HEERMANN, JOHANN: German Evangelical preacher, poet, and author of religious tracts; b. at Raudten (43 m. n.w. of Breslau), Lower Silesia, Oct. 11, 1585; d. at Lissa (42 m. s.s.w. of Posen), Poland, Feb. 27, 1647. He studied in his native town as well as at Fraustadt, Breslau, and Brieg, where he supported himself by coaching young noblemen. In 1609 he entered the University of Strasburg, but in 1610 he returned to his home, and in the following year was appointed pastor at Köben. His ill health, combined with domestic trouble and the turmoil of the Thirty Years' War, forced him to resign his pastorate in 1638, whereupon he took up his residence in Lissa, and devoted himself to literary pursuits. As early as his student days at Brieg he had essayed German and Latin poetry with considerable success; and in 1624 he published a volume of Latin poems entitled Epigrammatum lZelli novem, a book which is still of value as containing data for the history of his life. Some of these Latin verses were translated into German by Tobias Petermann, and published under the title Geistliche Buhlschaft (1651). As a German poet Heermann belonged to the school of Martin Opitz, and he was one of the first to apply the latter's system of versification. He marks the transition from the objective hymns of the Reformation to the subjectivity of the Pietists, and is the best religious poet between Luther and Paul Gerhardt. His most important hymn-collections are: Das Schluss-Glocklein (1616); Exercitium pietatis (1630); and Devota musica cordis (1630), which appeared in several editions. His fame as a writer of religious tracts is based on his publications Of passion sermons, such as the Crux Christi (1618) and the Heptalogus Christi (1619); and of funeral sermons, such as Christiante ewavaaias status (1620), and Schola mortis (1628). He also wrote Predigten über die Sonn- and Festtags-Evangelien (1624), and was the author of Presceptorum moralium et sentendiartem libri tres (1644), and of the posthumous Erquickstunden (1656).

(Ferdinand Gehrs.)

Bibliography: T. Waekernagel, J Heermanns geisaiche Lieder, Stuttgart, 1856; K. F. Ledderhose, Dag Leben J. Heermanns, Heidelberg, 1876; K. Goedeke, Grundriss zur Geschichte der deutsden DichtuW, iii. 166 sqq., Dresden, 1886.

HEFELE, h6'fe-le, KARL JOSEPH: German Roman Catholic prelate and ecclesiastical historian;

b. at Unterkochen (45 m. e. of Stuttgart), Württemherg, Mar. 15, 1809; d. at Rottenburg (25 m. s.w. of Stuttgart), Württemberg, June 5, 1893. Early Life and Literary Work. From 1827 to 1832 he studied at Tübingen, and then for a year, at the clerical seminary of Rottenburg, being ordained priest Aug.10, 1833. After holding certain minor posts, he was called, when Möhler went to Munich, to teach church history at Tübingen (as privat-docent 1836, adjunct professor 1837, and professor 1840). His theological education fell in the period of the renaissance of Roman Catholic learning in Germany, when the influence of the eighteenth century philosophy was passing away and being replaced by a generous rivalry between Catholics and Protestants to make the most of their respective doctrines, and, on the Catholic side, to look more deeply into the permanently valuable treasures of the past. Drey and Hirscher were among his teachers; but he owed most to Möhler, who gave him his impulse toward historical work. His first literary work consisted of reviews in the Theologische Quartalschrift from 1834 on, which show his conception of the unity of church history as the development of God's great plan for the world. His first substantive work was a history of the introduction of Christianity into southwestern Germany (Tübingen, 1837). His edition of the Apostolic Fathers with introduction and notes (1839; revised and improved eds. 1842, 1847, 1855) was a meritorious work. That of the Epistle of Barnabas (1840) led the way to a more correct appreciation of this ancient document, which Hefele ascribed, not to the apostle, but to the first decades of the second century. The new school of Roman Catholic historians founded by Möhler had set out to vindicate the claims of their Church against both philosophers and Protestants; and Hefele labored zealously at this task in his occasional articles, as well as in his monograph on Cardinal Ximenes (1844). Following Ranks and Leo, he emphasized the secular character of the Spanish Inquisition, without sufficient regard to its fatal influence on the political and spiritual development of Spain, displaying a good deal of partizan zeal. He took a brief part in political action as a member of the Württemberg House of Deputies from 1842 to 1845--years of conflict, in which a church party made its first efforts to vindicate ecclesiastical liberty against a government which disregarded it. But another way of defending the Church was more in harmony with his nature. He brought up generations of students in his view of the Church, its unity, its past, and its connection between head and members. He was an admirable teacher, attracting students to him by clearness, freshness, and definiteness, as well as by a kindly willingness to be helpful, and he was highly esteemed by his colleagues. Meantime his literary activity was uninterrupted. To the Theologische Qtuartalschrift, of which he was one of the editors from 1839, and to the Neue Si,,, he contributed a variety of articles, some of which he worked over for his Beiträge zur Kirchengeschichte, ArchaolOgie and Liturgik (2 vols., 1864).

