RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Bossert Felicitas
Lebensinhalt (1896; 2d ed., 1907); Wahrheitsgehalt der Religion (1901; 2d ed., 1905; Eng. transl., The Truth of Religion, New York, 1911); Gesammelte Aussétze zu Philosophie und Lebensanschauung (1903); Grundlinien einer neuen Lebensanschauung (1907); Hauptprobleme der Religionsphilosophie der Gegenwart (Berlin, 1907; 3d ed., 1909); Sinn und Wert des Lebens (Leipsic, 1908; 3d ed., 1910; Eng. transl., Meaning and Value of Life, New York, 1909); and Hinftihrung in eine Philosophie des Geisteslebens (1908; Eng. trans., F. L. Pogson, Life of the Spirit, New York, 1909).
EVJEN, JOHN OLUF: Lutheran; b. at Ishpeming, Mich., Dec. 13, 1874. He was educated at Augsburg Seminary, Minneapolis, Minn. (B.A., 1895), the theological seminary of the same institution (1898), and the University of Leipsiec (Ph.D., 1903), and after being for a short time a pastor at Muskegon and Grand Rapids, Mich., was successively acting professor of church history at the United Church Theological Seminary, St. Paul, Minn. (1903-05), and professor of Biblical history in Pennsylvania College, Gettysburg, Pa. (1905- 1909). Since 1909 he has been professor of theology in Augsburg Seminary, Minneapolis. He has written Die Staatsumwdlzung in Dénemark im Jahre 1660 (Leipsic, 1904), Scandinavia and the Book of Concord (Gettysburg, Pa., 1906), Ht Kapitel fra Symbolforpligtelsens Historie (Minneapolis, 1911), and Lutheran Germany and the Book of Concord (1911).
FELICITAS: The name of two early Christian martyrs and saints.
1. Roman matron; martyred either during the reign of Marcus Aurelius or during that of Antoninus Pius. Her day was Nov. 23 as early as the sixth century, when Gregory the Great delivered an oration in the basilica above her tomb, this tomb being rediscovered in 1884. According to tradition equally old, she suffered martyrdom together with her seven sons, who are represented with her in a seventh-century fresco in her tomb; but there is reason to believe that between the seventh and ninth centuries confusion arose between these seven fellow martyrs of Felicitas and seven other martyrs (Januarius, Felix, Philippus, Silvanus, Alexander, Vitalis, and Martialis), whose day has been kept at least since the time of the Depositio Martyrum (middle of the fourth century) on July 10, and who came to be regarded as the sons of Felicitas.
2. Carthaginian slave; martyred with Perpetua (q.v.) Mar. 7, 202 or 203. Throughout the account of her passion she is a secondary figure to Perpetua, the chief detail recorded being that, in answer to her prayers, she was enabled to give premature birth to her child (who was adopted by a Christian woman) two days before the time set for her martyrdom, since otherwise she would not have been allowed to be thrown to the beasts as were Perpetua, Revocatus, Saturus, and Saturninus.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: On 1, the early Vita with Passio, Acta, and commentary are in ASB, July, iii. 5-28. Consult further on 1: B. Aubé, Hist. des persécutions de l’église jusqu’d la fin des Antonins, pp. 489-440, Paris, 1875; idem, Les Actes de SS. Félicité . . . et des leurs compagnons, p. 90, ib. 1881; J. B. Lightfoot, Apostolic Fathers, i. 498-499,
Fitzralph Guetzlaft
THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
enous ee Te
London, 1885; P. Allard, Hist. des Persécutions, vol. ii., Paris, 1886; HE. Hgli, Altchristliche Studien, pp. 91-98, Zurich, 1887; J. Fuhrer, Hin Beitrag zur Losung der Felicitas-Frage, Freising, 1890; idem, Zum Felicitasfrage,
Leipsic, 1894; K. J. Neumann, Der rémische Staat und die
allgemeine Kirche, i. 294, ib. 1890; K. Kunstle, Hagio-
graphische Studien iiber die Passio S. Felicitatis, Paderborn,
1894; Neander, Christian Church, i. 123-124; DCB, ii.
nt 2, DCB, ii. 478; Schaff, Christian Church, ii. 58.
FITZRALPH, RICHARD: Archbishop of Armagh; b. at Dundalk (45 m. n. by w. of Dublin), County Louth, toward the end of the thirteenth century; d., probably at Avignon, presumably Nov. 16, 1360. He was educated at Oxford, where he became fellow of Balliol, and where, about 1333, he seems to have been commissary (i.e., vice-chancellor), or, more probably, chancellor, of the university. On July 10, 1334, he was collated chancellor of Lincoln Cathedral, and soon afterward seems to have become archdeacon of Chester, while on Apr. 20, 1337, he was installed dean of Lichfield, and on July 8, 1347, was consecrated archbishop of Armagh at Exeter.
