made minister and preacher at Wickham Market, in Suffolk, where he died and was buried in 1641. His works are, 1. "The discovery of a most dangerous dead faith," Lond. 1641, 12mo; and 2. "The Honeycomb of free justification," Lond. 1642, 4to, published by Robert Lancaster, who informs us in his preface that " the author's faith, zeal, and diligence in doing his calling, and his faith, patience, and cheerfulness in suffering for the same," were highly exemplary. It appears that he was imprisoned in the Gate-house, Westminster, for his book on justification; and Neal admits that he committed some mistakes in his assertions about the doctrines of grace. Echard gives him in other respects a favourable character.1

EBERHARD (JOHN AUGUSTINE), a Swedish divine, who became professor of philosophy at the university of Halle, and died at Stockholm, Jan. 6, 1796, in the sixty-ninth year of his age, was a member of several learned societies, and owed much of his reputation to a work he published in German, called "An Inquiry into the doctrine respecting the salvation of Heathens," or "The New apology for Socrates," which was translated from German into French by Dumas, and published at Amsterdam in 1773, 8vo. It contains also a defence of Marmontel's "Belisarius," which at that time had occasioned a controversy in Holland and Germany. Eberhard had among his countrymen the reputation of a man who was a powerful advocate for revealed religion in its original simplicity.

EBERT (JOHN ARNOLD), who was born at Hamburgh Feb. 8, 1725, is ranked among the revivers of true literary taste in Germany, in which undertaking, he associated with Gartner, Schlegel, Cramer, Gellert, Rabener, Schmidt, Klopstock, &c. who used to communicate their works to each other, and diffuse various knowledge by means of periodical papers. Ebert was professor of the Carolinean Institute at Brunswick, and in high esteem with the duke, who made him a canon of St. Cyriac, and afterwards conferred on him the title of counsellor. He wrote with equal elegance in prose and verse, and his songs are much esteemed in Germany. Besides many contributions to the periodical journals, he published two volumes of "Poems" at Hamburgh, the one in 1789, and the other in 1795, 8vo.

1 Ath. Ox. vol. II.-Neal's Puritans.-Echard's Hist. of England. 2 Dict. Hist,

He was well acquainted with the English language and English literature, and translated into German, Young's "Night Thoughts," and Glover's "Leonidas," both which, we are told, are well executed. This writer died at Brunswick March 19, 1795.1

EBERTUS (THEODORE), a learned professor at Francfort upon Oder, in the seventeenth century, and rector of that university in 1618 and 1627, acquired a considerable name, among oriental scholars particularly, by his works; the principal of which are: "Juvenilia philosophica," Franc. 1616, 4to; "Poetica Hebraica," Lips. 1628, 8vo "Elogia Jurisconsultorum et politicorum centum illustrium, qui Sanctam Hebræam Linguam aliasque ejus propagines orientales propagarunt, auxerunt, promoverunt," Lips. 1628, 8vo, &c. He had a great enthusiasm for the study of the Hebrew language, and the other oriental languages connected with it, and wrote this collection of eulogies in compliment to other eminent scholars who had succeeded in the same pursuit. Moreri mentions another of his works, but without giving the date, entitled "Speculum Morale."

EBERUS (PAUL), one of the early reformers, was born at Kitzingen in Franconia, Nov. 8, 1511, and was first educated in the college at Anspach. In 1525 he went to Nuremberg, and in 1532 the senate of that city sent him to Wittemberg, where he took his master's degree in 1536. As he wrote a fair hand, Melancthon employed him as his amanuensis, and finding in him talents of a superior order, consulted him on all his undertakings, which made him be called by some, "Philip's Repertory." In 1544 he was appointed to the professorship of philosophy, and in 1556 to that of Hebrew, and this last year he took orders. Some time after he was sent to the college of Worms, along with Melancthon; and in 1558 was appointed first pastor of Wittemberg, in the room of Bugenhagius. He took the degree of doctor in 1559, and in 1568 went to Anspach, with Paul Crellius, to allay some disputes that had arisen among the clergy of that place. In this attempt he gave so much satisfaction to prince George Frederick, that he rewarded him liberally, and settled a pension on his son. He died Dec. 20, 1589. After the death of Melancthon, he was regarded as the first of his disciples who were 2 L'Avocat.-Moreri

1 Dict. Hist,

usually called Crypto-Calvinists, from being somewhat tacit and moderate in their principles. He was a man of great learning, and an eloquent preacher. The only works mentioned by his biographers are: "Expositio Evangelior. Dominicaliumn;" "Calendarium Historicum," Wittem. 1550, 8vo, reprinted at Basil the same year; "Historia populi Judaici à reditu Babylonico ad Hierosolymæ excidium;" and "Hymni sacri vernaculè editi," for the use of his church, where they long continued to be sung.

1

EBION, from whom the sect of the Ebionites are called, lived about the year 72, and against him, as some say, St. John wrote his gospel. Others are of opinion, that they did not derive their name from the head of their sect, but from the Hebrew word ebion, which signifies a poor despicable man; either because they were poor themselves, or because they had low and dishonourable sentiments of Jesus Christ. Irenæus, in describing the heresy of the Ebionites, takes no notice of Ebion: and the silence of this father, together with the testimonies of Eusebius and Origen, make it probable that Ebion is only an imaginary name, or might possibly belong to Cerinthus. For Epiphanius, speaking of Ebion, tells the same story of him that is told of Cerinthus, viz. that of St. John's hastening out of the bath when Cerinthus came in, for fear the building should fall upon him; and assures us also of his preaching in Palestine and Asia, which likewise agrees with Cerinthus's history.

