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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 and Erinnerungen auf eine neulieh im Druek lateinisch and deutsch augsgestreute Schrift Imago pietatis (Halle, 1692), after having translated into Latin Spener's Frankfort sermons of 1677 under the title Capita doctrines ct praxis Christianm 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 Justitid proteetionis in eivitate Erfurtensi (1663), Repetita et necessaries defensio justce protectionis Saxonicce in eivritate Erfurtensi (1664), and the Compendium historim ecclesiastic&, . . . in usum gymnasii Gothani (Leipsic, 1666). During this period he likewise wrote his Teutscher Fiirsten Stat (Hanau, 1656), followed by the Christen Stat (1685). The latter work, influenced largely, especially in the first part, by the Penseses 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 (Leipsie, 1688-92). The work was essentially a refutation of the Histoire du Luth6ranisme of the Jesuit L. Maimbourg (Paris, 1680), of which Seckendorf made a partial Latin translation, with a Dissertatio historica et apologetica pro doctrines 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.)

wig, Oekonomische Anmerkungen iiber Seckendorjs Fiirstenstaal, Frankfort, 1753; A. Beck, Ernst der Fromme, 2 vols., Weimar, 1865; W. Schrader, Geschichte der Friedrichs-Universitat zn 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-leSpring, 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 (17'14-1800), passim, London, 1906; DNB, li. 170-173.

SECOND ADVENT.

Old Testament (§ 1). Jewish Apocrypha and Apocalypses (§ 2). New Testament (§ 3). The Twofold Conception (§ 4). Compounded in the New Testament (§ 5). The Parousia (§ 6). The Consciousness of Jesus (§ 7). Practical Estimation (§ 8).

The belief in the second coming of Christ can be

understood only as presented in a coherent historical

outline. The eschatology of the Old Testament and,

in its main ideas, of the Jewish apocalyptical litera

ture, is concerned with the confident

r. The Old assurance that God's rule must finally

Testament. prevail. The concrete forms of this

hope vary with the conception of the

universe and the horizon of religious interests.

The prophetic hope, especially of the more remote

period, casts its pictures on the background of this

world, with the predominant interest in Jerusalem

and Israel. The Day of Yahweh (see DAY OF THE

LORD) must come, which will free God's people from

unjust oppression and bring judgment on the enemy

(Ob. 15; Isa. xiii. 6 sqq.). At first this was not con

ceived as a single decisive epoch, but as a day of

visitation upon a particular enemy, which might be

multiplied (cf. Jer. xlvi. 10). The view was gradu

ally extended so as to include not only the neigh

boring peoples but all nations. With this, real

eschatological elements are approximated, with at

least a suggestion of transcendental tendency. Only

the righteous nation shall be saved, from whom

sinners shall be separated, leaving only a "remnant"

(Isa. i. 27, iv. 3). Whoever will call upon Yahweh

shall be saved, and for this the grace of God pro

vides beforehand (Mal. iii. 1 sqq.), in which the

personal and eternal relation to God appears as the

essential, working itself out of the historical situa

tion. That the scene, however, is mundane shows

itself in the narrower idea of the Messianic hope.

The Messiah is never the judge of the world but the

king awakened and enthroned by God, and he shall