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
Magdeburg He also made John Amandus Superintendent of those Churches and Michael Volmetius Master of their School Anno Christi 1541 he was sent by the Elector of Saxonie to govern the Church at Naumberg in the Palatinate where also the year after he was ordained Bishop by Luther three other Pastors also imposing their hands upon him who were Nicholas Medler Pastor of Naoburg George Spalatine Pastor of Aldenburg and â—olphgang Steinius Pastor of Leucopetra But six years after he was driven away from thence by the Emperour Charles the sift whence he fled to Magdeburg which at that time was the common place of refuge for the godly who fled from the indignation of Caesar. Anno Christi 1548 Amsdorf amongst others opposed himself in that sad controversie about things indifferent which continued for whole tenne yeares and when Anno Christi 1550 Madgeburg was besieged Amsdorf yet remained there and the year after George Major having published this proposition That good works were necessary to salvation Amsdorfius in heat of contention wrote That good works were hurtfull and dangerous to salvation In the midst of these digladiations amongst Divines Amsdorf came to his old age having now attained to eighty years at which time he quietly slept in the Lord Anno Christi 1563. Scripsit de sacra coena Epitomen Chronicorum Naucleri de Paparum perfidia in Romanos Imperatores Novi anni votum principibus viris oblatum Subscriptionem censurae sententiae Saxo. Ecclesiarum adversus G. Majoris doctrinam Item contra Tilemannum Heshufium W. MVSCVLVS The Life of Musculus who dyed A no Christi 1563. WOlfgangus Musculus was born at Dusa in Lorrain An. Christi 1497 of honest parents who seeing his aptness to Learning bred him at School When he was young he fell sick of the Plague but it pleased God to restore him He had an exceeding prompt wit and had such an ardent desire to his book that he was never a weary of reading and writing so that he rather needed a bridle than spurs never departing from School and his book till he was forced When he was grown up to some bignes his parents sent him abroad into other countries with slender provision that by singing at doors as the manner of those times was he might get his living and thereby learn patience temperance and humility and might follow his book the better Being thus sent from his parents he came to Rapersvil in Alsatia where a certain Widdow entertained him and in which place hee went to School but met with much hunger and want till as by his honest and modest deportment he became known to the noble Earl of Rapersvil from whom he received many favours From thence after a while he went to Slestade and gat into the School and being naturally much addicted to Poetry he spent his time in reading such Authors And thus he continued till he was fifteen years old about which time he returned to visit his parents and going into the Monastery of Lexheim by the way at the time of their Even-song hee joyned with them in singing and the Prior taking notice of him and liking his ingenious countenance and voice followed him out of the Church when all was ended and enquir'd of him what he was and whether he liked to live in a Monastery and withall proffered if he would accept of it to admit him into that Monastery to cloath him and provide other necessaries for him at his own cost He being very glad of this proffer went to his parents acquainted them with it and they looking upon it as a great mercy went presently with him to the Monastery where the Prior according to his promise entertained him as his own sonne and afterwards sent him to the Bishop for Orders There he lived till he was thirty yeares old and when others were drinking and playing he with a book in his hand would walk into a grove to study For though in his youth he was of a chearfull and merry disposition and much delighted in liberall exercises both of body and mind yet he disliked the illiberall contests of his fellows who spent their time in dice and drinking and such like practises But in the mean time he had a great want of books that Monastery having no Library belonging to it yet at last he found a great heap of parchments at the roof of the house amongst which he met with some of Tullies works and all Ovids These therefore he read over especially Ovid being so much addicted to Poetry that many times he made verses in his sleep and could make a verse upon every thing he met with and grew so perfect therein that with Ovid he could say Sponte sua carmen numeros veniebat in aptos Quicquid conabar dicere versus erat And together with his Poetry hee applyed himself to Musick which the Prior taking notice of caused him to be taught to play on the Organs At twenty years of age hee studied Divinity and excelling all the other Monks in learning and eloquence was presently chosen a publick Preacher and being often told by an old man in that house Si vis fieri bonus Concionator da operam ut