Lyserus, Polycarp

, a learned Protestant theologian, was born at Winendeen in the territory of Wittemberg, in the year 1552. He was educated at Tubingen, at the expence of the duke of Saxony, and became a minister of the church of Wittemberg in 1577. He was one of the first to sign the “Concord,” and was deputed, with James Andreas, to procure the signature of the divines and ministers in the electorate of Saxony. He died at Dresden, where he was then minister, February 14, 1601, aged 50, leaving a great number of works, both in German and Latin. The principal are, 1. “Explanations of Genesis,” in six parts, or six volumes, 4to, each of which bears the name of the patriarch whose history it explains. 2. | “Comraentaries on the two first chapters of Daniel,” 2 vols. 4to. 3. “A Paraphrase on the History of the Passion,” 4to, or 12mo. 4. “Explanation of Psalm CI,” 8vo. 5. “Commentaries on the Minor Prophets,” 4to, published at Leipsic, 1609, by Poly carp Lyserus, his great-grandson, who has added some remarks on Haggai, according to his ancestor’s method. 6. “Commentaries on the Epistle to the Hebrews.” 7. “Centuria qutestionum de articulis libri Christiana; Concordia?,” 4to. 8. “Christianismus, Papismus, Calvinismus,” 8vo. 9. “Harmonia Calvinianorum et Photinianorum in Doctrina de Sacra Cena,” 4to. 10. “Vindiciae Lyserianse, an sincretismus in rebus fidei cum Calvinianis coli prodest,” 4to. II. “Disputationes IX. Anti Steiniance quibus examinatur defensio concionis Irenicse Pauli Steinii,” 4to. 12. “Harmonia Evangelistarum continuata ad Christianam Harmoniam et ejusdem Epitome,” 8vo. 13. “Disput. de Deo patre Creatore coeli et terrae,” 4to. 14. “De seternitate Filii Dei,” 4to. 15. “De sacramentis decades duae,” 4to. He published also the “History of the Jesuits,” written by Elias Hasenmuller, who having quitted that society, and turned Lutheran, retired to Wittemberg, and died there before his work was printed. Father Gretser attacked this history, and Lyserus answered him by “Strena ad Gretserum pro honorario ejus,” 8vo. ¹