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RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA

Stephen Stephen

turica, had been deposed as being libellatici (see LAP81), a certain Sabinus was elected bishop of Emerita. But the deposed bishops appealed to Stephen, and he fell back upcll the principle ad vanced by Calixtus that a bishop can not be deprived of office, and would not acknowledge their deposition. He does not seem to have carried his point, however, for the Spaniards asked the advice of African Chris tians who confirmed the Spaniards in their position. Stephen was involved in dispute also with Cyprian of Carthage (q.v.) on the question o f the baptism of her etics. Cyprian argued against the pope that convert ed heretics should be rebapti:.ed, which Stephen regarded as an offense against the tradition of the Roman church, which was based on Peter and Paul (see HERETIC BAPTISM, § 1). While Stephen did not claim the position of bishop over the whole church, whose decisions were to be obeyed everywhere, as the successor of Peter he claimed to act as the represent ative of the Roman tradition and required uncon ditional obedience to it. (A. HAUCK.) BIBLIOGRAPHY: Sources are: La3er p>ontificalis, ed. Momm sen in MGH, Gest. poet. Rom., i (1898), 33; Cyprian, Epist., Ixvi., lsxi (lxviii., lxxii.; Eng. trawsl. In ANF, v. 367 369, 378-379); Eusebius, Hist. ecc!., VIII., ii. sqq., Eng. transl. in NPNF, 2 ser, i. 293 sq4.. · Jaffe ReDesta i. 20 Consult further: J. Ernst, Papst Stephen 1. cared der Ket zeMaufstreit, Mainz, 1905; J. Langen, Geschichte der romi achert Kirche, i. 313, Gotha, 1881; Harnaek, Litteratur, i. 410, 425, 658, ii. 2, pp. 62, 348, 356 sqq. et passim; idem, Dogma, ii. 87 sqq., et passim; Bower, Popes, i. 30 34; Platina, Popes, i. 52-53; Milman~ Lathe Christianity, i. 88-90; DCB, iv. 727-730 (valuable); and the literature under HERETIC BAPTISM.

Stephen IL: Pope 752-751. The policy of Stephen was conditioned by the relation of Rome to the Lombards. After .Gregory III. had songht in vain the aid of Charles Martel against Lombardic aggression, Pope Zacharias had both maintained peace with his dangerous neighbors and had gained the objects of the papal policy without foreign aid. But his death seemed to the bombards the opportune moment to realize their steady aim, -the incorporation under their rule of the remainders of Gieek dominion in Italy (see PAPAL STATES). Stephen sent an embassy to Kin; Aistulf in order to obtain the maintenance of peace, but Aistulf summarily rejected all overtures z.nd seems to have doubted (possibly with reason) the pope's good faith. Stephen, therefore, in 753, after failing in obtaining help from Constantinople, sought the aid of the Franks. Pippin was inclined tC grant the requests of the pope, seeing that he owed. much of his power to the spiritual authority of Peter's successor. At a personal meeting with the pope in Jan., 754 after considerable negotiation through embassies, Pippin agreed to conquer the exarchate of Ravenna and to deliver to the pope these territories, and to force Aistulf to renounce claim to dominion over Rome. The pope himself spoke of placing the Roman church and the Roman people under the protection of the Frankish king.

Stephen remained during the winter in St. Denis, and' Pippin began to fulfil his promises by sending an embassy to Aistulf requesting him to comply with the Roman demands, but in vain. At the Frankish assemblies of Bernaco (Braisne near Soissons or Berny-Rivi6re in Aisne) and (iarlSiaCUS (Ruierzy

and that of the letter of Barnabas have been regarded as related, seeming (wrongly) to point to postapostolic times. The epithet of " uncircumcised in heart and ears " goes back upon prophetic expression, though a spiritualizing of circumcision is excluded by Acts vii. 8. Moses' law is to Stephen " lively oracles " because Stephen saw in Moses the complete antetype of Jesus, who expressed the full content of what Hebrews had possessed since Moses. In Barnabas Jlzdaism is mere externalism, which is opposed to Christianity as the free religion of the Spirit. The representation of Barnabas is totally different from that of Stephen, especially in the significance given to Moses. Similarly in Heb. iii. rr6 the religion of the Old Testament is the incomplete antetype of that of the New, Moses being the servant, Christ the Son. While the representation of Stephen reminds also of Philo, no connection between Philo and Stephen is to be traced.

Acts pictures Stephen as the forerunner of Paul, and as such many still regard him, although it is true only in a. limited sense. In Christianity Stephen saw the divine revelation of the Old Testament; Paul, a new religion in contrast with it. Stephen saw in the law the living divine word; Paul, a mediating instrument which could not give life (Gal. iii. 17-21). The mission to the Gentiles was not within Stephen's ken; for Paul this was the essence of his apostolic call. Yet the persecutors of Stephen rightly felt that there was in his stand danger to the exclusive= ness and absoluteness of the revelation to Israel, and the persecuting zeal of the Pharisaic Saul had justification therein. It is notable that against Paul practically the same charge was brought as against Stephen (cf. Acts vi. 13 with xxi. 28). The Church early began to celebrate St. Stephen's day, in general on Dec. 26, though in some places on Jan. 7. The legends regarding him are collected in Tillemont, AJemoires (vol. ii., Paris, 1701). (P. FEINE.)

B113LIOGRAPHY: The literature on the Acts (given under Luke) in the shape of commentaries and introductions discusses the literary and other features of the narrative; while works on the Apostolic Age discuss the history. Consult: F. Nitzsch, in TSK, 1860, pp. 479-502; F. C. Baur, Paulus, i. 39-62, Tiibingen, 1868; W. J. Conybeare and J. S. Howson, Life, Times and Travels of St. Paul, i. 66-77, New York, 1869; E. Zeller, Contents and Origin of Acts, i. 237-246, ii. 175-176, London, 1875; F. W. Farrar, Life and Work oj St. Paul chap. viii. 2 vole. London 1879 and often; W. Schmidt, Bencht der Apostelpeschichte fiber Stephanus (Programm), 1882; A. Sabatier, The Apostle Paul, pp. 39 i6, London, 1891; K. Schmidt, Beweis des GlauSens, 1892, pp. 69-86; J. Weiss, in TSK, 1893, pp. 489-501; C. von Weizsaeker, The Apostolic Age, i. 6271, New York and London, 1894; A. Hilgenfeld, in ZyVT, 1895, pp. 384-412; A. C. McGiffert, Apostolic Age, pp. 78-93, New York, 1897· W. M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller, pp. 372-377, London, 1897; Kraniehfeld, in TSK, 1900, pp. 541-562; B. W. Bacon, in Biblical and Semitic Studies, pp. 211-276, New Haven, 1902; O. Pfleiderer, Das Urchristenlum, 3d ed., Berlin, 1902, Eng. transl., Primitive Christianity, New York, 1908: R. Schumacher, Der Diakon Stephanus, Munster, 1910; Soltau,in ZNTyV, 1903, pp. 142-150; Tillemont, M6moires, ii (1701), 1-23; KL, u. 771-774; DB, iv. 813-615; EB, iv. 4787-97.

STEPHEN, sti'vn: The name of nine popes.

Stephen I.: Pope May 254-Aug. 257. He was intent upon the elevation of the position of the bishops in general and of his o,,,vn position as bishop of Rome in particular. After certain Spanish bishops, Basilides of Emerita and Marti&lis of Legio and AsXT.-6

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