Pflug, Julius

Pflug, Julius a German theologian, noted in the Reformation history of his country's Church, was born at Merseburg near the opening of the 16th century. He was the son of a nobleman, and a favorite of the emperor Charles V, who sent him in 1541 as one of the collocutors to the synod at Regensburg (q.v.), which resulted in the adoption of the Augsburg Interim (q.v.). Pflug was selected by the emperor as president of the approaching synod at Regensburg. About that time the chapter of the cathedral at Naumburg- Zeitz elected him bishop, but he was unable to assume his episcopal duties until after the battle at Muhlberg. In 1557 he presided at the Synod of Worms, and died in 1564. Pflug was a moderate Romanist, and though associated with Eck, shared none of his extravagant and extreme ideas. He earnestly desired peace, and though he may here and there have consented to measures rather equivocal and questionable, he probably sought only the peace and union of the Church. See Ranke, Hist. of the Papacy, 1:117 sq.; Planck, Gesch. der protest. Theol. volume 6; Alzog, Kirchengesch. 2:309 sq. (J.H.W.)