The Ebionites maintained, that Jesus Christ was only a mere man, descended from Joseph and Mary. They received no other gospel than that of St. Matthew, which they had in Hebrew, but very maimed and interpolated; and this they called the Gospel according to the Hebrews. They rejected the rest of the New Testament, and especially the epistles of Paul, looking upon this apostle as an apostate from the law for they held, that every body was obliged to observe the Mosaic law. They made Saturday and Sunday equal holidays: they bathed themselves every day like the Jews, and worshipped Jerusalem as the house of God. They called their meetings synagogues, and not churches; and celebrated their mysteries every year with unleavened bread. They received the Pentateuch for canonical scripture, but not all of it. They had a venera

I Melchior Adam.-Freheri Theatrum.-Moreri.

tion for the old patriarchs, but despised the prophets. They made use of forged Acts of the Apostles, as St. Peter's travels, and many other apocryphal books. They held also the superstitions of their ancestors, and the ceremonies and traditions which the Pharisees presumptuously added to the law. The learned Mr. Jones looked upon the Ebionites and Nazarenes as differing very little from one another. He attributes to them both much the same doctrines, and alleges, that the Ebionites had only made some small additions to the old Nazarene system. 1

1

ECCARD, or ECKHARD (JOHN GEORGE), a German historian and antiquary, was born at Duingen in the duchy of Brunswick, Sept. 7, 1674. After studying for some time at Brunswick and Helmstadt, where he made very distinguished progress in the belles lettres and history, he became secretary to the count de Flemming in Poland; and there became acquainted with the celebrated Leibnitz, by whose interest he was appointed professor of history at Helmstadt. After Leibnitz's death, he was appointed professor at Hanover, where he published some of his works. Although this place was lucrative, he here contracted debts, and his creditors having laid hold of a part of his salary to liquidate some of these, he privately quitted Hanover in 1723, where he left his family, and the following year embraced the religion of popery at Cologne. He then passed some time in the monastery of Corvey in Westphalia; and the Jesuits being very proud of their convert, sent him advantageous offers to settle at Vienna, Passau, or Wurtzbourg. He chose the latter, and was appointed the bishop's counsel, historiographer, and keeper of the archives and library, and the emperor afterwards granted him letters of nobility. Pope Innocent XIII. seems also to have been delighted with his conversion, although his embarrassed circumstances appear to have been the chief cause of it. He died in the month of February 1730; and whatever may be thought of his religious principles, no doubt can be entertained of his extensive learning and knowledge of history. He wrote, 1. "Historia studii etymologici linguæ Germanicæ," Hanover, 1711, 8vo. "De usu et præstantia studii etymologici linguæ Germanicæ." 3. Corpus historicum medii ævi," Leipsic, 1723, 2 vols. fol. a work on which the abbé Lenglet be

66

1 Lardner's Works.Mosheim's Ch. Hist. &c.

2.

66

stows high praise, as very curious and well-digested. 4. Origines Habsburgo-Austriaca," Leipsic, 1721, folio. 5. "Leges Francorum et Ripuariorum," &c. ibid. 1730, fol. 6. "Historia genealogica principum Saxoniæ superioris, necnon origines Anhaltinæ et Sabaudicæ," ibid. 1722, fol. 7. "Cathechesis theotisca monachi Weissenburgensis, interpretatione illustrata." 8. "Leibnitzii collectanea etymologica." 9. "Brevis ad historiam Germaniæ introductio." 10. "Programma de antiquissimo Helmstadii statu," Helmstadt, 1709. 11. "De diplomate Caroli magni pro scholis Osnaburgensibus Græcis et Latinis." 12. "Animadversiones historicæ et criticæ in Joannis Frederici Schannati diœcesim et hierarchiam Fuldensem." 13. "Annales Franciæ orientalis et episcopatus Wurceburgensis," 2 vols. 1731. 14. "De origine Germanorum," Gottingen, 1750, 4to. He wrote also some numismatical tracts, &c.1

ECCHELLENSIS (ABRAHAM), a learned Maronite of the seventeenth century, was professor of Syriac and Arabic in the royal college at Paris, to which city he had been invited from Rome by M. le Jay, that he might supply the place of Gabriel Sionita, another Maronite, whom he had employed in his edition of the Polyglot Bible. Gabriel Sionita complained to the parliament, abused his countryman, and involved him in difficulties, which made much noise. The abilities of Ecchellensis were also attacked by M. de Flavigny, a learned doctor of the house and society of the Sorbonne, and they wrote with much unbecoming warmth against each other. There is, however, no doubt but that Ecchellensis was well acquainted with the Arabic and Syriac languages. The congregation de propaganda Fidei associated him, 1636, with those whom they employed to translate the Bible into Arabic; and, recalling him from Paris, appointed him professor of Oriental languages at Rome. It was at that time that the grand duke, Ferdinand II. engaged Ecchellensis to translate the 5th, 6th, and 7th books of the Conics of Apollonius from Arabic into Latin, in which he was assisted by the celebrated John Alphonso Borelli, who added commentaries to them. The whole is printed with Archimedes "De Assumptis," Florence, 1661, fol. Abraham Ecchellensis died at Rome, 1664, leaving many other works, in which he combines the

1 Moreri. Saxii Onomasticon.