Truce of God, a scheme set on foot by the Clinrch in the Middle Ages for the purpose of quelling tlie vio- lence and preventing the frequency of private wars, oc- casioned by the fierce spirit of barbarism. It was first proposed at the Council of Charroux in 989, adopted by the Council of Orleans in 1016, and by the Council of Limoges in 1031. In France a general peace and cessa- tion from hostilities took place A.D. 1032, and contin- ued seven years, through the efforts of the bishop of Aquitaine. A resolution Avas formed that no man should, in time to come, attack or molest his adversa- ries during the season set apart for celebrating the
trup:
566
TRUMBULL
great festivals of the Church, or from the evening of Thursday in each week ti> tlie morning of AIon<lay in the weeU ensuing, tlie intervening days being conse- crated as particularly holy— Thursday as the day of our Lord's ascension; Friday as thai of his I'assion ; Sat- urday, wlien he rested in the grave; and Sunday, the day i>f his resurrection, lu 1034 it was opposed by the bishop of Cainbray. Later it was extended to near- W all the more important fasts, feasts, and holy seasons (if llie Church. England {I(t4-J) and Italy adopted the custom, which was further coulirmed by the second and third Latcrancouniils(A.I). li;)S>, 1179). Achangein the dispositions of nien so sudden, and one which proposed a resolution so unexijected, was considered as miracu- lous, and ihe respite from hostilities wiiich followed upon ii was called the "Truce of (Jod." This cessation from hostilities during three complete days every week allowed a considerable space for the passions of the an- tagonists to cool, and for the people to enjoy a respite from the calamilies of war, and to take measures for their own security. The triumph of legal over feudal government eventually did away witii the institution and the necessity for it. See Trench, Medaeral Church JJi!</<in/, p. i->4 sq.
True, CiiAi:i,i;s K., D.D., an eminent INIcthodist Episcojial divine, was born in Portland, j\le., Aug. 14, ISOi). Tlie family afterwards removed to Boston. He graduated at Harvard University in 1832, having been converted at the Eastham camp meeting while connected with that college, and immediately com- menced ]>reachiug in the vicinity, being among the tirst ^lethodist preachers at the opening of denomina- tional services in Newton LTpper Falls, established tiirough the faithful endeavors of Marshall S. Eice. His early efforts awakened great attention. His per- sonal appearance was attractive, his voice pleasant, his address graceful, and his discourses often very eloquent. He entered the New England Conference in 1833, was an agent of the New England Education Society in 1834, and became the (irst principal of the Amenia Sem- inary in 1835. He entered the New York Conference in 183(i, and had a memorable experience, both in the conference and in his charge at JNIiddletown, Conn., in the antislavery controversy, having early taken very lironounced grounds on the question. In 1838 he was transferred to the New luigland Conference, and sta- tioned at Lynn. He remained, tilling appointments with much acceptableness, in J5oston and vicinity until 1849, when he was elected professor of intellectual and moral science in Wesleyan University. He became again a member of the New York Conference in 1860, but re-entered the New England Conference in 18GG. F'rom 1870 to 1873 he was a financial agent of the^Ves- leyaii University, and was a member of the New York East Conference until his death, which occurred sud- denly, June 20, 1878. During his last years he was connected with one or two of the charitable societies whose offices are in New York city, and supplied the l»ulpifs of charges in the New York East Conference not far distant from his home. Dr. True wrote a text-book upon logic, and several interesting volumes of a histori- cal character, lie was a man of line abilities, an origi- nal ihinker, with markecl repose of mind and manner, self-reliant, and with just enough eccentricity to give an original flavor to his opinions. He was a good preacher, at times powerful in discourse, and particular- ly effective in exhortation. See Minutes of Armudl Conferences, 1879, p. 30 .sq.
Title Reformed Dutch Church is an organi- zation which grew out of the secession of the Ilev. Sol- omon Froeligh. D.D., in 1822. He was a professor of theology, a man of erudition, and pastor of the two congregations of Hackensack ami Schralenburg, N. J., which he carried with him. His secession was the cul- mination of dilHcullies of long standing, in which he was subjected to censure for aggression upon a neigh-
boring Church. He refused to submit to the authori- ties of the Church. A number of disaffected minis- ters imited with him, together with jxirtions of their churches. The grounds alleged for their so]jaraiiuu were that the Dutch Chinch had become erroneous in doctrine, lax in discipline, and corrujit in practice. The confusion, strife, and troubles produced by this conflict were long and bitter. The '' 'i'rue lieformed Dutch t;hnrch" retains the standards of the Church which it left, and declares that it alone keeps them in their purity. It holds no f'ellowsiiip with any other de- nomiuaticiu, refuses to co-operate with the benevolent religious institutions of the age, and is generally anti- nomian in sentiment and practice. The churches of this sect are less than twenty in number, small, feeble, and dwindling away with the survivors of the original strife. They are located in New Jersey and New Y(irk. For full accounts, reference is made to their iianqihlet entitled Reasons Assiyneil hi/ a Nittiiher of Ministers, Klders, and Deacons for DerlariiKj Themselres the True Informed Dutch Church in the I 'niled States of A merica. See also Corwin, Manual of the Ref. Church in A merica ; Taylor, Annals of Classis and Township <f Bergen, very full and accurate. (W. J. IJ. T.)