RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Reynolds Ricci
the duchy of Liineburg, especially after the monasteries had been reformed by his untiring activity. The city of Hanover owes to him the renovation of its religious life after the victory of the Reformation, for in 1536 he drew up for it the church order which is still in force. He was also active in the reformation of the cities of Minden, Soest, and Lemgo, and he strenuously opposed the Anabaptists who found warm sympathizers throughout northern Germany. As the adviser of Duke Ernest, Rhegius was an important factor in securing the acceptance of the Formula of Concord. His last public appearance was at the conference of Hagenau in 1540. Among his writings special mention may be made of the following: De dignitate sacerdotum (Augsburg, 1519) ; Underricht, Wie ain Christenmensch Got seinem herren teglich beichten soil (1521); Wider den newen irrsal Doctors Andres von Carlstadt des Sacraments halb warming (n.p., 1524); Von leybeygenschafft oder Knechtheyt (n.p., 1525); Warnung wider den neuen Tauforden (1527); and Formula caute loquendi (Wittenberg, 1535; Germ, ed., 1536, Celle, 1880). The works of Rhegius, both Latin and German, were almost completely edited by his son, E. Rhegius (2 vols., Nuremberg, 1561-62).
[Rhegius also wrote the following works which
were translated into English: Nova doctrince ad
veterem collatio (Augsburg, 1526 [?]), transl. by W
Turner, A Comparison betwene the Olde learnynge
and the Newe (South wark, 1557); Ain Summa
christlicher leer (Augsburg, 1527), transl. by W.
Lynne, A declaration of the twelve articles of the
christen fay the (London, 1548); and Doctrina cer-
tissima (Frankfort, 1545), transl. by J. Fox, An
instruccyon of Christen fay th (London, 1550 [?]); as
well as sermons on Matt. ix. 16-26 (transl. by W.
Lynne, London, 1548), Luke xxiv. (transl. by W.
Hilton, London, 1578), and Matt, xviii. 10 (transl.
by R. Robinson, London, 1590), and an exposition
of Ps. lxxxvii. (transl. by R. Robinson, London,
1594).] (Paul Tschackert.)
Bibliography : H. C. Heimburger, Vrbanus Rhegius, Gotha,
1851; G. Uhlhorn, Urbanus Rhegius, Leben und ausge-
wahlte Schriften, Elberfeld, 1862; O. Seitz, Die theologische
Entwickelung des Urbanus Rhegius, Gotha, 1898; and
literature under Luther, Martin; and Zwingli, Huld-
reich.
RHEIMS NEW TESTAMENT. See Bible Versions, B, IV., § 5.
RHODES. See Asia Minor, V.
RHODES, KNIGHTS OF. See John, Saint, Order of Hospitalers op.
RHODON, ro'den: Greek author of the second century. The sole source of information concerning him is Eusebius (Hist, eccl., V., xiii.), who states that he was born in Asia and educated at Rome by Tatian, so that he would seem to have been converted between 165 and 172. Rhodon, however, never broke with the Church. According to Eusebius, he was the author of a work against Marcion, and the citations preserved by Eusebius are important for a knowledge of Apelles and his doctrine, as well as other Marcionists. Eusebius likewise states that Rhodon wrote a commentary on the hexaemeron, and that he designed a polemic against an
otherwise unknown work of Tatian entitled " Problems," in which all difficult passages of the Bible had been collected. Whether Rhodon ever wrote this refutation and explained the problems thus posited is unknown. At Rome Rhodon held a disputation with Apelles, and as the latter died about 180, while Rhodon wrote his anti-Marcionistic treatise during the lifetime of Apelles, the composition of the work must have been between 170 and 180. It has been suggested, though without foundation, that Rhodon was the author of the Canon of Muratori (q.v.; Harnack, Litteratur, i. 599) and of the anti-Montanistic treatise excerpted by Epiphanius (Hist, eccl., xlviii. 2-13; H. G. Voigt, Eine verschollene Urkunde des antimontanistischen Kampfes, pp. 224 sqq., Leipsic, 1891).
(Erwin Preuschen.)
Bibliography: The fragments are collected, with notes, in M. J. Routh, Reliquiae sacroe, i. 435-446, Oxford, 1846; MPG, v. 1331-38; Eng. transl. in ANF, viii. 766. Consult: A. Gallandi, Bibliotheca veterum patrum, ii., pp. xvii., 144-145, Venice, 1765; P. Caspari, Ungedruckte . . Quellen zur Geschichte des Taufsymbols, hi. 315, 340—341, 364-365, Christiania, 1871; A. Hilgenfeld, Die Ketzergeschichte des Urchristenthums, 532-533, Leipsic, 1884; Bardenhewer, Patrologie, pp. 105, 110-111, Eng. transl., St. Louis, 1908; idem, Geschichte, i. 490—491; Kruger, History, pp. 143-144; Harnack, Litteratur, i. 599, ii. 1, pp. 313-314; DCB, iv. 545.
RICCI, CATHERINE DE. See Catherine de Ricci.
RICCI, rit'chi, LORENZO: General of the Jesuits; b. at Florence Aug. 2, 1703; d. at Rome Nov. 24, 1775. He entered the order of the Jesuits in 1718, and became its general in 1758. He was of an amiable yet inflexible disposition, and was unalterably attached to the tenet of obedience. To all propositions to change the constitution of the order, emanating either from the pope or from the Roman Catholic princes, he answered " Sint ut sunt, aut non sint." (" Let them [the Jesuits] be as they are or let them cease to exist "). The consequence was that the pope dissolved the order by the bull Dominus ac redemptor noster, July 21, 1773. Ricci protested emphatically against the action and was confined in the castle of St. Angelo for the rest of his life.
Bibliography: J. J. I. von Dollinger, Beitrage zur politischen, kirchlichen, und Culturgeschichte, iii. 1-74, Vienna, 1882; A Circumstantial Account of the Death of Abbe Laurence Ricci. To which is annexed a Copy of the Protestation which he left at his Death, London, 1776; A. Carayon, Documents inedits concernant la compagnie d* Jesus, vol. xvii., Paris, 1869; L. A. de Caraccioli, Vita dell' Abati Lorenzo Ricci, n.p., n.d.; Ranke, Popes, ii. 446- 447; KL, x. 1170-72.
RICCI, MATTEO: Roman Catholic missionary and astronomer; b. at Macerata (120 m. e.s.e. of Florence), Italy, Oct. 6, 1553; d. at Peking, China, May 11, 1610. He first studied law, but, going to Rome in 1571, entered the Society of Jesus and gave especial attention to the study of astronomy; he was sent to India as a missionary in 1577, and there completed his theological studies and was made priest; thence he was called to Macao, where he gained the favor of the viceroy of the province of Kwantung both by his personal characteristics and by his acquaintance with the Chinese language. Under the new viceroy he was compelled to leave
Kicci
Richard of St. Victor