Erasmus Sarcerius

Erasmus Sarcerius (19 April 1501 in Annaberg – 18 November 1559 in Magdeburg) was a German Protestant Gnesio-Lutheran theologian and reformer. He was the father of Lutheran philosopher Wilhelm Sarcerius.

Life Sarcerius was the son of a burgher who became wealthy through metal trading in the Annaberg town mines. He is said to have gone to school in Freiberg with Friedrich Myconius and attended the University of Leipzig. After the death of his humanist teacher, Petrus Mosellanus, he moved to Wittenberg in 1524 and worked with fellow Lutheran reformers Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon. He was said to have been close to the rector, , who would become the later superintendent at Lübeck. It is said that Duke Maurice of Saxony's activity during the Second Schmalkaldic War prevented them from doing so.

From Leipzig, Sarcerius was appointed superintendent to Mansfeld, where he worked as a visitator and organizer. He laid the groundwork for this in his writing Form und Weise einer Visitation für die Graf - und Herrschaft Mansfeld (Form and Manner of a Visitation for the County and Lordship of Mansfeld) in 1554. As a theologian with very strict Lutheran beliefs, he did not have an easy time conducting work due to the resistance of Georg Major's supporters, who had theological differences with Sarcerius. The popular attitude of the community eventually alienated Sarcerius completely from his former teacher Melanchthon, whom he later encountered once more at the Colloquy of Worms in 1557, which he attended with Erhard Schnepf, Victorinus Strigel, Johann Stössel, and one of the Mörlins by order of the dukes of Saxony. as well as daughters: Juliana, Magdalene, and Judith. His wife gave birth to a total of 11 children, many of whom died in infancy. They stayed in Siegen until 1549, until Wilhelm, Christine, and Juliana left Seigen for Leipzig to meet with their father in 1549 after religious persecution. Wilhelm later enrolled in the Bavarian Hohe Schule in 1554. In 1556, Wilhelm began as a court preacher at Eisleben with fellow Lutheran Hans Georg von Vorderort after being accused of Flacian error. He also accepted a position of preacher in the St Andreas church in 1560. A year prior, Erasmus had died from kidney stones. In 1568 he became a pastor at St. Peter's church. He died in 1582 in Altkirchen after being appointed superintendent of Styne county. Christine died in March 1552, dying during the stillbirth of her unborn son. Juliana went on to marry historian Matthew Dresser in 1566.

Erasmus Sarcerius Family Tree Source:

He also spoke out against the inappropriate use of Church funds that he witnessed in the city of Mansfeld, speaking on the under-the-table lending of money, unjustified project funding, and contributing to lavish lifestyles, rather than using tithes for their intended purpose. In 1555, he said, "The great Lords seek to appropriate to themselves the feudal rights and dues of the clergy and allow their officials and justices to take forcible action. The revenues of the Church are spent in making roads and bridges and giving banquets, and are lent from hand to hand without hypothecary security."

After Julius von Pflung commanded that Lutheran theologians at the Colloquy of Worms denounce Zwinglians, Osiandrists, Adiaphorists, and Synergists, Sarcerius got into a dispute with Melanchtohon, who did not want to denounce any religious sect before further debate.