Emperour and to John These he received very courteously and admitted them to the Prayers of the Church but not to the Sacrament till their cause was heard before the Emperour But a rumour being spread in Alexandria that he had admitted them to the Sacrament Theophilus was extreamly offended with him and sought to put him out of his Bishoprick Whilest he meditated these things he wrote to all the Bishops thereabouts that they should condemn the Books of Origen and considering that it would much advance his affairs if he could draw Epiphanius Bishop of Salamine in Cyprus a man famous for his Life and Learning to side with him he wrote very flattering Letters to him whereby he made him his friend Then did he perswade him to call a Synod in Cyprus to condemn the Works of Origen which the good man too easily affented to and calling a Council they condemned them Then did Epiphanius write to Constantinople to John to call a Council and to condemn them likewise there Theophilus in the mean time considering that he might safely do what such a famous man as Epiphanius had done he also summoned a Council of all the Egyptian Bishops where they also condemned the Books of Origen But John thought that this business did not deserve the calling of a Council and therefore neglected it shewing to his friends the Letters sent him by Theophilus and Epiphanius Hereupon the Clergy and the Rich and Great men who were angry with him for the reasons aforesaid perceiving that the purpose of Theophilus was to remove John from his Bishoprick they studyed how they might promote the same and so far prevailed with the Emperour that a very great Council was summoned to meet at Constantinople which Theophilus much rejoycing at presently commanded all the Bishops of Egypt to repair thither He wrote also to Epiphanius and to all the Eastern Bishops that they should hasten to Constantinople himself following them Epiphanius was the first that arrived and in a Town near to Constantinople he went into the Church where he made publike Prayers From thence going to the City John with all his Clergy met him with all the respect that might be but Epiphanius shewed by his carriage that the calumnies raised against John had made too deep an impression in him for when he was invited to the Bishops house he refued to go in and shunned to have any society with John Yea moreoverâ—calling privately together such Bishops as were at Constantinople he shewed what they had Decreed against the Books of Origen and prevailed with some to give their suffrage to the same though the greater part protracted the doing of it And Theotinusâ—ishop â—ishop of â—ythia blamed him to his face for it saying that it was altogether unlawful thus to condemn a man that was dead so many years before and that it was not without blasphemy thus to calumniate the judgement of our Ancestors and to reject those things which they had Decreed and withall plucking forth a certain Book of Origens he reads part of it and shews how useful and profitable it was for the Church saying further they that discommend these things shew their great folly and it s to be feared that in time they may condemn the Scripture it self about which these Books are written Notwithstanding these things John did much reverence Epiphanius intreating him to partake with him both in his House and Table yea and in the Church too But he returned answer that he would neither come into his House nor Communicate with him at Church except he would condemn the Books of Origen and drive away Dioscorus with the rest of the Monks his companions John thought this very unequal thus to drive them away before their cause was heard the rather because he had appointed a Sacrament in the Apostles Church Then did the Enemies of John suborn Epiphanius that he should come forth in publick and before all the people condemn the Books of Origen with Dioscorus and his companions for holding the same opinions and that withall he should tax the Bishop John for favouring of them The design of these men which thus set him on was to alienate the affections of the people from their Bishop Accordingly two days after Epiphanius went to the Church to accomplish these things at which time John hearing of his purpose sent Scrapion one of his Presbyters to meet him and to protest to him that he was going about that which was neither just nor safe for himself for that hereby he might bring himself into danger if any Tumult or Sedition should arise amongst the people where of he would be judged the Author This cooled his heat and made him desist from his purpose About this time a young son of the Emperours fell sick whereupon the Empress sent to Epiphanius requesting him to pray for him Epiphanius answered that the childe should live and do well if she would forsake Dioscorus and his Heretical Associates But said the Emperess I leave my childe in the hands of God Let him do with him as he pleaseth he gave him me and he may take him away again But for thy part if thou canst raise the dead why didst thou suffer thy Arch-Deacon Crispion to dye who was so dear unto thee Shortly after Epiphanius departed towards Cyprus and as he went down to the Haven to take Shipping he said to John I hope thou shalt never dye a Bishop And John answered him again I hope thou shalt never come alive into thy Country Both which came to pass Epiphanius dying by the way in the Ship and John being deposed and banished as afterwards we shall hear After the departure of Epiphanius Theophilus came to Constantinople but none of the City Clergy went to meet and entertain him because they knew that he was an Enemy to their Bishop yet some Mariners of Alexandria which were then at Constantinople met him singing songs in his praise and so he went to the Emperours Palace where a lodging was provided for him He also cunningly found out many which hated John and were ready to accuse him whereupon he went to Quercus a Suburb of Chalcedon where he gathered a Council and there again condemned the Books of Origen The Council also sent to Constantinople to summon John and some of his Presbyters to appear before them and to answer to such things as should be objected against them John answered that he refused not to come to his trial if first he might know his Accusers and the crime objected against him and be brought before a free Council But said he I am not such a fool as to appear before such Bishops as are my professed Enemies and to suffer them to be my Judges Most of the Bishops were much incensed at this answer only Demerâ—ius and some few that favoured John departed out of the Council Then did the rest cause John to be called four times and because he appeared not
he so contented Modestus the Emperours Praefect that he drew that wicked man by the shining of his vertue to admire him By this when the Emperour Valence himself entred into his Church he first astonished him and afterwards by his discreet conference deterred him from his cruelty year reclaimed him from the faction of the Arians though afterwards those wicked men prevailed to bring him over to them again He had always a minde so prepared for Martyrdom that he desired it as a great favour In all his writings there is such a peculiar grace and excellency that he never tires his Reader but always dismisseth him with a thirst after more One saith of him that the true beauty of his soul did shine forth in his Eloquence Rhetorick being both his companion and servant Hierom was his scholar He was of such Authority in the Greek Churches that whosoever durst oppose his testimony was suspected for an Heretick He so loved solitude that when for his excellent Learning and Sanctity he should first have been made a Bishop he retired himself into obscurity but being discovered the people chose him for their Bishop At last growing old and unfit for his publick imployment he constituted another Bishop and returned to his former solitude He flourished under Theodosius He used to say That in a great multitude of people of several Ages and Conditions who are like an Harp with many strings it is hard to give every one such a touch in Preaching as may please all and off end none He wrote divers works both in prose and verse The Life of Epiphanius who flourished Anno Christi 370. EPiphanius Bishop of Salamine in Cyprus was born in Palestine in an obscure Town called Besanduces of poor and obscure parents his Father dying when he was young he was adopted and brought up by one Tryphon a Jew whereby he attained to an excellent knowledge in the Hebrew He was converted to the Christian Faith by one Lucianus famous for his Learning and Vertue Lucianus put him to Hâ—arion to learn under whom he profited exceedingly Whilest he was a boy certain Hereticks called the Gnosticks cunningly sought to invegle him and to draw him over to their opinions but it pleased God to preserve him from the temptation and to keep him in the Truth In his riper years he was famous in the Church for his Piety Holiness of Life and for the Sincerity of his Doctrine and Elegancy of his Stile as his Books witness which shew their Author to be a man of great reading skilful in the Tongues well acquainted with Controversies prudent in asserting the Truth and acute in confuting Errors whereupon Melancthon saith of him We have no fuller an History of those ancient affairs of the Church then the writings of Epiphanius do contain in which whilest he intends the Confutation of Heresies he inserts many Historical passages So that out of this Author may be collected almost a continued History of the ancient Church if any would with prudence join his Narrations together and I wish that some Prince would take care to see such a work done He was of a very liberal and charitable disposition insomuch as he spent all his estate in relieving the Poor Being afterwards chosen Bishop of Salamine in Cyprus he at first modestly refused that dignity but importunity prevaling with him he so lived that Vitam doctrinâ doctrinam vitâ comprobaret his Doctrine approved his Life and his Life desended his Doctrine He was semper Hereticorum acerrimus oppugnator always a sharp opposer of Hereticks He purged all Cyâ—rus defiled and slurried with divers Heresies and having gained an Edict from Theodosius the Emperour he cast all the Hereticks out of the Island About this time Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria having upon some false surmises conceived displeasure against John Chrysostom Bishop of Constantinople he sought cunningly to thrust him out of his Bishoprick whereupon he sent Letters to the Bishops throughout every City concealing his principal drift and only pretending that he misliked the Books of Origen Epiphanius also being at this time very old Theophilus wrought upon his weakness and prevailed with him to call a Council in Cyprus In which Council the Bishops Decreed that thenceforth none should read the works of Origen and by the instigation of Theophilus they wrote also to Chrysostom exhorting him to abstain from the perusing of those Books and requesting him to summon a Council at Constantinople and to ratifie that Decree with the uniform consent of all After this Epiphanius went to Constantinople and contrary to the Canons of the Church Ordained some Ministers there and administred the Sacrament Yet Chrysostom honoured him highly went with the rest of his Clergy to welcome him to the City invited him to lodge at his own house and to make use of his Church during his abode there But Epiphanius being prepossessed with prejudice answered that he would neither lodge in his house nor join with him in Prayer except he would condemn the Books of Origen and drive away Dioscorus with his associates from him who were favourers of Origen But Chrysostom answered that it would be great injustice to condemn men before their cause was heard especially considering that the time for administration of the Sacrament was now near and with this answer he left him Presently after the Enemies of Chrysostom came to Epiphanius and perswaded him publickly before all the people to condemn the Books of Origen and also Dioscorus and his followers and withall to tax the Bishop of the City for favouring these persons Epiphanius being of too facile a disposition went out the next day to perform these things which Chrysostom hearing of sent Serapion who met him not far from the Church and protested that if he did these things he would do that which was neither just nor equal nor convenient for himself For that hereby he might bring himself into danger if any tumult should be raised amongst the people Hereupon he desisted yet privately he called together some Bishops that stayed in the City and shewed them the Decrees which condemned the Books of Origen and drew some of them to assent to the same but the greatest part refused and Theotymnus Bishop of Scythia blamed him to his face for it and told him that it was altogether unlawful thus to calumniate and asperse a man that was dead long since especially being of so great worth and his writings approved of by their Predecessours c. At last he resolved to return into Cyprus and for a farewel to Chrysostom he said I hope that thou wilt not dye a Bishop To which Chrysostom replyed and I hope thou wilt never return into thy own Country Both which came to pass for a while after Chrysostom was cast out of his Bishoprick and Epiphanius dyed upon the Sea and when he found himself mortally sick he called his
he was set to the study of the Law wherein he shewed such industry that he was quickly acquainted with the principles of it and being of a generous nature he loved the Truth and hated Evils often using that Proverbe of Solomon that Lying lips become not a Prince Amongst all Law-books he was most versed in Panormitan Having thus prepared his Wit by these Studies An. Chr. 1522 he was by Cardinal Albert Elector of Mentz and Bishop of Magdeburg chosen to be one of his Counsellors whereby he was versed in the weighty Affairs of State finding the use and benefit of his knowledge of the Law therein and being Eloquent by nature the Cardinal often made use of him to open his mind to others so that his judgement was encreased and confirmed by his industry and employments But the Controversies about Religion waxing hot at this time and Luther's books coming abroad he fell to reading of them especially De discrimine Legis Evangelii De vera paenitentia De gratia De fide De vera invocatione De usu Sacramentorum De discrimine legum divinarum humanarum De discrimine Ministerii Evangelici Politicae potestatis Yet withall suspecting his own injudiciousness he would often pray with teares to God to incline his heart to the Truth saying Deal with thy servant according to thy mercy and instruct me in thy right eousnesse He was frequent in reading the Scriptures Ecclesiastical Histories Augustine Hierom and Lombard having George Forcheme both for an helper and copartner with him in those studies He studied also Greek and Hebrew and was so perfect in the Hebrew that few excelled him He discoursed with Learned men about the Controversies and so at length having long weighed the Opinions of all he concluded that the Confession of the Reformed Churches did agree with the ancient Catholick Church of God instructed by the writingâ— of the Prophets and Apostles And though he knew what hatred and danger he exposed himself to yet he made a publique profession of the Truth giving over to joyn with the Papists in their Counsels and Idolatrous Services giving himself wholly to Prayer and reading the Scriptures and other good books assisting his Brethren with whom he lived in perfect Peace and Love exceedingly in their Governments And first of all by their joint consents he reformed the Churches in his own Country setting fit Pastors over them commanding them to teach the Word of Truth to their people He abolished the Popish Ceremonies erected Schooles allowed competent stipends to the Ministers so that all things were Reformed without any dissention or tumult and many were drawn to embrace the Truth others were confirmed therein by the judgements and examples of their pious Princes And then he was very profitable to his Country by the faithful administration of Justice to them an Christi 1545 he was called to the Government of the Churches in the Diocesse of Mersburg and for that end he sent for Phil. Melancthon and divers other godly Ministers who ordained him by the Imposition of hands and gave him a Testimonial thereof August the third 1545. Concerning which Melancthon thus writeth Nos convocati quia certe sciebamus hunc illustrissimum rincipem Georgium rectè intelligere constanter amplecti puram Evangelii Doctrinam quam Ecclesiae harum regionum â—navoce uno spiritâ— cum Catholica Ecclesia Dei profitentur eximiam ejus esse virtutem sanctitatem Testimonium nostrum de eo ritu Apostolico impositione manuum declaravimus c. He lived very continently in a single life without any defilement His Chamber was a Temple Academy and a Court for he used daily in the same to pray read write and deliberate about Government He never wronged any man willingly He did good both privately and publickly to many He was a great promoter of Peace among Princes He ended many Controversies He abhorred all seditious and turbulent counsels He was far from ambition No anger hatred or desire of revenge could ever draw him to goe against the Rules of Justice or to act any thing against the common good Many and great injuries he bore with a great minde and pardoned them for the publick peace sake And with the same moderation of minde he bore other griefs so that it might easily appeare that he was supported by Prayer to and resting himself upon God and as a learned man he knâ—w the difference between divine and humane consolations and often repeated this saying Subditus esto Deo ora eum c. Submit thy self to God and pray unto him for he is near to those that are of a contrite heart and will save the humble in spirit He employed his time so wel so that he left none for pleasures and used to say That nothing refreshed him more in his sorrows then conference with learned and godly men About all controversies in Law he used to conferre with the excellentest Lawyers who were wise and virtuous men About the nature of mans body the causes and remedies of diseases with the most skilful Physitians About the Doctrine of the Church and Ecclesiastical Affairs with Luther Justus Jonas John Bugenhag c. and many of their Disputations ful of Learning and Piety were heard to the profit of many He conferred with Joachim Camerarius about the Histories of all Ages the mutation of Empires their period and the causes thereof about the Motions of the Heavens and the effects of the Stars The last act of this Princes life shewed his Piety and Gods presence with him For falling sick of a most troublesome disease he was frequent in holy prayer for himself for all the Princes of that Family for his Country and for Germany He had some portions of holy Scripture daily read to him He made his Will wherein he set downe the Confession of his Faith and commended the defense of his Churches to his Brother He added something to the stipends of all the godly Ministers under his charge He often ruminated upon those Texts God so loved the world that he gave c. No man shal take my sheep out of my hand Come unto me all yee that are weary c. and so in holy meditations and prayer he resigned up his spirit unto God Anno Christi 1553 and of his Age 47. Amongst other parts of his Ecclesiastical Administrations every year he held two Synods wherein all the Pastors of his Diocesse met together where they had very profitable Sermons preached He was made Superintendent of those Churches of Mersburg by Augustus Duke of Saxony brother to Maurice Anno Christi 1544. His Works which he left behind him were these A Consolatory Sermon upon that speech of our Saviour None can take my sheep out of my hand A Nuptial Sermon preached at Toâ—gau at the Mariage of the Duke of Saxony to Anne the King of Denmarks Daughter Four Sermons about the Sacrament A
THE MARROW OF Ecclesiastical History CONTAINED IN The LIVES of one hundred forty eight FATHERS SCHOOLMEN first REFORMERS and MODERN DIVINES which have flourished in the Church since Christ's time to this present Age Faithfully collected and orderly disposed according to the CENTURIES wherein they lived Together With the Lively Effigies of most of the eminentest of them cut in COPPER The second Edition enlarged in most of the Lives with the addition of nine Lives which were not in the Former By SAMUEL CLARK Pastor of Bennet Fink London Vt qui praeceptis non accendimur saltem exemplis incitemur atque in appetitu Rectitudinis nil sibi mens nostra difficile astimet quod perfectè peragi ab aliis videt Greg. Mag. l. 9. c 43. Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race which is set before us Heb. 12. 1. London Printed for T. V. and are to be sold by William Roybould at the Vnicorn in Pauls-Church-yard 1654. To the Christian Reader CHRISTIAN READER THe nature of man is more apt to be guided by Examples then by Precepts especially by the the examples of men eminently learned and of great repute for Pietie and Godliness Such men are as Looking-glasses to the places where they live by which most people dress themselves and when they fall into sin they fall like men in a croud many falling with them The bodies of men are not so subject to be infected by the illness of the ayr as the souls of men by the ill examples of godly learned Ministers When Peter at Antioch dissembled many of the Jews dissembled likewise with him and Barnâ—ibas was brought into their dissimulation also It is very remarkable that this example of Peter is said to be a constraining of the Gentiles to Judaize Why constrainest thou the Gentiles to do as the Jews Gal. 2 14. There is a compulsive power in the ill examples of godly men to constrain others to do the evil that they do and therefore let godly Ministers especially in these days take heed least by any wicked compliance they build men up in sin and bring destruction upon themselves as the two sons of old Ely did who by their wicked examples made the people of Israel to transgress and thereby brought ruine upon their old Father and themselves 1 Sam. 2. 24. And so on the contrary there is a heavenly power and efficacy in the good examples of men eminent in place and godliness to draw others to Pietie and Holiness As long as Joshua lived and the Elders that had seen all the great works of the Lord that he did for Israel the children of Israel served the Lord. The religious cariage of Theodosius the Emperour in his family made not only his family but his whole Court to be a nourcery of Religion Pezel Mel Hist. in vita Theodo 2. But this is most especially seen in the godly Lives of godly and learned Ministers Herod the King reverenced John Baptist observed him and when he heard him did many things and heard him gladly not so much for the love of his doctrine as because he was a just and holy man and as Jesus Christ saith of him a burning and shining light burning in holy zeal for God as well as shining in Orthodox Doctrine He is called by the Prophet The voyce of him that cryeth in the wilderness And as Nazianzen saith of him he cryed louder by the holiness of his life then the sincerity of his doctrine He was Tota vox All voyce his apparel his diet and his conversation did Preach holiness as well as his doctrine Mar. 6 20. John 5. 35. Isay 40. 3. And therefore is cannot but be a work very profitable to the Church of Christ for any man to write a History of the Lives of the eminently learned and godly Ministers of former times as a fair Copy for Posterity to write after and a Patten for them to imitate This Reverend religious and learned Author hath undertaken this work in this ensuing Treatise and effected it so well as that I thought it not sufficient to give a naked Imprimatur unto it without this additional commendation both of the Author and of his work The Apostle having in the eleventh Chapter to the Hebrews given us a littleâ—littleâ—Book of Martyrs in the beginning of the twelfth Chapter he calls them A cloud of witnesses Such a cloud of witnesses is contained in this Book And as the childreu of Israel were directed in their journeys by the Pillar of a Cloud that went before them as long as they were in the Wilderness so let us make this cloud of Witnesses so far as it followeth Christ a Pillar of Cloud to guide us while we are in the Wilderness of this World till we come to enjoy that unexpressible happiness of which they are now made partakers So prayeth your servant in Christ Jesus EDMUND CALAMY TO THE Christian Reader Christian Reader THE right improvement of good Examples doth reach the highest ends of man viz. Gods honor and the souls welfare It was an honor unto King David to have so many men of valor under his command And doubtless the wisdom faith love Zeal courage and humility which Gods faithful servants in the several ages of the Church have expressed in their attendance upon him do publish the high praises of his blessed Majesty For if there appear so much worth in small drops what is there in the Seas of Divine Al-sufficiencie He that seeth the Sun-beams bright will see cause to admire the brightness of the Sun it self The luster left upon Moses his face by the reflection of the glory of Gods back parts was a full demonstration of the incomparable infinite glory of his face When we read of me raised above the World despising promises and scorning threatnings whereby they have been assaulted to desert the Truth of the Gospel and to make shipwrack of a good conscience how can we do less then glorifie God in them For can any power on this side Omnipotencie enable sinful men to deny themselves their dearest relations and the greatest earthly advantages for Jesus Christ How much of Deity shines in their Lives who could trample upon preferments laugh at imprisonment and banishment yea with smiles and joys embrace stakes and endure flames in love unto the Lord Jesus Oh what abundant occasion is administred of adoring the most High God in his rich perfections faithfulness and unchangeableness when we consider how even to admiration he hath furnished many of his Ambassadors with raised parts and graces to defend his cause and edifie his Church in the several corners of the World from generation to generation Histories hold forth the acknowledgements extorted from Heathens to the honor of the true God upon the notice taken of Christians gracious carriage both
Christ. 4. Confine not your desires designs endeavors to any degree of Spiritual goodness attained by the fairest Saint on this side Heaven For no example Christ's onely excepted did ever reach that rule according to which we are always obliged to order our hearts and lives A man may fully fall in with the forwardest follower of Jesus Christ and yet fall far short of conformity to Gods commandements That blessed Apostle who propounds himself a pattern for imitation having his conversation in Heaven yet he speaks thus of himself Not as though I was already perfect And that beloved Disciple John tels us that Every one who hath a well-grounded lively hope of heaven purgeth himself as Christ is pure If according to this counsel with these directions you shall improve the manifold pretious examples which are here presented unto your perusal then shall you have good cause to bless Almighty God for bringing this book unto your hands The godly and Reverend Author our antient friend and Fellow-Pupil with one of us under the tuition of Master Thoms Hooker in Emanuel Colledge who for his eminent abilities and glorious services both in this and in the other England deserves a place in the first rank of them who are here recorded hath in this collection imitated the Lord who hath a book of Remembrance wherein he Registers the gratious speeches and actions of his zealous servants in cvil times Hereby also he is instrumental in the accomplishment of Gods promise who hath said The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance An instance whereof the Apostle gives in Abel the proto-Martyr who for his faith and righteousness is yet spoken off as some render the phrase though long since dead That which the Apostle affirms upon the reveiw of his Catalogue of believers recorded in the eleventh Chapter of his Epistle to the Hebrews I may apply to this Book We are compassed about with a clowd of witnesses for which way can we look or to what condition and concernment of life can we turn our selves wherein some Example propounded in this book will not aptly suit with our estates for guidance comfort encouragement And although the labor of our Author hath been in this collection very great yet he resolves if God give life and health to add a second part unto this now published wherein if any one will be pleased to furnish him with full and faithful relations of the godly life and death of any their Christian friends whether Ministers or others who have been eminent in their days their Names may hereby be perpetuated unto the service of posterity Here we might have given in a true though short Character of some pretious servants and messengers of Christ whose graces were admired whilst they lived and whose memâ—ry their surviving friends do much honor viz. Doctor Preston Sibs Tailor Stoughton c. Mr. Rogers Stock Culverwel Pemble c. As also Mr. Hildersham Dod Pierson Herring Ball Nicols Hind and Rathband who for their Christian graces and Ministerial abilities for their services and sufferings do deserve an honourable memorial in the Church of Christ The later of these though they lived and dyed Non-conformists yet they always kept a due distance from Brownistical separation and were zealously affected towards the Presbyterial Government of the Church as the works of some of them do sufficiently witness Through Gods grace their judgments were never tainted with the noisom Errors of these declining times neither were their lives stained with any such scandals for which too many who pretend to an higher pitch of purity and Saintship are justly reproached But now we will not discourse any further of them because we hope that the next part of this book which before we intimated may bring to light the excellencies of some of them at least which call for remembrance and imitation And now Christian Reader craving pardon for our tediosness whereby thou hast been thus long detained out of this pleasant Garden we desire that Gods direction and blessing may accompany thy passage through it that whilst thou seest thy self surrounded with sweet and fragrant flowers thou mayst adore the inexhaust fulness of Jesus Christ from whom all graces and consolations do continually flow And because an inward supernatural principle is necessary to the right improvement of such helps as the Bee by an innate quality which other creatures want maketh Honey out of Flowers we commend thee to the God of all Grace that by the abilities of his spirit thou mayst be abundantly benefited in spiritual respects by thy serious survaying of this useful book London Decemb. 7th 1649. Thine in the service of Jesus Christ SIMEON ASH JOHN WALL THE AVTHORS EPISTLE TO THE CHRISTIAN READER Christian Reader THE holy Apostle tels us that when Christ ascended on high he gave gifts unto men some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come into the uaity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ The accomplishment hereof will in part appear by these Examples following wherein we shall see how the Lord Jesus Christ hath in all Ages raised up and sent Pastors after his own heart for the ends before mentioned and because that old subtile Serpent the Divel knows that the chiefest way to hinder the success of the Ministry is to breed in mens hearts an undervaluing and disesteem of the Ministers therefore we may take notice what titles Christ Jesus in the New Testament is pleased to honor them withall He calls them Angels 2 Rev. 1. 8 12 18 c. Stars 1 Rev. ult Ambassadors of Christ 2 Cor. 5. 20. Builders 1 Cor. 3. 10. Gods Stewards Tit. 1. 7. Lights of the World Matth. 5. 14. The Glory of Christ 2 Cor. 8. 23. Nurses 1 Thes. 2. 7. Spiritual Fathers 1 Cor. 4. 15. And such as stand in Christs stead 2 Cor. 5. 20. And such indeed have most of these Worthies been whose Lives are recorded in this Book Yet least any should run into the contrary extreme and judge of them above that which is meet the Scriptures tell us also that they are earthen vessels 2 Cor. 4. 7. and men subject to the like passions with others James 5. 17. Acts 14. 15. This you shall finde evidenced in the Narratives of some of these Lives who though they were men of God yet were they sons of Adam also and I could have given you in a Catalogue of the Naevi and blemishes of the Antient Fathers as well as of the Modern Divines that so we might be convinced that our faith ought not to stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God But most men are too apt to espie motes upon a black coate and therefore I
