tor of iron-works and of extensive porcelain manufaci tories. Etienne was trained in the Roman Catholic faith, but at the early age of six years, by a remarka- ble visitation of the Holj' Spirit, was brought to expe- rience the efficacy of private prayer. At the age of seventeen he was chosen one of the king's bodj'-guard. During the horrors of the Revolution the family estates were confiscated. Etienne and his brothers became prisoners of war, and were sentenced to be shot, but es- caped to America. In the year 1795, at Newtown, L. I., whilst walking in the evening twilight, he heard a voice pronouncing thrice the word Eternity, and he was overwhelmed with powerful convictions of sin. He was not at that time a Christian believer, and had never seen a Bible. Waiting patiently upon the Lord, the divine S])irit opened to his mind the scheme of sal- vation by Christ, and the truth as it is in him, and, uniting himself to the religious Societ3' of Friends, he became one of the most illustrious ministers and mis- sionaries of that Church. In 1798, during the preva- lence of 3'ellow fever in Philadelphia, he devoted him- self to ministrations to the sick, the dying, and the af- flicted, and, taking the disease, his name was one day reported in the death -list. His wife was Rebecca, daughter of Isaac Collins, a lady of extraordinary love- liness and virtues. He engaged in mercantile busi- ness, in which he was remarkably blessed, always winding up his temporal concerns when required to go forth to proclaim the gospel of salvation, and carefully defraying his own expenses in his long and arduous journeys, being very jealous that the ministry should not be blamed, and feeling conscientious!}' bound to bestow without charge what he had freely received. He visited Europe four times. Alexander, the czar of Russia, received him to his friendship and to his warm embrace, and at his suggestion adopted various governmental measures, and introduced into the schools of the empire comprehensive Bililical selections pre- pared by Grellet and his friend, W. Allen. He pene- trated the secret archives of the Inquisition at Rome, and in an audience granted him bj' the pope, he preach- ed boldl}' to him as a fellow-sinner, and exposed vari- ous outrages which he had witnessed. These the pope condemned, and at parting gave him his benediction. His missionary latjors embraced also Great Britain, North America, Haj'ti, etc., and Avere attended with memorable experiences and success. For a full ac- count thereof, see an interesting biography written by Benjamin Seebohm, one of his converts. See also the memorial issued by the Society of Friends, and The Eight, Faith, and Crotim, by Dr. Van Rensselaer, of the Presbyterian Church; also a memoir pulilishcd in Lon- don, called Etienne de Grellet, the French Evangelist. During his last illness, Avhich was one of great suffer- ing, he glorified God in a wonderful manner, and his sea.sons of excruciating agony only drew from him ex- pressions of thanksgiving and praise. He died at Bur- lington, N. J., Nov. 16, 1855. — See London Quarterly Review, April, 1862, art. vi. (W. J. A.)
Greslon, Adrian, a French Jesuit missionary, was born at Perigueux in 1618. He joined the Jesuits at Bordeaux in Nov. 1635, and was for a while professor of literature and theology in several schools of his or- der. In 1655 he was sent as missionary to China, and landed at Ilian in 1657. China being at that time in revolution, Greslon remained for a while at Ilian, learning Chinese in the mean time. After the revo- lution had ended in favor of Chun-Tchi, Greslon went to the province of Kian-si, near Pekin, of which he has given a very flattering description. In 1670 he returned to France, where he resumed his former em- ployments, and died in 1697. He wrote Les Vies des saints Patriarches de VAncien Testament (with luites in Chinese) : — Histaire de la Chine sons la domination des Tartares, etc. (Paris, 1661, 8vo). See Lettres edifiantes ; INIoreri, Grand Diet. hist. ; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, xxi, 935.
GRETSER
1007
GRIEF
Gretser, Jakob, a distinguished German Jesuit, theologian, and historian, was born at Markdorf (Sua- bia) in 1561. He joined the Jesuits at seventeen, and became successively professor of philosophy at Ingol- stadt in 1589, of moral theolo.'y in 1592, and of scho- lastic theology in 1599. He continued in this office un- til his death, Jan. 29, 1625. He was distinguished for literary activity, and wrote over one hundred and fifty works, mostly against the Protestants. He possessed much learning, yet was only an indifferent critic ; and his style, which is flowing, is bitter and full of invec- tives against his adversaries. His principal works are, Dispufado jihilosopliica de Topica ct locis (Ingol- stadt, 1589, 4to) : — Integra Refutatio Historic Ordlnis Jesuitici ah Elia HasenmUlero conscripUe (Ingol. 1594,' 4to) -.-De Sancta Cnice (Ingol. 1598, 4to ; last ed. 161G, fol.) : — Locorum quorumdam Tcrlullianicorum a perve?'- sis Fr. Junii Calcinistm d<;pravationibus ]'indicatio (In- gol. IGOO, 4to) : — De Jure et More prohibendi, expur- gandi et aholendi libros krereticus et nojios (Ingol. 1603, 4to) : — ExercUationum theologicaruni Lihri sex (1604, 4to) : — De Spontanea disciplinarum sen jlagellorum Cruce (1606, 4to ; German by Vetter, 1612) -.'-De Ecclesim ca- tholicce sacris Processionihus (1606, 4to) : — Dcfensionis Bellarminiance (1st vol. 1607, fol. ; 2d vol. 1609, fol.) : — De funere Christiana (1Q\1, 'ito). The catalogue of all his writings was published bj^ himself in 1610 and 1612. A complete collection of his works was pub- lished at Ratisbon, 1734—1741, 17 vols. fol. See Bayle, Dictionaiy ; Baillet, Jugemenis des Savants, vol. vi ; Niceron, Memoires, vol. xxvii ; Alegambe, Bihl. Script. Soc. Jesu ; Vita Gretseri (at the ijeginning of his Opera omnia'); Sotwel, Bihl. Soc. Jesu ; August, et Alois de Backer, Bihl. des Ecrivains de la Compiagnie de JesTis ; Dupin, N'ouvelle Bihlloth. des Auteurs Eccles. xvii, 63; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, xxi, 955.