THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
Bibliography: W. Lazinon, De hiatoria certaminis apostolici, Paris, 1560, and often reprinted; Fabriciua, Codex apocryphus, ii. (1st ed., 1703), and ii., iii. (2d ed., 1719); C. Oudin, Commentarius de scriptoribus ecclesiasticis, ii. 418-421, Leipsic, 1722; G. J. Voss, De historicis Greeds, p. 243, ib. 1S38; J. A. Giles, Codex apocryphus Novi Testamenti, London, 1852; Migne, Troisieme et derniere encyclopedic theologique, xxiv. (66 vols., Paris, 1855-66); S. C. Malan, Conflicts of the Holy Apostles . . translated from an Ethiopic MS., London, 1871; DCB, i. 1-4.
ABEEL, DAVID: Missionary; b. at New Brunswick, N. J., June 12, 1804; d. at Albany, N. Y., Sept. 4, 1846. He was graduated at the New Brunswick Theological Seminary in 1826; in 1829 he went to Canton as chaplain of the Seaman's Friend Society; and in 1831-33 he visited Java, Singapore, and Siam for the American Board. Returning to America by way of Europe in 1833, he aided in founding in England a society for promoting the education of women in the East. He went back to China in 1838 and founded the Amoy mission in 1S42. He published a Journal of his first residence in China (New York, 1835), The Missionary Convention at Jerusalem (1838), Claims of the World to the Gospel (1838).
Bibliography: G. R. Williamson, David Abeel, New York, 1849.
A'BEL ("Breath"): Second son of Adam and Eve and the brother of Cain, who, according to Gen. iv. 1-16, killed him from envy.
ABELARD, ab'e-lard.
I. Life.
Student Life and Lecturer on Philosophy (§ 1).
Heloise (§2).
Monk and Abbot (§3).
Second Condemnation for Heresy (§ 4).
Last Days (§5).
II. System.
Philosophy (§ 1). Theology (§ 2).
III. Writings.
Abelard is a name used as the common designation of Pierre de Palais (Petrus Palatinus), the first notable representative of the dialectico-critical school of scholasticism founded by Anselm of Canterbury, but kept by him within the limits of the traditional orthodoxy. The meaning as well as the original form of the by-name is uncertain; it has been connected with the Latin bajulus, " teacher," and with the French abeille, " bee." The ending " -ard " is Frankish, and the entire name may be.
I. Life: Abelard was born at Palais (Le Pallet), a village of Brittany, about 12 m. e. of Nantes, in 1079; d. in the Priory of St. Marcel, nearChalon-sur-Saone (36 m.n. of Macon), Apr. 21, 1142. He voluntarily renounced his rights as first-born son of the knight Berengar, lord of the village, and chose a life of study. His first teacher was Roscelin, the Nominalist, at Locmenach, Brittany, now Locmin£, 80 m. s. w. of Brest. Then he wandered from one teacher to another i. Student until he came to Paris, where William
Life and of Champeaux, the Realist, was head Lecturer on of the cathedral school and attracting Philosophy, great crowds. Young as he was, Abelard was bold enough to set himself up as William's rival; he lectured, first at Melun (27 m. s.s.e. of Paris), then at Corbeil (7 miles nearer
Paris), and, after a few years, in Paris itself at the cathedral school. His success was sufficient to make William jealous, and he compelled Abelard to leave the city. About 1113 he betook himself to Anselm of Laon at Laon (86 m. n.e. of Paris) to study theology, having hitherto occupied himself wholly with dialectics. His stay at Laon was short and was followed by a few years at Paris, where crowds flocked to hear his lectures and brought him a considerable income.
This brilliant career was suddenly checked by the episode of Heloise, a young girl of eighteen, said to have been the natural daughter of a canon of Paris, living with her uncle, Canon Fulbert of Paris. Her education was confided to Abelard, and a passionate love sprang up between them. When Fulbert attempted to separate them, they fled toward Brittany, to the home of Abelard 's sister, Dionysia, where Heloise bore a son, Astralabius. To satisfy Fulbert the lovers were married, Abelard asking that the marriage be 2. Heloise. kept secret out of regard for his ecclesiastical career. Fulbert disregarded this request and also treated his niece badly when she returned to his house. Abelard accordingly removed her to the Benedictine nunnery of Argenteuil (11 m. n.e. of Versailles), where she had been brought up, and where later she took the veil, a step which Fulbert interpreted as an attempt by her husband to get rid of her. In revenge he had Abelard attacked by night in his lodgings in Paris and mutilated, with the view probably of rendering him incapable of ever holding any ecclesiastical office. Abelard retired to the Benedictine abbey of St. Denis in Paris (probably about 1118), where he became a monk and lived undisturbed for a year or two, giving instruction in a secluded place (the " cella ").
He received much sympathy and had many pupils. In 1121 a synod at Soissons pronounced heretical certain opinions expressed by him in a book on the Trinity (De unitate et trinitate divina ; discovered by R. Stolzle and published, Freiburg, 1891). He was required to burn the book, and
3. Monk to retire to the monastery of St. Medand Abbot, ard, near Soissons. In a short time, however, he was allowed to return to St. Denis, but was ill received there; and his assertion that the patron saint of the monastery and of France was not the same as Dionysius the Areopagite (see Denis, Saint) made more trouble with the abbot, the monks, and the court. He fled, but was compelled to return and recant his opinion concerning St. Denis. Afterward he was allowed to retire to Champagne, near Nogent-sur- Seine (60 m. s. e. of Paris) where he built an oratory to the Trinity. Pupils again gathered about him and the original building of reeds and sedges was replaced by one which he called the Paraclete. But he was still under the jurisdiction of the abbot of St. Denis and suffered much annoyance. He accepted the election as abbot of the monastery of St. Gildas in Brittany (on the peninsula of Ruis, 10 m. s. of Vannes), and stayed there ten years but he found it impossible to control the unruly monks and they tried to poison him. He found refuge