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267 RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA sohwenotield
durance even after his exaltation. In his formal expression of this, he more nearly approximated Eutychianism (q.v.) and brought to view a number of paradoxical phrases rather than a clear representation of a state of reality. The work of Christ is considered as the winning of salvation through the historic Christ, and the dispensation of salvation through the glorified Christ. According to G. L. Hahn both propositions comprise: (1) redemption from the power of the devil; (2) purification of human nature from sin, or justification; and (3) emancipation from the state of the creature and adoption into the state of sonship, or regeneration; the entire emphasis falling upon the distributive activity of the exalted Christ, and the acceptance of the same by faith. And here, again, Schwenckfeld lays greater stress on moral and religious transformation, than on justification; though the latter is not altogether eliminated. This appears most evidently in the sentence: " God regards no one righteous in whom there is none of his essential righteousness " (Epistolar, i. 812). These conceptions, however, are not original with Schwenckfeld. Likewise in his mystical conception of faith and resignation, he no more than reflects medieval heritage.
IV. The Schwenckfeldians: Personally Schwenekfeld occupied a neutral posi'don (" the middle way ") between the great ecclesiastical and religious parties of his time; and he was desirous of gaining this neutral status for his adherents as well. These, therefore, withdrew quietly from the organized Church; adopting, at first, the designation " Confessors of the Glory of Christ," and after 1539 that of " Schwenckfeldians." They grouped themselves in individual congregations, and soon acquired the more or less distinct character of a sect. Congregations grew up most numerously in the two regions where Schwenckfeld had carried on his personal propaganda, Silesia and Swabia, and in the towns where he had sojourned. Beside these, G&rlitz, Glatz, Goldberg, Lowenberg, Jauer, and Wohlau became permanent sites of considerable congregations. At a comparatively early date, the movement also took root in Prussia. Schwenckfeld had become personally acquainted with Duke Albrecht (see ALBRECHT of PRUSSIA), and sought to win both him and the foremost theologians in Prussia; Paul Speratus (q.v.), for instance. Especially in Southern Prussia, there was a strong favorable movement between 1530 and 1535; but it declined after a colloquy at Rastenburg in 1531, and after the leading theologians and the duke declared themselves more and more adversely. At the present stage of research, a prolonged, in main outline intelligible history of the Schwenekfeldians appears only, beside at Landau in the Rhenish Palatinate, in WVrttemberg and specially in Silesia. Duke Christopher of Wilrttemberg issued a stern restriction against them in 1554, though some traces of them were still evident in the seventeenth century. In Silesia the congregations increased, toward the close of the sixteenth century, by receiving Anabaptists, and in the seventeenth century, through the accession of the adherents of Jakob Boehine (q.v.). But they retained the Schwenckfeldian type, as shown by
confessions published at the beginning of the eight eenth century. During the entire seventeenth cen tury, they flourished principally in the vicinity of Goldberg; but at the beginning of the eighteenth attention was drawn to them by means of an ad verse tract. As a result a confession of faith was demanded of them, and in 1720 the Emperor Charles VI. despatched a Jesuit coercive mission against them, which, however, did not effect their exter mination. A part of them emigrating into Saxony were denied tolerance and proceeded successively to Holland, England, and to eastern Pennsylvania in the United States. When Frederick the Great had taken possession of Silesia, he not only granted them tolerance, by an edict of 1742, but also res toration of their confiscated properties. Their con gregations are famed for their earnest piety and sound morality. R. H. GRtITTZMACHER. The Schwenckfeldians, or Schwenckfelders, are found in this country only in Pennsylvania. In 1734 some 200 of Schwenckfeld's followers emigrated to America and settled in Bucks, Berko, and con tiguous counties in Pennsylvania. They have al ways been opposed to war, secret societies, and the judicial oath. Their doctrines are drawn from the Bible in the light of the indwelling Word. They hold that the higher nature of Christ was progress ive, rising steadily from the human into the divine, and that faith, justification, and regeneration mean a positive change and that the constant aim in Christian life should be Christ-likeness. Discipline is strictly maintained. There are district confer ences and a .general conference in which all members without distinction of sex are entitled to sit. The Schwenckfeldians support missions at home and also, through other societies, in China, India, and Japan. There are 8 ministers, 8 churches, and 827 commu nicants. The number of churches has doubled, and the number of communicants more than doubled, since 1800. H. K. CARROLL.BIHLIOa8AY8r: The full edition of the Works of Schwenckfeld his never been published, but one is projected under the editorship of C. D. Hartranft and others, see below, Corpus Sckwenekfeldianorum. The Schri$ten as published, to which reference is made in the text, is the 4 folio-volumes edition, i. Der crate Theil der christlichen orthodoxischen Bacher, 1564; ii. Epistolar, 1st part, 1588; iii. Epiatolar, 2d part, vol. i., 1570; iv. Epistolar, 2d part, vol. ii., 1520. Consult: J. Wigand, De Schwenckfeldiamo, Leipsie, 1587; G. Arnold, Ksreken- and Ketzerhistoris, H. 241 sqq 4 vols., Frankfort, 1700-15; C. A. Salig, Vollatandipe Historic der augspurpischen Konfesaion, book Xl., Halls, 1730; G. L. Hahn, Schwenckfeldii sententia de Christi persona et opere, Wmtislaw, 1847; H. W. Erbkam, Geschichte der proteatantischen Sekten im Zeitalter der Reformation, Gotha, 1848; O. Kadelbaeh, AuafiArliche Geschichte Sch·ienkfeldta and der Schwenkfeldtianer, Lauban, 1881; Hampe, Zur Biwraphie Kaspar von Schwenckfeld, Jauer, 1882; F: Hoffmann, Kaspar Schwenekfelds Lebea and Lehren, Berlin, 1897; R. H. GrUtzmacher, Wort and Geist, J 18, Leipsic, 1902; H. W. Kriebel, The Schwenkfelders in Pennsylvania, Lancaster, 1904; Corpus Schwenckfeldianorum. Published under the Auspices of the Sehwenekfetder Church, and the Hartford Theological Seminary, vol. I., A Study of the earliest Letters of Caspar Schwenckfeld v. Oasig, ed. C. D. Hartranft, O. B. Schlutter, and E. E. Schultz Johnson, Leipsic, 1907; F. W. Loetecher, Schwenckfeld'a Participation in the Eucharistic Controversy of the 16th Century, Philadelphia, 1907; A. A. Seipt, Schwenekfelder Hymnology and -the Sources of as First Schwenckfelder Hymn-book Printed in America. Philadelphia, 1909; ADB, -xiii. 403-412,