On the Life and Missions of Jacobus Andreae for the Reformation of the Lutheran Church, Part I

If any of our theologians who distinguished themselves in the purging of our church ever occupied themselves with frequent missions, Jacobus Andreæ certainly did so, not indeed solely by his own impulse, but commanded by his Prince, who approved of his character and manner of acting. Thus, however, that envy was born with which very many, both within and outside the fatherland, harassed him, so that he became as famous for his euphemia good reputation as he suffered from dysphemia bad reputation. It happened that while Prince Christophorus, Brentius (the Prince's friend), and many other theologians of most celebrated name felt excellently about him and praised the religion reformed by him, others conversely disparaged the religion deformed by him. Among the latter, in times past, Paulus ab Eitzen, a Holstein theologian, and many others led the way; in a later age, God. Arnoldus, author of the history of heretics and of the church a; and very recently, an anonymous resident writer b. Here, however, we warn before all else, so that a sober judgment may be formed on this matter, that the genius of the Andrean century was clearly different from the genius of our own century, which is refined by philosophy, hermeneutical studies, and sound exegesis. If you wish to judge fairly and justly, do not neglect this. For the genius of the times in which Andreæ lived had a great influence on the things that were done by him in his time; his education was strenuous and severe, and his training did not always appear solid, being tinged with scholastic flourishes. The constitution of the then-reigning court had little merit, and its virtues and vices—the prevailing atmosphere which the theologians of that time inhaled—carried with them the germ of corruption. The impulse of the Princes themselves sometimes proceeded from vice and sometimes from virtue. We shall provide in the first place the sources we use, both those that encompass the entire Andrean period and those that illustrate particular facts. The entire life of Andreæ is encompassed by: 1. Fama Andreana reflorescens The Reflourishing Andrean Fame, or a Recitation of the Life, Funeral, Writings, Travels, and Progeny of Andreae, Theologian and Doctor of Waiblingen, edited by Jo. Valentinus Andreæ, his grandson. Printed at Strasbourg original: "Argentorati" in the year of Christ 1680 by Joannes Reppius in 12mo. Jacobus Heerbrand provided the funeral oration on the life and death of Jac. Andreæ; Lucas Osiander provided the vernacular oration. Added to these are the letters of learned men to Jac. Andreæ and a syllabus of his travels. However, the biography which Jacobus himself had begun to write, he did not complete in its entirety. Many memorabilia about this man were also collected by the blessed D. Weismannus in his memory of church history. Hutteri Concordia concors Hutter’s Concordant Concord, opposed to Hospinianus’s Concordia discors Discordant Concord, contains many things that serve to illustrate the history of Andreæ. Against Arnoldus, who freely tarnished the fame of Andreæ, Caroli collected many things to defend Andreæ's fame. M. Jo. Nicolaus Anton, Deacon of Schmiedeberg in Electoral Saxony, dealt at length with the symbolic industry of Andreæ c.

a) cf. Gottfr. Arnold’s Kirchen- und Kezer-Historie History of Churches and Heretics. Ed. Schaffhausen, 1740, fol. T. III, p. 813, 814, §. 19 sqq. Ibid. Tom. III, p. 160 sq., where M. Andreæ Dav. Caroli’s Wirtembergische Unschuld Württemberg Innocence exists. Which also appears printed separately in 4to, Ulm 1708.
b) in the writing: Verhältniſs der Wirtembergischen Kirche zum Vaterland Relationship of the Württemberg Church to the Fatherland. (Calw, fictitious location?) 1790, 8vo.

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