Justus Menius

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Justus Menius
Justus Menius

Justus Menius , also Jodocus Mening , (born December 18, 1499 in Fulda , † August 11, 1558 in Leipzig ) was a German Protestant theologian and reformer of Thuringia.

Live and act

Menius was born as the son of Jost Menige and Elisabeth Ranis from Gotha. His talent was recognized early on, he was sent to the Fulda convent school, he then joined the Erfurt Franciscan Order and enrolled at the University of Erfurt at Easter 1514 . Here he found access to the humanist circle around Eobanus Hessus . He became friends with Joachim Camerarius the Elder. Ä. from which he gained knowledge of the Greek language. As early as 1515 he became a baccalaureus and in 1516 acquired the academic degree of master's degree in the seven liberal arts. He then returned to Fulda and made a trip to Italy to Rome.

In 1519 he enrolled at the University of Wittenberg , where he heard lectures from Philipp Melanchthon and Martin Luther . In Wittenberg he experienced the effects of the Reformation and was enthusiastic about it. In 1523 he became vicar and deacon in Mühlberg . During his vicariate he made friends with Friedrich Myconius , with whom he had a close friendship throughout his life. He began to carry out his sermons in the Lutheran sense and had to return to Erfurt in 1525 as a result of disputes.

In addition to Johannes Lange, he worked for the consolidation of the Reformation in Erfurt. Originally he had the intention of founding a school in Erfurt. However, when the Peasants' War broke out, he became a preacher in the Erfurt Thomaskirche . He had to face special battles in this matter with the Guardian of the Erfurt Franciscan Monastery , Konrad Klinge .

Because the city council denied the legality of his statements, Menius moved to Gotha in August 1528 . At first he took on a teaching position, but was won over by Friedrich Myconius for theological tasks. He took part in the church visits in Thuringia initiated by Martin Luther in 1528/29 and bore the greatest burden. He also took part in later visitations in Thuringia in 1533 and 1541. Visitations in 1539 in the Albertine part of Thuringia led to the fact that the Reformation was also introduced there. Furthermore, he was called in to reorganize church life in Mühlhausen and was pastor at the Divi-Blasii Church during his two-year tenure . He was also called in to visit churches in Schwarzburg and Naumburg in 1545 .

In March 1529 he was installed as a deacon in Eisenach and after his participation in the Marburg Religious Discussion made superintendent . In his office he was involved in shaping the Protestant church system, primarily in defending against Anabaptist movements . How much he was valued is also shown by the fact that he was called to other important negotiations such as the Wittenberg Agreement in 1536 and the Schmalkalden Convent in 1537.

As an observer, he participated in the Hagenau Religious Discussion and the Worms Religious Discussion . So it is not surprising that after Myconius' death he was appointed superintendent in Gotha. Due to illness, he therefore handed over his superintendent's position in Eisenach to Nikolaus von Amsdorf in 1552 . Menius, described from a wide range of sources as a peace-loving and justice-minded man, was interested in many things and constantly worked on his views. Above all, the development of the school system was close to his heart. In contrast, he proceeded rigorously in the fight against the Anabaptist movement. During the interrogation of arrested Anabaptists, he repeatedly ordered torture to induce them to renounce their faith. If these did not take place, he campaigned for their executions. In this context, Menius repeatedly came into conflict with the Hessian Landgrave Philipp , who refused to have Anabaptists executed in areas that were ruled jointly by the Electorate of Saxony and Hesse .

After the Schmalkaldic War Menius turned decisively against the Augsburg Interim and in 1549 wrote the Weimar Confession for the sons of the former Elector Johann Friedrich I of Saxony, who had been held prisoner . At first he stayed out of the quarrels between the Gnesiolutherans and the Philippists . Instead, he led disputations with Georg Merula in 1550 about the requirement of exorcism in the act of baptism . In 1552, however, he willingly appeared as a critic of Andreas Osiander's doctrine of justification . In doing so, he became directly involved in the Osiandrian dispute and thus took the position of the Philippists. He was therefore a member of a Saxon embassy from April to September 1553 in Königsberg to persuade Albrecht I of Brandenburg-Ansbach to turn away from Osiandrism, which was unsuccessful.

A violent dispute broke out as a result of the confession of Philippism . When Menius, together with Amsdorf, Johann Stoltz and Erhard Schnepf, was again called to the Thuringian church visit in 1554, this attitude became more precise. Amsdorf asked Menius to condemn certain books as adiaphoristic and maioristic . However, he refused, which made him suspicious. Sun also joined Matthias Flacius than his opponent when he "necessary for salvation" described in a sermon the new life as. He was removed from office and went to Langensalza to avoid further hostility .

In 1556 he was ready to return when Duke Johann Friedrich II of Saxony protected him from his adversaries and allowed him to communicate with his “dear preceptors” in Wittenberg. He was reinstated in his office because he was tolerated at the Eisenach convent in his speech about the need for salvation "abstractive et de idea". Since the Chancellor Christian Brück gave only an inadequate answer to his demand, he accepted the appointment to the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig on Melanchthon's mediation .

However, this did not calm the situation. Above all, Flacius accused him of misunderstandings in the Lutheran doctrine, so that a theologically led literary dispute arose. So he held against him misunderstandings in the doctrine of justification. In 1557 Flacius wrote the old and the new teaching Justi Menii . Menius replied with the report of the bitter news of 1558. In the middle of this controversy, he died on August 11, 1558 in Leipzig .

