Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 4.djvu/874

 DIETRICH

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DIETRICH

schism, and gives important letters and acts (the work was finished 25 July, 1408; ed. Schard, Basle, 1566). He also wrote "De scismate libri tres", his most im- portant work, finished in May, 1410 (ed. Erler, Leip- zig, 1890), in which he delineates the origin and the history of the schism up to the coronation of John XXIII; the abundance of its materials makes this work one of the most important authorities for the last stages of the schism. His judgments, however, concerning persons and facts must be taken with caution, Dietrich being strongly partisan. To John XXIII himself he addressed (perhaps in 1410) a letter about the proper administration of his office ("Epis- tola ad dominum Johannem XXIII transmissa de bono Romani pontificis regimine", ed. Rattinger, in " Historisches Jahrbuch", 1884, 163-78). This was preceded by a letter of admonition to the cardinals who were to elect John XXIII ("Informacio facta cardinalibus in conclavi ante electionem Papie Jo- hannis XXIII moderni", written in 1410; ed. Erler, "Dietrich von Nieheim", Documents, XXX-XLI). Of other works ascribed to him mention shall be made later.

Towards the end of 1414 was opened the Council of Constance, destined, if not to remedy all the evils of the time, at least to put an end to the schLsm. From March, 1415, Dietrich was present at Constance and exerted his best efforts for the restoration of ecclesias- tical unity. He was dissatisfied with the attitude of John XXIII, and when the latter fled from Constance (20 March, 1415) Dietrich renounced him. Later, in continuation of hLs aforesaid work on the schism, Diet- rich wrote a history of John XXIII to Jime, 1416 ("Historia de Vita Johannis XXIII", first printed at Frankfort, 1620). This work is at the same time a history of the Council of Constance to the middle of 1416; it is to be noted, however, that the author's judgment is seriously affected by his passionate oppo- sition to John XXIII. Another violent lampoon against this pope, the "Invectiva in diffugientem e Constantiensi concilio Johannem XXIII" (ed. von der Hardt, "Const. Cone", III, XIV, 296-330) is at- tributed to Dietrich; it is not certain, however, that he is the author of this fierce pamphlet; Finke rejects quite positively the authorship of Dietrich (Romische Quartalschrift fiir christl. Altertumskunde und fiir Kirchengesch., 1887, 48 sqq.). During the council Dietrich kept a diary, as he himself mentions in his "Vita Johannis XXIII"; some fragments of it, ac- cording to Finke, are still recognizable (op. cit., 1887, 46-58).

Any final judgment on the attitude and influence of Dietrich at Constance must depend on the authorship of three pubUcations often attributed to him, and dealing particularly with the schism and the efforts at reunion. These are: (1) "De necessitate reforma- tionis Ecclesite in capite et in mymbris"; also entitled "Avisamenta pulcherrima de unione et reformatione membrorum et capitis fienda" (written 1414; ed. von der Hardt, in "Const.ant. Concil.", I, VII, 277-.309; the latter part of it ed. by Finke in "Forschungen zur Geschichte der Konstanzer Konzils", Paderbom, 1890, 267-268) ; (2) " De modis uniendi ac reformandi ecclesiam in concilio universali" (written 1410, ed. von der Hardt, op. cit., I, V, 68-142); (3) "De difhcultate reformationis Ecclesis in concilio universali" (written August, 1410; ed. von der Hardt, op. cit., I, VI, 255- 69). Von der Hardt attributed the treatise "De modis uniendi" to Johannes Gerson, the two others to Pierre d'Ailly, but was of the opinion that perhaps Dietrich von Nieheim might be the author of the "De necessitate reformationis". Schwab has shown (Jo- hannes Gerson, Wilrzburg, 1858) that neither Gerson nor d'Ailly can be regarcled as the author of these works; he ascribed "De modis uniendi" to the Span- ish Benedictine abbot and professor at Bologna, Andreas of Randuf. The other two treatises, he

