Overberg, Bernhard, a distinguished German theologian and writer, was born at Hoeckel, near Osna- briick, about 1757. In 177-1 he went to study theolog}' at Minister, was ordained priest in 1780, and appointed professor in the normal school of Jlinister in 1783. In 1789 he became intimate with princess Amelie GaUit- zine (q. v.), and this friendship lasted until death. In 1809 he was appointed regent of the episcopal seminary, and counsellor of the Consistory in 1816. He died Nov. 9, 1826. He was very active in promoting the cause of education in the diocese of Minister. His principal works are, A )nceisu7ifj zum Schulunierrichte (1795): — Biblische Geschichte (1796) : — Religionshandbuch nebst den beiden Kalechismen (1804, several eds.). His biog- raphy was written bv J. Neinermann (Mi'inster, 1829) and by Krabbe (ibid.*1832; 2d ed. 1846).— Pierer, Uni- versal-Lexikon, xii, 529 ; Herzog, Real-Encyklop. x, 743 sq. (J. N. I'.)
Overbury, Sir Thomas, an English author who flourished in the second half of the 17th centur}', but of whose personal history we know scarcely anything, is noted as the author of A true and perfect Account of the Examination, Trial, Condemnation, and Execution of Joan Perry and her two Sons for the supposed Murder of William Harrison, written by way of Letter to Thomas Shirley, M.D., in London (1676): — Queries proposed to the serious Coiumlerution of those who impose upon oth- ers in thinr/s of divine and supernatural Revelation, and prosecute any upon the A crount of Religion ; with a De- sire of their candid and Christian Resolution thereof (1677) : — in answer to criticisms on the above, Ratioci- nium ]'vrnaculum, or a Reply to Ataxia; Obstaculum, etc.
Overseer (usually 1"'pE, pakid', visitor, Gen. xxxix, 4; xli, 34; but Piel of n^3, to preside, in 2 Chron. ii, 2, 18 ; xxxiv, 13 ; ^^iiy, in Prov. vi, 7 ;
tTriaKonoc, a bishop, in Acts xx, 28), not only an officef who had the superintendence of the household, as Joseph had in that of Potiphar, but also an overlooker of work- men, as those appointed by Solomon (2 Chron. ii, 18). See Officer. We read that Pharaoh set taskmasters, or overseers, over the children of Israel, who "made their lives bitter with hard bondage" (Exod. i, 14), a statement fully confirmed by the monuments, where the taskmasters are uniformly represented armed with cud- gels. See Bastinado. In the margins of many of the Psalms, the Hebrew word nS""2 is properly rendered overseer, meaning probably the chief musician, as the text has it. (See Gesenius, Tkesaur. s. v.) See Chief Musician.
OVERSEER. See Bishop; Episcopacy; Prel- acy.
Overton, Samuel, an English minister of the So- ciety of Friends, was born in the county of Warwick in 1668. He entered the ministry in 1694, and labored therein forty-three years. He is noted as one of the first of those concerned in establishing meetings for Church discipline in Warwickshire. He died Jidy 23, 1737. See Janney, Hist, of the Friends, iii, 225.
Oviedo, Council of {Concilium Ovetense), was held about 877, according to Pagi (Mansi says the date is altogether uncertain). King Alphonso, his queen, and sons were present, and eighteen bishops. Several use- fid regulations were drawn up. The Church of Oviedo was erected into a metropolitan see, and Hermenegilde, who presided over it, was recognised as head over the other bishops, to labor with them for the re-establish- ment of discipline in the Church, which had been im- paired by the rule of the infidels. See Labbe, Cone, ix, 501 ; Landon, Man. of Councils, s. v.
Ovington, John, an English ecclesiastical wTiter and traveller, w-as born in the 17th century. He was chaplain to king James II. In 1689 he sailed to the East Indies, and spent several years in Surat. He pub- lished in 1698 his Voyaye to Sui-at in the years 1689- 1693, etc., which was translated into French, See AUi- bone. Diet, of Brit, and Amer. Authors, s. v. ; Thomas, Dictionary of Biography and Mythology, s. v.
O^wen, Anning, a IMethodist Episcopal minister, was born in the State of New York in 1751. He is said to have been a member of the Congregational Church in early life ; but he dated his conversion from the Indian battle in Wyoming in 1778. His account of this event was as follows: When the retreat commenced on the battle-field he expected to be killed, and determined that, should he be shot, his last breath should be spent in calling upon God for mercy. Having secreted him- self under a grape-vine on the margin of the river, he there gave his heart to God, and found peace to his soul. He united with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and was soon licensed to preach ; was ordained deacon in 1791; joined the travelling connection in 1795; and in 1797 received elder's orders. He was three years pre- siding elder on the Susquehanna District ; continued in the itinerancy nineteen or twcnt}' years ; travelled exten- sively in the north-western ]iart of New York, and was one of the first Methodist laborers in many parts of the old Genesee Conference. In 1813, in consequence of bodily infirmities, he received a superannuated relation. He died at Ulysses, Cayuga County, N. Y., in April, 1814. He is described as a zealous, good man, very eccentric, and at times quite eloquent. Possessed of little learning, he nevertheless was ready in thought, shrewd and witty, and never at a loss for adequate means of communication with the people. He labored with all his might, and when he was convinced that he was right nothing could turn him aside. Of great religious sym- pathy, of mighty faith, and tremendous power, the la- bors of Anning Owen were eminently successful See Connable, Bist, of the Geiiesee Conference (N. Y. 1876), chap. i.