SEISS, Joseph Augustus (sees), theologian, born in Graceham, Frederick County, Maryland, 18 March, 1823. His ancestors, whose original name was Suess, emigrated from the Alsatian mountains and settled near Reading, Pennsylvania His grandfather removed at an early period to the Moravian settlement of Graceham, Maryland His father, who was a farmer, would have preferred him to be a field-laborer, and, on account of his studious habits and thirst for knowledge, called him "dreamer Joseph," but his mother sympathized with him and encouraged him. After his confirmation, in his sixteenth year, as a member of the Moravian church, he determined to devote his life to the ministry. Receiving no encouragement from his father or his church, he was, by the help of a few Lutheran clergymen, enabled to enter Pennsylvania college, Gettysburg, in 1839. Here he remained a year or two, afterward pursuing his theological course in private. In 1842 he was licensed to preach by the synod of Virginia, and in 1844 he was ordained to the Lutheran ministry. After holding pastorates in Virginia and Maryland he was called to St. John's English Lutheran church, Philadelphia, in 1858. In 1874 the necessity for an English Lutheran church in the western part of the city led to the establishment of the Church of the Holy Communion by members of St. John's congregation, and he was at once elected its pastor. A beautiful Gothic church of green serpentine marble was erected on the corner of Broad and Arch streets, at a cost of $225,000. It was consecrated on 17 February, 1875, and is one of the finest Protestant churches in Philadelphia. Dr. Seiss is an eloquent pulpit orator. His style is clear, ornate, attractive, and forcible. He published his first work at the age of twenty-two years, and has now attained a wide reputation as an author. His publications number more than a hundred, and some of them have been republished in England and translated into other languages. A bibliography of his published works (Philadelphia, 1887) makes a duodecimo volume of fifty-seven pages. He was joint editor of the "Lutheran," Philadelphia., in 1860-'1, and of the "Lutheran and Missionary" in 1861-'73, editor of the same for several years, and editor of" Prophetic Times" in 1863-'75. He spent the years 1864-'5 in European and Eastern travels, including a tour through Syria and Palestine. His numerous publications include " Popular Lectures on the Epistle to the Hebrews" (Baltimore, 1846); " The Baptist System Examined" (Philadelphia, 1854; revised ed., 1858) ; "The Last Times" (1856) ; "The Lutheran Church" (1859) ; " Holy Types" (1860) ; "Petros, or the Wonderful Building" (1862) ; "Lectures on the Gospels of the Church Year" (2 vols., 1868) ; "The Apocalypse, with Revised Text" (3 vols., 1869-'81; complete ed., London, 1882; German translation, Basle, 1884-'7); "Uriel, or some Occasional Discourses " (1874); " A Miracle in Stone, or the Great Pyramid" (1877)" "Recreation Songs" (1878; with supplement, 1887)" " Life after Death" (1878)" "Practical Sermons " (1879)" "Blossoms of Faith" (1880);" Remarks on Infidelity" (1882)" " The Gospel in the Stars" (1882 ; enlarged ed., 1885) ; " Luther and the Reformation" (1883); " Lectures on the Epistles of the Church Year" (2 vols., 1885) ; "Right Life" (1886) ; " The Children of Silence " (1887) ; and "Christ's Descent into Hell" (1887). He has also published various liturgical works, including "Book of Forms" (1860); "How shall we Order our Worship ?." (1869) ; " The Golden Altar" (1882) ; and several collections of church music.