Thomas Erastus

Thomas Erastus (1524 to 1583) was a Swiss physician and Calvinist theologian, born Lueber, Lieber or Liebler, who gave his name to Erastianism. Born probably at Baden in Aargau, he studied theology at Basel and then philosophy and medicine at Bologna and Padua. He became physician to the count of Henneberg in 1553 and, from 1558, to the elector palatine Otto Heinrich, and he was professor of medicine and pharmacology at the University of Heidelberg until 1580. He published on medicine, astrology and alchemy, defended Galen and medieval tradition, and attacked the system of Paracelsus while conceding some merit to specific points. His 100 theses, later cut to 75 and published after his death in 1589, argued that the state should punish the sins of Christians and that the church should not withhold sacraments as punishment. He returned to Basel in 1580 and became professor of ethics there in 1583.