sis bonus Biblicus If you will be a good Preacher study to be well acquainted with the Scripture hee betook himself night and day to reading and meditation upon the Bible He first preached in the Church of Lixhâ—im and in three other Churches belonging to that Monastery but his zeal and eloquence making him famous he was requested to preach in divers other places About the year 1518 Luthers books began to come abroad into the world and Musculus having some of them sent him read them with much seriousness and delight and God thereby revealing the Truth to him he became a zealous maintainer of it not onely in the Monastery by conference and disputation but in his publick Sermons also so that he was commonly called the Lutherane Monk and whereas Luthâ—r was charged by some with Heresie he stoutly defended him saying It may be Luther may erre in some things which is common to the nature of man yet he is not therefore to be accounted an Heretick according to thâ— saying of Saint Augustine Errare possum haereticus esse nolo I may erre but I will not be an Heretick And his labours proved not fruitlesse for through Gods blessing upon them he converted many of that fraternity who afterwards left their Abbey and became zealous professors of the Truth unto death And divers others also abroad were converted by him and amongst them a certaine Nobleman called Reinhard of Rotenburg who was Captaine of the Castle at Lutzelsteine and Protector of that Colledge a man of much account with the Palatine by whom he was protected from many dangers and snares that were laid for him especially by the Bishop and some old Monks that were
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
Wood or Marble His Table rather for Discourse and Disputation then for rich Banqueting and it had Ingraven upon it Quisquis amat dictis absentem rodere famam Hanc mensam indictam noverit esse sibi He that doth love an absent friend to jeer May hence depart no room is for him heer Which rule some of his Fellow Bishops upon a time forgetting he sharply reprehended them for it and told them that he must either blot those Verses out of his Table or arise from dinner and go to his chamber He would never buy either House or Land but any thing that was given to the Church he would not refuse it yet he often refused Inheritances when dying persons would have given them to the Church not but that he thought theâ— might be profitable to the Poor but because he judged it fit and equal that their Children Parents or Kindred should rather inherit them often saying that it was fitter that Legacies should be left to the Church then Inheritances which are troublesome and sometimes chargeable yet those Legacies he would have freely given and not begged or extorted from men He was almost wholly taken up with heavenly affairs wherein he labored both day and night with Mary choosing the better part which could not be taken from him He was very careful of the Poor and in case of great want would â—ell the Ornaments of the Church for their relief And when the Church stock was spent he used to declare to the people that he had nothing left wherewith to relieve the Poor that thereby he might stir up their charity to contribute to so good a work All his Presbyters lived with him in the same House fed with him at the same Table and were maintained and clothed out of the common purse He always judged it fit that Ministers should be present at Marriages both to testifie the mutual consents and compromises and to bestow his Benediction upon the married persons He always kept Scholars in his house whom he fed and clothed He was so severe against Oaths that he abated of their allowance to those that swore He never admitted women into his house though of his own kindred no not his own Sister when she was a Widdow and had wholly devoted her self to the Service of God nor his Uncles daughter nor his Brothers daughter saying that though they might dwell in his house without suspition yet they could not be without Maids or other Women would come to visit them which could not be without offence and scandal and when any Women sent to him being desirous to see or speak with him he would always have some of his Ministers present and would never speak with them alone He praised one who when he was sick said I have not lived so that I am ashamed to live longer nor do I fear to dye having so good a Master to go to In his latter days he looked over all his Books Those which he wrote at his first Conversion whilst he was a Lay-man and those which he wrote when he was a Minister and lastly those which he wrote when he was a Bishop and whatsoever he found in them less agreeing with the Word of God and the Ecclesiastical Constitutions he corrected or retracted Of which he wrote two Volumes which he called his Retractations He complained also that some Ministers had gotten and divulged some of his Books before he had perfected them though afterwards he amended them Yet being prevented by death he left