GRABE, JOHN ERNEST, was born at Konigsberg. July 10, 1666, and was educated at its university, in which his father Martin Sylvester Grabo was professor of divinity and history. He applied himself diligently to the reading of the fathers, and was led by the perusal of them to question the validity of the ordination of ministers in the Lutheran Church. He therefore resolved to embrace the Roman Catholic faith; but first presented to the ecclesiastical cousiatory at Sambia in Prussia a memorial containing his doubts and difficulties.
Three Lutheran divioes were commanded by the elector of Brandon burg to reply k this, but, unable to convince him, they recommended him to go to England, where he would find a clergy which derived their right to the ministry from apostolical succession. In accordance with their advice he came to England, where he was well received by William IIL, who settled a pension upon him. He took orders in the Church of England, and was made D.D. by the University of Oxford, April 26, 1706. He died in Loudon, November 13, 1711, in his forty fifth year, and was interred in Westminster Abbey. Dr. Hickes has given an interesting account of the life of Dr. Grebe, from which we learn that he was in favour of prayer for the souls of the dead who died in faith, for anointing the sick with oil, for confession and sacerdotal absolution, and that he used to lament that the Reformed churches had discarded mauy primitive customs which were retained in the Roman Catholic Church.
Dr. Grebe published many works, of which the most celebrated is his edition of the Septuagint, printed at Oxford in 4 vols. fol. and 8 vole. 8vo., 1707-1720. The text of this edition was founded upon the Alexandrian manuscript nom iu the British Museum. He only lived to superintend the publication of the first and fourth volumes ; the second and third, published after his death, were edited respectively by Dr. Lee and Mr. Wigan. Among his other works, the principal are, SS. Patrum; 2 vols. 8vo. Oxf. 1698.9; Justiui Apologia Prima,' 8vo. Oxf. 1700; ' Iremei adversua !anises Libri V.' fol. Oaf. 1702; Epistola ad Millium; 4to. Oxf. 1705, to show that the Alexandrian manuscript of the Septuagint coutains the best version of the Book of Judges, and that the version in the Vatican manuscript is almost a new one, made in the third century; 'An Essay upon two Arabic manuscripts of the Bodleian Library, and the book called the Doctrine of the Apostles, 8vo. Oxf. 1711 ; ' De Forma Consecrationis Eucharistise, hoc eat, Defensio Ecclesia3 °mem contra Romanam,' 8vo. Loud. 1721.