MAY LAWS. See Ultramontanism.

MAY, JOHANN HEINRICH: German Pietist; b. at Pforzheim (16 m. s.e. of Carlsruhe) Feb. 5, 1653; d. at Giessen Sept. 3, 1719. He studied at the University of Wittenberg, which he entered in 1671; while going to Sweden, he made at Hamburg the acquaintance of the Orientalist E. Edzard, with whom he studied the Bible, the Talmud, Arabic, and Syriac. After a winter in Copenhagen, he resumed his studies at Hamburg, but was recalled by his father to southern Germany. At Leipsic he became acquainted with J. B. Carpzov, and at Strasburg with S..Schmidt; but a more profound influence was exerted on him by H. Ludolf, whom he aided in reading the proof of his Historia Xthiopica (Frankfort, 1681). From Frankfort, where he had become imbued with the pietism of Spener, he went for a short time to Veldenz as court preacher to the palsgrave, but in 1684 was appointed by the elector professor of Oriental languages at the gymnasium of Durlach, where he was also pastor of St. Stephen's. In 1888 he was called to Giessen as professor of Oriental languages. Here he passed the remainder of his life, becoming second professor of theology, paedagogiacch, bursar, superintendent of Alafeld, and assessor of the conaistory.

Of May's numerous works none has borne the

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test of time except his edition of the Hebrew Bible, a revision of the work of his predecessor at Giessen, David Clodius (Frankfort, 1692). His importance lies in the fact that he powerfully influenced the pietistic reformation of the theological faculty at Giessen. When he entered Giessen, he found scant opportunity for a practical propagation of his views; but in 1689 he announced a course of private studies on Romans, in continuation of his confirmation-class, to which both children and adults were invited. . This evoked a formal protest to the prince on the part of May's colleague, P. L. Hannecken, which led to a controversy which finally caused the retirement of Hannecken in 1693. His successor, Bilefeld, used his influence both as professor and court preacher to break down the opposition of the orthodox party, and by 1695 the pietistic reform was complete. In this latter phase of the conflict May took little public part, but his quiet activity conduced far more to the victory of Pietism than was apparent on the surface.

(Erwin Preuschen.)

Bibliography: The basal source, apart from the archives at Darmstadt, is the memorial oration by J. G. Schupart, Giessen, 1723. Consult: F. W. Strieder, Grundtape su einer hese%acken Gelehrten- and schriftetelkryesehichte, viii. 326 sqq., Cassel, 1788; W. Köhler, Die Aryfdnge des Pietismus in Giessen, vol. i., Giessen, 1907.