Magnus Agricola

Magnus Agricola (Holzheim (bei Neu-Ulm), ca. 1556 - Neuburg an der Donau, September 28/29, 1605) was a German Lutheran prelate and theologian of the Protestant Reformation.

Nephew of Renaissance humanist and stateman Peter Agricola, he became church minister as well as Superintendent (Bishop) and ecclesiastical inspector at Neuburg an der Donau (Bavaria). Author of several books on Lutheranism, he took part to the Religionsgespräch of Regensburg (1601).

Life

Magnus Agricola spent his childhood in the area of Ulm (Baden-Württemberg).

His grandfather Magnus Agricola, an administrator and judge at Holzheim, and former student at Ingolstadt (Bavaria), had been a resident in Rome at a Benedictine cardinal’s (Jean Bilhères de Lagraulas), planning to join the Benedictine Abbey of Elchingen, but who however - because of the disorders of Rome, nepotism of Pope Alexander VI and war-oriented behavior of future Pope Julius II - enlisted in the imperial troops which were taking part to King Charles VIII of France's war in Italy, during the military operations in the peninsula (1494/95-1497), before he eventually returned to Germany where he later on showed interest in Martin Luther’s work.

Magnus Agricola (Jr) studied (1566) at the Gymnasium Illustre of Lauingen (Bavaria) until 10, probably because his uncle had been rector of this school before becoming councilor and State minister of the Dukes of Zweibrücken and Pfalz-Neuburg. Magnus Agricola showed great potential and in 1575, Prince Philip Louis, Count Palatine of Neuburg agreed to provide financial support for the further studies of the future church minister. Magnus Agricola thus joined the very famous university of Tübingen (Württemberg) in 1576, becoming proficient in both Latin and Greek.

Registered on January 5, 1576 as Magnus Agricola Holtzensis, he studied in Tübingen several years (1576-1582), earning there Baccalaureus (bachelor) on March 27, 1577 and a Magister (master) on July 30, 1578.

He then became deacon at Neuburg (St. Peter) in 1582-1583, church minister at Neuburg (Frauenkirche) from 1583 to 1599, Hofdiakon of the palace of the court of Neuburg from 1599 to 1603, Superintendent of Neuburg from 1603 until his death in 1605 (Pfarrer, Superintendent, Konsistorialrat, Inspektor, Kirchenrath, Konsistorialassessor).

Magnus Agricola took part in the ecumenical councils of 1593 in Neuburg (Lutherans against Calvinists) and of 1601 in Regensburg (Lutherans against Catholics) as theologian of the Duke of Neuburg. He was the author of several works on the matter, with as major publication a book (published in 1599, republished in 1602) of 300 pages (Von der Katholischen Christlichen Lehre Augsburgischer Konfession, und dem Unkatholischen Heydensüchtigen Papstum). He also supervised the future building of the new church (Frauenkirche) of Neuburg, at the end of his life (1602-1605).

He died suddenly (apoplexy) in the night of September 28-29, 1605, shortly after midnight and his funeral was run by Jacob Heilbrunner, preacher at the court of Pfalz-Neuburg, who described him as a person very active, honest, assiduous and dedicated to his colleagues, superintendents and church ministers, teachers of all the principality, as well as to his parishioners, and known from all.

He had got married on January 10, 1586 at Lauingen with Anna Maria Motz, from that city, daughter to a former student of Tübingen and princely chief tax collector of Pfalz-Neuburg, and through her was a brother-in-law and close friend to Dietrich (Theodor) Hess, councilor of the Duke of Neuburg and diplomatic envoy in Denmark, Northern Germany and to the Court of St. James (London), as well as during several years permanent ambassador to the Court of France in Paris under King Henri IV and Queen-regent Mary de Medici.

His son (a graduate with a master of the prestigious university of Wittenberg) and his grandson (a former student at the universities of Tübingen, Strasbourg and Wittenberg) were also Lutheran church ministers, just as his son-in-law Johannes Münderlein, last Lutheran prelate of Neuburg (1617) and then Superintendent of Regensburg.