forbear them What excellent use may be made of these Lives will appear if we consider First the Divine and comfortable speeches which have proceeded from these holy men of God worthy to be written in letters of Gold and to be engraven not upon the Tables of stone but upon the fleshly Table of our hearts Secondly the industry diligence and faithfulness which they shewed in their general and particular callings worthy our best imitation Thirdly their behaviour and deportment in times of persecution and how ready the Lord was to support encourage and strengthen them therein which may help our faith and dependance upon God in the like times and upon the like occasions Fourthly their zeal patience and perseverance in the truth not loving their lives unto the death so they might fulfil their Ministry with joy which should teach us to be followers of them who through Faith and Patience do now inherit the promises What benefit this collection of mine may afford to the learned and to Ministers I leave it to their own prudence who can best judge of it Yet thus much I dare say that here they shall finde gathered into one book those things which before lay scattered in many Here they shall see in what Centuries Ages and places the famousest lights of the Church both Antient and Modern have flourished Here they shall have contracted into one little volume the substance of that which if it had been translated or transcribed according to the Originals would have filled many such books as this and yet as I suppose nothing of worth or weight omitted And if together with this they shall please to make use of my two Martyrologies and my Mirror or Looking-glass both for Saints and Sinners I presume they may be stored with examples almost for every subject which they shall preach upon and how grateful and useful to the Auditors such examples are I conceive none can be ignorant But to conclude I hope through Gods blessing these my weak and unworthy endeavors will prove seasonable and sutable to the times pleasant and profitable to the Readers and some way or other instrumental to Gods glory which is the serious and earnest desire of Thy unfeigned friend to serve thee SAMUEL CLARK From my study in Threed-needle-street Decemb 10. 1649. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thomas Dugard A. M. Rector Barfordiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem To his Reverend Friend Mr. Samuel Clark Samuel Clark ANAGRAM A Cull-markes Or Cull's a marke FAlse Lights to Error now our Souls betray Thou art a Cull-markes to direct our way From White of Truth we rove as in the dark Thy Book 's our Marks-man and Cull's out A Mark. We sail in troublous Seas midst rocks and shelves Thou set'st up Sea-marks least we lose our selves Mercurial Statues here rais'd out of clay Whose Faith Zeal Patience guide us heavens way Thy Life Name Works so well in one agree I wish me follower of these LIVES with thee Jo. Fuller Minister of Gods Word at Botolphs-Bishops-gate Others by the same STorie 's a Light of time for after Ages This Book 's a Lanthorn which this Light incage's No fatal Comet 's here with fear to dread us But Pole-stars all from Christ to Christ to lead us And should the witnesses not yet be slain Thou mak'st us see they may be rais'd again If Teachers be as Stars then sure thy Book Doth as an Heavenly Constellation look If they be seasoning salt this Book of thine May well be nam'd a Rich Salt Peter-Mine If Watchmen Witnesses he 's not misled Calls it a Mizpah and a Galeed A Sacred Sampler drawn to th' life in Storie Legend of Saints indeed a Directorie And whilst that some snuff out Lights of our Age Thou trim'st and set'st such here in equipage Spirits once rais'd imploy'd not vanish soon When these LIVES guide us then thy Book is done Joh. Fuller To my Reverend and learned friend upon his Book called The LIVES c. LIke Jacob's Rods thy LIVES thou laist in view His Rods were pill'd thy LIVES are pickt their hew Reader is thy Exemplar Look on Love Buy Read yea Live their LIVES and then t will prove That when you have enquir'd what bargain 's best A purchase made for LIVES is gainfullest Could but one Life be bought who would not trade Who buys thy Book buyes many Lives I 'le wade One step more in thy praise How th' Faces fit I judge not sure thy LIVES to th' Life are writ Guilielm Ienkyn Ecclesiae Christi apud Londinenses Pastor Vpon the Book of the LIVES of the FATHERS c. Made by the Reverend his dear Father Mr. Samuel Clark LO here the quintessence of more Then Croesus ever saw before Gold Silver Diamonds these are Compar'd to this not half so rare Contracted worth much in a little space 'T is Homer's Iliads in a Nut-shel case Rare Chymistrie how could you make So pure Elixar did you take These Worthies ashes so Divine As matter fit for your design Such Sacred Reliques whereso ' ere enshrin'd Make the Vrn pretious to a pious minde Of several Stars our Sophies say Vnited's made the Milkie-way The Ignes fatui cannot be Exalted to such dignitie No wandring Stars are here These fixed are A Constellation in heaven's highest Sphere Then sure this Book if read will please Who will not choose to be with these Deceased Heroes this bliss To th' Reader here imparted is Here 's many Saints one Book thus Schools do tell Ten thousand Angels in one point may dwell Sam. Clark A. M. Aul. Pembr Soc. To his Reverend and much honored Father Mr. Samuel Clark concerning his Book called The LIVES c. HOW LIVES They 're dead No death they did evade By their good Lives which them immortal made Death could not take their Lives away you finde He took their bodies left their Lives behinde Which here assembled shew themselves so well As though they strove each other to excell 'T is a choise Synod O! who would not be Present their Acts and Orders for to see Like Cyrus Court
Schismaticks for disagreeing with him therein Irenaeus with other Brethren of the French Church being sorry to see contentions amongst Brethren for such a trifle met together in a Councel and by common consent wrote Letters unto Victor subscribed with their names intreating him to alter his purpose and not to proceed to Excommunicate his Brethren for that matter and although themselves agreed with him in observing the same time yet by many strong arguments and reasons they exhorted him not to deal so rigorously with those who followed the custom of their Country in observing another day He wrote also diverse other Letters abroad concerning the same contention declaring the Excommunication of Victor to be of none effect After the Martyrdom of Photinus he was made Bishop of Lyons where he continued about the space of 23 years By his frequent faithful and powerful Preaching and by his holiness of life he brought most of that City from Gentilism to the knowledge and service of the true God But the common Enemy of mankinde envying the progress of the Gospel and the salvation of so many Souls beside the publick Persecution stirred up a spirit of Error and falsehood in some Hereticks as Montanus Theodosius Alcibiades and Maximilla whereby he greatly disturbed the Peace of the Church Hereupon Irenaeus and his fellow-Laborers to shew their care of the Brethren sent abroad large Epistles of things done amongst them They sent also the Tenets of Montanus into Asia with their judgements upon them They wrote likewise Letters to Eleutherius then Bishop of Rome desiring him heartily to endeavour to keep the Church in unity and when they could finde no fitter a person for so weighty a business they made choice of Irenaeus for his holiness gravity and sincerity whom they knew to be willing to undergo all travel danger and labour for Christs cause and the Churches good Him therefore they sent to Rome writing by him in this manner Father Eleutherius we with you health in all things and always in God We have requested Irenaeus our Brother and fellow Laborer to deliver these Letters whom we pray you to accept of as a zealous follower of the will of Christ c. This Irenaeus wrote five Books against the Heresies of his times which are yet extant in the first of which dilating upon the infinite profundity of matter invented by Valentinus mixed with many Errors he discloseth openly the malice of the Heretick being cloâ—ked and concealed as it were a Serpent hid in his den For revealing their profane ceremonies and detestable mysteries he writeth thus Some saith he prepare their Wedding Chamber and accomplish the service to be said over them that are to be consecrated with charmed words And having thus done they call it a Spiritual Marriage conformable to the caelestial copulation Some bring them to the water and in Baptising say thus In the Name of the unknown Father of all things In the Truth Mother of all things and in him which descended upon Jesus Some others pronounce Hebrew words to the end that young Converts might be the more amazed And in his third Book he wrote that Valentinus came to Rome in the time of Hyginus ninth Bishop in succession after the Apostles And also Cerdon another Heretick who sometimes protested the true Faith and privily taught the contrary Afterward he confessed his error and yet again being reprehended for the corrupt Doctrin which he had taught he refrained the company of the Brethren He taught that God preached in the Law and Prophets was not the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. That Christ was known but the Father of Christ was unknown c. After him succeeded Marcion of Pontus a shameless blasphemer which encreased this Doctrine He tels us also in his second Book that the working of Miracles was frequent in his time Some of the Brethren saith he and sometimes the whole Church of some certain place by reason of some urgent cause by Fasting and Prayer have brought to pass that the spirits of the dead have returned into their bodies and so by the earnest Prayers of the Saints they have been restored again to life and have lived with us many years Some by the like means have expelled Devils so that they which were delivered from evill spirits have embraced the Faith and were received into the Church Others have the Spirit of Prophesie to fore-know things to come they see Divine Dreams and Prophetical Visions Others cure the sick and diseased and by laying on of their hands restore them to health For the gratious gifts of the Holy Ghost are innumerable which the Church dispersed through the whole World having received dispenseth daily in the Name of Jesus Christ crucified under Pontus Pilat to the benefit of the Gentiles c. Whilst he was Bishop of Lyons the state of the Church was very unquiet troublesome and full of danger because the Romane Emperour had not called in the Edicts of the fourth Persecution But in this dangerous time Irendus was valiant laboured exceedingly by Prayer Preaching Disputing Instructing and Reproving with patience and wisdom Seeking the lost strengthening the weak recalling the wandring binding up the broken-hearted and confirming those that were strong Whereupon Tertullian saith Tanta vitae integritate Doctrine sinceritate gregi is praesidet c. He governed the flock of Christ with such integrity of life and sincerity of Doctrine that he was loved exceedingly by his own and feared by others But in the latter end of Marcus Antoninus Verus God sent Peace to his Church so that the Christians lived securely held Councels and did Preach freely as also in the raign of Commodus who succeeded him But in the raign of Severus the next Emperor he being a bloody and cruel man was raised the fifth Persecution against the Church to the Martyrdom of many thousands but especially it raged at Lyons in so much as the blood of the slaughtered Christians ran down the streets and at last this blessed Saint with many other of his flock were carried between two hils where was a Cross on the one hand and an Idol of the other where they were put to their choice to go either to the Cross to suffer or to the Idol to live but they chose the Cross where they all constantly suffered Martyrdom about the year 182. Irenaeus being about the age of 60 years or as some say 90. He used to compare the Hereticks and Schismaticks of his time to Aesops Dog that lost the substance of Religion whilst they gaped too earnestly after the shadow Considering the vanity of all earthly things he said What profit is there in that honour which is so short-lived as that perchance it was not yesterday neither will be to morrow And such men as labor so much for it are but like froth which though it be uppermost yet is unprofitablest Erasmus thinks that he wrote
in Latin but Hierom reckons him amongst the Greek Fathers and even till this day some of his Works are extant in Greek which shews him to be a Grecian Varia scripsit sed soli qainque libri adversus Haereses eodie supersunt TERTVLLIAN The Life of Tertullian who dyed An. Christ. 202. TErtullian was born in Carthage his Father was a Centurion of the Proconsular Order He was carefully educated in all manner of learning wherein he profited so much that Lactantius saith of him he was in omni genere doctrine peritus skilled in all kinde of Learning Hierom saith that his Works contained cunctam seculi Doctrinam all sorts of Learning Vincentius Lyrinensis saith Inter Latinos omnes hic facile princeps judicandus that amongst the Latine Fathers he was of chiefest account His Works which he hath left to us shew that he was excellently versed in Physicks Mathematicks and History He was eminent for his study of and knowledge in the Civil Law Afterward falling to the study of Divinity he attained to such excellent skill therein that at Rome he was made a Presbyter where he remained to the middle of his age He flourished under the Emperor Severus Anno Christi 183. And burning in holy zeal he became a great opposite to the Hereticks of those times Marcion Valentinian Praxea Hermogenes c. He was very expert both in Greek and Latin and had great acuteness in disputing and writing eloquently as his Books do sufficiently declare So that Vincentius Lyrinensis saith that the force of his arguments was such that whom he could not perswade them he compelled to consent to him God raised him in the time of great Persecution to be as a pillar or stay to his poor afflicted Church For when the Christians were vexed with wrongs and falsly accused by the Gentiles Tertullian taking their cause in hand defended them against their Persecutors and their slanderous accusations shewing that they never intended aâ—â— stirs or rebellions either against the Empire or Emperors of Rome for so much as the manner of Christians was to pray for the prosperous estate of their Governors And whereas they were falsely accused to be enemies to mankinde how can that be saith he when as the proper office of Christians is to pray for all men to love their Enemies never requiting evil for evil whereas all others do profess only to love their friends and starcely them and as touching the horrible slander of murthering Infants how can that be true saith he in the Christians whose custom is to abstain from all blood and things strangled so that it is not lawful for them when they feed at their Tables to meddle with the blood of any Beast And as for filthy copulations no sort of men are more free then they who have ever been the greatest observers of chastily and if they could have chosen to live in perpetual Virginity all their lives long if they could not their manner is to contract Matrimony for the avoiding all Whoredom and Fornication Neither can it be proved that the Christians do Worship the Sun which false surmise saith he ariseth only from this Because they use to pray towards the East Much less was there any of them so mad as to Worship an Asses Head the occasion of which slander arose from the Jews worshipping the Jaw bone of an Ass from the story of Sampson which therefore was falsely and wrongfully charged upon the Christians Likewise against all other lyes and slanders raised by the Heathen against the Christians he clearly purgeth them and evidently proves that they were persecuted not for any deserts of theirs but only out of an hatred to their name and Profession He sheweth also that by those grievous persecutions the Religion or number of Christians was nothing impaired but increased rather The more saith he we are mown down by you the more we rise up The blood of the Christians proves the seed of the Church For what man saith he beholding the painful torments and the perfect patience of the Christians will not search and enquire into the cause and when he hath found it out will not consent and agree to both and when he agreeth to it who will not be willing and desirous to suffer for it So that this Profession can never be extirpated seeing the more it is cut down the more it encreaseth For every man seeing and wondering at the sufferings of the Saints is moved thereby the more to search into the cause and in searching he finds it and in finding he follows it And as Tertullian thus bestirred himself in defending the innocency of the Christians so he compiled many excellent and fruitful Works whereof some are extant others are not to be found By these excellent Apologies of his he perswaded the Emperor Severus to savour the Christians who prayed for his prosperity and imputed the slaughter of his Subjects at Byzartium as a just judgement upon them for the effusion of so much Christian blood Having written excellently against the Hereticks of his time in the end of his Book he made a Catalogue of all the Hereticks that then tore the Bowels of the Church Yea he continued these labours when the Persecution was at the hottest not hiding his head though the times were so dangerous Once in great triumph all the Emperour Severus his Souldiers for the greater pomp were to put on Crowns of Bayes but one Christian Souldier there was amongst them who wore it on his Arm and being demanded the reason he boldly answered Non decet Christianum in hac vita Coronari that a Christian ought not to wear his Crown in this life Upon which occasion Tertullian wrote his Book De Corona Militis Cyprian when he would read Tertullian used to say Da Magistrum give me my Master His manner was constantly to pray thrice a day at the third sixth and ninth hours Writing De quatuor novissimis of Death Judgment Heaven and Hell he saith Haec nos aliquando risimus cum de vobis fuimus fiunt non nascuntur Christiani I sometimes scoffed at these things when I was a Heathen I now perceive that we are not born but made Christians He was converted by reading the Scriptures and the labours of other learned and holy men In reading the Scriptures he found them full of Majesty and truth And saith he Quicquid agitur praenunciabatur Whatsoever is done was in them foretold and after his conversion he was taken up night day in the reading of them and did with great pains get much of them by heart and that so exactly that he knew each period He highly commended Severus for that knowing many Noble men and women to be Christians he did not only not punish them but greatly praised them and did publickly withstand such as were their enemies Yet notwithstanding the great Learning and famous Vertues of this worthy
menaces let all such know that the Church of the Lord will oppose them and that the Tents of Christ will prove immovable and not to be conquered by them His fidelity will notably appear by his Epistles wherein he excellently comforts the afflicted recalls such as were faln or commends the care of them to other Bishops of the Church vigorously opposeth the Hereticks and Schismaticks Neither was he only a Spectator of the Martyrdom of others but suffered himself to be proscribed yea chose death rather then to betray the truth of the Gospel or to approve of the least defection to the impious worship of the Gentiles By these means his fame increased so exceedingly that he was not so much the Bishop of Carthage as of all Africk yea of Spain the East West and Northern Churches Yea he was judged the Father of all Christians And to the further setting forth to the praise of Gods grace of his glorious vertues wherewith he was endued appearing as well in his own works as described by other worthy Writers he was courteous and gentle loving and full of patience and therewithal severe and impartial in his Office Furthermore he was most affable and kinde towards his Brethren and took much pains in helping and releiving the Martyrs Yea he wrote Letters to the Elders and Deacons of his Bishopwrick that with all study and endeavour they should gently entertain and do all the Offices of love that possibly they could to the Martyrs in his absence He was very prudent and circumspect Of a marvellous liberal disposition towards the Brethren that fled for refuge from other Countries and so often as he had cause of absence he committed the care of those poor men to his fellow Officers writing to them that of their own proper goods they should help their banished Brethren to that which was necessary for them He had also great skill in the fore-knowledge of future events He was of so communicative a disposition that he concealed nothing which he knew but with meekness and willingness uttered it to others He maintained Ecclesiastical Peace and Concord with those that differed from him in smaller matters Lastly he neither circumvented nor did prejudice to any man but did that which always seemed good in his judgement He much addicted himself to reading and would let no day pass wherein he read not some part of Tertullians Works and when he called for him he used to say Da Magistrum Give me my Master He chiefly studied to keep his body continent and clean from fleshly lusts saying That then his heart would be truly sit to attain to the full capacity and understanding of the Truth if once he could trample down Concupiscence A great Persecution being raised against the Church of Christ by Aemilianus President of Egypt Paternus and Galerius Maximus Proconsuls of Africk Cyprian sheweth the true causes thereof in his fourth Book Epist the fourth in these words We saith he must acknowledge and confess that this turbulent oppression and calamity which hath wasted for the most part all our Church and doth dayly more and more consume it ariseth chiefly from our own wickedness and sins whilst we walk not in the way of the Lord nor observe his Precepts left unto us for our instruction Our Lord Christ observed the will of his Father in all points but we observe not the will of the Lord having all our minde and study set upon lucre and possessions we are given to pride full of emulation and dissention void of simplicity and faithful dealing renouncing this World in word only but not in deed every man pleasing himself and displeasing all others and therefore are we thus scourged and that worthily for what stripes and scourges do we not deserve when as the Confessors themselves who formerly enaured the trial of their Faith and ought to be an example to the rest in well doing do now observe no Discipline And therefore for their sakes who proudly brag with swelling words of their former Confession and Sufferings these torments come even such as do not easily send us to the Crown except by the mercy of God some being taken away by a quick death do prevent the tediousnes of punishment These things do we suffer for our sins and deserts as by the Lords threatning we have been forewarned where he saith If they shall forsake my Law and will not walk in my Judgements If they shall prophane my Institutions and will not observe my Precepts I will visit their iniquities with the rod and their transgressions with scourges These rods and scourges we justly feel who neither please God with our good deeds nor repent of the evil wherefore saith he let us pray from the bottom of our hearts and with our whole minde and let us intreat his mercy who promiseth that his loving kindness shall not be wholly taken away Let us ask and we shall obtain and though we be delayed yet seeing we have grievously offended let us continue knocking for he hath promised that to them that knock it shall be opened therefore with our Prayers sighs and tears let us still knock and we shall be sure to speed c. And in another part of his Epistle he shews what vices were principally reigning amongst the Christians viz. grievous divisions and dissentions amongst the Brethren For when these words were spoken to them in a Vision Petite impetrabitis Pray and ye shall obtain afterwards when it was required of the Congregation to direct their Prayers unto God in the behalf of certain persons assigned to them by name they could not agree about the persons that were to be prayed for but disagreed in their Petitions which thing did greatly displease God that spake unto them Pray and ye shall obtain because they were not uniform in voice and heart neither was there one joint consent amongst the Brethren Upon which occasion Cyprian moveth them to Prayer with mutual agreement For saith he if it be promised in the Gospel that whatsoever two or three shall agree upon to ask upon Earth it shall be granted in Heaven what shall then be done when the whole Church agree together Or what if this Unanimity were amongst the whole Fraternity which Unanimity if it had been amongst the Brethren Non venissent fratribus haec mala si in unum fraternitas fuisset animata i. e. These evils had not befaln the Brethren if they had joined together in brotherly Unanimity Cyprian having thus described the causes of this Persecution sets down a Vision wherein was shewed unto him by the Lord before the Presecution came what should happen The Vision saith he was this There was a certain aged Father sitting at whose right hand sat a young man very sad and pensive as one that with indignation is sorrowful with his hand upon his breast and an heavie countenance On the other hand sat a person having a Net in
impiety On the contrary Socrates out of Eusebius his writings endeavours to vindicate him from that charge Learned Scultetus thus reconciles them Aries saith he denyed two things The Eternity of the Son of God his Co-equality with the Father Eusebius doth every where profess the Eternity of Christ But his Co-equality he never seriously believed He used to say That Moses wrote the Old Law in dead Tables of stone but Christ did write the perfect Documents of the New Testament in living Souls He flourished under Constantinus Magnus and Constantius His Ecclesiastical History is well known besides which he wrote some other Books as Libri Praeparationis Evangelicae 15. Libri Demonstrationis Evangelicae decem and some others which are lost The Life of Lactantius who flourished An. Chri. 308. LUcius Caelius was an Italian by birth and from his Country Firmia was called Firmtanus d lacteo dicendi genere was called Lactantius He sometime lived at Rome where he was scholar to Arnobius under whom he profited exceedingly and became so famous for his Eloquence that he far surpassed his Master therein Wimphelingus contends to have him a German by birth and saith that there is till this day a famous family of the Firmiani in Germany who boast themselves to be the Progenie of Lactantius Having perfected his Studies at Rome he went into Bythinia where he taught Oratory under the raign of Dioclesian and Constantine and when he saw the Christian Religion to want some Eloquent Defenders of it he took pen in hand and besides divers others writings which are perished he wrote his seven Books of Institutions against the Gentiles a Book De Ira Dei of the Anger of God and another of Gods Workmanship Also an Epitome of the Divine Institutions Other things that are fathered upon him are spurious saith the Learned Scultetus About the nineteenth year of Dioclesian there was an horrible Persecution raised against the Church of Christ wherein the Christian Churches were demolished the Sacred Scriptures and other godly Books were burnt the Christians themselves were dragged to most inhumane tortures and torments yea where any were found that constantly adhered unto Christ they were cruelly martyred yet it pleased God to hide Lactantius in this great storm though he retained his Piety fearing no torments but resolved both in Life and Death to cleave close unto Christ. He Dedicated most of his Works to Constantin Magn. Hierom faith of him Lactantius quasi quidâ—m fluvius Tullianae Eloquentis Lactantius flowed with Eloquence yea as abounding as Tullie himself c. In his old Age for his rare Parts he was appointed Tutor to Constantine's Son He was so far from seeking after riches that he died very poor He used to say That godliness alwayes enriches the possessor He flourished under Dioclesian Anno Christi 308. ATHANATIVS The Life of Athanasius who dyed Anno Christi 375. AThanasius was born in Alexandria and by the care of his Parents was brought up in all sorts of Learning both Humane aud Divine Being a boy upon a solemn sestival day he was playing amongst other boys who would needs imitate the Church in her Sacred Offices and for that end they chose Athanasius for their Bishop who acted his part well examining other boys about the Principles of Religion to prepare them for Baptism It fell out that whilest they were at their sport came by Alexander the Bishop of Alexandria and observing the manner of their past-time he called them before him examining every boy what part he had acted thereby gathering their dispositions for future imployments Then did he cause them all to be carefully educated in good Learning but above all he took a love to and was exceeding careful of the education of Athanasius for his ingenuity diligence and towardliness and when he came to ripeness of years he made him Deacon and finding him a nimble and good Disputant he took him with him to the Council of Nice summoned by Constantine the Great against the Arians to aid and assist him in his Disputations which procured him much hatred and trouble from the Arians as afterwards we shall hear Alexander having by long familiarity with him gained experience of his Piety Parts and Zeal in defending the Truth against the Hereticks of those times when he lay upon his death bed was directed by God to choose Athanasius for his successor in his Bishopâ—ick which Athanasius having intelligence of hid himself that he could not be found Yet did Alexander call for him and when he came not being now near death he said O Athanasius thou thinkest that thou canst escape yet shalt thou not escape this Office After the death of Alexander he was searched out and made his Successor This so irritated the Arians who had now crept into favour with the old Emperor that they sought by all means to cast him out of Alexandria and for that end they accused him to the Emperour as the Author of much Sedition and of many tumults in the Church they charged him with keeping many out of the Church which desired to return into the Unity of it by which means Peace and Concord was prevented they procured many Bishops and Presbyters to attest the truth of these things to the Emperour professing themselves to be Orthodox and accusing Athanasius and the Bishops that adhered to him to be the Authors of the murthers bonds unjust stripes wounds and burnings in the Church Athanasius on the contrary wrote to the Emperour that those Arians were the Authors of unlawful Ordinations and of innovating the Decrees of the Council of Nice of corrupting the Faith of Seditions and of prosecuting the Orthodox with unjust contumelies and reproaches The good old Emperour in these various informations knew not whom to believe but the Arians being about him having his Ear at command they procured the Emperour to write to Athanasius to require him to prohibit none from entring into the Church and if he should do otherwise he threatned to drive him out of Alexandria and to place another Bishop in his room Hereupon Athanasius wrote back to the Emperour labouring to convince him that the Arians ought not to be admitted to communicate with the Catholick Church Eusebius one of the chiefest of these Arians perceiving that he could not this way prevail against Athanasius intended secretly to make him away but not finding how to effect it he spake with the Miletians other Hereticks promising that if they would accuse Athanasius to the Emperour he would so far prevail with him and some other great persons about him that their cause should be heard Hereupon they put in a charge against Athanasius that he had imposed a Tribute of Linnen Garments upon the Egyptians affirming that he had also gathered the same But it pleased God that by chance there were present Alippius and Macarius two Presbyters of Alexandria who easily refelled and wiped off
