99 66

gainst him by the divines at Erfurt, and other circumstances, having rendered his situation there disagreeable, he embraced a proposal made to him of being preacher and fourth professor of theology at Giessen in Hesse, an office which he entered on in the year 1771. His propensity to writing he indulged here with uncommon assiduity, and in the space of four years published two "Collections of Sermons," a "Book of Homilies," his "Apparatus criticus veteris Testamenti," "A general theological Repository," "Outlines of an ecclesiastical History of the New Testament,' Proposals for explain ing the Doctrines of the Church," "A critical Examination of Michaelis's Translation of the Bible," and the "Newest Revelation of God," that is, a translation of the New Testament, with notes. The heterodoxy of Bahrdt's doctrines, which seemed to aim at nothing less than to destroy the great bulwark of religion, and above all his violent attack on the doctrine of propitiation, together with his modernised new testament, raised up a violent storm against him at Giessen; but a fortunate event saved him from the effects of it, when just ready to burst forth. This was an invitation he received from Von Salis, on the recommendation of Basedow, to be director of his philanthropinum at Marschlinz in Swisserland, with a salary of 2000 florins. He quitted Giessen, therefore, in the year 1775, after having paid a visit to Basedow's philanthropinum at Dessau (see BASEDOW), in order that he might be there initiated in the mysteries of education. Owing, however, to some misunderstanding between him and his employer at Marschlinz, it was not long before he wished for a change of situation; and as Count von Leiningen-Dachsburg, who wanted an agreeable preacher to take on him the office of superintendant at Durkheim, invited him thither, he gladly accepted the offer, though he at first made some difficulty in order to obtain better ternis. He removed to Durkheim in the year 1776, and as he had long been projecting a plan for establishing a seminary of education, he represented in so lively colours to his new patron the advantages of such an institution, that the count assigned over to him for that purpose his palace at Heidesheim, which was then unoccupied. Bahrdt now announced in a pompous address to the public, printed in German and French, the establishment of his philanthropinum, and made every exertion possible to raise money by subscription for carrying it on. As these attempts were not attended with the wished-for success, he resolved to reprint his "Translation of the

VOL. I.

new Testament" in a better form, by which means he soon collected the sum of 1200 dollars. The philanthropinum was opened with great solemnity in the year 1777, and every thing went on prosperously for some time; but as Bahrdt, besides teaching, had the duties of his office as a clergyman to attend to, and as his restless disposition was always prompting him to engage in new projects, he got considerably involved in debt. His creditors did every thing in their power to support his new institution, as they saw no other means by which they were likely to recover what they had advanced; but a concurrence of unfortunate circumstances having brought it almost to ruin, Bahrdt resolved to visit Holland and England, with a view of procuring pupils in these countries. Though possessed of very little property to bear the expenses of his journey, he proceeded to London, where he was received with much friendship by Dr. Wendeborn, and John Reinhold Forster, late professor at Halle, who introduced him to the grand lodge of Free Masons, from whom he received three degrees in one evening. By the recommendation of Dr. Wendeborn, he found several per... sons of reputation who were disposed to interest themselves in favour of his institution; but being a voluptuary, living in London was too expensive for his finances, and in a little time he was reduced to considerable distress. In this situation he was relieved by a merchant of the name of Rasch, who sent him thirty guineas, and he quitted England with four pupils, to whom he added nine more in his way through Holland, Cleves, and Crefeld. He now hastened to Heidesheim, overjoyed with the idea of soon seeing his philanthropinum in a flourishing condition; but before he reached it, he received intelligence that he had been suspended from all his employments by a conclusum of the Imperial council. This severe measure had been adopted in consequence of an application made by the suffragan of Worms, who was offended with Bahrdt on account of some satirical reflections which he had published against him in the Heidesheim gazette, because he had disapproved of his translation of the new testa ment being so much read among the catholics. The prince of Leiningen wrote a letter in his favour to the emperor Joseph, and a petition for the same purpose was drawn up by his congregation at Durki.cim, but by some neglect neither of them was ever presented. Bahrdt had now no other resource than to quit the empire and to seek refuge in Prussia. In May 1779 he retired with his family to Halle, 3 x

some excellent laws are dated from his reign. The name of Bahram has by the Greeks been converted to Varanes, under which designation some of the Persian kings will hereafter be noticed. Univers. Hist. Gibbon.-A.

