Jean-Baptiste Cotelier
Encyclopedia
Jean-Baptiste Cotelier or Cotelerius (born December, 1629, Nîmes
; died 19 August 1686, Paris) was a Patristic
scholar and Catholic theologian.
, of which he became a member in 1648, though he never received priestly ordination.
In 1654, he accompanied Georges d'Aubusson de la Feuillade, Archbishop of Embrun, to his diocese
, and became his counsellor. He returned, in 1659, to Paris and again devoted himself to study. With the philologist Du Cange
he was commissioned in 1667 by Minister Colbert
to investigate and catalogue the Greek manuscripts of the Royal Library. In 1676 he was appointed professor of the Greek language in the Collège Royal
in Paris.
He had collected materials for a fourth volume which was edited (1688) by the Maurists, Antoine Pouget, Bernard de Montfaucon
, and Lopin, and is sometimes known as Analecta Græca. Cotelier also left several volumes of manuscripts, mainly on Christian antiquities, that were preserved in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France
.
Nîmes
Nîmes is the capital of the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. Nîmes has a rich history, dating back to the Roman Empire, and is a popular tourist destination.-History:...
; died 19 August 1686, Paris) was a Patristic
Patristics
Patristics or Patrology is the study of Early Christian writers, known as the Church Fathers. The names derive from the Latin pater . The period is generally considered to run from the end of New Testament times or end of the Apostolic Age Patristics or Patrology is the study of Early Christian...
scholar and Catholic theologian.
Life
His early education was under the personal direction of his father, at one time a Protestant minister, but later a convert to Catholicism. He was reportedly able to interpret the Bible in the original Hebrew and Greek before the General Assembly of the French clergy in Mantes (1641); he made such a favourable impression on the clergy that they increased his father's pension During the period of his theological studies at Paris (1641–47), Cotelier's intellectual qualities procured for him an introduction to the king (1644). He graduated as bachelor in theology in 1647 at the SorbonneSorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
, of which he became a member in 1648, though he never received priestly ordination.
In 1654, he accompanied Georges d'Aubusson de la Feuillade, Archbishop of Embrun, to his diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
, and became his counsellor. He returned, in 1659, to Paris and again devoted himself to study. With the philologist Du Cange
Charles du Fresne, sieur du Cange
Charles du Fresne, sieur du Cange or Ducange was a distinguished philologist and historian of the Middle Ages and Byzantium....
he was commissioned in 1667 by Minister Colbert
Jean-Baptiste Colbert
Jean-Baptiste Colbert was a French politician who served as the Minister of Finances of France from 1665 to 1683 under the rule of King Louis XIV. His relentless hard work and thrift made him an esteemed minister. He achieved a reputation for his work of improving the state of French manufacturing...
to investigate and catalogue the Greek manuscripts of the Royal Library. In 1676 he was appointed professor of the Greek language in the Collège Royal
Collège de France
The Collège de France is a higher education and research establishment located in Paris, France, in the 5th arrondissement, or Latin Quarter, across the street from the historical campus of La Sorbonne at the intersection of Rue Saint-Jacques and Rue des Écoles...
in Paris.
Works
The editions of ancient writings prepared by Cotelier were, in chronological order:- Homiliæ quatuor in Psalmos et interpretatio prophetiæ Danielis, græce et latine (Paris, 1661). He attributed these unpublished homiliesHomilyA homily is a commentary that follows a reading of scripture. In Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Eastern Orthodox Churches, a homily is usually given during Mass at the end of the Liturgy of the Word...
to St. John Chrysostom; other critics, owing to the diversity of style, have held a different opinion. - SS. Patrum qui temporibus apostolicis floruerunt, Barnabæ, Clementis, Hermæ, Ignatii, Polycarpi opera edita et non edita, vera et supposita, græce et latine, cum notis (Paris, 1672). This is Cotelier's principal work. From its title was derived the designation of Apostolic FathersApostolic FathersThe Apostolic Fathers are a small number of Early Christian authors who lived and wrote in the second half of the first century and the first half of the second century. They are acknowledged as leaders in the early church, although their writings were not included in the New Testament...
for the earliest non-inspired Christian writers. Most of the copies of the work were consumed by a fire in the Collège MontaiguCollège de MontaiguThe Collège de Montaigu was one of the constituent colleges of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Paris. The college, originally called the Collège des Aicelins, was founded in 1314 by Giles Aicelin, the Archbishop of Rouen...
in Paris. Two revised editions were published by LeclercJean Leclerc (theologian)Jean Le Clerc, also Johannes Clericus was a Swiss theologian and biblical scholar. He was famous for promoting exegesis, or critical interpretation of the Bible, and was a radical of his age...
(Clericus), one in Antwerp (1698), the other in AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
(1724). Reprints of this last edition are found in MigneJacques Paul MigneJacques Paul Migne was a French priest who published inexpensive and widely-distributed editions of theological works, encyclopedias and the texts of the Church Fathers, with the goal of providing a universal library for the Catholic priesthood.He was born at Saint-Flour, Cantal and studied...
, P. G., I, II, V. - Ecclesiæ Græcæ Monumenta, græce et latine (Paris, 1677, 1681, 1686). The third volume of this series was published two days before the author's death.
He had collected materials for a fourth volume which was edited (1688) by the Maurists, Antoine Pouget, Bernard de Montfaucon
Bernard de Montfaucon
Bernard de Montfaucon was a French Benedictine monk, a scholar who founded a new discipline, palaeography; an editor of works of the Fathers of the Church; he is also regarded to be one of the founders of modern archaeology.-Early life:Montfaucon was born January 13, 1655 in the castle of...
, and Lopin, and is sometimes known as Analecta Græca. Cotelier also left several volumes of manuscripts, mainly on Christian antiquities, that were preserved in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France
Bibliothèque nationale de France
The is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
.