some of his Books unperfected And being desirous to profit all knowing that many were desirous to read much which yet for want of time they could not do out of the Old and New Testament he collected such Precepts as concerned the rule of a Christian Life and such things as were forbidden in the same which he composed into a Book adding a Preface to it that so every one which pleased might read it and thereby discern how obedient or disobedient he was unto God and this he called A Looking-Glass But shortly after brake out by the permission of God that hideous inundation of Goths and Vandals and other Northern people who were ensis Dei Gods sword to punish the pride of the Romane Empire These sailing out of Spain arrived in Africk over-running the whole Country of Mauritania and other African Provinces and Countries laying all waste before them and destroying all they could with barbarous cruelty and inhumanity filling all places with torments of all sorts murthers burnings and with innumerable and abominable depopulations sparing neither sex nor age no not the Ministers of Jesus Christ The Churches Ornaments they plundered the Churches themselves they demolished and like incarnate Devils made havock of all This holy man of God lived to see these grievous calamities and was not affected with them only as other men were but considering them more deeply and profoundly and in them foreseeing the great danger of souls he poured forth Prayers and tears day and night For he saw Cities subverted Villages destroyed the Inhabitants being either slain or driven away Churches destitute of Ministers holy Virgins defloured some of them dying under their torments some slain with the sword some led into captivity in danger of having their souls infected with Error and Heresie and their bodies enslaved under a cruel Enemy He saw the Psalms of Thanksgiving ceased in the Congregations the Temples burned and the solemn Assemblies to be given over The Sacraments either not to be sought after or none to dispense them to those that desired them And for those which fled into Mountains Woods Desarts Caves of the Earth or to any other places of refuge they were either hunted out and slain or perished with famine and drought The Bishops and Ministers of Churches which had by the goodness of â—od escaped their bloody hands being spoiled of all things went about begging their bread He scarce saw of all the innumerable Churches of Africk three remaining viz. Carthage Hippo and Circe which through Gods mercy yet remained in some safety though not long after his death Hippo being sorsaken of her Inhabitants was burned by the Enemy These things this good man much bewailed and that which much encreased his sorrow was that just now the Enemies were coming to besiege Hippo the Governor whereof was one Earl Boniface This siege lasted fourteen moneths wherein Augustine with his fellow Bishops that were fled thither for refuge and his Presbyters exercised themselves wholly in Prayers and Tears intreating the Father of Mercies to be merciful to them and to preserve his Church from the rage of the Adversaries And one day as they sate at dinner together Augustine said to them You know Brethren that from the beginning of this siege my daily Prayers have been that God would either free us from it or give his servants patience and courage to undergo what he imposeth or to take me out of
Collen where he applyed himself to the study of the Arts and Tongues and afterwards betook himself to the study of Divinity and commenced Batchelor in Divinity Then returned he into his own Country and at Bern was chosen first a Canon and after that a publick Preacher For indeed he excelled all his Colleagues in Piety Learning and Eloquence About this time Hulderick Zuinglius began to Preach at Glorana and afterwards at Zurick the Gospel of Christ purely by whose Ministry it pleased God to enlighten our Haller who not consulting with flesh and blood presently adjoined himself to Zuinglius and endeavoured to propagate the Truth both publickly and privately Anno Christi 1526. the twelve Pages of the Helvetians appointed a Disputation at Baden about matters of Religion whither when Zuinglius could not go with safety Oecolampadius and Haller went thither where they had a great dispute with John Eccius the Pontificians Champion The year after the Bernates which is the most potent Canton of the Switzers desired a Copy of that Disputation and when they could not obtain it and the differences about Religion began to encrease by a publick writing set forth Decemb. the seventeenth they appointed another Disputation in their City to which they invited their neighbor Bishops intreating them also to bring their Divines along with them which if they refused they threatened to lay a fine upon their possessions which were within their Jurisdiction They also invited any other Divines out of other parts to come to the Disputation promising them safety upon the Publick Faith They also agreed