Judex, Matthaeus

Judex, Matthaeus, a German theologian, and one of the principal writers of the Centuries of Magdeburg (q.v.), was born at Dippoldsforest, in Saxony, September 22, 1528. He was educated at Wittenberg University, where he took his master's degree in Oct. 1549. Shortly after he became minister of the church of St. Ulric, at Magdeburg, and left this position in 1559 to become professor of divinity at the University at Jena; but only eighteen months later he was ousted from the chair by order of the duke of Saxony, on account of his opposition to the Synergists, who were in great favor at court. As a cause for his removal the authorities assigned his publication of De fuga Papatus. He then removed to Magdeburg, but, like the other authors of the Centuries, he had to endure persecution. He was finally obliged to quit Magdeburg, and spent the remainder of his life at Wismar. He died May 15, 1564. See Bayle, Hist. Dict. s.v.