Bion, Jean Francois

Bion, Jean Francois a Huguenot theologian, was born at Dijon in 1668. He was a member of the Catholic clergy and rector of the village of Ursy, and was appointed chaplain of La Superbe, a galley where Protestant prisoners were detained. Bion, touched by their patience, embraced their doctrines, went to Geneva in 1704, then to England, where he was placed in charge of a school. He left this position in order to become chaplain of an English church in Holland. The date of his death is not known. He wrote, Relation des Tourments que l'on fait Souffrir aux Protestants' ui sont sur les GalAres de France (Lond. 1708; Amsterdam, 1709): — Essais sur la Providence et sur la Possibilite dela Resurrection (Hague, 1719); this work, given as a translation, is really the work of Bion: — -Relation Exacfe et Sincere du Sujet qui a Excite lat Funesfe Tumulte de la Ville de Thorn (Amsterdam).: — Traite des Morts et des Ressuscitants; translated from the Latin of Thomas Burnet (Rotterdam, 1731): — Histoire des Quietistes de Bourgogne (1709). See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v.; Smiles, Huguenots, p. 400.