BAHRDT, CHARLES FREDERIC, a theological and satirical writer, was born at Bischofswerda on the 25th of August 1741. His father, a clergyman of that place, removed in the course of some years to Leipsic, where he was first promoted to be preacher in St. Peter's church, and afterwards professor of divinity, and superintendant. Bahrdt received the early part of his education from private tutors, under whose care he improved so little, that his father placed him at the public school; but his progress there not being equal to his expectation, he carried him with some more of his sons to the grammar-school at Pforte. Having remained here a short time, he returned to Leipsic, and after some private instruction in the Greek and Latin from Ernesti, he was entered at the university, which he quitted in two years, and commenced preacher in the neighbourhood of Leipsic. In 1761 he was admitted to the degree of master of arts, and, some years after, appointed substitute to his father, and extraordinary professor of sacred philology. Not contented with the reputation he had acquired at Leipsic, he now became desirous of extending his fame as an author; and, in 1763, published a work entitled "The true Christian in Solitude;" and, in 1768, his "Commentary on Malachy," in which he endeavoured to display his talents for biblical criticism, and his knowledge of oriental literature. An unfortunate intrigue, which rendered him a father, soon, however, put an end to all his expectations at Leipsic, and obliged him to retire to his friend Klotz at Halle, who got him appointed professor of biblical antiquities at Erfurt, but without any salary. Bahrdt was fond of good living; and as he was supplied with money by his father, he here found his situation very comfortable; but having introduced in his lectures some theological remarks not considered as altogether orthodox, complaints were made a gainst him by Schmidt and Vogel, two clergymen of that city. That he might repel the attacks of his antagonists with more weight, he purchased the degree of doctor in theology from the university of Erlangen, which gave him a right to lecture publicly in divinity, and he hastened to prepare for the press his "Essay towards a System of the Doctrines contained in the Bible," the first part of which appeared in 1769, for the purpose of defending himself

against the charge of heterodoxy. About the same period he published, but without his name, "The earnest Wishes of a dumb Patriot," in which he attacked the weakest proofs of the fundamental truths of the theological system, not to destroy that system, but to give uneasiness to those orthodox divines who had injured his reputation, and in particular, by very plain allusions, to raise up a suspicion against professor Schmidt, of his being a Jesuitical sectarian. This attempt, however, did him more injury than service. His conduct was publicly reprobated by the faculty of divines at Wittenberg; and those of Göttingen, though they put the best construction possible on his doctrines, advised both parties to enter into a reconciliation. A paper-war, carried on with great bitterness, took place afterwards between Bahrdt and Schmidt; but it was attended with no other consequences than that of rendering the former more cautious. In 1770 Bahrdt published at Eisenach his "System of moral Theology," which, though a hasty composition, met with a favourable reception on account of the agreeable manner in which the author conveys his ideas. Desire of fame and love of money made Bahrdt embark in many projects and undertakings, two of which deserve to be here mentioned. The first was to establish a society or council of divines to form a new theological system, the grounds of which were to be his System of the Doctrines contained in the Bible, and his treatise on morality; and he invited those inclined to favour this plan to transmit to him their thoughts on these works, which he would afterwards reduce into order, and make public. A few persons offered to assist in this undertaking, and their ideas were published by Bahrdt in his "Letters on Systematic Theology;" but that work was dropped, and the whole society dissolved, after the first volume had made its appearance. The approbation given to his critical performances, even in foreign countries, induced him to engage in another undertaking too vast for his knowledge and situation, which was an edition of the Old Testament, such as had been before announced by Kennicot, with a collection of all the various readings, drawn from a number of little-known manuscripts. Bahrdt's volatile genius overlooked the difficulties of such an attempt, but his promises were never fulfilled. His next plan for improving his finances was by a fortunate marriage; and, after some unsuccessful applications, he at length espoused a young widow of Mulhausen, whet tune of 6000 dollars

