Neuss, Heinrich Georg, Dd

Neuss, Heinrich Georg, D.D.

a German Lutheran theologian, was born, March 11, 1654, at Elbingeroda, in the duchy of Brunswick. He received his early education at Osterwick, Quedlinburg, and Halberstidt. Being very poor, he accepted the private tutorship in the house of Dr. Reccius, in Wernigerode, a position which he held for three years, until, in 1677, he was enabled to go to Erfurt, where he studied theology. In 1683 he was appointed connector at Blankenburg, and in the next year rector. In 1690 he became adjunct to the Reverend Chr. Schmidt in Wolfenbuttel, and then deacon at the church of St. Henrici. Here he became intimately connected with two other pious ministers, who commenced to hold private meetings for devotional purposes. Soon, however, these meetings were openly spoken against, especially under the lead of Fr. Ulr. Calixt, of Helmstadt, who wrote against chiliasm, and the result was that in 1692 an edict was issued which forbade such pietism as heresy. These three menithen left Wolfenbiittel. Neuss was called to Hedwigsburg, and three years later, in 1695, the duke Rudolph Augustus appointed him superintendent in Remmlingen; and in 1696 count Ernest von Stolberg called him to Wernigerode as pastor primarius at St. Sylvester and George, and superintendent and councillor of the conlistory. Neuss died there September 30, 1716. Besides some theological works, he also published a collection of 134 hymns, entitled Hebopfer (heave- offering). The best known of his hymns is his "Ein reines Herz, Herr schaff in mir" (Engl. transl. by E. Cox, in Hymns from the German, page 176, "A new and contrite heart create"). Comp. Koch, Gesch. d. deutsch. Kirchenliedes, 4:425 sq.; 5:573 sq.; Jocher, Gelehrten-Lexikon, 3:888;

supplempent by Rottermund, 5:589 sq.; Wezel, Hymnopoeographia (Hermstadt, 1721), 2:240 sq.; Winterfeld, Der evang. Kirchengesang (Leips. 1845), 2:522-533. (B.P.)