upon Laws for the Disputation and published the Questions which were to be handled which were That the Church hath but one head viz. Christ and that she knows not the voice of any other That the Church can make no Laws besides the Word of God and therefore no man is bound by Traditions That Christ hath satisfied for the sins of the World and therefore they which seek out any other way of Salvation or expiating their sins deny Christ. That the body and blood of Christ are not received corporally in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper That the Mass wherein Christ is offered up to his Father for the quick and dead is blasphemy and an abomination before God That Christ alone is our Mediator and Advocate to his Father and that no other is to be sought out or invocated That after this Life there is no Purgatory That Images are not to be worshipped and therefore that all that are set up in Churches for that end ought to be taken away That Matrimony is not prohibited to any order of men January the seventh Anno Christi 1528. this Disputation was held and the issue of it was the most were satisfied in all these points so that presently after Popery was cast out of the City and all the large Territories of the Bernates by the unanimous consent of all though the Pontificians did all that possibly they could to hinder it and by their example some of their neighbors did the like and in particular the City of Geneva When thus our Haller had been a great instrument of Reformation in this Country and had set things in good order in the Church so that his fame began much to spread abroad it pleased God to take him away by an immature death Anno Christi 1536. and of his Age 44. to the great grief of all his friends The Life of Urbanus Regius who dyed Anno Christi 1541. VRbanus Regius was born in Argalonga in the Territories of Count Montfort of honest Parents who bred him up in Learning and when his childhood was over they sent him to Lindau where was a School famous both for the Masters and store of Scholars here he profited much in Grammer Learning so that from thence he was sent to Friburg where he was a diligent Auditor of sundry men excelling in all kinde of Learning Then was he entertained in the house of Zasius an Excellent Lawyer who loved him dearly for his diligence and industry Zasius also allowed him the use of his Library in which Regius did as it were hide himself diligently reading over all such Authors as were fit for his studies and therein especially observed such Notes as Zasius in his younger days had written in the Margins of them which Notes Regius in the night time used to write out so that when Zasius arose sometimes in the night because he could not sleep he still found Regius writing out those Annotations whereupon he used softly to pull him by the Ear saying Thou wilt get all my Art and Learning from me And when at any time he had found him asleep with his head leaning on the table he used to lay one or two great law-Law-books upon his shoulders and so leave him till he waked Zasius loved him as his son both for the sweetness of his nature and carriage as also for his diligence and industrie in his studies When thus at Friburg he had informed his judgement and stored his minde with Learning he went to Basil that by hearing the Professors of the Arts and Tongues he might enrich himself with more Polite Learning At this time of all the Universities of Germany Ingolstade was the most famous which was governed by John Eccius a most learned man in Philosophy whose fame coming to the Ears of Regius he left Basil and went to Ingolst ade In that place where there was a great confluence of Students besides the publick Lectures there were many which read privately amongst whom Regius also set to reading private Lectures having many that resorted to hear him At last divers Noblemen sent their sons to him to be educated desiring him to furnish their children with books and all other necessaries for which they would take care to pay him again quarterly but when he had run into debt for them they neglected to return their money which caused him to think of departing being tired out with the importunity of his Creditors and having an opportunity he listed himself a Souldier under a Captain that went against the Turks leaving his books and other furniture to be divided amongst the Creditors Being now amongst the Souldiers it happened that John Eccius who was Governor of the University coming forth to see the Souldiers espyed Regius amongst them and enquiring the cause of his so sudden a change he told him how those Noble men had served him whereupon Eccius got him released from his Captain and by his Authority procured the Debts to be paid by the Parents of those Youths which had been with him whereupon he returned to his studies again and growing famous for his wit and learning Maximilian the Emperour passing through Ingolstade made him his Laureat-Poet and Orator After the departure of Maximilian he grew so grateful to Ernest Duke of Bavaria and Leonard Eccius a Noble man
