Jacob of Jutterbock

Jacob of Jütterbock (or Jacobus Cisterciensis, etc.) was born at Jütterbock about 1383. When yet quite young he entered the Cistercian monastery De Paradiso, situated in Poland, and afterwards went to Cracow to procure the doctorate. Distinguished for scholarship and piety, he soon became the acknowledged leader among his fellow monks, and was finally elected abbot of his convent. Some time after he removed to Prague, but, growing dissatisfied with the many failings of men who professed to have quitted the world to seek an alliance with God, but who, in truth, had only entered the monastic order because it was the road to distinction, he advocated a reform of the Church, and at one time even fostered the thought of forsaking the monastic life altogether. He changed to the Carthusian order, removed to one of their monasteries at Erfurt, was here also greatly beloved for his superior abilities, and became prior of the monastery. He died in 1645. Jacob of Jütterbock may be justly regarded an associate of the mystics of the 14th century, and virtually a forerunner of the Reformation--one of the Johns preparing the way for Luther. Characteristic of his efforts for a reformatory movement are his Sermones notabiles etformales de tempore et de sanctis: — Libelli tres de arte curandi vitia (in Joh. Wesseli Opp., Amst. 1617): — Liber de veritate dicenda: — Tract. de causis multarum

passionum (in Pezelii Biblioth. ascet. 7): — De indulgentiis: — De negligentia Praelatorum (in Walch, Monum. med. cev. 2, Fasc. 1): De septems ecclesiae statibus opusculum (Walch, Fasc. 2). Especially in the last work he declares that a reform of the Church could only be effected by subjecting the whole clergy, from the pope downward, to a thorough change. He vehemently opposed the absolute power of the papal chair, the right of the pope to control the councils, and naturally enough denied the infallibility of the so-called "vicar of Christ." See Ullmann, Reformers before the Reformation, 1, 208, 250; Trithemii Catal. illustr. virorum, 1; Herzog, Real-Encyklop. 6, 380, 381; Bibliotheca Sacra, 1, 434 sq.