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vancing with the flag; his costume is richlv embroid- ered, and his armour bears a large cross. His follow- ers are similarly clad and bear battle-axe^. On the left side are the women, of delicate mould and some^ what less pronounced individuality; a pope and a bishop appear among them, both of whom play a part in the legend of St. Ursula. The sumptuous garments of the maidens are trimmed with royal ermine, and their long flowing sleeves hang down at their sides. The slender arms and tapering lingers of the Madonna, as well as the somewhat awkward movements of some of the other figures, remind us of an earlier period; but there is a keen sense of nature and an earnest aim at reality in the treatment of the costumes as well as in the expression of the faces, which are flnishcd and life- like.

The Annunciation, done in more subdued tones, is represented at the outer end. Great care is shown in the handling of the room, with its wall-hangings and its compartment ceilings, the desk, chair, and lily. The whole work reminds one of Van Eyck's altar painting at Ghent; the artist has achieved at Cologne a magnificent monument to the patron saint of the city. Similar in technic Ls the " Virgin among the Rose- bushes" (Maria am Rosenhag) in the Cologne museum. Tliis is an enchanting picture of the Blessed Mother with the Child, surrounded by angels who discourse celestial music. Indeed one might view it as a scene in heaven, a glimpse of which is vouchsafed mortals by the two angels who part the mystic veil. God the Father appears alx)ve, His hand raised in benediction, while over them hovers the Dove, symbol of the Holy Ghost. The ** Madonna of the Violets" is ascribed to an earlier period of Lochiier, and is in the archiepisco- pal museum. This charming work is done in the style of "Muster Wilhelm". The youthful Mother stands there, more than life-size, with the Infant Jesus on her arm; her left hand holds a bunch of violets; above are seen the Heavenly Father, the Holy Ghost, and an an- gel; Mother and Child look dowTi upon a woman in prayer, who represents the donor of the painting. The Cologne, seems at first glance to be in an entirely dif- ferent style. Certain experts have contended against Master Stephan's authorship of this work, because of the realistic fonns of the damned, and the distorted faces of the demons. Other critics have assumed that his pupils contributed the lost souls, and have recog- nized m the remainder of the work the hand of Loch- ner himself. Another painting, which is more likely to have emanated from his brush, is of " The Presentar tion of Jesus in the Temple ", with saints portrayed on the side panels; it is the famous central picture at Dannstaxit, so much admired by visitors. The youths standing Ix'fore Simeon, and the maidens grouped be- hind Anna, make an array of figures full of grace and charm.
 * Last Judgment", which hangs in the museiun of

ScHEiBLF.n AND Aldenhovkn, Gesch. der Kolner MalerachuU nAiheck, 1S94); Meklo, Firmenich-Ri(hartz. and Keussen, Kolnische KunMlcr in alter urid neuer Zeit (DUascldorf. 1895).

G. GlKTMANN.

Loci Theologiciy or hci communes, are the common topics of discussion in theology. As theology is the science which places in the light of reason the truths revealed by God, its topics are, strictly speaking, co- extensive with the whole content of revelation. Usage, however, and circumstance have restricted the loci to narrower l)ut ill-defined limits. Melanchthon, the theologian of Lutheran Germany, published in 1521 "Hypotyposes theologicie seu loci communes", a presentation of the chief Christian doctrines drawn from the Bil)le as the only rule of faith. His avowed intention was to improve on similar works by John Damascene and Peter Ix)mbard. Leaving aside undis- pute<l dogmas which do not bear directly on the salva- tion of man, he expounds with scanty commentary, or none at all, the state of fallen man, free-will, ein,

the law of God, the law of man, the Gospel, the power of the Law and the power of the Gospel, grace, justifi- cation, faith, hope, and charity, the difference between the Old and New Testament, the abolition of the Law through the Gospel, the sacraments of Baptism, Pen- ance, and the Eucharist, authority, and scandal. Melanchthon's "Loci" became the textbook for Lu- theran theology' and the author has rightly been styled the prccceptor 6ermantoB, Like Peter Lombard, he had his'imitators and conmientators, who formed a goodlv bodv of Protestant Schoolmen. The greatest work of this kind is "Loci communes theologici", by John Gerard, professor at Jena, published in nine volumes (1610-1622); it is the greatest and also the last. After Gerard the loci theology gives place to systematic theology; the unconnectecT exposition of "topics" in the light of the Bible gradually disappears. €^ the Catholic side Melanchthon's " Loci" were countered by the ' ' Enchiridion locorum communium" of Johann Eck (q. v.), which between 1525 and 1576 ran through fort\'-five editions. It was dedicated to Henry Vfil of England. The topics which Eck expounds and de- fends against the Reformers are: the Churcii ajid her authoritv, the councils, the primacy of the Apoetolic See, Holy Scripture, faith and works, confirmation, ordination, confession, conmiunion under both kinds, matrimony, extreme unction, human laws, feasts, fasts, the worship of saints and their images, the Mass, vows, clerical celibacy, cardinals and legates, excom- munication, wars against the Turks, inununities and temporalities of the Church, indulgences, pursatory, annates, the burning of heretics, discussion with here- tics, and infant baptism. Other Catholic writers fol- lowed on the track of the Ingolstadt professor; e. g. Franciscus Orantes (d. 1584), Konrad Kluig (d. 1566;, Joseph V. Zambaldi (d. 1722), and Cardinal Bellar- mine (q. v.), whose " Disputationes de controversiis fidei" (1581-92) are still the chief arsenal and strong- hold of Catholic controversy. But, whilst Protestants concentrated their best theological effort on the locij Catholics soon retiuned to the systematic methods of the older Summce,

Cano (d. 1560) applied the term loci iheoHogiei to a treatise on the f unciamental principles or sources of theological science. On the threshold of every science there stands a complex of preliminary principles, pos- tulates, and questions, which must be elucidated bcaore progress is possible. Some are conmion to all sciences, some are peculiar to each. Before Cano the questions preliminary to theology had never been treated as a science apart, general dialectics being deemed a suffi- cient introduction. Cano observes tiiat the "Queen of sciences" draws its arguments and proofs \ The first seven are the proper places in which theology moves, the last three are uaerul auxili- aries. Mclchior Cano's work save a new turn to theological teaching. Much that before his time had l)een taken for granted, or, at best, only loosely investigated, became the favourite theme of the schools. The foundations of theology, which had lain eml)edded in the Christian mind, weie laid bare, examined, strengthened, and rendered safe both for the believer inside the Church and against the foe without. The scientific method which takes nothing for granted, but investigates and probes to the very root every item of knowledge, is not a thing of yester- day, much less a child of anti-Catholic tendencies: Bishop Mclchior Cano introduced it as the beet wea- pon ot offence and defence in religious warfaie. The