Menius published numerous translations of the Latin writings of Luther and Melanchthon. His own work always comes from his specific areas of responsibility. If it were first pamphlets against the Catholic representatives in Erfurt and against the radical Reformation Anabaptist movement , he did not remain silent on internal Protestant issues. His sermons and edifying writings were popular with reading.

family

Menius was married twice. His first marriage was probably around 1523 in Mühlberg near Gotha with a certain Elsa, whose surname has not yet been determined. His second marriage was in Eisenach with Margarita († January 29, 1548), the widow of Friedrich Myconius and the daughter of Barthel Jaeck. From the children we know:

  • Justinus (born November 7, 1524 in Mühlberg) was princely Saxon head of office in Gotha
  • Eusebius (born January 19, 1527 in Erfurt)
  • Elisabeth (* 1532; † September 9, 1552 in Halle (Saale)) married. with Sebastian Boetius
  • Anastasia married the deacon Georg Schönborn in Wittenberg on August 28, 1564
  • Georg (* before 1535 in Eisenach)
  • Timothy (* Eisenach around 1535)

Works

(with VD 16 numbers)

  • "In what faith and opinion the Kyndlein are to be demanded for holy baptism ..." Erfurt 1525 (VD 16: M 4570);
  • "Instruction for those who have thus discovered the High Sacrament of the Altar" Erfurt 1526 (VD 16: M 4582);
  • "Widder den Hochberumbten Barefooter to Erffurt, D. Cunrad Klingen" Wittenberg 1527 (VD 16: M 4598)
  • "Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles" 1527
  • "Quite a few godless and ram Christian lere from the papist masses ..." Wittenberg 1527 (VD 16: M 4568)
  • “Reminder what those who are married ...” Wittenberg 1528 (VD 16: M 4567);
  • "To the high-born princess, Fraw Sibilla Hertzogin zu Sachsen Oeconomia christiana , that is of Christian household management" Wittenberg 1529 (VD 16: M 4541);
  • "The Widdertauffer lere and mystery from holy scriptures refuted" Wittenberg 1530 (VD 16: M 4603);
  • “In Samueli's librum priorem Enarratio” Wittenberg 1532 (VD 16: M 4569);
  • “Ad Apologiam Iohannis Croti Rubeani Responsio amici…” Wittenberg 1532 (VD 16: M 4536);
  • “Catechism Justi Menij” Erfurt 1532 (VD 16: M 4572);
  • “Sepultura Lutheri” Magdeburg 1538 (VD 16: M 4578 and 4579);
  • "From the spirit of the rescuers" Wittenberg 1544 (VD 16: M 4587);
  • "A comforting sermon about the corpse ... Friederichen Mecums ..." Wittenberg 1546 (VD 16: M 4581);
  • "The 128th Psalm of the Holy Marriage" Wittenberg 1550 (VD 16: B 3523);
  • "From the blood friends from the Widertauff" Erfurt 1551 (VD 16: M 4588);
  • "From self-defense lessons ..." Wittenberg 1547 (VD 16: M 4592);
  • “Vom Exorcismo…” Wittenberg 1551 (VD 16: M 4586);
  • "Short extract from a godly household". (In :) Nikolaus Gallus: “A Kurtze Order summa of the right goods teaching” Regensburg 1552 (adaptation of the “Oeconomia christiana” from 1529) (VD 16: M 4555);
  • "Censurae: ... about the confession of Andreae Osiandri ..." Erfurt 1552 (VD 16: ZV 10866);
  • “Of the righteousness that applies to God. Against the new Alcumist Theologiam Andreae Osiandri “Erfurt 1552 (VD 16: M 4591);
  • "Funeral sermon ... Elector of Saxony etc. Johans Friederichs ..." Jena 1554 (VD 16: 4575);
  • “From preparation to blessed death” Erfurt 1556 (VD 16: M 4589);
  • "Kurtzer Bescheid ... Auff the Vorrab Flacij Jllyrici" Wittenberg 1557 (VD 16: M 4573);
  • “Responsibility Justi Menij Auff Matth. Flacij Jllyrici good… lesterung “Wittenberg 1557 (VD 16: M 4583);
  • "Report of the bitter truth IVSTI MENII ..." Wittenberg 1558 (VD 16: M 4563);

literature

Web links

Commons : Justus Menius  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Paul Wappler: The Anabaptist Movement in Thuringia from 1526 to 1584 . Jena 1913, pp. 47–89 and 171–184
  2. ↑ He attended grammar school in Eisenach, enrolled on March 7, 1542 Uni Wittenberg, was enrolled for a master's degree. On Melanchthon's recommendation, he became professor of mathematics in Greifswald in May 1550. In February 1553, as dean, he dealt with the topic of cum omnia videantur minitari exitum studiis literarum, quid prosit in iis versari in a doctoral speech and returned to Wittenberg at the end of the year. Access to phil. Faculty and professor in Wittenberg. Was married on June 27, 1558 to Anna, the daughter of Georg Sabinus . On June 29, 1592 a Magister Eusebius Menius was sent as Syndicus together with Mayor Christopher Tieplinck to the funeral of Ernst Ludwig von Stettin Pomerania in Wolgast. They came from Pasewalk. Eusebius Menius T. Anna was born on November 7th, 1560. Eusebius Menius son Phillip is born († January 23, 1564). On August 28, 1564, the deacon M. Georg Schönborn († September 16, 1566) married Anastasia († September 13, 1566 in Wittenberg) T. of Justus Menius Eusebius Menius T. Elisabeth (born April 3, 1565) Eusebius Menius S Georg (born October 11, 1569) August Menius Stud. Is born on August 27, 1571 T. Elisabeth
personal data
SURNAME Menius, Justus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Thuringian reformer
DATE OF BIRTH December 18, 1499
PLACE OF BIRTH Fulda
DATE OF DEATH August 11, 1558
Place of death Leipzig