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 WESTPHALIA

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WESTPHALIA

ancc of their pastors, in frequent pilgrimages, in the giving of alms, hospitality to strangers, and other works of Christian charitj". It is probable, how- ever, that Rolevinck describes the beautiful and earlier period of the fathers. At the beginning of the fourteenth century Westphalia was in a terrible state cf disorganization caused by the political schemes of its ecclesiastical princes, as, for instance, by the three counts of Mors who occupied the sees of Cologne, Paderborn, Osnabriick, and Munster, or more espe- cially by the Soest feud (1-141-49), and the Miinster feud (1450-56). After 1456 better conditions pre- vailed for a time; order was restored in the mon- asteries; the bishops encoiu-aged religious life; the diocesan synods wore more regularly held, and fa- vourably influenced both clergy and people. But con- ditions again grew bad when suddenly, in the year 1508, all the \\'estphalian sees were vacant and the former competent bishops were succeeded by per- sons unequal to the duties of their office. Until towards the end of the Middle Ages Westphalia in intellectual matters was under the influence of Cologne and its university. Yet in the era of Hu- manism a vigorous independent life was developed in the province. Many Westphalians attended the school at Deventer which flourished under the guid- ance of Alexander Hegius, a native of Westphalia. At Miinster, Rudolf of Langen and .Johannes Murmellius exerted an active and far-reaching influence for the spread of humanistic training. The Westphalian Hermann von dem Busche was one of the greatest wanderers among the itinerant humanistic teachers. Although a eulogist like Hermann Hamclmann goes too far when he asserts, as Hamelmann continually does, that the W^estphalians were the first to revive Classical learning in Germany, nevertheless a large share must be ascribed to them in this re\-ival.

During the first years of the era of the Reformation Westphalia was little affected. It is true that here, as elsewhere in (lermany, a strong anti-clerical oppo- sition had been in exi.stence for a long time, but this antagonism did not at once join the new dogmatic op- position of Luther. The revolts which in 1525 arose in Minden .and Mimstcr, were social in the main, and were aimed both against abuses in the lives of the upper and lower clergy which were inconsistent with the dignity of the clerical calhng and which had become intolerable, anfl against historically sanctioned priv- ileges of ecclesia.stics in civil and political affairs. The earliest .adherents of Luther in Westphalia were .\ugustinian monks and Humanists. The Augustin- ians studied at the University of Wittenberg and brought the new doctrine home with them. Thus in 1524 the Lut heran opinions were preached at Lippstadt by the prior Wosterm.ann, andthe lector Koitcn, and at Herfordbythe prior Kropp. Among the Humanists who maintained the Lutheran cause were Horinann von dem Bu.sche, who watched and supported from Marburg the .adv.ance of the new dogma in his native region, .lacob Montanus a1 Herfonl. and a large num- ber of .-ichool teachers of the younger generation of Humanists, as (lerhard Cotius, .John Glandorp, and Adolf ClarenJ)ach at Miinster. It was not until after 1.525 that Lutheranism gained ground among the common people in Westphalia. .4s the common peo- ple had little comprehension of (he dogm.atic contro- versies, the .success of the Reformation is rather ex- plicable by the fact that (he old jKipular opposition to the life and constitution of the (^hurch learned to look upon Luther as its leader. The adherents of the movement continually grew in number by means of the accounts given by itinerant merchants, by the agitation carried on by preachers and students of Wittenberg L^niversity, and by popular literature. .Among the cities, Li[)pstadt, ."^ocst, and Herford were the first to introduc;' the Kvanni'lieal ('oiifession; Tecklenburg v.as the first of the countships. The

secular principalities gradually became Protestant. In the ecclesiastical principalities (he position of the ruler was of great impoitance. Munster was won for the new doctrine by the preacher Bernhard Roth- mann; it was recognized as a Lutheran city by the bishop in the Treaty of 14 February, 1533. The Protestant faith was al-so established in a number of country towns of the Diocese of Miinster. However, in the years 1534-35, the Anabapti.sts carried on their wild regime at Munster, and their overthrow put an end for a time to the progress of the Reformation. The Archbishop of Cologne and Bishop of Paderborn, Hermann von der Wied, sought to introduce the Reformation in the Duchy of Westphalia and in the Diocese of Paderborn, but he was deposed in 1547 and his successor re-established Catholicism in both dis- tricts. In Minden the bishops themselves were friends of the new doctrine, consequently Protestant- ism was able to maintain itself. The check given by the Augsburg Interim (1548) to Protestantism was only a partial and temporary one, especially as a num- ber of the (irinces rejected it altogether. After the Religious Peace of Augsburg (1555) the Church lost Dortmund, a large part of the Diocese of Miinster, as is shown by the visitation of 1571, and Paderborn, which was under the Protestant Bishop of Lauenburg (1577-85).

Lutheranism was also partially superseded by Cal- vinism, as in the countships of Mark and Tecklen- burg, in the Diocese of Miinster, and in Southern Westphalia (Wittgenstein and Nassau -Siegen), while the flourishing cities of Soe.st, Lippstadt, Herford, Bielefeld, and Dortmund held to the Lutheran faith, the stronghold and pattern of Lutheranism being Soest. However, after the Church had been re-in- vigorated by the Council of Trent, it took more de- cisive steps against Protestantism in WVstphalia as well as in other regions. Here also the Jesuits deserve the most credit for the Counter-Reformation. Their first collegium was established at Paderborn in 1580, the next at Mtin.ster at 1589. During the following century other collegiate foundations and missions were added to these. By means of their gymnasial schools they gained over the rising generation and brought large numbers back to the Church, in dis- tricts far beyond the places of their settlement, by means of missions, retreats, brotherhoods, and sodali- ties. The new Capuchin and Franciscan monasteries, a fairly large number of which were founded between 1600 and 1650, exerted influence in the same manner. It must, however, be .said, that the ".secular arm" had a large share in the Counter-Reformation, often a larger one than spiritual weapons. The exercise of the Evangelical religion was forbidden and the non- Catholic clergy, teachers, .-uid officials were depo.sed and exjielled. The ('ountcr-Kcfoniiation was begun in the Oioci'se of .Miuistir liy Bishop .John von Hoya (l.")(i-71), an:! brought to a \ictorioiis close by l'>n8t of Bavaria (15S5-1612). and Ferdinand of Bavaria (1612-.50).

In Paderborn Henry of Lauenburg was followed by Theodore of Fiirstenherg (1.58.5-1618), who defeated the Protestant opposition by the taking of Paderborn in 1604; he restored Catholicism with the aid of the Jesuits, and gave the Counter-Reformation a centre by founding the University of Paderborn in 1614. In 123 Paderborn was once more entirely Catholic. The Archbishop of Cologne, Gebhard Truchscss of Waldburg (1577-84), made a .second fruidess attempt to introduce Protestantism in the Duchy of West- phalia. The three successors of Truchsess made the duchy once more completely Catholic. The Counter- Reformation w.as introduceil in the domains of the .'Vbbey of Cx)rvey by the Prince .\bbot Dietrich of Heringhausi-n (1.585-1616), but it made little progress under the inactive and incapable Abbot Henry of Aschcbrock (1610-1024), and Hoxter remained Prot-