Johann Jacob Schütz

Johann Jacob Schütz ( born September 7, 1640 Frankfurt am Main, † probably May 22, 1690 ) was a German jurist, pietist and evangelical hymn writer.

Life and work

Schütz was a son of originating from Swabia jurist Jacob Schütz (1587-1654), who was the City Counsel in Frankfurt come to view and ascended to the patricians of the city. Johann Jacob Schütz graduated from the Frankfurt School and studied from 1659 to 1665 law in Tübingen with Wolfgang Adam Lauterbach. With a dissertation on De falso procuratore he was in 1665 a doctorate, then he was as licentiate in both laws and Bar in his hometown down. He became friends with the 1666 appointed as Senior of the Lutheran preacher Philipp Jakob Spener Ministry to Frankfurt, its program of reform of the solidified orthodoxy in the Lutheran church he supported. Schütz in 1670 for the founders of the Collegia Pietatis, the pietistic home groups.

1675 Schütz wrote the edification of Christian Scripture commemorative booklet for carriage of incipient new life, in which the passing of sin, enlightenment of the inner man and the union with God in the greatest possible brevity and simplicity happens the first excitation. The annex to this document, he released the song Be praise and honor the supreme good, the Father of all goodness (EC 326).

From 1676 formed within the Frankfurt community separatist circles, where the Spenersche reforms did not go far enough. Schütz joined one of these groups, which was under the influence of the fanatical Miss Johanna Eleonora of Merleau and was gathered in Saalhof which then belonged to a noble Ganerbschaft. His legal work, it contained more and more, because he had come to the view that a lawyer can be difficult to keep away from sins. His inherited wealth allowed him this waiver of professional activity.

Since 1676 contactor denied participation in the Lord's Supper, which he did not enjoy with the unworthy. The Council of the City of Frankfurt responded to the formation of sects increasingly repressive, because he saw it as an attack on his country's glorious church government. Eleanor of Merleau left the city. After a sermon by the Quaker William Penn, who had participated in a meeting of Saalhof - Pietists in 1677, considered the remaining separatists emigration to America. They formed in 1681, the Frankfurt Land Company, and acquired 25,000 acres of land in Pennsylvania. Contactor had thus a means of pressure against the Frankfurt city council, with whom he was able to guard against further repression, as the Council wanted to avoid the emigration of so wealthy citizen. For an emigration thus it never came; Instead, set the Saalhof - Pietists their capital the emigrant to America Franz Daniel Pastorius available, so the 1683 13 families of Quakers and Mennonites from Krefeld, the first German colony in America, German Town founded.

Contactor let it come in 1683 because of the relocation of the Collegia Pietatis from Spener's apartment in the Barfüßerkirche to break with his friend. Instead, he turned more and more to the millenarian teachings of Johann Wilhelm Petersen. An attempt at reconciliation of Spener's successor, John Daniel Arcularius he refused. Even on his deathbed he refused the sacrament offered, so he was buried after his took place in the night of 21 on May 22, 1690 death without spiritual ceremony in the night on 24 May.

Contactor was chairman of the company founded in 1679 the poor, orphans and work house. He was married and had four daughters, of whom the youngest, Mary Catherine, was continuing his work and in Bad Homburg founded a pin for the beleaguered members of Christ before the height. Schutz's estate is located in the city archives of Bad Homburg.