gainst him by the divines at Erfurt, and other Circumstances, having rendered his situation there disagreeable, he embraced a proposal made to him of being preacher and fourth professor of theology at Giessen in Hesse, an office which he entered on in the year 1771. His propensity to writing he indulged here with uncommon Assiduity, and in the space of four years published two "Collections of Sermons," a "Book of Homilies," his "Apparatus criticus veteris Testamenti," "A general theological Repository," "Outlines of an ecclesiastical History of the New Testament," "Proposals for explain ing the Doctrines of the Church," "A critical Examination of Michaelis's Translation of the Bible," and the "Newest Revelation of God," that is, a translation of the New Testament, with notes. The heterodoxy of Bahrdt's doctrines, which seemed to aim at nothing less than to destroy the great bulwark of religion, and above all his violent attack on the doctrine of propitiation, together with his modernised new testament, raised up a violent storm against him at Giessen; but a fortunate event saved him from the effects of it, when just ready to burst forth. This was an invitation he received from Von Salis, on the recommendation of Basedow, to be director of his philanthropinum at Marschlinz in Swisserland, with a salary of 2000 florins. He quitted Giessen, therefore, in the year 1775, after having paid a visit to Basedow's philanthropinum at Dessau (see BASEDOW), in order that he might be there initiated in the mysteries of education. Owing, however, to some misunderstanding between him and his employer at Marschlinz, it was not long before he wished for a change of situation; and as Count von Leiningen-Dachsburg, who wanted an agreeable preacher to take on him the office of superintendant at Durkheim, invited him thither, he gladly accepted the offer, though he at first made some difficulty in order to obtain better termis. He removed to Durkheim in the year 1776, and as he had long been projecting a plan for establishing a seminary of education, he represented in so lively colours to his new patron the advantages of such an institution, that the count assigned over to him for that purpose his palace at Heidesheim, which was then unoccupied. Bahrdt now announced in a pompous address to the public, printed in German and French, the establishment of his philanthropinum, and made every exertion possible to raise money by subscription for carrying it on. As these attempts were not attended with the wished-for success, he resolved to reprint Translation of the

V 1.

new Testament" in a better form, by which means he soon collected the sum of 1200 dollars. The philanthropinum was opened with great solemnity in the year 1777, and every thing went on prosperously for some time; but as Bahrdt, besides teaching, had the duties of his office as a clergyman to attend to, and as his restless disposition was always prompting him to engage in new projects, he got considerably involved in debt. His creditors did every thing in their power to support his new institution, as they saw no other means by which they were likely to recover what they had advanced; but a concurrence of unfortunate circumstances having brought it almost to ruin, Bahrdt resolved to visit Holland and England, with a view of procuring pupils in these countries. Though possessed of very little property to bear the expenses of his journey, he proceeded to London, where he was received with much friendship by Dr. Wendeborn, and John Reinhold Forster, late professor at Halle, who introduced him to the grand lodge of Free Masons, from whom he received three degrees in one evening. By the recommendation of Dr. Wendeborn, he found several per.. sons of reputation who were disposed to interest themselves in favour of his institution; but being a voluptuary, living in London was too expensive for his finances, and in a little time he was reduced to considerable distress. In this situation he was relieved by a merchant of the name of Rasch, who sent him thirty guineas, and he quitted England with four pupils, to whom he added nine more in his way through Holland, Cleves, and Crefeld. He now hastened to Heidesheim, overjoyed with the idea of soon seeing his philanthropinum in a flourishing condition; but before he reached it, he received intelligence that he had been suspended from all his employments by a conclusum of the Imperial council. This severe measure had been adopted in 'consequence of an application made by the suffragan of Worms, who was offended with Bahrdt on account of some satirical reflections which he had published against him in the Heidesheim gazette, because he had disapproved of his translation of the new testument being so much read among the catholics. The prince of Leiningen wrote a letter in his favour to the emperor Joseph, and a petition for the same purpose was drawn up by his congregation at Durki.cim, but by some neg. lect neither of them was ever presented. Bahrdt had now no other resource than to quit the empire and to seek refuge in Prussia. In May 1779 he retired with his family to Halle, 3 x

some excellent laws are dated from his reign. The name of Bahram has by the Greeks been converted to Varanes, under which designation some of the Persian kings will hereafter be noticed. Univers. Hist. Gibbon.-A.

