Meyer, Hermanus, D.D., a noted Dutch Reformed minister, was born in Bremen, Lower Saxony, July 27, 1733. He was educated at the Latin school and gym- nasium of that Saxon city, and subsecjnently at the the- ological academy in Groningen, where in 1758 he became a candidate for the ministry. Having received a call to the Dutch Church of Ivingston, New York, he was or- dained INIarch 31, 17G3, and sailed from London for New York, where he arrived in October of that year, and im- mediately assumed the duties of his pastoral charge. He found the Church sadly divided on the old quarrel of the Coetus and Conferentie parties as to ordination in this country or in Holland. He symjjathized with the former, which was the liberal side, in favor of a minis- try trained in America ; but his eftbrts to keep the peace were vain. His pungent, practical preaching also made him many foes among the formal and worldly people. Thus, after preaching on regeneration, one of his Church officers said to him, " Flesh and blood cannot endure such preaching." " Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God," Avas his quick reply. The ecclesiasti- cal difficulties alluded to above culminated in his sus- pension from the active duties of the ministry by an ex- parte and illegal body of Conferentie ministers in 1706. For nearly seven years afterwards, although this disci- pline Avas declared illegal, he remained in Kingston, preaching to his adherents in private houses. In 1772 he removed to New Jersey, as pastor of the united churches of Pimpton and Totowa (now Paterson). Brighter days had dawned. He was a member of the convention of 1771, which reunited the long-sundered churches. The (ieneral Synod elected him to two pro- fessorships in their theological institution — Hel)rcw (1784) and lector in divinity (1786), both of which he held during life; and in 1789 he was made a doctor of divinity by (iueen's College. He died Oct. 27, 1791, lamented as "one of the pillars of the Church." Dr. Meyer was a truly learned divine. In Latin, Greek, and Hebrew he was a critical scliolar, and had made considerable attainment in the Syriac. He had long meditated a new translation of the Old Testament, but the ecclesiastical troubles of his life prevented its com- pletion. He kft '• the beginning of that work in a full translation of tlie Psalms of David, in Latin interline- ations between the text, with copious commentaries and emendations in the linest German writing u])nn a broad margin." His person was small, his features line and
benevolent, his voice and manner in the pulpit good, and his delivery very animated. In theological senti- ment he was thoroughly evangelical. His faithful preaching made him pre-eminent among the godly min- isters of his day. Amiable and kind-hearted, punctual and exact, faithful as a pastor, and humble in his pri- vate and official walk, his severe trials chastened and exalted his sterling piety, and his last days were crowned with honor. His death was pre-eminently peaceful and happy. See Magazine ofRef. Dutch Ch itrch, ii, 300; Sprague, Awuds, vol. ix; Corwin's Manual of Eef Church, s. v. (W. J. K. T.)
Meyer, Johann Friederich von, an eminent German thcoldgian and jurist, was born at Frankfort-on- the-Main,Sept. 12, 1772. In 178'J he entered the Univer- sity of Giittingen, where he applied himself with great zeal to jurisprudence, not however neglecting his fa- vorite study, Greek. In 1790 he published his Com- nientuiio de diis ac deahus Grcecoruvi et Romanorum S(fSovxoig cum vi tahulis areis, which attracted great attention. In 1793 he went to Leipsic, where he turned his attention mainly to the study of philosophy. After holding various official positions, which he successively lost in consequence of the French invasion, he was, in 1807, appointed counsellor to the municipal court of Frankfort ; became member of the senate in 1816 ; judge in 1821, and finally, in 1837, president of the criminal court and of the court of appeals. At the same time he was a member of the diet, and thrice, in 1825, 1839, and 1843, filled the office of burgomaster. He died Jan. 27, 1849. In the early part of his life Meyer inclined to rationalism — this still appears in his poem of Tobias, in seven cantos, published in 1800 ; but he was subse- quently converted, and thenceforth became very active as a theologian. In 1806 and 1807 he translated Cicero's works on tlie nature of the gods, divination, and fate; in 1813, Xcnophon's Cyropadia (2d ed. 1823). In 1812 he published his IHbeldeulungen, in which he found fidl play for his acquirements in philology, jurispru- dence, etc. He next turned his attention to a new translation of the Bible, as he wished to correct the philological errors contained in Luther's translation. It assumed tlie form of a revision of Luther's translation, with annotations, and was published in 1819 (2d ed. without the notes, 1823 ; latest ed. Frankf. 1855). The value of this work was recognised by the University of Eriangen, and he was honored with the doctorate in di- vinity, and in 1816 was made president of the Bible So- ciety of Frankfort. On emerging from rationalism, Meyer took a leaning towards mysticism, in the better sense of the word. This is apparent in such works as his Blatter fiir hohere Wahrheit (Frankf. 1820-32) ; Wahrnehmungen einer Seherin (Frankf. 1827). Aside from the above-named works, he wrote, Der Rosenkreu- zer, die Fama u. d. Confession (Frankf. 1828) : — Kritische Kranze (Berl. 1830) : — Das Buch Jezira, hebraisch v. deutsch (I^eijis. 1830) : — Inbegriffd.christlichen Glaubens- lehre (Kempt. IHStl) -. — Ilesperiden, (Kempt. 1836):— I'rosndisches Iliilfsbuch (1836) :—Z«;- Aegyptol. (1840). See Diiring, Gele'hrte Theol. Deutschl. s. v. (J. H. ^V.)