RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Gerbert Gerhardt
attracted him thither, and Winckelmann and Mentzer especially influenced him. When Hesse-Cassel, under Landgrave Maurice, accepted the Reformed doctrine he left Marburg and went back to Jena hoping to become professor. But Duke Casimir of Coburg, to whom he was highly recommended, entrusted him with the superintendency at Heldburg and made him doctor of theology. He was only twenty-four years old at this time. In 1615 the duke made him general superintendent at Coburg, and in this position he was commissioned to draw up a church order. His nature and talents, however, made him long for a professor's chair, and he received calls from different universities, but Duke Casimir considered a theologian of Gerhard's importance indispensable for his realm. At last, however, the opposition of the duke was overcome, and in 1616 Gerhard became professor at Jena.
All the different phases of the academic teacher seemed to find their full development in Gerhard, and his lectures attracted crowds of students. He loved his students, in case of sickness His Char- went to their residence, and assisted acter and them in all their troubles. His con- Activities, temporaries considered him the greatest theologian of his time. He received no less than twenty-four calls from different universities while at Jena, but he had no reason to leave. Although his salary was not large, he amassed a not inconsiderable fortune from emoluments accruing from his connection with princes and noblemen, and moreover, he lived in peace with all his colleagues. His usefulness showed itself also in the domain of practical church work and even of politics. The theologians of Saxony had brought about conventions from which they hoped to develop gradually a supreme tribunal of the Lutheran Church at the birthplace of the Reformation. Important conventions were held in 1621, 1624, 1628, and 1630, and in all of them Gerhard held a leading position. To many princes he was an oracle in questions of all kinds, such as the recommendations of church or school officers, princely match-makings or sponsorships, arbitration in disputes, and mediation in pecuniary affairs. Indeed, he himself sometimes gave financial aid to princes. His health was rather delicate and considerably affected by his numerous journeys on business.
In the sphere of dogmatics two works especially made Gerhard's name famous. One of them was the Confessio catholica, in qua doctrina catholica et evangelica, quam ecclesice Augustance confessioni addictm profilentur, ex Romano-catholicorum scriptorum suffragiis confirmatur (4 parts, Frankfort and Leipsic, 1634-37), based upon the Catalogus testium veritatis of Flacius. It is more comprehensive than its title denotes, being at the same time an extensive apology and polemic of the Evangelical creed. The first part is general Writings, and treats the principia et media nostra et pontificice religionis. The other three volumes treat the disputed articles of faith in the order of Bellarmine. the controversialist par excellence. But the chief work which established Gerhard's theological reputation is his Loci theo-
logici; he began this at the age of twenty-seven and wrote the last and ninth volume in 1622. In 1657 his son, Johann Ernst, prepared a new edition, and another (22 vols.) was issued by J. F. Cotta, professor of dogmatics in Tubingen in 1762-89 (later eds. by E. Preuss, 33 vols., Berlin, 1863-75; 9 vols., Leipsic, 1885), Gerhard's work is distinguished from that of his predecessors like Chemnitz and Hut ten by a certain progress in method. He made a more logical arrangement of the loci and distinguished different groups. He puts the doctrine concerning Scripture before his system proper, because the dogma of the canon is not really an article of faith, but the basis of the articles of faith. Over against the infallibility of the pope he sets the infallibility of Scripture. But here it becomes evident that the strongest side of the orthodox faith is also its weakest side, for in order to save the authority of Scripture Gerhard had to maintain a theory of inspiration that included even the Hebrew vowel points. This weak point was cleverly detected by the Jesuits. Nevertheless the work may be justly characterized as the consummation of Lutheran dogmatic theology as initiated by Melanchthon. Besides these two principal works may be mentioned an exegetical writing entitled Harmonia evangelistarum Chemnilio-Lyseriana a Jo. Gerhardo continuata et iusto commentario illustrata (3 parts, Jena, 1626-27). Another production contributing to his fame was the Meditationes sacra?, which he wrote as a student in 1606. It consists of fifty-one devotional meditations, has passed through innumerable editions, and even recently several translations have appeared (Fourteen Meditations, London, 1846). A work of a similar nature and similar success was his Exercitium pietatis quotidianum quadripartitum (Coburg, 1612-15). His Schola pietatis (1622-23) was less successful. His Enchiridion consolatorium was translated into German and edited in 1S77 by C. J. Bottcher (Leipsic, 1877). There appeared recently (Leipsic, 1898) D. Joannis Gerhardihomilice XXXVI, seu meditationes breves diebus dominicis atque festis accommodates e manuscriptis Gerhardinis ab illustrissima bibliotheca Gothana asservatis; primum edidit Dr. G. Berbig. In his Methodus studii theologici (1620) he touched the sphere of isagogics, and emphasized especially the study of Holy Scripture.
(Johannes Kttnze.)
Bibliography: A highly satisfactory biography of Gerhard, based upon sources, some of which are no longer accessible, was prepared by E. R. Fischer, Leipsic, 1723, 1727. Consult: W. Gass, Geschichte der protestantischen Dogmalik, i. 246 sqq.. Rerlin, 1854; G. Frank, Geschichte der protestantischen Theologie, i. 371 sqq., Leipsic, 1862; E. Troeltsch, Vernunft und Offeribarung bei J. Gerhard und Melanchthon, Gottingen, 1891.
GERHARD TONQUE. See John, Saint, Order of Hospitalers of.
GERHARDT, gar'hort, PAULUS: The foremost of German hymn-writers; b. at Grafenhainichen (10 m. s. w.of Wittenberg), Electoral Saxony, Mar. 12, 1607; d. at Liibben (40 m. s.w. of Frankfort-on-the-Oder) June 7, 1676. He studied at Wittenberg from 1628, but, probably owing to the disorders of war, it was not until 1651 that he
Gerhardt G-erlach