IHMELS, LUDWIG HEINRICH:
German Lutheran; b. at Middels, a village of East Frisia,
June 29, 1858. He was educated at the universities
of Leipsic (1878-79), Erlangen (1879-80, 1882-83),
Göttingen (1880-81), and Berlin (1883), was
assistant pastor in West-Rhauderfehm, East Frisia
(1881-1882), pastor at Baltrum (1883), Nesse (1884), and
Detern (1885-94; all in East Frisia). He was then
director of studies and a member of the monastery
of Loccum (1894-98); was appointed professor of
systematic theology at Erlangen (1898); and at
Leipsic (1903). In theology he
represents orthodox
Lutheranism. He has written
Rechtfertigung des
Sünders vor Gott
(Brunswick, 1888);
Wie werden wir der christlichen Wahrheit gewiss ?
(Leipsic,1900);
Die Selbstständigkeit der Dogmatik gegenüber der
Religionsphilosophie (1900);
Die christliche Wahrheitsgewissheit, ihr letzter Grund und ihre Entstehung (1901);
Die tägliche Vergebung der Sünden (1901);
Die Bedeutung des Autoritätsglaubens (1902);
Theonomie and Autonomie in Licht der christlichen Ethik
(1902);
Jesus Christus die Wahrheit und das Leben
(2 sermons, 1903);
Wer war Jesus, was wollte Jesus ? (1905);
Die Auferstehung Jesu Christi (1906); and
Eins ist Not (sermons; 1906).
ILDEPHONSUS, îl''dê-fon'sus: Archbishop of
Toledo; b. at Toledo 607; d. there Jan. 23, 667.
Of his life little is known. At an early
age he
became inspired with love of the monastic life and
entered a cloister in his native city, despite the
strong opposition of his father. He later founded
a nunnery near Toledo, and about 630 was ordained
Levite by Helladius. Some time afterward he
became abbot of the monastery, and in Nov., 657,
he was consecrated archbishop of Toledo. He is
best known as the champion of the worship of the
Virgin Mary in Spain, and his views were advanced
in his
Libellus de virginitate sanctae Mariae contra
tres infideles,
which at once met with high esteem.
He also wrote an extension of Isidore's
De vir. ill.
in fourteen chapters, beginning with Gregory
the Great, and treating of seven bishops of Toledo and
five of other Spanish dioceses, and
the monk Donatus. The treatment is not free
from superficialities, although it must be borne
in mind that at that period ecclesiastical authorship
was at a low ebb. A third work of this
author which has been preserved is the twofold
Annotationes de cognitione baptismi
and
de progressu spiritualis deserti.
The latter part is a description
of life from baptism to heaven, with a panegyric
on the desert and a curious interpretation of a
number of Biblical names from botany and zoology.
The
Cognitio baptismi reproduces a work of the
sixth century, possibly by Justinian of Valencia on
regeneration in baptism. The first twelve chapters,
as well as the concluding sections and a citation
from Gregory the Great, were added by Ildephonsus.
Some of his letters have been preserved, and the
wording of his masses caused the Adoptionists, a
century later, to regard him as one of their fore-runners.
He was buried at Toledo, and the napkin
given him by the Virgin when she appeared to him
was treasured at Oviedo. A small church at Rome
is dedicated to him and St. Thomas of Villanova.
(Edgar Hennecke.)
Bibliography:
The works are most easily accessible in
MPL, xcvi. The Vita by Julianus Hispanus is in ASB, Jan., ii. 536-539, and MPL, xcvi. 43-48.
Consult: P. Gama,
Kirchengeschichte Spaniens, II, ii.
135-138, Regensburg, 1874; A. Ebert, Allgemeine Geschichte
der Litteratur des Mittelalters, i. 568-602, Leipsic, 1889;
G. von Dsialowski, in Kirchengeschichtliche Studien,
iv. 2, pp. 125 sqq., Münster, 1898; Ceillier, Auteurs sacrés, xi. 773-778, xiv. 412; DCB, iii. 223-225.
