Barthel, Johann Caspar

Barthel, Johann Caspar a German canonist, born in 1697 at Kitzingen. He studied at Wurzburg with the Jesuits, and subsequently at Rome under Cardinal Lambertini, afterward Benedict XIV. In 1727 he was made professor of canon law in the University of Wurzburg, of which he afterward became vice-chancellor. To intense hatred of Protestantism Barthel united a steadfast resistance to all papal claims unauthorized by law. He died in 1771, having greatly improved the teaching of the canon law, which before his time consisted simply in repeating the decretals and comments of the court of Rome. Barthel followed zealously in the path of De Marca, Thomassin, Fleury, and other great theologians of France, and reduced the canon law to a form suited to the wants and peculiar circumstances of Germany. The following are his chief works:

1. Historia Pacificationum Imperil circa Religionum consistens (Wurzburg, 1736, 4to): —

2. De Jure Reformandi antiquo et novo (Ibid. 1744, 4to): —

3. De restitutd canon'carrum in Germania electionum. politia (Ibid. 1749): — Tractatus de eo quod circa libertatem exercitii religionis ex lege divina et ex lege imperil justum est (Ibid. 1764, 4to). — Landon, Eccl. Dict. 2:47.