believed, were composed by Dietrich von Nieheim. Sagmiiller also saw in the aforesaid Abbot .\ndreas the author of "De modis uniendi" (Historisches Jahrbuch, 1893, 562-82). Lenz, however, attributes to Die- trich all three works (see below), and his opinion has been accepted by most later historians; Finke, espe- cially, has confirmed it by numerous arguments. Er- ler, however, to whom we owe a detailed life of Die- trich (see below), does not admit his authorship of the works in question, while Haller agrees with him in re- spect to the treatise "De modis uniendi". Mulder has examined (1907) fully (see below) the attitude of Dietrich towards the theological theories prevalent at the council and the contemporaiy plans for extinction of the schism. He concludes that Dietrich certainly wrote the " De necessitate reformationis " but not the other two treatises. In these three works there is developed a detailed programme of ecclesiastical re- form: all three popes are to be removed and the elec- tion of the new pope is to be committed to a special electoral assembly. The new pope must execute, during the council, the desired refonns in the adminis- tration of the Roman Curia, and the particular practi- cal measures are specified. Erler, as has been seen, denies Dietrich's authorship of those treatises, and therefore sees in him only a very clever papal fimc- tionary, who had no higher aims than the extinction of the schism and a reform of the papal chancery. Finke on the contrary, accepting the authorship of Dietrich, thinks that with time his views grew broader, and that, in spite of hLs weakness as an his- torian, his bold and influential ideas on ecclesiastical reforms made him eventually one of the most impor- tant figures of the early fifteenth century. He calls him the greatest publicist of the later Miildle Ages.

After the council we find Dietrich at Maastricht, where he possessed a canonicate; there he fell ill, and on 15 March, 1418, made his testament, by which he bequeathed his property on the German side of the Alps to the hospital newly built by him at Hameln, and his Italian possessions to the German hospital of Santa Maria dell' Anima at Rome. He died in the same month, probably, as stated above, 22 March. Besides the works already mentioned Dietrich com- posed several others, among them an historical work entitled "Privilegia aut jura imperii circa investituras episcopatuum et abbatiarum," etc. (ed. Schard, Syl- loge de jurisdictione imp, Basle, 1566, 785-859), chiefly an account of the Holy Roman Empire. Of the "Clironicon" composed by him only fragments are extant, discovered and published by Sauerland (Mitteihmgcn lies Instituts fiir cesterr. Gesch., 1885, 589-614; also separately at Frankfort, 1885) and by Mulder (.see below). A chronicle of the popes, part of the Liber Pontificalis (Vita? pontificum Romanorum a Nicolao IV usque ad Urbanum V) formerly ascribed to Dietrich, it is now known, was not written by him. Probably, also, he is not the author of a pamphlet against Cardinal Johannes Dominici ("Epistola Luci- feri sen Satanic ad Johannem Dominici, ord. Praed. presb. card. S. Sixti", ed. in "Nemus unionis"). A geographical work entitled "De regionibus orbis et qualitatibus habitantium in eisdem" written in 1407- 1408, is lost. In 1411 he composed a treatise against the heresies of Wyclif: "Tractatus contra dampnatos Wiclivitas Pragce" (ed. Erler in "Zeitschrift fur vaterliindische Gesch. und Altertumskunde", Mun- ster, 1885, I, 178-98). For the functionaries of the papal chancery he compileil the guide known as "Liber cancellarise apostolicae". He also compiled a short guide to the regular praxis of curial administra- tion, "Stilus palatii abbreviatus" (both edited by Erler, "Der I^iber cancellariiB apostolicse voni Jahre 1380 und der Stilus palatii abbreviatus vom Dietrich von Nieheim", Leipzig, 1888).

Von dkh Hakdt, Mnimum el ircumrnicum Conslanticnee Con- cilium (6 vols., lleliiisUiJt, 1700); Schwab, Johannes Gerson