Pezel, Christoph

Pezel, Christoph a German theologian, was born March 5, 1539, at Plauen; studied at Wittenberg; was then three years cantor in his native place, and in 1567 became court-preacher and professor of theology at Wittenberg. An ardent advocate of Philippism (q.v.), he was deposed after the condemnation of Crypto-Calvinism in 1574; in 1576 was sent out of the country; in 1577 went to Siegen, where he taught for a while, and then became pastor at Herborn. In 1580 he was called to Bremen as pastor, and in 1584 was made professor of theology at the newly founded Gymnasium illustre. .In 1589 he again assumed the pastorate, and became also superintendent, and as such contributed to the strengthening and development of Lutheranism. He died February 25, 1604. Besides theological controversial writings, and the so-called Wittenberg Catechism entitled Catechesis continens explicationem decalogi, symboli, oratiolis dominicae, doctrinae de poenitentia et sacramentis (Wittenberg, 1571), he wrote also Mellificium

Historicum, a muchused handbook of history, and edited Melancthon's letters to Hardenberg. (J.H.W.)