Spieker, Ciikistian' Wit.HKi.M, a Protestant di- vine of (iermany, was born .\pril 7, 17;^0, at Branden- burg. He studied at Halle, where in 1804 he was also instructor at the pKdagogiimi. In 1800 he was made professor of theologv and deacon at Frankfort-on-the- Oder, in 1818 superintendent and first pastor, and died there May 10, 18,i8. Spieker was a voliniiinous writer. Of his writings we mention, .1 iisi/ewd/ilh' ^Schriftm Jar chrullich'' Erbnunng (Leips. 18,i.5, 4 vols.): — Andachls- buch fur ijMbkte Christen (ibid. 18tJ0, 9th ed.) :— /Ms flerni Alx-ndiiuihl (ibid. 18()8, 8th ed.) : — Dns auysbui-- ffisrhe Gliiuhensht'kennlmss laid die Apolofjie desselben (Berlin, 1830, 2 vols.): — Kitchen- ii. lieformcitinm- geschirhte der Mark lirandenbtir;/ (ibiil. 1839 sq. ). See Zuchold, liihl. Thenb,;/. ii, 124,5 sq.; Theolog. Uiti- rer.*(d- Li-j-ikon, s. v. ; \\'iner, lliindhiich der theoloyi- tchen l/tlerttlur, iii, 184, 977 ; Reriensbiir;/er Conversa- liiM-Lexikon, s. v.; Fllrst, liibliolh. Juduica, iii, 358. (IJ. I'.)
Spiera, FuANCKSfo. an Italian in the days of the Kefurinaiion wlui abjured the Evangelical faith, which he hail fc.r a time professed, and then l)ecame the prey of reinc.rsefid despair until he died. The history of his lapse and sufferings excitcfd immense interest, and ac- quaintance with the circumstances of the ca.se caused at least one conversion, that of I'aul Vergerius (q. v.). Various observers recorded the facts, among them Ver- gerius, I)r. M.(;rii)aldus. professor of civil law at I'adna, I)r. Henriius .Scotus, and Dr. .Sigismund (ielous, pro- fessor of philosophy at Padua, whose reports are yet extant, and form the basis of older and more recent (ieruian revisions of the story. The latest are Hoth, r.Spiinig /,,b>iuienile (Nuremberg, l«29); and Sixt, in /•eiriii J'litilitg Verrferiui (Brunswick, 1855), p. 125-
i<;o.
Spiera was a jurist and attorney in the little town of Ciiadelln, near Paihia, excessively avaricious and capa- ble of employing the most disreputable measures to se- cure his ends, and e the h'ss possessed of talent and
el.Mpjenre. He acquired a consideralile fortune, and row to prominent position among his neighbors. He wasnlw. happily married, and the father of eleven chil- dren. In about 1542, when about forty-four years of age, he was awakeuiil, aiul began to repent ofhis worldli- ncM. At this preci.se juncture the Kcformaiion began
to assert itself with vigor in Italy, and Spiera heard the message of salvation through the death of Christ. It tilled him with transcenileiU joy, and under its impulse he felt constrained to declare to others the riches of sal- vation, that they might partake of similar felicities. He had faith, and also feeling, the highest enjoyment of faith; he was accordingly in danger of confounding faith with the subjective feelings, and of neglecting a moral approjiriation to himself of the atonement as act- ualized by faiih. In point of fact, he seems to have been more concerned to (iroclaim the good news to oth- ers than to regulate his life by the knowledge he had obtained. To qualify himself to preach, he gave him- self to an incessant study of the Scriptures, assisted by ancient and modern theological books; and soon after- wards he proclaimed the new doctrine in every part of the little town. It is remarkable that he preacheil, on the one hand, the doctrine of justification by faith in the merits of Christ without meritorious works, and, on the otiier, protested against the errors and abuses of the liomish Church, but that he did not emphasize the doc- trine of repentance. He seems never to have clearly ap()rehended the need oi repentance, and while rejoic- ing in his spiritual ecstasies and intent on the conver- sion of others, he continued for himself the old sinful l)ractices without much change from his earlier habits. His course pnxiuced much excitement and gained liim many followers, so that the influence of the village priests was greatly impaired, and thev were induced, about six months after Spiera's entrance on his new ca- reer, to lay charges against him before the legate Delia Casa at Venice. The latter at once proceeded in the case by the hearing of a number of witnesses, and as- sured himself of the co-operation of the counsel for the .State, and Spiera at once lost heart. He had never ex- perienced a real conflict with his old self, and was not qualified to enter on this conflict unto death. He hast- ened to present himself before the legate, even before he was summoned, and when required signed a revoca- tion of everything he had taught in opposition to the Clnirch, together with a plea for forgiveness. He was then compelled to return to his home and read in the Church a prescrilicd (V)rmula of abjuration, which he did on Sunday, in the presence of more than two thousand people, and was fined thirty ducats, of which five were given to the priest.
Immediately on Spiera's return to his house the ter- rors of the judgment and eternal perdition came upon his soul, even lo the prostrating ofhis physical strength. He coulil not leave his bed, and lost his appetite for food, though a raging thirst tormented him. After six months he was taken to Padua, where three leading physicians took him in charge, and a number of learned and pious men ministered to his soul. Every endeavor was in vain, and as the case was exciting too much interest in Padua, he was taken back to his home, where he con- tinued to reject food except as physical force conii)elled him to receive it, and often sought to lay violent hands on himself. The ingi'nuity he had cidtivateil in the perversion of his legal jjraclice now returned to plague him. and prevented him from deriving comfort from the promises of the (iospel. He believed himself to have committed the sin against the Holy (ihosi. and declared that (iod had reprobated him. so that none of the ]irom- ises were for him. The intolerable sense of his sin at limes caused him to roar like a beast; but it is appar- ent that he foinid it easier to give way to despair than to repent — a possible indication that he found a certain satisfaction in his sufferings. The Homish religionists who sought to give rest to his mind, and the supersti- tious practirioners who thought that exorcisms and dead saints n)ight heal his malady, probalily intensilied the misehief, as ."Melaucthon .already observed ; at any rate, .Spiera experienced no relief, and died in convulsions of despair in the autimin of 1548. — Herzog, Rviil-EiicyUnp. s. v.