admiration. In 1680 he established himself al Amster-
dam. Speaking of his exemplary life there. I'.avlc says
that •■from a greal Cartesian he hail become so pious that, iii order to apply himself the better I" the things of heaven, lie had broken off almost every inti with the earth." In order to live in more complete se- clusion, he ntircd in L688 to Rheinsberg, near Leyden, where he .-pent more than thirty years in the exercise of piety, and in the composition of spiritual and aSCt lie works, ll.- died there May 21, 1719. Poiret is not tic founder of a sect: he established no conventicles, because he attached no importance whatever to dog- matical questions. His theological system lacked speculative clearness and consistency, and was rather a subjective theology of the adoring heart and soar- ing fancj than of the seeing intellect. It lays little stnss upon the forms and rules of an\ particular Church, and placid the ideal of the Christian life in retired, uninterrupted communion with self and with God. For him. morals were the essence of religion. 11 ie was never a more tolerant theologian.
If he avoided all intercourse with the world, it was
to preserve tin- integrity oi hi- conscience, far from
POIRET
being indifferent, he was full of zeal for the Christian religion, which he defended on several occasions, espe- cially against Spinoza. All those who were acquaint- ed with him agree in the praise of his meekness, his modest}-, the purity of his life, the kindness of his heart. It would be unjust to deny that there are ex- cellent things in his works. He displays a surprising sagacity in resolving the most subtle questions of meta- physics, and an uncommon talent in throwing light on the most obscure principles of theosophy. There is a methodical spirit in his writings, which is a fruit of his close study of Descartes, and his system, under an ap- pearance of disorder, is admirably connected and devel- oped. He left about forty works, of which by far the most important is his De (Econoniia Divina, under the French title, L'Economie Divine, ou Systeme universel, et demontre des (Euvres et des Desseins de Dieu envers les Homines (Amsterd. 1687, 7 vols. 8vo), in which he means to show with certainty the general harmony of nature and grace, of philosophy and theology, of reason and faith, of natural and Christian ethics. The principle of the philosophic fabric which Poiret sought to construct, and which really systematizes and also explains the wild and incoherent rhapsodies of Bourignon. is abstrac- tion, or the preference of a presumed illumination to reason ; the same in essence as the quietism of Molinos, the annihilation of the Hindu philosophy, and the di- vine vision of Bohme. Theologically there are, per- haps, some things that may be considered valuable in Poiret's writings. Opposed on the one hand to Des- cartes, and on the other to the then growing opinions of Locke, against whom he wrote an able treatise {Fides et, Ratio collates ac suo utraque loco novitce ad- versus Principia J. Lockii), Poiret sought to mend weakness of reason by faith, and badness of will by grace. But the extension of his religious notions into the proper boundaries of speculative philosoplry, to say nothing of his strong tendency to fanaticism, points him out to us as one of the most decided instances of mysticism in his age. Most peculiar are Poiret's Chris- tological views. According to ch. xi of this same trea- tise, the (ideal) Son of God assumed human nature soon after the creation of man, and prior to his fall, in such a manner that he (the Son of God, took from Adam his body and a divine soul. Poiret also ascribed to Christ, previous to his incarnation in the Virgin Mary, not only various manifestations, but also human "emotions and sufferings," and an unwearying intercession for man- kind, his brethren (his office as high-priest). But in the Virgin Mary he assumed mortal ilesli. " The bod}' of Jesus Christ, assuming the flesh and blood of the blessed Virgin, is as little composed of two different bodies as a white and shining garment, dipped in a ves- sel dark and full of color, and coming into contact with the matter which composes this darkness, is thereby changed into a double garment, or into two garments instead of one." A complete list of Poiret's works would be useless without a description of them, for which we have not space. The curious may consult tli<' Cata- logue Raisonne, in the Me moires of J. P. Niceron (Par. 1727-1745). We have room here for the most impor- tant writings only. Among these we would mention Cogilationes Rationalis de Deo. animo et malo (Amsterd. 1677, 4to). The edition of 1715 has besides a disserta- tion against the hidden atheism of Bayle and Spinoza : — La Paix des bonnes A mes dans tnntes les Parties du Christ iinnsme (ibid. 1687, 12mo). He advises peace in God between all righteous persons, without distinction of communion or rites, the essential is to go to God by the road of morality, the rest is of little account : — Idcea Theologies Christianas juxta Principia J. Bcehmi (ibid. 1687, 12mo). He avows that to understand Bonnie is all but impossible : — Les Principes solidi s de la Religion et de la Vie Chretienne appliques a V Education des En- fants (ibid. 1690, 1705, 12mo). This book, disapproved by the ministers of Hamburg, was translated into Ger- man, English, Flemish, and Latin : — De Eruditione tri-