Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Moulin, Lewis du

by John Goldworth Alger

MOULIN, LEWIS de (1606–1680), nonconformist controversialist, son of Pierre du Moulin [q. v.] and brother of Peter du Moulin [q. v.], was born at Paris on 25 Oct. 1606. He studied medicine at Leyden, taking the degree of M.D., and graduating also at Cambridge in 1634 and at Oxford in 1649. Becoming licentiate in 1640 of the London College of Physicians, he probably practised at Oxford, where in September 1648, as ‘a person of piety and learning,’ he was appointed Camden professor of ancient history in the place of Robert Waring, ejected as a royalist. In 1652 he published his inaugural lecture. Ousted in his turn at the Restoration, Du Moulin retired to Westminster. Wood calls him ‘a fiery, violent, and hot-headed independent, a cross and ill-natured man,’ but on his deathbed, in the presence of Bishop Burnet, he retracted his virulent attacks on Anglican theologians. This retractation was published, under the title of ‘Last Words,’ after his death, which took place at Westminster, 20 Oct. 1680. He was buried at St. Paul's, Covent Garden. Between 1637 and his death he had published upwards of twenty works, the chief of which are:

1. ‘The Power of the Christian Magistrate,’ London, 1650, 16mo.
2. ‘Proposals and Reasons … presented to the Parliament,’ London, 1659, 4to.
3. ‘L. Molinæi Morum Exemplar,’ 1662, 12mo.
4. ‘Les Démarches de l'Angleterre vers Rome,’ 1679, 12mo.
5. ‘Considerations et ouvertures sur l'estat présent des affaires de l'Angleterre,’ 1679, 12mo.
6. ‘An Appeal of all the Non-conformists in England,’ 1681, 4to.

The last work was attacked by Jean Daillé in ‘A Lively Picture of Lewis du Moulin;’ Moulin retorted in ‘A Sober Reply,’ and was also defended by Richard Baxter [q. v.] in ‘A Second True Defence of Nonconformists,’ 1681, 4to. Moulin also wrote under the pseudonyms ‘Christianus Alethocritus,’ ‘Colvinus Ludiomæus,’ and ‘Irenæus Philadelphus.’ One of his last works was ‘Moral Reflections upon the Number of the Elect, proving plainly from Scripture evidence, &c., that not one in a hundred (nay, not probably one in a million), from Adam down to our time, shall be saved,’ London, 1680, 16mo. In the Harleian MS. 3520, fol. 5, British Museum, is an unpublished manuscript by him entitled ‘New Light for the Composition of Church History.’

[Album Studiosorum Lugdunæ, the Hague, 1875; Haag's La France Protestante; Wood's Athenæ Oxon.; Munk's Coll. of Phys., London, 1878; Agnew's Protestant Exiles from France, 1886; Reg. of Visitors of Oxford, p. 492 (Camd. Soc.), 1881; Brit. Mus. Cat.]

J. G. A.