Medler, Nicholas, one of the three principal dis- ciples of Luther, was born at Hof, in Saxony, in 1502. He studied at Erfurt and Wittenberg, where lie held conferences on the Old TeSt. and mathematics. He af- terwards opened a school at Eger, but came into conflict with the authorities of that city for teaching the doc- trines of Luther to his pupils. He then took a situation as teacher in his native city, and was appointed pastor there in 1530, but preached such violent sermons that he was obliged to leave in 1531. Eetiring to Witten- berg, he remained there six years as deacon. Luther often allowed him to supply his place in the pulpit, as he highly esteemed Medler for his great talents as well as zeal. He was made chaplain of the wife of Joachim I, who had fled to Wittenberg. In 1535 he was, to- gether with Jerome Weller, made D.D., and in 1536 superintendent at Naumburg. Here he engaged in nu- merous controversies, but was much beloved and re- spected both by the people and by the authorities. Maurice of Saxony succeeded in attracting him to the University of Leipsic. In 1541, as he went by order of the elector to hold the first evangelical worship in the
cathedral of Naumburg, he found that the canon regu- lars had closed the doors : Medler caused one of them to be broken open and another he burned down. In the same year he got mto a controversy with Sebastian Schwebinger, who was surnamed the Greek, on accomit of his philosophical acquirements and his devotion to_ the cause of the canons. He also quarrelled with his colleague Amsdorf, and with the senate of Naumburg, particularly with IMohr, to whom he addressed the re- proach, '■ Quod numquam palam et expresse taxarit vel errores papisticse doctrinae et cidtus impios, vel manifesta scandala in vita illius gregis." The facultj' of Witten- berg approved the accusation, and deposed Mohr, but Medler himself was also obliged to resign. Medler now went to Spandau, near Berlin, where the Refctrmed doc- trines were becoming established, and in 1546 finally became superintendent of Brunswick, after having three times declined the appointment, notwithstanding the advice of Melancthon and Luther. In Brunswick he succeeded, after great efforts, in establishing a school, where afterwards Melancthon, Urbanus Regius, Justus Jonas, and Flacius taught for a while after the downfall of Wittenberg in 1547, In 1551 he left Brmiswick on account of his health, and went to Leipsic, where he was made superintendent of Bernburg, but on his first preaching he was struck with apoplexy, and died shortly after at Wittenberg. He was full of controversial zeal for the doctrines of Luther. His works are enumerated by Streitpeiger,v,4, andby Schamelius,A'(«K&Mry«m lit- eratiim,.^. 19, 37. A sermon of his against the Interim of Leipsic (q. v.) was often reprinted ; also in Schame- lius, Numburgum literatum. See M. A. Streitperger, De vita D.N.Medl. (in Actus promotionis^Kr Ambrosium Reudenium, fol. O sq., Jena, 1591) ; Hummel, Neue B'Sb- liothek, iii, 536 sq. ; Rethmeyer, Kirchengeseh. v. Braun- sckweig, iii, 173, 194; Danz, Epistolce P. Melanch. ad TV. MedL; D6]l'mgeT,Beformation.sgesch.ii,74iSq.; Herzog, Real-EneyUopudie, ix, 234. (J. N. P.)
Mee'da (Mtfrico v. r. Atc^a), a Gnngcized form (1 Esdr.v, 32) of the Meiiida (q. v.) of the Heb. lists (Ezra ii, 52; Neh.vii,54),
Meekness (t^^sy, 7rp«orj?c), a calm, serene tem- per of mind, not easily ruffled or provoked to resent- ment (James iii, 7, 8). Where the great principles of Christianity have disciplined the soul, where the holy grace of meekness reigns, it subdues the impetuous dis- position, and causes it, trusting in God, both to submit and to forgive. It teaches us to govern our own anger whenever we are at any time provoked, and patiently to bear the anger of others, that it may not be a provo- cation to us. The former is its office, especially in su- periors ; the latter in inferiors, and both in equals (James iii, 13). The excellency of such a spirit appears, if we consider that it enables us to gain a victorj' over corrupt nature (Prov. xvi, 32) ; that it is a beauty and an orna- ment to human beings (1 Pet. iii, 4) ; that it is obedi- ence to God's word, and conformity to the best patterns (Eph. V, 1, 2 ; Phil, iv, 8). It is productive of the high- est peace to the professor (Luke xxi, 19; Matt, xi, 28, 29). It fits us for any duty, instruction, relation, condi- tion, or persecution (Phil, iv, 11, 12), To obtain this spirit, consider that it is a divine injunction (Zeph. ii, 3; CoL iii, 12; 1 Tim. vi, 11), Observe the many ex- amples of it : Jesus Christ (Matt, xi, 28), Abraham (Gen. xiii,xvi,5,6),Moses (Numb, xii.3), David (Zech.xii,8; 2 Sam. xvi, 10, 12; Psa. cxxxi, 2), Paul (1 Cor. ix, 19). Note how lovely a spirit it is in itself, and how it secures us from a variety of evils ; that peculiar promises are made to such (M"att.v, 5; Isa. Ixvi, 2) ; that such give evidence of their being under the influence of divine grace, and shall enjoy the divine blessing (Isa. Ivii, 15). See Henry, On Meekness; Dunlop, Sermons, ii, 434; Evans, Sermons on the Christian Temper, ser. 29 ; Tillot- son, Sermon on 1 Pet. ii, 21, and ore Matt, r, 44 ; Logan, Sermons, vol, i, ser. 10 ; Jortin, Sermons, voL iii, ser. 11. —Buck, Theol. Diet. s. v.