Ludwig Crocius

Ludwig Crocius (also Ludovicus Crocius, born March 29, 1586 Laasphe, † December 7, 1653 or 1655 in Bremen) was a preacher, a participant in the Synod of Dort and professor of theology and philosophy at Bremen High School Illustre (the old University of Bremen ).

Biography

Ludwig Crocius was the son of Paul Crocius (* July 27, 1551, † September 5, 1607 ), a former teacher of the sons of the Count of Nassau- Dillenburg and Wittgenstein-Berleburg and since 1583, pastor and church inspector ( superintendent ) in Laasphe, as well as publisher of the book " Great Matyrbuch and church histories " ( 1606 ) was born. His grandfather Matthias Crocius (* 1479, † 1557) was a pastor been in Zwickau and Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon had been close personally.

Study and vocation as preacher in Bremen

1600 Ludwig Crocius entered in Herborn in the Tertia of Pedagogium. On October 12, 1603, he began the study of theology at the University of Marburg where he acquired in 1604 the degree of Master of Arts. On September 5, 1607 Ludwig Crocius died father, who had become a preacher and inspector of the county Katzenelenbogen in Langenschwalbach. Ludwig Crocius succeeded him. 1608 he asked his employer Moritz " the scholar " of Hesse- Kassel for permission to study trip. Journey took him to the universities of Bremen, Marburg and Basel. On April 4, 1609 he was in Basel for " Dr. theol. " doctorate. From there he went to Geneva to study there. In Geneva, he was called to Bremen at the St. Martini Church first preacher and high school Illustrious as philosophy and theology professor and entered these offices 1610. Subsequent offers of the Margrave of Brandenburg ( 1615) and the Landgrave Moritz of Hesse- Kassel (1618 ), he refused to become as an offer General Superintendent for Silesia.

From 1630 to 1639 and from 1647 until his death he was vice-rector at the Gymnasium Illustre.

Synod of Dordrecht

At the invitation of the Dutch States-General from 1618 to send to the Senate of Bremen representatives to the synod in Dordrecht traveled the rector of the school Illustrious Mathias Martinius, the preacher at the Bremen Church of Our Lady Heinrich Issel castle and Ludwig Crocius to the synod. The Synod should clarify the issues in dispute between supporters of a strict doctrine of predestination on the one hand and Arminians and Arminianism on the other. Were invited to this representative of the Reformed Churches of England, Scotland, the Palatinate, Hesse, Nassau and the Wetterau and the cities of Emden, Zurich, Bern, Basel and Geneva.

The Senate of the city of Bremen demanded by her three delegates that they would have to represent a going back to Philipp Melanchthon mild line, this should be noted in the Consensus Bremensis of 1595 and is consistent with the practice of Bremen. Background to this was that the Augsburg Imperial and religious peace was only between Catholics and Lutherans, Bremen ie the Augsburg Confession, therefore, already belonged, in order not to jeopardize their own position in the kingdom.

In the 154 negotiations lasted from November 13, 1618 until May 29, 1619 Synod of the representatives of the doctrine of predestination could not fully enforce. Bremen's representatives signed the resolutions of the Synod, as they put no restrictions on the Bremen church and were not to be binding.

Disputes over the doctrine of predestination in Bremen

After the Synod began in Bremen, the debate about the doctrine of predestination. We started the conflict by the preacher of the Church of St. Philip Ansgarii Caesar, who was an advocate of strict doctrine. Caesar preached here against Bremen Council and Church Ministry. In 1624, he put though his office and left Bremen, but the communities of St. Ansgari and St. Stephani Caesar tried to win as a preacher. This was rejected by the Senate. Heinrich Issel castle, the preacher of the Church of Our Lady, died on March 29, 1628 and there was the risk that Caesar could get to the vacant position. To prevent this Crocius Ludwig was appointed to the post of preacher.

While Caesar was 1628 appointed a preacher in St. Martini, since this position has now been released by the appointment Crocius, but he was deposed again in 1630, left the city and eventually was converted to Catholicism. Meanwhile stood in Bremen one hand Ludwig Crocius, Conrad Bergius (1592-1642), preacher at St. Ansgarii, and Balthasar Willius (1606-1656), preacher at Our Lady as a representative of the milder -oriented teaching and to Melanchthon on the other hand, the rector of the school Illustrious Johann Combach, the preacher of St. Remberti Henricus Flockenius, and the preacher from St. Stephani Peter Zimmermann as representatives of the strict doctrine opposite.

1651 Crocius suffered a stroke, but remained until the resignation of the preaching ministry at the Church of Our Lady on May 14, 1652 the Church operates. His lectures at the Gymnasium Illustre he held until his death.