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FAMILISTS

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Originally appearing in Volume V10, Page 158 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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FAMILISTS , a See also:

term of See also:English origin (later adopted in other See also:languages) to denote the members of the Familia Caritatis (Hits der Lieften; Huis der Liefde; Haus der Liebe; " See also:Family of Love "), founded by Hendrik Niclaes (See also:born on the 9th or loth of See also:January 1501 or 1502, probably at See also:Munster; died after 1570, not later than 1581, probably in 1580). His calling was that of a See also:merchant, in which he and his son See also:Franz prospered, becoming ultimately wealthy. Not till 1540 did he appear in the See also:character of one divinely endowed with "the spirit of the true love of Jesus See also:Christ." For twenty years (1540—156o) See also:Emden was the headquarters at once of his merchandise and of his propaganda; but he travelled in both interests to various countries, visiting See also:England in 1552 Or 1553. To this See also:period belong most of his writings. His See also:primary See also:work was Den Spegel der Gherechticheit dorch den Geist der Liefden See also:uncle den 'vergodeden Mensch H.N. uth de hemmelische Warheit betiiget. It appeared in an English See also:form with the author's revision, as An Introduction to the See also:holy Understanding of the Glasse of Righteousness (1575?; reprinted in 1649). None of his See also:works See also:bear his name in full; his See also:initials were mystically interpreted as See also:standing for Homo Novus. His " See also:glass of righteousness " is the spirit of Christ as interpreted by him. The remarkable fact was brought out by G. See also:Arnold (and more fully by F. Nippold in 1862) that the printer of Niclaes's works was See also:Christopher See also:Plantin, of See also:Antwerp, a specially privileged printer of See also:Roman See also:Catholic See also:theology and See also:liturgy, yet secretly a steadfast adherent of Niclaes. It is true that Niclaes claimed to hold an impartial attitude towards all existing religious parties, and his See also:mysticism, derived froth See also:David See also:Joris, was undogmatic.

Yet he admitted his followers by the rite of adult See also:

baptism, and set up a See also:hierarchy among them on the Roman See also:model (see his E'vangelium Regni, in English A Joyfull See also:Message of the See also:Kingdom, 1574?; reprinted, 1652). His See also:pantheism had an antinomian See also:drift; for himself and his officials he claimed impeccability; but, whatever truth there may be in the See also:charge that among his followers were those who interpreted " love " as See also:licence, no such charge can be sustained against the morals of Niclaes and the other leaders of the See also:sect. His See also:chief apostle in England was Christopher Vitel, a native of See also:Delft, an " illuminate See also:elder," living at See also:Colchester and See also:Southwark, who ultimately recanted. The society spread in the eastern counties, in spite of repressive See also:measures; it revived under the See also:Commonwealth, and lingered into the See also:early years of the 18th See also:century; the leading See also:idea of its " service of love " was a reliance on sympathy and tenderness for the moral and spiritual edification of its members. Thus, in an See also:age of strife and polemics, it seemed to afford a See also:refuge for quiet, See also:gentle See also:spirits, and meditative temperaments. See F. Nippold, " H. Niclaes u. das Haus der Liebe," in Zeitschrift See also:fur See also:die histor. Theol. (1862) ; See also:article " H. Niclaes " in A. J. See also:van der Aa, Biog.

Woordenboek der Nederlanden (1868) ; article " H. See also:

Nicholas," by C. See also:Fell See also:Smith, in See also:Diet. Nat. Biog. (1894) ; article " Familisten," by Loafs, in See also:Herzog-Hauck's Realencyklopadie (1898). (A.

End of Article: FAMILISTS

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