after that time shewed himself no more openly amongst the Jews but departed into a solitary place neer to the Wilderness Again when our Saviour avouched Before Abraham was I am the Jews took up stones to throw at him but our Lord hid himself and went out of the Temple and passing through the midst of the throng escaped away When they see these examples and bethink themselves of these presidents are they not inwardly pricked in their consciences when they presume thus to sit in judgement upon the sayings and doings of our Saviour So also when Jesus heard of the beheading of John the Baptist the Text saith that he took Shipping and went aside into a Desert place I would to God that these men would now at length be ashamed of their doings and presently cease from slandering true Professors and proceed no further in their furious dealings charging even our Saviour himself with timerousness and fear thereby blaspheming the Majesty of his blessed Name But no man can away with such persons as are wholly given over to all manner of ungracious behaviour It may easily be proved that they are altogether ignorant of what the Evangelists have left us in writing The cause that moved our Saviour to fly and go aside being laid down in the Gospel was most agreeable unto reason and was therefore an example for all his Saints For whatsoever things are written to have happened unto him after the manner of men the same is to be referred unto all mankinde insomuch as he took our nature upon him and lively expressed in himself the humane affections of our frail constitutions He suffered not himself to be taken before his hour came neither yet hid himself when his hour was come but yielded himself to the Enemy In like sort the blessed Martyrs in the great heat and troublesome storms of Persecution which often fell out being pursued by men sted away and hid themselves in secret and solitary places but being taken they valiantly encountred with their Adversaries and ended the combat with Martyrdom Though this violent Champion of Christ Athanasius in the begining of Julians Reign returned to Alexandria yet long could he not rest in quiet For his Adversaries forged salfe accusations against him complaining unto the Emperour that he had subverted Egypt and the whole City of Alexandria so that it stood with the Emperours interest to banish him the City Upon these suggestions the Emperour wrote to the Governor of Egypt and greatly incensed him against Athanasius which he being informed of said to some of his familiar friends My friends let us go aside for a season Nubecula est cito transibit this is but a little cloud which will quickly vanish away and accordingly taking Ship he fled away into other parts of Egypt The Enemy hearing of it made haste to overtake him But when they approached God revealing the danger to him as was said before his friends in the Ship gave him counsel to haste to the shore and to fly into the Desart but he on the contrary required the Pilot to sail back to Alexandria and when they met the Pursuers they enquired of them if they had not seen Athanasius to whom the other answered that if they made haste they might overtake him and so let them go But Athanasius returning to Alexandria hid himself amongst his friends till the storm of Persecution was blown over and indeed most of that time he lay hid in the house of a most beautiful chaste and godly Virgin who was very careful to supply him with all necessaries and to borrow such Books for him as he stood in need of and when news came of Julians death Athanasius that very night appeared in his Church to the great rejoycing of his Friends and the astonishment of his Adversaries who wondred how he could so suddenly be there when he had been so diligently sought after by the Magistrates and could not be found Not long after hearing that Jovianus the Christian Emperour was come to Antioch Athanasius consulting with his friends thought good to visit him Some say that this good Emperour sent for him craving his advice for the establishing of the true Orthodox Religion which when he had done he was to return to Alexandria But Euzoius the Arian Bishop of Antioch joining with him Probatius an Arian Eunuch and some others of that Faction went to the Emperour and made grievous complaints against Athanasius as that all the time since he was made a Bishop he lay under great scandals for which by the former Emperours he had been often condemned and exiled as also that he had been the Author of much discord in Religion and of great tumults amongst the people whereupon they prayed that another Bishop might be appointed for Alexandria But the good Emperour knowing that these were malicious forgeries would by no means hearken to them commanding Probatius and the rest as they loved their own ease and good to give over such malicious proceedings adding threatnings in case they obeyed not And as for Athanasius whom he highly esteemed for that worth which he found in him he sent him back into Egypt bidding him Govern his Church as he saw best Commending him highly for the Vertue Piety and Prudence which he found in him Not long after it pleased God to take away this good Emperour by an immature death in Bythinia as he was going to Constantinople having reigned only eight moneths and the Army coming to Nice in Bithynia chose Valentinian a good and worthy man for their Emperour who when he came to Constantinople chose his Brother Valence for his Companion in the Empire These though they were Brethren yet did they differ in their Religion For Valentinian was Orthodox and Valence an Arian Valence Raigning in the East sent his Mandate to the Magistrates that such Bishops as had been deposed in the time of Constantius and returned to their Seats under Julian should be again banished and expelled from their Churches Hereupon the Magistrates of Egypt took occasion to endeavour the expulsion of Athanasius out of Alexandria For the Emperours Letters grievously threatned such Magistrates with great mulcts and corporal punishments that should neglect to observe them But the multitude of Christians meeting together in Alexandria desired the President that he should not rashly nor inconsiderately go about to drive away their Bishop Athanasius from them but rather seriously to consider what the scope of the Emperours Letter was For say they they extend only to such as were banished by Constantius and returned under Julian But Athanasius though he was banished by Constantius yet was he by him called back again and restored to his place and Julian whereas he called from Exile all the other Bishops yet Athanasius alone was by him driven into Exile whom Jovian again restored to his Seat When the President would not be perswaded by these arguments the people resisted him and would
and down through Villages and Countries having no fear to shed blood But whilst the Word of God was diligently Preached and Peace was endeavoured to be held with these haters of Peace they committed many acts of hostility And whilst the Truth was made known against their Erroneous opinions they which were Lovers of Truth shunned their society and endeavoured to preserve the unity of Truth in the bond of Peace Hence it came to pass that these men seeing their number to be deminished and envying the encrease of the Church being incensed with extream anger raised intolerable persecutions against the true members of Jesus Christ often setting upon the godly Ministers both by night and day and many times robbing them of all they had and not contented therewith they often murthered them and often threw Lime and Vinegar into their Eyes to blinde them for which cause these Rebaptizing Donatists grew hateful to their own Disciples So that through Gods mercy the Word of God prevailed the more in Hippo by the Ministry of Augustine and his Colleagues and the fame thereof spreading abroad many Cities sent to chuse their Bishops out of that Society which exceedingâ—y conduced towards the furtherance of the Peace of the Church He Preached and writ also very learnedly against the Donatists Pelagians and other Hereticks whereby the African Churches recovered their ancient splendor He went not so willingly to a Feast as to a conference to reduce any that erred He would not receive gifts to the Church from those which had poor kindred of their own Augustines Books also being dispersed and some of them translated into Greek and sent beyond-Sea into the Eastern Churches were means of very much good But these things so much the more enraged the Circumcellions insomuch as when Augustine went abroad to Preach to and visit his Churches which he frequently used to do they often lay in wait for him by the way to have murthered him and had certainly one time effected it but that the person who was his guide by a special Providence of God mistook his way and so led him by a By-way to the place whereby he escaped their hands as afterwards came to his knowledge for which he praised God as his only deliverer But these men in the mean time neither spared Ministers nor Lay-men One notable example we have of their wickedness which is not be passed over in silence One of Augustines Society being called to be Bishop at Calamen was very careful to propagate the Truth and to beat down Heresies but whilst he was going from Town to Town about this business he fell into the hands of the Rebaptizing Donatists who lay in wait for him these men took away the Beasts both from him and his company and all their necessaries beating the Bishop very cruelly Hereupon the Proconsul being made acquainted with it sent for Crispin the Bishop of the Donatists in that place and set a fine upon him according to the wholesom Laws made against Hereticks But Crispin denyed himself to be an Heretick whereupon a Disputation was appointed at Carthage between these two Bishops which was to be in the presence of Augustine and the Eyes of all Africk were fixed upon the event of it To be brief the Bishops met and after three days Disputation Crispin was overthrown and by the Proconsul was adjudged and condemned for an Heretick but he not standing to this sentence appealed to the Emperour who patiently heard all the cause and at last concluded that the Donatists were Hereticks that they ought not to be suffered in any Publick places and that the Laws against Hereticks should be put in Execution against them whereupon Crispin was fined in two pounds of Gold But the Catholick Bishops and especially Augustine so prevailed with the godly Emperour that the rigour of his sentence was taken from them which Piety and Charity of theirs much conduced to the encrease of the Church Not long after there was a Council held at Carthage by the appointment of the good Emperour Honorius who sent thither a Tribune and a Publick Notary to supply his own place This Council consisted of the Bishops both Catholicks and Donatists wherein the Donatists being heard to the full whatsoever they could say for the defence of their opinions were fully confuted by the Catholicks and condemned for their Errors and by the Emperours Judge were declared to be Hereticks Their Persecutions also against the Catholicks were declared even to the cutting off their members and taking away of their Lives to the great disturbance of the Peace of the Church But after this Council was dissolved many of their friends reported that they were not suffered to speak all they could for themselves and their cause because that the Judge appointed by the Emperour was too favourable to the Catholicks which yet appeared to be but a poor shift to excuse the weakness of their cause seeing that they knew him to be a Catholick before the Disputation began and yet never excepted against him Not long after there was another Council assembled at Caesarea a chief City in Mauritania for the setling of other affairs of the Church In this City was Emeritas the Bishop of the Donatists a chief defender of his Sect and one whom they most relyed upon Him therefore Augustine singled out and in the Publick Congregation challenged him desiring him now to produce what he had further to say for his Opinions seeing his friends gave out that formerly he could not be suffered to do it at Carthage but now he had full liberty and security being in his own City and environed with his friends Notwithstanding which neither by this Exhortation of Augustine neither by the instant request of his Parents and Friends could he be perswaded to it though they told him that they would all be of his Communion though they lost their Estates or underwent any other temporal punishment if he could overthrow the Catholick assertions yet nothing would prevail with him having indeed nothing to say more then he had spoken before which distrust of his cause through Gods mercy turned to the great advantage of the Church which was much encreased and confirmed hereby At another time at Carthage many Manichees being brought before him of those whom they called Elect men and Elect women Augustine who had formerly known that execrable Sect produced their damnable blasphemies out of their own Books and at length brought them to an acknowledgement of their blasphemies and those Elect women also confessed what filthy things had been according to their customs committed amongst them all which things exceedingly redounded to the benefit of the Church and to the securing of the flock against such thieves There was also a certain Noble man called Pascentius an Arian by whose authority the tribute was exacted with much rigour the Catholick Faith was much opposed and many godly Ministers were much molested and
and to send them up to the Archbishop of Canterbury to be further proceeded against by him As also to attach and seize upon all their Books and to send them to the said Archbishop and this to do as they would avoid the forfeiting of all the Liberties and Priviledges of the University c. John Wicklief was hereupon either banished or retired for a while to some secret place but ere long he returned to his Parsonage of Lutterworth in Leicestershire where after all these storms he at last dyed in Peace Anno Christi 1384. He wrote very many Books many of which were burned at Oxford Anno Christi 1410. Aeneas Sylvius writes that Subincus Archbishop of Prague burnt two hundred Volumes of his excellently written richly covered and adorned with Bosses of Gold One that had all his works wrote that they were as big as the works of St. Augustine Mr. Wicklief received his first knowledge of the Truth from one Fryar Rainard Lollard who brought the Doctrine of the Waldenses into England and from whom his Disciples were called Lollards Mr. Wicklief was an Eloquent man and so profound a Scholar that he drew the hearts of many Noble Personages to affect and favor him whereby he was sheltred from the rage of the Popish Clergy till Pope Gregory the 11. raised up a Persecution by the Monks Inquisitors against him All his Books were commanded to be burnt but he had before enlightned so great a number who kept his Books carefully maugre all the diligence of his Adversaries so that they could never wholly deprive the Church of them For the more they laboured by horrible threats and death it self to hinder the knowledge and reading of them the more were many kindled in their affections to read them with ardency He wrote above a hundred Volumes against Antichrist and the Church of Rome Multos praeterea in Philosophia multos quibus S. Scripturam interpretatus est edidit Quorum Catalogum videre est apud Balaeum in suis Centuriis Transtulit etiam Wiclevus in Anglicum sermonem Biblia adhibitis praefationibus argumentis cuique libro suis. Vertit Libros 12. Clementis Lanthoniensis Ecclesiae Praesbyteri De concordia Evangelistarum cum multis veterum Doctorum Tractatibus He was a great Enemy to the swarms of begging Fryars with whom it was harder to make war then with the Pope himself He denyed the Pope to be the Head of the Church and pronounced him to be Antichrist He confuted and condemned his Doctrine about Buls Indulgences Masses c. He affirmed the Scripture to be the Supreme Judge of Controversies condemned Transubstantiation c. He was a painful and faithful Preacher under King Edward the third who always favored and protected him against the rage of his Adversaries by his means the Pope lost in England his power of Ordaining Bishops the Tenth of Benefices and Peter-pence whereupon Polidore Virgil cals him an Infamous Heretick He was buryed at his Parsonage of Lutterworth in Leicester-shire His dead body being digged up 51 years after viz. 1428. by the command of Pope Martin the fifth and the Council of Sâ—ne was burned And thus he suffered their cruelty after death whose cruelty he had Preached against in his life He wrote above two hundred Volumes most of which were burned by the Archbishop of Prague JOHN HVS The Life of John Huss who dyed Anno Christi 1415. IOhn Huss was born at a little Town called Hussinets about 18. miles from Prague in Bohemia under the Hercynian Wood of mean but religious Parents who carefully trained him up in Religion and Learning and having profited much at Schole he went to the University of Prague and whilst he was a Student there he met with our Wickliefs Books from whence he first took light and courage to profess the Truth Anno Christi 1393. he Commenced Batchelor of Arts with good approbation of the whole University and An. 1396. the commenced Master of Arts about which time two godly Noble men of Prague built the Church of Bethlehem and Anno 140â— Mr. Huss was chosen Pastor thereof who fed his people with the bread of life and not with the Popes Decrees and other humane Inventions The year after he was chosen Dean of the University and Anno 1409. by the consent of the whole University he was chosen Rector of it He continued in the Exercise of his Ministry with admirable zeal and diligence and faithfulness about the space of 12. years Preaching and Instructing his People in the Principles of Divinity which he confirmed by the holy Scriptures and adorned by an exemplary and blameless life He vigorously opposed the Popes proceedings whereupon the Devil envying the peace and progress of the Gospel stirred up Pope Alexander the fifth against him who cited him to Rome to answer to such Articles as should be laid in against him whereupon Huss sent his Procters to Rome who appeared for him answered the charge and cleared his innocency yet did the Pope and his Cardinals condemn him for an Heretick and Excommunicate him which caused the Popish Clergy and some of the Barons of Bohemia to oppose Huss being thus excommunicated and King Winceslaus banished him but he was entertained in the Country and protected by the Lord of the Soil 〈◊〉 Hussinets where he preached in the Parish Church and some places adjacent confuting the Popish Doctrine of Merit of Works and against the Pride Idleness Cruelty and Avarice of the Roman Court and Clergy multitudes of persons resorting to his Ministry Sometimes also he repaired to his Church of Bethlehem and preached there But upon the Popes death the Cardinals being divided chose three Popes whereupon there was a Council called at Constance Anno Christi 1414. unto which Council the Emperour Sigismund commanded Huss to come giving him his safe Conduct for his coming and return And Master Huss relying upon the goodness of his Cause the clearness of his Conscience and the Emperours safe Conduct with a cheerful minde and undaunted spirit went to Constance and in his journey set up writings in every City the tenor whereof was this Mr. John Huss Batchelor of Divinity goeth now to the Council of Constance there to declare his Faith which he hath hitherto holden and even at this present doth hold and by Gods grace will hold and defend even to the death therefore even as he hath manifested through all the Kingdom of Bohemia by his Letters and Intimations willing before his departure thence to have satisfied and given an account of his Faith unto every man which should object or lay any thing against him in the general Convocation held in the Archbishop of Pragues Court So also he doth manifest and signifie that if there be any man in this Noble and Imperial City that can impute any Error or Heresie to him that he would prepare himself to
the vain phancies of phanatick persons cleaving to the Truth without deviation He shunned in his Sermons strange and uncouth expressions by which erroneous persons oft disturb the peace of the Church He always opposed the Anabaptistical Errors and was very careful to preserve the Truth from corruptions He often contemplated the footsteps of God in Nature saying with Paul That God was so near unto us that he might almost be felt with our hands He studyed the Mathematicks in his latter time and grew so skilful therein that few excelled him He was excellent also in the Opticks but with his excessive pains and incessant studies night and day he contracted to himself a mortal disease whereby he wasted away and yet his intellectuals decayed not he lay sick for above three months all which time he gave forth clear and notable demonstrations of his Faith Patience and Piety He called up his two young daughters and caused them to repete their Prayers before him and then himself prayd with great fervency for himself the Church and those his Orphans concluding Invoco te quanquam languidâ imbecillâ fide sed fide tamen credo promissioni tuae quam sanguine tuo resurrectione obsignasti c. I call upon thee with a weak yet with a true Faith I believe thy promises which thou hast sealed to me with thy Blood and Resurrection c. In his sickness he intermitted not his studies for during the same he turned into Latine Luthers books concerning the last words of David he read he Psalms and other Authors His ordinary discourse with his friends was about the Principles of Religion the admirable government of the Church Immortality and our sweet Communion in Heaven Upon the sixth of November there was a great Chasm or opening in the Heavens and in some places fire fell to the Earth and flew up into the ayr again This Cruciger saw as he lay in his bed in the night and thereupon much bewayled the great commotions and dissipations in the Church with he forelaw by this Prodigie He spent the few days which remained in Prayer and Repentance and so quietly ended his days Nov. 16. Anno Christi 1548. and of his Age 45. Considering the mutability of all Earthly things he used often to say Omnia praetereunt praeter amare Deum Besides Gods love nothing is sure And that for ever doth endure He was a man of an excellent wit whose daily and indefatigable labors were not only very useful to the University of Wittenberg but even to forraign Nations and Churches He had a plentiful knowledge of the Celestial Doctrine which by his ardent Piety and assistance of the Holy Ghost was daily encreased in him He was so exact and ready in the Hebrew tongue that he easily excelled all others that joined with him in the translation of the Bible In his Sermons and speeches he had a sound Judgement joyned with an Eloquent Tongue He shewed the greatness of his minde by his exact knowledge and skill in the Mathematicks wherein he was deservedly accounted inferiour to none And these gifts he adorned with many other excellent vertues with gravity constancy and moderation in every condition with bounty toward strangers and hearty love to his friends He published sundry Commentaries upon the Psalms Iohn and the first Epistle of Paul to Timothy Lectures upon two Articles of the Nicene Creed He turned many of Luthers Lectures and Sermons out of Dutch into Latine and others out of Latine into Dutch The Life of Matthias Zellius who dyed Anno Christi 1548. MAtthias Zellius was born in Alsatia in a Town called Keisersberg Anno Christi 1477. and was trained up in Learning by his Parents from his childhood and afterwards set to the Publick Schools From whence he went to the University where his proficiency was very exemplary And being well grounded in the Arts he commenced Master of Arts and then applyed himself to the study of Divinity Not long after he went to Strasborough where he was Ordained a Minister and Anno Christi 1522. he was made Pastor of S. Lawrence Church At which time Luthers Doctrine spreading abroad Zellius compared it with the Doctrine of his Adversaries the Papists and upon mature deliberation and examination imbraced that of Luther whereupon he began publickly to defend it perswading the Citizens of Strasborough to entertain it Assoon as the Bishop heard hereof he cited him to appear in his Court and caused twenty four Articles to be drawn up against him amongst which these were some That he taught Iustification by Faith That be defended Luther That he Preached against the Mass Held the Marriage of Priests lawful Denyed the Primacy of the Bishop of Rome and Humane Traditions Hereupon Zellius An. Chr. 1523. published a Book wherein he answered this charge justified his Doctrine and shewed reasons why he appeared not before the Bishop From this time forward he was much hated by the Popish Clergy and went through many dangers for asserting the Truth yet through Gods mercy he with some others so far prevailed that the Magistrates of Strasborough cast our Popery and embraced the Reformed Religion Anno Christi 1529. Zellius therefore was the first Preacher of the Truth in te Church of Strasborough To whom after a good while Symphorianus an ancient Pastor of S. Martins Church adjoined himself who formerly had been very loose in his carriage and therefore the people did the more admire this great change in him yea some of his former acquaintance led by his example did shake off Popery and embraced the Truth and truly these two were rather Popular Preachers then learned Yet Zellius was a man of singular piety And not long after Anthony Firnius Minister of S. Thomas Church joined himself to them and was the first Minister in that City that marryed a wife Yea after a while there came thither Martin Bucer Capito and D. Gaspar Hedio learned and eminent men who more strongly carryed on the work of Reformation in Strasborough viz. An. Chr. 1523. Zellius continued a faithful and painful Pastor in his Church till the year 1548. and of his Age 71. at which time it pleased God to translate him from Earth to Heaven after he had been a Preacher in Strasborough about 26 years He was a man famous not for Learning only but for other Christian vertues especially Modesty Temperance and Charity He had a good wit was of an Innocent and blameless Life Preached the Truth purely and was free from pride Not only a Theoretick but a Practical Divine What he taught he first practised himself and had a special care of the Poor Being on a time invited to supper by one of his Colleagues he found much Plate set upon his Cupboard at which he was so offended that he went away without his supper and afterwards in private so far
this day Having notice given on the over-night that the next day he should be burn'd he said I am ready God grant me strength and a joyfull resurrection and so he went to his chamber pouring out his spirit unto the Lord in pâ—ayer and giving him most hearty thanks for accounting him worthy to suffer for his Truth Going into Smithfield the way was very foul whereupon two Officers took him up to bear him to the stake then â—e said merrily Whâ—t will you make me Pope Comming into Smithfield he kneeled down saying I will pay my vows in thee O Smithfield He kissed the stake saying Shall I disdaine to suffer at this stake when my Lord and Saviour refused not to suffer a most vile death for me When the fire was kindled with much meekness and comfort he resigned up his spirit unto God Anno Christi 1555. In a Letter which he wrote to John Carelesse then prisoner in the Kings-bench he thus writes Indeed my dear Carelesse I am in this world in hell and in the shadow of death but he that for my deserts hath brought me down into hell shall shortly lift me up unto heaven where I shall look continually for your comming and others of my faithful brethren in the Kings-bench And though I tell you that I am in hell in the judgement of the world yet assuredly I feel in the same the consolation of heaven I praise God And this lothsome and horrible prison is as pleasant to me as the walks in the Garden of the Kings-bench And in a Letter that he wrote to his Sister he thus concludes My dissolution I look for daily but the Lord knoweth how unworthy I am of so high an honour as to die for the testimony of his Truth Pray that God would vouchsafe to make me worthy as he hath done of long imprisonment Pray and look for the coming of the Lord c. In another Letter he writes thus Commend me to Mr. Elsing and his wife and thank them for providing me some ease in prison and tell them that though my Lords Cole house be but very black yet it is more to be desired of the faithfull then the Queens Palace The world wondereth how we can be merry in such extream miseries but our God is omnipotent which turneth misery into felicity Beleeve me there is no such â—oy in the world as the people of Christ have under the Crosse I speak by exâ—rence therefore believe me and fear nothing that the world can doe unto you for when they imprison our bodies they set our souls at liberty with God when they cast us down they life us up yea when they kill us then doe they send us to everlasting life and what greater glory can there be then to be made confoâ—mable to our head Christ which is done by afflictions O good God what am I upon whom thou shoulde bestow so great a mercy This is the day which the Lord hath made let us rejoyce and be glad in the same this is the way though it be but narrow which is full of the peace of God and leadeth to eternall blisse Oh how my heart leapeth for joy that I am so near the apprehension thereof God forgive me my unthankfulness and unworthiness of so great glory I hâ—ve so much joy that though I be in a place of darknesse and mourning yet I cannot lament but both night and day am so joyfull as if I were under no crosse at all yea in all the daies of my life I was never so merry the name of the Lord be praised for ever and ever and the Lord pardon my unthâ—nkfulness Our enemies do fret fume and grash their teeth to see and hear that we under this grievous affliction can be so merry Pray instantly that this joy may never be taken from us for it passeth all the delights of this world This is the peace of God which passeth all understanding This peace the more his chosen be afflicted the more they feel and therefore cannot faint neither for fire nor water Whilst Mr. Philpot was prisoner in Newgate a dertaine friend of his that scrupled the Baptizing of Infants wrote to him for his judgement about it to whom he wrote a large and learned Answer proving by Scripture by Arguments by testimony of the Fathers and by the constant practise of the Primitive Church from the Apostles daies the lawfulnesse and necessity of the same which you may read in the Book of Martyrs vol. 3. pag. 606. c. THO. CRANMER The Life of Thomas Cranmer who died Anno Christi 1555. THomas Cranmer was a Gentleman by birth of a very ancient Family born at Arselacton in Nottinghamshirte brought up at School and from thence sent to Cambridge where profiting much in learning he was chosen fellow in Jesus Colledge After which he married a wife and thereby loosing his Fellow-ship he was chosen Divinity-Reader in Buckingham-Colledge but not long after his wife dying in child-bed the Master and Fellows chose him again Fellow into Jesus Colledge After which he commenced Doctor in Divinity From thence hee was chosen a Fellow in the Foundation of Cardinal Wolsey's Colledge in Oxford but fore-seeing the danger which after followed he refused that place Whilst he was in Cambridge the question arose about King Henries Divorce from his brothers widdow and the Plague breaking forth at Cambridge Doctor Cranmer retired to Waltham-Abbey At which time this fell out The King to recreate himselfe and to take private counsell with those in whom he most consided who were the Dukes of Norfolke and Suffolk and some others went on hunting to Waltham at which time he signified his minde to Steven Gardiner his Secretary and to Fox his Almoner willing them to search what was most expedient for him to doe to end well that controversie about his Marriage and as God would have it these two men lodged in the house of one Master Cressie at Waltham where also Doctor Cranmer was having left Cambridge upon the forementioned occasion â—nd being Tutor to Master Cressies two sons Gardiner and Fox thus meeting with him and knowing him to be famous for learning and piety invited him to their good cheer and asked his advice concerning the Kings cause Dr. Cranmer was at fiâ—st very loath to deliver his judgement but being much importunâ—d by them he at last â—aid I cannot say much on the sudden in so weighty a businesse without study and meditation but in my opinion seeing the King is in so great trouble of mind and conscience nothing can more encrease it then so great delaies and wandring in Romish suites inwhich whosoever are once entangled can source ever extricaâ—e themselves out of the snares I think it better therefore that layâ—ing aside all delayes and Court suites wherein the King hath been too long tossed with great affliction of mind the judgement of Divines hath in our
