Pelvert, Bon-francois Riviere

Pelvert, Bon-Francois Riviere (called the abbi), a French theologian, was born Aug. 5, 1714. He was a member of a community of clergymen formed in the parish of Saint- Germain-l'Auxerrois, and was admitted to orders by Bossuet, bishop of Troyes, who procured him, besides several benefices, a theological chair in his seminary. Dismissed by bishop Poncet de la Riviere, he retired to the community of Saint-Josse at Paris, and in 1763 assisted at the Council of Utrecht. His refusal to adhere to the formulary prevented him from performing any ecclesiastical duty. He died in Paris Jan. 18, 1781. His principal writings are, Dissertations sur l'approbation necessaire pour administrer le sacrement de penitence (1755, 12mo): — five Lettres sur la distinction de la religion naturelle et de la religion revelee (1769-70, 2 vols. 12mo): — six Lettres on l'on examine la doctrine de quelques ecrivains modernes celntre les incredules (1776, 2 vols. 12mo); directed against the Jesuits Delamare, Floris, Paulian, and Nonnotte: — Dissertation sur la sacrifice de la messe (1779, 12mo), which drew him into a sharp controversy with Plowden, and were followed by a Defense (1781, 3 vols. 12mo): — Exposition et Conmparaison de la doctrine des anciens e dedes nouveaux philosophes (1787, 2 vols. 12mo), in which the necessity of revelation is established. Abbe Pelvert edited the treatise De Gratia of the abbe Gourlin (1781, 3 vols. 4to), and left a large number of manuscripts. See Frere, Biblioy. Normande, vol. ii; Feller et Weiss, Biog. Univ. s.v.