THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
don, 1866); Colleges and Tests (1871); A History of the Christian Church during the First Six Centuries (1894); same, iSince the Reformation (1908); The Mysteries, Pagan and Christian (Hulsean Lectures for 1896, 1897); Mediwval Greek History {1899). He likewise edited the Dictionary of Christian Antiquities (2 vols., London, 1875-80) with Sir William Smith, and contributed a large number of articles to it.
CHEKE, SIR JOHN: English scholar; b. at Cambridge June 16, 1514; d. in London Sept. 13, 1557. He studied at St. John's, Cambridge, and adopted the Reformation doctrines there; became one of the first Greek scholars in England, and in 1540 regius professor at Cambridge; in 1544 was made tutor to Prince Edward, and when the latter succeeded to the throne, in 1547, received honor and wealth. He espoused the cause of Lady Jane Grey, was her secretary of state, and was committed to the Tower by Mary in 1553; released the next year, he went abroad and settled at Strasburg. In 1556 he visited Belgium, was arrested there by order of Philip II., and taken to England; through fear of dying at the stake he renounced the Protestant religion, and his death is said to have been hastened by shame and regret for his weakness. He made an English translation of the Gospel of Matthew (all but the last ten verses) and of the first twenty verses of the first chapter of Mark, with notes (ed., with seven of his letters, James Goodwin, London, 1843), to illustrate a notion he had about " reform " in English spelling and to show that it was possible to use only Saxon words; he edited and translated into Latin some of the homilies of Chrysostom; also Cranmer's treatise upon the Eucharist (1553) and wrote some other tracts; of special interest is The Hurt of Sedition, how grievous it is to a Commonwealth (1549).
Bibliography: J. Strype, Life of the Learned Sir John Cheke, Oxford, 1821 (contains a transl. of Cheke's " Treatise of Superstition "); an account of the Life is also added to G. Langbaine's ed. of The True Subject to the Rebell, Oxford, 1641. For his Gospel transl. consult J. I. Mombert, English Versions of the Bible, pp. 234-237, London, new ed., 1908.
CHEMNITZ (KEMNITZ), MARTIN.
Pretheologieal Activity (§1).
Work as a Theologian (§ 2).
Share in the Formula of Concord (§ 3).
Part in the Adiaphorist Controversy (§ 4).
Polemics against the Roman Catholics (§ 5).
Evaluation of Chemnitz (§ 6).
German theologian and controversialist of the Reformation period; b. at Treuenbrietzen (35 m. s.w. of Berlin), Brunswick, Nov. 9, 1522; d. at Brunswick Apr. 8, 1586. The death of his father when he was a boy made attainment of education difficult; he was at the Magdeburg school from 1539 to 1542, and then earned money enough by teaching to go to the University of Frankfort-onthe-Oder for a time, and in 1545 to that of Wittenberg. Here he came into contact with Melanchthon, on whose advice he took up mathematics, which led him to astrology. These studies consumed so much time that he paid little heed to Luther's teaching, though he heard him. The outbreak of war took him away from Wittenberg; in 1547 he
settled at Konigsberg and supported himself by teaching some young Polish noblemen, becoming later rector of the school at Kneip- I. Pre- hof. He still pursued his astrological theological studies, until on a visit to Wittenberg Activity, he was advised by Melanchthon to turn his attention to theology. The plague put an end to his school work, and he accompanied Melanchthon's son-in-law Sabinus to Salfeld, where he laid the foundation of his theological learning. In 1550 he returned to Konigsberg, where the duke, who esteemed him as an astrologer, made him his librarian. He was now convinced of the insecure foundations of astrology, and devoted himself systematically to theology, studying the Bible in the original, the Fathers, and the controversial writers of the time. The disturbances stirred up by Osiander's controversy on justification made him uncomfortable at Konigsberg, and in 1553 he returned to Wittenberg, where he lectured for a time; but in the following year went to Brunswick to settle permanently, as coadjutor to the superintendent, becoming superintendent himself in 1567 and holding the post until 1584, when he resigned on account of
2. Work his health. He was not noted as a as a preacher, but he was a diligent and
Theologian, methodical pastor. The continuance of his studies, however, made him known rather as one of the first theologians of his time, and he was called upon to take part in every controversy. In 1567 he went with his superior M5rlin to Prussia to reorganize the Church there, distracted by the divisions over Osiander's teaching, and the Corpus doctrince Prutenicum was the result. He rendered still more important services in the principality of Brunswick- Wolfenbtittel, where, in 1568, Duke Julius summoned him, with Andrea, to assist in establishing Protestantism. The documentary results of his work here, and at Liineburg with Duke William, remain in the Corpus doctrince Julium and the Corpus Wilhelminum. He also gave the impulse to the founding of the Julian University at Helmstadt in 1576. The later years of his life were largely taken up by work connected with the Formula of Concord (q.v.). Its final acceptance, in spite of all difficulties, was largely due to the untiring work of Chemnitz. Before this, however, he had the misfortune to fall out with Duke Julius, whom he rebuked sharply for having his son consecrated bishop of Halberstadt with all the rites of the old Church. The Protestant princes who were working for the
3. Share adoption of the Formula omitted on in the For- this account to invite the duke to their
mula of conferences at Jiiterbock, and he de- Concord, clined to have anything further to do with their undertaking. Thus the Formula was not definitely accepted in Brunswick, and the Corpus Julium remained the standard there, as at the University of Helmstadt, which thus assumed an isolated position ultimately favorable to the growth of the doctrines of a CalLxtus. Chemnitz wrote a defense of the Formula against its critics, which was published at Magdeburg in 1582. This the Helmstadt theologians attacked, espe-