Raymund the Popes Legate he was made first Licentiat then D of Divinity and afterwards the Popes Legat took him with him towards Rome being affected with his learning but falling sick of a Fever by the way he returned to Basil. Whilst he thus continued a Frier hee was of great esteem amongst them because of his learning and integrity But it pleased God at last that by reading Luthers Bookes and conference with learned and godly men hee began to dis-rellish the Popish errors and so far to declare his dislike of them that he was much hated and persecuted for a Lutheran But about the same time the Senate of Basil chose him Lecturer in Divinity in that City together with Oecolampadius where he began to read first upon Genesis then on Proverbs and Ecclesiastes Anno Christi 1526. he was by the means of Zuinglius sent for to Zurick and being come was most courteously entertained by him There he laid downe his Monks Coul and married a wife by whom he had a Son which he named Samuel being then preaching upon the History of Samuel That wife dying he married again but had no children by his second wife He was present at the Disputation at Bern about Religion After Zuinglius his death there were chosen into his room Henry Bullinger for Pastor and Theodore Bibliander for Divinity-Reader who was an excellent Linguist and began to read upon Isaie to the great astonishment of his hearers for that he was not above 23 years old Pellican at the earnest request of learned men Printed all his Lectures and Annotations which were upon the whole Bible excepting â—nely the Revelations which portion of Scripture he not intending to write upon caused the Commentary of Sebastian Meyer upon it to be bound with his to make the work complete He translated many books out of Hebrew which were printed by Robert Stevens as also the Chaldee Bible he translated into Latine He wrote also an exposition in Dutch upon the â—eutateuch Joshua Judges Ruth Samuel Kings Isay and Jeremy to convice the Jews for which end also he translated the learned disputation of Ludovicus Vives with the Jewes into Dutch As also many books of Aristotle and Tully that so ingenious persons might learne Philosophy in their own language as the Grecians and Romans in former times were wont to doe He judged it also necessary to learne the Turkish language who were now growne their neer neighbours that by the helpe thereof he might be the better able to bring them to the Christian Faith Then with extraordinary labour hee made Indexes to divers books He also compared the Bible of Munster printed at Zurick and that other of Leo Judae and Bibliander with the Hebrew text word by word lest any thing should be omitted And thus having been Hebrew Professor at Zurick for the space of thirty years wherein he was most acceptable to all not onely in regard of his excellent learning and indefatigable pains but also in regard of his sweet and holy Conversation At last falling into the pain of the stone and other diseases he departed this life upon the day of Christs Resurrection Anno Christi 1556 and of his Age 78. Lavater saith that he heard this Conrade Pellican often say that when he first beganne to study the Tongues there was not one Greek Testament to be gotten in all Germany and that the first which hee saw was brought out of Italy and that though a man would have given a great sum of gold for a Coppy of it it could not be obtained How happy are we in these latter Ages that have them at so easie rates He was a candid sincere and upright man free from falshood and ostentation The Life of John Bugenhagius who died A no Christi 1558. JOhn Bugenhagius was born at Julin near to Stetin in Pomerania Anno Christi 1485. His parents were of the rank of Senators who bred him up carefully in learning till he had learned the Grammar and Musick Instructing him also in the principles of Religion and so sent him to the University of Grypswald where he profited in the study of the Arts and the Greek tongue Being twenty years old he taught School at Trepta and by his learning and diligence made the School famous and had many Scholars to whom also hee read daily some portion of Scripture and prayed with them and meeting with Erasmus his book against the Histrionical carriage of the Friars and the Idolatry of the times he gat so much light thereby that he was stirred up to instruct others therein and for that end in his Schoole he read Matthew The Epistles to Timothy and the Psalmes to which he added Catechising and also expounded the Creed and the ten Commandements unto which exercises many Gentlemen Citizens and Priests reforced From the School he was called to preach in the Church and was admitted into the Colledge of Presbyters Many resorted to his Sermons of all ranks and his same spread abroad Insomuch as Bogeslans the Prince of that Country employed him in writing an History of the same and furnished him with money books and records for the enabling him thereto Which History he compleated in two years with much judgement and integrity Anno Christi 1520 one of the Citizens of Trepta called Otho Slutovius having Luther's book of the Babylonish Captivity sent him gave it to Bugenhagius as he was at dinner with his Colleagues who looking over some leaves of it told them that many Hereticks had disquieted the peace of the Church since Christ's time yet there was never a more pestilent Heretick then the Author of that book shewing in divers particulars how hee dissented from the received Doctrine of the Church But after some few daies having read it with more diligence and attention hee made this publick Râ—cantation before them all What shall I say of Luther All the world hath been blinde and in â—immerian darknesse only this one man hath found out the Truth And further disputing of those questions with them he brought most of his Colleagues to be of his judgement therein Insomuch as the Abbaâ— two antient Pastors of the Church and some other of the Friers began zealously to discover the deceits of the Papacy and to preach against the superstitions and abuses of humane Traditions and to perswade their auditors wholly to trust to the merits of Christ. After this Bugenhagius read Luther's other works diligently whereby he learned the difference between the Law and the Gospel Justification by Faith c. and taught these things also to his hearers perceiving that the opinions of Augustine and Luther agreed together about all those matters But the Devill envying the successe of the Gospel alienated the minde of the Prince from them and stirred up the Bishop to persecute many of the Ministers Citizens and Students of Trepta for speaking
him chose him to be their Pastor and sent to request his coming to them many also of his old English friends that lived as exiles there much pressed it Yea and Calvin also wrote to him desiring him to imbrace the Call Martyr being thus importunately pressed to remove thither and having many engagements to incline him that way yet referred the whole matter to be determined by the Senate and Ministers at Zurick and they understanding that there were other able and fit men to be placed over the Italian Congregation denying their consents to part with him he resolved to stay notwithstanding all solicitations to the contrary And afterwards when in Queen Elizabeths dayes he was much importuned to return into England and had large proffers made him from the Queen yet he would not leave his flock till his death And how ready he was to be serviceable to other Churches may appear by this example The year before his death the King of France had appointed a meeting of the Bishops and Nobility at Possy whereupon they of the reformed Religion in France thought that it was a very seasonable time to procure a conference about Religion which might much tend to the peace and liberty of the Church Upon this the Churches chose certaine Delegates which in that Parliament should move for the liberty of Religion And they chose also many learned men who should dispute with their adversaries about the same and because the singular learning and incomparable dexterity of Peter Martyr in disputing was sufficiently knowne they in the first place made choice of him for one and sent one Claudius Bradella with Theodore Beza to Zurick to try his willingness to accept of that imployment and when he had declared his readiness shortly after came Letters from the King the Queen Mother the King of Navar the Prince of Conde and the Admirall Coligni to the Senate of Zurick to desire them to send Martyr withall sending him a safe conduct whereupon he undertook the journey and when he came to Possy he made an Oration to the Queen exhorting her to seek not onely the quiet of France but of other Churches by promoting true Religion shewing also what a blessing she might expect from God thereby The Queen entertained him kindly and so did the King of Navar the Prince of Conde and the Admirall of France But the Cardinall of Lorrain sought to hinder the disputation all that possibly he could yet when he could not prevail five of each party were chosen out to dispute the business about the Lords Supper in private having onely two Notaries present and after severall days disputation something was drawn up as the result of all which with some explanations Beza Marlorat Martyr Spina and the Lord of Sole subscribed unto But when the same was presented to the Cardinal and Popish Bishops they complained of their Disputants as having consented to that which was Heresie and so by their authority they brake off the Disputation and departed Whereupon Martyr addressed himself to the Queen seeing that he was like to do no good there desiring license to depart which she consented to and he returned to Zurick with a large testimony of his worthy carriage and a guard from the Prince of Conde and the Admiral for his safety Thus having worn out himself with his indefatigable labours and having his spirits much exhausted with grief for the afflicted condition of the Churches of France he fell sick of a Feaver made his Will and to his Friends that visited him he spake chearfully and comfortably telling them that his body was weak but inwardly he enjoyed much peace and comfort He made before them an excellent Confession of his Faith concluding thus This is my faith and they that teach otherwise to the withdrawing men from God God will destroy them He gave them his hand and bid them farewel and commending his soul to God he slept in the Lord and was buried honourably Anno Christi 1562 and of his age 62. Opera haec ab ipso edita sunt Symboli expositio Comment in Cor. 1. Comment in lib. Judicum Epist. ad Rom. Defensio Doctrinae de Eucharistiae Sacramento contra S. Gardiner Disputatio de Eucharistiae Sacramento habita Oxon. Defensio ad duos libellos Rich. Smithaei Post obitum hi libri editi sunt Comment in Sam. 1. 2. Reg. 1. in 11 capita priora Reg. 2. Comment in 1 librum Mosis Precum ex Psalmis libellus Epitome defensionis adversus S. Gardinerum Confessio de coena Domini ad Senat. Argento Sententia de praesentia corporis Christi in Eucharistia proposita in Colloâ— Possiaco Epistola de causa Eucharistiae Loci communes Conciones Quaestiones Responsa Epistolae Comment in Exod. In Prophetas aliquot minores In tres priores libros Ethicorum Aristotelis Beza made this Epigram of him Tuscia te pepulit Germania Anglia fovit Martyr quem extinctum nunc tegit Helvetia Dicere quae si vera volent re nomine dicent Hic fidus Christi credite Martyr erat Utque istae taceaut satis hoc tua scripta loquuntur Plus satis hoc Italis exprâ—brat exilium The Life of Amsdorfius who died A no Christi 1563. NIcolas Amsdorfius was born in Misnia of noble parents Anno Christi 1â—83 and brought up in Learning Anno Christi 1502 from Schoole he went to the University of Wittenberg about that time that Luther began to preach against Indulgences And contrary to the custome of the Nobility of those times he applied his minde to the study of Theology and contemplation of heavenly things In An. Christi 1504 he commenced Master of Arts and afterwards Licentiate in Divinitie He timely embraced the Truth that brake forth in those times and not consulting with fleshâ—and blood preached it to others He accompanied Luther to Wormes Anno Christi 1521 when he was called to give an account of his Faith before Caesar and the States of the Empire In the time of Luther's recesse into his Pathmos he with Melancthon Justus Jonas and John Dulcius being sent to by the Elector of Saxony for their judgements about the Mass declared that it was an horrible prophanation of the Lords Supper whence ensued the abolishing of it out of all Churches in Wittenberg Anno Christi 1523 he wrote in a book dedicacated to the Elector of Saxony that the Pope was Antichrist Anno Christi 1524 Luther being sent for to Magdeburg went thither and having preached to them commended to them and afterwards sent Amsdorfius to gather and instruct the Churches there who faithfully laboured eighteen years in that place During his abode there the Senate of Goslaria sent for him to reform their Churches and he at his coming setled the same form of Doctrine and Discipline amongst them as was used at Wittenberg and
prudent diligence of Mr. Calvin was quickly extinguished which was this There was the Bishop of Carpentoratum called James Sadolet a man of great eloquence which yet he abused to the subversion of the Truth for which cause he was made a Cardinall This man seeing the flock deprived of such able and vigilant shepherds thought it a fit time to ensnare them for which end he wrote Letters under the pretence of his neighbourhood directed to his dear friends as he called them the Senate Councell and people of Geneva in which he omitted no arguments whereby he might perswade them to return into the bosome of the Romish Church And at this time there was no man in Geneva that would undertake to answer the same so that probably they would have done much mischief but that they were written in a forraign language But wheâ— Mr. Calvin at Strasborough had read them forgetting all the wrongs which had been done him he returned an answer so speedily truly and eloquently that the Cardinall despairing of accomplishing his end wholly gave over his design Neither indeed did Mr. Calvin deferre till this time the manifesting of his Pastorall bowels which he yet retained to the Genevians especially to those that suffered with him in the same cause as may appeare by those excellent Epistles which he wrote to them the same year wherin he was banished Wherein his principall scope was to exhort them to repentance to bear with the wicked to maintain peace with their Pastors and to bee frequent in calling upon God as also to stirre them up to expect light after those deadly mists of darknesse which he told them would follow as also the event ere long made to appear About the same time also hee published his Institutions much enlarged and his Commentarie upon the Romans dedicated to Simon Grynaeus his dear friend and that golden book of his concerning the Lords Supper which he made for the use of his French Church which Galasius afterwards turned in Latin In which he handled the Doctrine of the Sacrament so dextrously and learnedly that it served to determine the unhappy controversies about it to the satisfaction of all good and learned men Neither was his happinesse lesse in reclaiming many Anabaptists from their errors amongst whom were these two principall men Paul Volsius who afterwards was a Pastor in the Church of Strasborough the other was John Storder who afterwards dying of the Plagne Mr Calvin by the advice of Bucer married his Widdow called Idellita a very grave and honest Matron In these studies and labours did Mr. Calvin continue at Strasborough to the year 1541. In the which year the Emperour Charles the fifth assembled two Diets the one at Worms the other at Ratisbone for compounding the differences about Religion At both which by the desire of the Divines of Strasborough Mr. Calvin was present o the great advantage of the Churches especially of his own French Congregation and where he was most lovingly entertained and highly prised by Philip Melancthon and Gasper Cruciger so that Philip called him His Divine Hee also had much private conference with them about the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and they could not but very well appove of his opinion therein But now the time was come wherein the Lord purposed to shew mercy to his poor Church at Geneva For one of the Syndics who had promoted the Decree for their banishment did so misdemeane himself in his Office that being found guilty of sedition whilst he thought to escape out at a window being a fat man he fell down so bruised himself that within a few daies after he died Another of them had his head cut off for a Murther the other two having done the Commonwealth much disservice in an Ambassy wherein they were employed were faign to fly their Country and were condemned in their absence These evill instruments being thus removed the City of Geneva beganne to call for their Farell and Calvin but when by no means they could recover Farell from Neocom where he was now setled they used all their endeavours to procure Calvin and for that end they sent Ambassadors to Strasborough using also the intercession of those of Zurick to request that Mr. Calvin might be sent back to them The Senate of Strasborough were exceeding unwilling to hearken to it Calvin himself although he had not changed his mind towards the Genevians for the miscarriages of some wicked men yet abhorring to enter into new troubles but especially because he found the Lord blessing his Ministery at Strastborough did absolutely refuse to return Besides Bucer and the other Pastors did professe their great unwillingnesse to to part with him But the Genevians still pressing hard for him Bucer at last thought that their requests should be condescended to at least for a time which yet was not granted by Mr. Calvin himself til they had urged him with the judgment of God in case he refused and with the example of Johah But this falling out just at the time when Calvin with Bucer was going to visit the Diet at Ratisbone his return was delayed for a time and in the mean time the Genevians obtained of the Bernates that Peter Viret should go from Lausanna to Geneva and indeed this made Mr. Calvin farre more willing to return to Geneva when he saw that he was to have such a Colleague by whose labours and counsels he might be much furthered in reforming that Church So after some moneths Mr. Calvin went to Geneva Sept. 13 Anno Christi 1541 being singularly welcomed by the people and especially by the Senate who acknowledged the wonderfull mercy and goodnesse of God towards them in restoring him to them again And whereas the Senate of Strasborough had decreed that after a time he should returne to them againe they of Geneva would never give over till they had reversed that Decree which at last was yeelded to by them of Strasborough yet with this Proviso that that pension which they had setled upon him should still be continued to him but Mr. Calvin could never be perswaded to receive it caring for nothing lesse then for riches Mr. Calvin being thus restored to his Church and perceiving that the City needed such bridles he professed that he could not comfortably exercise his Ministry amongst them except together with the Doctrine of the Gospel they would embrace the Presbyterian Government for the well regulating of the Church Hereupon Elders were chosen a Model of the Presbyterial Government was drawn up consonant to the Word of God and gratefull to the Citizens which the Devill afterwards sought by all his artifices to destroy but all in vaine Hee wrote also a Catechism in French and Latine not much different from the former but much larger divided into Questions and Answers which indeed was an admirable peece and found such approbation and entertainment abroad that it was turned
such indeed as were stuffed with so many errors and fooleries wherein that society of men did abound as that it is a wonder how any man that had the use of reason should assent thereunto yet many partly through fear and partly through ignorance subscribed them Wherefore Mr. Calvin answered them learnedly confuting their errors by solid arguments and so set forth their fooleries that every man which was not wilfully blind might easily discern the same Thus ended this year to which the next succeeded no whit miâ—der either in regard of the famine or pestilence which infested all Savoy and Master Calvin proceeding according to his accustomed manner confirmed his owne at home and strongly opposed the adversaries abroad publishing his four books about free-will which he dedicated to Phil. Melancthon against Albert Pighius the greatest Sophister of his age and who had singled out Calvin for his antagonist being promised a Cardinals hat if he could carry away the victory from him But being frustrated of his labour he gat that which the enemies of the truth only deserve viz. That he stanke amongst learned and good men himself being deceived by the Divel How much Melancthon esteemed of those books of Master Calvin himself testifies in his Epistles which are in print Master Calvin also the same year wrote to the Church at Montbelgard whereby the mouths of calumniators may be stopped who accuse him of too much rigidness in the exercise of Ecclesiasticall Discipline The year following which was Anno Christi 1544. Master Calvin declared his opinion about the purpose of the Church of Neocome in Ecclesiasticall censures and at home Sebastian Castalio whom we mentioned before being a light man and very ambitious having translated the New Testament into French was exceedingly displeased that Master Calvin did not approve of it yea he grew so angry that he vented divers errors and not consent therewith he publikely preached that the Canticles of Solomon was an impure and obscaene song and therefore would needs have if expunged out of the sacred Canon and because the Ministers opposed him he railed exceedingly against them which they judging unfit for them to bear called him before the Senate where being heard with much patience he was at last condemned of slanders and commanded to depart out of the City From thence he went to Basil where being at last admitted what his carriage was there is besides my purpose The year before the Emperor Charles the fifth being to war against the King of France had promised the Germans that they should not be molested for their Religion till a generall councill should be called which as he told them he would take care to be effected This the Pope Paul the third was much incensed at and published an harsh expostulation against the Emperor because he had equalized the Hereticks with the Catholicks and had thrust his sickle into another â—â—â—ans harvest The Emperour answered That which he thought to be reason But Master Calvin because he saw in the Popes Letters that the truth of the Gospel did suffer together with the innocency of good men took him up very roundly and repressed his impudence At this time a Diet was assembled at Spires upon which occasion Calvin published the Book Of the necessity of reforming the Church then which that age produced not a book of that subject that was more weighty and nervous The same year also Master Calvin in two books did so confute the Anabaptists and Libertines who had revived the monstrous heresies of former ages that whosoever read them except he was willing to it could not be deceived by them and they which had been formerly deceived could not but be reclaimed to the truth Yet the Queen of Navar was offended with his book against the Libertines being so bewitched with two of the chief Patrons of that heresie Quintinus and Pocquetus whom Calvin had noted by name that though she was not otherwise tainted with their errors yet she had a great opinion that they were good men and therefore took her selfe to be wounded through their sides which when Master Calvin understood he wrote to her with admirable moderation as not unmindfull of her dignity nor of all the good she had done for the Church of God and yet withall as became a faithfull servant of Jesus Christ he reprehended her imprudence for admitting such men and asserted the authority of his Ministry and he so far prevailed that the men of that abominable sect of Libertines which began apace to flock into France afterwards kept themselves in Holland and the Countries adjacent The labours of this year being finishâ—d the succeeding year being 1545 brought new and greater labours with it For the Plague increasing in the City and neighbour Villages seemed as if it would devour all before it and coveteousness so prevailed with the poor people who were imployed to attend the rich in their sickness and to cleanse their houses that by an horrible conspiracy amongst themselves with a pestilentious ointment they anointed the posts thresholds and doors of many houses whereby a more grievous pestilence ensued and these wicked instruments of the Divel had bound themselves to Sathan by an oath that by no torments they shouâ—d confess their wickedness Yet many of them being taken in the City and villages were punished according to their deserts It s almost incredible what envy and reproach this act brought upon Geneva and especialâ—y upon Master Calvin as if the Divel should rule there altogether where he was most opposed This year was also infamous by that abominable and cruel Edict which the Parliament of Aquitane set forth against the poor Waldenses of Merindol Cabriers and those parts whereby most unheard-of cruelties were exercised not against some few but against all of them without any distinction of ages or sex yea to the very burning of their Towns Some of these that escaped flying to Geneva Master Calvin was the more afflicted for them and carefull of them because a little before he had written consolatory Letters to them and sent them faithfull Pastors for the instructing of them purely out of the Gospel and had also where they were in danger before preserved them by his intercession to the Germane Princes and Helvetians The unhappy controversie also of the Lords Supper sprange up again Osiander a man of a proud and monstrous wit reviving it out of the ashes For the quenching of which flame Master Calvin did what possibly he could as may appear by his Letters which he wrote to Melancthon about the same But the intemperancy of Osiander was such that he would by no means hearken to the wholsome counsell that was given him by those two men In the mean while the Plague still raging in the City took away many good men Whereupon Master Calvin out of the Pulpit thundred against many wickednesses especially against whoredom
what profit came to the people thereby Another decree for the abolishing of Christmas-day and that no holy day should be observed but the Sabbath onely which did so offend some loose persons that they bruited abroad that Master Calvin had abolished the Sabbaths to bring the greater odium upon him This offence taken by some occasionâ—â— Calvin to write his book of Scandals dedicated to Laurenâ—â— Normendius his intimate friend Anno Christi 1551. great contentions brake out in the Church and this year was begun with the death of Bucer to the great grief of the whole Church and of Master Calvin especially who alwayes highly prised him About the same time dyed Joachim Vadian a Senator of Geneva a man endowed with singular learning and piety Whereupon the wickedness of the factious persons brake forth again which had slept a great while These men would by no means suffer the exiles which fled thither for Religion to injoy the priviledges of the City and not content therewith Mast. Calvin having been forth to Preach beyond the Rhodanus as he came home they entertained him with scorns and one Raimund his Colleague having occasion one evening to pass the bridge over the Rhodanus they had almost cast him into the River and lastly they raised a great tumult in the Church of Saint Gervase because a child being brought to be baptized the Minister refused to give him the name of Balthazar which name had beenf or some reason forbidden by their Law Neither could Master Calvin tel how to cure these evils but by his invincible patience About the same time another mischief invaded the Church of Geneva which was occasioned by one Jerome Bolsec a Frier Carmelite of Paris who had indeed laid aside his Coul but not his Monkish mind This man first fled to the Dutchess of Ferrara whom he deceived till being found out he was driven from thence Then pretending to be a Physician he came to Geneva but the learned Physicians there rejecting him that he might manifest himselfe a Divine he vented some false and absurd opinions about Predestination first in private and then in the publick Congregation Him therefore did Master Calvin confute first with a moderate reproof only then sending for him to him he laboured to instruct him better but he either puffed up with his Monkish pride or provoked by the seditious persons seeking by him to provoke Master Calvin took the boldness upon the sixteenth of October to preach upon this Text He that is of God heareth the words of God and they which hear them not are not of God whence he took occasion to preach up Freewill and that Predestination was out of works foreseen withall reproaching the true doctrine and shewing himself seditiously proud and he became the more bold because seeing Master Calvins seat empty he judged him to be absent But indeed Master Calvin coming late sate behind some others and when the Frier had done Master Calvin suddenly standing up though he had thought of no such thing before then truly if at any time he shewed what a man he was confuting the Frier with so many testimonies of Scripture with so many places out of Saint Augustine and lastly with so many weighty arguments that all were ashamed of what he had taught but only the impudent fellow himself Insomuch that one of the Magistrates of the City apprehended him and committed him to prison for a seditious person and after hearing and examining his cause the judgement of the Senat of the Helvetian Churches being also requested upon the 23th day of Decemb. he was publickly condemned for sedition and Pelagianisme and banished the City being rhreatned with severe punishment if he were afterwards found either in the City or territories belonging to it After this going into a neighbour Town he was the cause of many and great stirs there till he was twice expelled the Country of the Bernates From thence going into France he sought to get into the Ministry in the Reformed Churches which he found in a peaceable condition first in Paris then in Orleans pretending great penetency for his former miscarriages and of his own accord seeking reconciliation with the Church at Geneva But presently after when he saw the Churches under affliction he fell back to his Popery loading the reformed Churches with many reproaches At the same time the Colledge of Ministers at Geneva in a publick meeting asserted the true Doctrine of Predestination which Calvin put into writing So that all the Divel gat by these contentions was that that head of Christian Religion which before which was very obscure was now very clearly opened to the understanding of all that were not contentious The year following which was 1551. it further appeared what a flame this wicked Varlet had kindled though condemned by the common judgement of so many Chuâ—ches For the difficulty of the question having not been sufficiently explicated by the Ancients did stir up especially curious wits to make inquiry into the same By which means the factious persons supposing that they had gotten an excellent advantage against Master Calvin thought that by removing him they might subvert all things So that it cannot be imagined what stirs arose not onely in the City but also in other places as if the Divell had set all his engines on work to raise contentions For though there was a sweet agreement amongst the chief Pastors of the Churches yet there were not some wanting in the Country of the Bernates which accused Calvin as if he had made God the Author of sin Being forgetful how far he had professedly opposed that cursed Tenet when he had confuted the Libertines At Basil Castalio a good and simple man though he did all things closely yet it was discerned that he defended Pelagianisme and Melancâ—â—hon had so bâ—gun to write of these things that though he had formerly subscribed Calvins book against Pighius yet he seemed to brand the Genevians as if thâ—y held the Fate of the Stoicks The Pontificians also though they had been a thousand times confuted yet renewed their old slanders These things did much trouble Master Calvins mind and so much the rather because the efficacy of error was so great at this time that thâ— mouth of truth in some places seemed to be stopt by publick Authority Neither was this a controversie of a few years This same year that good Hermite whom we mentioned before appeared publickly to dispute with Calvin who had suffered a repulse when some years before he had sought tâ— creep into the ministry whereupon he turned Lawyer and the Patron of the factious persons Their cause came to be heard before the Senate with a great contention on both sides the first fighting with impudâ—ncy and the favour of the wicked but M Calvin defending his Doctrine only with the authority of truth And the truth prevailed M. Calvins writings being judged pious and
but an honest young man of the Citizens advised Perinus that Mr. Farell the common Father of the City might be no way wronged joyning also with himself another honest young man they gave notice to the well-affected Citizens that they should stand by Mr. Farell at the day of hearing which also they did so that his adversaries being astonished and deterred hereat of their own accord craved pardon and Mr. Farell was dismissed About this time a grievous calamity befell the Church of England by the immature death of that godly Prince King Edward the sixth which was a grievous wound to all the Reformed Churches Yet at this same time Mr. Calvin wrote his learn-Commentaries upon the Gospel of St. John Geneva as we heard before having inflicted deserved punishment upon Servetus not as upon a Sectary but as upon a monster for his horrible impieties and blasphemies by which for thirty years space he had infected the Christian world both by his teaching and writings It cannot be imagined how this stirred up the rage of Sathan such a flame arising from hence as set Poland first then Transsylvania and Hungary all on a fire which himself seemed to foretell by the spirit of Sathan when in the beginning of his book he set this sentence out of the Revelation There was a great battle in heaven Michael and his Angels fighting with the Dragon For his ashes being scarce cold a great controversie sprung up about the punishing of Hereticks Some holding that they ought to be restrained but not to be punished with death Others thinking that it could not be clearly stated out of Gods word what was Heresie thereupon said that it was lawfull to hold either part in all the Heads of Religion and that all men though holding a wrong opinion were to be left to the judgement of God This latter opinion some good men inclined to fearing that the contrary Tenet might kindle the cruelty of Tyrants against the godly The principall of these were Sebastian Castalio and Laelius Socinus therein pleading their own cause The former indeed more closely and the latter more openly as one that studyed to vindicate the clear authority of the Scripture in a certain Preface to the perverting of the holy Bible and in his Annotations upon the first Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians had endeavoured to draw men from the written Word of God as an imperfect Rule as if Paul had taught to some of his Disciples that were more perfect then the rest a certain more hidden Divinity then that which he had committed to writing Hereupon Mr. Calvin Anno Christi 1554 set forth a copious confutation of all the Doctrine of Servetus which was subscribed by all his Colleagues adding many reasons why and how farre a Magistrate might proceed in punishing such an one as was lawfully convicted of Heresie The adversaries on the contrary published a Rapsody collected partly out of the writings of the ancient Fathers which they perverted to their own ends and partly out of the writings of certain unknown Fanaticks and under the name of Martin Bellius which indeed was Castalio though afterwards he forswore it and falsifying also the name of the City in which they falsly pretended that it was published To this book swarming with many other Errors and Blasphemies Mr. Beza answered thereby to free Mr. Calvin from that labour who was now busie in writing his learned Commentaries upon Genesis and in diverting other dangers from the Church For the factious went on to innovate things in the City and though the Amnestie was again renewed before the Senate upon the second of February yet they daily grew worse and worse so that Master Calvin was much busied both in blaming and reproving them for their wickedness and in endeavouring to strengthen the godly against the poison of their impiety for they had proceeded to such a height of wickedness that they turned part of the sacred Scriptures into obscaene songs and used to beat strangers whom they met in the night and sometimes also to rob them They also privately used the books of Bolsecus Castalio and other corrupt men that they might renew the controversie about Predestination yea they proceeded to scatter abroad a false and scandalous libell wherein they grievously aspersed that worthy servant of Christ Master Calvin Castalio also sent another Latine Book to be privately Printed at Paris to which Master Beza answered and Master Calvin also confuted some of the fooleries of the same kind About this time the care of the English exiles lay heavy upon him some of which were come to Vesalia others to Embden and others to Franckford all sending to Master Calvin for advice and counsel Neither was he a little troubled for the andaciousness of some of the Pastors encouraged by the secret favour of others of the French-Church long since planted by him at Strasborough And in short how great pains he took this year for severall Churches may appear by the multitude of Epistles wrote by him by which he stirred up many Noble-men to imbrace the Gospel and strengthned many of the Brethren some of which were in extream danger and others already cast into bonds We spake before of the sweet Harmony that was between the Helvetian and Rhetian Churches about the Doctrine of the Sacrament This concord did exceedingly displease the spirit of error therefore he easily found out one that might easily reinkindle the fire which before was extinguished viz. Joachim Westphalus who was seconded by Heshusius then a Minister of the word but afterwards a Bishop of whom wee shall speak more afterwards Hereupon Master Calvin published an explication of that agreement which by how much it imbittered their spirits by so much the more it satisfied all good men that were lovers of the truth The year following viz. 1555. by the speciall mercy of God brought peace along with it to the Church of Geneva which was now quiet from its domestick stirs for the factious ruined themselves God discovering their horrible treason to the State by the means of one of the conspirators who in his drunken fit discovered it whereupon some of them were beheaded others of them were banished who though a while after they vexed the City yet perished shamefully in the end leaving an example of the just judgement of God upon such persons though it may be deferred for a time Thus the Commonwealth was freed from these Pests To which another mercy was added by the answer of the four Helvetian Cities to whom the question about the Discipline which we spake of before had been proposed who unanimously confirmed the Ecclesiasticall Polity as it had been before settled contrary to the expectation of the factious Yet something was not wanting whereby Mr. Calvin might be further exercised For he took great pains in constituting the Church in Polonia by the will of the King In comforting the afflicted
