Layritz, Johann Georg, a German theologian, was born July 15, 1641, at Hof, in Bavaria. In 1667 he entered the university at Jena ; in 1677 he was graduated M. A., and became in 1673 professor of Church and profane history at the gymnasium of Baireuth ; in 1675, librarian and instructor of the margraves Erdmann, Philipp, and Georg Albrecht ; in 1685, deacon of the court Church ; in 1688, superintendent at Neustadt. In 1697 he accepted the call of the duke Wilhelm Ernst of Weimar, and he then became superintendent in general, counsellor of the consistory, tirst preacher of the Petri-Paul Church, and director of the gymnasium. He died April 4, 1716. He left numerous productions, e. g. Diss, de simplici et com- posito (Jena;, 1668, 4to) : — Auszug der Kirch engeschichte <k'S Xeuen Testam. (Baireuth und Niiremb. 1678, r2mo) : — Synopsis kistorim ecclesiasticee A^'ovi Testam. (ibid. 1678, 12mo) : — Der rdmische Papst-Thron, cl. i. grilnd- liche und ausfiihrliche Beschreibung des papstlichen Ehr- iind Marht- und Wachstltums (ibid, 1685, 4to).
Layritz, Paul Eugeu, a noted German theolo- gian and Moravian bishop, was born Nov. 13, 1707, at Wunsiedel, in Bavaria; was educated at the university of Leipsic, where, besides theology, he studied philos- ophy and mathematics. In 1731 he became subrec- tor, and in 1735 rector of the town-school at Neustadt. Through an early acquaintance with the count Zinzen- dorf, however, he was in 1749 intrusted with the direc- torship of the Moravian seminary and grammar-school at Marienborn, and henceforth with different commissions on the affairs of the denomination; in 1749 he was sent by them to England; in 1763 to St. Petersburg, to pro- cure permission for the IMoravians to settle in the Russian empire; in 1773 to Labrador, to inquire into the progress of their missions there. In 1775, at the Synod of Bar- by, he was appointed a bishop, and intrusted with the supervision of the Moravian communities throughout Silesia. In 1782 he undertook also the supervision of th3 communities in upper Lusatia, espcciallv that of llcrrnhut. He died Aug. 3, 1788. Besides his practical ariivity, of great importance to his denomination, and his extended knowledge of the Oriental languages, and of the modern also, his productions as an author received a hearty welcome by his contemporaries, and are by no means useless to us, a few of which are here mentioned : Erste Anfangsgriinde der Verntafthhre (Ziillichau, 1743, 8vo; 2d ed., ibid, 1748, 8vo; .-Jd'ed., ibid. 1755, 8vo; ^th ed., ibid. 1764, 8vo; translated into,Latin, with the title Ekmenta Lor/icce, Stuttgard, 1766, 8vo) i—Iietrachtungeu iiber cine vollstdndige und christliche Erziehung der Kin- der (Barby, 1776, 8vo). Sec Dciring, Gelehrte Theolog. Deutschlunds, vol. ii, s. v.
Lazae or Xiazi (AaZai), the name of a large nation inhabiting Colchis, between the rivers Bathys and Pha- sis. Untler the Komans the name Lazica was applied to the whole of Colchis. In 520 the prince of the Laza?, Tyathus (Zathus or Tzathus), went to Constantinople to ask the aid of the emperor Justin against the Per- sians. He was baptized there, with the emperor hitn- self as his sponsor, married a Grecian Christian lady of high rank, and requested the emperor to crown him king, in order that, if he should receive the crown at the hands of the king of Persia, as was formerly the custom, he shoidd not be obliged to take a part in the heathen ceremonies and sacrifices which woidd follow. Justin recognised him as an independent sovereign, and crowned him himself. Soon after this the whole of the Lazaj appear to have become zealous Christians. Pro- copius calls them " the most zealous of aU Christians," and this ,seems to be to some extent corroborated by the fact that Chosroes, king of Persia, endeavored to remove them into the interior of his empire, as they and their neighbors the Iberians, who were also Christians, op- posed an invincible barrier to the extension of I'ersia. One of their princes, Gubazes, having been assassinated by a Roman general, they entertained for a moment the idea of attaching themselves to Persia, but relinquished it for fear of thereby being in danger of losing their faith: "qui enim varia senserint, versari simul nil pos- sunt, et sane nee timore intercedente nee beneficio ducc fides in his stabilis manet, ni forte eadem et rectius sen- serint" (Agath. iii, 12). From the statement in Proco- pius {Bell. Goth, iv, 2), that the bishops of the Laz;c sent priests to neighboring independent Christian nations, it appears that the Laza3 were zealous in propagating their faith. Among the converts they made to Christianitj- are the Abasians, to Avhom Justinian I sent priests. Sec Thcophan. CAroBo^r. anno 512; Herzog, Peal- Encyllop. viii, 250 ; Wetzer imd Welte, Kirchen-Lexikon, vi, oSG; Smith, T)ict. of Class. Geog. s. v.
Lazaiists, or Priests of the Mission, a soci- ety of missionary priests in the Roman Catholic Church. It was founded in 1G24 by St. Vincent of Paid, who, while living as tu- tor and chaplain in the liouse of count Gondi, general of the royal gal- leys, was induced by the general confession of sick men to give a mission for the people of the do- minions of the count. The results of the mis- sion so well pleased the count that he offered a sum of money to any religious congregation which would be willing to give a mission in his dominions. Vincent in vain offered this sum to the members of his own order, the Oratorians, Lazarist, or PiiL-st of the Mis- and to the Jesuits. Botli ®"'"" were so overwhelmed