MUSCULUS, WOLFGANG, a celebrated Ger man Lutheran divine and Hebrew scholar, born at Deutze, in Lorraine, in r497. His paternal name was Mosel or Mosel, which he Latinised, accord ing to the fashion of the day. His father being poor, he gained his education by singing from door to door as a travelling scholar. At fifteen he ac cepted the invitation of the superior of a Benedic tine house at Lutzelstein, and entered the society, directing himself to the study of divinity and the Holy Scriptures, and gaining celebrity as a popular preacher. The perusal of Luther's Theses in 1518 led him to embrace the Reformed doctrines, which he defended with such zeal from the pulpit, that he became known as the Lutheran Monk.' In 1527 he was chosen prior of the convent ; but, alarmed by plots against his life, he fled by night to Strasburg, where he married, and gained his livelihood as a weaver. This failing, he was about to undertake work as a common labourer, on the fortifications, when he became connected with M. Bucer, who gave him board and lodging in return for his services in copying his works. He obtained va rious ministerial charges at Dortisheim, Strasburg, and, in 153r, at Augsburg, enduring the rigours of extreme poverty with the utmost constancy, and devoting himself to the study of Greek, Hebrew, and Arabic, and preparing Latin translations of the Commentaries of Chrysostom on St. Paul's
Epistles, and portions of the works of Basil, Atha nasius, and Cyril, as well as the other ecclesiastical historians. In 1536 he attended the synod of Eisenach as deputy of the senate, and in 1540-41 acted as secretary during the diets of Worms and Ratisbon. In 1547, when Charles V. came to hold a diet at Augsburg, Musculus was deprived of his church, and having boldly attacked the Interim, withdrew to Switzerland, and having declined an invitation of Archbishop Cranmer's to settle in England, became, 1549, professor of divinity at Berne, where he discharged his duties with dili gence and well-deserved reputation, until his death in 1563, at the age of sixty-six.
His principal works are :—Comment. in Genes., Basil. 1554 ; Enarrat. in tot. Psalter. et in Esai. (the work of twenty years), Basil 1551 ; Comment. in Matt. et 7oann., 1548 ; Cone, in Ep. Paid ad Rom. et Cor., Ant. 1544 ; Coin. in Ep. ad Galat., Eph., Philip., Col., Thess., 71Moth., pub lished after his death in 1569 ; Loci Communes— A systematic work on theology of much value ; "'rector. vet. hist. eccles. latine redd., Bas. 1549. He also published a tract, De paradiro, and Decalogi Explanatio, Bas. 1553. His commentaries are distinguished by diligence in bringing out the literal meaning, sound judgment, and moderation. —E. V.