As has been truly said, (Ecolampadius was the Lord's chosen instrument of loading on to victory those noble souls who had gathered under the banner of reform at Basle, and though cut down in the prime of manhood, he lived long enough to earn the glorious appellation of the Reformer of that city. But Ids labors entitle him to an appellation more indicative of the wide sphere in which he worked. In his intellectual and moral qual- ities— his modesty, gentleness, love of peace, eager- ness for union, academic tastes, fondness for a medita-
tive rather than an active life, tendency to melancholy, relish for letters, and exquisite scholarship — he bore a striking resemblance to Luther's great friend and ally. Of all positions, that of a revolutionary leader, whether in Church or State, was the last one that Qicolampadius would have chosen to assume. If he had dared to fol- low his own inclinations, his life would have been spent in the quietude of the academy rather than amid the turbulence of the arena, in converse with books instead of contests with men. He was inclined to look with profound veneration upon everything that bore the marks of hoary antiquity, and hence the reluctance — we may almost call it — with which he abandoned the Romish Church, and severed one by one the ties which bound him to her communion. Among all the Conti- nental Reformers, none were less disposed than he to cast aside old forms, simply because tliey were old, or to introduce novelties merely for the purjjose of making the Protestant worship as unlike the Popish as possible. In short, his tendencies and tastes, if yielded to, would have repelled him from the rude work and rough ways of the reformer ; and his life supplies one of the many illustrations of the fact that the Lord chooses instru- ments which in human view are most unsuitable for the accomplishment of his designs.
The original works of Qicolampadius were, besides those mentioned above, A nnotationes in Genesin ; in librum Job exeffemafa ; in Danielem propheiam libri duo (1553, fol.) : — Commenturii onmes in libros prophe- tarum (1558, 2 vols, fol.) : — Joannis QLColampadii et Huldrichi Zuinglii episiolai-um libri iv, pi-cEcipnia cum religionis a Chi'isto nobis tradilce papiiu, turn ecclesias- ticcE administratio?iis officia, nostra maxime sceculo tot erroribus jierturbato, convenimtia, ad amussim expri- mentes (Basle, 1536, fol.). He also published transla- tions of Chrysostom, Gregory of Nazianzum, and others of the early fathers. His philological attainments, and his knowledge of the fathers, contributed to give to his exegetical labors a high value. No complete edition of his works has yet been published.
See Hess, Lebensgesch. Dr. J. tEkolampad's (Zurich, 1791); Herzog, Leben J. O'lkolamjuuV s u. d. Reform, d. Kirche z. Basel (Basle, 1843, 2 vols. 8vo) ; Hagenbach, Leben u. ausgewuhlte Schriften der Voter u. Begriinder d. reform. Kirche, vol. ii (Elber. 1859, 8vo) ; Register zu Studien u. Krit. 1838-1847 ; Melchior Adam, Ref. ViL s. V. ; Harburgh, Fathers of the German Ref. Ch. i, 21 sq. ; Merle D'Aubigne, Hist. Ref. in Germany and Sv:it- zerland, iii, 428 sq. ; iv, 324 sq., 334 sq. ; also, lUst. Ref. in Sicitzeiiand (see Index in vol. iii) ; Countess D'Istria, Sicitzeiiand, the Pioneer of the Ref. ii, 427 ; Soames, Hist. Ref. iii, 153 sq. ; Ruchat, iS^riss Ref. Ch. ch. i, iv, and p. 117-136; Gieseler, Eccles. Hist, iv, 99; Fisher, Hist. Ref (see Index) ; Middleton, Erangel, Biogr. i, 85 sq. ; Hallam, Literature, i, 151, 164, 188, 191, 255; Hani wick, Hist. Ref. (see Index); Princeton Revieiv, April. 1851, art. ii. (J. H.W.)
CBconomists is the name given to a secret or- ganization of infidel French philosophers, of whom Dr. Duquesnai was the founder. He so ingratiated himself with Louis XV that the latter used to call him his thinker, and gained the affections of the people under pretence of promoting economy in the state. According to abbe Barruel, however, the real object of the majority of the society was to subvert Christianity, by circulatisig the writings of Voltaire, Rousseau, and other infidels. This they did by printing extracts from these popular au- thors, and circulating them through the kingdom by hawkers and peddlers, who had them for little or noth- ing, that they might undersell all other literature. Their secret meetings, for preparing and revising these tracts, were held at baron Holbach's (q. v.). In some of these tracts their object was disguised; in others they were so bold as to avow their object under such titles as " Christianity unmasked," etc. They also at- tempted schools, for the avowed intention of preparing chihlren for trade and mechanic arts, in which the same
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writings were read and circulated. Among the mem- bers of their secret club were D'Alembert, Turgot, Con- dorcet, Diderot, La Harpe, and La Moignon, keeper of the seals, who, on his dismissal from that office, shot himself.— Encyclop. Brit. s. v. ; Alzog, Kirchengesch. ii, 495. See Illuminati ; Philosophists ; Physiockats. CEconomus (steward) was the name of a special officer appointed in the middle of the 5th century to coiiduct the administration of Church property, in place of the earlier deacons. The steward, from the nature of his office, rose in mediseval times to high importance. The bishop, by early law, was not to appoint him, but he was to be chosen by the entire presbytery. The Council of Chalcedon enacted this law, and it was after- wards confirmed by the emperor Justinian, and ratified by later Church councils. The aconomi were always chosen from among the clergy. See Oiconojiists.