Glasius, Godgeleerd Nederland, biz. 4G0 en verv, ; (7e- schiedenis dtr Christelijke Kerk in Nederland door B. ter Haar, W. Moll, E. P. Sh-ciIuc, etc., ii Deel, biz. 593 en verv. (Amsterd. 1800) ; Evangelische Gezanr/en, in- troduced in 1807. (J. P. W.)
Felgenhauer, Paul, a Protestant theosophist ana mj-stic, was the son of a Lutheran clergyman in Bohe- mia. He was born at Putschvviz, in Bohemia, in 1G"20, He studied medicine at the University' of Wittenberg, but soon after returning to his native country appeared (16"20) in public as a writer on theological subjects. In his Chronology he maintained that Christ was born in the year 4235 after the creation of the world, and as the world was not to last more than GOOO years, it ought to come to an end in A.D. 17G5. As, however, the time was to be shortened on account of the elect, he assumed that the end of the world would occur before that year, although he claimed no special revelations on the subject. In his Zeitspiegel he denounced the corruption of the Church and of the Lutheran clergy. The persecution of Protestantism in Bohemia compelled him to leave his country. He first (1G23) went to Amsterdam, where he published a number of mj'stic and alchemic writings, the theological views of which may be reduced to Sabcllianism and Monophj'sitism, resting on a pantlieistic and cabalistic basis. The large circulation of some of his works alarmed the Lu- theran clergy, and many wrote against him. Not satisfied with this, the clergj^ of Hamburg, Lulieck, and Liineburg requested the ministry at Amsterdam to arrest the circulation of the works of Felgenhauer, and the spreading of his views, if necessary, bj' force. From 1635 to 1G39 he lived at Bederkesa, near Bre- men, where he held meetings of his adherents. Ex- pelled from Bremen, he returned to Holland, where he, however, soon left again for Northern Germany. In 1G57 he was arrested by order of the governments of Zelle and Hanover, and imprisoned at Syke. The efiTorts of several Lutheran clergymen to convert him to the Lutheran creed failed. About 1G59 he lived in Hamburg. The j'ear of his death is not known. A complete list of his works (fortj^-six in number) is given in Adelung, Gesch. der menschl. Narrheii, iv, 400. — Herzog, Real-Encykl. iii, 348 ; Arnold, Kirch.-u. Ket- zerhistorle, vol. iii, ch. v. (A. J. S.)
Felibien, Jacques, a Roman Catholic divine, was born at Chartres in 1G3G, and distinguished himself in 3'outh by success in studj', especially of the Scripture. In 1GG8 he became pastor at Vineul; in 1G69, canon of Chartres ; in 1G95, archdeacon of Yendome. Ho died at Cliartres Nov. 23, 171G. Besides various prac- tical works, he wrote Le Symhole des Apotres exjjlique par Vecrilure Sainte (Blois, 1G96, 12mo) : — Comment, in Oseam (Chartres, 1702, 4to) : — Pentateuchus Historicus ex fonte ITebraico, etc. (Chartres, 1703, 4to). This book gave rise to much clamor, and Felibien was obliged to suppress various passages in which he was supposed to have departed from the orthodox interpre- tations. Moreover, as it had been printed with the permission only of the bishop, and without that of the royal censor, the book was suppressed by the govern- ment, and all the printed copies confiscated. — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, xvii, 274.
Felicissimus, the author of a schism in the Church of Carthage in the 3d centurj', was appointed deacon in Carthage by the presbyter Novatus, without a previous understanding with Cyprian, who, a short time before, had been elected bishop. Cyprian de- clared his appointment to be an encroachment upon his episcopal prerogatives, but did not depose him. Dur- ing the Decian persecution Cj'prian was for some time absent from Carthage, and some of the presbyters, who claimed greater rights than Cyprian was willing to concede to them, began to readmit the hipsi to the communion of the Church in consequence of the lihelli pads given by the martyrs, without having an under-
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Rtanding on the subject with Cyprian. The latter re- proached the presbyters with too great hixitj', and sent a commission to Carthage which was to investi- gate tlie conduct of tlie lajm^ and to reguhite tlie sup- port wliich the treasury of the Cliurcli granted in cer- tain cases. Felicissinuis denounced the conduct of Cyprian as an encroachment upon his rights as dea- con, among which belonged, in the Church of Africa, the administration of the treasury of the Church; and he even went so far as to exclude from the communion of his churcli those who should appear before tlie epis- copal commission. He was joined in his opposition by five nresbyters and a number of confessors, and his church became the centre of all the Icqjsi who wished to have their cases decided before the return of Cypri- an. After the return of Cyprian to Carthage in 251, a sj'nod regulated the affair of the lapsi, and excluded Felicissimus and the presbj'ters acting witli liim from the Church. Felicissimus, however, not onh' persist- ed in his opposition, but his part}', strengthened by the accession of several African bishops, elected Fortu- natus, one of the five presbj'ters siding with Felicissi- mus, bishop of Carthage, and sent Felicissimus liim- self to Rome — where, in the mean wliile, the Novatian controversj^ had broken out — for the purpose of gain- ing the Roman bishop Cornelius over to their side. The mission was, however, unsuccessful, and the schism of Felicissimus seems soon after to have be- come extinct. — Herzog, Real-Encyklnp. iv, 349 ; Schaff, Church Ilistonj. (A. J. S.)