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
profited in learning very much Then by hiâ— mother who was very rich he was bound to a Marchant in London called S ir William Chester But Almighty God who hath his secret workings in all things provided better imployment for his servant for he no way liked that cours of life so that when his other fellows were busily imployed about their worldly affaires he would secretly withdraw himself into some privat corner and there fall into his solitary lamentations And it fell out that his Master being a good man one day heard him in his secret prayers bewayling his condition whereupon questioning with him he found that he did not fansie that kind of life but that his mind was wholly bent to his book and spirituall contemplations upon this occasion his Master acquainting his friends with it gave him back his Indentures and released him from his service And Laurence Saunders being ravished with the love of learning especially with reading Gods Word shortly after returned to Cambridg where also he studied Greek and Hebrew but especially the holy Scriptures to fit himself for the work of the Ministry He was frequent and very fervent in prayer and when assaulted by temptations he still found much support and comfort in prayer whereby he gained such experience that he became a great comforter of others with the same consolations which himself had found from God He Commenced Master of Arts and stayed long after in the Universitie In the beginning of King Edward's Reign he began to preach being first Ordained a Minister and that with such generall approbation that he was chosen to read a Divinity Lecture at Fotheringaie where by his Doctrine and life he edified many and drew many ignorant persons to God and stopped the mouths of the adversaries About this time hee married a wife and from thence was removed to the Minster of Liechfield where also he by his life and Doctrine gat a good report even from his adversaries for his learning and godlines From thence he was removed to Church Langton in Leicestershire where he taught diligently and kept a bountifull house and from thence to Alhollows in Breadstreet-London and after his admission there he went back into the Countrey to resigne his Benefice which fell out when Queen Mary raised stirs to get the Crown by reason whereof hee could not accomplish his purpose In his journey he preach'd at Northampton not medling with the state but boldly delivering his conscience against Popish Doctrine and errors which said he are like to spring up again as a just plague for the litle love which England hath born to the true Word of God so plentifully offered to them Some of the Queens men which were there and heard him were highly displeased with him for his Sermon and for it kept him prisoner amongst them for a time but partly out of respect to his brethren and friends which were chief sticklers for the Queen and partly because there was no Law broken by his preaching they at length dismissed him And he seeing the dreadfull day approaching inflamed with godly zeall preached faithfully at both his Benefices not having opportunitie to resign either but into the hands of Papists And notwithstanding the Proclamation to the contrary he taught diligently the Truth at his Countrie place where he then was confirming the people and arming them against fals-doctrine till he was not onely commanded to cease but by force was resisted Some counselled him to flie out of the Kingdom which he refused and being hindred there from preaching he travelled toward London to visit his flock in that place But coming near London Master Mordant one of the Queen's Councill overtook him asking him whither he went I have said Mr Saunders a Pastorall charge in London whither I am going to instruct my people according to the truth If you wil follow my counsel quoth Mordant let them alone and come not at them But said Mr Saunders how then shall I be discharged before God If any be sick and desire consolation or if any want good counsell and want instruction or if any should slip into error and receive false Doctrine Then did Mordant ask him if he did not preach such a time in Breadstreet Hee said Yea And will you said Mordant preach so againe Yes said he to morrow you may heare me there where I will confirme by God's Word all that I then preached I would counsell you said the other to forbeare Saunders said if you will forbid me by lawfull Authority I must then forbear Nay said Mordant I will not forbid you and so they parted Mordant went presently to Bishop Bonner and informed him of Master Saunders his purpose to preach the next day which accordingly he did and at his lodging being somewhat troubled in his thoughts a friend of his asked him how he did Truly said he I am in prison till I be in prison The Text which he preached upon in the forenoon was 2 Cor. 11. 