his Creed as also the Testimonies of all the Ancients viz. of Ignatius Tertullian Iraeneus and Lactantius by a certaine unheard-of impudence yea did not onely reject all the Orthodox Writers which followed the Nicene Councel but reproached them as wicked men Other Blasphemies also followed this about the Hypostaticall Union He first vented these things in private as hee pretended for Disputation sake to some of the Italian Congregation whereupon an assembly being called on purpose Mr. Calvin before some choice Senators and all the Ministers and Elders having patiently heard them confuted them so fully out of the Word of God that all the Italians presently subscribed to the Orthodox Faith except onely six who afterwards being called one by one subscribed with their hands but not with their hearts as time made to appeare Gentilis therefore returning to his old course and going on to spread his former Blasphemies is apprehended dissembles not his opinion being heard as much and as long as he would At length seeming to be convinced by Mr. Calvin he feigned incredible repentance and gave in a Recantation signed under his own hand Hereupon he was dismissed first taking an oath that he would not goe forth of the gates of the City but presently contrary to the same he flyes into Savoy to Matthew Gribaldus and presently after two of his Disciples Alciat and Blandatra followed him who afterwards proved the infectors of Transylvania and the Countries adjacent But Gods judgement hanging over the head of Gentilis he staied with Gribaldus both of them casting off the other two as illiterate fellows and there he wrote a book against Athanasius and Calvin and so going to Lions he there printed it dedicating it to Gaiensis a Praefect who was altogether ignorant of the blasphâ— mies contained in it Whilst he was at Lions he was apprehended by the Papists but when he shewed them that hee had written a booke against Calvin he was dismissed as one that had deserved wel of their Church From thence he went into Transylvania to â—landatra Alciat and their companions but they having now sucked in the Heresies of Samosatenus and he not well agreeing with them therein Christ indeed drawing him forth to condigne punishment he returned into Savoy to his friend Gribaldus but Gods plague had now swept away that Pest and Mr. Calvin also was dead at Geneva Hereupon Gentilis either infatuated by God or thinking that there was none left at Geneva that could answer him went strait to Gaiensis who was justly offended with him who there fore presently apprehending him by the just judgement of God sent him to Berne there to be tried where being convicted both of Perjury many manifest impieties after many wayes were used to bring him to repentance but in vain he had his head cut off thereby suffering a just reward for all his impieties Towards the latter end of this year in October Mr. Calvin was taken with a Quartane Ague which Physicians say is deadly to old persons which though it held him but eight monâ—ths yet it so debilâ—tated his lean and overworne body with his inâ—â—ssant labâ—urs that he never throughly recovered his health again Yet all this time though his Physicians warned him and his friends disswaded him from his preaching and Lectures yet did he continually busie himself night and day in dictating and writing Letters every way often saying That nothing was more troublesome to him then an idle life At this time also he published the last Edition of his Institutions in French and Latine and his learned Commentary upon Isaâ—ah The yeare following viz. 1559 was famous for the League entered into between the two most potent Kings of Spain and France which was strengthned by aâ—linity betwixt them which was likely to prove fatall to Geneva but that the counsell of the Pontificians who abused the simplicity of King Henry of France hindered it For King Henry published most severe Decrees and cast some of his Senators into prison who had declared their judgements freely that he ought to proceed gently in matters of Religion till a Generall Councell could bee called having this in his eye principally to restore the Duke of Savoy to his Country that by his help hee might utterly destroy Geneva In the meane time Master Calvin though sickly laboured hard 〈◊〉 Genâ—va comforting and confirming the afflicted Churches and brethren as also by his frequent and servent prayers craving help of God And behold the wonderfull work of God â— whilst all things were ful of terror the King of France in the great Marriage solemnity which was made for the confirmation of the Peace in his running at Tilt received his deaths wound and that by the hand of the Captaine of his Guard by whom a little before he had apprehended and imprisoned the aforesaid Senators This death of the King was expiated as he thought by the Cardinall of Lorraine who upon the one and twentieth of December caused that learned Lawyer faithfull Counsellor and holy Martyr of Christ Annas Du Bourg to be unjustly and cruelly burned But by the singular blessing of God in the midst of these calamitous times the hearts of the Genevians were so raised up and confirmed that in the very same yeare and almost moment of time in which two such potent Kings had contriâ—ed their destruction by the encouragement of Mr. Calvin they laid the foundation and built a famous Schoole adorning it with eight Masters for boyes as also with Hebrew Greek Philosophy and Divinity Professors which being finished to the honour of God Omnipotent Mr. Calvin in a great assembly in the chiefest Church read and declared those things which conduced to the perpetuall establishment of so holy and profitable a foundation whereby he did as it were solemnly consecrate it The year after which was 1560. Master Calvin was by some loaden with much envy as if he had stirred up an Assembly against Francis the Second the heir of his Fathers Kingdom which Assembly was called The tumult of Amboise whereas indeed Master Calvin never understood what it was as also both by word of mouth and by his Letters to friends he disliked it This year one Sancarus of Mantua Italy being fatall to the Polonians began to teach that Christ was Mediator onely according to his humane nature accusing all of Arianisme that should say that he was Mediator also according to his Deity as if thereby they made the Son lesse then the Father This calumny and all his other Doctrine was notably confuted as by Philip Melancton and Peter Martyr so also Master Calvin at the request of the Polonians did briefly but strongly confute the same and foreseeing what shortly after came to pass that whilst some more unskilful persons would take upon them to confute Sancarus if they took not heed would fall into the error of them which held three Gods He eloquently admonished them
that taking heed of Blandatra and his followers they should so assert Christ to be our Mediator according to both his natures that in the mean time they should not multiply Deities But this labour of his was vaine towards them that were to perish About this time the Bohemian Waldenses sent two of their brethren to Master Calvin to desire his judgment about some matters of Religion whom he lovingly satisfied exhorting them also that they would enter into a neerer conjunction with other Reformed Churches At the same time also Q. Mary being dead and Queen Elizabeth succeeding many of the godly French relying upon her piety and humanity fled for refuge into England with the consent of tha reverend man Edmund Grindal Bishop of London they craved leave of her that one might be sent from Geneva to plant a French Church there whereupon Galacius was sent Towards the latter end of this yeare King Francis of France dyed suddenly and that in such a juncture of time when all things seemed so desperate that they could not be cured but by God himself and King Charls the ninth a child was searce entred into his Kindom when by a Herald Letters subscribed with his name were brought to Geneva wherein he complained that many were sent out from thence that infected his Kingdom desiring that they might be presently called back threatning that otherwise he would not let passe the revenging of that injury Mast. Calvin being hereupon sent for by the Senate answered in his owne and in his Colleagues names that at the request of the Churches of France they had exhorted certain men that were sound in the faith and of an holy life whom they judged fit for the work that they should not be wanting to lend their help to their Country in so holy a cause especially the Churches craving assistance from them for their further edification And that this they had done not to disturb the Kingdome but that the people might be taught the Gospel of peace and if they were accused for any thing further then this that they were ready to answer their accusers before the King So this business went no further The same year Master Calvin and Master Beza answered the impudent book of Tileman Hushusius Master Calvin also confuted those blasphemies which Gentilis had published at Lions against him and Athanasius He published also his Lectures upon Daniel which he dedicated to the French Churches and as he interpreted that Prophet so in his Praeface he was himselfe a Prophet so etelling the tempest that hung over them At which time also Francis Balduinus afterwards called Ecebolius because he had changed his religion three or four time being suborned by the Cardinall of Lorrain by evill means reconciled to the King of Navar dispersed a certain book up and down the Court written either by himself or as some rather thought by Cassander wherein he stiled himself a pious and moderate man which book was worse then the Emperors Interim for that under the specious pretence of restoring moderation he sought to bring in all the Popish corruptions Master Calvin being informed hereof published an answer to this book to which some other answers were shortly after added which made a full discovery of the wit and purpose of Balduinus which this railer could by no means digest whereupon he never gave over to brand Calvin and Beza with his impudent reproaches till the year after being growne odious both to God and men of both Religions whom he had so often deceived by his turning whilst he was following a suit of Law at Paris he wore away and ended his wretched life In the year 1562. God gave peace and liberty to the French Churches by a publick Edict of the Kings But not long after the King of Navar being suborned by Popish subtilty presently after the Duke of Guise had committted that abominable massacre at Vassy began that civil war which continued many years after to the miserable devastation of France and it cannot be spoken how much Master Calvin was affected and afflicted therewith which so far increased his disease that it was easie to divine that it would not be long before he was translated to a better life yet did he not desist from exhorting and comforting every one no nor from preaching and reading his ordinary Lectures And the same yeare he published that excellent confession of Faith which was sent to the States of the Empire met together at Franckeford in the name of the Prince of Conde and of all the Godly in France who besides the injuries which they sustained by an unjust war were unworthly traduced to the Germans as if they held many false and monstrous opinions One thing also is not to be pretermitted that on the nineteenth of Decem. Master Calvin lying in bed sick of the Gout being the Sabbath day and the North-wind having blowne two dayes strongly said to many that were present Truly I know not what is the matter but I thought this night I heard warlick drums beating very loud and I could not perswade my selfe but it was so Let us therefore goe to prayers for surely some great businesse is in hand And this very day there was a great Battail fought between the Guisians and the Protestants not far from Paris news whereof came unto Geneva within a few days after The year after which was 1563. Master Calvins disease did so far increase that it was almost incredible that so weak a body exhausted with so many labours and worne out with so many diseases should yet retaine so valiant and generous a mind So that even then he could not be perswaded to favour himself and if at any time he abstained from his publick labours which yet he never did but when by necessity he was enforced thereto yet he was busie at home either in giving counsell to those that sought it or in dictating to his Scribes the witnesses whereof are those two serious admonitions to the Polomans to take heed of those blasphemous persons which denyed the Sacred Trinity The answers which he returned to the brethrens Messengers who were now met in a Synod at Lions his Commentaries upon the foure books of Moses which himselfe turned out of Latin into French And lastly his commentary upon Joshua which he now began and finished a little before his death In the year 1564. Feb. the sixth Master Calvin being short-winded by reason of a stopping in his lungs preached his last Sermon and from thence forward he spake little onely now and then he would be carried to the Congregation the last time being March the last His diseases being contracted by the incredible labours both of his mind and body were very many For besides that naturally he was but of a weak body leane and inclinable to a Consumption he slept little spent a great part of the
was faln asleep then dead So that that day at Sun-setting that great bright light was taken out of this world That night and the day following there was great weeping and wailing all over the City Many Citizens and Strangers desired to see him after he was dead and amongst the rest Queen Elizabeths Ambassadors who being sent into France were then there The next day after being the Sabbath his body was coffined and in the afternoon hee was carried forth the Senators Pastors and Professors of the School and almost the whole City following the corse not without abundance of tears He was buried in the common Church-yard without much pomp no Tombstone being added as himself had commanded whereupon Master Beza made these verses Romae ruentis terror ille maximus Quem moâ—tuum lugem boni horr scunt mali Ipsa à quo potuit virtutem discere virtus Cur adâ—o exiâ—â—io ignot oâ— in cespite clausus Calvinus 〈◊〉 â—ogas Calviâ—â—n assidue comitat Modestia vivum Hoc turmulo mambâ—s cendidâ— ipsa suis. Ote beatum cespitem tanto hospite O cuâ— invidere possunt cuncta Marmora He was a man of an incredible and most ready memory in the middest of almost infinite distractions and of a most exact judgement He was very regardless of means and preferment even when it was often offered He eat little meat took very little sleep was wholly compounded of sweetness and gravity Discreet and mild he was in bearing with mens infirmities yet would he severely without dissimulation reprove their vices which freedom he alwayes used from a child Such a Preacher he was that like another Or pheus he drew England Spain and Italy to him filling Geneva with strangers Such a voluminous writer that as it was said of Saint Augustine he wrote more then another can well read His writings were so eagerly received that as most rare and precious peeces they were forthwith translated into all Languages What shall I speak of his indefatigable industry even beyond the power of nature which being parallelled with our loitring I feare will exceed all creedit and may be a true object of admiration how his leane worne spent and wearyish body could possibly hold out He read every week in the year three Divinity Lectures and every other week over and above he preached every day so that as Erasmus saith of Chrysostome I doe not know whether more to admire the indefatigableness of the man or his hearers Yea some have reckoned up that his Lectures were yearâ—ly one hundred eighty six his Sermons two hundred eighty six besides every Thursday he sat in the Presbytery Every Friday when the Ministers met in conference to expound hard Texts he made as good as a Lecture Yea besides there was scarce a day wherein he spent not some part either by word or writing in answering the questions and doubts of sundry Pastors and Churches that sought unto him for advice and câ—â—â—sell Over and above which there was no year passed wherin came not forth from him some great volume or other in Folio so that in few years besides many golden Tractats and sundry exquisite answers which upon short warning he made to principall adversaries his huge explications upon the five books of Moses Joshua Job Psalms all the Prophets and upon the whole new Testament came forth into the world fuller of pithy sententious matter then of Paper These things considered what breathing time could he find for idleness or loose thoughts In his last grievous sickness procured by his intollerable labours he could scarce be compelled by his friends to pretermit his daily task of preaching and reading his Divinity Lectures and at home when he could not goe abroad he rather wearied others with continuall dictating to them then himself Nothing was more frequent in his mouth then this Of all things an idle life is most irkesome to me and when his friends used all their endeavours to perswade him to favour and respect himself Why saith he will yee have God to finde me idle at his coming Yea such conscience did he make of mispending a minute that he was loath to detaine the Ministers that came to visit him from their publick exercises What wonder then is it that he scarce attained to the age of 56. Yea rather its a wonder that he lived so long Indeed he lived but 54. years ten months and seventeen dayes the half of which time he spent in the holy Ministry of the Gospel Many slanders were cast upon him As that he was Ambitious But how could that be whereas he preferred his abode in the Common-wealth and Church of Geneva before all other places which he called the Shop of poverty Others charge him that he studied to heap up riches whereas his last Testament shews that he was a very poor man for all his goods yea and his Library being sold very dear saith Master Beza scarcely amounted to three hundred crowns And Calvin himself in his life time hearing of this impudent slander answered If I cannot perswade men whilst I am alive that I am no great monied man yet my death will shew it And the Senat at Geneva can testifie that his stipend being very small he was so far from being not contented therewith that when they offered to enlarge his pensions he utterly refused the same and by the small estate which he left at his death it appears also that either his gifts were not great or else that he spent as God sent Some reproached him for his brother A. Calvin because he was divorced from his wife who was proved an adulteresse What would these men have said if he had kept an adulteresse in his house May they not as well reproach Jacob David yea and Christ himselfe for that one of his Disciples was a Divel as himselfe told them Some said that he was given to delights and luxury His many great books easily confute this slander Some gave out impudently that he ruled in Geneva both in Church and Common-wealth so that he sometimes face upon the Tribunall But for these things neither they which knew him nor ensuing ages who may collect his manners out of his writing will give any credit to them But it s far more easie to calumniate then to imitate him Omnia Calvini opera quae diversis chartarum formis edita si uno formae genere imprimerentur justae magnitudinis Tomos 20. in Folio efficerent Most of them are mentioned particularly in his life The Life of William Farellus who died A no Christi 1555. WIlliam Farellus was borne in the Delphinate of a Noble Family Anno Christi 1589. and sent to Paris to be brought up in learning and was one of the first that made a publick Profession of the Gospel in France But when persecution arose he fled into Helvetia the better to propagate the Gospel where he grew into familiarity with Zuinglius Occolampadius
Workes they be that God requires of us that hereby they might reduce the people to the pure worship of God But the Devill stirred up many adversaries against them â—workâ— specially the Friars who accused them to the Inquisitors amongst whom was Hannibal Grisonius and his companion Hierom Mutius who afterwards writ an invective against Vergerius traducing also Germany it self in a book which 〈◊〉 set out in hatred of Religion Grisonius upon this information went to Pola and Justinple rushing into the houses of the Citizens searching for forbidden bookes He preached also and sent forth the Popes Thunderbolt against such as would not accuse others that were suspected for Lutheranism by which means he enforced one friend to accuse another yea children to accuse their own parents In the chief Church of Justinople he sang Mass in a glorious Cope told the people that God had plagued them for divers years with severall calamities one yeare saith he in your Olive-trees and another yeare in your Corn and a third in your Vines and Cattle and your Bishops are the causes of all these mischiefs neither can you expect to be freed from these judgements except they be driven away Hereupon Vergerius went to Mantua to his old friend Cardinal Gonzaga to whom he was familiarly known But John Casus the Popes Ambassador to the Venetians hearing of it urged Gonzaga both by Letters and Messengers not to entertain such a man any longer Upon this Verg rius went to Trent where the Councill then was to clear himself but when the Pope knew it though he could willingly have imprisoned him yet least any suspition should have risen especially in Germany that the Councill was not free hee wrote to his Legate not to suffer him to bee heard in the Councill but to command him to goe somewhither else Then he went to Venice where Casus the Popes Legate meeting with him exhorted him by all means to go to Rome but Vergerius knowing wel his danger if he should so do refused Then did Casus a few daies after command him in the Popes name to goe no more to Justinople whereupon hee betooke himself to Padua where he was a spectator of the miserable condition of Francis Spira which so wrought upon him that he resolved to leave his Country and all his outward comforts and go into voluntary exile where he might freely professe Christ and accordingly hee went into Rhetia where he preached the Gospel sincerely till hee was called from thence to Tubing by Christopher Duke of Wirtemburg where he ended his daies Anno Christi 1565. His brother being dead before him not without the suspition of poyson He published many Workes which are particularly set down by Verheiden The Life of Strigelius who died A no Christi 1569. VIctorine Strigelius was born at Kaufbira an Imperiall City in Suâ—via not farre from the foot of the Alpes Anno Christi 1524. His Father was Doctor of Physick who died in his sonnes Infancy When this Strigelius was fit for it his friends finding him of a prompt and ready wit set him to School in his own Country where he quickly drunk in the first Rudiments of Learning and so Anâ— Christi 1538 he was sent to the University of Friburg in which place the Popish Religion was kept up but yet by the care of Erasmus the knowledge of the Arts and Tongues much flourished There he heard the Philosophical Lectures of John Zâ—nckius a famous Physiâ—ian And afterwards travelling into the Saxon Universities when he heard Melancthon ask a child What was God And What was meant by the Word in the first of John he wondered to hear such answers from a child as the Popish Doctors were ignorant of Upon this occasion in the eighteenth year of his age and in the year of Christ 1542 he went to Wittenberg where he was inflamed by God with an ardent desire to know the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches For which end he diligently attended on Luther's and Melancthon's Lectures and wholly framed himself to the imitation of Melancthon Anno Christi 1544. he Commenced Master of Arts and by the perswasion of Melancthon he taught a private School at Wittenberg where he did much good and gat himself great repute But when the Wars in Germany waxed hot he left Wittenberg and went to Magdeburg and from thence to Erphurd where he published some Orations being about two and twenty years old Anno Christi 1548 he went thence to Jenes and there he preached and the year after married a Wife Barbara the daughter of that excellent man Francis Burcard which lived with him but two years Anno Christi 1553 he married againe Blandina the daughter of Snepsius who lived with him till his death An. Christi 1556 was a meeting at Isenac about the Controversie raised by Major concerning the necessity of good Works where by the consent of the Divines Strigelius was appointed in a friendly manner to concerre with Menius about that Controversie to conclude it not out of Humane Writings but by the Word of God The end of which conference was that Menius did solemnly promise before Frederick Duke of Saxony and all the Ministers present that he would not recede from those Propositions which were then agreed upon out of Gods Word Anno Christi 1557 there fell out a new controversie betwixt Facius and him which brought on the disputation at Vinaria wherein these two Questions were handled Whether in Regeneration the qualities onely are changed without the substance or whether together with the qualities there be a creation of a new substance Strigelius held that there was onely a change of the qualities his adversary said there was a change in both The other question was about the manner of working De modo agendi Anno Christi 1559 he together with Aquila Pastor of Jenes was carried away to prison the markes whereof hee carried to his grave the reason of it was because they refused to consent to a book which they of Jenes had published against the Divines of Wittenberg In prison he fell very sick insomuch as the Prince suffered him to go to his own house but yet made him a prisoner there Then did Christopher Duke of Wirtemberg and Philip Lantgrave of Hesse mediate for his release and yet could not obtain it but at last the Emperour Maximilian interposing his authority procured it after he had been a prisoner above three years and so for a while hee returned to his former labours in the Schooles But perceiving that he could not be in safety in that place he resolved to depart which the University understanding wrote to him earnestly importuning his stay To whom he returned thankes for their love but told them withall That his life was in continuall danger by reason of false brethren and therefore he was resolved to goe
where he might do more good And accordingly from thence he went to Lipsich where he spent his time in writing upon the Psalmes and afterwards having it left to his choice whether to stay at Lipsich or to goe to Wittenberg being sent for thither he chose to stay where he was and was chosen professor of Divinity in that University Where he continued his Lectures till Anno Christi 1566. at which time he came to deliver his judgement about the Lords Supper Whereupon by the command of the Rector of the University the doors of the Colledge were shut against him and he not suffered to read any more yet they would have restored him to his place if he would have promised to meddle with that point no more But he refused to make any such promise and withall complained to the Elector of Saxonie of the wrong done unto him from whom he received a sharpe answer and therefore leaving Lipsich he went to Amberg in the upper Palatinate where after a short stay he received Letters from the Elector Palatine and the University inviting him to Heidleberg whether he presently went and was made Professor of Ethicks In which place he took very great paines both in reading his Lectures and Writing But his body having contracted some diseases by his former imprisonment An. Christi 1569. he fell very sick whereupon he said Sperare se finem vita suae adesse c. That he hoped that his life was at an end whereby he should be delivered from the fraud and miseries of this evill world and injoy the blessed presence of God and his Saints to all eternity and accordingly presently after he quietly departed in the Lord Anno Christi 1569. and of his age 44. Having taught the Churches both by voice and writing in many great changes above twenty three years attaining that which he had often desired viz. That he might not dye a lingring death He was an excellent Divine and Philosopher Eloquent and framed by nature to train up youth Scripsit Commentarios in varias Philosophiae partes Orationum Epistolarum libros Hypomâ—emata in utriusque Testamenti libros JO BRENTIVS The Life of Iohn Brentius who died A no Christi 1570. JOhn Brentius was borne at Wile in the Imperiall Snevia Anno Christi 1499. His Father was Major of that City twenty four years who carefully brought up his Son in learning and at eleven years old sent him to Heidleberg to School and at thirteen years old he was admitted into the Universitie and at 15 years old he Commenced Bachelor There also he studied Greek and Hebrew and was so studious that he usually rose at midnight to his book whereby he contracted such a habit that he could never after whilst he lived sleep longer then till midnight the rest of the night he spent in holy meditations and in his old age he had a candle by his bed-side and deceived the time by writing and meditation Partly by his diligence and partly by his acute wit and strong memory he profited so much both in the Arts and Tongues that at eighteen years old he was made Master of Arts. About this time Luthers books coming abroad Brentius by reading of them came to the knowledge of the Truth which he willingly imbraced And being desirous to propagate it to others he began to read upon Matthew first to som friends of his own colledges but his auditors increasing out of other Colledges he was fain to read in the publick Schools for which the Divines hated him because he grew so popular saying That neither was the place fit for Divinity Lectures nor he fit for such a work being not yet in orders wherefore to take away that objection he entred into orders and preached often for other men to the great delight of his hearers From thence he was called to be a Pastor at Hale in Sweveland where his gravity gesture phrase voice and doctrine did so please the Senat that though he was but twenty three years old yet they chose him to that place and he carried himself with such gravity holiness of life integrity of manners and diligence in his calling that none could contemn his youth And the Lord so blessed his labours there that many were converted to the Truth yea amongst the very Popish Priests some of them were converted others left their places for shame and went elsewhere He used much modesty and wisedome in his Sermons and when in the beginning of his preaching there the Popish Priests railed exceedingly upon him and his doctrine and the people exspected that he would answer them accordingly he contrariwise went on in teaching the fundamentall points of Religion and as he had occasion confuted their errors without bitterness from clear Scripture arguments whereby in time he so wrought upon them that he brought them to a sight of their errors and to a detestation of their Idolatry About this time Muncer and his companions rose up and stirred almost all the Boors in Germany to take Arms against the Magistrates and rich men abusing Scripture to justifie their proceedings Whereupon Brentius was in great danger for many cryed out that his opposing Popery and casting out the old Ceremonies was the cause of these Tumults Yet when as the boors in Hale were risen up and threatned to besiege the City of Hale and the Magistrates and Citizens were in such fear that they were ready to fly or to joyne with the Boors Brentius encouraged them and told them that if they would take Arms and defend their City God would assist them c. and so it came to passe for six hundred Citizens beat away four thousand of those Boors He also published a booke in confutation of their wicked opinions and shewed how dissonant they were to the Word of God Presently after rose up that unhappy contention between Luther and Zuinglius about Christs presence in the Sacrament which continued divers years to the great disturbance of the Church scandal of the Reformed Religion and hinderance of the success of the Gospel And when a conference was appointed for the composing of that difference Luther Brentius and some others met with Zuinglius and some of his friends but after much debate they departed without an agreement Anno 1530. was the Diet held at Auspurg unto which the Protestant Princes brought their Divines with them and amongst others Brentius at which time George Marquesse of Brandenburg told the Emperor That he would rather shed his blood and lose his life or lay downe his neck to the headsman then alter his Religion Here the Divines drew up that famous Confession of Faith which from the place is called the Augustane Confession Brentius at his return home married a wife Margaret Graetenna famous for her chastity modesty and piety by whom he had six children
