the ordinary routine of study remarkable attainments in general literature, particularly in the application of the arts to the improvement of comfort in the laborious classes, and of moral and political science to the advancement of nations in peace, benevolence, and freedom. His early life, as a country parish-priest at Embermenil, in Lorraine, attracted the esteem and gratitude of his flock, and of a much wider circle. In 1778, he published an "Essay on the Physical, Moral, and Political Improvement of the Jews," which was received with great approbation both in his own country, and by men of enlarged minds throughout Europe. The Abbé Grégoire was a Christian upon principle and conviction; but he wished Christianity to be defended by no arms except those of truth, justice, and love; and therefore he desired to see the Jews released from all oppressions and civil penalties or disabilities on account of their rejection of Christianity. He was a most strict and conscientious Romanist; yet he impugned and rejected all the claims of the papacy to temporal authority, and maintained the unrestricted right of Protestants to enjoy, exercise, and diffuse their own religion. In 1789, he was selected by the clergy of the district in which he resided to be their representative in the National Assembly. In that memorable body he rose to high reputation. He was the author of the celebrated proposition, which, on being carried into effect, produced such important consequences for temporary evil but future and comprehensive good; the abolition of the selfish privileges of the clerical body, and their being united with their fellow-subjects on principles of honourable equality. Having been chosen, according to a newly-established law, by the clergy of the diocese of Blois, to be their bishop, he was the first man who, in his episcopal capacity and as a part of his consecration, took the oath of allegiance to the new constitution. For this the papal hierarchy never forgave him, but pursued him with unrelenting rancour to the very grave: but he was faithful unto death. Through the most terrific storms of the revolution, his independence and moral dignity of character walked erect; and most wonderfully was he preserved from that death on the bloody scaffold, which became the lot of thousands of the best men in France. When the bishop of Paris, attended by other priests, made the horrid abjuration of Christianity in the National Convention, Grégoire rose up and made the solemn protestation that he was a Christian and a priest. At the awful voting upon the fate of Louis XVI. he gave his judgment in favour of perpetual imprisonment. Amidst the tumultuary violences of that period, he laboured assiduously in preserving from destruction the monuments of antiquity and of the arts. He zealously and with success, in the worst part of the reign of terror, exerted himself to save the lives of many priests who had refused to take the oath to the republican government. When Buonaparte had seized the government, and, to strengthen himself, made the concordat with the Roman See, he called to his aid the talents of Grégoire in effecting that difficult measure. Immediately after, the Pope commanded him to resign his bishoprick. He obeyed; but published a manly protest, maintaining the legitimacy of his appointment according to the practice of the purest ages of Christianity. On the prostration of the liberty which he and the real patriots of France had so laboured, though in vain, to acquire, under the feet of Buonaparte, he withdrew more than before from the stormy sea of politics, and devoted himself to various benevolent and useful objects of exertion: yet, when he thought that the occasion warranted his so doing, he would step forwards by some public act. Thus he protested against Buonaparte's assumption of the imperial dignity, his creation of a new nobility, and other measures which the deposed bishop viewed as inimical to public liberty. He approved of the compelled abdication of Buonaparte; and he laboured, with great earnestness but without effect, to combine with the restoration of the Bourbons some valid securities for the solid and well-regulated freedom of the nation. In 1815, he held up to the strongest condemnation the persecution of the Protestants in the South of France; and he took a lively interest on behalf of M. Malan and the pious Dissenters of Geneva, in the year 1817. By the restored Bourbon government he was looked upon with strong dislike; but his activity persevered in availing himself of such methods as remained open to him for promoting benevolent objects. He exposed the unjust and unchristian domination of the Popes, while he reverently bowed to their spiritual authority, which he believed to be an institution of Jesus Christ. He earnestly recommended the practical influence of Christianity, especially in domestic life; thinking that, in the dissolute and infidel state to which general society in France was reduced, the most promising circles of operation for a revival of religion were those of which mothers and mistresses of families were the centres.

In 1816, I had the honour of being introduced to him at his residence in Paris. His reception of me was with great dignity, but with peculiar kindness and affability. His conversation was entirely upon christian duty, and the importance of making a holy regard to God our primary motive. On his table were lying the first two volumes of Mr. Owen's History of the British and Foreign Bible Society. He read English, I doubt not, with considerable facility. His religious sentiments, I have reason to believe, were those of the Jansenists (such as Du Verger, the Arnaulds, Pascal, le Maistre de Sacy, Quesnel, &c.) the evangelical party in the Church of Rome. After my return to England, he favoured me with friendly letters and presents of his writings down to the last year of his life. In one of his early letters, he took great pains to convince me of the exclusive authority by divine institution of the Roman Catholic Church; and expressed a most amiable and benevolent solicitude that I should enter as a wandering but recovered sheep into that which he deemed the true fold of Jesus Christ.

The reason of my wishing that the name of my revered friend should possess a place in your proposed publication, is that part of his character and history which refers to Negro-slavery. It was not to be expected that such a man as Grégoire could be indifferent to the great questions upon the abolition of the Slave Trade, and the emancipation of the Slaves. His sentiments and feelings he took pains, in various ways, to make known to his countrymen. During the peace of Amiens, he visited this country; and one of his chief objects was to see and converse with the illustrious Wilberforce. To demonstrate the ignorance or injustice of an argument, which has been, I believe, more relied on in France than in England, founded on an alleged inferiority of intellectual capacity and capability of improvement, in the negro race, M. Grégoire employed long and laborious diligence in collecting the printed works of negroes and men of colour; and he combined the results in a very interesting work, published at Paris in 1809, "On Negro Literature." He promptly seized the opportunity furnished by the conduct of the Allied Powers and the restored Bourbon government, in 1814, upon the Slave Question; and he published a powerful appeal to reason and religion, feeling and interest, on this subject, in a pamphlet, "On the Slave Trade and Slavery;" Paris, 1815. Of this, an English translation, with "Prefatory Observations and Notes," which enhance its value, was published in London by Mr. Josiah Conder.

M. Grégoire finished his earthly course, May 28, 1831. On his dying bed he was harassed by admonitions and entreaties from the archbishop of Paris, that he would acknowledge his various acts and writings against the Holy See to be schismatical, that he would revoke them, and that he would implore reconciliation with the Church. These efforts were in vain. The dying man was firm to his principles, and rejoiced in the testimony of a good conscience; though, by the archbishop's order, the absolution and other rites of his Church, which are supposed to be of so great importance in the article of death, were withheld from him. I trust that my venerable friend enjoyed the hope which maketh not ashamed, and felt those consolations from the best source which satisfied him that he might well dispense with the broken cisterns of men's invention. In the last letter which I received from him, dated August 30, 1830, he introduced sentiments which I am sure you will be delighted to read in his own words; and you will think with me that they authorize the belief that the intrusions which persecuted his dying hours would only move his pity: -- "Moi, Catholique de coeur et d'esprit, conséquemment très différent de vous sur la croyance, je me sens penétré d'affection Chrétienne pour vous. La mort fauche dans tous les ages. Cependant, d'après le cours de la nature, je dois vous précéder dans l'éternité. Mes régards se tournent sans cesse avec les sentimens d'adoration sur Jésus-Christ, l'Auteur et le Consommateur de la foi, dont j'ai reçu tant de graces."

John Pye Smith.

Homerton.

Pye-Smith, John

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