2. I am jealous over you with godly jealousy for I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chast Virgin to Christ But I feare least by any meanes as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. In the afternoon he prepared himself to preach againe but Bonner sent an Officer for him who carried him to the Bishop where he found Mordant The Bishop charged him with Treason for breaking the Queen's Proclamation and with Heresy and Sedition for his Sermon An Heretick he would prove him to be because he taught that the administration of the Sacraments and all orders of the Church were most pure which came neerest to the order of the primitive Church for said Bonner the Church was then in her infancy and could not abide that perfection which afterwards it grew to by Ceremonies M. Saunders answered out of St. Augustine that Ceremonies were given to the infirme and weak and that therefore it was a signe of the great perfection of the Primitive Church that it had few Ceremonies whereas the Popish Church had many and those partly blasphemous partly unsavory and unprofitable After much other discourse the Bishop required him to write his judgment about Transubstantiation which he did saying You seek my blood and you shall have it I pray God you may be so baptized in it that you may hereafter loath blood-sucking and become a better man Then Bonner sent him to Gardiner where he waited foure houres in the Bishops absence in a roome where the Bishops Chaplaine and many of his servants were merrily playing at Tables At last came the Bishop from the Court and after he had dispatched many Sutors being informed of Master Saunders and his cause he sent for him in Master Saunders kneeling at the end of the Table
owne and forraign Universities be searched out which may be strengthned with the law of God and as they shall by Gods word prove it lawfull or unlawfull so let the King proceed and have the cause then determined in his owne Country whereby he may live in lawfull matrimony with a cheerfull minde and quiet conscience which is much to be desired by all his faithfull subâ—ects When he had thus spoken with great gravity and wisedome Gardiner and Fox resenting that excellent counsell as given from God wished that the King had had such counsell given him before he ever sent to Rome The day after when they câ—â—me to the King he asked them what was done in his business whereupon Fox told him of their meeting and conference had with Doctor Cranmer but proud Gardiner seeking to invest himselfe in the praise which was due unto another would have made himself the Author of that counsell but the King neglecting his speech asked Fox if Cranmer were at Waltham still and being told that he was he presently ordered him to be sent for saying I judge his counsell right if I had knowne it two dayes agoe I had saved infinite charges and had lived with a more safe and quiet conscience When Doctor Cranmer came to him hee much excused himselfe as insufficient to be engaged in so great a matter yet besought him to commit the tryall of it to the best learned men in both Vniversities Which advice the King liked well yet required him to write his judgement upon it also and commanded the Earl of VViltshire to provide him retired lodgings books and whatever else was necessary for so great a work which task being finished and confirmed by Scriptures Councils and Fathers he presented it to the King who having read it asked him whether he would justifie it before the Pope D. Cran. professing his willingness the King hastened his dispatch to Rome and sent other learned men abroad to forraign Vniversities to dispute this question amongst the Divines there where it was concluded that no such matrimony was lawfull by the word of God When the Kings Ambassadors came to Rome the Pope proffering them his foot to kiss the Earl of VViltshire's Spaniel caught his great Toe in his mouth whereupon the Ambassadors scorned to kiss after the dog and the Pope pulled in his foot again There Cranmer and the rest proffered to defend that Jure Divino the brother ought not to marry the brothers wife but none appearing against them the Pope made Doctor Cranmer his Penitentiarie and so dismissed them From thence Doctor Cranmer travelled to the Emperors Court at Vienna proffering to dispute with his Divines upon the said question But Cornelius Agrippa in private conference receiving full satisfaction from him thereupon easily perswaded other learned men that were in the Emperors court not to contend with Cranmer who as he said was in the truth so that no man contradicting him Cranmer departed from the Emperor and having travelled all over Germany he brought home with him into England the opinions and sentences of the most learned men that lived in the Vniversities and Courts of Princes And in the mean season others sent from the King passing through all the Vniversities of Italy and France brought home likewise their determinations in that point confirmed with their publick and authentick seales agreeing