THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
his new ofBce, he was active in preaching and catechizing, never ceasing to polemize against Philippists, Synergists, and, above all, Calvinists.
(F. Lezius.) Bibliography: Important from a biographical point of view and for a review of his opinions are two posthumous works, Poatilla, Erfurt, 1587, and Psalterpredigten, 3 vols., K6nigsberg, 1576-80; also Koch, Briefwechsel Marlins mit Herzog AJbrecht, in Altpreussische Monatsschrift, xxxix., parts 7-8; and two lives by J. Wigand and S. Gobel, in Acta Borussica, i. 149 sqq., ii. 477 sqq., 3 vols., Konigsberg, 1730-32. Consult also the Lebensbild by Walther Arnstadt, 1856; and G. J. Planck, Geschichte des protestantischen Lehrbegriffs, vols, iv.-vi., 6 vols., Leipsic, 1781-1800.
MOERLIN, MAXIMILIAN: German Lutheran, brother of Joachim Morlin; b. at Wittenberg Oct. 14, 1516; d. at Coburg Apr. 20, 1584. He studied theology at Wittenberg under Luther and Melanchthon, and, after being active for a time in churches at Pegau and Zeitz, was called in 1543 to the pastorate of Schalkau. In 1544 he accepted a call to Coburg as court preacher, and in 1546 he became superintendent. Like his brother, he remained throughout his life a Melanchthonian Lutheran, and like him he was for a time under the influence of Flacius. During his brother's controversy with Osiander, moreover, he wrote a polemic against Osiander, though its title is no longer known. He subscribed to the strictures of the Weimar and Coburg theologians on Osiander, and made a zealous, though fruitless, effort at the Synod of Eisenach to secure the condemnation of Menius; while he also took part in the futile colloquy at Worms. With Musseus and Stossel, though inspired rather by Flacius, he compiled the Konfutationsbuch (1557-58), which was made the norm for the churches of Coburg. In 1560, when the Elector Palatine Frederick contemplated introducing Reformed doctrines into his territories, his son-in-law, John Frederick of Coburg, sought to dissuade him, and went for that purpose to Heidelberg with Morlin and Stossel. The ensuing disputation between Morlin and Stossel for the Lutherans and Bouquin for the Calvinists, which lasted five days, was without result, but in any case the triumph of Reformed doctrines in the Palatinate was almost inevitable. But though, like his brother, breaking with Flacius, Morlin was ever inclined to moderation and peace, and these qualities gained his appointment to the consistory of Weimar. Here, in the interests of peace and of Melanchthonian dogmatics, he advocated the deposition of Flacius and the expulsion of his adherents, and with a like irenic spirit he sought to have all pastors subscribe the somewhat Philippistic Declaration of Strigel (Mar. 3, 1562).
With the regency of Flacius' sympathizer, John William, in Coburg, Morlin was deposed, but was appointed court preacher by Count John of Nassau-Dillenburg. This position, however, was brief, for the count was Calvinistically inclined, while Morlin was as decidedly opposed to Reformed tenets. Meanwhile John Frederick, from his prison in Thuringia, had induced his brother, John William, to recall Morlin, who accordingly returned to Coburg in the winter of 1572, only to find it held by the partizans of Flacius. In 1573, under the new regent, Elector August, he was reinstated in all his
former positions and his chief antagonist, Musaeus, was expelled. Morlin now removed all clergy whom he suspected of the slightest taint of Flacianism. His mediating tendency carried the day in the Formula of Concord, and he also took part in the conferences of Lichtenberg and Torgau. Besides the lost work mentioned above, Morlin wrote: Apophtegmata collecta ex Eusebii Historia Ecclesiastica et Tripartita (Nuremberg, 1552); Lazarus resuscitatus (Frankfort, 1572); and Trostschrift von den Kindlein die nicht kdnnen zur Tauf gebracht werden (Nuremberg, 1575). (F. Lezius.)
Bibliography: A. Beck, Johann Friedrich der Mittlere, 2 vols., Gotha, 1858; W. Preger, Matthias Flaccius, 2 vols., Erlangen, 1859-61; G. C. B. Berbig, Aus der Gefangenschaft Johann Friedrich des Mittleren. Gotha, 1898.
MOFFAT, JAMES: United Free Church of Scotland; b. at Glasgow July 4, 1870. He was educated at the University of Glasgow (M.A., 1890) and the Free Church College in the same city (B.D., 1894). After the completion of his post-graduate studies, he was chosen minister of Dundonald Church, Ayrshire, a position which he left in 1907 to go to Broughty Ferry. He was also Bruce lecturer in the United Free Church College, Glasgow, in 1906, and Jowett lecturer in London in 1907, and has been a member of the Oxford Historical Society and a member of the editorial board of the Hibbert Journal since 1903. In addition to translating A. Harnack's Die Mission und Ausbreitung des Urchristentums (Leipsic, 1902; 2d ed., 1906) under the title Expansion of Christianity in the first three Centuries (2 vols., London, 1904-05, 2d ed., 1908), he has written The Historical New Testament (Edinburgh, 1901); The Golden Book of John Owen (London, 1904); Literary Illustrations of the Bible, Epistle of St. James (1906); and George Meredith; a Primer to the Novels (1909) ; and has in preparation An Introduction to the Literature of the New Testament and the Epistles to the Thessalonians and Revelation for The Expositor's Greek Testament.
MOFFAT, JAMES DAVID: Presbyterian; b. at New Lisbon, O., Mar. 15, 1846. He was educated at Washington and Jefferson College (A.B., 1869) and at Princeton Theological Seminary (1869-71). He was then stated supply of the Second Presbyterian Church, Wheeling, W. Va., in 1871-73, and pastor of the same church from 1873 to 1882. Since the latter year he has been president of Washington and Jefferson College. He was also associate editor of The Presbyterian Banner from 1894 to 1906, and was moderator of the Presbyterian General Assembly at Winona Lake, Ind., in 1905. In theology he describes himself as " a Presbyterian who advocated revision of the Westminster Confession of Faith, and now advocates the union of all Presbyterian churches in the United States."
MOFFAT, ROBERT: African missionary; b. at Ormiston (9 m. s.e. of Edinburgh), Scotland, Dec. 21, 1795; d. at Leigh (25 m. s.e. of London) Aug. 9, 1883. From a boy he was religiously inclined, and after offering himself for mission work to the London Missionary Society he was accepted and sent to South Africa, 1816. He went first to Namaqua Land, where he was assisted by Afrikaner, a