WEISMANN, CHRISTIAN EBERHARD: Ger man Lutheran; b. at Hirschau (20 m. w. of Stuttgart), Württemberg, Sept. 2, 1677; d. at Tübingen May 26, 1747. He was educated at Tübingen, and was then deacon at Calw (1701-04), court chaplain at Stuttgart (1704-07), and teacher of church history and philosophy in the gymnasium of the same city (1707-21), until in 1721 he was called to Tübingen as professor of theology, being also provost of St. George's after 1729. He had a marked tendency toward pietism, and an equal hostility toward the Collegialism (q.v.) of C. M. Pfaff (q.v.) and the philosophy of G. W. Leibnitz and Christian Wolff (qq.v.). He was a distin guished preacher, and the author of some hymns much admired at the time. His principal works were latroductio in memorabilia ecclesiastics his torice sacrce Novi Testamenti, maxime vero sceculorxem primorum et novissimorum (2 vols., Stuttgart, 1718 1719); Orationes aeademieee de causis cur tot eximid Dei dons, nostra maxime wtate, ut Plurimum sine fruetu pereant (Tübingen, 1729); and Institutiones theologicce exegetieo-dogmaticce (1739).

Bibliography: J. Brucker, Bildersaal heutigen Tagea kben der Schriftastetter, Augsburg, 1741; K. Kliipfel, Geschichte der Universitat Tübingen, pp. 160 sqq., Tübingen 1849; C. Weizsacker, Festprogramm zur .¢. SBkularfeier der Uniaersitdt Tübingen, ib. 1877.

WEISS, vais, ADAM: German Reformer; b. at Crailsheim (48 m. n.e. of Stuttgart) about 1490; d. there Sept. 25, 1534. He came of a distinguished family, and was named after a relative who was canon at Ansbach; he was educated at Mainz, and taught there 1512-21; he was enthusiastic in defense of Humanism, and combined with this in his teaching work lectures on Genesis and on the "Sentences" of Peter Lombard. At the end of 1521 he was called to the pastorate of Crailsheim, which work he un dertook in an Evangelical spirit, introducing a new church order. He was in correspondence with Zwingli, whose advice he sought, and soon won in fluence in the margravate of Brandenburg; and though he was not the clerical superior, he was re garded as the real leader in his district. While the Reformation was making headway in the region, the wife of the Margrave Casimir was strongly Ro man Catholic, so that there was a reactionary tend ency against which progress was to be made. Weiss worked in accord with Johann Rurer of Ansbach; and though the latter was compelled to leave his work and flee, so strongly was the tide flowing against reform, Weiss determined to stay at his post, where he was enabled to continue his work.

After the death of Casimir, Sept. 21, 1527, Weiss stimulated the new ruler, Georg, to order a thoroughgoing carrying out of the Reformation, and was directed to perfect measures to that end, in company with Johann Schopper of Heilsbronn and Andrews Althamer (q.v.) of Anabach. The next year he made attempts at a documentary foundation upon which to build the work of the Reformation and contributed the preliminary formulation to one of the earliest confessional statements of the period. Weiss acted as superintendent. In 1529 he accompanied the Margrave Georg to the Diet of Speyer as chaplain and councilor, and his work there was so appreciated that the margrave took him, with Brenz, Rurer, and others, to the Diet of Augsburg in 1530, where his advice was sought on the weightiest matters; he also preached there and won the regard even of the' most influential Roman Catholic theologians.

In carrying out Reformation principles, Weiss was influential beyond the boundaries of the margravate of Brandenburg-Ansbach. He supported Johann Brenz of Hall (q.v.) from 1523 onward, and Hall itself sent for his advice in regard to important matters. He was in close relations also with Erhard Schnepf, Theobald Billican, Kaspar Löner (qq.v.), and with Leonhard Culmann, the poet and teacher of Nuremberg; in September of 1524 Johannes Poliander (q.v.) sought his friendship and intimacy. Carlstadt tried to win him over, in 1525, but failed. Weiss' early tendency was rather in the direction of Zwinglian teaching, but in the matter of the Lord's Supper he took wholly the side of Luther, whom he highly honored. Indeed, he regarded Luther's wfitings as a great treasury, while Luther wrote to the margrave, May 21,1527, extolling the worth of Weiss and Rurer. Weiss was a prophet honored in his own country, and one of his abiding labors was the foundation of the church library.

(G. Bossert.)

Bibliography: G. Veesenmeyer, Kleine Beiträge zur Geschichte des Reichstaga zu Augsburg, 1630, pp. 116 sqq., Nuremberg, 1830; Acta in Comitiia Augustanis gua'dam, in K. E. FSn;temann, Urkundenbuctc zur Geschichte des Reichstaga in Augsburg, Halle, 1833-35; J. Hartmann and C. Jüger, Johann Brenz 2 vols., Hamburg, 1840-42; G. Bossert, in Schwiibischer Merkur, 1879, no. 153; Theologische Studien aus Württemberg, 1880, pp. 190 sqq.,

1882, pp. 183, 314 sqq., 1883, pp. 30 sqq., 1885, pp. 1 sqq.; H. Westermeyer, Die brandenburgisch-rtfirnbergische Kirchenvisitation . . . 16.8-33, Erlangen, 1894; Beiträge zur bayerischen Kirchengeschichte, v. 226 sqq., vii. 32 sqq., 241 sqq., Erlangen, 1898-1900; K. Schornbaum, Die Steltung des MarkgraJen Kasimir von Brandenburg zur reformatorischen Bewegung . . 162.4--.87, Nuremberg, 1900; idem, Zur Potitik des MarkgraJen Georg von Brandenburg . . . 16.88-3.9, Munich, 1906; T. Tiolde, Andrews Althamer, Erlangen, 1895; ADB, ali. 554.