whose Sermons not only the Protestants but many of the Papists were present to hear what and how he taught And indeed both sides commended his study of Peace For he exhorted them to compose their differences not by arms nor mutuall slaughters but by the Disputations of their Divines But God would not suffer his wholsome counsell to take effect at that time For they came to a battell wherein the Popish party prevailed and thereupon Bullinger together with his Father Brother and Colleague Gervase were commanded to depart except they would undergoe the present hazard of their lives Whereupon beginning their journey in the night through Gods providence they escaped the snares which were layd for them by their adversaries and came safely to Zurick Anno Chrâ—â— 1531 and three daies after at the request of Leo Judae with his Colleagues Bullinger preached in the chiefe Church and was entertained by one Werner Steiner his ancient friend that was fled to Zurick for Religion Anno Christi 1532. The Church of Basill wanting a Pastor by the death of Oecolampadius desired Bullinger and at the same time also the Bernates sent for him thither But the Senate of Zurick would by no means part with him choosing him Pastor in the room of Zuinglius who was slaine in the late battell and who had desired before he went into the field with the Army that if any thing befell him otherwise then well Bullinger might succeed him in his office He being thus called to this work in a dangerous time did his endeavour to comfort and rais up the hearts of Gods people under those great afflictions And whereas the Popish adversaries boasted that their Religion was false because they of Zurick were beaten and Zuinglius slain He wrote That the Truth of Religion was not to be judged by the prosperity or adversitie of the Professors of it He took care also to have Synods twice a year to maintain concord and unity in Doctrine and Discipline as Zuinglius had begun before him And finding a great defect of Godly Ministers in the jurisdiction of the Tigurins he tooke care that so many should bee trained up in Religion and Learning as might supply that defect and where there was a want of maintainance he prevailed with the Senate of Zurick to make up a competency out of the Publick Treasury He caused the Publick Library of that City to be set in order by Pellican and by buying Zuinglius his books to be encreased And having gotten Bibliander for his Colleague he wholly applyed himself to his publick Ministry and to writing Commentaries at home Anno Christi 1532 Bucer endeavoured a union between Luther and his followers and the Divines of Zurick perswading them that their differences consisted rather in words then in reality At which time the Tigurins shewed themselves to bee desirous of peace so that it was joyned wiâ—h truth About this time Bullingers Father died being 64 years old who at his death exhorted his sonne to Constancy in Doctrine and Faith which saith he is the onely way to salvation Anno Christi 1534 Bullinger wrote a Confession of Faith in the name of the Tigurian Churches which was sent to Bucer and to the Synod of the Churches of Suevia then met at Constance and was approved by them About the same time he wrote a Tractate of the Covenant of God against some that denied all testimonies out of the Old Testament As also another wherein he asserted the twofold Nature in Christ against Claudius Allobrog Servetus his Emissary of whose poyson the Helvetian Churches were at that time in some danger And when there was a meeting at Basil for to unite Luther and the Helvetian Churches in their difference about the manner of Christs Presence in the Sacrament Bullinger was there and took much pains for the promoting of it The Magistrates also of Zurick by the perswasion of Bullinger erected a new Colledge Anno Christi 1538 which hee had a great care of all his life after Also by his perswasion the Senate of Zurick erected another School in a place where formerly there had been a Nunnery in which fifteen youths were trained up under a good Master having food raiment books and all other necessaries plentifully provided for them and Bullinger took great care to see their proficiency all his life after About this time Schwenfield a Noble man of Silesia taught That Christ's Humane nature being received into Heaven was so farre Deified that it remained a creature no longer and this error beginning to spread into Swevia Bullinger joining with some others confuted it with much modesty Anno Christi 1541 the Plague brake forth in Zurick of which Bullingers Son and Mother died Anno Christi 1542 Leo Judae's Version of the Bible being finished and printed the Printer sent one of them to Luther fair bound up but Luther wrote back to him that hee should send him no more of the Tigurine Ministers bookes for hee would have nothing to doe with them nor read any of their bookes For said he The Church of God can hold no communion with them and whereas they have taken much pains all is in vain for themselves are damned and they lead many miserable men to hell with them Adding that he would have no communion with their damnable and blasphemous Doctrine and that so long as he lived hee would with his prayers and books oppose them Anno Christi 1544 Luther set forth his Annotations on Genesis in which he inveighed bitterly against the Sacramentarians as he called them saying That Zuinglius Oecolampadius and their disciples were Hereticks and eternally damned Melancthon would fain have hindered it but could not whereupon he wrote to Bullinger telling him how much hee was grieved at this violent proceeding of Luther which he knew was so pleasing to their common adversaries the Papists When this book of Luthers came forth there was much dispute whether it should be answered Bucer was against it because Luther was grown old and had deserved well of the Church but others thought that it would bee a betraying of the Truth not to answer it Wherefore Bullinger was appointed to that work which he accordingly performed with much judgement Anno Christi 1546 Luther dyed and the German Warre beganne betwixt the Emperour and the Protestants at which time many accused the Tigurines by reason of Bullingers book as if they had insulted over Luther after his death and gloryed that he dyed of grief because he could not answer that book Hereupon Philip Lantgrave of Hesse acquainted Bullinger with these reports which when Bullinger had read advising with his Colleagues he returned this answer First giving him thanks for his zeale in endeavouring the peace of the Church and for acquainting him with these rumours Then he told him how much he was grieved for that some turbulent spirits sought by such reports
to bring an odium upon the Helvetians and to alienate the Princes affections from them Whereas saith he it is not the manner of the Helvetian Divines to reproach any either in their Sermons or Lectures much lesse Luther who had deserved so well of the Church And although Luther in the controversie about the Sacrament had used much reproachfull language against them yet they never made mention of him but with honour Whereas they were certainly informed that many of the Saxon Ministers used divers reproachfull speeches against them calling them Sacramentarians Image haters blasphemers c. Yea that in his own University of Marpurg Theobald Thammer in his publick Lectures had greatly aspersed them wherefore he earnestly requested him to consider their innocency and to enjoyn silence to such intemperate spirits c. For saith he we cannot with Luther confesse the bread to bee the naturall body of Christ and that Judas and other wicked men received his body as well as Peter and the Saints which are Luthers owne words Yet are we ready to preserve peace so that it be not urged upon us to yeeld to those things which neither our selves can understand nor can wee teach them to others In all other things you shall finde us as peaceable men ready to give an account of our Faith whensoever it shall be required of us The Lantgrave was well satisfied with this answer bearing a great love to the Helvetians and to Bullinger in particular to whom after the Warre was begunne hee often wrote out of his Camp desiring also the Protestant Cantons to send some Auxiliaries to them But upon serious deliberation they denied this request For say they if we shall send you aid the Popish Cantons will also aide the Emperour which hitherto moved by our example they have refused though they have been earnestly solicited both by the Pope and Emperour thereto In the mean time our Ministers cease not daily to pray for the peace of Germany and we have had publick Fasts for that end The same yeare came John Hooper afterwards Bishop of Gloucester to Zurick and lived familiarly with Bullinger by whom he was informed of their opinion about the Sacrament and fully concurred with them Anno Christi 1548 came forth that accursed Interim tending to the overthrow of true Religion which Calvin and Bucer answered though the Printer for fear of the Emperour durst not publish it And the bitter fruit which followed it was the expulsion of many Ministers out of their places divers of which resorted to Zurick and were kindly entertained by bullinger and his Colleagues and commended to divers Protestant Cities in Helvetia though they knew that formerly they had been very violent against them And indeed after their returne into their own Countries forgetting their courtesies they proved so again Anno Christi 1549. Calvin being suspected too much to favour Consubstantiation associating to him Master Farel of Neocom came to Zurick where he conferred with Bullinger and the other Ministers about that question and there was a sweet agreement amongst them which also was published by Calvin and Bullinger and subscribed by all the Helvetian and Rhetian Ministers By which act the Churches of Christ were more strictly united many that were doubtfull were confirmed in the truth and the adversaries took occasion from hence to write more bitterly against them Francis King of France being dead and Henry succeeding he sent to the Helvetians to renew his league with them But Bullinger who was in great authority amongst them did altogether disswade the Tigurines from it teaching them that it was neither just nor lawfull for a man to suffer himselfe to be hired to shed another mans blood who usually was innocent and from whom himselfe had never received any injury c. And hereupon the Tigurines resolved to abstaine from such Leagues Anno Christi 1550 Bullinger published his Decades Sermonum some of which he dedicated to King Edward the sixth and a reformation being now begun in England he wrote upon that occasion to many of our Nobility Bishops and Ministers of our Church Anno Christi 1551 the Helvetians were summoned by a Bull from the Pope to appear at the Councill of Trent by sending their Ministers thither c. Hereupon Master Bullinger consulting with his Fellow-Ministers published a book wherein he declared that the Councill of Trent was gathered for the suppressing of the truth and that the Helvetians owed no subjection to the Pope from under whose yoak they had long since withdrawn their necks About this time there sprange up a contention in the Church of Geneva by reason of one Hierome Bolsecus a Physician who publickly opposed the Doctrine of Master Calvin about Election and boasted that divers other Ministers and particularly Master Bullinger was of his opinion Calvin answered him confuting his error by testimonies of Scripture and out of Saint Augustine but when he would not be satisfied the Senate and brethren of Geneva sent to Zurick to ask their judgements whereupon Bullinger with his brethren did so declare themselves that all might see that they which made Election depend upon faith foreseen and faith upon mans free-will as much as upon the Divine inspiration did maliciously abuse the Tigurine Ministers c. And indeed there was a sweet Harmony between Calvin Bullinger and Peter Martyr about this point Anno Christi 1552 the war waxing hot in Germany and Zurick being afflicted with a Famine Bullinger wrote much for the comforting the afflicted and to stir them up to unfained repentance for their fins whereby they had provoked God against them Anno Christi 1554. a persecution being raised by Queen Mary in England many Nobles and famously learned men fled into Germany and came to Zurick where they erected a Colledg and were by Master Bullinger much holpen therein In the following years viz. 1556 1557 and 1558. Bullinger had divers conflicts with Westphalus Heshusius and others About which time the League amongst the Helvetians being to be renued the Popish Pages would have the oath to be By God and by all his Saints which the Protestant Pages refused and though some Politick men pleaded for the lawfulnesse of it or at least that there should be no contention about so small a matter Bullinger with his Colleagues shewed that an oath being part of Gods worship was onely to be made in the name of the true God who alone was to be called upon and that all appearance of false worship was to be avoided Anno Christi 1560 there arose up one Francis Stancarus who taught That Christ was Mediator onely according to his humane nature Him with some other such Hereticks Calvin and Bullinger confuted as also Blandrata who taught That Christ our Saviour was a meer man and Bernard Ochin who held Polygamie lawfull Anno Christi 1561. Blandrata being gone into Polonia began to discover himself more clearly and
History He had two Wives the first of which was Bullingers daughter who died without issue by the second who was Gualters daughter he had three sons and one daughter He was tall of stature fat fair and strong but that he was somewhat weakned by the Gout He had such an amiable face that his sweet manners might bee seen in his countenance as in a glass In his habit and diet he was neither too sumptuous nor too fordid best liking cleanlinesse and neatness Scripsit Praelectiones in Exodum De aeterno Dei Filio adversus Arianos Tritheitas Samosetaninos Adversus eosdem de S. Sancto Narrationem veterum controversiarum de una â—ersonâ— duabus naturis Christi c. cum multis aliis The particulars you may find in Verheiden The Life of Immanuel Tremelius who died A no Christi 1580. IMmanuel Tremelius was born in Ferrara having a Jew to his Father who so educated him that hee was very skilfull in the Hebrew Tongue Hee was converted by PeterMartyr and went with him to Lucca where he taught Hebrew From thence he went with him to Strasborough and from thence into England under King Edward the sixth after whose death he returned into Germany And in the School of Hornback under the Duke of Bâ—â—â—â—t he taught Hebrew From thence he was called to Heidleberg under Frederick the third Elector Palatine where he was Professor of the Hebrew tongue and translated the Syriack Testament into Latine There also he set upon the Translation of the Bible out of Hebrew associated to himself in that work Fr. Junius who after the death of Tremelius perused the whole work and by adding many things rather made it larger then better in some mens judgement In his old age he left Heidleberg and by the Duke of Bulloin was called to be Hebrew Professor in his new University of Sedan where he dyed Anno Christi 1580 and of his Age seventy He wrote a Chalde and Syriack Grammer hee published the New Testament in Latine and Syriack An exposition upon the Prophet Hosea Together with Junius he translated the Hebrew Bible adding short annotations And lastly Bucers Lectures upon the Epistle to the Ephesians The Life of Peter Boquine who died Anno Christi 1582. PEter Boquinus was borne in Aquitane and being in his youth brought up in learning he entred into a Monastery at Biturg where he was made the Prior and was very much beloved of all the Convent But it pleased God in the midst of all his riches and honours to discover the Truth to him and thereupon after the example of Luther Bucer Oecolampadius and Peter Martyr he resolved to leave all and to follow Christ whose example divers of the Friers also followed From thence he went toward Wittenberg being very desirous to be acquainted with Luther and Melancthon whose fame was very great and some of whose works he had met with and read and so travelling through Germany he came to Basil where he wintered by reason of the Plague very rife at that time in many Countries There he diligently heard the Lectures of Myconius Caralostadius and Sebastian Munster Anno Christi 1542 from thence he went to Lipsich where he stayed three weeks and so went to Wittenberg Coming hither he had some converse with Luther but more with Melancthon And whilst he was there Bucer sent to Melancthon to request him to send an able man to Strasborough to supply Calvins place who was now gone back to Geneva whereupon Melancthon requested Boquine to goe thither which he accordingly did and began to read upon the Epistle to the Galatians Shortly after Peter Martyr came thither also But Bucer being sent for by the Arch-bishop of Collen to assist him in the reformation of his Churches Boquine finding that the Ecclesiasticall and Scholasticall affaires went but slowly forward in his absence upon the request of his brother who was a Doctor of Divinity and not altogether estranged from the Reformed Religion he resolved to goe back into France and so taking Basil in his way he went to Geneva where he heard Calvin preach and had some speech with him and from thence to Biturg where he lived with his brother the Doctor mentioned before and when some hope began to appear that the Churches of France would be reformed at the instigation of his brother he began publickly to read Hebrew and to expound the Scriptures About that time Francis King of France being dead the Queen of Navar came into those parts about the marriage of her daughter to whom Boquine went and presented her with a book written with his own hand about the necessity and use of the holy Scriptures and her daughter with another concerning our spiritual husband Jesus Christ whereupon she took him into her Patronage and allowed him a yearly stipend out of her treasury appointing him to preach a publick Lecture in the great Church in Biturg Whereunto also the Arch-Bishop consented Shortly after the Queen of Navar dying there succeeded to her King Henries sister as in name and stock so also in Doctrine and Piety not unlike her Whereupon Boquine went and presented her with a book which he had written De homine perfecto which she took so gratefully that she confirmed his former stipend to him and he made use of that favour so long as he thought his labours were not unprofitable to the Church but when he saw that there was no hope of any further Reformation in France and that his enemies lay in wait for his life he gave it over of his own accord At that time he underwent the bitter hatred of some Friers and other enemies of the truth by whom his life was in great danger For he was summoned to appear before the Parliament of Paris and then before the Arch-Bishop of Biturg where his life was sought but God raised up some men to stand for him whereby he was delivered from the present danger Then did he resolve to fly into England but hearing of King Edwards death he altered his purpose and by the perswasion of a friend he resolved to returne to his people in Germany and so accordingly accompanied with two young men he went to Strasborough and when he had scarce been there a month it so fell out that the French Church in that place wanted a Pastor and chose him to that office yet for sundry reasons he refused to accept of it till by the perswasion of John Sturmius and some other friends he was content to preach to them till they could provide them another That place he discharged for about the space of four months conflicting with many difficulties and meeting with much trouble by reason of the improbity and perfidiousnesse of some At the end of which time the Senat with the consent of the Church appointed Peter Alexander to be their Pastor and so Boquine
praier to search out the Truth and it pleased God accordingly to reveal it unto him as also the many Errors in Popery and the necessity of separating from that Apostatical Church In the mean while Cuthbert Tunstal Bishop of Durham being his Uncle resolved to send him beyond-sea to visit the Churches in forrein parts and to allow him meanes for his travel But before his going he was called to preach before King Edward the sixth which he performed with good approbation Whilst he was resolving upon his journy he had a Parsonage given him which Tunstal perswaded him to keep to maintaine him in his travels but he sending for a friend whom he knew to be learned and religious resign'd his Parsonage to him For which when it came to the knowledge of Tunstal he chid him sharply and told him That he would die a begger but he excused it saying That he could not keep it with the peace of his conscience But said the Bishop thou shalt have a Dispensation To whom Gilpin answered That he feared when he came to stand before Christs Tribunal it would not serve his turn to plead a Dispensation c. When he came beyond sea he went to Lovan Antwerp and Paris And after a while Tunstal sent again to perswade him to accept of a Parsonage which he would conferre upon him To whom he wrote back that he had discussed the question with all the learned especially with the Prophets and best Writers since Christ's time so that he was fully resolved not to burthen his conscience by accepting of a Charge which he could not live upon c. Whilst he was at Paris Tunstal sent him over a book which himself had written about the Presence of Christ in the Sacrament to be printed there which Gilpin performed faithfully He returned into England after three years in Queen Maries reign and beheld to his great griefe the Church oppressed with blood and fire and being placed by Tunstal in the Rectory of Essingdon he began sharply to tax the vices which then reigned in the Church and propounded the Doctrine of Salvation plainly and soundly which procured him many enemies especially of the Clergy who accused him often to the Bishop for an Heretick But Tunstal could not endure to shed blood and therefore dealt mildly with him At a certaine time the Bishops Chaplains discoursed with him about Luther and the Sacrament of the Altar whom he answered so judiciously that the Bishop hearing their discourse said to his Chaplains Let him alone for he hath more learning then you all The Archdeaconry of Durham being annexed to the Parsonage of Essingdon Master Gilpin for a time supplied both places but after a while hee wrote to the Bishop desiring that he might have his good will to resigne one of them which the Bishop was very angry at saying I told thee thou wouldst die a beggar Not long after the Bishop conferred upon him instead of them the Rectory of Houghton which was a great Parish and a very fine seat Hee took great care to perform the duties of the Ministry amongst his people and seeing the miserable condition of many places in those parts where the Tithes being Impropriated the Souls of the people were starved hee preached often abroad also And once a year he took a journey into Northumberland Riddesdale and Tindale usually about Christmasse because of the opportunnity of so many Holy-daies where he gat himselfe much esteem by his preaching to those barbarous people and distributing mony to the poore Sometimes he was forced to lodge in the snow all night in that journey at which times hee made his man to trot his horses up and down whilst he bestirred himself that he might not perish with the cold Once as he returned home a husbandman as he was ploughing had a horse in his team that fell down and died for which he made great moan whereupon Master Gilpin caused his man to alight and take off his saddle and bridle and so to carry them to the next town and gave his horse to this husbandman And when by chance he met with any naked poor people he would pull off some of his own clothes and give them In the towne of Houghton there was a street of poore people for whose reliefe every Thursday he caused a great pot of meat to be boyled and distributed amongst them yea his charity was such that hee was commonly called The Father of the Poor Yet had hee many enemies who often accused him to Bishop Tunstal but he abhorring to shed blood was still a sweet defence to him At last they accused him to Bonner who sent a Messenger to apprehend him whereof hee had notice before hand and therefore prepared himself for Martyrdom commanding his Steward to provide him a long garment to goe to the stake in but it pleased God that by the sudden death of Queen Mary he was freed from this danger In the beginning of Queen Elizabeths reign Mr. Gilpin was exceeding studious to do all the good that possibly he could whereupon he erected a Grammar-School allowing maintenance for a Master and Usher divers of the Scholars hee also instructed himself so that in that School were bred many that were exceedingly profitable to the Church afterwardsâ— For there was great resort to it some of which he tabled in his own house others in the town yea upon many poor mens sons he bestowed both meat drink apparel and teaching Out of this School were sent daily many to the Universities to divers of which he allowed maintenance whereby his name was renowned and the Earl of Bedford much esteemed him and procured of the Queen the Bishoprick of Carlile for him and sent him his Congedeslier but Master Gilpin returned it back with many thanks alledging his own insufficiency for the discharge of so great a place Not â—ong after also hee was much importuned to take upon him the Provosts place of Queens Colledge in Oxford but hee refused it being wholly unwilling to remove from the place where God had set him He was much given unto Hospitality insomuch as William Cecil Lord Burghley returning out of Scotland drawn with the fame of Master Gilpin came to Houghton where hee was entertained with all due respect And when hee had well observed Master Gilpin and the diligence of his servants and abundance of all things with so compleat service in the entertainment of so great and unlooked for a Guest hee said at his parting That he had heard much of Master Gilpin but what he had now seen and tried was much more then the report And thereupon when he took his leave of Master Gilpin he requested him if he had any occasion or suit at the Court that hee would make use of him to intercede for him He still continued his yearely visit of Riddesdale and Tindale where he was
much affected with it and by writing admonishing and exhorting both at home and abroad endeavoured to assist with his counsell whom he could not by his presence Also Anno Christi 1568 that war waxing hot many out of sundry parts of France fled to Geneva as to a safe harbour amongst whom was Nicolas Beza Praefect of Vezelia brother to Beza by the Fathers side who living a while in Beza's house shortly after dyed of the Plague And not long after Beza's wife fell sick of it yet it pleased God to restore her to health again The same year in the midst of many troubles he wrote his books of Polygamie and Divorces against Bernard Ochin who a little before had published his Dialogues upon these subjects stuffed with errors He wrote also against Flacius Illiricus Anno Christi 1571 peace being setled he was sent for by the Queen of Navar the Admiral and the general vote of the Churches of France to Rochell to a Synod where he was made the Moderator and at which the Confession of Faith of the French-Churches was confirmed and subscribed by the Queen of Navar her sonne afterwards King Henry the 4th and the Prince of Conde And the year after he was sent for to Namures to another Synod where the book of the French Church-Discipline was established Anno Christi 1572 after that bloody Massacre at Paris many of the godly that escaped fled to Geneva amongst whom were the Pastors of fiftie Churches that were wholly dispersed These being stript of all and in great want Beza by his Letters into Germany and England procured such reliefe for them that for three years space in which they lived there they were plentifully and comfortably provided for In that Massacre God was pleased wonderfully to preserve Hen. of Burbon son to the great Lodwick Prince of Conde who thereupon retired into Germany for shelter and staying a while at Strasborough he sent for Beza and employed him to Prince Cassimire the Administrator of the Palatinate And afterwards as this Prince returned into France hee went by Geneva where he conferred with Beza about many weighty matters Beza went on indefatigably in his publick employments revised his Translation and Annotations upon the New Testament and enlarged them wrote against Pappus about the Hypostaticall Union against the railings of Holderus against the calumnies of Andreas Made his Harmony of the Law out the Books of Moses He wrote also of the Notes and Authority of the Catholick Church c. Shortly after the Plague breaking forth in Geneva Beza was much afflicted for the sad condition of the Common-wealth yet he cheared up himself much with the hearty and sincere love and societie which he had with all the Pastors thereof whose unity and unanimity was a great means under God to preserve the happiness of Geneva About the same time five Anabaptists Mechanicks began privately to sow the seed of their errors in Geneva whereupon Beza John Pinaldus Charles Perrot and Anthony Faius were chosen to confer with them and after confutation of their errors they recanted and reformed onely â—ne of them left the City and was heard of no more Anno Christi 1586 there was a Disputation appointed at Mombelgard between the German and Helvetian Divines about the difference betwixt them in some points unto which Beza was sent for and the whole Dispute was betwixt Dr. Andreas and him but in conclusion nothing was effected by it yet they parted lovingly without bitternesse This was after published by Beza The year after his wife dyed with whom hee had lived with much comfort forty years which was a great griefe to him yet afterwards by the advice of his friends he married another one Katharine Plania a godly Matron who was a great comfort to him all his life after About the same time he was called to a Synod held at Bern wherein divers controversies were debated and the errors of Alberius who said That we are justified at Gods Tribunal by inherent righteousness also of Huberus about Predestination and eternall Election were condemned Shortly after he wrote about the Sacraments against Hoffman Published in French his Sermons about the Passion of Christ also on the Canticles which he turned into Lyrick verse answered Genebrards calumnies and revised his translation of the New Testament Anno Christi 1589 France being full of bâ—oils Geneva also was molested by the same whereupon publick prayers were appointed twice a week extraordinary which burthen Beza willingly took upon himself whereupon the other Pastors freed him from his daily Sermonâ— which he used to preach before only he preached once on Sabbath mornings betwixt eight and nine a clock Not long after he began to be troubled with a dissiness in his head insomuch as being to preach on Whitsonday Anno Christi 1597 before the Sacrament as soon as he had made Confession of Sins after their usuall manner he was fain to give over and come out of the Pulpit whose place Faius presently supplyed The like happened to him the week following also whereupon he gave over publick preaching only now and then praying publickly yet would he not bee idle but went on teaching daily in the Schooles yet at last because of his dulness of hearing he abstained from the publick Disputations and Consistorial meetings And to satisfie some Noblemen Germans Bohemians and Polonians who would needs hear him read some Lectures he began a briefe Analysis upon the Epistle to the Romans but after he had done it twice he was fain to leave off Yet did he not wholly desist from preaching till the year 1600 when he preached his last Sermon in January being eighty one years old upon the third Petition of the Lords Prayer Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven He had often in his mouth that saying of Vespafian Imperatorem decet stantem mort Not long after being present at a Consistory he invited all his brethren to supper but they at first refused because there was to be a publick Fast that week and the Magistrates had forbidden all Feasting but he told them that he would get leave of the Magistrates and that he intended not a Feast but a frugal supper rather to feast their minds with their mutual love and society then their bodies with dainties Then they all assented and were entertained by him with all the expressions of brotherly love that could be Many Noblemen and others that came from other countries to study at Geneva would alwaies desire to sojourne with him that they might enjoy his societie That year there was a rumor spread abroad all over Europe by the Jesuits that Beza was dead and that he turned Papist before his death which lye the Pastors of Geneva and himself also by publick writings confuted And discoursing with his friends of it he said That the Jesuits
