Jacques de Chevanes (c.1608 – 1678) was a French Capuchin polemicist. He used the pseudonyms Jacques d'Autun and Saint-Agran. He was the son of Nicolas de Chevanes of

Autun Autun () is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Saône-et-Loire Departments of France, department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region of central-eastern France. It was founded during the Principate era of the e ...

, and brother of the jurist Jacques-Auguste de Chevanes.

''L'incrédulité sçavante et la crédulité ignorante''

''L'incrédulité sçavante et la crédulité ignorante: au sujet des au sujet des magiciens et des sorciers'' (1671) was a reply to Gabriel Naudé's ''Apologie pour tous les grands personnages, qui ont été faussement soupçonnés de magie''. This work argues against both

freethought Freethought (sometimes spelled free thought) is an unorthodox attitude or belief. A freethinker holds that beliefs should not be formed on the basis of authority, tradition, revelation, or dogma, and should instead be reached by other meth ...

and popular misconceptions. It cites the author's personal experience during a

witch-hunt A witch hunt, or a witch purge, is a search for people who have been labeled witches or a search for evidence of witchcraft. Practicing evil spells or Incantation, incantations was proscribed and punishable in early human civilizations in the ...

Burgundy Burgundy ( ; ; Burgundian: ''Bregogne'') is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. ...

in 1648/9. It also references a 1670 interview with a woman accused of sorcery and witchcraft. Chevanes quotes ''

De civitate Dei ''On the City of God Against the Pagans'' (), often called ''The City of God'', is a book of Christian philosophy written in Latin by Augustine of Hippo in the early 5th century AD. Augustine wrote the book to refute allegations that Christian ...

'' book 15 on

demonology Demonology is the study of demons within religious belief and myth. Depending on context, it can refer to studies within theology, religious doctrine, or occultism. In many faiths, it concerns the study of a hierarchy of demons. Demons may be n ...

. It was addressed to the Parlement of

Dijon Dijon (, ; ; in Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Digion'') is a city in and the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Côte-d'Or Departments of France, department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in eas ...

, and was written largely from a legalistic point of view, though with lengthy digressions, for example on

astrology Astrology is a range of Divination, divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that propose that information about human affairs and terrestrial events may be discerned by studying the apparent positions ...

Lynn Thorndike Lynn Thorndike (24 July 1882, in Lynn, Massachusetts, US – 28 December 1965, New York City) was an American historian of History of science in the Middle Ages, medieval science and alchemy. He was the son of a clergyman, Edward R. Thorndike, an ...

suggests that its title may derive from the English anti-sceptical work ''On Credulity and Incredulity in Things natural, civil and divine'' (1668) by Méric Casaubon The appearance of this work has been noted as a milestone for the French judicial attitude; it asserted that there were witches, but few of them. The work also moves to a general conclusion on the

occult The occult () is a category of esoteric or supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of organized religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving a 'hidden' or 'secret' agency, such as magic and mysti ...

, namely that while it should be avoided for reasons already given by the

Church Fathers The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical peri ...

, its practitioners should not be executed.

Other works

*''Les Entretiens curieux d'Hermadore et du voyageur incognu'' (1634); defence of the

regular clergy Regular clergy, or just regulars, are clerics in the Catholic Church who follow a rule () of life, and are therefore also members of religious institutes. Secular clergy are clerics who are not bound by a rule of life. Terminology and history ...

, against

Jean-Pierre Camus Jean-Pierre Camus (November 3, 1584 – April 26, 1652) was a French bishop, preacher, and author of works of fiction and spirituality. Biography Jean-Pierre Camus was born in Paris in 1584, the son of Jean Camus, seigneur de Saint Bonnet, who w ...

*''La conduite des illustres pour aspirer à la gloire d'une vie héroïque'' (1639) *''Les Justes Espérances de nostre salut'' (1649) *Funeral oration for the Duc de Candale (1658) *''L'amour eucharistique victorieux des impossibilitez de la nature et de la morale'' (1666) *''La vie de Saint François d'Assise, patriarche des frères Mineurs'' (1676)

Notes

External links

CERL page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chevanes, Jacques de 1608 births 1678 deaths Capuchins Demonologists 17th-century French male writers Witchcraft in France