with those that Cranmer had brought out of Germany In this journey to and fro he learned all the New Testament by heart August 23. Anno Christi 1533. William Warham Arch-Bi of Canteâ—bury died and the King resolved to place Doctor Cranmer in his room who was at this time in Germany about the Kings business and was loath to take upon him an office of such high dignity in the Church For he knew that there was an oath to be taken to the Pope of Rome before he could be installed in that place He feared also what issue the Kings divorce might have and was not ignorant of the Kings violent disposition He knâ—w that sudden and great changes were dangerous and that the Court to which he was not accustomed was full of deceipts and counterfeitings That he must in all things obey the Kings will and that if he tripped in any thing never so little there would be some who out of envy at his felicity would tumble him downe headlong when he began to fall He also having buried his first wife was now falne in love with a young maid that was neece to Osianders wife whom he determined to marry though he knew it was forbidden bâ— law for a Priest to marry oâ— for a man to be made a Priest who had married a second wife Weighing these things seriously with himselfe when he was sent for by the King to return home so soon as he could he stayed in Germany six whole months framing one excuse or other hoping that in the mean time some or other would get the Arch-Bishoprick â—ut such were the times then that every man feared the slipperiness of that place and therefore declined it At last Doctor Cranmer privately marrying his wife at Norimberg returned home and was made Arch-Bishop though against his will for he refused the dignity offered him because he was to be tyed to the Pope against all right and equity and therefore he gave the Popes Bull into the Kings hands saying that he wouâ—d never receive a Bishoprick of England but from him who was the head of England nor take an oath that was derogatory to the Kings authority And thus being made Arch Bishop he carried himselfe as formerly he had done rising every morning at five a clock to his study and never being idle all the day After dinner if he had no sâ—iters he spent an hour at Chess and so to his study again He was by nature very charitable and gentle so prone to forgive and forget wrongs that it grew into a Proverb Doe my Lord of Canterbury a shrewd turâ— and â—e will be your friend as long as you live Hee stoutly opposed the six bloody Articles and yet with such humility and modesty that the King could not be offended with him for it He was so free from passion that he never miscalled the meanest of his servants He was just in paying all men so that when he was cast into prison he owed no man a â—arthing He relieved many that were in want The whole weight of reforming Religion lay upon his hands so that for sixteen years together his house was never empty of learned men to assist in deciding Ecclesiasticall controversies His charity to the poor was very great for whom he provided lodgings being sick lame wounded c. and appointed an Almoner Physician and Chirurgion to attend them having daily hot broth and meant sent them from his own Kitchin He had many and great enemies of the Papists especially wily VVinchester and his
Henry the 8. that he could not be appeased by any other means but by the sacrificing of Cranmer During his Sermon Cranmer was set on a stage before him which sad spectacle much affected many to see him who had lived in so great honour and favour to stand there in a ragged gown ill-favour'd clothes an old cap and exposed to the contempt of all men Cole in his Sermon shewed for what Doctor Cranmer was condemned encouraged him to take his death patiently and rejoiced in his conversion to Popery But that joy lasted not long The Sermon being ended Doctor Cranmer entreated the people to pray for him that God would pardon his sin especially his Recantation which most of all troubled his conscience which he said was contrary to the truth which he thought in his heart and written for feare of death and upon the hope of life And said he That hand of mine which hath written contrary to my heart shall first be punished At these words the Doctors beganne to rage and fume and caused him to be pulled down from the stage and his mouth to be stopped that he should not speak to the people The place appointed for his Martyrdome was the same where Doctor Ridley and Master Latimer had before suffered and when he was brought to it he kneeled down and prayed and so put off his cloaths When the fire was kindled and came neer him he stretched out his right hand which had subscribed holding it so stedfast and immoveable in the fire saving that once he wiped his face with it that all might see his hand burned before his body was touched when the fire came to his body he endured it patiently standing stedfast alwaies in one place moving no more then the stake which he was bound to So long