Merz, Philipp Paul

Merz, Philipp Paul a German theologian, as born at Augsburg near the close of the seventeenth century. After having been received as a candidate for orders in the evangelical ministry in 1724, he suddenly turned to Romanism; was subsequently ordained a priest, and became the curate of Schwabsoyen, and sometime afterwards retired into his native city. He died in 1754. He wrote Thesaurus Biblicus (Augsburg, 1733-38, 1751, 1791, 2 vols. 4to; Venice, 1758, 4to). This work is very useful to preachers. At the end of each important word it contains a reference to such passages of Scripture as bear upon it. Merz also published Quotlibet Catecheticum (Augsburg, 1752, 5 vols. 4to), which is a complete and methodical abstract of the best catechisms then extant. See Zapf, Augsburgische Bibliothek, p. 11; Veith, Bibliotheca Augustana; Meusel, Gelehrten-Lexikon, s.v.