Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 17.djvu/851

SEMIPALATINSK. 773 SEUIBAMIS. lihrnry, a musouni, and a iuiml>er of mosqups. Ill the viciniU- are TuiigHs ruins with rolijiioiis inscriptions. The principal products arc tallow and leather. Populatimi, in 1807, 20,350. SEMI-PELAGIANISM. A late designation of a Western heresy uf the fifth and si.Kth cen- turies, akin to Pelagianisra (q.v. ). Al- though Pelagianisin itself had been condemned, not a few Christians endeavored to hold an intermediate position between the doctrine of Augustine (q.v), with its accompaniments of original sin, natural depravity, and etiicacious grace, on the one hand, and the rather superficial moral-ability theory of Pclagius, on the other. It has been justly observed that these mediators might, with almost equal propriety, have been called Semi-Augustinians. They taught that, al- though divine grace cooperates with human ef- fort in the process of redemption, and nuiy be kept or lost, according to the choice of each indi- vidual, the first inclination to the good and final perseverance may originate with man himself, for Adam's sin did not destroy all ability to seek the good, although it greatly weakened it. Every one may be saved, if he will. Predestination is not unconditional, but dejiends upon God's fore- knowledge. These views first appear in Africa, among the monks, but their great centre was Jlas- silia ( JIarseilles), in Southern Gaul, whence their advocates were called ilassilians. Chief among them were .John Cassian {diedc.43o), Vin- cent of Lerins (died c.450). and somewhat later Faustus of Riez (died 402), all of whom held positions of honor and influence in the Church. They are typical of the many who highly es- teemed Saint Augustine, but could not bring themselves to accept the logical consequences of liis theology. The beginnings of Semi-Pelagianism were ob- served as early as 428-429, by Prosper of Aqui- tania, and by him reported to Augustine, with the request that he would lift his voice and pen in opposition. This he did willingly enough in his two works On the Prcdestinalion of the Saints and On Perseverance. Prosper also ap- pealed for aid to Celestine, Bishop of Rome, and the latter promptly issued a letter to the clergy of Gaul, rebuking their dangerous speculations. Among later opponents of Semi-Pelagianism were Avitus of Vienne (died c.525), Fulgentius of Ruspe (died 533), and Ciesariua of Aries (died 543). The controversy is usually re- garded as terminated by the adverse decisions of the Synod of Orange (529), over which Caesarius presided. Its decrees were soon afterwards con- firmed by Pope Boniface II. Subsequent doctrinal history exhibits a waver- ing of opinion as to the relative value of the two opposing systems associated with the names of Augustine and Pelagius. In the ninth century Rabanus ilaurus and Hincmar of Rheims main- tained the Semi-Pelagian view against the thor- ough-going predestinarianism of Gottschalk. and secured his condemnation by synods at Quicrzy (849) and Valence (855). The schoolmen and the mendicant Orders carried on the debate with great warmth. In the seventeenth century the Jansenists (q.v.) were vigorously opposed by the Jesuits for reviving so-called Augustinianism, which by that time had become almost obsolete. Among Protestants Melanchthon showed Semi- Pelagian leanings, whence developed the bitter Synergistic controversy (see Sv.nebci.sm ), while the Dutch .rMiinians illustrnte a similar conflict of opinion among Calviuists. .See .-Vbmi.max- l.s.i. Consult: Kniny. Tho Ancient Catholio Church, vol. i. (New York, 1902) ; Bright, The Affc of the Fathers, vol. ii. ( l.undnn, 1903); llarnack, llislur;/ of Dogma, vol. v. ( Kng. trans., London, 1898). Consult also the literature cited under l'Ei..Girs, and see the notices of the ailvo- cates and opponents of Seuii-Pelagianisin men- tioned in this article. SEMIQUA'VER. A musical note, represented thus, i=S= or in ijroups thus, i I nm : — *— —m.rMM- equivalent in value to 1-lC of a .scniibreve, or wliole note. The Praclira Musicw of Gafurius (.Milan, 1400) contains the earliest mention of the semiquaver. SEMI-Q-PIETISM. A form of mystical asceticism which, all hough it adopts the theoreti- cal principle that the most jierfeet state of the soul is that of passive contemplation, and denies, in certain conditions of the soul, the necessity of ])rayer or other active manifestations of vir- tue, yet maintains the incompatibility of this passive contemplation with any external sinful or sensual action. The Semi-tjuietists thus dif- fered from the grosser sectaries referred to under QlTIETISM. SEMIR'AMIS. A legendary queen of As- .syria. According to Ctesias (in Diodonis Siciilus, II., i.), she was daughter of the Syrian goddess Dereeto (of --scalon), was exposed as an infant, but was miraculously saved by doves, and became the wife of one of the chief officials and generals of Ninus, King of .ssyria and founder of Nineveh. She accompanied her hus- band on a campaign against Bactra and. by her ingenuity and daring, cajiturcd the city. This exploit wcm the notice of tlu' king, and, captivated bv her charms, he (lemaiulcil licr from her hus- band. The latter comniitted suicide. Seniiramis married Ninus, bore him a son, Xinyas. and ruled as regent after the king's death. She founded Babvlon and built the city in its full splendor and magnificence with all its walls, pates, pal- aces, and temples. She built man.v other cities, constructed roads and canals, and other great works. She conquered Persia. ICgypt. Libya, and Ethiopia, and invaded India, but there her army was defeated and she was wounded in jiersonal combat with the King Stabrohates. Wherever she went she constructed great works, levelling mountains and raising elevations in plains. In time every great work was ascribed to her. so that the land was full of 'the works of StMuir- amis.' Ultimafel.v her son grew restive un<ler her rule and plotted against her. when .she disap- peared, in the sixtv-second year of her age and forty-second of her reign. Some say she was changed into a dove and became a deity. She is re|iresented as of sensuous character. The story is evidentl.y an epitome of -ssyrian liistor.v hung upon the names of Xinus and Seniiramis. and the Queen herself is in all ])robabilily a distor- tion of Ishtar, the Assyrian goddess of war and love. (See Isiitar.) According to Herodotus (I.. 184), there was a Seniiramis queen of Babylonia in the first half of the eighth century. B.C.