Hospinian, Rudolph

Hospinian, Rudolph A Swiss Protestant theologian, was born at Altdorf, near Zurich, Nov. 7, 1547, of a family several members of which had been martyrs of the Reformation. Rudolph was brought up by his uncle, and studied theology at the universities of Marburg and Heidelberg. After his return to Zurich in 1568 he began to preach, and became successively rector in 1576, archdeacon in 1588, and pastor of the church of the Abbey in 1594. He died March 11, 1626. Hospinian is especially distinguished as a writer, and most of his works are of a polemic character, against the Romish Church, inquiring into the cultus and constitution of that Church. The first of them was his De origine et progressu Rituum et Ceremoniaruzm Ecclesiasticarum (1585). Two years after he published De Templis hoc est de origine, progressu, usu et abusu templorum, ac omnino rerum omnium ad templa pertinentium (Zur. 1587, fol.; enlarged edition, 1602, fol.). His De Monachis, seu de origine et progressu Monachatus ac Ordinum Monasticorum, Equitum militarium tam sacrorum quam scecularium omnium was published at Zurich (1588), and reprinted, with additions, as an answer to Bellarmine's De Monachis (Zurich, 1609, folio) — De Festis Chris. tianorum, hoc est de origine, progressu, caerimoniis et ritibus festorum dierum Christianorum Liber unus, etc. (Zur. 1592-3, 2 vols. fol.; augmented, ib. 1612, fol.); the additions to the second edition are in answer to the objections of cardinal Bellarmine and of the Jesuit Gretser: De Festis Judeorum, et Ethnicorum, Libri tres (Zurich, 1592, fol.; 2nd edit., augmented, Zurich, 1611, fol.) — De Origine et Progressu Controversice Sacramenltariae de Caena Domini inter Lutheranos, Ubiquistas et Orthodoxos quos Zuinglianos seu Calvinistas vacant (Zur. 1602, fol.): the Lutherans are strongly attacked by Hospinian in the work — Sacrae Scripturce, orthodoxis symbolis, toti antiquitati puriori, et ipsi etiam Augustance Confessioni repugnantia, etc. (Zurich, 1609, folio). This work gave rise to great controversy. Frederick IV, elector of the Palatinate, blamed Hospinian strongly, and Leonard Hutter answered this and the preceding work in his Concordia Concors (Wittemb. 1614, folio). Hospinian intended to answer Hutter, but gave up the idea lest he should displease the Protestant princes and embitter the controversy, which was very agreeable to the Roman Catholic party — Historia Jesuitica (Zurich, 1619, fol.), a very valuable work — An Anima sit in toto corpore sinul? De Immortalitate ejus (Zurich, 1586, 4to). A complete edition of Hospinian's works was published by J. H. Heidegger at Geneva (1669-81, 7 vols. fol.), containing a full memoir. See Fabricius, Historia Bibl. pt. 1, p. 349, 350; pt. 2, p. 510, 511; pt. 3, p. 87, 88; Dupin, Bibl. des Auteurs separes de la communion Romaine, etc. (Paris, 1718); Pierer, Universal- Lexikon, s.v. Herzog Real-Encyklop. s.v.; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Géneralé, 25 211; Bayle, Historical Dict. 3:502; Darling, Encyclop. Bibliog. vol. 1. SEE HUTTER. (J. N. P.)