G E R 



Gerar is confoundod with Bcerflicba, Afhkelon, AUufh, 

 and Arad. 



GERARD, HKnn, m Boimiy. See iEcoPomuM. 

 Geuakd, in Biograhhy, who flourifhcd about the end of 

 the eleventh, and cnmniencement of the twelfth centuries, 

 founder and firll grand-mafter ol the order of St. John of 

 Jerufalem, was a native of the ifle of Martigucs, on the 

 coall of Provence. While Jerufalem was in the Irands of 

 the Saracens, fome Neapolitan merchants obtained per- 

 miffion from tlie fultan of Egypt and Syria, in the year 

 1050, to ereft a Benedidine monaftery, near the holy ftpul- 

 chre, for the convenience of the pilgrims who came to vifit 

 it. Among others Gerard came to pay his devotions at 

 the holy city, where he obtained a hiyh character for piety 

 and prudence. The monailery foon became rich, and in 

 conformity with the fpirit of tlie times the abbot built, 

 with the wealth poured in by the rich d-^votees, an hofpital 

 for the reception of the poorer clafs, and with proper ac- 

 commodation for the aged and the lick. The management 

 of this he gave to G'M-ard. A part of the building was fe- 

 parated for a chapel dedicated to St. John, becaufe it was 

 faid that Zacharias, the father of St. John, had lived on the 

 fpot where it v/as built. Gerard, after the conquefl of 

 .■Jerufalem, by Godfrey of Bouillon, projeftc-d the founda- 

 tion of a new religious order, in which the ecclefiaftical and 

 military churafter (honld be blended. He began, about 

 the vear iioo, to carry his dehgn into execution, when 

 : numbers of p^M-fons afl'ociated with liiiu under the denomina- 

 tion of the «' Hofpitalers of St. John of Jeruf.dem," who, 

 befides the three ufual vows of challity, poverty, and obe- 

 dience, took a parlicular vow to devote themfelves to the 

 relief of all C'u-i!lij.ns in diltrefs. The order was recog- 

 nized, and privileges granted to it bv pope Paical II. 

 ■ Gerard was the hr!l gr.md-maftcr, and fuch was the com- 

 mencement of that order which has been io frequently and 

 ■fo long celebrated in hiftory : the members of it were hrft 

 , denominated knights of llhodes, and afterwards knights of 

 Malta. Moreri. 



Gkrard, Joiik, a learned German Lutheran divine, 

 war. born at .Tena in the year 1 621, where he was educated, 

 but at the age of nineteen he went to Altdorf for the lake 

 of greater progrefs in the oriental languages, and in 1(143 

 tlie univerlity conferred on liim the degree of M.A. He 

 was appointed profeffor of philotophy at Witteniberg in 

 1646, and in 1652 ho was nominated pi ofeffor of iiiftory at 

 Jena. After this he was created dortor of divinity, and 

 made profelTor in that faculty, having devoted much of his 

 time to bibhcal and theological learning. He was likewife 

 .appointed rector of the univcrfity of Jena. He died in the 

 yuar 1688, and left behind him, as memorials of his great 

 learning, mfny works of very deep erudition : among thefe 

 were " Harmonia LingHarnm Orientalium ;'' '•' Difputatio- 

 iivim theologicarum Fafciculus ;'' "Do Ecclefise Coptica: 

 Ortu, Progreffu, etJDoctrina.'' 



