Meigs, Benjamin' Ci-akk, D.D., a missionary of the American board in Ceylon, was born at Bethlehem, Conn., Aug. 9, 1789 ; was educated at Yale College (class of 1809), and while a student there he was hopefully converted, and united with the college Church in 1809. His religious exercises were very deep and marked. He taught for a time in an academy at Bedford, Xew York, and then spent two and a half years at the Andover Theological Seminary. During his course there he at- tended, in connection with Samuel J. Jlills and others, those select meetings of inquiry and prayer in reference to the subject of missions to the heathen which were commenced with the formation of the American board. Mr. IMeigs, determined to devote himself to a mission- ary's life, was ordained at Xewburjport, ISIass., June 21, 1815, and sailed from that place October 23 following, to found the Ceylon mission at Jaffna. In connection with this mission he labored more than forty years, sharing in its toils and trials, its fears and hopes. In 1840, after an absence of twenty-five years, he returned to his na- tive land, and sailed again from Boston Oct. 17, 1841, to continue his missionary labors. In (1858 the failure of his health compelled him to return again to America, and relinquish the work to which his life had been de- voted. He died from a disease contracted by his long residence in India, at New York City, May 12, 1862. See Missinmirg lhrald,,]n\\,\mi.
Meilah. See TAi.Mti),
Meindaerts, Pktku John, a Dutch theologian of note, was iHirn Nov. 7, 1684, at Groningen. After hav- ing concluded his studies at ]\Ialines and Louvain, he became attached to the cause of I'eter Codde, a Jansen- istic prelate, who had just been dismissed by the pope from the vicarship of the United Provinces. Bleindaerts was therefore obliged to go to Ireland to receive his sacer- dotal ordination (171()). On his return he was made pas- tor of Leuwarden. In 1739 he was elected .irehbislmp of Utrecht, in the place of Theodore van der Croon, and occupied tlie sec until his death. Like his ]ircdc- cessors, Meindaerts was often obliged to defend tlie riglits of his see against the encroachmentsof the court of Home. Censured by Clement XH, he appealed from him to the first council, and executed the project, a long time med- itated, of filling the vacant sees of his metropolis. It was thus that he revived the extinct bishoi)rics of Har- lem and Deventer, by giving them, one to .Jerome de Bock (1742), tlie other to Jean Byeveld (1758). These acts of authority drew upon him new censures from
MEINEKE
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Benedict XTV and Clement XIII. In 1763 Meindaerts held a council at Utrecht, in which were seated his suf- fragans, his clergy, and many French Jansenists. This act further provoked the most animated controversies. He died at Groningen Oct. 31, 1767, after having pre- sided many times at Utrecht over a religious assembly, to which he gave the name of Provincial Synod. His principal writings are, Recueil de temoignages enfaveur de reglise d'Utrecht (Utrecht, 1763, 4to; reprinted in 2 vols. 12mo):— the Actes of the Council of Utrecht, in Latin, translated into French, ito -.—Letti-e a Clement A'/// (Utrecht, 17G8, 12mo).— Chalmot, Biograph. Woor- denhock, s. v. ; Hoefer, Xouv, Biog. Generale, s. v.
Meineke, Joiiann Heixricii Friedrich, a Ger- man theologian, was born at Quedlinburg Jan. 11, 1745, and was educated at the University of Helmstiidt, which he entered, when in his nineteenth year, as a student of divinity; later he studied at Halle. He returned to Quedlinburg in 1767, and was two years after appointed to a position in the high-school of that city. He gave himself up to the study of literature and philosophy, es- pecially Kant's system, which he studied diligentlj- for several years. Though much engaged in his pro- fession as a teacher, he yet wished, as he advanced in years, to leave the pedagogical sphere, and he very readily accepted an appointment as minister at St. Bla- sius' Church at Quedlinburg. In the beginning of 1825 he was taken ill, and died July 25, 1825. Meineke united a perfect knowledge of theology, philosophy, and ancient languages, with a talent for the practical appli- cation of his knowledge. Though liberal in sentiment, he yet displayed the most decided abilities of a polemic who gave no quarter. He knew only one cause, that of his God and of his Church, and to serve it faithfully was his only endeavor. His best polemical production, enti- tled Finsterlinge unserer Zeit, he published under the nom de plume of Aloysius Frey (in 1822). For the use of ministers, he published in 1811 liepertorium fur alle Kanzelbediirfnisse der Prediger an Sonn- und Festtags- friihpredigten oder in der Woche (Quedlinburg, 1811, 8vo), vol. i ; the second volume was never published, but an appendix to this he published in 1817: — Tdglkhes Handhuch fur Prediger und Predigamts-Candidaten zur leichteni Auffindnng der Muterialien zu ihren Kanzekor- trdgen (ibid. 1817, 8vo). But perhaps the most valuable production of his life was Die Bibel ikrem Gesummtin- halte nach summarisch erHdrt zurichtiger Beurtheilung und zweckmassigem Gebrauche derselben fir Lehrer in Burger und Landschulen (Quedlinburg, 1819, 2 vols. 8vo). See During, Gelehrte Theol, Deutschlands, s. v,
Meiners, Christoph, a celebrated German philos- opher, was born at Otterndorf, Hanover, in 1747. About his early life but little is known. He studied at the University of Gottingen, and became a professor at his alma mater in 1772. He died in 1810. He wrote, i?f- vision der Philosophie (Gottingen, 1772) : — Versuch einer Heligionsgeschickte der dltesten Volker besondeis Aegijp- tens (ibid, 1775) : — Historia doctrince de ve.ro Deo (Lem- go, 1780, 2 vols.) : — Geschichie des Ursprungs der Wis- senschaften in Griechenland und Rom (ibid. 1781, 2 vols.) : — Geschichte des Verfalls der Sitten und St aatsv erf as- sung der Homer (Leips. 1782) : — Geschichte des Verfalls der Sitten, Wissenschnften und Sprache der Rijmer (Wien, 1791) : — Geschichte aller Religionen (Hanover, 1806, 2 voh.) -.—Geschichte der Kfhik (ibid. ISdo. •_' vol^^.): — r»- tersuchinigen iiber die Diiil:- inn/ W'illni^Lriifli ^ (;,,tiing. 1806) -.—Geschichte der KiilM, hung iind FitiirirkduDg der hoken Schulen (ibid. 1802, 4 vols.) -.—Geschichte des weib- lichen Geschlechts (Hanov. 1798, 4 vols.) : — Lebensbe- schreibungen von Mdnnern aus der Zeit der Wiederher- stelluug der Wissenschnften (Zurich, 1796) : — Historische Vergleichung der Sitten des Mittelalters mit denen unseres Jahrhunderts (Hanov. 1793, 3 vols.). Besides these, his o\v^l works, he edited, in connection with T. G. Fe- der, Philosophische Bibliothek (Getting. 1788-91, 4 vols.); in connection with Spittler, Gottingisches historisches YX.-D