Billick, Eberhard

Billick, Eberhard one of the most famous Roman Catholic theologians of the 16th century, was born at Bilk, near Dusseldorf, and died in the year 1557. He belonged to the Carmelite order, and was professor at Cologne. When it was intended to call Butzer to Cologne, he opposed this movement by publishing his Judicium, Deputatorum Universitatis et Secundarii Cleri Coloniensis (1543). In 1545 he published another polemical work against Protestantism, which was propagated at Cologne, under the title, Judicii Universitatis et Cleri Coloniensis Adversus Calumnias Philippi Melanehthonis, Martini Buceri, etc. In 1546 he was present at the Ratisbon colloquy. Pope Paul IV honored him with the title of bishop of Cyrene. See Hartzheim, Bibl. Col. page 174 sq.; Hagen, Geschichte Aachens, 2:139; Ennen, Geschichte der Stadt Kdln, 4:1875; Varrentrapp, Hermann von Wied (Leipsic, 1878); Pastor, in Wetzer u. Welte's Kirchenlexikon, s.v. (B.P.)