Kempe, Stepiian, one of the leaders in the Ger- man Ileformation of the 16th century, the founder of Protestantism in the city of Hamburg, his native place, was born towards the close of the 15th century. He was educated at Postock, and became a Franciscan monic in 1523; but, while on business for his order at Ham- burg, he became acquainted with the reformer Joachim Slitter, and soon v/as himself one of the most enthusias- tic preachers of the new religion. To Kempe belongs the glory, indeed, of the evangelization of Hamburg. One of his ablest assistants in the glorious work was Ziegenhagen (q. v.). In 1528 they had so far gained the upper hand that the Roman Catholics were obliged to leave the city altogether in their hands. In Lilne- burg, also, Kempe aided the good cause of the Luther- ans ; in fact, wherever, in the immediate neighborhood of the Hanse cities, his assistance was needcil to further the reformatory movement, it had not to be asked for twice. He died at llanilmrg October 23, 1540. He wrote a narrative of the Keformation in Hamburg which was published by ]\Iayer in Das Evangelische Hamburg (Hamburg, 1693, 12mo).
Kemper, Jacksox, D.D., LL.D., first missionan,' bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States, was born at Pleasant Valley, in Dutchess County, New York, Dec. 24, 1789. When about twelve years of age he was sent to the Episcopal Academy at Clieshire, Conn., and remained there two years; after that he was put under the charge of Rev. Dr. Barrj', a graduate of
KEMPIS
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KEMPIS
Trinity CoUcge, Dublin, at that time one of the most distinguished classical teachers in the country ; entered Columbia College in 1805, and graduated in 1809. He began the study of theology under the care of bishop Moore and the clergy of Trinity parish, there being no theological seminaries in those daj-s. As soon as he had reached the canonical age of twenty-one years, he was ordained deacon at the hands of bishop White, in St. Pe- ter's Church, Philadelphia, on the second Sunday in Lent, 1811. He was immediately called to the assist- antship under bishop White, and held this po'^ition till June of 1831, when he accepted the rectorship of St. Paul's Church, Norwalk, Conn. h\ 1835 he was elected tlic first missionary bishop of the American Church. His jurisdiction comprised " the North-west." Out of it have been formed the dioceses of Missouri, Indiana, Wis- consin, jMinnesota, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska. Early in tiie winter of this year bishop Kemper reached St. Louis, where he tooi^ up his residence until he removed to Wisconsin in 1814. Meanwhile (about 1838) he had been elected to the bishopric of Maryland, but this hon- or he declined, preferring the more burdensome but not less honorable position of missionary bishop. In 1847, Wisconsin having been organized into a diocese, the Primary Convention elected bishop Kemper diocesan. This was also declined; but in 1854, being again unani- mously elected, he accepted, only upon condition that his acceptance should allow him to remain missionary bishop still. At the General Convention of 1859 he re- signed his office as missionary bishop, and from that time until his death, Maj' 24, 1870, his labors were con- fined to the diocese of Wisconsin. He was active in the establishment of a theological seminary within the bomids of his diocese, and when, in 1843, it was founded at Nashotah,Wisconsin, the bishop took up his residence on a farm adjoming.
Kenipis, John a, a German monk, brother of Thomas ;i Kenipis (q. v.), was born at Kempen, near Cologne, in 13G5. About 1380 he came to Deventer, and ^vas admitted by Gerard Groot among the Brethren of the Common Life. He became successively one of the first members of the Canons Regular of Windesheim in 1386 ; prior of the Convent of Mariabrunn, near Arn- heim, in 1392 ; and of the new Convent of jMount St. Ag- nes, near Zwoll, in 1399. Here he remained nine years, during \vhicli he caused the buildings, etc., of the con- vent to be finished. He subsecjuently directed four oth- er establishments of his order, and died at Bethany, near Arnheira, Nov. 4, 1432. It was John ;i Kempis who drew up the rules of the chapter of Windesheim, the cen- tral establishment of his order. Gerson pronounced his eulogy in the Council of Constance. See Buschius, Chroiiicnn Windescmense ; Rosweide, Vita Joh. a Kempis {^Airpendix ad Thomm a Kempis Chronicon Montis S. Agnetis) ; Mooren, Nachrichten iiber Thorn, a Kempis, p. 134. — Iloefer, Xou v. Biog. Gener. xxvii, 542. (J. N. P.)
Kempis, Thomas a Cso called from his native place, Kempen, a village in the diocese of Cologne ; his family name was Ildmerketi [Latinized Malleolus, \At- tle Hammer]), one of the most celebrated mystics and forerunners of the Reformation of tlie IGth century, was born about 1380. Thomas's parents were poor, and could ill afford the aspiring youth any su]ierior advan- tages of education, but, trained by a pious mother, he had early inclined to the priesthood, and, aware of the advantages afforded young jiersons by the monastic brotherhood known as the Brethren of the Common Life (q. v.), he quitted his parental roof at the age of thir- teen to seek fiu-ther educational advantages than he had enjoyed at his home, imder the instruction of the celebrated John Bffihme, then at the head of a school at Deventer, superintended by the " Brethren of the Common Life." While here at school he was brought to the notice of Florentius, one of the principal disciples of Gerhard Groot. and the superintendent of the broth- irhood, whose protection Tliomas was enjoving. Floren- Y.-C