P. 436, c. 2—“Apples of Sodom.” Therenot says: “There are apple trees
on the sides of the Dead Sea which bear lovely fruit, but within are
full of ashes.”
“Like to the apples on the Dead Sea’s shore,
All ashes to the taste.”—_Byron._
P. 436, c. 2—“Ob´so-lēte.” No longer common.
P. 436, c. 2—“Lē´thal.” Deadly, fatal.
P. 437, c. 1—“Hecatomb,” hĕk´a-toom. A sacrifice of an hundred oxen.
P. 437, c. 1—“Bestial,” bĕst´yal. Like a beast, brutal.
P. 437, c. 2—“Rev. W. Jay” (born 1769, died 1853.) A popular English
minister, called by John Foster “the prince of preachers.” Several
volumes of his works have been published.
P. 438, c. 1—“Subtlety,” sut´tl-te. Acuteness of intellect, shrewdness.
P. 438, c. 1—“Un-wiëld´y.” Unmanageable because of size.
P. 438, c. 1—“Prĭs´tine.” Belonging to former times, primitive.
P. 438, c. 1—“Calvin,” kăl´vin. (Born 1509, died 1564.) One of the
leaders of the Reformation; he was educated for the church, but
becoming convinced of its errors joined the Reformation. He was
driven from place to place by persecution. In 1536 was published his
“Institutes of the Christian Religion,” in which he advanced the
doctrines of predestination, election, and reprobation. Afterward
he published a catechism and “Confession of Faith,” and in 1541 the
presbyterial system was introduced by him into the church at Geneva.
An important element of his work was teaching in the Geneva Academy.
Students flocked to him, and Calvinism spread through Europe. Besides
his great work of organization and teaching, Calvin preached almost
daily, and wrote commentaries on nearly the whole Bible.
P. 438, c. 1—“Arminius,” ar-mĭn´i-us. (Born 1560, died 1609.) A
Dutch theologian and pastor at Amsterdam. He denied the doctrine of
predestination and maintained the subordination of ecclesiastical to
civil power. Becoming a professor at Leyden, a dispute arose between
him and Gomar, a Calvinist. The states enjoined the parties to drop
the dispute and teach nothing contrary to the creed and catechism. One
public declaration of sentiments was made, but while preparing for
another conference Arminius died.
P. 438, c. 1—“Baxter.” (1615-1691). An English nonconformist divine.
At the time of the civil war he joined the parliamentary army. Not
favoring the assumption of supreme power by Cromwell, he advocated
the restoration. Subsequently, at the age of seventy, he suffered
persecution for nonconformity. He was a voluminous writer. Of all his
works, the “Saint’s Everlasting Rest” has had, probably, the widest
circulation.
P. 438, c. 2—“So-cĭn´i-an.” A follower of Socinus, who, with Faustus,
was a prominent Italian theologian of the sixteenth century. They
denied the trinity, the deity of Christ, the eternity of future
punishment, the personality of the devil, and total depravity of man.
They taught that Christ was merely a man, human sin was the imitation
of Adam’s sin, human salvation the adoption of Christ’s virtue, and the
Bible was to be interpreted by human reason.
P. 438, c. 2—“A-năth´e-má.” A curse pronounced with ecclesiastical
authority.
P. 438, c. 2—“Măr=´=a-năth´a.” The word was used in anathematizing
persons for great crimes. As much as to say, says Calmet, “May the Lord
come quickly to take vengeance on thee for thy crime.”
P. 439, c. 1—“John Wesley.” (1703-1791.) A religious reformer and the
founder of Methodism. By the advise of his mother he undertook to make
religion the work of his life. At Oxford he was known as a superior
classical scholar. In 1727 he received the degree of Master of Arts,
and having become a priest of the Church of England, he went, in 1835
as a missionary to Georgia, where he remained three years. Upon his
return, through the influence of certain Moravians, he became convinced
that a deeper religious experience was possible, and after his
conversion he became an evangelist. He organized the first Methodist
Society, in 1739, and for more than fifty years was its leader. His
energy and industry were perfect; he is said to have traveled two
hundred and fifty thousand miles in his itinerant ministry, and
preached forty-two thousand sermons. At his death the society which he
organized had five hundred and eleven ministers and a membership of one
hundred and twenty thousand.
P. 439, c. 2—“Id´i-om.” Here signifies the mode of expression peculiar
to the language.
P. 440, c. 1—“Assembly’s Catechism.” The Assembly appointed by the
Long Parliament for the settling of doctrine, liturgy, and church
government, sent out among other things the Shorter and Longer
Catechisms.
P. 440, c. 1—“Thomas à Kempis” (1379-1471). An Augustinian monk whose
whole life seems to have been spent in the cloister. His character
was famous for sanctity. He is best known to us by his work on “The
Imitation of Christ.”