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RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA' 8ootland Sootue Brisens
SCOTT, ISAIAH BENJAMIP: Methodist Episcopal bishop; b. in Woodford County, Ky., Sept. 30, 1854. He received his education at Clark Seminary (now Clark College), Atlanta, Ga., and Central Tennessee College (now Walden University), Nashville (B.A., 1880; M.A., 1883); entered the Tennessee conference in 1881, and was transferred to the Texas conference, where he was professor in Prairie View State Normal and Industrial College, 1881, and served as pastor at Houston, Galveston, Austin, and Marshall, 1882,87; was presiding elder of the Marshall and Houston Districts, 1882-93; president of Wiley University, Marshall, Tex., 1893-96; editor of the Southwestern Christian Advocate, New Orleans, 1896-1904; was elected bishop for Africa, 1904.
SCOTT, ROBERT: Church of England; b. at Bondleigh, Devonshire, Jan. 26, 1811; d. at Rochester Dec. 2, 1887. He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford (B.A., 1833); was fellow and tutor of Balliol College, 1835-40 (M.A., 1836); rector of Duloe, Cornwall, 1840-50; prebendary of Exeter Cathedral, 1845-66; rector of South Luffenham, Rutland, 1850-54; select preacher at Oxford, 1853-54, 1874-75; master of Balliol, 1854-70; professor of Scripture exegesis, 1861-70; and dean of Rochester, 1870-87. He was a member of the New-Testament revision committee; author of Twelve Sermons (London, 1851); University Sermons (1860) ; and of a commentary on the Epistle of James (1881) in the Bible Commentary (1872-82). From I836 to 1843 he labored together with H. G. Liddell in the preparation of the great Greek-English Lexicon (Oxford, 1843; 7th enlarged ed., 1883), upon which he was occupied all in all for fortyseven years.
BIBLAOGRAPBl: The Guardian, Dec. 14, 1887; E. Abbott and L. Campbell, Benjamin Jewett, 3 vols., London, 18971899; DNB, li. 85-88.
SCOTT, THOMAS: Church of England; b. at Braytoft, Lincolnshire, Feb. 4, 1747; d. at Aston Sandford (near Thames, 11 m. e. of Oxford), Buckinghamshire, Apr. 16, 1821. He was ordained priest in 1773, and in 1781 succeeded John Newton, who had converted him to Calvinism, as curate of Olney. In 1785 he became chaplain of the Lock Hospital, London; and in 1801, vicar of Aston Sandford. His first publication was The Force of Truth (London, 1779, and numerous editions), narrating his change from rationalistic Unitarianism to the highest type of Calvinistic fervor, a work regarded as one of the most impressive spiritual autobiographies ever written. His most important work was The Holy Bible with Notes (5 vols., 17881792; very many reissues and reprints). This has long been considered a model family Bible, and has been read more widely, perhaps, than any other. It speaks volumes for Scott's industry and perseverance that without early educational advantages, oppressed by poverty, and compelled for years before his ordination to earn his living as a farm-laborer, he yet was able to acquire considerable learning, and produce a work, published under the severest pecuniary straits, yet spoken of as the greatest theological performance of his age and country. J. H.
Newman wrote of him as a man to whom he almost owed his soul. Scott's Essays on the Most Important Subjects in Religion were published in 1793, 15th ed., 1844; and his Village Discourses in 1825. His Works in ten vols., edited by his son, appeared 1823-25.
BiBLrooBAPHY: A. C. Downer, Thomas Scott the Commentator. A Memoir of his Life, London, 1909; The Life of
. T. Scott . . . Including a Narrative Drawn up by himself, ib. 1822; The Life of . . . Thomas Scott, in Christian Biography, ib. (183871; J. Stephen, Essays in Ecclesiastical Biography, pp. 413 sqq., 14th ed., ib. 1880; DNB, li. 73-75.
Johannes Scotus Erigena stands out as one of the most distinguished figures not only of the ninth century but of the whole history of philosophy and theology. His early life, however, as well as his inner development, is hidden up to the time
z. Early to which his writings bring us. The Life. one fact which is clear is that his birthplace was Ireland; to this the name Scotus (or Scotigena) as well as Erigena testifies (both these titles in those times indicating Ireland), and there is the express statement of Prudentius, "Hibernia sent thee to Gaul" (De pradicatione, in MPL, cxv: 1194). It was. probably in Ireland that he received his education, though in the Frankish kingdom he first comes into historical light, but as already a man of mature powers. From this last fact it would follow that he was born in the early years of the century. That he won the distinguished favor of Charles the Bald is clear from the dedication to the latter of numerous writings and from many passages in his poems. He became celebrated and was the acquaintance of the distinguished men of the times-Hincmar, Servatus Lupus, Usuardus, Ratramnus and others, not to omit Prudentius of Treves (qq.v.). As the last-named left the court in 847, Scotus must have arrived there before that. Here probably Scotus did his literary work, though not as an ecclesiastic; there is no trace of his being a monk, and it is doubtful whether he was a priest. But he entered into the theological controversies of the time.
His first essay in this direction was in the matter of the eucharistic controversy begun by Ratramnus concerning the change of the elements, though the writing long ascribed to Scotus is now known to be the De Eucharistia of Ratramnus (Laufs, in TSK, 1828, pp. 755-756). Yet Hincmar 2. Partici- charged him with regarding the pation in elements as symbols of the presence of Controversy. Christ, though whether this view was put forth in Scotus' own writing is doubtful, in spite of the fact that his position must have been well known. More important for Scotus