Author

• Propositiones de Creation. Disputationis gratia propositae in Collegio Lauingano, 2. Decemb. Anno 1575. Praeside M. PHILIPPO HAILBRUNNERO, Theologiae professore : Respondente vero MAGNO AGRICOLA Holtzensi. Lauingen : Philippus ULHARDUS, 1575. 16 p. (ex. numérisé, Studienb. Dillingen, BSB München

• Disputatio, DE SCRIPTURAE SACROSANCTAE INTERPRETATIONE. Sancta et individuae Triadis auspicio, Authore & Praeside, JACOBO HEERBRANDO DOCTORE ET PROFESSORE S.S. Theologiae in inclyta Tubingensi Academia, Rectorea Magnifico, Praeceptore suo omniobservantia colendo. M. Magnus Agricola Holtzensis, Febru 3 in Aula nova, hora septima, exercitis causa, pro virili respondebit. Tübingen : Alexander HOGGIUM, 1582. 28 p. (ex. Ratsbibiliothek Weißenburg)

• Christliche Leichpredig, Uber der Begräbnuß, Weilund deß Ehrnvesten Hochgelerten Herren Johann Frölichs von Laugingen, der Rechten Doctorn unnd fürstlichen Pfalzgràvischen Raths zu Neuburg an der Donaw so der orten, den 17. Aprilis, dises lauffenden Jars, seligklich inn Christo verschieden : Gehalten den 19. Aprilis / Durch M. Magnum Agricolam, Pfarrern bey vnser Frawen daselbsten. Lauingen : Leonhardt REINMICHEL, 1594. 28 p. (ex. Bibl. St. Mang. Kempten, Eichstätt)

• Christliche Leichpredig, Uber der Begräbnuß, Weilund deß Ehrenvesten Herrn Pauli Rabus von Memmingen, Fürstlichen Pfaltzgrävischen Lehenprobsts, Secretarien unnd Registratorn zu Neuburg an der Donaw : Gehalten den 4. Octobris, Anno 1594. Durch M. Magnum Agricolam, Pfarrern zu unser Frawen daselbst. Lauingen : Leonhard REINMICHEL, 1594. 19 p. (ex. SB Augsburg et StB Nördlingen)

• Von der Catholischen Christlichen Lehre Augspurgischer Confession, Vnd dem Vncatholischen Heydensüchtigen Pabstumb : Wider die Päbstlische Bezüchtigung, Das durch die Freystellung Augspurgischer Confession ein Vncatholische, newe, ärgerliche Confusion in der Christlichen Kirchen geduldet oder freygestellet, und dadurch zur gänzlichen Verwirrung der Christenheit und Wiedereinführung eines barbarischen Heidenthums und Egyptischen Finsterniss Ursach gegeben werden, Lauingen, Leonhardt REINMICHEL, 1599. 302 p. (ex. BNU Strasbourg, SB Augsburg, Studienb. Dillingen, FB Gotha, BSB München, Staatl. B. Regensburg, LB Stuttgart, HAB Wolfenbüttel)

• Narratio Historica de Vita et Obitu M. Petri Agricolae, Consiliarii Palatini Neuburgici, ac Bipontini, Conscripta à M. Magno Agricola, Pastore gregis Dominici ad B.Mariam Virginem, Neuburgi. IN : Oratio In Obitvm Clarissimi, Atqve Omni Liberali Scientia politissimi viri, ... Petri Agricolae, quondam ... Philippi Lvdovici , & D. Ioannis, Com. Palatinorum Rheni, & Boiariae Ducum, fratrum Praeceptoris, & postea Consiliarij : Habita In Schola Palatinâ Lauinganâ / à S. Ostermanno, I. V. Doctore, eiusdem scholae Rectore. Lauingen : Vve Leonhard REINMICHEL, 1600. 63f. (Studienb. Dillingen, UB Heidelberg, Staatl. B. Neuburg/Donau (verlust), Staatl. B. Regensburg)

• Gründlicher Beweis/ das es nicht war sey/ Das durch die Augspurgische Confession zu widereinführung eines Barbarischen Heydenthum[m]s ursach geben werde. Und Gegensatz/ Das zu solcher einführung viel mehr das widerwertige Papstumb ursach und anleytung gebe : Wider Das Päpstische und diß Jahr abermal getruckte Buch von der Autonomia, darinn der Christlichen Lehre Augspurgischer Confession gedachtes Heydenthum[m] zugemessen wirdt / Durch M. Magnum Agricolam, Pfarrherrn zu Newburg an der Thonaw. Lauingen : Jacob WINTER, in Verlegung Sebastian MÜLLERS, 1602. 301p. (ex. UB Halle, LB Stuttgart, BU Wroclaw)

References

• AGRICOLA (Magnus), Supplement zu dem Baselischen allgemeinen historischen Lexicon, 1742

• AGRICOLA (Magnus), Nachrichten von Gelehrten, Künstlern und andern merkwürdigen Personen aus Ulm, Albrecht Weyermann, 1829

• "AGRICOLA (Magnus), a écrit en allemand un livre, pour prouver qu'il n'est pas vrai que par la confession d'Augsbourg, on donne lieu au rétablissement du Panagisme, et un autre de la catholique confession d'Augsbourg, aussi en allemand" (Le grand dictionnaire historique ou Le mélange curieux de l'Histoire sacrée et profane, Louis Moreri, Desaint et Saillant, Paris, 1759)