BAUMGARTEN, SIGISMUND JAKOB, D.D., was born at Wollmirstadt 14th March 1706. He was educated at Halle, first in the Orphan House, afterwards at the University. After passing through various subordinate offices he became Professor of Theology in that University in t 743. He was the most famous theological professor of his day, having usually as many as from 30o to 400 students attending his lectures, and so casting all his col leagues into the shade that when he announced his intention to lecture on any branch, it was tanta mount to an intimation that none of them need attempt to venture into the same field, as they had no chance of an audience. He was an indefatigable student and lecturer, and his published works relate to almost every department of inquiry. In theology he followed the method of Wolf ; reducing all the dogmas of the science to the most rigid schensatism, and presenting theology as bare of life and spirit as it is possible to conceive.
Though himself orthodox in his teachings, he occu pied a position of antagonism to the Pietist school, and introduced a spirit of rationalising in religion, which, carried out to its full extent by his pupil and admirer Semler, led to that revolution in German theology from which its students are as yet only beginning to return. His exegetical writings are his feeblest productions, unless perhaps we except his sermons. He wrote Auslegung der Briefe Pauli an die Gal., Epic., Phil., Col. and Them., edited by Semler, Halle, 1767 ; Ausleg. der Br. Pauli an die Romer, Halle, 1749 ; Ausleg. der Briefe an die Cor., edited by Noesselt, Halle, 1761 ; Erklizrung der Br. an die Heb., edited by Maschen and Sem ler, Halle, 1763 ; and a work on Hermeneutics. He died at Halle 4th July 1757.—W. L. A.