THE NEW HCHAFF-IIEZROO
doctrine of Rome, which placed all power in the hands of popes and bishops, had never entirely supplanted the ancient privileges of the congregation. The influence of the University of Vienna, moreover, elevated the spirit of the Saxon youth and formed a contrast with the doctrines of Rome. Luther's doctrines had, accordingly, been firmly established in Hermannstadt since the beginning of the third decade of the sixteenth century, and had found a powerful patron in Markus Pempflinger, the royal judge. About the same time the new teaching had entered Kronstadt, but there it was Honter who first gave it definite direction, although primarily he influenced it chiefly in a literary way by establishing a printing-press. In him were united the two chief tendencies of the time, the regeneration of classical literature and of Evangelical Christianity. He proceeded with caution in introducing the new gospel, nor did he break openly with the established religion, since he drew his material from Augustine and looked upon the Reformation as a revival of old truths. In 1542, however, he boldly avowed the cause of Evangelicalism in his Formula reformationis ecclesia Coronensis ac Barcensis totius provincial. Thenceforth the Reformation made rapid progress. Jeremias Jekel, a priest of Kronstadt, married, the mass was abolished, and the sacrament was administered in both kinds. The deputies of town and country assembled for a final decision on the reformation of the Church, and shortly afterward a church visitation was instituted to test the doctrines of the clergy and to remove unworthy preachers from office. In 1544 Honter became preacher in Kronstadt, and in the same year the academy of the city was reorganized on the basis of the Constitutio scholce Coronensis, which he had drafted in the previous year, Valentin Wagner, a disciple from Wittenberg, being its first president. In 1547 Honter recast his Formula reformationis of 1543 both in Latin {Reformatio ecclesiarum Saxonicarum in Transsilvania) and in German (Kirchenordnung alter Deutschen in Siebenburgen) in order to avoid dissension and to introduce uniform ecclesiastical governance. The main topics discussed were the appointment of the clergy, Christian doctrine, office of the clergy, baptism, the Lord's Supper, abuse of private mass, communion of the sick, power of absolution, excommunication, erection of schools, organization of relief for the poor, care of orphans, marriage, reformation of common abuses, annual visitations, matins, high mass, vespers, and ceremonies in villages. The church order distinguishes itself by its moderation, and reveals the conservative principle of the Saxon spirit.
Honter was a prolific writer, his chief works being De grammatica libri duo (1530 or 1531); Rudimentorum cosmographice libri duo (Cracow, 1530); Apologia reformationis (1543); Compendium juris civilis, in usum civitatum ac sedium Saxonicarum collectum (1544); and Agende filr die Seelsorger und Kirchendiener in Siebenburgen (1547).
(F. TEUTSCHf.) Bibliography: The sources, which are greatly scattered, are indicated in Hauck-Herzog, RE, viii. 333. Consult: G. D. Teutsch, Ueber Honterus und Kronstadt zu seiner Zeit, Hermannstadt, 1876; T. Wolf, Johann Honterus, Kronstadt. 1894; J. Hochsmann, Johannes Honter, der
Reformator Siebenburgens, Vienna, 1896; O. Netoliczka Johannes Honterus, Kronstadt, 1898; Moeller Christian Church, iii. 214-215.
HONTHEIM, hent'haim, JOHANN NIKOLAUS VON: Bishop of Treves ; b. at Treves Jan. 27 1701d. there Sept. 2, 1790. In his twelfth year his uncle procured him a prebend in the collegiate chapter of St. Simeon. He was instructed by the Jesuits, and from 1719 studied theology and canon law in his native city, at Louvain, and at Leyden. In 1728 he became priest and was formally admitted into the chapter of St. Simeon in his native city, at the same time being appointed assessor and spiritual councilor in the consistory, and in 1732 also professor of the university. In 1738 he removed to Coblenz, but returned to Treves in 1747, and became dean of the chapter and suffragan bishop of Treves in the following year.
Hontheim's most remarkable literary production was published under the pseudonym Justinus Febronius entitled Justini Febronii Jesu Christi de statu ecclesice et legitima potestate Romani pontificis liber singularis ad reuniendos dissidentes in religione Christianos compositus (1763, ostensibly at Boulogne, but really at Frankfort). The views it expresses are known as " Febronianism." The plan and purpose was to show the real significance of papal power, its abuses, and the mischief which it caused, and to urge the pope to drop curialism and return to the spirit of primitive Christianity. In nine chapters the following system is evolved: " Christ has left the power of the keys to the whole Church; for its execution ministers (clergy and prelates) have been chosen, the pope being the first among them, but subordinate to the whole. The Church has no monarchical constitution; the apostles were equal to each other, Peter having only a primacy. Only the whole Church possesses infallibility. The primacy of the bishop of Rome is not derived from Christ, but from Peter and the Church, and may therefore be transferred to another see. The duty of the primacy is not the government of the Church, but the maintenance of the social order; the pope has no power of decision in matters of faith, as he stands under a general council. The bishops have an equal power from Christ, not from the pope; they are necessary members of the general synods, and are to fill all offices, a privilege which at a comparatively late time has been usurped by the popes, to the disadvantage of the Church. In the course of time the popes seized many privileges against the canons, especially on the strength of the pseudo- Isidorian decretals. The conditions at the time before these forged laws must be restored by opposing the papal court with all possible means. Although Hontheim did not develop any new thoughts, he so systematized and presented his ideas that the book had great influence upon ecclesiastical politics in Italy, Portugal, and Austria, and undoubtedly gave an impulse to the Congress of Ems (q.v.) and the new regulation of ecclesiastical conditions in the South German states from 1818. As early as 1764 Rome prohibited the circulation of the book, but it was not until 1778 that Hontheim was requested to recant. He did so after his numerous relatives had been threatened with dismissal from their