Rupertus Meldenius
Encyclopedia
Rupertus Meldenius, aka Peter Meiderlin, also called Peter Meuderlinus (born March 22, 1582 in Oberacker in Maulbronn; died June 1, 1651 in Augsburg) was a Lutheran theologian and educator.
The son of a Swabian
priest, studied in Adelberg and after school visited the lower Konvikts in Maulbronn
at the Tübinger Stift, where he met Johann Valentin Andreae. Meiderlin was a student of Mathias Haffenreffer
and 1601 obtained a Master's degree. In 1605, he was at the Repentant convent in Tübingen, 1607, he assumed the Chair of the deceased philologist Martin Crusius. After a post as senior deacon in Kirchheim unter Teck
, 1612, he was "Ephorus" of the Evangelical College of St. Anna in Augsburg
. He held this office (with an interruption from 1630 to 1632), until 1650.
As a follower of the Concord
, he defended the forerunner of Pietism, Johann Arndt
in the confrontation about the orthodoxy of his teachings. In 1626 he published under the pseudonym Rupertus Meldenius a work entitled Paraenesis votiva per Pace Ecclesia ad Theologos Augustana Confessionis auctore Ruperto Meldenio Theologo (a reminder for peace at the Church of the Augsburg Confession of theologians), in which he wrote for peace among the contending parties and to unity within the meaning of the Concord and called to comply with charity (i.e. Christian love). In this context, he coined the phrase "In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas
" (In essentials unity, in doubtful things/non-essentials liberty, in all things charity).
… bedencken an die Herrn Kipperer und Geltwucherer …; Augsburg, 1623.
The son of a Swabian
Swabian
Swabian may refer:* to the German region of Swabia ; or* to Swabian German, a dialect spoken in Baden-Württemberg in south-west Germany and adjoining areas See also:...
priest, studied in Adelberg and after school visited the lower Konvikts in Maulbronn
Maulbronn
Maulbronn is a city in the district of Enz in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany.-History:Founded in 1838, it emerged from a settlement, built around a monastery, which belonged to the Neckar Community in the Kingdom of Württemberg. In 1886, Maulbronn officially became a German town and was an...
at the Tübinger Stift, where he met Johann Valentin Andreae. Meiderlin was a student of Mathias Haffenreffer
Mathias Haffenreffer
Matthias Hafenreffer was a German orthodox Lutheran theologian in the Lutheran scholastic tradition. Born at Lorch , he was professor at Tübingen from 1592 until his death in 1617. He was a motivating teacher with a charismatic influence upon his students. He combined strict faithfulness to the...
and 1601 obtained a Master's degree. In 1605, he was at the Repentant convent in Tübingen, 1607, he assumed the Chair of the deceased philologist Martin Crusius. After a post as senior deacon in Kirchheim unter Teck
Kirchheim unter Teck
Kirchheim unter Teck is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, in the district of Esslingen. It is located on the small river Lauter, a tributary of the Neckar. It is situated near the Teck castle, approximatively 25 km southeast of Stuttgart...
, 1612, he was "Ephorus" of the Evangelical College of St. Anna in Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
. He held this office (with an interruption from 1630 to 1632), until 1650.
As a follower of the Concord
Book of Concord
The Book of Concord or Concordia is the historic doctrinal standard of the Lutheran Church, consisting of ten credal documents recognized as authoritative in Lutheranism since the 16th century...
, he defended the forerunner of Pietism, Johann Arndt
Johann Arndt
Johann Arndt was a German Lutheran theologian who wrote several influential books of devotional Christianity...
in the confrontation about the orthodoxy of his teachings. In 1626 he published under the pseudonym Rupertus Meldenius a work entitled Paraenesis votiva per Pace Ecclesia ad Theologos Augustana Confessionis auctore Ruperto Meldenio Theologo (a reminder for peace at the Church of the Augsburg Confession of theologians), in which he wrote for peace among the contending parties and to unity within the meaning of the Concord and called to comply with charity (i.e. Christian love). In this context, he coined the phrase "In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas
In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas
In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas is a Latin phrase commonly translated as "unity in necessary things; liberty in doubtful things; charity in all things", or, more literally, "in necessary things unity; in uncertain things freedom; in everything compassion".It is often...
" (In essentials unity, in doubtful things/non-essentials liberty, in all things charity).
Works
- Trewhertzige Erinnerung von der Weiszheit und dem Gelt: welches dem andern vorzuziehen sey; gehalten bei einem Exercitio Oratorio …, als die Alumni desz Evangelischen Collegii zu Augspurg in etlichen underschiedlichen Sprachen eben von dieser Materia peroriert und ein ansehenliche Prob gelaistet hatten …; Augsburg, 1622.
- Der kleine Catechismus für die Kipperer …; Augsburg, 1622.
… bedencken an die Herrn Kipperer und Geltwucherer …; Augsburg, 1623.
- Paraenesis votiva pro pace Ecclesia ad Theologos Augustanae Confessionis auctore Ruperto Meldenio Theologo; gedruckt von Hieronymus Körnlein, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, 1626 (anonym veröffentlicht ohne Angaben von Jahr, Ort und Verlag).
- Laus sive Commendatio Collegii Augustani Evangelici S. Annae; 1639.