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Monboddo, James Burnett, Lord

(Encyclopedia)Monboddo, James Burnett, Lord, 1714–99, English writer, b. Scotland. A pioneer in anthropology, he wrote Of the Origin and Progress of Language (6 vol., 1774–92), in which he anticipated Darwin an...

Kames, Henry Home, Lord

(Encyclopedia)Kames, Henry Home, Lord hyo͞om [key], 1696–1782, Scottish judge and philosopher. A man of broad interests and a wide-ranging intellect, his works included dissertations on Scottish law, agriculture...

Cavendish, Lord Frederick Charles

(Encyclopedia)Cavendish, Lord Frederick Charles: see Phoenix Park murders. ...

Bentinck, Lord William Cavendish

(Encyclopedia)Bentinck, Lord William Cavendish bĕnˈtingk, –tĭk [key], 1774–1839, British administrator in India. He served in the Napoleonic Wars and was (1803–7) governor of Madras. He was appointed gover...

Plymouth Brethren

(Encyclopedia)Plymouth Brethren, group of Christian believers originating in the early 19th cent. in Ireland and spreading from there to the Continent (especially Switzerland), the British dominions, and the United...

Erastus, Thomas

(Encyclopedia)Erastus, Thomas, 1524–83, Swiss Protestant theologian, a physician, whose original name was Lüber, Lieber, or Liebler. As a follower of Huldreich Zwingli, he supported the Swiss leader's view of th...

Churchill, Lord Randolph Henry Spencer

(Encyclopedia)Churchill, Lord Randolph Henry Spencer, 1849–95, English statesman; son of the 7th duke of Marlborough. A sincere Tory and a founder (1883) of the Primrose League, dedicated to upholding national in...

Schwenkfeld, Kaspar von

(Encyclopedia)Schwenkfeld, Kaspar von käsˈpär fən shvĕngkˈfĕlt [key], 1490–1561, German religious reformer. Schwenkfeld was in court service with the duke of Liegnitz from 1510 to c.1522. He visited Witten...

Bucer, Martin

(Encyclopedia)Bucer or Butzer, Martin byo͞oˈsər, bo͞otˈsər [key], 1491–1551, German Protestant reformer born Martin Kuhhorn. At 14 years of age he joined the Dominican order, and he studied at Heidelberg, w...

sacrament

(Encyclopedia)sacrament [Lat.,=something holy], an outward sign of something sacred. In Christianity, a sacrament is commonly defined as having been instituted by Jesus and consisting of a visible sign of invisible...