CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERLA.N CHURCH.
See Presbyterians.
CUMMIAN (CUMEAK, CUMINE, CUIMINE):
The name of several Irish monks, of whom the best known is Cuimine Ailbhe (" Cummian the Fair "), seventh abbot of lona, 657-669. He wrote a life of St. Columba, which forms the basis of the third book of Adamnan's life of Columba as well as of some chapters in the preceding books. Colgan and others think that he was also the author of a letter on the Easter controversy addressed in 634 to Seghine, fifth abbot of lona, while Lanigan and others think it impossible that an ardent advocate of the Roman Easter, like the author of this letter, can have been made abbot of lona in the seventh century, and ascribe the letter to another of the same name. By whomever written, it is an able document; it shows familiarity with the Scriptures and the writings of the Fathers, quotes the decrees of councils, and displays mathematical powers of no mean order. The writer feels the insignificance of his land among the great nations of the world, and, referring to the stubbornness of his countrymen, ironically exclaims: " Rome is wrong; Jerusalem is wrong; Antioch is wrong; all the world is wrong; only the Irish and Britons know what is right." He had himself followed the old custom till about 630, and changed only after careful and thorough study lasting a whole year.
Certain writings known as the Excarpsus, the Pcenitentiale Remense, and the Capitula judiciorum, published by Wasserschleben and Schmitz in their works on the ancient penitential discipline, are traditionally ascribed to " Cummian," but nothing is known as to the identity of the author. The most probable date for the composition of the works is the first half of the eighth century. The Excarpsus circulated throughout the Prankish kingdom and in Italy, and was used in later penitential books as well as collections of canons before Gratian.
Bibliography: The life of Columba is in ASM, i. 342-349, and in De Smedt and De Backer, Acta sanctorum Hibernice, pp. 845-870, Edinburgh, 1888; the letter in Ussher, Veterum epistolarum Hibernicarum sylloge, Dublin, 1632, Works, iv. 432-444, whence it is copied in M PL, Ixxxvii. 969-978; for the other works named consult: F. W H. Wasserschleben, Bussordnungen, 72, 460 sqq., Halle, 1851; H. J. Schmitz, Bussbilchcr und Bussdisziplin, 602
RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Culdees Cunningham
sqq., Mainz, 1883. For life of Cummian consult; J. Colgan, Acta sanctorum Hibernice, Louvain, 1645, 408-411; Laniga'n, Eccl. Hist., ii. 395-402.
CUMMINS, GEORGE DAVID: Bishop and one of the organizers of the Reformed Episcopal Church; b. near Smyrna, Kent County, Del., Dec. 11, 1822; d. at Lutherville, near Baltimore, June 26, 1876. He was graduated at Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa., 1841; served as a Methodist preacher for two years, but changed to the Protestant Episcopal Church and was ordained deacon in 1845. He became assistant minister at Christ Church, Baltimore, 1846; rector of Christ Church, Norfolk, Va., 1847; of St. James's, Richmond, 1853; of Trinity, Washington, 1855; of St. Peter's, Baltimore, 1858; of Trinity, Chicago, 1863. In 1866 he was consecrated assistant bishop of Kentucky. He was a leader of the " Evangelical " or " Low-church " party of his communion, and favored a revision of the prayerbook. In 1873 he attended the meeting of the Evangelical Alliance in New York and officiated at a joint communion service held there. For this act he was sharply criticized, and, as a result, a month later formally withdrew from the Episcopal Church, declaring that he could no longer countenance by his presence the ritualistic practises of certain churches of his diocese, that he had lost ail hope of rectification of abuses by the Church, and that he must take his place where he could give open expression of Christian brotherhood without alienating those of his own household of faith. Conferences with others whose position or views were similar to his own followed, and the result was the organization in Dec, 1873, of the Reformed Episcopal Church (q.v.), of which he became senior bishop.
Bibliography: Mra. G. D. Cummins, Memoir of G. D. Cummins, New York, 1878.
CUNEIFORM INSCRIPTIONS. See Inscriptions, II.
CUNIBERT, cu'ni"bar": Bishop of Cologne; d. about 660. He was educated in the cathedral school of Treves and became archdeacon in that city. He received the bishopric of Cologne before 626, probably by royal appointment. In 626 or 627 he took part in the Synod of Clichy and in the Synod of Reims under Sonnatius (027-630). After the retirement of Arnulf of Metz (629 or 630) he became very influential in politics at the court of the Merovingian kings Clothaire II., Dagobert I., and especially Sigebert III. (632-656), who was not yet of age. He was active in spiritual and secular affairs, for instance, in the division of the public treasury (638), in founding monasteries like those of Cougnon, Stablo, and Malmedy (642-650), in different donations and acquisitions of the Church of Cologne, also in the missionary activities among the Frisians. After the death of King Sigebert HI. Cunibert seems to have retired to his bishopric, but m 660 he probably reassumed his political position under King Childeric II. He must have died soon afterward. Later he was honored as saint.
(A. Hauck.)
Bibliography: Rettberg, KD, i. 296, 535, ii. 602; Friednch, KD, ii. 295; Hauck, KD, i. 377-378.
HI.— 21
CUNITZ, AUGUST EDUARD: Alsatian Protestant; b. at Strasburg Aug. 29, 1812; d. there June 16, 1886. After completing his theological education in his native city, he visited Gottingen, Berlin, and Paris, and in 1837 entered the Protestant Seminary as privat-docent. In 1864 he became professor of New Testament exegesis, and eight years later was transferred to the newly established University of Strasburg. His work was devoted for the most part to church history, and especially to the period of the Reformation. He collaborated with G. Baum and E. Reuss in editing the complete works of Calvin (59 vols., Brunswick, 1863- 1900), and wrote the historical commentary for the first ten volumes, which contain the Reformer's correspondence He also completed the edition of the Histoire ecch'.siastique des eglises reformees au royaume de France, begun by Baum and attributed to Beza (3 vols., Paris, 1883-89). From 1847 to 1855 he and Reuss edited the Strassburger Beitrdge zu den theologischen Wissenschaften. He also wrote De Nicolai decreto de electione pontificum RomanoTum (Strasburg, 1837); Considerations historiques sur le developpement du droit ecclesiastique protestant en France (1840); Historische Darstellung der Kirchenzucht unter den Protestanten (1843); Ueber die Amtsbefugnisse der Konsistorien in den protestantischen Kirchen Frankreichs (1847); and Ein katharisches Rituale (Jena, 1852).