Methodist Protestant Church

METCALFE, WILLIAM MUSHAM: Church of Scotland; b. at York, England, Sept. 14, 1840. He was educated at New College, London, and after being minister of Tigh-na-bruaich, Argyllshire, from 1873 to 1878, became minister of South Parish, Paisley, which position he still retains. He was likewise assessor to the lord rector of St. Andrews University from 1892 to 1898, and is chairman of the Local Endowment Educational Trust, and a governor of the Paisley Technical College and School of Arts. In theological position he is liberal. Besides editing the quarterly Scottish Review from 1882 to 1900, he has written or edited The Natural Truth of Christianity (Paisley, 1880); The Reasonableness of Christianity (1882); Pinkerton's Vitæ Antiquæ Sanctorum Scotiæ (2 vols., 1889); Ancient Lives of Scottish Saints from the Latin and Icelandic (1895); Scottish Legends of the Saints (3 vols., Edinburgh, 1896); Charters and Documents relating to the Burgh of Paisley (Paisley, 1902); The Legends of Saints Ninian and Machor in the Scottish Dialect of the Fourteenth Century (1904); and History of the County of Renfrew (1905).

METH, EZEKIEL: German mystic and leader of a band of enthusiasts; b. in Langensalza (19 m. n.w. of Erfurt) late in the sixteenth century; d. at Erfurt Oct. 26, 1640. The founder of the sect was Meth's uncle, Esaias Stiefel, but Meth appears to have been the real leader. For the characteristics of the sect, which entertained beliefs partaking of the peculiarities of those of the Quakers, Anabaptists, and Schwenckfeldians, see Stiefel, Esaias. Stiefel was supposed to be immortal, and after his death in 1627 proved this supposition to be mistaken, Meth returned to the Lutheran Church.

Bibliography: B. F. Göschel, Chronik der Stadt Lungensalza, ii. 310, Leipsic, 1820; G. Arnold, Unparteyische Kirchen-und Ketzer-Historie, Theil III., cap. iv., 4 vols., Frankfort, 1700-15.