BAHRDT, CHARLES FREDERIC, a theological and satirical writer, was born at Bischofswerda on the 25th of August 1741. His father, a clergyman of that place, removed in the course of some years to Leipsic, where he was first promoted to be preacher in St. Peter's church, and afterwards professor of divinity, and superintendant. Bahrdt received the early part of his education from private tutors, under whose care he improved so little, that his father placed him at the public school; but his progress there not being equal to his expectation, he carried him with some more of his sons to the grammar-school at Pforte. Having remained here a short time, he returned to Leipsic, and after some private instruction in the Greek and Latin from Ernesti, he was entered at the university, which he quitted in two years, and commenced preacher in the neighbourhood of Leipsic. In 1761 he was admitted to the degree of master of arts, and, some years after, appointed substitute to his father, and extraordinary professor of sacred philology. Not contented with the reputation he had acquired at Leipsic, he now became desirous of extending his fame as an author; and, in 1763, published a work entitled "The true Christian in Solitude;" and, in 1768, his "Commentary on Malachy," in which he endeavoured to display his talents for biblical criticism, and his knowledge of oriental literature. An unfortunate intrigue, which rendered him a father, soon, however, put an end to all his expectations at Leipsic, and obliged him to retire to his friend Klotz at Halle, who got him appointed professor of biblical antiquities at Erfurt, but without any salary. Bahrdt was fond of good living; and as he was supplied with money by his father, he here found his situation very comfortable; but having introduced in his lectures some theological remarks not considered as altogether orthodox, complaints were made a gainst him by Schmidt and Vogel, two clergymen of that city. That he might repel the attacks of his antagonists with more weight, he purchased the degree of doctor in theology from the university of Erlangen, which gave him a right to lecture publicly in divinity, and he hastened to prepare for the press his "Essay towards a System of the Doctrines contained in the Bible," the first part of which appeared in 1769, for the purpose of defending himself

against the charge of heterodoxy. About the same period he published, but without his name, "The earnest Wishes of a dumb Patriot," in which he attacked the weakest proofs of the fundamental truths of the theological system, not to destroy that system, but to give uneasiness to those orthodox divines who had injured his reputation, and in particular, by very plain allusions, to raise up a suspicion against professor Schmidt, of his being a Jesuitical sectarian. This attempt, however, did him more injury than service. His conduct was publicly reprobated by the faculty of divines at Wittenberg; and those of Göttingen, though they put the best construction possible on his doctrines, advised both parties to enter into a reconcili ation. A paper-war, carried on with great bitterness, took place afterwards between Bahrdt and Schmidt; but it was attended with no other consequences than that of rendering the former more cautious. In 1770 Bahrdt published at Eisenach his "System of moral Theology,' which, though a hasty composition, met with a favourable reception on account of the agreeable manner in which the author conveys his ideas. Desire of fame and love of money made Bahrdt embark in many projects and undertakings, two of which deserve to be here mentioned. The first was to establish a society or council of divines to form a new theological system, the grounds of which were to be his System of the Doctrines contained in the Bible, and his treatise on morality; and he invited those inclined to favour this plan to transmit to him their thoughts on these works, which he would afterwards reduce into order, and make public. A few persons offered to assist in this undertaking, and their ideas were published by Bahrdt in his "Letters on Systematic Theology;" but that work was dropped, and the whole society dissolved, after the first volume had made its appearance. The approbation given to his critical performances, even in foreign countries, induced him to engage in another undertaking too vast for his knowledge and situation, which was an edition of the Old Testament, such as had been before announced by Kennicot, with a collection of all the various readings, drawn from a number of little-known manuscripts. Bahrdt's volatile genius overlooked the difficulties of such an attempt, but his promises were never fulfilled. His next plan for improving his finances was by a fortunate marriage; and, after some unsuccessful applications, he at length espoused a young widow of Mulhausen, who brought him a fortune of 6000 dollars. The cabal formed a