Oben. See Stools.
Ober-Ammergau is a village of Upper Bavaria, in the valley of the Ammer, 46 miles S.W. of Munich, containing a population of about 1100, chiefly engaged in carving on wood. The place is celebrated for the decennial performance on twelve consecutive Sundays in the summer season of a play representing the passion and death of Christ, in which three hundred and fifty actors are employed, besides eighty members of the or- chestra and chorus, all selected from the villagers, some of whom exhibit great dramatic power and genius. The performances generally last from 8 A.M. to 4 P.M. . A considerable portion of the space allotted to the theatre is uncovered. There is room for from 5000 to GOOO spec- tators, but the attendance is generally much larger, in- cluding visitors from foreign countries. The perform- ance in 1870 was interrupted by the Franco-German war, but was resumed in 1871. It is the only important passion or miracle play which continues to be performed. It originated in a vow taken by the population in 1G34 to perform it every ten years in the event of their es- caping from the plague which then prevailed. In the summer of 1875 they inaugurated another drama called the " School of the Cross." It is a series of scenes taken from Old-Testament historj', in the original, as many as seventeen scenes being given. The good people of Ammergau will discover, however, that the performing of the passion play once in ten years in fulfilment of a religious vow, and carrying on a dramatic performance continually in response to the popular interest, will soon prove to be two very different things. The consecration of the simple-minded but talented actors gave a charm to the old performance which will soon be lost in the more worldly and unattractive attempt for pecuniary success. See the article Mysteries.
Obereit, Jakob Hermann, a Swiss alchemist and mystic, was born at Arbon, in Thurgau, in 1725. Al- most the first books he read were the works of Miss Bourignon and ]\Iadame Guyon. He first studied sur- gery, then architecture, and travelled through Germany. He completed his studies at the universities of Halle and Berlin. After graduating, he settled at Lindaii in 1760, and soon acquired great reputation as a physician. Here, however, his love for all novelty made him lose the con- fidence of the pulilic, and he fell into deep mystical spec- ulation, the result of which is apparent in his Defence of Mysticism (1775), and Promenades de Gamaliel, Juif Philosophe (1780). He died at Jena in 1798.
Oberhauser, Benedict, a German canonist, was born Jan. 25, 1719, at Waitzenkirchen, in Austria. He joined the Benedictines, and became successively professor of philosophy at the University of Salzburg, and of canon law at Fidda. His views, very much op- posed to ultramontanism, led him into trouble, which induced him to return to Salzburg, where he was ap- pointed archiepiscopal counsellor in 1776, and died April 20, 1786. He wrote Pralectiones canonicce juxta titulos librorum Decretalium ex momimentis, auctoribus et con- troi-ersiis (Antwerp, 1762, 1763, 3 vols. 4to) : — Systema historico-ciiticum divisarum potestatum inlegibits matri- monialibus impedimentoruni dirimentitmi (Francf. 1771, 8vo) : — Apologia historico-critica (ibid. 1771, and Vien- na. 1776, 8vo) •.—Compendium prcelectio?ntm canonicarum juxta libros V Decretalium (Francf. 1773 and 1779, 2 vols. 8v'o) : — Thomassinus abbreviatus, seu vetus et nova Ecclesim disciplina de beneficiis et beneficiariis (Salz- burg, 1775, 4to) : — Manuale select, conciliorum et canomnn juxta abbatis de Fleury Historiam ecclesiasticam (ibid. 1776, 4to) : — Specimen cultioris jm-isprudentiee canonices ad Justus ideas divini primatus in Eomana ecclesia evol- vendas (ibid. 1777, 8vo) : — De dignitute vtriusqite cleri saculai-is et regularis (ibid. 1786, 8vo). See Memoria Obei-haitseri (ibid. 1786, 8vo) ; Luca, Gelehrtes Oest7-eich, vol. i; Hirsching, Handbuch ; Meusel, Lexikon. — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generule, xxxviii, 391. (J. N. P.)
Oberkirchenrath (Ger. for Superior Ecclesiastical
OBERLIN
274
OBERLIN^
Council) is the liighest ecclesiastical tribunal of the Evangelical Church of Prussia. It was founded by the king in 1850, with the view of giving to the Church more independence. See Prussia.
Oberlin, Jean Frederic, one of the most noted of Swiss Lutheran divines, was born August 31, 1740, in Strasburg, formerly the capital of Alsace, near the Kbinc. Blessed with pious parents and reared under Christian influences, Frederic from his childhood ex- hibited evidences of consistent piety, and was noted for the benevolence and gentleness of his disposition, his constant desire to protect the weak, to relieve the suffer- ing, and to promote the comfort and happiness of the race. On the completion of his preparatory course, he entered tlie university for the purpose of prosecuting his studies, with a view to the Christian ministry. While a student he attended upon the religious instruc- tions of one who was distinguished for the earnestness with which he preached " Christ and him crucified." A permanent change in the character of the young man was effected; impressions and influences at that time were made upon his mind which were never effaced. He was thoroughly awakened to the claims of the Gos- pel, and brought to make a full surrender of himself to Christ, At the age of twenty, in a solemn covenant, he consecrated himself to the service of God. This act of self-dedication, written and signed .January 1, 17G0, and renewed ten years afterwards, gives us some idea of liis earnest Christian principles at this very early period, the key-note of his unfaltering devotion to Clirist and his cause. On the conclusion of his the- ological course he was ordained to the work of the ministry, but he did not immediately enter upon it. He was for several years employed as a ])rivate instruc- tor in the family of a physician, with whom he in- cidentally acquired a large amount of medical knowl- edge, which proved of great value to him in his subse- quent labors. In 17G(3 he was appointed chaplain in the French army, which position he had concluded to ac- cept, and was already preparing himself for its duties when he received a most earnest appeal to labor in the interests of tlie parish of Waldbach, in the Ban de la Roche. This changed his plans. So fine a prospect of usefulness was here presented, that with his views of duty he could not disregard its claims, and he at once determined to occupy this field of labor. "Waldbach was at the time a desolate, scarcely civilized village in the bleak, wild, and mountainous Ban de la Koche, which derived its name from a castle called La Roche, or the Kock, which the Ban or district surrounds. It is also known by the German name of Steinthal, the Valley of Stone. The district had suffered severely in