Druidical Caiin and Kist-Vaens.
GALEN"
•16
GALICHO
«ie,« ; Sept. /3owoe fu'tprvc and jiovvcc /JianTvpti ; Vulg. Acerviis tes/imonii and Galudd), the name given by Jacob to the pile of stones [sec Gilgal] erected by him and La ban to attest their league of friendship [see Gilead], but called by Laban (Gen. xx.xi, 47, 48) bj- the synonymous Sj'riac title of Jegar-Sahadutha (q. v.). Traces of a similar custom appear in the con- secrated mounds of the Druids and of the North-Amer- ican aborigines of the Western States. See Altar ; Stonk.
Galen or Galenus, Mattheus van, D.D., was born about the year 1528, at West-Kapelle, on the island of A\'alcheren. As his parents were not in such circumstances as would enable them to give their son a liberal education, the expenses of his preparatory course at Ghent were borne by two benevolent gentle- men of his native place. From Ghent he went to Louvain, where he studied philosophy and theologj'. After taking his bachelor's decree, he gave instruc- tions in this institution in sacred eloquence. Being licensed, he was, on the recommendation of the noto- rious Ituard Tapper, called to the professorship of the- ology in the recently founded university of Dillingen. This position he hold from 1559 to 1563. Its duties were discharged in such a waj^ as to secure for him a high reputation. From Dillingen he was called to oc- cupy the chair of theology at Douay. Here, in 1504, he received his degree of D.D. With zeal and fidelity he labored at this post till his death, which occurred in 1573. He was a man of eminent learning, possessing for the time in which he lived an unusual familiarity with the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew languages. He was a member of the Council of Trent and of the Synod of Cand3ra3^ He numbered among his friends some of the principal men of his time. Though a man of great learning, he is said to have been deficient in critical acumen. He wrote various woi'ks in Latin on practical and polemic theology. The substance of his lectures on pulpit eloquence was given to the public under the title of Paralipomena. He also wrote a Comment an Its in EpiUolam D. PauU ad Hebrmos e Syro Sermone in Lafinian conversam (Duaci, 1578 ; Lovan. 1599). An HxpHcaHo in Esaiam is still preserved in manuscript in the University librarj' at Leyden. His greatest merit consists in the service rendered to Church history by original contributions in this department, and by the publication of medireval writings and doc- innents. His works in this direction are Vita S. Wil- lehrordi,Frislornm apostoli: — 07-aiio in vitam 8. Georgii martijris : — A reopagiticn seu opuscula qucrdam nusqiiam hactenus exnina divi Chludoicici et Ilildiu-ini de rebus geslis ac f^m'ptis B. Macarii Jovici Dionysii A reopof/iiiv (Colon. 15G3 ; Paris, 1565) : — Alcuini Rheiorica ad Ca- rolmn Marjnum (Duaci, 1563 ; Colon. 1563) : — De origin- ibiis monasHcis seu de prima Chr-istianm Mmastices ori- ffine commentarius (Billing. 1564). See B. Glasius, God- (jeleerd Xederland, D. i, biz. -185 en verv. ; also .J. N. Pa- {piot, M( moires pour serrir a I'histoire liiteraire des dix- sept jirorinces des Puys-Bas, de la prinnpaute de Liege et de qnelqtics rontrees voisines (Louvain, 1763-1770, 18 vols. 8vo), iii, p. 301 suiv. (.J. P.W.)
Galenists, a branch split off, in 16G4, from the Waterlandians, who were JMennonites, or Anabaptists. The foinider of the Galenists was called Galen Abra- ham Haan ; he was a doctor of physic, and pastor of a J\Iennonite congregation at Amsterdam. He is cele- brated as a man of great ])enetration and eloquence, and is supposed to luive inclined to Socinian views. Assuming that tjic Christian system laid nnu^h more stress on i)racticc than on faith, he was disposed to re- ceive into the ^lennonito Church all who acknowledged the divine origin of tlie books of the Old and New Testaments and led holy and virtuous lives. Such, in his judgment, were true Christians, and had an nn- do\ibted right to all tlie privileges that belong to that diaracter. — ^losheim, Ch. Hist. cent, xvii, sec. ii, pt. ii, ch. v, § 7. See Afostool ; Mexxonites.
Galentts, Haxs. See Galenists.
Galeiius, Valerius Maximiaxus, Roman ein« peroi', son of a shepherd, Avas born near Sardica, in Dacia, entered the imperial army, and served in the wars ofAurelius and Probus. Dioclesian (A.D. 292) conferred on him, along with Constantius Clilorus, the title of Coisar, and gave him his daughter Valeria to wife. On the abdication of Dioclesian (A.D. S05), he and Constantius became aiignsH, or joint rulers of the Roman empire. On the death of Cotistantius at Yoilc (A.D. 306), the troops in Britain and Gaul immediately declared their allegiance to his son, Constantine (after- wards Constantine the Great), much to the chagrin of Galerius, who expected the entire sovereignty of Rome to fall into his hands. He died A.D. 311. Galerius hated the Christians Litterlj-, and is believed to have been the real author of Dioclesian's persecutions. See Dioclesian. "Brought to reflection bj' a terrible disease, he put an end to the slaughter shortly before his death by a remarkable edict of toleration, which he issued from Nicomedia in .511, in connection with Con- stantine and Licinius. In that document he declared that the purpose of reclaiming the Christians from their wilful innovation and the multitude of their sects to the laws and discipline of the Roman state was not ac- complished, and that he would nov/ grant them permis- sion to hold their religious assemblies, provided they disturbed not the order of the state. To this he added, in conclusion, the reniarkalde instruction that the Chris- tians, 'after this manifestation of grace, should pray to their God for tl.e v, e'fare of the emperors, of the state, and of themselves, that the state might prosper in ev- erj' respect, and that they might live quietly in their homes.' This edict brought the period of persecution in the Roman empire to a close."— Schaff, History of the Cliristian Church, vol. i, § 57.