MILNE, WILLIAM: Missionary to China; b. in the parish of Kinnethmont (28 m. n.w. of Aberdeen), Scotland; baptized Apr. 27, 1785; d. at Malacca (120 m. n.w. of Singapore), Malay Peninsula, May 27, 1822. Deciding to devote himself to missionary work, he took the course of the London Missionary Society's College at Gosport, where he was ordained in 1812; went to Macao, China, in 1813; then to Canton, where he was joined by his colleague Robert Morrison; after a year's tour through the Malay Archipelago he settled down at Malacca, where he opened a school for Chine

381

converts, and set up a printing-press, which issued the Chinese (leaner. He translated into Chinese parts of the Old Testament, and was principal of the Anglo-Chinese College of Malacca, of which he had been the chief founder. Because of ill-health he visited Singapore and the Island of Penang in 1822, but died immediately on his return to Malacca. With Robert Morrison he tmuslated the New Testament into Chinese (Canton, 1813); and independently The Sacred Edict; Containing Sixteen Maxima of the Emperor Rang-He . . . Illuatroted with Notes (London, 1817); he also wrote A Rdrv&ped of the Firat Ten Years of the Protestant Afimon to China: accompanied with Miscellaneous Remarks o» as Literature (Malacca, 1820); and he was the editor of the Indo-Chinese Gleaner (vols. i.-iii., 1818-22).

Bibliography: R. Morrison, Meinoire of Bee. William Milne, Malsooe, 1824; R. Philip, Life and Opinions of . W. Milne, London, 1840; lest, Tupper, and Bliss,

Eneyclopsatia of Missions, pp. 478-477, New York, 1904; DNB. xxxviti. 9.

MILNER, JOSEPH and ISAAC: Two brothers, members of the Church of England, distinguished for their work on church history.

1. Joseph Milner: Church historian; b. at Leeds Jan. 2, 1744; d. at Hull Nov. lb, 1797. He began his education as a chapel clerk at Catherine's Hall, Cambridge, but was obliged by his poverty to leave in 1768 before gaining his degree. He soon became, however, headmaster of the Latin school and evening preacher at Hull, where, after thirty years of service, he was almost unanimously chosen rector, although he died a few weeks later. As a teacher he won the affection and respect of his pupils, and was equally popular as a preacher until about 1770, when he became almost a recluse, and substituted for his moral sermons exhortations to repentance and revival. Nevertheless, he retained his prestige with the poor of Hull and North Ferriby, among whom he labored gratuitously for seventeen years, being even accused of violating the Conventicle Act for his private devotional meetings. But he was a Methodist only in the religious, not in the sectarian, sense. He may thus be regarded as one of the founders of the Evangelical school in the Church of England. After some ten years of ridicule and misinterpretation, he regained his former favor, thanks to the change in the popular taste.

Milner published several brief works, including: Some Remarkable Passages is the Life of WtWiam Howard (York, 1785); Gabon'a Account of Chris. tianity Considered (1781); and Essays on the Influence of the Holy Spirit (1789). His chief fame, however, was won by his History of f the Church of Christ (b vols., York, 1794-1819; Dew eds., by I. Milner, London, 1816, and T. Grantham, 1847), written in collaboration with his brother Isaac. Joseph planned the work and prepared the first three volumes, while Isaac completed the fourth on the basis of his brother's material and wrote the fifth. He also purposed to continue the history, although this plan was never executed. Regarding church history as a "succession of pious men," the work is mainly biographical, rites, organization, external history, and religious controversies being entirely subordinate. The material is divided into centuries, rather than into periods. The first three centuries (vol. i.) are not characterised, only Ignatius and Cyprian receiving special mention. The fourth and fifth centuries (vol. ii.) are treated merely in a series of collocations of events, though Milner discusses Arianism in detail, while his disquisitions on the relation of Church and State form some of his best writing. The fifth century was for him summed up in Augustine, but he also devotes much space to Pelagianism, though he sly touches the great councils. Between the sixth and thirteenth centuries (vol. iii.) the true Church consisted only of missions to the heathen and such lives as those of Anseim, Bernard of Clairvaua, and the Waldensea. The fourth volume is devoted to the forerunners of the ReformationGrosseteste (bishop of Lincoln), Thomas Bradwardine (archbishop of Canterbury), Weasel, Savonarole, and Thomas it Kempis. Wyclif and Hum, with the Loliards and Hussites, are treated with great care, and the volume is completed with the history of Luther and the German Reformation up to the Diet of Worms. The fifth volume continues to the Diet of Augsburg. Both brothers are entitled to the merit of having made the importance of Luther and the Reformation in Germany known to their countrymen, and of having derived the Reformation outside of Germany from Luther's mfluence. As a scientific work the history is of little consequence, nor is there any rigid investigation of sources; but, granting the desire of the authors to present Christian biographies in historical settings, the plan, otherwise open to grave criticism in its neglect of historical development, is beyond reproach.

9. Isaac Milner: Brother of the preceding; b. at Leeds Jan. 11, 1750; d. at London Apr. 1, 1820. After a youth of poverty, he entered Queen's Col lege, Cambridge, in 1770, as a sisar. He became successively fellow and tutor, and eventually (1788) president of his college. Devoting himself eepe. cially to mathematics and science, he was appointed professor of natural sciences in 1784, and in 1796 succeeded Newton in the chair of mathematics. He was twice vice-chancellor of the university, and in 1791 was also appointed dean of Carlisle. Al though lees Methodistic than his brother, he in to be considered, like him, a founder of the Evang& ical school of the Anglican Church. Theologically he is best known for his cooperation on the church history of his brother (see above). He also pub lished a Life of his brother Joseph (Cambridge, 1801) and edited Sermons of as Late Joseph Manor (2 vols., London, 1820).

(C. Schöll†.)

Bibliography: 1. Besides the Life of Jorepll Milan; by Isaac Milner. ut sup., consult: Mrs. Mary llilnw, l#* s/ Isaac Milner. London, 1844; DNB,:axviii. 17-18. $ Mrs. Mary Milnw, ut sup.; J. Stephen, &emp, is zeds. siassiml Bworaphy, 11. 858-387, London, 1860; DNB, xxxviii. 9-12.