Hunnius, Aegidius

Hunnius, AEgidius an eminent German Lutheran theologian, was born at Winenden, in Wurtemberg, Dec. 21, 1550, and studied theology at Tübingen, where he afterwards became first tutor, and deacon in 1574. In 1576 he went to Marburg as professor and preacher, Here his strict adherence to the doctrine of ubiquity in the Eucharist, and his advocacy of the Formula of Concord, sowed the germ of the separation of the Hessian Church. In 1592 he became professor at the University of Wittenberg, where he opposed the moderate views of Melancthon. In 1594 he accompanied the duke Frederick William to the Imperial Diet at Regensburg, where his influence opposed the union of the different evangelical free cities. In 1595 he sustained a sharp controversy with Samuel Huber (q.v.) on the doctrines of election and predestination, and in 1602, at the Conference of Ratisbon, he was one of the principal opponents of the Jesuits Gretzer and Tanner. He died April 4,1603. His principal works are, Confession v. d. Person Christi (1577, 1609); also in Latin, De persona Christi (1585): — Calvinius Judaïzans (1593): — Antiparaeus (194 and 1599): — Josephus, a drama (1597). His works in Latin have been collected and published by Garthius (Wittenb. 1607-9, 5 vols. folio). See Hutter, Lebensbeschreibung (1603); Adami, Vites Theologorum; Ersch und Gruber, Encyklopadie; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Géneralé, 25; 554; Herzog, Real-Encyklop. 6:316 sq.; Kurtz, Ch. Hist. ii, 140; Bayle, Hist. Dict. 3:534 sq.