Muriniuth (or Merimuth), Adaji, an English divine of note, flourished in the second half of the 14th century successively as canon and prebend of St. Paul's, canon of Exeter, and prebend of Lincoln. He died about 1380. He published Chronica in Temporibus in two parts (pt. i, 1303-6; pt. ii, 1336-80). See AUibone, Diet, of Brit, and Amer. Authors, s. v.
Muris, Jean de, a learned French ecclesiastic who flourished in the first half of the 14th century (about 1310-45), is noted as the author of a valuable treatise on music, which is entitled Speculum Musicce. An abridgment of this work was also published.
Murmuring (HJlbpl, Exod.xvi,7 sq. ; yoyyvafiog), a complaint made for wrong supposed to have been re- ceived. Paul forbids murmuring (1 Cor. x, 10), as did also the wise man in the Apocrj'pha (Wisd. i, 11). God severely punished the Hebrews who murmured in the desert, and was more than once on the point of forsak- ing them, and even of destroying them, had not Moses appeased his anger by earnest prayer (Numb, xi, 33, 34 ; xii; xiv, 30, 31 ; xvi, 3; xxi, 4-6; Psa. Ixxviii, 30).— Calmet. See Resignation.
Murmuring, " as a sign of disapproval or pleasure," says Walcott, "was once common in British churches." Bishop Burnet and bishop Spratt were both hummed when preaching at St. Margaret's, Westminster. Bur- net sat down and enjoyed it, rubbing his face with his handkerchief; but Spratt, stretching out his hand, cried, " Peace, peace ; I pray you, peace." At Cambridge a witty preacher, in the time of queen Anne, addressed his congregation at St. Mary's as "Hum et hissimi auditores." At Hereford this unseemly practice, which greeted every person arriving late in the choir, was pro- hibited (^Sacred Archceology, p. 394).
Murner, Thomas, a noted German satirist and most decided opponent of the Reformation, was born in Strasburg Dec. 24, 1475. He early entered a Fran- ciscan monastery, and then studied at the principal universities of Europe, devoting himself particularly to theology and philosophy, and quickly gained a reputa- tion for ability, marred, however, by a -(vant of earnest- ness and a quarrelsome disposition. At Paris he acquired the degree of A.M., and in 1506 the emperor Maximil- ian nominated him j'oeta laureatus. He lost a place in the conventual Latin school of Strasburg by his invec- tive against Wimpfeling, and afterwards led an un- steady life, preaching for some time at Frankfort-on- the-Main (1512). At this time he battled against the clerical crimes and abuses, generally incurring the dis- pleasure of his congregation by the coarse personalities
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of his sermons. He was successively expelled from Freiburg, Treves, and Venice. In 1512 he edited his NarrenheschicOrung, of which his Der Schelmen Zunft (Frankfort, 1512) may be regarded as a continuation. These works, which show considerable satirical talents, are remarkable imitations of Sebastian IJrandt's celebra- ted poem, called Xurrtmchiff. In his Gduchmatt (Basle, 1519) he ridicules the effeminate manhood of some of his contemporaries; and in his Lofjica memoratica, or ChitrHlndium logica, and in his Ludus sludentium Fri- huff/en.fium he proves himself a predecessor of the re- nowne<l pedagogue, Basedow, trying to show how logic and prosody may be studied to advantage at different games. In 1519 he seems to have resumed his func- tions in the conventual school of Strasbnrg, and made himself conspicuous as one of the most virulent oppo- nents of the Reformation. When IledioandCapito were preaching at Strasburg, Murner opposed them violently (see Ilottinger, I/clcetische Kircheni/esch. iii, 145). As ambassador of the bishop of Strasburg, he after^vards attended the Diet at Nuremberg to accuse the Council of Stra.si)urg (Sleidan, vol. iv). He opposed Luther's hook. An dm Add deuUcher Nation, by a work of simi- lar title, An din (/rossmdchtif/sten iind durcldauchti'is- tcn Adildmtscher Nation, dass sie den c/iristlir/nii Cldu- bcn bi'schirmen wider den Zerstorer des (ihiuhi us Chris- ti, Muitinum Luther, elnen Verriihrer d<r (iuja/liycn Christen. Although he translated Luther's Letter iiffainst Jleni'y VIII, and his Bahylvnische Gefangen- schaft from Latin into German, he rejected all his teachings entirely. He called Luther a Catilina, and received himself the name of Lutheromastir. Accord- ing ,to a letter of Luther to Brismann, Murner left the monastery (De Wette, ii, 58), This statement, how- ever, is incorrect. In 1523 Murner repaired to F^ngland, in compliance with an invitation from Henry YIII, but troubles in his convent compelled him to return. Some of his writings against the IJeformation had already been burned by order of the Diet of Worms. To elude the vigilance of the authorities he established a press of his own, which, however, was destroyetl by a mob, together with his house. He was comijelled to flee to Switzerland, whence he was in time likewise expelled. His most celebrated satirical work is entitled Von dem r/nissen /.iithcrisrhen Niirren (Strasburg, 1522; new edi- tion by Henry Kurtz, Zurich, ]^<4«\ which was answered by MiiriKirus Lcriethus vnhjo dictiix Ilalbnarr oder Ganspredii/er. The latter jiart of his personal history is not known, although he is supposed to have lived in misery, and to have died at Heidelberg about 153G, See Waldau, Nachricht. v. Thorn. Murner Leb&n vnd i^chriften; Panzer, Annales d. deufsck. Litt.; Kuchat, Ilistoire de hi Reform, de la Suisse ; Yung, Gesch. d. Re- form, ii. Straxhurf/, p. 238 sq. ; Ilagen, DeutschlumVs liter, vnd rtViij. Verhditnisse im Reformations-zeitalter, ii, 61, 183 sq. ; Ilagenbach, Kirchen gesch. vol. iii; For. Qu. XX, 74.