RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Molinoa Moloch
ceed to contemplation. As a practical counterpart to this, there must be a progressive resignation to the divine will. Thus there is an earthly counterpart to the bliss of the saints in heaven, " the only difference being that they see face to face, we in dim faith." In this way the requirement to abstain from speculation on, or longing for, the Godhead looses its harshness, and at the same time Molinos gives a rational basis to hypermysticism. Finally, the author advances to the still more abstruse height of " passive infused contemplation," a state of complete quietism and resignation in which contemplation has become habitual. At the same time Molinos clearly sees the dangers that beset the contemplative life — aridity, dim faith, and the temptations of the world. In obedience, absolute subjection to the father confessor and subjection of self-will are required by Molinos as by many others. External mortifications, being too often mixed with this self-will, and even confession are enjoined by him only for beginners, the latter being merely a preparation for inward peace. Frequent communion, on the other hand, is recommended, because of the ineffable mystery in which the infinite God becomes incarnate in the finite creature.
(O. ZoCKLERf.) Bibliography: J. Bigelow, Molinos the Quietiat, New York, 1882 ; G. Burnet, Three Letters concerning the Present State of Italy, Written . . . in 1687 Relating to the Affair of Molinos, and the Quietists (London?), 1688; J. M. Guyon, The Life of Lady Guyon, to which are added . . the
Lives of Worthy Persons , 2 vols., Bristol, 1772;
J. B. Bossuet, Instruction sur les Hats d'oraison, Paris, 1687; idem, CEuvres, xxvii. 493 sqq., Versailles, 1817; C. E. Weismann, Memorabilia ecclesiastica, vol. ii., Stuttgart, 1745; K. E. Schariing, M. de Molinos, Gotha, 1855; H. Heppe, Geschichte der quietistischen Mystik in der katholischen Kirche, pp. 110-135, 260-282, Berlin, 1875; Menendez Pelayo, Hist, de los heterodoxos Espafiolas, vols, iii.-iv., Madrid, 1880; F. H. Reusch, Index der verbotenen Biicher, ii. 610-619, Bonn, 1885; E. de Broglie, J. Mabillon et la society de I'abbaye de St. Germain, i. 397 sqq., Paris, 1888; J. Kohler, in ZKG, 1898, pp. 572-595; R. A. Vaughan, Hours with the Mystics, ii. 171, 180, 242, 245, 8th ed., London, n.d.; KL, viii. 1750-57.
MOLL, WILLEM: Dutch Protestant; b. at Dort Feb. 28, 1812; d. at Amsterdam Aug. 16, 1879. After completing his theological education at the University of Leyden in 1836, he was pastor at De Vuursche, Utrecht, from 1830 to 1839, when illness forced him to retire. A few months later, however, he was able to go to Heidelberg, where he studied until the autumn, when he returned to De Vuursche and resumed his charge. Here he wrote his Geschiedenis van het kerkelijke leven der Christenen gedurende de zes eerste eeuwen (2 vols., Amsterdam, 1844-46); but his intention to continue the work to modern times was never carried out. After a brief pastorate at Arnheim in 1845-46, Moll was appointed professor of theology at the Athenaeum Illustre at Amsterdam, where he remained until his death, declining a call to Leyden in 1860. Although lecturing for many years on exegesis and dogmatics, his favorite subject was church history, and as an author he devoted himself almost exclusively to the pre-Reformation period in Holland. Here belong his Johannes Brugman en het godsdienstig leven onzer vaderen in de vijftiende eeuw (2 parts, Amsterdam, 1854) and his Kerkgeschiedenis van
Nederland voor de Herforming (6 vols., Arnheim, 1864-71), both of which consider not merely the external course of events, but also take into account the development of spiritual life, motives, and other phases of internal history. Deserving mention are two essays in the publications of the Amsterdam Academy of Sciences, of which Moll was a member and vice-president twenty-four years, Gozewijn Comhaer, een Nederlander aan het hoofd der kerk van Ysland (1877) and Geert Groote's dietsche vertalingen (1880). Moll was also the author of De musica sacra in ecclesia Protestantium ad exemplum veterum Christianorum emendanda (Leyden, 1834) and Angelus Merula, de hervormer en martelaar des geloofs (Amsterdam, 1851). Together with some of his pupils, he founded, in 1853, a society for the study of the church history of the Netherlands, which lasted until 1868, and published, under his guidance, Kalender voor de Protestanten in Nederland (8 vols., Amsterdam, 1856-63) and Kerkhistorische jaarboekje (2 vols., Schoonhoven, 1864-65). (J. G. R. AcQUOYf.)
Bibliography: J. G. R. Acquoy, in the Jaarboek van de koninklijke Akademie van wetenschappen for 1879,=pp. 66- 137; F. Nippold, Die romisch-katholische Kirche im Kbnigreich der Nederlanden, pp. 486-489, Leipsic, 1877; Rogge, in Mannen van beteekenis in onze dagen, Haarlem, 1879.
MOLLER (MOELLER, MUELLER), HEINRICH: Supposed formerly to be the proper name of Henry of Ztitphen. Accordingly Henry was credited with the authorship of the hymn, " Hilf Gott dass mir gelinge," as the initial letters of the lines spell Heinrich Muler, and the song closes with " has Heinrich Moller sung in his prison." As Moller was not the name of Henry of Ztitphen, Henry could not have composed this song, or the two others attributed to him by Wackernagel, which are written in high German. For further treatment see Zutphen, Henby of.
The authorship of the above-mentioned poem was attributed by Johann Christoph Olearius to Heinrich Moller, professor of Hebrew at Wittenberg, 1560- 1574, who died in Hamburg, 1589, as a result of imprisonment during the crypto-calvinistic controversy (see Philippists); but as the poem was printed in 1527 and this Heinrich Moller was born in 1530, the conjecture is not tenable, and the authorship of the poem is still undetermined.
(Carl Bertheau.)
Bibliography: J. F. Iken, Heinrich von Zutphen, Halle, 1886; ADB, xxii. 554, 758 sqq.