THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
College, Cambridge (1660). He was prominent in the Savoy Conference (q.v.), and the same year (1661) was chosen to superintend the translation of the prayer-book into Latin. In June, 1661, he became Margaret professor of divinity at Cambridge and, in 1662, master of Trinity. He was consecrated bishop of Chester in 1673.
Pearson was probably the ablest scholar and systematic theologian of the English Church in the seventeenth century. The work which made his reputation (still a standard in English divinity) was An Exposition of the Creed (London, 1659), a development of sermons delivered at St. Clement's. It is a masterful attempt to expand the creed so as to embrace a summary of the arguments and authorities of the orthodox faith; marked by a judicious selection of proofs, scholastic treatment, vigorous definition, and exact deduction; and set forth in an accurate style. The best edition is that of T. Chevalher, revised by R. Sinker (Cambridge, 1899). There are abridgments by Basil Kennett, Charles Buxney, and C. Bradley, and an analysis by W. H. Mill (London, 1837, and often). Pearson's great work in the field of historical criticism was the Vindicice epistolarum S. Ignatii (Cambridge, 1672; ed. E. Churton for the Library of Anglo- Catholic Theology, 2 vols., Oxford, 1852), an answer to an attack by Jean Daill6 (Geneva, 1666) on the authenticity of the letters attributed to Ignatius of Antioch, which Pearson was led to defend by scholarly interest and, still more, by his views concerning the age and origin of the episcopate. For two centuries the book was the chief writing in favor of the authenticity of the letters, and late investigations by J. B. Lightfoot and T. Zahn confirm Pearson's judgment. In his Lectiones de Deo et attributis ejus (professorial lectures, first printed in the complete edition of Pearson's Minor Theological Works, ed. E. Churton, 2 vols., Oxford, 1844), he attempted to provide a Protestant Corpus theologies, following the Thomistic method but aiming to correct the faults of the old scholasticism by more fundamental dependence on Scripture and critical examination of the ancient councils and authorities. His chronological writings, Annates Cyprianici (prefixed to Bishop Fell's edition of Cyprian, Oxford, 1682), Annales Paulini (in Opera posthuma, 3 parts, London, 1687-88; Eng. transl. by J. M. Williams, Cambridge, 1825, and by J. R. Crowfoot, Cambridge, 1851), and Dissertationes de serie et successions primorum Romce episcoporum (in Opera posthuma) have still considerable value; likewise bis Determinationes theologicce (published by Churton, ut sup.), brief treatises on the origin of the episcopate and on Anglican orders, two Christological essays, and a discussion of baptism. His Lectiones in Acta Apostolorum (in Opera posthuma; Eng. transl. by Crowfoot with the Annales Paulini, ut sup.) and collaboration in the Critici sacri (a companion work to Walton's Polyglot, 9 vols., London, 1660), for which he wrote the preface and edited the last two volumes, are his important works in the exegetical field. Lastly, mention should be made of Orationes vii in comitiis publicis oxademicis habitce and Condones ad clerum vi (published by Churton, ut sup.) and of two English ser-
mons, the Excellency of Forms of Prayer, preached just before the Westminster Assembly in 1643 boldly declaring his theological and political views, and No Necessity of Reformation of the Public Doctrine of the Church of England (London, 1660).
(C. ScHOLLf.) Bibliography: The best sketch of Pearson's life is that by Churton prefixed to the Minor Theological Works, ut sup. Consult further: J. Darling, Cyclopaedia Bibliographica, pp. 2320-21, London, 1854; S. Cheetham, John Pearson, in A. Barry's Masters in English Theology, London, 1877; G. T. O. Bridgman, Hist, of the Church and Manor of Wigan, vol. xv. of the Publications of the Chetham Society, Manchester, 1888; DNB, xliv. 168-173 (contains a list of the minor works, and references to scattering sources).
PEARSON, WILLIAM LAZARUS: Friend; b. at Coonsboro, N. O, July 4, 1849. He was educated at Earlham College (A.B., 1875), after which he was principal of the high school at Fairmont, Ind. (1875-76) and of Southland College, Ark. (1876-77). He then entered Princeton Theological Seminary, from which he was graduated in 1881, becoming a minister of the Society of Friends in the same year. He continued his theological studies at the universities of Berlin (1881-83) and Leipsic (1883-85; Ph.D., 1885), after which he was minister of the Friends' Church at Minneapolis, Minn. (1886-87). Since 1887 he has been connected with Penn College, Oskaloosa, la., where he has been professor successively of modern languages (1887-91) and of Biblical literature, as well as principal of the Bible department (since 1891). He was the virtual founder of the Quinquennial Conference of American Friends, to which he was a delegate in 1892 and 1897, as well as to the American Friends' Peace Conference in 1901. He was European correspondent of The Friends' Review, 1882-84, and literary editor of Western Work, 1903-06. He has written The Prophecy of Joel, its Unity, its Aim, and the Age of its Composition (New York, 1885); Notes on the Sacraments (Oskaloosa, la., 1898); and Studies in the Life of Christ (1904).