Erdge (Epwy/y), a place " before the city" (jrpu tT^q TToAfwc) Jerusalem, according to , I osephus (.1m<. ix, 10, 4). where the mountain (Mt. of Olives) split asunder for a space of half a mile, filling the king's gardens with the detritus of the avalanche : an account which is evidently an embellishment of the prophetical com- mentarj' (Zech. xiv, 5) upon the earthquake (Amos i, 1) on the occasion of Uzziah's usurpation of the sacer- dotal functions (2 Chron. xxvi, 16-21). Schwarz in- geniously explains {Palest, p. 203 note) the name Erog'e as a Grsecized transposition for Zechariah's expression gorge of my mountains (^'^T\~)^'''^, gey-harai/ , Sept. <pa- pay'i, 6ptiov,yu\g. vallis montium eorum, A.V. "valley of the mountain"). For another identification, see En-kogel.
Erpen, Thomas Van (Latin form Erpenius), a celebrated Orientalist, was born at Gorkum, Holland, Septemt)er 7, 1584. He studied theology at Leyden, where, under the guidance of J. J. Scaliger, he also de- voted himself particularly to the study of Oriental lan- guages. He travelled in England, France, Italy, and Germany, everywhtre enlarging his knowledge of Ori- ental literature; and in 1613 became j)rofi'^sor of Ori- ental lan^'uages at Leyden. A second llclircw chair in the university wa.f founded expressly for him in 1619. " Soon after tliis he was a()pointed Oriental in- terpreter to the government, in which capacity he read and wrote replies to all official documents coming from the East. Such was the elegance and jiurity of his Arabic, as written at this time, that it is said to have excited the admiration of tlie emperor of Morocco. Towards the close of his life tempting ofi'ers of honors and distinction came pouring in upon him from all parts of Europe ; but he was never prevailed upon to leave his native country, vrhere, in tlie. midst of an eminent career, he died November 13,1024. Although the present standard of Oriental knowledge ii; Eui-ope
is much in advance of that of Erpen's day, there is n« doubt that it was through him principally that Eastern, especially Arabic, studies have become what they are. Witli hardly any better material than a few awkward- ly printed Arabic alphaliets, he contrived to write his famous grammar {Grammuiica Arabica, quinque libris methodice eorpUcata, Leyden, 1613 ; recent edition by Michaelis, Gott. 1771), which for 200 years, till the time of Silvcstre de Sacy, enjo^'ed an undisputed su- premacy ; and there are many who think his Rudi- menta unsurpassed, even at the present da}', as a work for beginners. Among his other important works the best known is his Proverhiorum A rabicomm Centvrioe Dua (Leyden, 1614)" (Chambers, s. v.) ; Iloefor, Ncuv, Biog. Generale, xvi, 308 ; Herzog, Real-Encyklop. xix, 487.
Error. "Knowledge being to be had onh' of visi- ble certain truth, error is not a fault of our knowledge, but a mistake of our judgment, giving assent to that which is true (Locke, Essay on Human Underst. bk. iv, ch. xx). ' The true,' said Bossuet, after Augustine, 'is that which is, the false is that wliich is not.' To err is to fail of attaining to the true, which we do when we think that to be which is not, or think that not to be which is. Error is not in things themselves, but in the mind of him who errs, or judges not according to the truth. Our faculties, when emploj'ed within their proper sphere, are fitted to give us the knowledge of truth. A\'e err by a wrong use of them. The causes of error are partly in objects of knowledge and partly in ourselves. As it is onh' the true and real which exists, it is onl}^ the true and real which can reveal it- self. But it may not reveal itself fully, and man, mis- taking a part for the whole, or partial evidence for complete evidence, falls into error. Hence it is that in all error there is some truth. To discover tlie rela- tion which this partial truth bears on the whole truth is to discover the origin of the en'or. The causes in ourselves which lead to error arise from wrong views of our faculties and of the conditions under which they operate. Indolence, precipitation, passion, custom, au- thority, and education may also contribute to lead us into eiTor (Bacon, A7)(«j« Organvm,VLh.\-, ISIalebranche, Recherche de la Verile ; Descartes, On Method; Locke, On Human Understand, bk. vi, c. xx)."— Fleming, Fo- cabula7-y of Philosophy , p. 166-167.
Erskine, Ebenezer, an eminent and pious Scotch divine, founder of the "Secession Church." He was born in the prison of the Bass Eock, June 22, 1680, and educated at the Universitj^ of Edinburgh. He acted for some time as tutor and chaplain in the fam- ily of the earl of Rothes, and became a licentiate in divinity in 1702. In 1703 he was chosen minister of I'ortmoak, in the shire of Kinross, and became a very popular preacher. He accepted a charge in Stirling in 1701. "Mr. Erskine's first difference with his col- leagues of the Church of Scotland was in his support of the principles of 'the Marrow of Modern Divinity,' a subject of great contention during the early part of the 18th century. He was one of several clergymen who, in connection with this subject, were ' rebuked and admonished' by the General Assembly. The se- cession of the body, headed !y Mr. Erskine, was occa- sioned by the operation of the act of queen Anne's reign restoring lay patronage in the Church of Scot- land, and, though not in all respects technically the same, it was virtually on the same ground as the kte secession of ' The Free Church.' The presbytoiy of Kinross, led by Erskine's brother Ralph, had refused to induct a iiresentee forced on an objecting congregation by tiie law of patronage. In 1732, the General As- semblj' enjoined the presbyter}^ to receive the presen- tee. At the same time they passed an act of Asscm- h\y regulating inductions, which, as it tended to en- force the law of patronage, was offensive to ^Ir. Er- skine, and he preached against it. After some discus-