RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
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tastes. His interest became more and more concentrated on the problem of the value and essence of practical Christianity, and he thus became closely associated with such men as Philipp Jakob Spener, whom he had called to Dresden. Seckendorf could scarcely be called a Pietist, though he defended Spener in his Bericht und Erinnerungen auf eine neulich im Druch lateinisch und deutsch augsgestreute Schrift Imago pietatis (Halle, 1692), after having translated into Latin Spener's Frankfort sermons of 1677 under the title Capita doctrince ct praxis Christiana} insignia (1689). The qualities of Pietism which attracted Seckendorf were its moral earnestness and its emphasis upon practical Christianity, though his critical nature kept him from sympathy with Pietistic mysticism. But in the evening of his life he was again drawn into the movement when, on Sept. 9, 1692, Elector Frederick III. of Brandenburg appointed him chancellor of the newly founded University of Halle. On Oct. 31 Seckendorf entered upon his duties, where the difficult task awaited him of reconciling the controversy between Francke and the clergy of Halle. A few weeks later he died.
Despite his manifold official activity, Seckendorf found time at Gotha for a series of writings, such as the Justitia protectionis in civitate Erfurtensi (1663), Repetita et necessaria defensio justce protectionis Saxonica? in civitate Erfurtensi (1664), and the Compendium historian ecclesiastical in usum
gymnasii Gothani (Leipsic, 1666). During this period he likewise wrote his Teutscher Fursten Stat (Hanau, 1656), followed by the Christen Stat (1685). The latter work, influenced largely, especially in the first part, by the Pensees of Pascal, was partly an apologetic directed against atheism, and partly reformatory in purpose.
The work on which Seckendorf's fame rests, however, is his Commentarius historicus et apologeticus de Lutheranismo seu de reformatione (Leipsic, 1688-92). The work was essentially a refutation of the Histoire du Lutheranisme of the Jesuit L. Maimbourg (Paris, 1680), of which Seckendorf made a partial Latin translation, with a Dissertatio historica et apologetica pro doctrina D. Lutheri de missa to serve as a sort of preliminary work (Jena, 1686). For his Commentarius Seckendorf, as the trusted friend of all the Saxon princes, had access to original documents to a degree enjoyed by no later scholar, and a mass of sources, both manuscript and printed, hitherto unutilized, were also sent him, thus enhancing his wealth of material. His method is to give, paragraph by paragraph, Maimbourg's presentation in Latin translation, with a refutation from original sources, pertinent additiones, often of considerable length, being appended. The Commentarius is, therefore, not a uniform artistic presentation, but is still an indispensable source for every historian of the Reformation because of its wealth of material. (T. Kolde.) Bibliography: The funeral sermon by J. J. Breithaupt was published at Zeitz, 1693, and a memorial address by C. Thomasius in his Kleine Schriften, no. XIII., p. 497 sqq., Halle, 1721. Consult further: R. Pahner, Veil Ludvrig von Seckendorf und seine Gedanken uber Erziehung und Unterricht, Leipsic, 1892; D. G. Schreher, Historia Viti Ludovici a Seckendorf, ib. 1733; J. V. von Lude-
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wig, Oekonomische Anmerkungen uber Seckendorfs Furstenstaat, Frankfort, 1753; A. Beck, Ernst der Fromme, 2 vols., Weimar, 1865; W. Schrader, Geschichte der Friedrichs-Vniversitat zu Halle, vol. i., Berlin, 1894.
SECKER, seck'er, THOMAS : Church of England ; b. at Sibthorpe, Nottinghamshire, 1693; d. at London, Aug. 3, 1768. He was graduated at Leyden (M.D., 1721); then entered Exeter College, Oxford; was ordained priest, 1723; rector of Houghton-le- Spring, 1724; of St. James's, Westminster, 1733; appointed chaplain to the king, 1732; consecrated bishop of Bristol, 1735; was transferred to Oxford, 1737; and in addition was installed dean of St. Paul's, 1750; and was archbishop of Canterbury, 1758-68. Seeker was a remarkable instance of the orthodox eighteenth-century prelate, assumed a lively interest in the questions of his time, and possessed a fund of knowledge wide and deep. His Works were collected, twelve vols., London, 1770, with a Review of his Life and Character by B. Porteus.
Bibliography: Consult, besides the sketch by Porteus, ut sup.: J. H. Overton and F. Relton, The English Church {1714-1800), passim, London, 1906; DNB, li. 170-173.