THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
icalism, as was shown by his M itteilungen aus Mazedonicn (Elberfekl, 1877).
The political events of 1S66 presented unexpected ecclesiastical problems to Prussia which Fabri sought to solve in his Die politischen Ereiynisse des Sommers 1866 (Barmen, 1866), a work followed by his Die politische Lage und die Zukunft der evangelischen Kirche in Deutschland (1867), Die Unionsund Verfassungsfrage (1S67), Staat und Kirche (1S72), and Kirchenpolitisches Credo (1S72). In Jan., 1S71, he was summoned to Strasburg on account of the ecclesiastical situation which had arisen there, and he gladly obeyed, successfully seeking to secure independence for the Evangelical Church of Alsace-Lorraine. In the same spirit he later wrote: TTie weiter? Kirchenpolitische Betrachtungen zum Ende des Kulturkampfes (Gotha, 1SS7).
By his Bedarf Deutschland der Kolonien? (1879) Fabri gave the first impulse to the colonial movement in Germany, proposing the foundation of agricultural and mercantile colonies. A number of associations were accordingly formed, and the course of events proved the wisdom of his counsels, of which his last work, Fiinf Jahre deutscher Kolonialpolitik (1889), gave a final survey. On Oct. 2, 1SS9 he was appointed honorary professor in the Evangelical theological faoulty of Bonn.
(E. Sachsse.)
Bibliography: Sources for a life are the Akten der rheinischen Missionsgesellschaft in Barmen; L. von Rohden, Geschichte der rheinischen Missionsgesellschaft, Barmen, 1888; and the Nachrufe in Berichte der rheinischen Missionsgesellschaft for 1891, p. 260, appearing in Allgemeine Missionszeitschri.1t, 1891, p. 477.
FABRICA ECCLESLE: Literally "a church building," but used as the technical name of that portion of the funds appropriated for the maintenance of the building. At first a part of the general revenue was set aside for this purpose, but later this was kept up only in case of cathedrals and collegiate churches, where a special magister or procurator fabricce had charge of the fund. The difficulty, however, of obtaining the means necessary to maintain church buildings led to the formation of special fabric-funds in ordinary parishes, which became the object of many rules and regulations according to custom and local law. The provision of church utensils and the requirements of divine service, especially the lighting, were also included. There was no general regulation as to how the fund should be provided; usually it was made up from oblations, tithes, burial-fees, and the like. The fabric-funds have had special importance in France and the adjoining German lands on the left bank of the Rhine, where they were allowed to continue when the church property was confiscated (decree of Apr. 22, 1790) and have occasioned much subsequent legislation. See Church-Building, Taxation for.
FABRICIUS, fa-brish'i-us, JOHANN: German theologian; b. at Altorf (13 m. e.n.e. of Nuremberg) Feb. 11, 1644; d. at Konigslutter (9 m. w.n.w. of Helmstadt) Jan. 29, 1729. He studied theology at Helrnstadt (1663-65), and then traveled extensively, especially in Italy, where he was preacher to a con-
gregation of Evangelical merchants at Venice. In 1677 he accepted a call to a professorship at Altorf but twenty years later went in the same capacity to Helmstadt, where he became abbot of Kuni"slutter in 1701 and counselor of the consistory in 1703 His specialty was comparative symbolics, and to this was devoted his most important work, Considerate variarum controversiarum (Helmstadt, 1704). jn this book, however, he displayed a latitudinarianism which exposed him to severe criticism; and his position became still more difficult when he pronounced a formal opinion, prepared at the request of Duke Anton Ulrich and based on elaborate arguments, that the Princess Elizabeth Christine might conscientiously become a convert to the Roman Catholic faith to wed the King of Spain. This brought upon him a storm of opposition from the court-chaplains, but their arguments were refuted and they were deposed, while Fabricius and the duke were supported, on the whole, by the ruling of the theological faculty of Helmstadt and a number of other scholars. He then finally succeeded in overcoming the religious scruples of the princess, and her conversion took place at Bamberg on May 1, 1707. In the previous year he had published anonymously a pamphlet entitled Erorterte Frage Herrn Fabricii, dass zwischen der augsburgischen Konfession und katholischen Religion kein sonderlicher Unterschied sei (Helmstadt [e], 1706). Throughout the Protestant world, and especially in England and Holland, the most violent indignation was excited, and the elector of Hanover, moved by his hopes of gaining the English crown, obliged Anton Ulrich to deprive Fabricius of his professorship. He accordingly resigned in 1709, but remained abbot of Konigslutter, and occupied the closing years of his life in beautifying his estate and preparing his Historia biblwthecce Fabriciance (6 vols., Wolfenbuttel, 1717-24).