Wolfgang Musculus

Wolfgang Musculus , makes of it Müslin (born the September 8th 1497 with Dieuze, Lorraine; died the August 30th 1563 with Bern) was a reforming Théologien German.

Born in the village from Dieuze (the Moselle), out of Germanic ground of language or more precisely Francique until the War Thirty Year old, this Lorrain evokes with him only in a premonitory way all the history of its area. Impassioned by the song, the knowledge, the Language S, the Humanism and the Religion, it is involved in the storms and the tears of its century as much the Lorraine ones will be it in other time. Its immense talent makes known it in the whole Europe and the oral tradition of its songs resounds still today in the reformed temples.

In 1527, it leaves the monastery Benedictine of Lixheim (current Département of the Moselle) to become Diacre with the Cathédrale Notre-Dame of Strasbourg, then Curé with Augsburg. After 17 years of activity, it leaves the city in reaction to the introduction of the Intérim of Augsburg, arrives in Suisse and became Professor of Théologie to Bern starting from 1549.

Life of Wolfgang Musculus

Dieuze, Sélestat and Lixheim

Wire of humble a Wet cooper, Wolfgang Musculus is very quickly attracted by the studies. After having followed the basic lesson in its village, it goes to Rappoltsweiler (Ribeauvillé) in Alsace whose it assesses the quality of the school, as of the 12 years age. It provides for its daily requirements while singing in the streets and manages to gain the protection of Guillaume XI of Rappoltstein (Ribeaupierre). It continues then its studies with Colmar then with Sélestat in 1510 and 1511.

This city indeed has one of the most famous schools of the time, specialized in the Traduction of old works. Wolfgang Musculus is there the pupil of Johann Sapidus, which is its elder 7 years only, and which it will find later with Strasbourg. Lawyers, philosophers and famous humanistic writers of the time are its school-fellows or its professors. It is initiated with the song and especially with the languages, in particular the Latin and the Greek . On the road of Dieuze, while going to return visit to his parents, it stops in the passing to Lixheim, in the seigniory of Lutzelstein. Thanks to his Sophie cousin, it becomes acquainted with the monks Benedictines of the place and impresses them by the quality of its song. Those are ready to accommodate it like beginner by dealing with all the expenses. Thus Wolfgang Musculus is ordered priest in 1512, at the 15 years age, by the bishop of Metz, after having obtained the authorization of his family. He returns then in Lixheim where he works in the calm one of the library or the surrounding forests. He undertakes with an exceptional zeal the translation of the '' Métamorphoses '' of Ovide (at the school of Sélestat since Kraft Hoffman and undoubtedly with Johann Sapidus, his pupil and successor, one read Ovide assiduously). Wolfgang Musculus arrived from there at the sixth book when the Metz-native scholar Claudius Catiuncula (Ditty), dazzled by his work, is made entrust the manuscripts, that it will never return to him - the Metamorphoses will be translated into 1545 by Alsatian the Jörg Wickram.

As of 1518 Wolfgang Musculus is familiarized with the writings of Martin Luther whose 22 books will be published in Strasbourg in 1519 and 1520. It converts soon the monks of Lixheim to the theses of this last and one gives him from now on the nickname of “monk Lutheran”. In 1525, during the war of the peasants, it is of passage to Saverne where the duke of Lorraine, Antoine, will drown the revolt in blood. Our monk escapes the massacre under epic conditions and then manages to join Strasbourg. From return to the monastery it extends its influence so much so that one unanimously chooses it like prior. But Musculus, disappointed by the monastic life, desists and in 1527 it leaves Lixheim for Strasbourg with that which will become his wife.

Strasbourg

Arrived at Strasbourg almost without a penny, they live both of odd jobs until the day when Wolfgang becomes the assistant of Martin Bucer, reforming resulting him also from the school of Sélestat.

After a short stay with Dorlisheim where it opens a school to remain, it returns to Strasbourg to work the Hebrew in company of Capito and Bucer, reformers of Strasbourg. It will carry out a Hebraic dictionary which will remain a long time a reference (Capito will carry out a grammar). It also benefits from its stay to resume its studies in theology.

Augsburg

But it will not remain a long time in Strasbourg because the theologists of this city had gained with their ideas the council of the free city of Augsburg. It is sent in Souabe in company of Theobald Niger. In 1531 it deals with the parish Holy-Cross and in 1537 he becomes preacher of the Notre Dame cathedral which is removed with the catholics. Delegated town of Augsburg, it takes part in 1536 in the development of the agreements of Wittenberg between Protestants. It takes part in 1540 in the discussions of Worms, then in 1541 with those which lead to the interim of Regensburg. In both cases, he plays a considerable part in the drafting of the report. He also gains with Protestantism the town of Donauwörth and takes responsabilities in the schools for the town of Augsburg. Thus during sixteen years it enracine its ideas and its life in this city whose radiation is large in this 16th century. It made of it its second fatherland and it can plan to finish its existence there, but the events will decide some differently.