fast failing yea the middle strength of the whole body the stomach is weakned long ago Arise make ready shake off thy fetters mount up from the body and goe thy way I saw not my children when they were in the womb yet there the Lord fed them without my knowledge I shall not see them when I goe out of the body yet shall they not want a Father Death is somwhat drierie and the streams of that Jordan between us and our Canaan run furiously but they stand stil when the Ark comes Let your Anchor be cast within the vail and fastned on the Rock Jesus Let the end of the threefold cord be buckled to the heart so shall ye goe thorough His Works are bound up together in one volume Soli Deo Gloria A. WILLET The Life of Andrew Willet who dyed A no Christi 1621. ANdrew Willet was born in Ely in Cambridgshire Anno Christi 1562. His Father was a Minister who carefully brought him up in the School of that City where by his extraordinary paâ—ns and diligence he profited so much that at fourteen years old he went to Cambridge and was admitted into Peter-house yet not long after was transplanted to Christ's Collegde where Doctor Downham and Master William Perkins were of his own standing There he applyed himself so seriously to his studies that in short time he gained a good measure of knowledge in the learned tongues and Arts yea hee attained to such a measure of perfection therein that at twenty two years old he published his book De animae natura viribus wherein he did Philosophically Theologize in five subtil and abstrase questions About that time also he was made Minister and began sometimes to Preach being furnished with Piety Learning and Gravity beyond his years Insomuch as an accident befalling a Proctor of that Colledge hee suddenly undertook his place at the Commencement and so well and dexterously perfâ—rmed it that thereby he gained the applause yea the admiration of all his Auditors Having thus spent thirteen years in the University by the favour of Queen Elizabeth he was made a Prebend in Ely where also he married a Wife by whom he had eleven sons and seven daughters But his Wife being a carefull yoak-fellow his houshold affairs troubled him not so that he pursued his old course of study which was his delight and of which he never was weary His manne was to rise early in a morning and to get half way on his journey ere others could set out At the hour of Prayer he came down and took his Wife and Family with him to Church where he had publick Prayers to the great comfort of his Parishioners Prayers being ended he returned to his study till near dinner time when his manneâ— was to recreate himself either upon a little Organ which he had in his house singing to it or sporting with his young Children Sometimes also he would cleave wood for his health-sake At his meals he used pleasant discourse seasoned with some profitable application After dinner he used to sit and discourse a while or walk abroad and then to his study again so that without extraordinary avocations he spent eight houres a day in his study By which means he read over the Fathers Councels Ecclesiastick Histories a great part of the Civil and Canon Law Polemick Controversies between Rome and us and most Commentaries upon the holy Scriptures in his papers he had couched the whole substance of his reading So that he might say Exiguis Patres â—rctantur pellibus omnes Quos mea non totos Bibliotheca capit Lo here few leaves th' old fathers all infold Whom whole at once my study ne'r could hold He improved his Talent for the publick good so that every year he either published a new book or reprinted some old with a new Edition He is one of those concerning whom Doctor Hall saith Stupor mundi clerus Britannicus The English Clergie is the Worlds wonder In his younger time he preached the Lecture for three years together in the Cathedral Church of Ely And for one year in Saint Paul's at London in both with a most singular approbation of a frequent Auditory Sometimes he preached in Cambridge and therein discovered himself the man quem rus non infuscavit whom the Country had not stained When hee was once called to a Pastorall charge at Burley in Herfordshire he was alwaies constant in Preaching instructing his people in a plain familiar way applying himself to their capacity He would also sometimes sharpen his stile and cut them up roundly for their sin But when he spake words of Consolation he was wholly composed of Sweetnesse In denunciations of Judgements he would put on the bowels of compassion and the spirit of meeknesse sugaring every bitter pill that it might goe down more pleasantly His very presence was powerful and perswasive mildnesse mixed with gravity sitting in his countenance insomuch as one word from him was able to effect more then thousands from some others But especially his godly conversation exemplifying what he gave in charge out of Gods Word did most of all convince his peoples judgements and subdue their affections to obedience so that the Lord blessed his labours much to them His house was a little modell of a Church and house of God Here morning and evening sacrifices were offered to God daily His children after supper read some part of holy Scripture and he required of every one present that they should remember some sentence or other and afterwards he would repeat the same adding some exposition and sometimes something of application to them Yea he made himself an exact pattern and example to all his family His Charity will eminently appear if we consider quantum ex quantillo how much out of how little means he freely gave to the poor and needy He maintained two of his near Aâ—lies being faln into want many years at his own table and maintained for the most part a son of either of them at the University and though his many children might have restrained his bounty yet he was of Cyprian's mind The more children the more charitie He gave a dole of bread to the poor on the Coronation and Powder-treason daies At Christmass he gave Corn to some money to others and to the rest of his neighbours liberal and loving entertainment In the Harvest he would say to the poor as Boaz did to Ruth Go not to glean in another field c. And when at any time himself came into the field he would scatter of his heaps with a ful hand so that the poor would be ready to leap for joy at his coming When he set any on work he payd freely and speedily When the poor bought corn of him they were sure to gain both in price and measure and yet as Wels drawn spring more freely so
publickly undertake his Patronage neither durst Arminius undertake the alteration of Religion with an Heroical spirit such as was in our Reformers who wholly minding the glory of God rested secure whatsoever should befall themselves whereas Arminius being seized upon with sorrow and overwhelmed with grief fell sick and dyed Anno Christi 1609. Arminius being dead amongst all his followers Vtenbogard shewed himself the Ring-leader for though he was far inferior to Arminius in Learning yet in the Government of the Church and State he was well seen and indeed by his wit did more hurt to the Church then Arminius did by his Disputations This Bogard that he might make the Magistrates of Holland displeased with other Ministers and more to favour himself wrote a Book of the Authority of Magistrates in Church-affairs wherein he allowed the Magistrate not only to order the external Government of the Church but to determine controversies in Religion whereby he got great favour to his own party In these stirs the Ministers knew not what better remedy to finde then in a National Synod of all the Reformed Churches which they earnestly solicited the States General for and indeed the States of Gelderland Zeland Frisland Groning and six Cities of Holland were for it who desired no Innovations in Religion and dispaired of any union with the Lutherans and said that the Ecclesiastical Government was no way grievous but a remedy against Oligarchie That the power of the Prince of Orange was not dangerous but rather a means to unite and tye them together But on the contrary the Nobility of Holland and the other twelve Cities as also the States of Vtrick and Overisle though they did not openly deny a Synod yet by â—ergiversations and procrastinations sought to evade it In the mean time the Ministers neglected not the remedy which was in their power viz. to discover those Errors to their people and to confirm their mindes against them both by Preaching and Writing And such as were to be admitted to the Ministry they examined them more strictly and such as they discovered to be already in the Ministry they censured and cast out Vtenbogard and his companions strongly opposed themselves to these proceedings both by word and writing and promoted to the Ministry such as were of their own opinions yet were they inferior to the other party both in number and in the affections of the people fearing therefore that they should be overcome they framed a Remonstrance whence they were called Remonstrants to the States of Holland wherein they request to be taken into their protection who did not only do it but presently commanded that none should meddle with these controversies either by word or writing neither should examine Candidates upon these points or censure any that differed in judgement about them which truly was to set up a party when as the Remonstrant Ministers were scarce forty and the Contra-Remonstrants were fifty Yet the Remonstrants thought that they could not continue long except new ones of their own opinion could be brought in as the other dyed and these must be first formed in the University wherefore to supply Arminius his place in Leiden VVallaeus and others that were desired by honest and learned men were rejected and Vtenbogard was sought for But he knowing himself unfit for such a work wrought by the Curators of those parts who were of kin to Barnevelt that Conradus Vorstius should be brought from Steinfurt to Leiden who in the year 1590. had been convicted by the University of Heidleberg for favouring Socinus and his opinions To the choice of this man the Ministers presently opposed themselves and such Magistrates as favoured them yet had it been impossible to have hindred his Election the Remonstrants did so prevail but that James King of Great Britane frequently admonished and urged the States not do to it yea he condemned him of Heresie and burnt his Books publickly At last certain Laws were obtruded upon the Church which Barnevelt had framed twenty years before but till now the States would never endure them much less bring them in practice in which the choice of Deacons Elders and Pastors was almost wholly given to the Magistrates The censuring of Pastors or Members offending was taken away from the Ministers The Curators of the University and the Magistrates of Leiden did Execute the Decree for restraining of Controversies with mote rigor then any other By this they hindred Gomarus both from defending himself and his Religion At which being offended he prepared to depart By this his departure seeing the Students of Divinity should thereby want a Professor of the Reformed Religion the Churches of Gelderland and Curators of the Illustrious School there sent Anthony Thisius Professor of Theology at Harderwick and the Churches of Zeland and Magistrates of Middleborough sent VVallaeus to Leiden by all means to perswade his stay But Gomarus was resolved to depart whereupon they both of them invited him to make his abode with them and VVallaeus prevailed so that he went to Middleborough Anno Christi 1611. The States of Zeland were resolved long ago and this calamity of Leiden now hastened it to erect an Illustrious School in Zeland but as yet they could not agree about the place But they of Middleborough seeking thereby to get advantage resolved to make the Grammer School more famous For Gruter the Schoolmaster being dead An. Chr. 1607. they sought out another who might with credit bear the Rule in an Illustrious School and therefore called VVallaeus to the place But VVallaeus would by no means accept of it knowing what a tedious thing it was to govern boys and how subject he should be to calumnies in dieting them Wherefore the care of both was devolved upon Giles Bursius Pastor of Middleborough and the instructing them was committed to Justus Lyraeus afterwards Professor at Vtrich Yet VVallaeus undertook the care of the School and to read Lectures of Greek and Philosophy to them In these Lectures he explained Homer Hesiod and other Authors In Philosophy he read Ethicks Physicks Astronomy and Opticks and now Gomarus being come to them they prepared all things that belonged to an Illustrious School the place was appointed in the Quire of the new Church and Gomarus was to read and interpret the sacred Scriptures and to discuss the Common places in his Publick Disputations James Meivartius was to read Philosophy So that the fame of the School began to spread abroad and the Magistrates of Middleborough profered to VVallaeus the place which was reserved â—or him viz. to be Professor of Divinity Common places At this Gomarus who too much indulged his passions was displeased opposed himself and accused VVallaeus of Heresie for that when he was a Student at Leiden he stifly defended that there were three souls in man The Magistrates were more offended this opposition then was VVallaeus for VVallaeus
presently disclaimed the choice who having never in his life sought after any place was now much more content with his present condition and would not so far offend his old Master as against his will to be chosen for his Colleague No injury did ever so disturb the mind of VVallaeus as to discompose it or make him unlike himself But in the mean time the people were very angry that their beloved Minister was thus disgraced by him who formerly by his publick testimony had attested the purity of his Doctrine But it so fell out about that time 〈◊〉 Lord of Plessiâ— called VVallaeus to Salmur who getting leave to depart went thither Anno Christi 1615 but stayed not long Upon this occasion they of 〈◊〉 being stirred up by Hugh Grotius would not suffer the City of 〈◊〉 to have an Illustrious School so that it was nipt in the bud and Meivartius returned to his Grammer School again Only the Magistrates of Middleborough requested Wallaeus that some times he would read Greek and Philosophical Lectures and would go on with his Common places that so they might still keep up the face of an Illustrious School which accordingly he did and yet neglected not his work in the Ministry Shortly after at the command and request of the Churches of Zeland and at the importunity of some of the chief Ministers of Holland he answered Vtenbogard wherein he shewed that the Authority which was granted by the Magistrates to the Belgick Church was agreeable to the sacred Scriptures and the custom of the Primitive Church By this Book Wallaeus everywhere gat the name of a very learned man and of one that deserved well of the Church because he had thereby freed the Church from that aspersion cast upon it by the Remonstrants that it was disobedient to Magistracy He deserved also thanks from many Polititians because he took away from some of their society that pretence whereby they oppressed the Churches Vtenbogard himself could not but acknowledge that the Book was learned and full of modesty yet he pretended that he would return a speedy answer for which cause he gate leave of the Deputies of the States to write again But though he easily obtained leave yet wrote he not only about thirty years after and seven years after the death of Wallaeus he would seem to return an answer though it contained nothing in it but glorious promises and empty performances Wallaeus was not content to have thus taken away the chiefest pillar to the dissention but endeavoured also to quiet the people and to moderate the Magistrates of Holland whereupon he set forth a treatise shewing the people how they should demean themselves when any difference sprang up amongst the Pastors about Religion The Magistrates he sought to reconcile to the Ministers by the means of Hugh Grotius a man very familiar with him because of his Learning who from an hope of succeeding Bâ—â—nevelt in his dignity was looked upon as his right hand From him he extorted this speech That he saw no better means to compose the difference then by a National Synod which if it was denyed God would punish them for it In the mean time the dissentions increased dayly in Holland and threatned the ruine of one if not of both parties Six of the Cities of Holland did openly oppose themselves against the Decrees concerning the Vocation of Pastors and of tolerating the Controversies of Religion on both sides The Ministers also refused to obey them yea the Remonstrants themselves especially those which were framed by Hugh Grotius at the instigation of Vtenbogard that set bounds to the Ministers from which in handling Controversies it was not lawful for them to deviate Yet the Magistrates would have them obeyed and such Pastors as refused were forbidden the exercise of their Ministry and such as were more pertinacious were cast out of their Cities and such Citizens as most favoured them were banished And though they were restored again by the Presidents of Justice who judged it to be not a correction but a faction yet the Magistrates would not suffer them to come into the Cities whereupon they were filled with animosities on both sides and at last the Magistrates not daring to trust their Citizens gathered souldiers But this dissention was no where more conspicuous nor hotter then at the Hague Vtenbogard who had sometimes stirred up his hearers to use all extremity would now seem moderate having gotten so much power in the Church which that he might hold he perswaded them to yeeld something to the Contra-Remonstrants But some sharp sights perceived that this was but a trick to deceive the Pastors and seduce the people whereupon Henry Rosaeus an eloquent and couragious man took heart to discover the fraud to the people shewing that poyson lay under this honey Upon this the Magistrates forbade him the use of his Ministry But the people who now saw the fraud would not hear Vtenbogard any longer but resorted to Sermons in the neighbor Village of Riâ—wick This the Magistrates sought to hinder On the contrary the people urged that either Rosaeus or some other Preacher of the Reformed Religion for which they had spent so much treasure and blood should be allowed them Against this Vtenbogard opposed himself and laying aside his pretence of moderation sought by all means to hinder the gratifying of the people in their request Prince Morice observing that not so much the Ministers as himself was aimed at and that by his connivence the power of Barnevelt and his adversaries was increased he began penly to favour the Contra-Remonstrants and requested the States of Holland that they might have a Church and Minister allowed them But the Nobles and the twelve Cities much opposed it yet still the Prince urged it and seeing the Contra-Remonstrants desired but reason he procured the English Church at the Hague to be allowed them which when it would not receive all the Auditors they took another Church brought in Henry Rosaeus and frequented his Sermons Barnevelt and his associates were much troubled at this as if violence was profered to their authority But seeing that the Contra-Remonstrants had no more granted them but what was equal they suffered that which they knew not how to prevent By this example the Contra-Remonstrants everywhere took courage and the people sided with them seeing the Prince to favour them who was so beloved and esteemed of them But the Contra-Remonstrants of the Hague thought it not enough to have a Church and Preacher but in so illustrious a place they must make it appear that their opinions and Doctrine was better then that of the Remonstrants But when Vtenbogard excelled Rosaeus in Learning and daily provoked him to Disputation some other must be sent for that might cool his boasting For which end none was judged fitter then our Wallaeus and therefore Anno Christi 1617. Deputies were sent from the
Assoon as Walleuâ— came to Leâ—â—â—m the Magistrates chose him for one of the Curators of their School in which Office he continued all his life and by his advice the School was quite turned into another order whereby it became far more famous then before The States of Holland observing that in their Cities there were some Masters of Schools which either wanted ability or prudence in regulating their Schools for the best advantage of the boys they therefore made choice of Anthony Wallaeus Anthony â—â—sius Peter 〈◊〉 Daniel Heinsius Geâ—â—ard Vâ—ssius 〈…〉 all of them Professors in Leiden to frame Laws whereby all the Schoolmasters in Holland should be regulated in teaching both the Tongues and Liberal Arts which accordingly were finished and printed Anno Chriâ—â— 1625. The States of Zeland observing that their young Students began to fall into some loose courses made choice of Wallaeus for Overseer of all in Zelamd with a command that all their youth should be wholly guided in their studies by him where by there was a great Reformation not one of 〈◊〉 proving wicked in his life The 〈…〉 also growing solicitous for the salvation of the poor â—adius and observing that they could get no Ministers go thither but such as could get no places in the Low-Countries which many times were either insufficient or scandalous They resolved therefore to erect a Seminary from whence at their pleasures they might draw forth Pastors for those parts For which end they consulted with the Professors at Leiden and observing that Wallaeus was more zealous then the rest in promoting it they chose him to be Overseer of that Semâ—narie But he judging himself unable to undergo so many Offices refused it yet at the importunity of the Curators of the University of Leiden and by the perswasion of his Colleagues he was at last prevailed with and undertook it Whereupon the students for India were brought into his Family where they were dieted and directed in their studies and found so much content that they never complained either of their Diet or Government And besides their other studies he caused them every day to construe to him a Chapter out of the Hebrew Bible and another out of the Greek Testament whereby they became skilful in the Languages and familiarly acquainted with the sacred Scriptures Twice also in the week he caused them to read in and dispute of his Enchirdion of the Reformed Religion and directed them in the making of their Sermons and the forwardest of them he directed how they might infuse the Principles of the Reformed Christian Religion into the Heathens by reasons drawn from Nature how they should instruct them gather a Church and govern the same Out of this Seminary in a few years were sent forth twelve Ministers famous for Learning and Piety to whom India oweth almost all her knowledge which she hath in the Reformed Religion Then did the Magistrates of Leiden by their Consul importune Wallaeus to give them leave to choose him into their Ecclesiastical Consiâ—ory but his wife and children disswaded him from it perceiving that he would sink under the burthen of so many imployments About this time there brake forth a great contention in Zeland between Telingius and Bursius Telingius was very careful to promote Piety whereupon he sharply reproved the sins of the times and observing much prophanation of the Sabbath by a Book which he published he endeavoured the Reformation of the same Upon this occasion Bursius his son wrote a complaint in verse wherein the Church bemoaned her self as if she had lost her liberty and therein he endeavoured to confute â—elingius about the Institution of the Lords Day Gomarus also who was very intimate with Bursius supplyed him with Arguments Telingius his friends were much offended at this so that there was great danger least the Church should be divided into parties and factions Voetius also published a youthly writing wherein he sought more to jerk his Adversaries then to edifie the Church Hereupon Wallaeus resumed those things which he had formerly read over and drew them into a larger Treatise about the Sabbath which also he printed to the great joy of the Churches who as they highly prized his Learning so now had cause to admire his wisdom And this work of his was so approved of that by Silvius Pastor of Amsterdam it was turned into Dutch their Native Language And it pleased God by this means to put an end to the aforenamed contentions Only Gomarus thinking it dishonorable to be silent published a little Book De Investigatione Sabbathi which Rivet answered and when Gomarus replyed Rivet answered again And though Gomarus found few or no followers yet to prevent the worst Wallaeus in his Publick Lectures answered such things as seemed to be new in Gomarus At the first Reformation of Religion in the Low-Countries there was a certain Elder of the Church of Embdea a godly man that turned Luthers Translation of the Bible into Low-Dutch But being skilful neither in the Hebrew nor Greek nor well acquainted with the High-Dutch there were many Errors in it whereupon the Ministers of the Law-Countries so soon as they were setled in their Lâ—berties from under the Spanish yoak began to think upon Translating the Bible out of the Originals and the States to promote so good a work made choice of Phili◠〈◊〉 of Saint Aldegunâ— to go to Leiden and there wholly to employ himself in this work which he willingly undertook and prosecuted to the year 1602. at which time he dyed having begun many Books of the Old Testament but had only finished Job Psalms and Proverbs Hereupon Arnold Cornelius Pastor of Delph and Warner Helmichius Pastor of Amsterdam were appointed to finish what Marnixius had begun They accordingly prosecuted that work but being much hindered by their Pastoral Office they dyed before they could finish it And presently after the Controversies of the Remonstrants springing up caused that work to cease till the Synod at Dort At which time the Remonstrants being cited to appear before the Synod at a certain day they appeared not whereupon the Moderator considering what the Synod should fall upon till they appeared propounded the version of the Bible into the Belgick Tongue And so they unanimously agreed to carry on that work and set down rules which the Translators were to follow The Translators also were chosen and least by the death of any of them the work should be impeded they substituted some to succeed such as should die Anno Christi 1627. the Synod being before dissolved the Deputies of the Provincial Synods requested the States General that the version of the Bible might now be carryed on which they easily assented to and appointed Wallaeus and Testus Hommius to deal with the Magistrates and Churches that the Translators might during the continuance of that work 〈◊〉 be freed from their Pastoral employments By the authority and perswasions of
these two men the thing was granted so that Anno Christi 1628 the Interpreters of the Old Testament repaired to Leiden who were John Bogerman William Bâ—udartius and Gerson Bucer The year after they met together who were to Translate the New Testament and the Apochrypha and these were Anthony Wâ—llaeus Festus Hâ—mmius and James Rolâ—â—dus These men set upon the work with unwearyed labor And that which they aimed at was to make a new and accurate version out of the Originals and as much as the Geniuâ— of the Language would permit to translate it word for word and whereas in the Original any word might admit of a various Interpretation they endeavoured to finde out some Dutch word that might answer to it And where any thing seemed obscure they labored to explain it by Marginal Notes and where any thing was doubtful to resolve it whereby they often gave a reason of their version they added also Parallel Scriptures When the Translators of the New Testament had proceeded to the end of the Acts of the Apostles James Rowland dyed in whose room Jodicus Hoingius succeeded and when the Translators of the Old Testament had proceeded to the beginning of Ezekiel Bucer dyed in whose room Anthony Thysius was substituted Assoon as they had finished any Book and imparted it each to other they printed it and sent it to certain supervisors in every Province appointed thereunto to be by them again examined When the whole version was thus finished An. Chri. 1634. by the order of the States General all the Supervisors met together at Leiden who were Anthony Thysius John Polyander Abdias Witmarius Jodocus Larenus Arnoldus Teeckmannus Bernard Fullenius James Revius and Francis Gomarus Not long after also the Supervisors of the New Testament met there who were Sâ—bastian Dammannus John Arnoldi Lindanus William Nieuhusius Charles Demaet Lodowick Gerhardus Bernard Fullenius Gasper Sibelius and Henry Altingius These Supervisors being met together chose their Moderarators Assessors and Scribes and then at their daily meetings having first implored the presence and assistance of Almighty God they were demanded whether they had found any thing in the Translation that needed change and what the Translators and Supervisors agreed upon that was concluded And so this great work was compleated Anno Christi 1635. And this was very observable That the same year a great Plague raged in the Low-Countries and especially in Leiden wherein there dyed twenty thousand persons and yet through Gods mercy not one of the Translators or Supervisors was touched with it no nor was ever sick all that while All being thus finished the Supervisors returned to their several imployments but the Translators committed the work to the Press and themselves were the Overseers to see to the correcting of it At the same time printing it with and without Notes in Folio which was finished Anno Christi 1637. At which time they presented it to the States who liked it excellent well and presently gave order that no other Bible should be used either in Churches or Schools which was accordingly followed The Remonstrants appointed four of their greatest Scholars to examine this translation for fear of partiality but when they found how candidly and faithfully the Translators had dealt they also accepted of it and it is judged the most exquisite translation that is extant In the version of Luther there is not so much skill shewed in the Language In the French they do not so much tie themselves to the words as to the sence And the English seems to favour Episcopacy too much whereas no remarkable defect can be observed in this and indeed the Translators did by their excessive and defatigable pains so wear out themselves that all of them dyed within three years after After he had concluded this great and tiresome work he attended his Professorship thinking to ease his minde and repair his decayed strength But he scarce had rested two moneths when he fell upon his Cases of Conscience For he found that the Pontificians in their Books whilst they pretended to reprove sin did but teach it And the Reformed Divines in many things filled the minds of the Readers with too many scruples whereas that only ought to be condemned which the Scripture accounts a sin and that therein also some cautions were necessary for we ought not so much to reprove those that are bad as to seek their amendment But before he had well begun this work he was again made Magnifique Rector of the University which place as it was of the greatest dignity in the City of Leiden so of the greatest care In the midsts of these imployments he found his Memory to begin to decay and his strength to fail so that he was forced to write his Lectures more largely then he was wont to do which he carryed on till he came to the Head concerning the Holy Ghost at which time death prevented his further progress Thus much for his publick life Now for his private He was not splendid abroad and sordid at home but always equal like himself He studyed no delights and was far from all lasciviousness His only recreation was to adorn his Orchard He was free from covetousness seldom looking after his outward estate and at length wholly divolved that burthen upon his eldest son called John He affected not vain-glory his habit was not costly yet therein he was rather negligent then sordid He had always a large house which was rather commodious then sumptuous In converse he was no boaster either of his Learning Judgement or Wit He never either extolled himself or debased others no not his Adversaries He never inserted reproaches into his publick Writings He never chose any subject to write on for ostentation but only such as might be most profitable to the Church He never sought for nor took great titles It was always his glory rather to be then to seem He never affected ease He was always much grieved for the afflictions of the Church And endeavoured in all things to keep a good and a clear Conscience He would never to gratifie friends give any other counsel then such as beseemed him either to the Church or Magistrate Neither did he ever request any for his children or kindred of which they were not worthy or might any way tend to the detriment of others When as the Magistrates of Leiden had often proffered him the house wherein Arminius dwelt and wherein now his widdow and children remained he would never accept of it till as when they saw that they could stay in it no longer themselves came to him and requested him to take it thanking him that he had deferred it so long He never hunted after the favour of great men thereby to enrich himself He only desired their favour so far as might be fit for him and advantagious to the Church If any thing was spoken in his presence which
