GERSON, JoHN CHARLIER DE. 011e Of the most celebrated men of the 15th centuly, and a great forerunner of the reformation, was born December 14, 1363, at Gerson, a small village in the diocese of Rheims. Ile was the eldest of twelve children, and was brought up by his parents in strict piety. Three of his brothers and four of his sisters took monastic VOWS. His paternal name was Charlier, but having entered at fourteen the College of Navarre in Paris, he adopted the addition de Gerson, in memory of his birth-place, and in token of the new life Ile embraced. He soon acquired distinction, and rose rapidly in the church. In 1392 he received from Pierre d'Ailly the degree of doctor; in t395 he was appointed Bishop of Puy ; in 1396 he became Bishop Cam bray, and subsequently Chancellor of the Univer sity of Paris.
Gerson took an active part in most of the con troversies of the troublous times on which he was cast, for the most part aiming at promoting peace and healing the divisions of the church. He took a leading part in the council of Constance; and the greatest blot on his character is the share he had in the condemnation of Huss. At the close of the council, finding his efforts at reforma tion baffled, and disheartened by his repeated failures, Gerson retired as a pilg,rim into Bavaria and the Tyrol, and finally visited Vienna, where Fredericlc of Austria made him a professor in the university. IIere he wrote his treatise De Consola tione Theologia, which has been often reprinted, and his monotessaron, a harmony of the gospels. In
1419 he quitted Austria and returned to France, on the death of the Duke of Burgundy, to seek an asylum in the monastery of the Celestines at Lyons. Here he wrote his commentaries on the Psalms, and spent his time in the education of young children, saying that it was with little children that the reformation of the church should commence. He instructed them in the rudiments of Latin and the gospels, and taught them to say in their prayers, 0 Lord, have mercy on thy poor servant John Gerson.' After completing a commentary on the song of sonas, he died July 12, 1429, aged 66. Sztrsum corcL was engraved on his tomb. The De bnitatione Christihas been ascribed to him from the fact of its first appearing appended to a manuscript of his De Consolatthne Theologire. It is still a matter of dispute; and France, Italy, and Germany, contend for the authorship of this famous work. Gerson was a noble character, eloquent, earnest, and of deep piety. His great aim was the reforma tion of abuses, discipline, and manners, the corrup tion of the clergy, the ignorance and venality of the prelates. The infallibility and inviolability of the Pope, were in his idea, gross superstition. He believed that the power to bind and to loose be longed to a general council, not to the Pope; he condemned the self-flagellation of fanatics, and strove to abolish annates, and extirpate simony. The best edition of Gerson's works is that by Du Pin, in 5 vols. folio, Antwerp, 1706.—S. L.