the fugitive Protestants from France. The end of the controversy — a peaceful separation between theology and religion, the regulation of the boundaries interven- ing between Church and schoo], between confession and science, between that wliicli is and that which is not, obligatory upon all Christians — was not attained. Ca- lovius held pure doctrine to be the one thing needful, and regarded tluU as fixed and settled, so that every soul is required to simply accept it as the truth. Ca- lixtus did not believe the acceptance of doctrine to be, upon the whole, the essential thing in Christianity, nor that all doctrine has equal importance; and he held that the points of belief which a Christian absolutely must receive are but few. He was thus able to over- look minor differences and desire fraternity among all Protestant Christians.
The literature of the controversy is vast. See espe- cially Calovius, Hist. Syncrct. ; Walch, Streltiykeiten d. luth. Kirche, pt. i and iv; Tholuck, Akud. Lehen d. Yiten Juhrh. (1854), pt. ii ; id. Lebenszevyen d. luth. Kirche (Berl. 1859) ; iA.Kirchl. Lehen d. Ulen Juhrh. (ibid. 1861) ; Gass, Gesch. d.]irot. iJogmutik (ibid. 1857), vol. ii; and the works mentioned s. v. " Calixtus, George." — Herzog, Real- Fncy Mop. s. v.
Syncretists (cniyKpTjTifTTa!, imionisfs), persons who advocate a system of union and harmony which was attempted to be introduced into the Lutheran Church in the 17th ceiitur}% It originated with Ca- lixtus, professor of divinity at Helmstiidt, who, in ex- amining the doctrines professed by the different bodies of Christians, discovered that, notwithstanding there were many things to be reprobated, there was so much important truth held by them in common that they ought to banish their animosities, and live together as disciples of one common Master. His object was to heal the divisions and terminate the contests which prevailed. Like most men of a pacific spirit, he be- came the butt of all iiarties. He was accused of Cal- vinism, Roman Catholicism, Arianism, Socinianism, Ju- daism, and even Atheism. His bitterest opponent was Buscher, a Hanoverian clergyman, who published a book against him entitled Cri/pto-Papismus Novce Theoloyice Helmstadiensis. The subject was taken up by the Con- ference held at Thorn in the year 1645, to which Calix- tus had been sent by the elector of Brandenburg ; and the whole force of the Saxon clergy was turned against him, as an apostate from the strict and pure principles of Lutheranism. This great man continued, however, with consummate ability, to defend his views and re- pel the attacks of his enemies till his death, in 1656. But this event did not put a stop to the controversy. It continued to rage with greater or less violence till near the close of the century, by which time most of those who took part in it had died. To such a length was the opposition to Calixtus at one time carried that, in a dramatic piece at Wittenberg, he was represented as a fiend with horns and claws. Those who sided with liim were called Culixlines or Syncretists, See Syn-
CRETISJt.
Syndics (jrvv^iKot), or Defensores, were officers whose duty it was to watch over the rights of the poor and of the Church, to act as superintendents of the Copiatm ((p v.), and to see that all clerks attended the celebration of morning and evening service in the church. See Bingham, Christ. Antiq. bk. iii, ch. ii.
Synecdemi (nvi'fKCiJi.toi.J'ellow-jnlyrims'), a name given by the Paulicians in the 9th century to their teachers, because they were all equal in rank, and were distinguished from laymen by no rights, prerogatives, or insignia.
Synedrians (from cvviSpoc, a sittiny toyethei-'), a name given by the Novatians to orthodox Christians, because they charitably decreed in their synods to re- ceive apostates and such as went to the Capitol to sacri- fice into their communion again upon their sincere re- pentance.
SYNERGISM
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SYNESIUS