he to Alting I give thee leave to take any one book and to carry it away with thee This proffer our generous Alting refused saying Sir If all these things be yours I pray God that you may enjoy them longer then their last Master did This was with Iob to say The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. Fortiter ille facit qui miser esse potest Thuâ— returning to his former refuge not without very great danger three days after Tilly who had taken up Altings son in Laws house for his Quarters was prevailed with to grant him a safe conduct to go to Heilbron to bring back his family from thence Thus escaping out of Heidleberg he passed through a thousand dangers and deaths till it pleased God at last to bring him safely to Heilbron from whence after a short stay he went to Schomdorf where he found his family In which place he stayed till Frebruary following having obtained leave so to do of the Duke of Wirtemberg by the mediation of his Dutches whom otherwise the Lutheran Divines would not have endured and indeed they fretted exceedingly at it having no other reason for their spleen but only because he was a Professor of Heidleberg The year following being 1623. the King of Bohemia sent for him into the Low-countries and at last through Gods mercy after a long difficult dangerous and chargable journey both by Water and Land he arrived safely with his Family at Embden and after a short stay there went into Holland presenting himself to his King who presently made him Tutor to his Eldest son Frederick Neither would the King suffer him to imbrace a frequent call which he had to a Pastoraâ— charge in Embden Yet neither did he pass over that year without great danger For as he was passing in a sled upon the ice nere Purmerend the ice breaking he fell into the water and was very neer drowning But by Gods mercy being pulled out he fell into a dangerous disease of which though he recovered yet he felt a continual pain in his left shoulder all his life after A while after taking all his Family with him he removed to Leiden to oversee the Kings sons in their studies Anno Christi 1625. Sibrand Lubbertus dying at Franekâ—r he was called by the States of Frisland to supply that place and they sent again and again to the King to desire his consent thereto But the King not consenting he modestly excused it Anno Christi 1626. he was called to Groning to supply the place of Ravensâ—erg one of the Professors of Divinity lately dead And though the King would by no means at first hear of it yet at the importunity of the Senate and University he at last consented and furnishing him with necessaries dismissed him So that he removed to Groning and the Easter following began his work in the University Anno Christi 1627. yet once a year he used to visit the King who always highly prized him and used him very familiarly He supplyed that Professors place at Groning for the space of eighteen years with admirable fidelity diligence and industry as not only his hearers but his works testifie As his Body of Divinity His Explication of Vrsins Catechism and the Belgick Confession His Disputations and Lectures against the Manual of Becanus His Tractates concerning the Plague Predestination and the Term of Life His Vindication and Explication of the Canons of the Synod of Dort Besides some other of his Works not yet printed He was three times Rector of the Academy in Groning In the years 1628. 1636 and 1641. At all which times he brought some great profit or other to the University In his first Rectorship he procured an encrease of Fellowships For whereas there were but forty before he encreased them to sixty In his second Rectorship he procured a great augmentation to the University Library In his third he obtained that one of the Doctors was sent at the Publick charge to Leiden to buy the choicest Books out of Gomarus his Library He was seven years Pastor of the Church of Groning At the request of Count Benthemius he visited the County of Steinfurt purged it from Socinianism and setled peace in the Churches He together with some other learned men was imployed in perusing and correcting the new Version of the New Testament and the Apocrypha Books wherein he attended it with great diligence and danger at Leiden the Plague being very rife amongst them at the same time He always had a singular care of the Churches of Germany and especially of the Pallatinate improving his interest in procuring liberal contributions in all the Reformed Churches for their maintenance that they might not perish through want The Collections which were made in England were committed to his distribution with two others by the Elector Charles Lodowick The contribution of that Noble and Munisicent man Lodowick de Geer was put into his hand for the training up of young German Students in Divinity which might when God should restore peace furnish the Churches of the Palatinate again which trust he discharged with great diligence and fidelity He refused the Cals which he had to Vtrick and Leiden For though he condescended to the latter when it was brought him Anno Christi 1633. by the Syndic of Leiden yet it was upon condition that the Provincial States of Groning would give their consents But he was too dear to them to be dismissed though several requests were made to them by the States of Holland for the obtaining thereof He was once calleâ— back by the Administrator of the Palatinate Prince Lodowick Philip to be Professor of Heidleberg and to restore the Churches in the Palatinate and for that end he went through many dangers as far as Franckfurt but by reason of the overthrow at Norlingen a new tempest hung over the Palatinate which hindred his prosecution of that work How much he watched over the good of the University of Groning how careful he was for the choice of able Professors in case of vacancy and how prevalent he was therein by reason of his favour and authority with the States is known to all that were his Contemporaries there He was very careful for the training up of young Students to the work of the Ministry that they should not be sent forth raw and unprovided to so great and difficult imployments for which end he caused Ecclesiastes Bucani to be printed for their use He marryed a wife whilst he was at Heidleberg Anno Christi 1614. a little before he was called to his Professors place Not rashly as many do marrying and getting children before they have means to maintain them She was a very religious Matron Susanna Belieria the daughter of Charles Belierius then Consul of Heidleberg with whom he lived lovingly without domestick quarrels for
finding his defect in the knowledge of the Tongues he learnt Greek wrote out S. Pauls Epistles and gat them by heart and grew so perfect that he understood Greek better then Latine and reading in S. Peter that no Scripture is of private interpretation he betook himself by earnest Prayer to God for the Spirit of Truth to be his Teacher and least he should be misled by a false spirit he compared Scripture with Scripture and expounded obscure Texts by those which were more clear In his Ministry he set himself much against the sins of the times especially against Pensions which the Switzers used to receive of Princes to serve as Mercenaries in their Armies which procured him much hatred After a while he was chosen to a place called Our Lords Hermitage by Theobaldus Guolzeggius the Baron thereof to which place there was great resort of people from all Countries who came on Pilgrimage which much moved him to embrace that Cal that he might have opportunity to disperse the knowledg of the Truth into several parts About this time one of the chief Ministers dying at Zurick they much desired Zuinglius to succeed him and he coming accidentally to that place was chosen Pastor there An. Chr. 1519. and began to Preach unto them the History of Christ out of Matthew Presently after there came one Sampson a Franciscan Fryar and a Preacher of Indulgences who was sent by the Pope into Switzerland to get money Zuinglius strongly opposed himself against him shewing him to be an Impostor The Bishop also of Constance wrote to Zuinglius to keep this Sampson out of Zurick because he had not acquainted him with his authority Yet when this Impostor came to Zurick because he was kept out he went to Badena setting forth the Popes Buls to sale Often crying out Behold they flie behold they flie as if he had seen with his Eyes the Souls which he had delivered out of Purgatory flying into Heaven Zuinglius also caused the Pope to be admonished by his Commissary not to Excommunicate Luther for that he foresaw the Germanes would despise both him and his Excommunication which also came to pass Anno Christi 1520. the Senate of Zurick by the Council of Zuinglius commanded the Preachers of their Jurisdiction freely to teach whatsoever might be proved by the Authority of the Prophets and Apostles passing by the Inventions of men Hereupon the Bishop of Constance by publick Proclamation forbad those of Zurick to Innovate any thing willing them to remain in the Faith of the Church of Rome till a Council might be convened But Zuinglius defended them and his writings and the Magistrates of Zurick entreated the Bishop to come to a Synod where learned men might confer together and determine what the people ought to believe Yet the Bishop wrote again to them shewing them what complaints he had heard of Zuinglius which he could not but take notice of the City belonging to his Jurisdiction But Zuinglius going to the Bench of Aldermen defended his Doctrine and satisfied them Anno Christi 1522. the Bishop wrote again to the College of Canons at Zurick exhorting them to take heed to themselves for that Pope Leo and the Emperour by their Proclamations had condemned those Doctrines he put them in minde therefore to obey those Decrees and not to innovate any thing in Religion till those whom it concerned had by Common-Council set down somewhat Hereupon Zuinglius wrote back to the Bishop that he understood by whose setting on he did these things but he wished him not to follow their Counsel For saith he the Truth is invincible and will not be resisted And afterwards some others joyning with him they wrote to the Bishop entreating him to Decree nothing against the Doctrine of the Gospel and that he would no longer endure the filthy and infamous life of the Priests but that he would suffer them to marry Zuinglius wrote also to the Helvetians that they should not hinder the course of the Gospel that they would not trouble Ministers for marrying for that the command for their living without Wives was the Doctrine of Satan He exhorted them also whereas their manner was in their Pages or parishes when they admitted a Priest to command him to take a Concubine least he should attempt the chastity of other women that instead thereof they should command them to take lawful ways About this time Luthers Books coming abroad though himself abstained from reading of them yet he perswaded his people to buy and read them which he did that they might see the agreement that was in their Doctrine being both taught by the same spirit There also he studyed Hebrew and gat the Senate to erect a School for Latine Greek and Hebrew and associating to himself Leo Judae he gat such skill in the Hebrew that he began to explain Isaiah and Jeremiah Shortly after there came to Zurick Franciscus Lambertus and disputed with Zuinglius about the Intercession of the Saints and the sacrifice of the Mass but being non-plus'd he left his Error and gave praise to God Zuinglius began also to write about this time and Pope Adrian wrote to him with great promises to oblige him to the Papal-Sea but all in vain Shortly after he perswaded the Senate to restrain the exorbitant number of Priests and Fryars yet withall to allow them a competent subsistence for their life time which was done accordingly and their revenues were imployed for the maintenance of the Ministry for advancement of Learning and for the Poor He pressed also the taking away of Images the abolishing of the Mass and the restoring of the Lords Supper which the Senate assented to and performed not only in the City of Zurick but through all the places within their jurisdiction Anno Christi 1523. when the Senators of Zurick understood that the Doctrine of Zuinglius was traduced everywhere as being wicked and ungodly they commanded all the Ministers of their Jurisdiction to meet together on the 29. of January about the differences of Religion promising that every one should be fully heard they beseeched also the Bishop of Constance that he would either come himself or send thither some of his Divines At the day appointed many met together John Faber the Bishops Vicar being also present who pleaded hard that this place was unfit to handle such causes but that they were to be referred to a general Council But Zuinglius urged him that if he had any thing against his Doctrine which he had published in 47 Positions he should produce it and he should be answered either by word of mouth or writing which when Faber would not consent to the Magistrates dismissed the Assembly and proclaimed throughout their Jurisdiction that the Gospel should be purely taught out of the Books of the Old and New Testament the Traditions of men being laid
aside and in February following Leo Judae was made Preacher in S. Peters Church in Zurick and he marryed a wife and the like did other Ministers Anno Christi 1524. the Magistrates of Zurick forbad Processions removed the Martyrs Tombs out of the chief Churches in the City Took down the Idols and Images and burned them publickly the like they did in all places as far as their Jurisdiction extended Also Katharine Cimmerin the Abbess delivered up her Nunnery into the hands of the Major marryed an husband and was by the Magistrates endowed with a large estate of yearly revenues Converting the Nunnery and the Revenues of it to the education of Youths under a good Master This year also Zuinglius marryed Ann Rembart the widdow of the Noble John Mouer Anno Christi 1525. the Mass was abolished at Zurick as Images had been the year before Concerning which Zuinglius thus telleth the story When saith he we dealt before the Bench of Senators consisting of two hundred about the abolishment of the Mass a certain Scribe or Notary stood up and spake thus O ye Fathers I am not of that rank to speak before you when any cause of the Common-wealth is handled but when matters of Salvation are treated of and the Faith it self is in danger it concerns every man to speak what he thinks I therefore profess that I am of opinion that the true flesh and blood of Christ is received in the Sacrament and I hope that you will by no means force me to the opinion of Zuinglius To this Zuinglius answered that no man at Zurick had been compelled to the Faith that he used no sophistical interpretation when he expounded this is my body For this signifies my body and so he went on to confirm his own opinion and to refell the others Then Henry Engelhard formerly a Popish Doctor but now a Disciple of Christ said I shall prove by Scripture that the bread cannot be the body of Christ for it s neither the natural nor glorified nor mystical Body of Christ therefore not his body c. After this conflict was ended the Aldermen appointed that after dinner four of them should confer with Zuinglius and his Brethren that so weighty a business might be gravely discussed for the better satisfying of some that still doubted When they were met together the business was variously debated and in the end resolved that it should again be referred to the hearing of the Bench of Aldermen And the next day when they were again met together Zuinglius and his Brethren still desired that the Mass might wholly be abolished Whereupon the Scribe stood up again and told Zuinglius that he had said indeed with these words This is my body Christ meant this signifies my body but had not sufficiently proved it by Testimonies of Scripture For saith he whereas you have instanced The Seed is the Word the Field is the World the Enemy is the Devil c. These make not to the purpose for there Christ spake Parabolically but this is no Parable when he saith This is my body To this Zuinglius answered that though he spake not Parabolicaly yet the spake Tropically Upon this the Aldermen Decreed that hereafter the Eucharist should be celebrated according to Christs Institution and that the Mass should be no more used amongst them At this the whole Church much rejoyced only a few of the ruder sort repined urging that the Protestant Ministers should produce some example out of the Scripture wherein the words ought to be in the like manner expounded Hereupon they began to revolve all things yet no example came into their mindes But a few nights after Zuinglius dreamed that he contended again with the Scribe till he was aweary and at last was so dumb that he could not speak whereupon he was exceedingly troubled but after awhile a Monitor came to him from above who said O thou sluggard why dost thou not answer him with that which is written in the 12. of Exodus This is the Passeover of the Lord Immediately he awakened and leaping out of his bed examined the Text and the next day disputed it before the whole Assembly which was entertained with such approbation that all were well satisfied and saith he the three next days we had the greatest Sacraments that ever I saw and the number of those that looked back to the Garlick and Flesh-pots of Egypt was far less then men thought they would have been Anno Christi 1526. The other Pages of the Helvetians had often sent to Zuricâ— to cast off their new Religion and to return to the old The Senators answered that they would obey if they might be convinced of Error whereupon the Helvetians invite Eccius to dispute with Zuinglius and Eccius himself wrote a bitter Letter to the Ambassadors of Zurick met at Baden wherein he accused Zuinglius of Heresie requiring them to appoint a time and place whither he might come to prove it Zuinglius hearing of it wrote an Apology for himself to the Ambassadors saying that Eccius dealt both inhumanely and ungodly with him For saith he if I be an Heretick Eccius should have admonished me either by Letters or face to face to convince me of Heresie and not have traduced me to the Magistrates before I was heard He wrote also that he was ready to dispute with Eccius before his own Auditors not admitting any other Judge then the Word of God Eccius replyeth to this Epistle interweaning many slanders and desiring that the place for Disputation might be either Lucern or Baden Zuinglius answered that if Eccius refused to come to Zurick he had much more reason to refuse those places where he was already condemned of Heresie and where his death and destruction was sought after Then did the Senators of Zurick write to Eccius to come thither upoâ— the Publick Faith but Eccius refused now accusing Oecolampâ—dus also At length the twelve Pages Decreed that they must needs dispute and after much contest the meeting was at Zuâ—ick the Disputants were Eccius and Oecolampâ—dus but no good issue came of it So that the nine Pages concluded that Zuinglius the chief man of the new Religion must be excommunicated and all others that had not been reformed by this conference The year after they of Bern appointed a Disputation which the Popish Pages opposed but they proceeded in it and the issue was that the Disputation being ended by Publick consent they Decreed that Masses Altars Images and all Superstitions brought in contrary to the Word of God should be at once taken away out of their City and large Territories Monasteries and Nunneries they turned into Schools Then they renounced the League of the French King forbidding him to leavy any Mercenaries in their Dominions contenting themselves only with that payâ— which he giveth to every Page for friendship as they of Zurick had also done Lastly they write
condition I was saith he about two months close Prisoâ—er in the Tower after that without my sâ—eking I had the liberty of the Tower granted me and so I continued about halfe a year till refusing to be present at Mass I was shut up close prisoner again The last Lent but one by reason of the rising in Kent the Tower was so full of prisoners that my Lord Arch Bish. of Canterbury Master Latimer Master Bradford and my selfe were all put into one Prison where we remained till almost Easter and then Doctor Cranmer Master Latimer and my selfe were sent down to Oxford and were suffered to have nothing with us but what we carried upon us Aâ—bout Whitsuntide following was our disputations at Oxford after which we had Pen Ink and all things taken from us yea and our own servants were removed from us and strangers set in their steads and all of us kept apart as we are unto this daâ— God be blessed we are all three in health and of good cheer and have looked long agoe to have been dispatched for within a 〈◊〉 or two after our disputations we wâ—re condemned for Hereticâ—s The Lords wil be fulfilled in us c When he was brought before the Popes Dâ—legate the Bishop of Lincoln in the Divinity School in Oxford whilst the Commission was reading he stood â—are till he heard the Cardinall named and the Popes holiness and then he put on his Cap and being aâ—monished by the Bishop to pull it off he answered I do not put it on in contempt to your Lordship c. but that by this my behaviour I may make it appear that I acknowledg in 〈◊〉 point the usurped Supremacy of Rome and therfore I utterlâ— contemne and despise all Authority coming from the Pope Then the Bishop commanding the Bedle to pull off his Cap he bowing his head suffered him quietly to do it After diverse examinations he was at last degraded condemned and delivered to the Bailisss to be kept till the nâ—xt day when he should be burned The night before he suffered he caused his beard to be shaven and his feet washed and bad his Hostess and the rest at the board to his wedding He asked his brother also whether his sister could finde in her heâ—r to bâ—e present at it Yea said hee I dare say with all her heart His Hostess Mistris Irish weeping he said O Mistris Irish I see now that you love me not for in that you weep it appears that you will not be at my marriage nor are therewith content I see you are not so much my friend as I thought but quiet your self though my break-fast be somewhat sharpe and painâ—ull yet I am sure my Supper shall be more pleasant and sweet His brother proffering to watch with him he refused it saying I intend to goe to bed and sleep as quietly as ever I did in my life In the morning he came forth in a fair black gowne faced with foins and tippet of velvet c. and looking behind him he spied Master Latimer coming after to whom he said O! bee you there Yea said Latimer have-after as fast as I can follow Coming to the stake he lift up his hands and eyes stedfastly to heaven and espying Master Latimer he ran with a cheerfull countenance to him embraced and kissed him and comforted him saying Be of good heart brother for God will either asswage the fury of the flame or give us strength to abide it So he went to the stake kneeled by it kissed it and prayed earnestly and being about to speak to the people some ran to him and stopped his mouth with their hands Afterwards being stripped he stood upon a stone by the stake saying O heavenly father I give thee hearty thanks for that thou hast called me to be a professor of thee even unto death I beseech thee Lord God have mercy upon this Realm of England and deliver it from all its enemies As a Smith was knocking in the staple which held the chain he said to him Good fellow knock it in hard for the flesh will have his course Then his brother brought a bag of gunpowder and would have tyed it about his neck Doctor Ridley asked what it was His Brother answered gunpowder then said he I take it as being sent of God therefore I will receive it as sent from him And when he saw the flame a coming up to him he cryed with a loud voice In manus tuas c. Into thy hands Lord I commend my spirit Lord receive my soul But the fire being kept down by the wood he desired them for Christs sake to let the fire come to him which his brother in law mis-understanding still heaped on faggots whereby his nether parts were burned before his upper parts were touched At last his upper parts fell down into the fire also and so he slept in the Lord. Bishop Ridley upon a time crossing the Thames there rose on a sudden such a Tempest that all in the boat were astonished looking for nothing but to be drowned Take heart said he for this boat carrieth a Bishop that must be burned and not drowned He suffered martyrdome Anno Christi 1555. He was a man so reverenced for his learning and knowledge in the sacred Scriptures that his very enemies were enforced to acknowledge that he was an excellent Clerk and if his life might have been redeemed with monie the Lord Dacres of the North being his Kinsman would have given 10000l for the same rather then that he should be burned But so unmercifull and cruel was Q. Mary that notwithstanding D. Ridleys gentleness towards her in King Edward the sixth days she would by no intreaties nor other means be perswaded to spare his life The tender mercies of the wicked are cruelty In a Letter which he wrote to his friends he hath this passage I warne you my friends that ye be not astonished at the manner of my dissolution for I assure you I think it the greatest honor that ever I was called to in all my life and therefore I thank the Lord God heartily for it that it hath pleased him of his great mercy to cal me to this high honor to suffer death willingly for his sake and in his cause wherefore all you that be my true lovers and friends rejoyce and rejoyce with me again and render with me hearty thanks to God our heavenly Father that for his sons sake my Saviour and Redeemer Christ he hath vouchsafed to call me being else without his gracious goodness in my selfe but a sinful and vile wretch to cal me I say to this high dignity of his true Prophets faithfull Apostles and of his holy and chosen Martyrs to dye and to spend this temporall life in the defence and maintenance of his eternall and everlasting truth Whist he was Mr. of Pembrook-hall he used to walk much in the Orchard
where he learned without book almost all Pauls Epistles and the Epistles of James Peter John and Jude concerning which himself said Though in time I did forget much of them againe yet the sweet smel thereof I trust I shall carry with me into heaven and the profit thereof I have felt in all my life time hitherto HVGH LATIMER The Life of Hugh Latimer who dyed A no Christi 1555. HUgh Latimer born at Thirkesson in the County of Leicester being of a prompt and sharp wit was by his parents brought up in learning and at the age of fourteene he went to Cambridge where after he had profited in other studies he gave himself to the study of School-Divinity Commenced Batchelor in Divinity and was a very zealous Papist made an Oration against Philip Melancthon Railed against Master Stafford Divinity-Lecturer and willed the Scholars in no wise to believe him He was so zealous in his Popish Religion and therewith so scrupilous that being a Priest and using to say Mass he was so servile an observer of the Romish Decrees that he thought he had never sufficiently mixed his Massing-wine with water and that he should never be damned if once he were a professed Frier He used to carry the Crosse before the Procession Master Thomas Bilney seeing Mr. Latimer to have a zeal in his wayes although without knowledge was stricken with a brotherly pitty towards him thinking by what meanes he might best win this ignorantly zealous brother to the true knowledge of Christ And thereupon going to his study he desired him to hear him make a Confession of his Faith which Latimer consenting to was so touched thereby that he gave over School Divinity and studied more Orthodox Divines So that whereas before he was an enemy and almost a persecutor of Christ he was now a zealous seeker after him changing his old manner of cavilling and railing into diligent conferring with Mr. Bilney and others And asked Mr. Stafford forgivenesse before he died Being thus wonne to Christ he was not satisfied with his own conversion but pittying the misery of others he became a powerfull publick Preacher and an instructor of many in private also whereupon the Devill raised up many Doctors and Fryers against him and the Bishop of Ely forbade him to preach Anno Christi 1529 yet he continued three years preaching with much applause yea the Bishop himself hearing him upon a time commended him and wished that he had the like gifts himself He used often to visit the Prisoners to relieve the needy and feed the hungry Amongst the Adversaries which the Devill raised against him one was Doctor â—edman who wrote to him to divert him from the Truth To which he madâ— this short answer Reverend Mr. Redman It 's enough for me that Christs shâ—ep hear no mans voice but Christs and as for you you have no voice of Christ against me whereas for my part I have an heart ready to hearken to any voice of Christ that you can produce Thus fare you well and trouble me no more from talking with the Lord my God But shortly after complaint was made against him to the Cardinal who sent for him but by the meanes of Dr. buts the Kings Physitian a favourer of good men he was chosen into the number of those which laboured in the cause of the Kings Supremacy whereupon he went to the Court and lodged in Doctor Buts his chamber preaching many times in London At last being weary of the Court by the Lord Cromwel's means he had a living given him in Wiltshire whither he presently removed The place was called West-Kingstone near Sarum where with much diligence he instructed his flock and preached zealously many times abroad in the Country Whereupon some Popish Priests drew up Articles against him and he was much molested by the Bishop of London and Warham Archbishâ—p of Canterburie by whom he was cited to appear before him and the Bishop of London These malicious persons detained him for a long space from his cure at home calling him three times every week before them which much troubled him seeing they would neither preach themselves nor suffer him to doe his duty Hereupon hee wrote to the Archbishop expostulating with him for so detaining him from his charge and that for no just cause but onely for preaching the truth against sundry abuses which were crept into the Church Yet this nothing prevailed till the King rescued him out of their hands and at the request of the Lord Cromwell made him Bishop of Worcester In which place he busily employed himself in instructing his flock and giving them a good example by his holy life He spent all his time in study teaching preaching exhorting visiting correcting and reforming to the utmost of his power and as the times could bear and though he could not utterly extinguish the reliques of Popery yet he so wrought that they should be used with as little hurt and with as much profit as might be Yet neither there was he quiet for one of great place accused him to the King for preaching Sedition but the King rested satisfi'd with his answer At New-years-tide the Bishops us'd to present the King with a New-years gift and Bishop Latimer amongst the rest presented him with the New Testament wrapped up in a Napkin with this Posie about it Fornicatores adulteros judicabit Dominus Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge But the six Articles coming out and he seeing that he could not retain his Office with a good conscience of his own accord he resigned his Bishoprick And when he put off his Rochet in his chamber amongst his friends he gave a skip in the floor for joy feeling his shoulders lighter and being as he said discharged of so heavy a burthen This was Anno Christi 1539 after which he betooke himself again to his mean Parsonage at West-Kingston in VViltshire not farre from Bristow Yet by the malice of certain Popish Priests who slandered his Doctrine he was much endangered whereupon he had recourse to Mr. Ralph Morrice who was Doctor Cranmers right hand by whose intreatie the Archbishop so prevailed with the King for him that for the present he was freed out of his troubles yet neither then would the Bishops suffer him to be quiet till he was layd up in the Tower where he remained till Edward the sixth's Reign At which time being restored to his liberty he continued a faithfull and painfull preacher all that Kings dayes preaching twice every Sabbath though 67 yeares of age He rose to his Study Winter and Summer at two a clock in the morning He evidently fore-saw and fore-told aâ—l those plagues which England afterwards felt under Queen Mary and fore-told concerning himself that his preaching of the Gospel would cost him his life and that Winchester was