RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Hedwig Hefele
Vienna, and Georg Scherer of Gratz. Heerbrand showed conclusively that the ultimate aim of the Jesuit party's literary activity was calumny of Protestantism, adulation of Roman Catholic princes, and subversion of religious peace (Refutatio crassissimorum errorum, ii. 17; Apologia explicationis, p. 55). G. Bossert.
Bibliography: There is no extended biography. Consult: Melchior Adam, Vital Germanorum iheologorum, pp. 668 sqq., Heidelberg, 1620; K. Weizsacker, Lehrer und Vnterricht an der evangeliscken theologischen Fakultat der Universitat Tubingen, pp. 19 sqq., Tubingen, 1877; J. Loserth, Die Reformation und Gegenreformation in den innerostereichischen Landern, Stuttgart, 1898. On the Compendium consult: G. C. Storr, De compendiis Iheologici dogmatis, Tubingen, 1795; W. Gass, Geschichte der protestantischen Dogmatik, i. 77, Berlin, 1854; H. L. J. Heppe, Dogmatik des deutschen Protestantismus, i. 123 sqq., Marburg, 1856; G. Frank, Geschichte der protestantischen Theologie, i. 244, Leipsic, 1882.
HEERMANN, JOHANN: German Evangelical preacher, poet, and author of religious tracts; b. at Raudten (43 m. n.w. of Breslau), Lower Silesia, Oct. 11, 1585; d. at Lissa (42 m. s.s.w. of Posen), Poland, Feb. 27, 1647. He studied in his native town as well as at Fraustadt, Breslau, and Brieg, where he supported himself by coaching young noblemen. In 1609 he entered the University of Strasburg, but in 1610 he returned to his home, and in the following year was appointed pastor at Koben. His ill health, combined with domestic trouble and the turmoil of the Thirty Years' War, forced him to resign his pastorate in 1638, whereupon he took up his residence in Lissa, and devoted himself to literary pursuits. As early as his student days at Brieg he had essayed German and Latin poetry with considerable success; and in 1624 he published a volume of Latin poems entitled Epigrammatum libelli novem, a book which is still of value as containing data for the history of his life. Some of these Latin verses were translated into German by Tobias Petermann, and published under the title Geistliche Buhlschaft (1651). As a German poet Heermann belonged to the school of Martin Opitz, and he was one of the first to apply the latter's system of versification. He marks the transition from the objective hymns of the Reformation to the subjectivity of the Pietists, and is the best religious poet between Luther and Paul Gerhardt. His most important hymn-collections are: Das Schluss-Glocklein (1616); Exercitium pietatis (1630); and Devota musica cordis (1630), which appeared in several editions. His fame as a writer of religious tracts is based on his publications of passion sermons, such as the Crux Christi (1618) and the Heptalogus Christi (1619); and of funeral sermons, such as Christiana evdavaaiac statux (1620), and Schola mortis (1628). He also wrote Predigten iiber die Sonn- und Festtags-Evangelien (1624), and was the author of Prceceptorum rnoralium et sententiarum libri tres (1644), and of the posthumous Erquickstunden (1656).
(Ferdinand Cohrs.)
Bibliography: T. Wackernagel, J. Heermanns geistliche Lieder, Stuttgart, 1856; K. F. Ledderhose, Das Leben J. Heermanns, Heidelberg, 1876; K. Goedeke, Grundriss zur Geschichte der deutschen Dichtung, iii. 166 sqq., Dresden, 1886.
HEFELE, h6'fe-le, KARL JOSEPH: German Roman Catholic prelate and ecclesiastical historian ;
b. at Unterkochen (45 m. e. of Stuttgart), Wurttemberg, Mar. 15, 1809; d. at Rottenburg (25 m. s.w. of Stuttgart), Wurttemberg, Early Life June 5, 1893. From 1827 to 1832 and Liter- he studied at Tubingen, and then for ary Work, a year at the clerical seminary of Rottenburg, being ordained priest Aug. 10, 1833. After holding certain minor posts, he was called, when Mohler went to Munich, to teach church history at Tubingen (as privat-docent 1836, adjunct professor 1837, and professor 1840). His theological education fell in the period of the renaissance of Roman Catholic learning in Germany, when the influence of the eighteenth century philosophy was passing away and being replaced by a generous rivalry between Catholics and Protestants to make the most of their respective doctrines, and, on the Catholic side, to look more deeply into the permanently valuable treasures of the past. Drey and Hirscher were among his teachers; but he owed most to Mohler, who gave him his impulse toward historical work. His first literary work consisted of reviews in the Theologische Quartalschrift from 1834 on, which show his conception of the unity of church history as the development of God's great plan for the world. His first substantive work was a history of the introduction of Christianity into southwestern Germany (Tubingen, 1837). His edition of the Apostolic Fathers with introduction and notes (1839; revised and improved eds. 1842, 1847, 1855) was a meritorious work. That of the Epistle of Barnabas (1840) led the way to a more correct appreciation of this ancient document, which Hefele ascribed, not to the apostle, but to the first decades of the second century. The new school of Roman Catholic historians founded by Mohler had set out to vindicate the claims of their Church against both philosophers and Protestants; and Hefele labored zealously at this task in his occasional articles, as well as in his monograph on Cardinal Ximenes (1844). Following Ranke and Leo, he emphasized the secular character of the Spanish Inquisition, without sufficient regard to its fatal influence on the political and spiritual development of Spain, displaying a good deal of partizan zeal. He took a brief part in political action as a member of the Wurttemberg House of Deputies from 1842 to 1845 — years of conflict, in which a church party made its first efforts to vindicate ecclesiastical liberty against a government which disregarded it. But another way of defending the Church was more in harmony with his nature. He brought up generations of students in his view of the Church, its unity, its past, and its connection between head and members. He was an admirable teacher, attracting students to him by clearness, freshness, and defmiteness, as well as by a kindly willingness to be helpful, and he was highly esteemed by his colleagues. Meantime his literary activity was uninterrupted. To the Theologische Quartalschrift, of which he was one of the editors from 1839, and to the Neue Sion, he contributed a variety of articles, some of which he worked over for his Beitrdge zur Kirchengeschichte, Archdologie und Liturgik (2 vols., 1864). But all his other work yields precedence to
Hefele Hegesippua