NICOLAI, Christoph Friedrich (1733-1811), a German author and bookseller, was born on the 18th of March 1733, at Berlin, where his father was a bookseller. He was educated at a real-school in Berlin, and in 1749 went to Frankfort-on-the-Oder to learn his father’s business. In 1752 he returned to Berlin, and soon began to take part in current literary controversy. At that time the leaders of critical opinion in Germany were Gottsched and Bodmer. In 1755 Nicolai issued a book, Briefe über den jetzigen Zustand der schönen Wissenschaften, in which he tried to show that each of these writers was in his own way narrow and intolerant. This work secured for the author the friendship of Lessing, whose power as a critic was then beginning to be recognized. In 1757 Nicolai devoted himself exclusively to literature; but next year, after the death of his brother, who had continued the elder Nicolai’s business, he found it necessary to resume the life of a bookseller. He did not, however, abandon his literary labours. In association with his friend Moses Mendelssohn he had established, in 1757, the periodical called Bibliothek der schönen Wissenschaften, and this he conducted until 1760. From 1761 to 1766 he contributed to the Briefe, die neueste Literatur betreffend ; but it was Lessing’s work that made this series famous. For many years (from 1765 to 1791) Nicolai edited the Allgemeine deutsche Bibliothek, a periodical which served as the organ of the so-called popular philosophers, who warred against authority in religion and against what they conceived to be extravagance in literature. The new movement of ideas represented by Herder, Goethe, Schiller, Kant, and Fichte he was incapable of understanding, and he made himself ridiculous by foolish misrepresentation of their ...

NICOLAIEFF. See Nikolaieff.

St. John says in his Revelation, to the angel of the church of Ephesus, But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate,” Rev. ii, 6; and again, to the angel of the church of Pergamos: So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate,” Rev. ii, 15. These are the only two places where the Nicolaitans are mentioned in the New Testament: and it might appear at first, that little could be inferred from these concerning either their doctrine or their practice. It is asserted, however, by all the fathers, that the Nicolaitans were a branch of the Gnostics: and the epistles, which were addressed by St. John to the seven Asiatic churches, may perhaps lead us to the same conclusion. Thus to the church at Ephesus he writes: Thou hast tried them which say they are Apostles and are not, and hast found them liars,” Rev. ii, 2. This may be understood of the Gnostic teachers, who falsely called themselves Christians, and who would be not unlikely to assume also the title of Apostles. It appears from this and other passages, that they had distinguished themselves at Ephesus; and it is when writing to that church, that St. John mentions the Nicolaitans. Again, when writing to the church at Smyrna, he says: I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan,” Rev. ii, 9. The Gnostics borrowed many doctrines from the Jews, and thought by this means to attract both the Jews and Christians. We might therefore infer, even without the testimony of the fathers, that the Gnostic doctrines were prevalent in these churches, where St. John speaks of the Nicolaitans: and if so, we have a still more specific indication of their doctrine and practice, when we find St. John ...