THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
as his Umschreibung und Erklarung des Vater Unsers als Anleituttg zuin irahrhaft evangelischen Gebetsleben im Gegensatz gegen die Mariengebete; a Sermon von dreierlci heilsamer Beichte, as guide to Evangelical confession in opposition to auricular confession; and his sermon Von der Anfechtung des Glaubens und der Hoffnung, with reference to the Gospel-lesson on the woman of Canaan (Matt, xv. 21-28). For the benefit of the more cultured members of the congregation he delivered lectures on the epistle to the Romans. He laid stress upon the inwardn?ss of the Christian life in opposition to the impetuous zeal of Amandus in forciblydoing away with ancient usages and forms. With Luther, who greatly rejoiced over the rapid progress of the Reformation in Prussia, he entertained a lively correspondence, and on June 12, 1524, one day before Luther, he was married, being the first married minister of Prussia.
After the secularization of the territory of the
Teutonic Order (q.v.) in 1525 under Polish
feudal supremacy, Briessmann and his colaborers,
Speratus and Poliander, faithfully assisted Duke
Albert at the diet, Dec, 1525. He accepted a call
from the citizens of Riga to complete
In Riga, the reformatory movement there,
1527-31. with the consent of the duke, Oct.,
1527 By preaching and teaching
he brought about the necessary reformation and
published in 1530 Kurze Ordnung des Kirchen-
dienstes sammt einer Vorrede von Ceremonien.
After four years of faithful work he returned to Konigsberg in 1531 as cathedral preacher. With his colleagues he had soon to oppose the fanatical tendencies of Schwenckfeld, which the ill-advised duke had favored at first. As he labored for the purity of Evangelical doctrine, he also labored for the upbuilding of the inner life of the Church by the new Landesordnung (1540), by Activity in the articles concerning the appoint- Konigsberg ment and support of the ministers ^S1"^*)- (1540), by the introduction of a new order of marriage and divine service (1544). He recommended the lectio continue/., or continuous reading of the whole Bible in divine service, thus making the congregations acquainted with Holy Scripture, and a thorough instruction in the catechism besides the preaching; he introduced church-singing by the use of a hymn-book, the first in Prussia. Repeated calls to Rostock he declined. He also devoted his energies to the development of the schools and higher education. He formed the plans for the university which was founded in 1544. During the sickness of Bishop Polentz in 1546, the business of the episcopal see was entrusted to Briessmann, and in 1547 he made a tour of inspection to correct abuses which still existed in the diocese. He opposed especially teachings brought thither by refugees from the Netherlands, represented by the humanist Gulielmus Gnaphseus (or Fullonius, q.v.), a sympathizer with Carlstadt. It was also due to Bricssmann's energy that the troubles caused by the first rector of the university, Georg Sabinus, had no lasting influence. Against Andreas Osiander, whom the duke had called to Konigsberg, he defended the
genuine Lutheran doctrine and confession. Painful as was this Osiandrian controversy for Briessmann, yet he rejoiced toward the end of his life that the Moravian Brethren, driven from Poland by the intrigues of the Polish-Catholic clergy, were in 1548 received into the Prussian state church, after being settled in Prussia with the permission of the duke. In opposing the Osiandrian errors, Briessmann also opposed the duke who at first adhered to Osiander. To the suggestion of the duke to hear the opinion of churches from abroad, Briessmann replied: " Since the present controversy concerns doctrinal points which have been preached in Prussia for over twenty-four years, the opinion and judgment of others is not to be awaited." These are the last words from his mouth and pen, " the testament of the first Reformer of Prussia, and therefore especially valuable for the history of the Prussian Reformation" (Tschackert). In the spring of 1549 he retired from his arduous duties. He is buried in the choir of the cathedral at Konigsberg. David Eedmann.
Bibliography: P. Tschackert, Urkundenbuch zur Rcformationsgeschichte des Herzogtums Preussen, vols, i., ii., in Publikationen aus den koniglichen preussischen Staatsarchiven, vols, xliii.-xlv., Leipsic, 1890.
BRIGGS, CHARLES AUGUSTUS: Protestant Episcopalian; b. at New York City Jan. 15, 1841. He was educated at the University of Virginia (1857-60), Union Theological Seminary (1861-63), and the University of Berlin (1866-69). From 1863 to 1866 he was in business with his father. He was ordained to the Presbyterian ministry and was pastor at Roselle, N. J., from 1S70 to 1874, when he was appointed professor of Hebrew at Union Theological Seminary. In 1891 he was transferred to the chair of Biblical theology, and since 1904 has been professor of theological encyclopedia and symbolics. In 1892 he was tried for heresy by the Presbytery of New York, but was acquitted, although in the following year he was suspended by the General Assembly. In 1899 he was ordained to the priesthood in the Protestant Episcopal Church. He is a member of the American Oriental Society, the Deutsche Morgenlandische Gesellschaft, and the Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis. He was editor of the Presbyterian Review from 1880 to 1S90, and collaborated with S. D. F. Salmond in editing the International Theological Library (New York, ISfll sqq.), with S. R. Driver and A. Plummer in editing the International Critical Commentary (1895 sqq.\ and with F Brown and S. R. Driver in preparing the Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (12 parts, Oxford, 1891-1906). In addition to numerous studies in various theological periodicals, he has written Biblical Study (New \ork, 1883); American Presbyterianism (1SS5); Messianic Prophecy (1886); Whither? A Theological Question for the Times (1889); The Authority of Holy Scripture (1891); The Bible, the Church, and the Reason (1892); The Higher Criticism of the Hexateuch (1893); The Messiah of the Gospels (1894); The Messiah of the Apostles (1895); General Introduction to the Study of Holy Scripture (1899:; The Incarnation of the Lord (1902); Xew Light on the