Francken, Christian

Francken, Christian a German divine, surnamed the weathercock from the instability of his religious opinions, was born at Gardeleben in 1549, and died about the close of that century. He was first a Lutheran, then became a Jesuit, afterwards returned to the Lutheran faith, then became a Socinian, and finally a Roman Catholic again. The most important of his writings is Colloquium Jesuiticum, etc. (Leipzig, 1579 and 1580), a severe satire on the Jesuits. — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, 18:466-7; Rose, New Biog. Dict. 7:439. (J.W.M.)