Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 8.djvu/871

Rh F A B F A B 835 preaching he gave considerable prominence to the doctrines usually known as evangelical, but he endeavoured to avoid as much as possible the technicalities of a system, and to give all that he spoke a directly practical bearing. Marrying in 1803, he lost his fellowship, and for two years he acted as curate to his father. In 1805 he became vicar of Stockton-on-Tees, and three years later of Redmarshall, both in the county of Durham. In 1811 he obtained the rectory of Long Newton, in 1831 was made a prebendary of Salisbury Cathedral, and the folio wing year received the mastership of Sherborn Hospital, where he died in the master s residence on 27th January 1854. Faber wrote over forty volumes treating more or less directly of theo- iogical subjects, and chiefly of those which are of a polemi cal nature. They manifest great and varied erudition, and considerable acuteness within a certain limited sphere ; but his abilities are frequently misapplied in vain endeavours to establish baseless theories, and in minute discussions regard ing subjects of no general or lasting importance. Among his principal works are Mysteries of the -Cabin, or the Great Gods of Phoenicia, 2 vols., 1803 ; Origin of Pagan Idolatry, 3 vols., 1816; Difficulties of Romanism, 1826; Apostoliclty of Trinitarianism, 2 vols., 1832; Election, 1842 ; Papal Infallibility, 1851; and the Sacred Calendar of Prophecy, 3 vols., 1828. The last is his most popular work, and has passed through several editions. FABER, or LEFEVRE, JACOBUS (c. 1450-1536), surnamed Stapulensis, an eminent pioneer of the Protestant move ment in France, was born of humble parentage at Etaples in Picardy about 1450, and received his higher education at the university of Paris. After having graduated, and for some time made use of the privilege of teaching which the degree of magister at that time actually conferred, he went to Italy for the prosecution of his favourite classical studies. On his return to Paris he became professor in the college of Cardinal Lemoine, and at the same time he began the publication, with introductions, commentaries, or translations, of various famous works, including the Physics, Metaphysics, and Elides of Aristotle. In 1507 he commenced residence within the Benedictine Abbey of St Germain des Pres near Paris, of which his friend Brigonnet had become superior ; and here he began to give himself to biblical studies. The first fruit of his labours was the Qidntuplex Psalterium ; Gallicum, Romanum, Ifebraiciim, Vetus, Conciliatum (Parisiis, Hen. Stephani, 1509). This was followed in 1512 by S. Pauli Epistolce XIV. ex vidyata Editione, adjecta intelligentia ex Grceco cum com- mentariis, a work characterized by great intelligence and independence of judgment. His De Maria Magdalena et triduo Ckristi disceptatio, published in 1517, provoked a violent controversy, and was ultimately condemned by the Sorbonne in 1521. In 1523 he removed to Meaux as vicar to his friend Brigonnet, who had recently been advanced to that bishopric ; and in the same year he published his new French translation of the New Testa ment, also Les Ejristres et Evangiles pour les LI I. dimanckes de Van ct Uusacje du diocese de Meaux. In his prefaces and notes to both these works he had expressly declared his conviction that the Bible is the only rule by which doctrines are to be tried, and also that justification is by faith alone. These utterances excited much hostility, but the power ful protection of the king (Francis I.) and of the Princess Margaret shielded him from any serious consequences. After the battle of Pavia (25th February 1525), Francis being at the time in captivity, Faber was formally con demned, and his works were vigorously suppressed by a commission of the parliament ; these proceedings, how ever, were at once quashed on the return of the king some months afterwards. In 1526 Faber became librarian in the royal palace at Blois ; and two years afterwards his translation of the Pentateuch appeared. In 1530 he com pleted his translation of the Bible, which at once took a high place, has often been reprinted, and has indeed been the basis of all subsequent French versions, both Roman Catholic and Protestant. In 1531 he was induced by Margaret (who had become queen of Navarre) to take refuge at Nerac from the storm of persecution which had broken out with fresh violence ; and here he spent the closing years of his life in comparative quietude. His death took place in 1536. See Graf in Zeitschr. f. histor. Theol., 1852, and in Herzog s Real-Encyclopddie. A full list of Faber s very numerous writings is given in the Biographic Generale (s. v, Lefevre d ^itaples). FABER, or LEFEVRE, JOHANN (1478-1541), surnamrd from the title of one of his works Malleus Haereticorum. was the son of a smith named Heigerlin, and was born at Leutkirch in Swabia in 1478. At an early age he joined the Dominicans, and he afterwards studied theology at Freiburg in Breisgau, where he received the degrees of M.A. and doctor of canon law. His reputation for ability and learning soon led to his being appointed vicar of Lindau and Leutkirch, and shortly afterwards canon in the cathedral church of Basel. In 1518 the bishop of Con stance named him one of his vicar generals, and Pope Leo X. appointed him to be papal protonotary. At this time Faber was on a friendly footing with the principal German Reformers, and sympathized generally with their opinions. Of the many evil customs with which the church had become infected he was well aware, and he was so energetic in opposing the practice of indulgences in his diocese that he was looked upon with suspicion at Rome. He also de fended Luther against the attacks of his opponent Eck, although he admitted that many of Luther s views were too far in advance of the times. In 1521, however, Faber made a journey to Rome, which seems to have wrought almost an immediate and complete change in his manner of regarding the efforts of the Reformers, for as soon as he returned he began strenuously to oppose them both by speech and writing. In 1523 he appeared as an opponent of Zwingli in a disputation at Zurich, and the same year he published his tractate against Luther entitled Malleus Hcereticorum. From this time his chief efforts were devoted either to win back the Reformers to the church of Rome, or to get that church to adopt such measures as would best tend to nullify their influence with the people. Among other means employed by him was the establishment of a boarding-house for poor theologians, in order to train a class of preachers fitted by their peculiar qualifications to rival the Reformed preachers in popular esteem. In 1526 Faber became court preacher to the emperor Ferdinand, and in 1527 and 1528 was sent by him as ambassador to Spain and England. He was chosen bishop of Vienna in 1531, and died there 12th June 1541. Most of his works were directed against the doctrines of Protestantism. They were collected and published in 3 vols., Cologne, 1537, 1539, and 1541. FABIAN GENS, THE, was said by the genealogists to have been descended from Hercules and a daughter of the Arcadian Evander. Niebuhr s supposition of the Sabine origin of the clan has been held to be inconsistent with the tradition regarding the pre-Sabine institution of the Luper- calia, the yearly festival inaugurated at the sacrifice which Romulus and Remus offered in the Lupercal after the death of Amulius, and at which, according to the legend, they agreed to distinguish their respective adherents by the names Quinctilii and Fabii. The two colleges of the Luperci re tained these designations long after the members of the two clans ceased to exercise exclusive control over the sacra. The chief family names of the Fabian gens or clan, during the commonwealth, were Vibulanus, Ambustus, Maximus, Buteo, Pictor, Dorso, Labeo ; and Verrucosus, Rullianus, Gurges, Eburnus, ^Emilianus, Allobrogicus, may be enu merated among their agnomina. Yibulanus and the two