Gkk.vrd, Ai,i.\.\nde:!, was born at Garioch, in the 

 county of Aberdeen, in tlie year 1728 : he was educated at 

 the grammar-fchoql at Aberdeen, and fo great was his pro- 

 gref:', that he was entered ;i Undent in Marifchal college 

 when he was but twelve years of age. Here he devoted 

 his firll foiu- 3'ears to the Ihulv of Greek, Latin, the ma- 

 th :matics, and philofophv, and was, at tlie clofe of the 

 courl'e, admitted to the degree of M.A. He now com- 

 menced his theological iludies, which he proiecutcd at the 

 univerfities of Aberdeen and Edinburgh. Immediately on 

 the completion of his twentieth year, he' was hcenfed to 

 preach in the church of Scot! nd, and in the year 1750 was 

 cliofen ainitant to Mr. David Fordyce, prof .Tor of piiilolo- 



G E R 



phy in the Marifchal college at Aberdeen, and In two years 

 aftci wards, upon the death of the profeffor, Gerard was ap- 

 pointed to fuccced him. Hero, after a fliort time, the de- 

 partment adigned to Mr- Gerard was conilncd to moral phi- 

 lolophy and logic, the duties of which he difcharged with 

 confcientio-us and unwearied diligence, and with equal fuc- 

 cefs and reputation. He was a member of a literary focicty 

 at Aberdeen, which met very regularly every fortnight 

 during the winter, when the members communicated their 

 fentiments with the utmoll freedom, and received mutual 

 improvement from their literary difcuflions. In 1759 Mr. 

 Gerard was ordained a minifter of the church of Scotland, 

 and in the following year he was appointed profeffor of 

 divinity in the Marifchal college, and about the lame period 

 he took his degree of dottor of divinity. He continued 

 to perform the feverul duties attached to liis offices till 

 I 77 I, when he refigned the profelforlhip, togetlier with the 

 church living, and was preferred to the theological chair 

 in the univerlity of King's college, a fituation which he 

 held till his death in 179J. Dr. Gerard's attainments were 

 folid rather than brilhaut, th.e effedl of clofe and almoft iii- 

 celfant ftudy, and a fine judgment. He had improved his 

 memory to fuch a degree, that he could, in little more than 

 an hour, get by heart a fermon of ordinary length. He was 

 author of " An EITay on Tallc,'' which was publiflied in 

 1759, and which obtained for him the prize of a gold 

 medal, from the Society of Edinburgh. This work was 

 afterwards much enlarged and reprinted in 1780. His 

 " Dilfertatioiis on the Genius and evidences of Chriilianity," 

 publilhed in 1 766, are well known and highly appreciated : 

 fo alfo are his " Elfay on Genius," and his fermons in two 

 volumes. In the year 1799 his fons gave the world a 

 pollhumous work of much merit, which had been left among 

 the papers of his father, entitled " The Pallor's Care," 

 which made a part of his theological courfe of lectures. 

 As a clergyman the conduCl of Dr. Gerard was marked 

 with prudence, exemplary manners, and the moll pundlual 

 and diligent dlfcharge of his miniilerial duties ; his fermons 

 were fimple and plain, adapted to the common clafs of 

 hearers, but io accurate as to fecure the approbation of the 

 ablell judges. As a profeffor of divinity, his great aim was 

 not to impofe by his authority upon his pupils any favourite 

 fyftem of opinions ; but to imprefs them with a fenfe of 

 the isiportance of the miniilerial office ; to teach them the 

 proper manner of difcharging all its duties ; and to 

 enable them, by tlie knowledge of the fcripturcs, to form 

 a jull and impartial judgment on controverted fubjcfts. 

 Poflefling large itores of theological knowledge, he was ju- 

 dicious in felecling his iubjects, happy and fuccefshil in his 

 mannei- of communicating inllruCT;lon. He had the merit 

 of introducing a new, and in many refpefts abetter, plan of 

 theological education, than thofc on which it had formerly 

 been conducted. Having a conftant regard to whatever 

 was pradt-lcallv ufeful, rather than to unedifying fpecula- 

 tions, he enjoined no duty which he was unwilling to excm- 

 plity in his own conduCl. In domefi.ic life he was amiable 

 and exemplary : in his friendlhips Heady and difinterefted, 

 and in his intercourfe with fociety hofpltable, benevolent, 

 and unaffuming ; uniting to the decorum of the Chridiaji 

 pallor, the good breeding of a gentleman, and the cheer- 

 fulnefs, all'abilitv, and cafe of an agreeable companion. 



GERARDE, Joii.v, a furgeon and famous hcrbalill of 

 the time of queen Elizabeth, was born at Namptwich, ' 

 Chefhire, in 1545. He praClifed furgery in London, and, 

 role to eminence in that profeliion. Mr. Granger fays " he 

 was many ycors retained as chief gardener to lord Burleigh, 

 who was himfelf a great lover of plants, and had the bell col. 



leClioB 



