Georg Witzel

Georg Witzel (Wizel, Wicel, Wicelius)[1] (b. at Vacha, Landgraviate of Hesse, 1501; d. at Electorate of Mainz, 16 February 1573) was a German theologian.

Abandoning the Catholic faith, he married, and the following year was appointed to the pastorate of Wenigenlupnitz by James Strauss, and a little later to that of Niemeck by Luther himself.

In 1532 he published, under the pseudonym Agricola Phaqus, his Pro defensione bonorum operum, a work which aroused all the bitterness of his enemies.

Among his works published at this time his Apologia (Leipzig, 1533) deserves special mention, since in it he gives his reasons for returning to the Church of Rome.

He had already (1537) published his Methodus concordiae ecclesiasticae, and for the new disputation he prepared Typus prioris Ecclesiae in which he proposed the Church of the first centuries as the ideal to be sought for.