He was probably born in
Hof in
Upper Franconia,
Bavaria, around 1485. He studied at the
University of Leipzig and obtained a master's degree at
Wittenburg University in 1523 and became a monk. Although a monk, he was an advocate of the
Protestant Reformation and a disciple of
Martin Luther. He wrote in 1523 "
Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr", a German paraphrase of the Latin
Gloria, adapted by Luther in 1525. Decius's version was first sung on
Easter Day at Braunschweig on 5 April 1523. Decius's
Low German version first appeared in print in
Gesang Buch by
Joachim Sluter, printed in 1525. In 1526, Decius became preacher at the Church of St. Nicholas in
Stettin at the same time as
Paulus von Rhode was appointed preacher at
St. James's in Stettin. In 1535 he became pastor of St. Nicholas and died there in March 1541 after a suspected poisoning. Shortly before his death he wrote the hymn "
O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig" (O Lamb of God, innocent) sung on a tune from the 13th century. Decius's version was first published in
Anton Cornivus's
Christliche Kirchen-Ordnung in 1542.
Johann Sebastian Bach used it as a
cantus firmus in the opening chorus of his
St Matthew Passion. It was translated into English by
Arthur Tozer Russell in the 19th century. ==References==