Lobstein, Johanx jMichael, a German theologian, was born at Lampertheim, near Strasburg, May, 1740. In 1755 he entered the university of his native place, went to Paris in 1767, and at the expiration of nearly two years returned to Strasburg, and became pastor of the French Nicolai Church. In addition to this he be- came, after a few years, preacher of the German Peter's Church, and assistant at the Gymnasium. In 1764 he obtained a position as assistant of the philosophical fac- ulty of the university of the same place. In 1775 he accepted a call to the University of tiiessen as prof. ord. of divinity and assessor of the Consistory ; in 1777 he received the degree of doctor of divinitj*, and was ap-
pointed inspector and first preacher at Butzbach, In 1790 he again returned to Strasburg as professor and preacher, and there died, June 29, 1794. Lobstein's above-mentioned stay in Paris not only offered him the opportimity of hearing some of the best Orientalists of the day (a fact which chiefly contributed to his exten- sive and accurate knowledge of the Oriental languages), but also made him acquainted with many great men of that city. Of his scholarly productions we only mention Diss, de dicinu animi pace, sanctce comite (Ar- gentorati, 1766, 4to) : — Commentatio /listorico-jihiloloi/ica de moniibusEbal et Garizim (ibid. 1770, 4to) : — Ohserva- tiones criiicce in loca Pentateuchi illustria (Gissae et Fran- cof. 1787, 8vo). He published also the Samaritan Codex, after the MSS. of the Royal Library at Paris. — Doring, Gelehrte Theol, JJeutsch. a, v.
Lobwasser, Ajibrosius, a German Protestant poet, was born at Schneeburg, in Saxony, April 4, 1515. He studied law, and became chancellor of Misnia, which po- sition he resigned in 1563, to assume the duties of a pro- fessorship at the University of Kcinigsberg. He died Nov. 25, 1585. Lobwasser exerted great influence over the religious concerns of the duchy of Prussia, which, being at first exclusively Lutheran, finally came to be about equally divided among Lutherans and Calvinists, His reputation chiefly rests, however, on his German version of the Psalms (based upon the French transla- tion of Clement Marot and Theodore Beza), published under the title Die I'salmen Davids nach frunz. ilelodey in deiitsche Reymen f/tbracht (Lpz. 1573, 8vo ; Heidelb. 1574; Lpz. 1579; Strasb. 1597, Amsterd. 171' 4). The translation was so symmetrical that the music made for the French by Claude Gondimel was exactly adapted to the German. At the same time, it must be acknowl- edged that it is entirely devoid of poetical merit, as might naturally be expected, for a translation from a translation can seldom have any of the original spirit. These Psalms were nevertheless used in the German Reformed churches until the middle of the 18th cen- tury, on account of the people's aversion against sing- ing any but sacred productions. Lobwasser wrote also Summarien aller Kupitel d.lieilif/en Schrift, in deutschen Reimen (Lpz. 1584, 8vo). See Jticher, Gelehrten Lexi- con ; Koch, Gesch. d. Kirche ; Herzog, Real-Encyliop. x, 447 ; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Gen. xxxi, 428, (J. N. P.)
Local Preachers. The term "local," as applied to preachers in Methodist churches, is used in contra- distinction to the term '•itinerant" or "travelling," which designates members of Annual Conferences. Local preachers are lay preachers. They are not subject to appointment by bishops or stationing committees, as are itinerant ministers. Nevertheless, they are formally licensed, and subject to the direction and friendly requi- sitions of the pastoral authority in the charge in which they reside. By special arrangement, and by authority of the presiding elder, a local preacher is sometimes ap- pointed preacher in charge or pastor for a longer or shorter period.
In the Methodist Episcopal Church the following is the process of the appointment of any person as a local preacher. 1. He must be recommended by the leaders' meeting of the Church to which he belongs. He must be elected by a Quarterly Conference bel'ore which he has been examined on the subject of doctrines and dis- cipline. 2. An election by the Quarterly Conference at this stage appoints a candidate to the oiiice of a local preacher. In proof of his appointment, he is furnished with a license signed by the president of the Confer- ence. The license is given for one year only, and, in order to validity, must be renewed every year thereaf- ter. 3. Subject to the following prerequisites, a local preacher may be ordained: (1.) He must have held a local preacher's license for four consecutive years before his ordination. (2.) He must have been examined in the Quarterly Conference on the subject of doctrines and discipline. (3.) He must have received a " testi-
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inonial" from the Quarterly Conference, signed by the president and countersigned by the secretary. This testimrinial must recommend the apphcant as a suitable person to receive ministerial orders. (4.) He must pass an examination as to character and accjuirements before the Annual Conference, and obtain its approbation and election to orders.
Local preachers are amenable to the Quarterly Con- ftrences of which they are members. An ordained local preacher is not required to have his credentials re- newed annually, although his character must be ap- proved each year by the Quarterly Conference. No person is eligible to admission on trial in an Annual Conference who is not a local preacher, and specially recommended by the Quarterly Conference as a suitable candidate for the '' travelling connection." Thus the local or lay preacher's office is made preparatory to the itinerant or fully-constituted ministry. Local preachers are subject to all the moral and religious obligations of the regular ministry. Although expected to devise and execute plans for doing good to the extent of their in- dividual ability, they are nevertheless required to act under the direction of their pastors or presiding elders, who are on their part required by the Discipline of the Church to give local preachers regular and systematic employment on the Sabbath.