GERIZIM. See Palestine; Samaritans.

GERLACH, gär'läh, OTTO VON: German tbeologian; b. in Berlin Apr. 12, 1801; d. there Oct. 24, 1849. Coming from a noble and influential family, he was at first intended for a political career, and took up the study of jurisprudence at Heidelberg and Göttingen. In 1820 he returned to Berlin, where he devoted himself to theology, and he studied also at the Seminary at Wittenberg, 1825-28. in 1834 he was appointed pastor of the church of Bt. Elizabeth, near Berlin, and in 1847, court preacher. Before his appointment to a pastorate, he bad been active fn foreign missionary work, having established (1824) the Berliner Geselschaft zur Ven-

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breitung des Evangeliums unter den Heiden, and (1828) a seminary for the instruction of missionaries. After his appointment he took an equally lively interest in home missions, and founded various societies for Christian work as well as many charitable institutions. His zeal earned him the name "the Wesley of Berlin," bestowed upon him by Tholuck. The translation of a sermon of Wesley's was his first literary work; he also translated The Saints' Rest and others of Baxter's works. As a result of a journey to England, undertaken by order of King Frederick William IV., he published Amtliche BerfcN caber den Zudand der anglikanischen Kirche in shren verwhwdemn Glwdemngen im Jahre IS/2 (Berlin, 1845), a work which, although expressive of admiration for the power and activity of the Church of England, nevertheless recognizes the twofold danger of ecclesiastical partizanship and the leaven of Puseyism. Gerlach was the author also of a commentary on the Bible (6 vols., 1847-1853), which was long a very popular work.

(R. Kögel.)

Bibliography: : A notice of his life is prefixed to his Pred%p ten, ed. G. Seegemund, vol. iv., part i., Berlin, 1850.

GERLACH (Gerlacus), PETERS (PETRI, PETERSZ): Ascetic writer belonging to the Brethren of the Common Life (q.v.); b. at Deventer (8 m. n. of Zutphen), Holland, 1378; d.. at Windesheim (14 m. n. of Deventer) Nov. 18, 1411. His mother was a woman of wealth who spent much money on the enlargement of the monastery of Windesheim, and through her he met Geert Groote (q.v.) and was kindly received as a scholar by Florentius Radewyns. While the pupils were presenting a mystery-play in the church, Gerlach was persuaded by Florentius to enter the monastery of the Brethren. How long he remained there is uncertain, but he felt more at home at Windesheim, and Florentius made the necessary arrangements for his entrance there. In his new home the youth was universally popular, and was an especial protE;g6 of the director, Vos von Heusden. The trend of Gerlach's mind was contemplative rather than mystical, and he recorded his thoughts on slips of paper, generally writing in the vernacular. Shortly before his death he begged that his meditations be destroyed, but his prior declined to accede to his request, and they were accordingly preserved. His writings, according to Johann Busch (Chronieon Windeahemense, ed. Grubs, Halle, 1886, 157 sqq.), were collected by Johann Schutken at the instance of Vos, and were as follows: Bretn'loquium, composed before 1403, and containing edifying thoughts by himself and others to a member of the brotherhood (ed. W. Moll, in Kerkhistoriach Archief, ii., Amsterdam, 1859, 179 sqq., on the basis of a Brussels manuscript; an excellent text was discovered by Hirsche at Wolfenbiittel); Epistola Teutonicalis, addressed to his sister Lubbe, and containing translations from the Brevaoquium (ed. W. Moll, cat sup., 202 sqq.) and Solaoquium (also called Exercaia), his most important work and the one which gained him the name of alter Thomas. It is a soliloquy of the soul with God, lifting the soul out of the diversions of worldly life. It was collected by John Schutken, and was highly esteemed in Port Royal, in addition

to winning the praise of Poiret and Tersteegen (Cologne, 1616; new ed., Amsterdam, 1711, ed. J. Strange, Cologne, 1849; Germ. transl. by G. Ter steegen, 1734, 1845, and by N. Casseder, in his Mystiseh-aeketische &Uwthek, i., Frankfort, 1829, 1849; Dutch transl. by J. van Gorcum, 1621; all the editions contain many variants). Together with the Bretriloquium noted above, Hirsche dis covered at Wolfenbattel a Soliloquium which pre sents many deviations, but is very old, dating from 1424. The Ignitum cum Deo colloquium and De libertate spirUus cum exercWia eo apectantiibu8 men tioned by Valerius Andreas were unknown to Busch. Moll and Acquoy regard them as independent works, but Hirsche more correctly considers them reces sions of the works already mentioned. Since Ger lach wrote much in the vernacular, he belongs, like Hendrik Mande, to the first and best prose-writers of the fifteenth century.

L. Schulze.

Bibliography: The chief source is J. Busch. Chroniom Windeshemanse. ed. K. Grubs. Halle, 1886. The subject was first scientifically treated by W. Moll in N. C. Kist and W. Moll, Kerkhistoriwh Archiet, ii. 145-146, Amsterdam, 1859, where three of Gerlach's five writings are reproduced, of. W. Moll, Kerkgeschiedanis roan Nederland, ii., part 2, pp. 208-236, 363 sqq., part 3, pp. 27 sqq., 41, Utrecht, 1865-71; J. G. R. Acquoy, Het Klooster to Windes heim. Amsterdam, 1875; A. Auger, Ptude our Us mystiques des Pays-Bas . , in Mhnodres . . . par l'academie royals . . . de Belgique, xlvi. 300 sqq., Brussels. 1892; R. A. Vaughan. Hours with the Mystics, i. 367, London, 1879.