The Roman Catholics belong to the ancient diocese of JMentz (q. v.), which is now a suffragan see to the archbishop of Freibiu-g. Tlie diocese, which, besides Hesse-Darmstadt, comprises a few parishes in the for- mer landgravate of Hesse-Homburg, had (1865) 158 par- ishes in 17 deaneries. A faculty of Roman Catholic the- ology was fonnerly connected with the University of Giessen ; but in 1848 the bishop of Mentz forbade all students of theology to attend the theological lectures of the (prominently Protestant) University, and estab- lished a new theological seminary at Mentz. The the- ological faculty, deserted by all the students, had soon to be suppressed. Of monastic institutions, there were in 1865 houses of the Jesuits, Capuchins, Brothers of the Christian Schools, Englische Friiulein, Sisters of Char- ity, and other female congregations, with 244 member*. At tlie beginning of the centur\',the most liberal senti- ments prevailed among the majority of the clergy, in- cluding even the canons of the cathedral church, and the professor of theological faculty of the University ; but since the appointment of the ultramontane bishop of Ketteler (1850), these liberal sentiments have been to a very large extent weeded out or repressed. See Her- zog, Real-Enq/klopddie, vi, 29 ; Wiggers, Kirckl. Statis- lik, ii, 207 ; Neher, Kirchl. Geographie und Statistik, ii, 311. (A.J. S.)
Hes.se von Hessentein, Joiiaxn, bom at Nu- remberg Sept. 21, 1487, studied theology at Leipzig and Wittenberg, and became a priest during a stay in Italy. On his return to Germany his relations became inti- mate with Luther, to whose influence is attributed the deep Christian experience which characterize the pro- ductions of his pen. Hesse is considered one of the tirst German sacred poets, and many of his h^-mns are simg in the German churches of to-day. — 'N^^olif, Encyklop. d. deutsch. Naiionallit. iv, 83. (J. H. W.)
Hesshusen (Hessiiusius), Tilemann, a Lutheran theologian, was born November 3, 1527, at Wescl, in Cleves. In his youth he travelled over France, England, Denmark, and Germany ; after which he went to Wit- tenberg, where, in 1550, he became master of arts, and soon made his mark as a preacher. In 1552, when but twenty-five years old, he was appointed pastor of Gos- lar, aiid in 1553 was made D.D. But his peculiarities of mind and temper prevented his remaining long in any post. Always in conflict with the authorities, his friend IVIelancthon in vain prociu-ed him several advan- tageous situations, seciuiig him, when but thirty years old, the nomination as professor of theology at Heidel- berg, superintendent of the Palatinate, and president of the Chiurch Comicil, which he lost again two years after, in 1559, after a bitter controversy with Klebitz (q. v.) on the doctrine of the Lord's Supper. He fought the same battle again with A. Hardenberg at Bremen. See
HESYCHASTS
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Crypto-Calvimsm. Having finally sought a refuge in his native city of Wesel, he was driven from it in 1564 for writing his Unterschied zwischen d. u-ahren ka- iholischen Lehre d. Kirche u. z. d. Irrthiimern d. Papisten u. d. romischen Antichrists, which highly displeased the government. After varied fortunes, he was in 1573 ap- pointed bishop of Sameland ; but, having there awaken- ed great opposition, his doctrines were condemned by a synod in 1577, and he himself was afterwards driven out of the comitry. Shortly after he entered on his last situation as the leading professor of theology of the Uni- versity of Helmstiidt, where he died. Sept, 25, 1588. Diu-- ing his whole career as a controvertist, Hesshusen was a strong advocate of extreme Lutheranism, against the Melancthonian Synergists. See Synergistic Contro- versy. After the promulgation of the Formula of Con- cord (q. v.), he opposed it (having subscribed it in 1578) on the ground that certain changes had been made in it before pubUcation. Under his influence, the University of Hehnstildt withdrew its sanction from the Formida. Among his writings, the most important are his Com- mentar ii. d. Psahnen : — De justijicatione peccatoris co?-am Deo {1587):— Examen Theoloyicuin (Helmstadt, 1586). See Jno. Ge. Leuckfeld, Hist. Heshusiana (Quedlinburg, 1716); Herzog, Peal-Enq/Ho]}. vi, i9 ; Flanck, Gesch. d. Prot. Theol. ; Gass, Geschichte d. Prot. Theol. voL ii.
Hesychasts (Greek yavxnffTai, yavxa^fiv, to be quiet), a party of Eastern monks of the l-lth centurj', on Mount Athos. They taught a refined and exaggerated mysticism, or quietism (q. v.), seeking " tranquillity of mind and the extinction of evil passions bj' contempla- tion." They believed that all who arrive at the bless- edness of seeing God may also arrive at a tranquillity of mind entirely free from perturbation, and that all en- joying such a state may have visual perception of di- vine light, such as the apostles saw when they beheld His glory shining forth m the transfigiu-ation. The monk Barlaam (q. v.), who afterwards became bishop of Gerace, dm-ing a visit to the East, learned the doc- trines and usages of these quietistic monks, and at- tacked them ^^olently. They were vigorously defended by Palamas, aftenvards bishop of Thessalonica. The charges brought against them were not merely that they professed to seek and obtain a divine and super- natural light not promised in Scripture, but also that the means they used were fanatical and absurd. These means included contemplation, introversion, and ascetic practices; especially it was said that they were accus- tomed to seat themselves in some secret corner, and fix their eyes steadfastly upon the navel, whence they were called 6i.i(l)a\6\pvxoi. As the fruit of such contempla- tion, a divine light, they said, such as that which shone on Tabor, was diffused through their souls. Palamas defended this theory by makuig a distmction between the essence (ovaia) of God and his activity {tvfpytia), asserting that the latter, though eternal and imcreated, is yet communicable. To the charge that they thus claimed directly to see God, inasmuch as this uncreated light must be either of the substance or of the attributes of God, they replied that the divine light radiated from God through ivipyna, but was not God. The whole matter was Ijrought before a council at Constantinople in 1341, and the decision tending favorably to the Hesy- chasts, Barlaam retreated to Italy. But his cause was taken up by another monk, George Acyndinus, who at- tacked the doctrine of Palamas and the usages of the Hesychasts. He also lost his case before a synod at Con- stantinople. After the death of the emperor Androni- cus, however, who had favored Palamas and the Hesy- chasts, things took a different turn for a while in favor of the Barlaamites; but after the triumph of the em- peror John Cantacuzenus, who favored the other side, a synod at Constantinople, in 1351, approved the doctrine of the Hesychasts, especially the distinction between ovala and iv'spyiia, and excommmiicated Acjnidinus and Barlaam. The sources of information on these pro- ceeduigs are the Uistoria of John Cantacuzenus (ii, 39 ;