MONHEIM, men'haim, JOHANN: German Roman Catholic, evangelical in type; b. at or near EIberfeld 1509 (?); d. at Düsseldorf Sept. 9, 1564. Educated at Münster and the University of Cologne, he was rector of the cathedral school at Essen in 1532-36, then in like position at Cologne until 1545, when he became rector of an institution founded by his patron, Duke William of Jdlich-Cleve-Berg, at Düsseldorf, where he remained until his death. Under his guidance the school attained high prestige and an attendance surpassing that of most universities. As an author Monheim showed his pedagogical devotion by restricting himself to educational themes. After revising a catechism of C. Hegendorfer (Wesel, 1547), he published (Cologne, 1551) two catechisms based on Erasmus. The point of view is essentially Roman Catholic, the doctrines of purgatory and the seven sacraments being maintained, although communion in both kinds is advocated for the laity. After his death appeared his commentary on the Gospel and epistle for each day of the year (Cologne, 1569), the translation used being that of Erasmus.

The most noteworthy work of Monheim, however, was his Catechismus in quo christiante r eligionis elements syncere simpliciterque explicantur (Düsseldorf, 1560), which was momentous for the ecclesiastical development of western Germany in that it was the first catechism of Evangelical spirit to appear on the lower Rhine. Deviating from its author's former Erasmian position, in its eleven dialogues it treats of God, man, the law (exegesis of the Decalogue), faith (exegesis of the Apostles' Creed), justification, prayer (exegesis of the Lord's Prayer), the sacraments in general, baptism, the Eucharist, penance, and the other sacraments. The material is borrowed largely from Calvin's "Institutes," with reminiscences of the Geneva

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catechism and of Luther's smaller catechism. In the section on the Eucharist there is an unmistakable effort to preserve a middle course between Geneva and Wittenberg, and in the dialogues on the Church and the sacraments the author endeavors to retain certain Roman Catholic traditions with a Protestant basis. The work is, therefore, unionistic in spirit.

It was, ae ordingly, not surprising that Monheim incurred the displeasure of the Jesuits, and the Ceneurd et dodo explicatio errorum calechismi JoarH nia Monhemii (Cologne, 1560), inspired by them, marks the first noteworthy Jesuit. polemics against Protestantism in Germany. Attack after attack was made on Monheim. The papal nuncio Commendone implored the duke to remove him, the cardinal legates of the Council of Trent were invoked, and the Jesuits persuaded the emperor to request the duke to banish Monheim. But all was in vain; the duke at most forbade his protegd to defend himself publicly and prohibited the use of the catechism. Monheim was also defended in J. Anastasius' Bekenntnia von derv wahren Letbe Christi gegen der Papisten abgottische Masse (1561), H. Hamelmann's Resolutio duodecimi articuli in canaura theologorum Colonienaium de catechism M. Johannis Monhemii (1561), H. Artopaeus's Ad theologastrorum Colonienaium rensuram responsio pro defensaane catech'ismi Johannis Monhemii (Grenoble, 1561), and, above all, in Martin Chemnitz's Theologise Jesuitarum prswipua capita (1562). Polemics for and against him continued after his death, the chief work being Chemnitz's monumental Examen cs»waii Trcdentini (1565-73).

(E. Simons.)

Bibliography: F. E. Koldewey, in ZWT, 1899; C. W. Kortdm Nachrirht über das Gymnasium zu DVeaeldorj im 16 Jahrhundert, Dilismldorf, 1819; C. Krafft, Die golkhrte Schule au D4eseldorJ, ib1853 A sketch of Monheim's life appears in C. H. Sack's ed. of the Catechism, Bonn, 1847.