tion on the sacramentarian controversy, and there re- newed his assertion and vindicated his views. With Melancthon he succeeded better. Although he coidd not effect a union of the Lutherans and the Keformed. as he was exhorted to do by the kiiig of Poland, with a view to its happy effect in his own states, he yet secured the confidence and friendly offices of INIelancthon. The latter intrusted him with a letter to the king of Poland, to which a modification of the Augsburg Confession, such as it was hoped all Protestants might unite in, was added. Lasko now jirepared for his return to Po- land, where the kuig, Sigismund Augustus, was disposed to welcome him. He first, however, published a new account of the foreign churches which he had superin- tended in London, dedicating it to the king, the senate, and the states of Poland, urging at the same time the reasons for reformation, and setting forth the grounds of his own action in rejecting the doctrines of the Church of Rome. Such a vindication of himself was called for. The news of his return excited the appre- hensions, if not the consternation of his enemies. In Dec. 1556, after an absence of twenty years, he iilanted his feet on his native soil. His approach had been preceded by alarms addressed especially to the ears of the king.' He was called a dangerous person, an outlawed heretic, who returned to his country only to excite troubles and commotions. He was said to be preparing measures of rebellion, and means to destroy the churches. The king was not alarmed. He received the reformer in a friend- ly manner, and was gratified with Melancthon's letters. Cautious in his policy, however, he was anxious, before taking bold and decisive measures of reform, to secure Protestant union. Lasko was intrusted with the super- intendence of all the Reformed churches in Little Po- land. Laboring ior the desired union, his efforts were counteracted by men ivho preferred to conceal their real (Socinian) sentiments, and by the grave difficulties which he had to encounter. At successive annual syn- ods he exerted himself to secure a harmony of the Prot- estant confessions — a result effected after his death in the celebrated Consensus Sendomiriensis. In the trans- lation of the Bible of Brzesc he took an active part, and is said to have published many books, most of which are now irrecoverably lost. In the midst of his efforts, and under the burden of his pressing duties, he closed his life, Jan. 8, 1560. During the last four years of his life the record of his labors is scanty indeed, but his vig- or, activity, and practical ability left a deep and abiding impress on the development of the Polish Reformation.
Literature. — The sources of information in regard to Lasko are at present quite ample. His Life (Leben d. Johann v. Lasko), by Peter Bartels ( Elberfcld, 1860) has been concisely and carefully compiled, and gives a sat- isfactory account of his doctrinal position, as well as some notice of his books, together with an extended list of authorities. Krasinski's Hist. Shfc/i of the Beforma- iion ill Poland (Lond. 1838, 2 vols. 8vo) presents an ex- tended view of his life in connection with the Reforma- tion in his native country. In some respects, hoAvever, the most valuable work on the subject of this article is Johannis a Leasee Opera, tain edita quam inc-dita, recen- suit vitam uuctoris enarravit A.Kuyper (Amsterd. 1866, 2 vols. 8vo). In over 1300 closely printed pages we have nearly, if not quite all the remains of Lasko that cin now be identified, including portions of his corre- spondence, extending from 1526 to 1559. See also Ber- tram (.].¥.), Griiiidlicf/er Bericht von Johann Alusco (1733, 3 vols. 4to) ; Giibel. Gesch. des christlichen Ldens in der rhein-ivestph. Kircke (Coblenz, 1849), i, 318-351 ; Neal, Iliston/ of the Puritans, i, 53 sq. ; Hassencamp, Ifessische Kiixhenf/esch. (Marburg, 1832), i, § 47 : Fischer, Versuch einer Gesch. der Ref. in Polen ( 1856) ; Schrockh, Kirchengesch. s. d. Ref ii. 688 sq.; IMiddleton,^<;/(>?-7?ier.<:, ii (see Index) ; Jahrh.deutscher Theologic. 1860, ii, 536; 1868, iii, 536 ; and the excellent article by Gijbel, in Her- zog, Reid-Kuri/Mop. viii, 204 sq. (E. H." G.)
Last Day. See Judgjient Day.
LASTHENES
254
LATERAN COUNCILS
Las'thenes (AaaBivrig; comp. Aa-/;(«\ot.'), an of- ficer who stood high in the favor of Demetrius II Nica- tor. He is described as '• cousin" ((Tiiyyfi'/;f, 1 Maco. xi, 31) and " father" (I Mace, xi, 32 ; Josephus, .4 7it. xiii, 3, 9) of the king. Both words may be taken as titles of high nobility (compare Grimm on 1 Mace, x, 89 ; Diod. xvii, 59 ; Gesenius, Thesaui: s. v. 2S, § 4). It appears from Josephus {Ant. xiii, 4, 3) that he was a Cretan, to whom Demetrius was indebted for a large body of mer- cenaries (compare 1 Mace, x, G7), when he asserted his claim to the Syrian throne against Alexander Balas, B.C. 148 or 147. It appears that Lasthenes himself ac- companied the young prince ; and when Demetrius was established on the throne, he appointed Lasthenes his chief minister, with unlimited power. His arbitrary government, added to his persuading Demetrius to dis- band the regular troops and only employ Cretans, is sup- posed to have alienated the subjects from the king, and caused great dissatisfaction to the soldiers. This con- duct led to the downfall of Demetrius, for it enabled Tryphon to set up Antiocluis, the young son of Alexan- der I3alas (Diodotus, Reliq. lib. xxxiii, 4, ed. Didot, ii, 522) . What became of Lasthenes is not known. See Dejie-