In 1546 Lüther dies. Charles Quint benefits from it to take again the offensive against the Protestant princes. In April 1547 it gains over them the victory of Mühlberg (Saxony). The leaders of the league of Smalkalde are made prisoners. The main ally of the princes Lutherans, the king of France, François I {{er}}, dies the same year. The emperor, haloed his victory, makes a triumphal entry in the town of Augsburg (September 1547). Escorted princes and bishops, it solemnly comes to open the Diète there. It confiscates the Cathédrale with the Protestant and tries to set up an interim which makes it possible to await the conclusions of the Concile of Thirty. The contents of the agreement are so unfavourable to the reformers that Wolfgang Musculus the combat openly, attracting themselves the lightnings of the emperor. He threatens to leave the city if the interim is adopted. After many negociations the text is promulgated on May 15th 1548 and Musculus leaves the city the very same day.

The Swiss

Its objective is then to find asylum in Suisse. Passing by Lindau and Constancy, he seeks to join his friend Johann Haller with Zurich, but this one is with Bern. However the council of the town of Zurich does not want to displease with the emperor Charles Quint with the ridge of its power. Musculus must take again the road towards Basle where it finds refuge in its editor Johann Herwagen. It turns over then to Constance to seek there his wife and her children who left Augsburg to join it. Taken in the seat of the city by the Spaniards of Alphonso Vives Compensate for, it however succeeds in fleeing with its family. Of Bischofszell it gains then Saint-Gall, with the invitation of the mayor Joachim Vidianus in the name of the whole of its managed. But the disease of his wife and her children does not enable him to appreciate the hospitality of the city and he answers with pleasure the invitation of the council of the free city of Zurich, which after long hesitations finally proposes to him to accommodate it. Moreover his/her friend Johann Haller, who is always in Bern, gives up his functions with the abbey of Zurich to the profit of Wolfgang Musculus.

It undoubtedly plans to calmly finish its life in this city. This is why he refuses the invitation of the archbishop of Canterbury which wants to stick its services (his/her friend Martin Bucer had chosen the exile in this city in 1548 whereas the town of Strasbourg had accepted the conditions of the interim of Augsburg). On the other hand it accepts a pulpit of interpretation at the university of Bern in 1549; it will preserve it during 14 years. It is so unanimously appreciated that it refuses various proposals:

the archbishop of Canterbury the redemande after the death of Bucer in 1551.
the two free cities of Strasbourg and Augsburg seek to make it return after the weakening of Charles Quint who lost its will have since, on request of the German princes, the king of France Henri II occupies the three évêchés of French language of the empire (Metz, Toul and Verdun).
the Count Palatine Otto Henri then his successor Frederic want it with Heidelberg.
the count de Hesse requires it of Marbourg.
one requests it with Cassel (Hesse).

Finally it will remain in Bern which accommodated it during the time when it had problems. It will die there on August 30th 1563 by leaving a considerable work.

The work of Wolfgang Musculus

The work of Wolfgang Musculus is entirely directed by its engagement in favor of the Reform. But beyond its contents, it is interesting to observe at which point, it is marked by characteristics which one finds in other authors of Lorraine origin or having lived in Lorraine.

Wolfgang Musculus is those who are men of crossroads, contact and transposition:

After the end of the the Middle Ages, the Renaissance joins again with the ancient cultures.
With Dieuze, in Lorraine, it was born out of Germanic ground, in a duchy with dominant Romance, out of ground of empire where the French influence will be felt in an increasingly clear way during its life.
Plunged in the books and the writings, it remains however inhabited by the oral culture: the song and preaching are dominant aspects of its existence.

Translation of old texts

To sit its doctrines on strong foundations, the knowledge of the old texts is paramount. For this purpose Wolfgang Musculus familiarizes itself with many languages: Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Arab, dialects Eastern and Semitic. It launches out in an interesting work of translation which constitutes an essential component of its work. There one finds a constant of the writers of this area: they are made translators, by need for transmitting the ideas or the innovations of their time on one side to the other of the languages which they know: Johann Fischart (16th century), Johann Salzmann (18th century), Charles Villers (18th-19th centuries), Theodore de Puymaigre (19th century).

It translates in particular: Jean Chrysostome, Basile, Cyrille, Nestorius, Eusèbe, Socrate the Scholastic, Hermion, Athanase… and all those which made the first years of the history of the Église. It seeks there the biblical bases and bases necessary to the development of its theses.

