HARMS
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HARMS
Anger (1851),Tischendorf (1851), Strong (English, 1852; Greek, 1854), Stroud (1853), Douglas (1859). Other sim- ilar works are mentioned in l-'ahritius. Ji'tbliittheca Grte- c«, vol. iv, cd. llarlcs; Walcli. JiihUulliird Theolofjica, vol. iv; Jlichaelis, Inlnxl vol. ill, ed. .Alarsh; Hase, Le- Im-u Jesti, § 27; Danz, mirlerb. d. Theol. Lit. s. v. ; Dar- ling, Cydopad. Bibliuijraph. col. 1 10, 13(5, 761, See Btit. ami For. Jiei-ieii; Oct. 1856 ; J(jur. ,S(tc. Liter. 1852, p. 60 sq.; Wiese\eT,C/iroii.Si/nopsis of Gospels (tr. by Vena- bles, Lond. 1864, 8vo). See Jesus Ciihist.
Harms, Claus, a German re^-ivaIist, was bom at Falirstodt, in Holstein, May 25, 1778. He showed at an earlv age signs of a deep and devotional piety. He made rapid progress at school, and at eighteen entered tiie University of Kiel Young and ardent, the skepti- cal spirit of the time could not but have some effect on him ; its influence, however, was counteracted by Schlcicrmaclier's Reden iib. d. RA'ujinn, which brought him back to the simple faith of childhood, from whence he never aftenvards strayed. In 1802 he passed his ex- amination in theology, and in 1800 was appointed dea- con iji Lmiden. The fame of his talent as a preacher, artd of his devotion to pastoral labor, soon spread abroad. His first publication was Winter-Poslille (Kiel, 1808), which was followed by Summer -Posfille (Kiel, 1809). Two Cutecliisms, published by Harms soon afterwards, ran through many editions. In 1810 he was appointed arcluleacon of St. Nicholas at Kiel. In this position he was at first highly esteemed, and afterwards bitterly oj)- posed on account of his so-called pietism. The opposi- tion against him culminated at the occasion of the ju- bilee of the Reformation held in 1817. It became daily mvre apparent to him that the Church in Germany was steadUy receding from the principles of the Rel'orma- tion and of the Holy Scriptures. He therefore gave out that he was prepared at any time to sustain, demon- strate, and defend Luther's 95 theses, with 95 additional ones of his own, against any one who chosa to dispute witli liim. His first point, " When our Lord Jesus Christ says 'repent,' he means that we shall conform to his precepts, not that his precepts shall be conformed to us, as is done in our days to suit the public mind," was striking at the very root of the then wide-spread relig- ious indifference, Tlie discussions which ensued gave rise to a vast number of publications, many of which were very IJitter. Tlie effect, on the whole, was a deep awakening in the Church. The theological faculty of Kiel, which, with the exception of the celebrated Kleu- ker and Twesten, had bitterly oiiposed Harms, was in after years almost exclusively brought over to iiis side. His pulilications after this (showing his tlieological views more fully) include the following, viz., /'/(>(//>//«« (1820, 1«22, lM2i, 1X27, 1838, 1852) :—Rli.,ioii!<h,n„Jlni)- <jen der iMllurisrhen Kin/ie (1839) ■.—('hrisllirhe Cimthe (1X30-1834) ■.-Vatermser (1838) -.-d. lierfjrede d. llerm {i»ll):—d. Olfhib/iriinr/ Johunnis (IHU) : — Redm an Tli<<l„t/if.st,„liremk (3 vols. : i, d. Predifjer; ii, (/. Priest- tr; iii, d. Pastor, Kiel, 1830-34). Many beautiful hymns by Harms may be found in the Gesaiu/e f. d. f/emei/i- schnfdirlie u.f.d. eiiisamc Amhtcht (1828). In 1841, on the 25tli anniversary of his entering on liis pastoral du- ties at Kiel, a great jul)ilee was held there, and a fund liaving been form;.! to defray his travelling expenses, he was named " Oljerconsistorialratli." His ej-esigth failed him a few years after, but lie still continued writ- ing, and |)ublished a revised edition of his works (1851). He died peacefully Fel,. 1, 1«55. See llarms's Selbst-bi- of/ra/iltu: (Jena, 1818); Reuler's liepertorinm (1849)- liauingarten. Kin Ihnhmalf. f. Harms (1855) ; Herzog, li('al-Eiirykl,>pudii', v, 567.
Harms, Louis, usually known as Pastor Harms, one of the most eminent among the Lutheran pastors in < Jcrmau)-. He was born in Herrmansburg, in the king- dom of Hanover, about the year 1809. iiis father was pastor of the church in Herrmansburg before him, and was remarkable for the strict dbcipline of liia famUy.
As a boy, Louis excelled all his comrades in wrestling, boxing, and other athletic sports. He prepared for the university at the gymnasium of Celle, completing the coiu-se intwo years. From 1827 tiU 1830 he studied at the University of Gottingen with signal ardor anil suc- cess. He was repelled from theology at this time partly on account of the state of the science, partly owing to difficulties in his own mind, devoting himself to mathe- matics, astronomy, philosophy, and the languages, in- cluding the Spanish, Sanscrit, and Chaldee, To the last he was an enthusiastic student of Tacitus. His conver- sion, which probably occurred soon after leaving the university, was of a.very thorough character. " I have never in "my life," said he, '-known what fear was; but when I came to the knowledge of my sins, then I quaked before the wrath of God, so that my limbs trembled." A Christian hope soon took complete and ever-increasing possession of his mind, and in 1844 we find him engaged in preaching at Herrmansburg, beguming his labors as an assistant to his father.
AVith the settlement of this young minister, a mighty influence began to go forth from the little German vil- lage, which soon changed the aspect of the country around him, and before his own death it was felt all over the world. The minds of the people had been be- numbed by Rational ism or by a dead orthodoxy, which vanished like a cloud before the apostolic ardor of Harms. M[ in the neighborhood became at once regidar attend- ants at church, devout observers of the Sabbath, and strict in maintaining family prayer. Young Harms soon found himself to be virtually the pastor of a region ten miles square, containing seven villages, which in an in- credibly short time he brought into a state of working religious activity.