2. Josi';pii Amiskos, professor of theology and canon of Brixen, was born Aug. 15, 1785, at Fliess, and died Jan. 10, 1X44. He was one of the more prominent mor- alists in the Roman Catholic Church, and wrote, Theo- logia Moralis in ('ompendium Redacta (Innspruck, 1827, 4 vols. ; 7th ed. 1855-57) -.—Erziehungslehre (ibid. 1832) : — Biblische Geschichte (ibid. 1840): — Epitome Moralis (ibid. 1K43 ; Hd ed. by Hofmann [J. V,], who edited the lirst part, and by Aichner [18()5], who edited the second part). In 1841 Stapf published a (ierman edition of his Theidogia Murnlis. iniiler the characteristic title Die christliche Moral als A ntu-ort aufdie Frage : Was mils-
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sen wir thin, urn in das Reich Gottes zu gelangen (2(1 p<l. ibid. 1848-50, 3 vols., edited by Hofmann). Stapf be- longed to the most sober-minded Catholic moralists of his time, who regarded the excrescences of the Catholic exercises of virtue as admiranda muffis quam sequenda. See Regeiisburger Conversations- Lexikon, s. v. ; Theolog. Universal- Lexikon, s. v. ; Winer, Handbuch der theol, Li- <era/«r, i,318; ii,787. (B. P.)
Stapfei', Johann, a Swiss Protestant theologian, was born in 1719, and became preacher at Berne, where his sermons were marked with great simplicity, elo- quence, and practical piety, resulting in the conversion of numbers to evangelical truth. He was also professor of theology in the school of that city, and published a Theologia Anulytica (1763, 4to), as well as a metrical version of the Psalms, which has been largely used in the Swiss churches. He died in 1801. His Sermons were collected (Berne, 1761-81, 45 vols. 8vo; with a supplementary vol. in 1805). See Herzog, Real-Ency- klop. s. V.
Stapfer, Johann Friedrich, brother of the preceding, was born in 1718 at Brugg, in the canton of Aargau. After stuch'ing theology and philosophy in Holland and Germany, he returned to Switzerland and became pastor of the important parish of Diesbach, where his vast knowledge rendered him very useful to a wide community. He died in 1775. The following are his works, which are largely tinged with the the- ories of Leibnitz and Wolff: De Conformiiute Opcrum Divinoruni in Mundo Physico et Mystico (Zur. 1741) : — InstitiUiones Theologico-polemicm (ibid. 1752) : — Grund- lagen der wahren Religion (ibid. 1746-54, 13 vols.) : — Die christliche Moral (ibid. 1756-66, 6 vols.). See Her- zog, Real-Encyklop. s. v.
Stapfer, Philipp Albert, a nephew of both the foregoing, was born at Berne, Sept. 23, 1766. After studying at Gottingen, he was appointed professor of belles-lettres in the high-school of his native city in 1792, and during the stormy times tliat followed the French invasion (1798) he was a bulwark against the • unhappy influences resulting in civil and religious life. He retired to privacy in 1804, and died after a long ill- ness, IMareh 27, 1840. Besides contributions to journal- istic literature, he wrote a number of works on religion, philosophy, and morals, and some of a historical and geographical character, wliich are all enumerated in Herzog, Real-Encyklop. s. v.
Staphylus, in Grecian mj'thology, was — 1. A son of Bacchus and Ariadne, an Argonaut. 2. A shepherd of king CEneus, to whom the latter taught the art of preparing wine, after he had himself discovered the grape. 3. A son of Bacchus and Erigone, The former assumed the form of a grape, which Erigone ate. She immediately realized that she was with child, and, in time, gave birth to a son, whom she named Staphylus (a grape'),
Staphylus, Friedricit, a noted theologian of the middle of the 16th century, born at Osnabriick, in Westphalia, Aug. 17, 1512 (O. S.), and educated at Wit- tenberg under Luther and Melancthon, became known chiefly as an ambitious and e([uivocal character, and an active participant in the theological disputes of his time. He was, on the recommendation of Melancthon, made professor of theology in 1546 at the newl\- founded Uni- versity of Konigsberg, and acquired some reputation as a lecturer; but he signalized himself more especially by his quarrels with Gnaphcus ((j. v.) and Osiander (q. v.). The former, who was the poorly paid rector of the Kii- nigsberg Gymnasium, had ventured to express the opin- ion that the theological professors might lecture more diligently in view of the generous remuneration they received, and was in consefjuencc made to suffer petty persecutions from the combined influence of the faculty, composed of Staphylus, Herzog, and Osiander. until they succeeded in having him formally deposed from his of- fice, as a teacher of false doctrine, and publicly excom-
municated, June 9, 1549, The last, though a foreigner and neither a master nor doctor of divinity, was called by duke Albert of Brandenburg to the first theological cliair in the university; and the older professors, con- ceiving that their own claims were thus ignored, en- deavored to bring about his dismissal. Osiander was, however, able to defeat their project, and Staphj-lus in consequence travelled to Germany. Finding Osiander still in favor on his return, he demanded his own dis- missal, which, somewhat to his surprise, was immedi- ately granted; and thereupon he went over to the Ko- man Catholic Church, giving as his only reasons the disagreements of Lutheran theologians and the dangers impending over Protestants. He became councillor to the bishop of Breslau, and aided in a reform of the cler- gy, afterwards rendering valuable services in other di- rections. He established a good school at Neisse, in Silesia. In 1554 he was made imperial councillor, in which capacity he participated in several religious con- ferences, and contributed much towards the advance- ment of the Roman Catholic Church of Austria. While retaining that dignity he was called to Bavaria and made curator of the University of Ingolstadt, whose faculty he improved by the appointing of a number of capable professors. His multifarious labors heightened his reputation to such a degree that he was regarded as the superior of Eck in scholarship and devotion to the Church, and he was rewarded by promotion to the doc- torate of divinity, though he was a layman and married, and by a donation of a hundred gold crowns in money, accompanied with a polite letter of approval from pope Pius IV himself, to which the emperor Ferdinand added a patent of nobility and duke Albert of Bavaria an es- tate. He died of consumption, March 5, 1564, and was buried in the Franciscan church at Ingolstadt. The writings of Staphylus were collected by his son Freder- ick, and published in Latin in 1613 at Ingolstadt. A list of them is given in Kobolt's Gelehrten-Lex. They include works of a polemical character, a Biography of Charles V : — an edition of Diodorus Siculus in Latin, etc. See Nachricht von dem Leben iind Schriften Sta- phyli, in Strobel's Miscellen (Nuremb. 1778), i, 3 sq. ; Hartknoch, Preussische Kirchen-flist, (Francf. ad M. and Leips. 1 686, 4to) ; Arnold [ Gottfried ] , Kirchen- u. Ketzer- Hist. (Francf. ad M.), pt. ii, vol. xvi, ch. viii, xxxviii sq.) ; Salig, Gesch. d. A itgsh. Confession bis 1 555 (Halle, 1730, 4to); Planck, Gesch. d. Enistehitng,Verdnderung n. Bildimg nnseres protest. Lehrbegriffs bis zur Concordien- Forine'l (Leips. 1796, 8vo), IV, ii, 249 sq.— Herzog, Real- Encyklop. s. V.