But all his other work yields precedence to

200

The Conciliengeschichte. his magnum opus, the Conciliengeschichte, the fruit of years of study (7 vols., Freiburg, 185:-74, 2d ed., vols. i.-vi., viii.-ix., 1873-90; Eng. transl. of vols. i., ii., and part of iii.-to the Second Council of Nicma, 787-by W. R. Clark, 5 vols., Edinburgh, 1883-96). The contents of the work are as follows: Vol. i. goes to the Synod of Gangra; ii., from 381 to the year 553; iii., to the year 813; iv., to 1073; v., to the year 1250; vi., to the year 1409; viii., from 1434 to 1520; ix., to the year 1536. It is universally admired for the breadth of its survey of the field, and for the relatively complete use of its material and unprejudiced historical attitude. The work, of course, is not everywhere based on the same thorough critical examination, and has in places already become antiquated. But it marks a new stage in the study of conciliar action, which in Hefele's hands broadened out into a history of the Church and of the development of dogma.

The Vatican Council.

The book placed him in the first rank of Roman Catholic scholars, and in 1868 won him a place as consultor on the commission to arrange for the approaching Vatican Council. He spent a part of 1869 in Rome on this business, and returned thither the next year to take part in the council as bishop of Rottenburg. On his arrival in Rome, he at once took a prominent place as a leader of the anti-infallibilist minority. His solid learning and his courage did much to hold them together, and he took part in all their important moves, supporting them also by a small book on the question of Honorius published in Naples. It discussed the questions whether Honorius (q.v.) had declared as de fide a heretical proposition ex cathedra, and whether a general council, claiming the right to judge him, had condemned him as a heretic. It attracted great attention, and greatly displeased the majority, calling forth several counterblasts. In the debate of May 17 Hefele delivered an impressive speech, voted non placet in the decisive session of July 13, and supported Haynald's proposal at a meeting of the minority on the 17th to repeat this vote in the public session of the following day; when this fell through, he signed the solemn protest of the minority to the pope, and left Rome before the final vote was taken. The next few months were full of doubt and difficulty for him. He had at first decided not to proclaim the new dogma in his diocese; but at last, after giving up hope of concerted action on the part of the bishops in the minority, and under pressure from the nuncio at Munich and the Ultramontane party in his diocese, he published it on Apr. 10, 1871. He explained his position clearly, saying that he did not regret the stand he had taken at the Council, and expressing a hope that future conciliar treatment of the parts of the program left unfinished might remove the misgivings which had forced him to take it. On the ground that an authoritative exposition of the definition was still lacking, he gave one of his own which softened it as much as possible. His submission was received with bitter reproaches by the Old Catholics and by others, and unworthy motives were freely imputed. But there is no doubt that it was only the logical outcome of a life devoted to maintaining the unity of the Church, to which he felt bound to bring even this costly sacrifice. His remaining years were spent in untiring work in his diocese, to which he had restored peace by his decision. This left him little time for writing, though he succeeded in completing the revision of the first four volumes for the new edition of his great work, which was completed by the addition of two more volumes by Cardinal Hergenröther. He left behind him in Württemberg the memory of an unselfish, lovable personality, revered far beyond the bounds of his own Church.

(A. Hegler+.) K. HOLL.

Bibliography: No complete biography has yet appeared. Consult A. Werfer, in Deutschlande Episkopat in Lebenebildern, iv. 2, Würzburg, 1875; Funk, in TQS, laavi. 1 sqq.; Deutschen Volkeblatt, 1893, nos. 127-129; and Gran Gott, vol. a., nos. 4-6. Other phases of Hefele's activities are discussed in: J. Friedrich, Geschichte des vatikaniechen %onzile, vol. i-iii., part 2, Bonn, 1877-97; H. Roth, Dr. K. J. von Hefele, 1894.