Mutschelle, Sebastian

Mutschelle, Sebastian a German Roman Catholic theologian, was born January 18, 1749, at Altershausen, Bavaria. He was educated at Munich, entered in 1765 the Order of Jesus, and completed his education at Ingolstadt in 1776. He was then appointed vicar at Mattigkofen, and in 1779 canon of the convent of St. Veit at Freysingen, and ecclesiastical counsellor of the consistory, also school commissioner at the same place. Several difficulties into which he was drawn by publications of his made it agreeable to him to resign his clerical position, and he gave himself up to literary labors, especially the preparation of several works. He also taught privately Latin, French, and the fine arts. In this period (1784-86) he published Geschichte Jesu aus den vier Evangelisten, also Kenntniss und Liebe des Schipfers aus der Betrachtung der Geschopfe, and Bemerkunyen iuber die sammtlichen Evangelien (of this a second edition was published in 1790). In the midst of all his literary work he was surprised by the renomination to his former positions by Max Procop, count of Torring; but he yet found leisure time for literary work, and published in 1791 and 1792, Unterredung eines Vaters mit seinen Sohnen uber die ersten Grundwahrheiten der

christlichen Religion, and Christkutholischer Unterricht, wie man gut und selig werden konne. The first fruit of his thorough knowledge of Kant was his work, Ueber das sittliche Gut (1788). But again his enemies were at work to get him out of his position, and found a good opportunity to work against him, as he asked the different convents for contributions towards a continual fund for his remodelled schools. Mutschelle again resigned his position in 1793, but was appointed pastor at Baumkirchen, near Munich. This position afforded much leisure time, which he filled up by literary work. He then published Bemerkungen uber diefesttiglichen Evangelien; also Kritische Beitrage zur Metaphysik. In 1799 he was also appointed professor at the university at Munich, which position he assumed with an oration: Was soll die, Schulefiur die Welt sein? He died November 28, 1800. He has published, besides the works already mentioned, Geburts und Jugendgeschichte Jesu (Munich, 1784, 8vo): — Ueber das sittliche Gut (ibid. 1786, 2 volumes, 8vo): — Oratio ante electionem neo-Episcopi ac Principis cathedralis Ecclesiae Frisingensis, die 26 Maji habita (Frisingse, 1788, 4to): — Die heiligen Schriften des Neuen Testaments, iibersetzt (Munich, 1789-90, 2 volumes, large 8vo): — Vermischte Schriften (ibid. 1793-98, 4 volumes, sm. 8vo): — Kritische Beitrage zur Metaphysik, in einer Prii. fung der Stattlerisch-Anti-Kantischen (ibid. 1795, 8vo): — Moral theologie oder theologische Moral, vorzuglich zum Gebrauchfur seine Vorlesungen (ibid. 1801-2,2 vols. large 8vo): — Ueber Kantische Philosophie (Munich, 1799-1803). See Krug, Philosophisches Lexikon, s.v.; Doring, Gelehrte Theologen Deutschlands, 2:636-644.