Fitzralph made throughout his life repeated visits to Avignon, and sermons are still extant in manuscript preached by him before the pope in 1835, 1338, 1341, 1842, and 1344; nor is it impossible that during this period he actually resided at Avignon for some time. In 1349 he was again in Avignon, in connection with the jubilee commanded by Edward III. for 1350, and it was probably then that the archbishop became involved in the negotiations pending between the pope and the Armenians who desired to be reconciled to the Roman obedience. Fitzralph was present at the negotiations with the Armenian envoys at Avignon, and in his nineteen books entitled Summa in questionibus Armenorum (of which only the first book, Swmma de erroribus Armenorum, was printed, ed. J. Sudoris, Paris, 1511) formally refuted the 117 heresies which they were required to abjure before their request could be granted. In the same year he became involved in a controversy far more disquieting to him, when he presented to the pope a remonstrance of the English secular clergy against the regulars. Hitherto he had been the friend of Franciscan and Dominican alike, as well as of the parish clergy, but even after his return to Ireland the opposition of the regulars was still potent, and in 1357 Fitzralph was cited to appear at Avignon. Many of his views he had already set forth in his De pauperie Salvatoris (the first four books of which have been edited by R. L. Poole in his edition of Wyclif’s De dominio divino, London, 1890), and in a sermon before the papal court, Nov. 8, 1357, he still further defended his position in his Defensio curatorum contra eos qua privilegiatos se dicunt (Louvain, 1475 [?]; in Fasciculus rerum expetendarum et fugiendarum, ed. E. Brown, ii. 466-487, London, 1690; and often), maintaining that monastic mendicancy was incompatible with the teachings of Christ, and holding that the privileges of the regular clergy were inimical to the interests of the secular. The result was indeterminate. The friars were not directly molested, and the archbishop was commanded to keep silent. On the other hand, he evidently lost none
of the papal favor, and the English clergy were directed to provide moneys for his support during his residence at Avignon, where he seems to have remained until his death. His preference for Avignon may have been due in part to the fact that the Engiish king was opposed to him because he was considered to presunte on the papal approval of him. Accordingly, in Nov., 1349, the king forbade the archiepiscopal cross to be borne before Fitzralph, and in Feb., 1850, the same monarch sought to have Fitzralph’s claims to supremacy over the see of Dublin disallowed, while in 1357 the archbishop was forbidden to leave the country without express permission, a prohibition that was, however, almost immediately revoked. At the same time, he enjoyed the affection of his people, for the government was forced to interfere because of riots arising from the attempts to deprive Fitzralph of his rights.
Some ten years after the archbishop’s death his remains were said to have been taken to the church of St. Nicholas at Dundalk, and within twenty years it was popularly believed that miracles were performed at his tomb. Nevertheless, the commission appointed by Boniface IV. (between 1400 and 1404) to examine his claims to canonization came to no conclusion. Besides the works already mentioned, Fitzralph was the author of many sermons (e.g., the collection De laudibus Marie Avenioni) and letters, as well as of the more permanent Lectura sententiarum, Questiones sententiarum, Lectura theologie, De statu universalis Ecclesie, De peccato ignorantie, De vafritiis Judeorum, Dialogus de rebus ad sanctam scripturam pertinentibus, and Vita Sancti Manchini abbatis, most of which are still unedited.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: DNB, xix. 194-198 (which should be consulted for the early authorities on which the individual statements are made); J. Prince, Worthies of Devon, pp. 294 sqq., Exeter, 1701. Autobiographic material is found in his own writings, especially in the Defensio curatorum.
GOOD, JEREMIAH HAAK: Reformed; b. at Rehrersberg, Pa., Nov. 28, 1822; d. at Tiffin, O., Jan. 25, 1888. He was educated at Marshall College, Mercersburg, Pa. (B.A., 1848) and Mercersburg Theological Seminary (1846). After two years as pastor at Lancaster, O., he became, in 1848, editor of The Western Missionary, of which he was also the founder, and from 1850 to 1869 was professor of mathematics in Heidelberg College, Tiffin, O. From 1869 until his death he was professor of systematic theology in the Reformed theological seminary in the same city. He was one of the prime movers in the founding of both these institutions. In the liturgical controversy in his denomination he was a leader, together with J. H. A. Bomberger (q.v.), against elaborate services; and he was likewise a member of the committee appointed to harmonize the differences within the Reformed Church, later becoming a member of the liturgical committee which completed the peace. Besides editing The Reformed Church Hymnal (Cleveland, O., 1878, and many later editions), he wrote The Heidelberg Catechism, Newly Arranged (Tiffin, 1879, and often), The Children’s Catechism (1881 and often), Prayer- Book and Aids to Private Devotion (1881), and The Church-Member’s Handbook (1882).