MENI: A deity named in the Old Testament only in Isa. lxv. 11 (A.V. "that number," margin "Meni"; R.V. "Destiny," margin "Meni") as worshiped by idolatrous Israelites. Light is thrown on the subject by the etymology (Hebr. manah, " to number," Arab. " to apportion "), by the occurrence in Arabic of the feminine form Manat, one of the daughters of Allah (Koran, liii. 20), and by the use of the Arabic maniyya, " fate " (cf. the Nabataean Ma-»awat, "Fates," Wellhausen, Heidentum, pp. 25-29). The word ebedhmeni, servant of Meni," occurs on Ae6menian coins, and Meni(s) is found as a parallel to Belus fortunte rector, "Bel, controller of fortune," on an altar at Vaison in Provence, in which there seems to be present a reminiscence of the Biblical passage. It is unlikely that Meni is of Babylonian origin, the name not having been found as a god name in the cuneiform inscriptions. He was probably introduced into Palestine by Aramaeana or by the Arabs who began to press in soon after the exile. The plausible suggestion has been made that as Gad was the deity of (good) fortune, Mini is the controller of misfortune. The equation Meni-Iahtar-Venus is probably ruled out by the sex of Meni. The name was misun derstood by Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion, and Jerome.

Geo. W. Gilmore.

MENIUS, m6'ni-us, JUSTUS (JODOCUS MENIG): German Reformer; b. at Fulda Dec. 13, 1499; d. at Leipsic Aug. 11, 1558. In 1514, at the age of fifteen, he entered the University of Erfurt, where he cemented friendship with such humanists as Mutianus, Crotus, Eoban Hess, and others. Joachim Camerarius taught him Greek. At the suggestion of Melanchthon, whose pupil he became, he went in 1519 to Wittenberg. After Luther's return from the Wartburg he enjoyed his personal friendship. In 1523 he was appointed vicar at Mühlberg near Erfurt, but in 1525 resigned his position and went to Erfurt to teach. In the same year he became pastor of the Church of St. Thomas in Erfurt. But soon the council of the town changed its attitude toward the Reformation. In 1525, after the end of the Peasants' War, Roman Catholic clergymen and

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monks were allowed to return. Their most prom inent spokesman was Konrad Kling, a Franciscan monk, against whom Menius directed his polemical treatise, Wider den hochberiihmten Barfiisser zu Erfurt, D. Conrad Kling, Schutzrede (Wittenberg, 1527) and his sermon, Etlicher Gottlosen and Widerchristlichen Lehre von der papistischen Messe (1527). Luther wrote a preface for both of these works, but in spite of his assistance and intercession the council of the town did not change its position. Under those circumstances Menius removed in 1528 with his family to Gotha where he became intimately acquainted with Friedrich Myconius. He wrote and instructed the youth, but his chief activity was the visitation of Thuringia, jointly with Christof von der Planitz, Melanchthon, and Myconius. After his return from this visitation he was appointed in 1529 pastor and superintendent at Eisenach where he labored eighteen years. He became one of the chief champions in the fight against Anabaptism, was active as a reformer, and took part in several other visitations, in 1533 and 1539 in Thuringia, subsequently in Schwarzburg, and in 1545 in the bishopric of Naumburg. In 1542 he introduced the Reformation in the imperial city of Mühlhausen. He took part in the religious colloquy of Marburg (1529), in the Wittenberg Concordia (1538), and in the meeting at Schmal kald (1537). Upon the death of his faithful friend Myconius in 1546 he became Ins successor in Gotha. After the unfavorable termination of the Schmal kald War he was compelled to leave Gotha for some time, but was soon able to return. Like his colleagues he protested against the Augsburg Interim. The propagandism of the Anabaptists which threatened to invade Thuringia from Hesse and Mühlhausen in duced him to resume his polemical activity against them, especially against their antinomian doctrine, according to which it is impossible for man to sin if he is born of God. [Antinomianism was not char acteristic of the Anabaptists. A. H. N.] In 1552 Menius was involved in the Osiandrian controversy. Elector John Frederic sent an embassy to Prussia for the purpose of allaying the dissensions caused by Osiander's teachings. Beside two of his councilors he sent Menius and Johann Stolz to Königsberg in 1553. The duke of Prussia commissioned Funck to transmit to them a confession of faith in accordance with Osiander's views, which was answered by Menius and Stolz. Funck replied shortly afterward. As Menius was taken ill, the negotiations were delayed. A later conference between Menius and Stolz, Funck and Sciurus led to no agreement, and the delegates returned without having attained their object. A few months afterward, on the occa sion of the Thuringian visitations, Amsdorf found an opportunity to involve Menius intimately in the Majoristic Controversy (q.v.). Menius returned from Eisenach to Gotha, full of the hope to resume his duties; but Amsdorf, Ratzeberger, Aurifaber, and others continued their calumnies, denouncing him as an Adiaphorist and Majorist. The ungra cious attitude of the court induced him to resign his position. By the intercession of Melanchthon and Camerarius, Menius received a position at the Church of St. Thomas in Leipsic. There he defended himself against further assaults of Flacius and Amsdorf, who did not cease their polemical attacks until his death. It is owing to the conditions of the time that Menius' literary activity was chiefly polemical. He published (Economic Christians (1529) which was prefaced by Luther, and against the Anabaptists he wrote, Der Wiedertaufer Lehre and Geheimniss Gus heiliger Schrift widerlegt (1530) and Von dem Geist der Wiedertaufer (1544). He also published a somewhat modified edition of Luther's Small Catechism under the title, Cate chismus Justi Menii (1532), a copy of which is preserved in the town library of Breslau. The manual continued in use till the 19th century. Menius also wrote De usu historim sacrarum literdrum (1532) which is an exposition of I Sam.; a translation of Luther's large commentary on the Galatians (1535) and Wie sin ieglicher Christ gegen allerki Lehre, gate and boss, each Gottes Befehl sich gebilhrlich halten soll (1538). His treatise, Von der Notwehr Unterricht, niitzlich zu lesen (1547) was occasioned by the war of Schmal kald. The aggressive attitude of the Anabaptists induced him once more to write against them a polemical treatise, Von dent Blutsfreunden Gus der Wiedertaufe (1551). Against Osiander he wrote, Erkenntnis Gus Gotten Wort and heiliger Schrift über die Bekenntnis A. Osiandri (1552), and Von der Gerechtigkeit, die für Gott gilt: Wider die neue alcumistische Theologiam A. Osiandri (1552).

(G. Kawerau.)

Bibliography: Thirteen letters are to be found in Zeitschrift sea Vereins far tharing. Geschichte, s (1882), 243 sqq., and others are among the correspondence of Luther, Melanchthon, Jonas, Mutianus, and Eobanus Hess. Autobiographic material is communicated in ZHT, 1865, pp. 303 sqq. The one biography is G. L. Schmidt, Justus Menius, der Reformator Thfiringem, Gotha, 1867. Material will be found in the literature dealing with the Reformers with whom he came into touch (e.g., J. W. Richard, Philip Mdanchthon, pp. 159, 185, 254, New York, 1898) , and in that on the Reformation and on the Anabaptists.