But while the book is destitute of the highest ca- nonical authority, it is a most important monument of the religious state of the Jews at the period of its com- position. As an expression of Palestinian theologj' it stands alone ; for there is no sufficient reason for assuming Alexandrine interpolations, or direct Alex- andrine influence (Gfrorer, Philo, ii, 18 sq.). The translator may, perhaps, have given an Alexandrine coloring to the doctrine, but its great outlines are un- changed (comp. Dahne, Relig. Philos. ii, 129 sq.). The conception of God as Creator, Preserver, and Governor is strictly conformalde to the old Mosaic type ; but, at the same time, liis mercy is extended to all nu^nkind (xviii, 11-1.3). Little stress is laid upon the s]iirit- world, either good (xlviii, 21 ; xlv, 2 ; xxxix, 28.^) or evil (xxi, 27 ?j, and the doctrine of a resurrection fades away (xiv, 16 ; xvii, 27, 28 ; xliv, 14, 15. Yet comp. xlviii, 11). In addition to the genei'al hope of restora- tion (xxxvi, 1, etc.), one trait only of a Messianic faith is preserved, in which the writer contemplates the fu- ture work of Elias (xlviii, 10). The ethical precepts are addressed to tlie middle class (Eichhorn, Einl. p. 44 sq.). The praise of agriculture (vii. 15) and medi- cine (xxxviii, 1 sq.), and the constant exhortations to cheerfulness, seem to speak of a time when men's thoughts were turned inwards with feelings of despond- ency and perhaps (Dukes, u. s. p. 27 sq.) of fatalism. At least the l)Ook marks the growth of that anxious legalism which was conspicuous in the sayings of the later doctors. Life is alread}' imprisoned in rules: re- ligion is degenerating into ritualism : knowledge lias taken refuge in schools (compare Ewald,G'esc6. d. Volkes Isr. iv, 298 sq.).— Kitto, s. v. ; Smith, s. v.
VIII. Commentaries, etc. — Special exegetical works which have appeared on the whole of this book are the
ECCLESIOLOGY
46
ECK
following, of ■which the chief are designated by an as- terisk prefixed : Ealinnns IMaurus, In Ecclcdcisiicvm (in his 0pp.) ; Anon. L'eschreib. Ji. Uehevs. (in Lors- liach's Archlr, ii, 11 sq.) ; Alexander, De lihro Eccbis. (in his Hist. Eccles. iii, G90) ; Bengel, Mathmasslkhe Quelle, etc. (in Eichhorn's Bibliothch, vii, 852-64) ; De Sacy, U EccUdasiique (in his Sainte Bible, xvi) ; Bos- suet, Liber Ecclus. (in his CEurres, xxii, 1 sq.) ; Couz, Bemerhmgen (in Henke's 3Ius. ii, 177-243); *Came- rarius, SenUntue J. S. (Lips. 1570, 8vo) ; Sapientia J. S. (Lips. 1570, 8vo) ; Striegel, in his Llbri Sapienfiw (Lpz. 1575, 12mo), p. 277 sq. ; Drusius, Ecclus. inter- vretafus (Franecker, 159(), 4to) ; Hcischel, Sap. Sirachi (Augsb. 1G04, 4to; also in the Crit. Sacri, v); *h La- pide, Commentarius (Antwerp, 1G34, 1G87, fol.) ; Stif- fer, Ilomilim (Lips. 167fi, 4to) ; Calmet, Commtntaire (Paris, 1707, fol. ; in Latin, ed. Manse, Wirceb. 