RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Maximus Confessor Mayer
test of time except his edition of the Hebrew Bible, a revision of the work of his predecessor at Giessen, David Clodius (Frankfort, 1692). His importance lies in the fact that he powerfully influenced the pietistic reformation of the theological faculty at Giessen. When he entered Giessen, he found scant opportunity for a practical propagation of his views; but in 1689 he announced a course of private studies on Romans, in continuation of his confirmation-class, to which both children and adults were invited. This evoked a formal protest to the prince on the part of May's colleague, P L. Hannecken, which led to a controversy which finally caused the retirement of Hannecken in 1693. His successor, Bilefeld, used his influence both as professor and court preacher to break down the opposition of the orthodox party, and by 1695 the pietistic reform was complete. In this latter phase of the conflict May took little public part, but his quiet activity conduced far more to the victory of Pietism than was apparent on the surface. (Ehwin Pretjschen.)
Bibliography: The basal source, apart from the archives at Darmstadt, is the memorial oration by J. G. Schupart, Giessen, 1723. Consult: F. W. Strieder, Grundlage zu einer hessischen Gelehrten- und Schriftstellergeschichte, viii. 326 sqq., Cassel, 1788; W. Kohler, Die An/tinge des Pietismus in Giessen, vol. i., Giessen, 1907.
MAY, SAMUEL JOSEPH: American Unitarian; b. in Boston, Mass., Sept. 12, 1797; d. at Syracuse, N. Y., July 1, 1871. He was graduated at Harvard College in 1817, attended the divinity school, was ordained in 1822, and was pastor at Brooklyn, Conn. (1822-35), South Scituate, Mass. (1836-42), and Syracuse, N. Y. (1845-68). He was an earnest anti-slavery advocate, and from 1836 to 1854 he was the general agent of the Massachusetts Antislavery Society. He wrote: Some Recollections of our Anti-Slavery Conflict (Boston, 1869). Bibliography: T. J. Mumford, Memoir of Samuel Joseph
May, Boston, 1873.
MAYER, EMIL HUGO WALTHER: German Lutheran; b. at Lyons, France, Sept. 9, 1854. He was educated at the Lyons Lyceum and at the University of Berlin, where he studied from 1872 to 1876 (Ph.D., Halle, 1879). He was a teacher at the Konigliches Friedrich-Wilhelms-Gymnasium in Berlin from 1880 to 1893, and in the latter year accepted the appointment of associate professor of systematic theology in the University of Strasburg, where he was promoted to his present position of full professor in 1900. In theology he is an adherent of the scientific school, and has written : Das Verhdltnis der Kantischen Religionsphilosophie zum Ganzen des Kantischen Systems (Berlin, 1879); Die christliche Moral in ihrem Verhdltnis zum staatlichen Recht (1892); Das christliche Gottvertrauen und der Glaube an Christus (Gottingen, 1899); Ueber die Aufgaben der Dogmatik (Tubingen, 1902); Die Aufgabe der innern Mission gegenuber der gegenwdrtigen Gefahrdung der christlichen Lebensanschauung durch antichristliche Geistesstromungen (Brunswick, 1903); Der christliche Gottesglaube und die naturwissenschaftliche Welter kldrung (Strasburg, 1904) ; Christentum und Kultur (Berlin, 1905); Das psychologische Wesen der Religion (Strasburg, 1906) ; and contributed to Philotesia (in honor of Paul Kleinert's seventieth birthday; Berlin, 1907).
MAYER, JOHANN FRIEDRICH: German polemical writer and orator; b. in Leipsic Dec. 6, 1650; d. in Stettin March 30, 1712. He studied in Leipsic, taking his master's degree in ] 668, and in Strasburg. He was appointed Saturday preacher in Leipsic in
1672, and pastor and superintendent at Leisnig in
1673, whence, in 1678, he was called to Grimma. His one desire was for an academic life, and on April 7, 1684, he accepted the appointment as fourth professor of theology at Wittenberg, becoming at the same time substitute preacher for Quenstedt in the Castle church of the town. It was here that he was awakened to a more earnest understanding of Christianity by Spener (q.v.), whom he praised in his first sermon given before the venerable Calov. Mayer shone in argument and was a very popular preacher and lecturer. In spite of scandal caused by his unhappy marital relations, he was appointed preacher at the St. Jacob's Church in Hamburg, 1686. Although gratified at his promotion, Mayer had no wish to give up his academic vocation, but Spener did not retain him, and his attempt to hold his position as professor and dean of the theological faculty at Wittenberg failed, though he succeeded in obtaining the post of extraordinary professor at the Hamburg Academy, and in addition was made honorary professor of the theological faculty at Kiel in 1687 On Quenstedt's death, May 22, 1688, Mayer made another attempt to be reinstated as professor in Wittenberg University, but in spite of the representations of Johann Winckler (q.v.) Spener was unyielding. From this time, Mayer ranged himself on the side of Spener's opponents.
Among the many religious controversies at that period was one relating to the opera. Mayer and Winckler were opposed to each other on this question, the latter having attacked operatic representations in July, 1686. In the ensuing conflict, Mayer gained a victory over Winckler before the senate and ministry. In the controversy on the " religious oath " Mayer took a prominent part, and appealed for a decision to the theological faculties, while his opponents sought the support of several distinguished theologians outside Hamburg, and in particular of Spener, against whom Mayer vented his personal animosity. Mayer was even more bitter in his controversy with Johann Heinrich Horb (q.v.). He discovered every conceivable heresy — Pelagian, popish, Socinian, quakerish, and Arminian — in a pamphlet put in circulation but not written by Horb, entitled Klugheit der Gerechten (Hamburg, 1693), and although Horb explained that it was to be understood only according to the "analogy of faith," Mayer induced the ministers of Hamburg to withhold the sacrament from Horb, who fled the city. Mayer's standing in Hamburg had been greatly injured by the whole controversy, but he was more than ever honored as a theologian and scholar in other countries, and traveled to Sweden and Holland, making the friendship of kings and princes, and receiving titles and honors. He was appointed general superintendent in Pomerania and Rugen, president of the consistory, professor primarius, procancellarius perpetuus, and pastor of St. Nicholas Church in Greifswald. He wished to still retain his Hamburg pastorate, but as
Mayer Meade