THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
breitung des Evangeliums unter den Heiden, and (1S2S) a seminary for the instruction of missionaries. After his appointment he took an equally lively interest in home missions, and founded various societies for Christian work as well as many charitable institutions. His zeal earned him the name " the Wesley of Berlin," bestowed upon him by Tholuck. The translation of a sermon of Wesley's was his first literary work; he also translated The Saints' Rest and others of Baxter's works. As a result of a journey to England, undertaken by order of King Frederick William IV., he published Amtliche Eericht iiber den Zustand der anglikanischen Kirche in ihren verschiedenen Gliederungen im Jahre 1842 (Berlin, 1S45), a work which, although expressive of admiration for the power and activity of the Church of England, nevertheless recognizes the twofold danger of ecclesiastical partizanship and the leaven of Puseyism. Gerlach was the author also of a commentary on the Bible (6 vols., 1847- 1S53), which was long a very popular work.
(R. KOGELf.) Bibliography: A notice of his life is prefixed to his Predigten, ed. G. Seegemund, vol. iv., part i., Berlin, 1850.
GERLACH (Gerlacus), PETERS (PETRI, PE- TERSZ): Ascetic writer belonging to the Brethren of the Common Life (q.v.); b. at Deventer (8 m. n. of Zutphen), Holland, 1378; d. at Windesheim (14 m. n. of Deventer) Nov. 18, 1411. His mother was a woman of wealth who spent much money on the enlargement of the monastery of Windesheim, and through her he met Geert Groote (q.v.) and was kindly received as a scholar by Florentius Radewyns. While the pupils were presenting a mystery-play in the church, Gerlach was persuaded by Florentius to enter the monastery of the Brethren. How long he remained there is uncertain, but he felt more at home at Windesheim, and Florentius made the necessary arrangements for his entrance there. In his new home the youth was universally popular, and was an especial protege' of the director, Vos von Heusden. The trend of Gerlach's mind was contemplative rather than mystical, and he recorded his thoughts on slips of paper, generally writing in the vernacular. Shortly before his death he begged that his meditations be destroyed, but his prior declined to accede to his request, and they were accordingly preserved. His writings, according to Johann Busch (Chronicon Windeshemense, ed. Grube, Halle, 1886, 157 sqq.), were collected by Johann Schutken at the instance of Vos, and were as follows: Breviloquium, composed before 1403, and containing edifying thoughts by himself and others to a member of the brotherhood (ed. W. Moll, in Kerkhistorisch Archief, ii., Amsterdam, 1859, 179 sqq., on the basis of a Brussels manuscript; an excellent text was discovered by Hirsche at Wolfenbiittel); Epistola Teutonicalis, addressed to his sister Lubbe, and containing translations from the Breviloquium (ed. W Moll, ut sup., 202 sqq.) and Soliloquium (also called Exercitia), his most important work and the one which gained him the name of alter Thomas. It is a soliloquy of the soul with God, lifting the soul out of the diversions of worldly life. It was collected by John Schutken, and was highly esteemed in Port Royal, in addition
to winning the praise of Poiret and Tersteegen (Cologne, 1616; new ed., Amsterdam, 1711, ed. J. Strange, Cologne, 1849; Germ, transl. by G. Tersteegen, 1734, 1845, and by N. Casseder, in his Mystisch-asketische Bibliothek, i., Frankfort, 1829 1849; Dutch transl. by J. van Gorcum, 1621; all the editions contain many variants). Together with the Breviloquium noted above, Hirsche discovered at Wolfenbiittel a Soliloquium which presents many deviations, but is very old, dating from 1424. The Ignitum cum Deo colloquium and De libertate spiritus cum exercitiis eo spectantibus mentioned by Valerius Andreas were unknown to Busch. Moll and Acquoy regard them as independent works, but Hirsche more correctly considers them recensions of the works already mentioned. Since Gerlach wrote much in the vernacular, he belongs, like Hendrik Mande, to the first and best prose-writers of the fifteenth century. L. Schulze.
Bibliography: The chief source is J. Busch, Chronicon Windeshemense, ed. K. Grube, Halle, 1886. The subject was first scientifically treated by W. Moll in N. C. Kist and W. Moll, Kerkhistorisch Archief, ii. 145-146, Amsterdam, 1859, where three of Gerlach's five writings are reproduced, cf. W. Moll, Kerkgeschiedenis van Nederland, ii., part 2, pp. 208-236, 363 sqq., part 3, pp. 27 sqq., 41, Utrecht, 1865-71; J. G. R. Acquoy, Het Klooster te Windesheim, Amsterdam, 1875; A. Auger, Etude sur les mystiques des Pays-Bas . . , in Memoires -par Vacademie
royale . de Belgique, xlvi. 300 sqq., Brussels, 1892; R. A. Vaughan, Hours with the Mystics, i. 367, London, 1879.
GERLACHER (GERNOLT), THEOBALD. See Billican, Theobald.
GERLE, zharl, CHRISTOPHE ANTOINE : French religious enthusiast; b. at Riom (85 m. w. of Lyons) Oct. 25, 1736; d. in Paris Nov. 17, 1801. He entered the order of Carthusians, became prior of the convent of Port-Sainte-Marie, and represented the clergy of Riom in the States-General in 1789. In the famous Tennis Court session he exhibited so much patriotic fervor that David gave him a prominent place in his painting, he Serment du Jeu de Paume. He was a member of the Constitutional Assembly, and on Apr. 12, 1790, vainly urged that body to proclaim Roman Catholicism as the only religion recognized by the French nation. He became a follower of Catherine Th6ot, a fanatical old woman who called herself the mother of God. As a supporter of Robespierre with other Thectists, he was imprisoned May 16, 1794, but was released on the advent of the Directory. He was afterward employed in the Ministry of the Interior and contributed some articles to the Messager du Soir. Bibliography: J. Michelet, Hist, de la revolution francaise,
vol. vii., Paris, 1853; Lichtenberger, ESR, v. 548-549.
GERMAN BAPTISTS, GERMAN BAPTIST BRETHREN. See Dunkers.