The oracular trees of antiquity are well known (Homer, II. xvi, 233 ; Od. v, 237 ; Soph. Trach. 754 ; Virgil, Georg. ii, 16; Sil. Ital. iii, 11). Each god had some sacred tree (Virgil, Ed. vii, 61 sq.). The Etruri- ans are said to have worshipped a palm, and the Celts an oak (Max. Tyr. Dissert. 38, in Godwyn's Mos. and Aar. ii, 4). On the Druidic veneration of oak-groves, see Pliny, II. N. xvi, 44; Tacit. Ann. xiv, 30. In the same way, according to the missionary Oldendorp, the negroes " have sacred groves, the abodes of si deit}', whicli no negro ventures to enter except the priests" (Pricliard, Nat. Hist, of Man, p. 525-539, 3d ed. ; Park's Travels, p. 65). So, too, the ancient Egyptians (Raw- linson's Herod, ii, 298). Long after the introduction of Christianity it was found necessary to forbid all abuse of trees and groves to the purposes of supersti- tion (Harduin, ^c?. Condi, i, 988; see Orelli, o(Z Tac. Germ. 9). — Smith, s. v. See Pehnen, De arhore non planianda ad allare Del (Lips. 1725) ; Dresler, De lucis reliijioni gentil. destinatis (Lips. 1740) ; Lakemacher, A ntiq. Greec. sacra, p. 138 sq. See Tree.
Giove, Henry, a Presbyterian divine of distinc- tion, was born at Taunton, Somersetshire, Jan. 4, 1G83. He received his academical training under Mr. War- ren at Taunton, whose school was in excellent repute. At 22 he began to preach ; at 23 he succeeded Mr. War- ren as head of the Taunton Academy. At first he taught ethics, but in 1725 he began to teach theology also. He at the same time succeeded Mr. James in his pastoral charge at FuUwood, near Taunton, in which he contin- ued till his death. In 1730 he pulilished The Evidence of our Saviour's Redemption considered, and the same year. Some Thoughts concerning the Proof of a Future State, from Reason. In 1732 he printed A Discourse concernivg the Nature and Design of the Lord's Supper, where he set that institution in the same light as bish- op Hoadly. In 1734 he pul)lished, without <iis name. Wisdom the First Spring of Action in the Deity, which S'as animadverted on by Balguy. In 1736 he publish- ed A Discourse on Saving Faith. He died February 27, 1737-8. After his death came out bj' subscription his Posthumous Works (1740, 4 vols. 8vo) ; also Sermons (Lond. 1742, 2 vols. 8vo) : Works published in his life- time (Lond. 1747, 4 vols. 8vo) ; System of Moral Philos. (Lond. 1749, 2d ed. 2 vols. 8vo). See Amory, Life of Grove, prefixed to his Posthumous Works (1745, vol. i) ; Jones, Christian Biog. ; Darling, Cyclop. Bibliog. i, 1344.
Gruber, Jacob, a Methodist Episcopal minister, was born in Lancaster County, Pa., Feb. 3, 1778, of German Lutheran parents. He was converted at four-
teen or fifteen ; entered the travelling ministrj-, in the Philadelphia Conference, in 1800 ; labored fifty years, chiefl}' in Pennsylvania and Maryland, with abundant usefulness, and died May 25, 1850. Mr. Gruber was "a singular and extraordinary man." He was alike remarkable for "strength and originality of mind, en- ergy of character, depth of piety, prodigious labors, power of endurance, extensive usefulness, and simplic- ity and regularity of life." His conversion was pow- erful, and, although driven from his home in youth for his religious course, he kept his faith. Through his long life his vigor and industrj' were untiring, and he never ceased labor for anj' four consecutive weeks until the j'ear of his death. Although eccentric, and often rude in style, he was nevertheless a sound theologian and an able defender of Methodism. In the pulpit he was sometimes grand and overwhelming. "He spent thirty-twc years on circuits, seven in stations, and eleven as presiding elder. Many anecdotes are on record of his eccentric wit and sarcasm, and of his great control over men." — Minutes of Conferences, iv, 549; Wakeley, Heroes of Methodism,]}. AOl ; Strickland, Life of Gruber (N. Y. 18G0, 12mo).
Gruner, Johann Fkiedrich, a German theologian and philologist, was born at Coburg in 1723. He stud- ied at the university of that city, and afterwards at Jena. In 1747 he became professor of Latin and of Roman archaeology in Jena, afterwards professor of el- oquence at Coburg, and in 1764 professor of theology at Halle. He died March 29, 1778. His princijjal works, so far as thej' relate to theolog}', are, Miscel- lanea sacra (Jena, 1750) : — De Odii Romanorum advir- sus Christianas Causis (Coburg, 1750) : — De Orig'ne Episcoporum eorumque in Ecclesia primltlva Jure (Halle, 1764) : — Anwelsung z. gelstlichen Beredsamkelt (Halle, 1765): — Vcrsuch eines pragmatischen Ausziigs cms d. Kir:hengesch. d. Christen(\l3.\\e, 1766) : — Praktische Eln- leitung in d. Religion d. Heiligen Schrift (Halle, 1773) : — Institutionurn TheologicB dogmaiicce Libri tres (Halle, 1777): — Observaiionum criticarum Libri il (Jena, 1777). See Harlesius, Vita; Philologorum (i, 234 - 243). — Iloefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, xxii, 253 ; Doering, Gel. Theol. Deutschlands.
Grynaeus, Johann, a Swiss Protestant theolo- gian, was born at Leufelfingen (Basle) in 1705. He acquired great proficiency in theology and the Oriental languages, and was for seven years professor in the theological facult}' of Basle. He died in that city April 11, 1744. He wrote Ojniscula Theol. mlscell. (Basle, 1746, 8vo), a learned and valuable work. — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Gtnerale, xxii, 275.