Theology

Provided with its translated biblical references of its hand, it is devoted to its work of theologist, immersed in the debates which agitate its time. It works out and looks further into the theses of the school of Strasbourg of Protestant theology to which it is deeply attached it publishes comments on the Holy Scriptures, primarily in Latin because it is addressed to scholars. It is not only Lorrain which was thus invested in a work on the philosophical and theological questions: Sebastien Reinstalder (19th-20th centuries) is to be arranged in the same line.

Wolfgang Musculus works thus on the epistles of Saint-Paul, on the writings of Saint-Matthieu and Midsummer's Day, on the Genèse and on the Psaume S. part of its comments is translated into English and Dutch, which is worth a European radiation to him. It publishes also a book on wear entitled Of usuris ex verbo dei whose German version will appear in Strasbourg in 1593.

Nonglad to found its doctrines starting from its reading of the Holy Scriptures it gives the responsability itself to propagate its faith by many works. It becomes thus one of the first great writers in German language. It is in this language that he addresses himself to his humblest contemporaries. It publishes as follows:

Ain frydsams und Christliches Gesprech ains Evangelischen auf ainer und ains Widerteuffers auf DER andern seyten…
Über die papistische Mass
a polemic with Jean Cochlea
Vermanung year den Teutschen und Evangelischen Kriegsmann
Von DER jetzigen Entpörung im Reich etliche kurtze Gespräch
Newe zeytung die yetzigen Kriegsleüfft im Teütschen Landt belangend
Papistischer Wetterhahn…
Wider den unreinen Catechismus
Wie weyt ein Christ schuldig sey Gewalt zu leyden…

It still publishes a Catéchisme prefaced by Martin Bucer, of the dialogs published under the pseudonym of Eutichius Myonius and Loci communes in usus sacrae theologiae candidatorum parati whose translations will be made in English, French and German. In all its texts Wolfgang Musculus testifies to a deep engagement in the religious questions of its time as of other Lorraine will do it after him: the calvinist Johann Fischart (16th century); the catholics Johann Nikolaus Weislinger (18th century) and Johann Jakob Weber (19th century); one can even bring that closer to the oecumenical engagement of a Roger Bichelberger (20th century).

Songs and psalms

Wolfgang Musculus will still give his full measure to another way of propagating his faith. There will remain faithful so that as of its youth he practiced with enthusiasm: hymn and poetry.

It will also publish some epitaph S. Among the Cantique S and the psalms which it publishes, let us quote:

Min Hirt STI got DER herre min, Gott stat in seuner gmainde recht
Wer underm schirm of the höchsten helt, das Vatter unser
O Herre Gott begnade mich, Der Vater in center Throne
Ain gsang zuo cheap Gott umb gaben zuo besserung: O Allmächtiger Herre Gott
Der Hymnus Christe which lux (Christe, DER of the bist tag und liecht)
Der Herre STI mein trewer Hirt

Some are taken again until the 20th century in the collections of hymns of the reformed Church (the two last published in the collection of the Church of the Confession Of Augsburg in Alsace and Lorraine in 1952).

In that Wolfgang Musculus falls under the same movement as all those which made thrive the hymn during the centuries. Gregorian chant to the collectors such as the abbot Pinck (20th century) while passing by Johann Nikolaus Philipp or Christoph Salzmann (18th century), the Lorraine authors is numerous in this field.

But we also should evoke his style here. Without entering an in-depth study, we will follow those which are leaning on the question, by underlining its direction of the word right which enables him to preserve rate/rhythm and rhymes without to deteriorate the deep sense of what he writes. Some admire its exercise of style which enables him to start from a text as rigid as the Our Father to make it poetic. This art in the word and the way of using the vocabulary also enables him to conform to a pattern which one will find after him in other authors in Lorraine: Johann Fischart (16th century), Eugene Jolas (20th century)…

We must finally announce, to be complete, its abundant correspondence, its letters exchanged with all the large ones of its time (Martin Luther, Jean Calvin…). All these elements underline still better, if that is necessary, how much it was a man engaged in the debates of its time. Besides he occupied an eminent role in many occasions: he wrote for example the acts of the conference of Worms in 1541 (meeting intended to find an agreement on the theological questions).

Principal work

Loci communes in usus sacrae theologiae candidatorum parati , Basle, 1560

External bonds

Works of and on Wolfgang Musculus in the catalog of the German national library
Entered on the Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon ( biographical-bibliographical Lexicon of the Church )
Article the Allgemeine Deutsche Biography ( German universal Biography )
Chart of the voyage of Musculus for its period augsbourgeoise

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