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Page 441

 

441 RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA Gedaliah

this, half a year elapsed before the new elector's preponderating power achieved its purpose; first in the archdiocese, then also in Westphalia, one city and one castle after another slowly succumbed. Gebhard sought refuge in the Netherlands, and finally died at Strasburg in 1601. The battle over the electoral dignity and religious freedom was decided from 1584; by admission to the electoral college early in 1585, Ernest won for himself the legal recognition of the Empire.

Gebhard was impelled by no great idea, nor could he claim through virile activity the title to high striving ambition. He meant well, both at the outset as Roman Catholic and later as Protestant, but was wanting in depth and tenacity. His victorious adversary, personally, was not at all his superior. Ernest had pretty nearly the same good and evil traits, and lived a spiritual life just as little as his predecessor; " he is a great sinner, but you must cut your cloth to the figure," was the papal nuncio's remark of him. Again, Ernest's personality was almost indifferent as regards the. result; he was carried to his position by the rising tide of the Counterreformation. Over Gebhard, who stood alone, the, victory was the curia's, Bavaria's, and Spain's.

Now that the political task was accomplished; the ecclesiastical forces of the Counterreformation began to exert themselves; the Jesuits and the papal nuncios proceeded to invest their field. In the Rhenish districts of the diocese and in Westphalia, Protestantism was combated energetically; by the acquisition of Munster, where Ernest was elected in 1585, and by the induction, 5. Progress under Bavarian influence, of trustof the worthy Roman Catholics into the epis-

Counter- copal sees of Oanabriick, Paderborn, reformation. and Minden, the possibility of a consoli dated Roman Catholic Northwestern Germany appeared to be once again in the course of realization. However, the Protestant congrega tions everywhere struggled obstinately for their existence; in spite of all repression, they continu ally increased in Cologne toward the close of the sixteenth century; while the greatest obstacles to a complete reaction in the electorate at large inhered in the elector's personality. His worldly inclina tions were so little amenable to the desires of the curia that even by 1588 the papal nuncio agitated the plan of a coadjutorship. When the adminis tration and the finances fell into worse and worse decline, and the elector by his ardor for the chase and his worldly dress, his evasion of the command ments of the Church, and his frivolous life caused sharper and sharper vexation, the installation of a coadjutor was prosecuted with earnestness. In Apr., 1595, with the elector's consent, his nephew Duke Ferdinand of Bavaria was elected to that office. The liquidation of accumulated debts was now undertaken, and a visitation, with ecclesias tical reforms, of the entire archdiocese was ac complished.

But even though the electorate of Cologne and the neighboring episcopal provinces were securely annexed once more to the Roman Church, the attempt again to subject to the Roman Church the

entire Northwest of Germany did not succeed; for not only did the Netherland provinces, victorious in their battle with Spain, form a strong Protestant counterpoise, but also in the JuliersCleves districts, the Protestant congregations maintained themselves notwithstanding limitations; indeed, they continually increased, insomuch that in Cleves and in the Mark they actually held the preponderance, and in 1609, when Brandenburg and Pfalz-Neuburg assumed possession of the territories of the house of Juliers, the time of complete liberty was at hand for them.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: L. Ennen, Gesehichte der Stadt Koiln, vol. v., Cologne, 1880; M. Loosen, Der koolnische Krieg. Gotha. 1882; M. Philippson, La Contre-R.4uolution relipieuse au zvi. si&le, Brussels, 1884; L. Keller, Die Gepenrdormation in Westfalen, vol. ii., Leipsic, 1887; Unkel, in Historischee Jahrbuch, vole. viii., x., Munich, 1887, 1889; J. Hanson, NuntiadwbericAts sue Deutschland, vol. iii., parts 1-2, Gotha, 1892-94; idem, Rheinische Akten our Geachichte des Jesuitenordena, 16.4.8-88, ib. 1896; G. Wolf, Aus Kurk6ln in 16. Jahrhundert, Berlin, 1905.

GEBHARDT, OSKAR LEOPOLD VON : German Lutheran; b. at Wesenberg (150 m. s.e. of St. Petersburg) June 22, 1844; d. at Leipsic May 10, 1906. He studied at Dorpat, Tiibingen, Giittingen, and Leipsic and was assistant in the library of Leipsic University 1875-76, custodian and sublibrarian of the University of Halle 1876-80, librarian of the University of G6ttingen 1880-84. librarian of the Royal Library, Berlin, 1884-91, and divisional director of the same institution 1891-93. From 1893 until his death he was director of the library of the University of Leipsic. He wrote or edited Gra;cus Venetua (Leipsic, 1875); Patrum Apmtolicorum opera (3 vols., 1875-77, in collaboration with A. Harnack and T. Zahn; editio minor, 1877); Evangeliorum codex Grcecus purpureus Roasanensis (1880; in collaboration with A. Harnaek); Das New Testament griechisch each Tischendorfs letzer Recension and deutsch nach dem revidierten Luthertext (1881); Novum Testamentum Grace, recensionis Tischerulorfiance ultimm textus cum Tregellesiano et We8eottiano-Hortiano coliatus (1881); The Miniatures of the Ashburnam Pentateuch (London, 1883); and Acta martyrum selects (Berlin, 1902). He was likewise the editor of the eleventh to the sixteenth edition of W. Theile's Novum Testamentum Grtece (Leipsie, 18751900), while with A. Harnack he established and edited the valuable Texte and Untersuahungen zur GeschicW der adtchristlichen Literatur (1882 sqq.), to which he himself contributed a number of monographs.

BxBLroaRAPHT: A memorial sketch is found in the ZeatraEbla# fttr Bibliothekewasen, June, 1908.

GEDALIAH, ged"a-lai'8: Son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, and protector of Jeremiah from the people who sought to kill him because of his predictions against Jerusalem (Jer. xi. 5-8, xliii. 6). He was appointed by Nebuchadrezzar governor of Judea after the fall of Jerusalem, in accordance with the custom of Eastern monarchs to leave the government of subjected lands in charge of distinguished individuals of the conquered races. The selection of Gedaliah for this position may have