THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
in art St. Nicholas is represented with the anchor as patron of sailors; or with three loaves of bread, as patron of the bakers' gild; or with three children who, praying, lift up their hands to heaven, as protector and friend of the children; or finally with three balls or purses (the sign of pawnbrokers), as benefactor of the poor. He has been painted by such famous artists as Cimabue, Andrea del Sarto, and Titian. The day of his commemoration in the Roman Church is Dec. 6. For one of the celebrations on his day see Boy-Bishop. (0. ZocKLERf.)
Bibliography: A considerable literature, dealing with early editions of the sources and with later works more or less founded upon them is in Potthast, Wegweiser, pp. 1491- 1492. An early anonymous Vita is in L. Surius, Histories seu vita! sanctorum, vi. 795—810, Venice, 1581; other early material is collected in Analecta Bollandiana, ii (1883), 143-156, iv (1885), 169-192. Later studies of the life or legends are by E. Schnell, Ravensburg, 1886; J. Laroche, Paris, 1893; Mrs. A. Jameson, Sacred and Legendary Art, ii. 57-71, Boston, 1893; J. Praxmarer, Munster, 1894; DCB, iv. 41-42.
NICHOLAS OF STRASBURG: The name of two German ecclesiastics.
1. A Dominican; d. after 1329. For a time he was lector in the Dominican monastery at Cologne (ALKG, iv. 318). In 1325 he was commissioned by Pope John XXII., to visit the Dominican monasteries in the province of Teutonia and thus became involved in the case against Eckhart (q.v.). But he seems to have retained the favor of the pope, for after Eckhart's condemnation he is still called vicar (ALKG, iv. 317, note). He left in manuscript a work De adventu Christi; but since Denifle has shown that the first and third parts are almost verbatim reproductions of two treatises of the Dominican John of Paris, it is hardly possible to use the work for a characterization of Nicholas. There remain only the thirteen sermons published by Pfeiffer (pp. 261-305), which were delivered in part before Dominican nuns at Freiburg and the neighboring Adelhausen; the hearers therefore were like those of Eckhart. But there is a great difference in the sermons. Nicholas has not the deeply mystical thoughts in which Eckhart moves as in his element; but he insists upon spirituality and inner truth of the religious life in general. He emphasizes true repentance and conversion which appropriates the merit of Christ — a merit so exceeding great that by it alone is the forgiveness of all guilt given. Like Eckhart, he lays greater stress upon the performance of duty and upon patient bearing of the sufferings sent from God than upon specific works of piety and penances. In the form of question and answer, by examples and parables, in a simple, clear style, he makes his ideas easily intelligible. In popularity he surpasses Eckhart, though he falls short of him in beauty of language.
2. A Carthusian (Nicolaus Kemph de Argentina); b. at Strasburg 1397; d. at Gaming (65 m. w.s.w. of Vienna), Lower Austria, 1497. He studied theology at Vienna under Dinkelsbiihl and had also Henry of Langenstein (q.v.) as teacher. In 1440 he entered the monastery at Gaming and joined the Carthusians. For many years he was prior in different monasteries, but retired in 1490 to Gaming. Of his writings, of which Pez mentions thirty-six, the
few which have been printed include a Dialogus de recto studiorum fine ac or dine (in Pez, iv. 257—492; for the most part translated into German by Rosier, pp. 280-348), a Tractatus de discretions (Pez, ix. 379- 532), and an Expositio mystica in canticum canticorum (xi.-xii.). Nicholas belongs to the mystic theologians of the fifteenth century. He speaks very highly of Jean Gerson, and like him exhorts to earnest study of the Bible (with a recommendation of Nicholas of Lyra) . On the whole he follows the tendencies of the more famous and learned Dionysius (see Dionysius the Carthusian), who was endowed also with a wider and freer penetration.
S. M. Deutsch|. Bibliography: On 1 consult: K. Schmidt, Johannes Tauler, pp. 5-6, Hamburg, 1841; F. Pfeiffer, Deutsche Mystiker des vierzehnten Jahrhunderts, i. pp. xxii.-xxv., Leipsic, 1845; W. Preger, Geschichte der deutschen Mystik im Mittelalter, ii. 67-69, Leipsic, 1881; Denifle, in Zeitschrift fur deutsches Alterthum, xxix (1885), 259 sqq.; idem, Der Plagiator Nikolaus von Strassburg, in Archiv fur Litteratur und Kirchengeschichte des Mittelalters, iv (1888), 312-329. On 2 consult: The biographical notices in B. Pez, Bibliotheca ascetica, preface to vols. iv. and xi., 12 vols., Regensburg, 1723-40; N. Paulus, Der Karthauser Nikolaus von Strassburg und seine Schrift De recto studiorum fine ac ordine, in Der Katholik, ii (1891), 346 sqq.; A. Rosier, Der Karthauser Nikolaus Kemph, pp. 261 sqq., Freiburg, 1894.
NICHOLAS, WILLIAM: Irish Methodist; b. at Wexford (82 m. s. of Dublin), County Wexford, Dec. 22, 1838. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin (B.A., 1879), held numerous pastorates in his denomination in Dublin and Belfast from 1861 to 1895, when he was made president and theological professor in the Methodist College, Belfast, both of which positions he still retains. He is a member of the London Council of the Evangelical Alliance and of the Senate of the Royal University of Ireland. In theology he is a broad evangelical, and has written Sermons on Jesus the Christ (Dublin, 1883) ; The Case Against Home Rule (1886); Newman and Ritualism (London, 1889); and Christianity and Socialism (1893; Fernley Lecture).
NICHOLS, WILLIAM FORD: Protestant Episcopal bishop of California; b. at Lloyd, N. Y., June 9, 1849. He was educated at Trinity College, Hartford, Conn. (A.B., 1870), and Berkeley Divinity School from which he was graduated in 1873. He was ordered deacon in 1873 and priested in 1874. He was curate of Holy Trinity, Middletown, Conn. (1873-75), rector of St. James's, West Hartford, Conn. (1875-76), Grace, Newington, Conn. (1876- 1877), Christ Church, Hartford, Conn. (1877-87), and St. James's, Philadelphia (1887-90), private secretary to Bishop Williams of Connecticut (1871-76), professor of church history in Berkeley Divinity School (1885-87), and assistant secretary of the House of Bishops (1886). After having declined to be bishop coadjutor of Ohio in 1888, he was consecrated bishop coadjutor of California in 1890, and three years later became bishop of the diocese. Bibliography: W. S. Perry, The Episcopate in America,
p. 323, New York, 1895.
NICHOLSON, ISAAC LEA: Protestant Episcopal bishop of Milwaukee; b. at Baltimore, Md., Jan. 18, 1844; d. at Milwaukee, Wis., Oct. 29, 1906.