1792; viii, 351 sq.) ; *Arnald, Crit. Commentary (Lond. 1748, fol., and often since); Koken, Das. B.'Sirach (Hildes- heim, 175G, 12mo) ; Teleus, Disquidtimies (Hafn. 1779, 8vo) ; Bauer, Erliiut. m. Anmerlc. (Bamberg, 1781, 1793, 8vo) ; Onymus, Weislieit J. S. (Wurtzburg, 1788, 8vo) ; Sonntag, De Jes. Siracide (Riga, 1792, 4to) ; *Linde, Sententice Jes. Sir. (Danz. 1795, 4to) ; also GInubens u. Sittenhhre Jes. Sir. (Lpz. 1782, 1795, 8vo) ; Zange, Daik.ipruche Jes. Sir. (Amst. 1797, 8vo) ; Fed- dersen, Jes. Sir. itbers. (Amst. 1797, 1827, 8vo) ; Ben- Seeb, ^'^Jl'n;;' J^^rt^. etc. (8vo, Breslau, 1798 ; Vienna, 1807, 1818, 18-28) ;'*Bretschneider, Lib. Jesu Sine (Ra- tisbon, 180G,8vo); Gaab, Diss, exegeticn (Tubing. 1809, 4to) ; Luther, Das Buck J. S. (Lpz. 1815, 181G, 12mo) ; Anon. Jes. S. bearbeit. (Lpz. 1826, 8vo) ; Howard, Ec- clus. tr.from the Vulg. (Lond. 1827, 8vo) ; Anon. Sirach, ein Spiegel (Kreuznach, 1829, 8vo) ; Van Gilse, CoTti- mentatio (Gron. 1832, 4to) ; Grimm, Coinmentar (Lpz. 1S37, 8vo); Gutmann, Weisheits-Spriich J. 8. (Altona, 1841, 8vo) ; Dulk, X'1'^0"|3 ^SO (Warsaw, 1843, 8vo) ; Stern, Wei.Jieitssprvche J. S. (\Vien, 1844, 8vo) ; Hill, Translation (in tlie Monthly Eeligious Mag. Bost. ] 852- 53); *Fritzsche, Weish. J. S. erkUlrt u. iibers. (as part of the Kurtzg. Exeg. Handb. z. d. Apokr. Lpz. 18G'), 8vo) ; Cassel, Uehers. (Berl. 1866, 8vo). See also R;v- biger, Ethice Apoc. V, T. (Vratislaw, 1838); Brucli, Weisheits-Lehre der Ilebriier (Strasb. 1851) ; Geiger, in the Zeitschr. d. Morgenl. Gesellsch. 185S, p. 536 sq. ; Horowitz, Das Buck Sirach (Bresl. 18G5). Compare ArocitYPiiA.
Ecclesiology, " a word of recent nse, is the name which lias l)cen given in the British Islands to the study of Church architecture and decoration. Be- sides discriminating the various styles of ecclesiastical architecture, ecclesiology takes account of the ground- plan and dimensions of a church ; of its orientation, or the deviation of its line from the true east ; of its apse, or circular or polygonal east end ; of its altar or com- munion-talile, whether fixed or movaljle, stone or wood ; of its reredos, dossel, or altar-screen ; of its piscina, or basin and drain for pouring away the water in which the chalice was rinsed, or the priest washed liis hands ; of the sedilia, or seats for the priest, deacon, and sub- deacon, during the celebration of the Eucharist; of the aumbry e, or locker, for the preservation of the com- munion vessels and elements; of the 'Easter sepul- chre,' or recess for tlie reception of the host fnmi Good Friday till Easter day ; of the altar-candlesticks ; of the altar-steps; of the altar-rails ; of the credence ta- lile, or shelf on which to place the communion ele- ments before they were put upon the altar; of the Miiiscreres,' or .elbowed stalls; of seats witliin and witliout the chancel walls ; of the height of the clian- cel as couiiiarcd witli the nave ; of the cliancel arcli ; of tlie rood-screen, rood-staircase, rood-(h)or, and rood- loft ; of the piers or columns; of the triforium or Idind- story ; of the clerestory ; of the w indows ; of tlie par- vise-tuiTct, or outside turret leading to tlie parvise ; of the roof or groining ; of the eagle-desks and lecturns ;