as he could speak he repeated Lord Jesus receive my spirit and so in the flames he gave up the Ghost Anno Christi 1556. and of his Age 72. Doctor Cranmers Workes were these He corrected the English translation of the Bible in many places He wrote Catechismum Doctrinae Christianae Ordinationes Ecclesiae Reformatae De ministris Ordinandis De Eucharistia Jura Ecclesiastica Contra Gardineri concionem Contra Transubstantiationis errorem Quomodo Christus adsit in Caena De esu Câ—nae Dominicae De Oblatione Christi Homilia Christiana Common-places A confutation of unwritten verities Against the Popes primacy Against Purgatory About Justification Diverse Letters to learned men The Life of Conrade Pellican who died A no Christi 1555. COnrade Pellican was born of godly and honest parents at Rubeac a Towne of Suevia neer the Hyrcinian wood Anno Christi 1478 and being carefully educated by his parents anno Christi 1484 was by them set to school to Steven Kleger of Zurick who using him gently brought him in love with learning At thirteen years of age he went to Heidleberg And after sixteen months study there returned home and his parents being poor he became an Usher in the Grammer school Many times going to a neighbour Monastery to borrow some books the Fryers solicited him to become one of their Fraternity and when he was but 16. years old he assented to it his parents not opposing because they had not wherewithall to maintain him So that anno Christi 1493 he took upon him the habit of the Frier-Minors to the great joy of all that society who used him very kindly and brought him up in all the ceremonies belonging to their worship His Unkle Jodicus Gallus coming from Heidleberg to Rubeac was much troubled that his Nephew was become a Fryer and therefore perswaded him if he did not like that course of life to leave it whilst he was a novice but our Conrade thinking that it would be a great disgrace to him to fall from his purpose refused saying That he would serve God in that course of life wherein he thought he should please God and whereby he hoped to attain eternall life At the end of the year he fell sick of the Plague but being â—et blood it pleased God beyond all expectation to restore him to health Anno 1496. he went to Tubing where he studied the liberall Arts and was much admired in that University for his quick wit He studied also School-Divinity and Cosmography wherein he profited exceedingly And meeting with a converted Jew he borrowed of him an Hebrew book of the Prophets and by his extraordinary pains found out first the letters then the reading and signification of them and being a little assisted by â—â—â—nio the Judge of the impetiall Chamber at Wormes he grew very perfect in it and hearing that there was a certain Priest at Ulme which had bought some Hebrew books of a poor Jew he went to him and amongst them met with part of a Grammer about the Coniugations of Verbs and transmutation of the Letters which he wrote out and it proved a great help to him for he had spoken before with many Jews at Worms Frankefurt Ratisbone c. and none of them could ever resolve him in any one question of Grammer It fell out by Gods providence that the year the Book-seller of Tubing had bought an Hebrew Bible compleat of a very small print which therefore none cared for This Pellican hearing of intreated him to let him look into it for some few dayes The Bookseller was content telling him that for a Florence and a halfe he might buy it Pellican much rejoyced to hear this intreating his father Guardian to be his surety and so having obtained it he thought himselfe a richer man then ever was Croesus and presently wrote to his Unkle at Spires beseeching him to bestow two Florences upon him which he much needed for the buying of a certain book This his Unkle sent him wherupon he fel close to reading of the Bible and as he went along made a Concordance gathering the roots and setting downe all those words which were seldome found And thus he went over the whole Bible from the midst of July to the end of October Then carrying to Capnio a Specimen of his works he was amaâ—â—d at so much worke in so short a time Anno Christi 1501. being twenty three years old he was ordained a Presbyter and the same year the plague waxing hot at Rubeac his father and brother â—â—ed of it leaving none but this our Conrade and his sister Therefore to solace himself in his sorrows he wrote out the seven Penetentiall Psalmes in Hebrew Greek and Latine adding some prayers to be used upon that occasion Anno Christi 1502. he was made Divinity-Reader in the Convent at Basil. About the same time John Amerback began to print Saint Augustines workes wherein Pellican was very helpfull to him for which cause Amerbach and John Froben were ever after his great friends and would never suffer him to want any good book Then at the instance of Cardinal
his enemies but when he had waited long for him Servetus came not being indeed afraid of the very sight of Master Calvin this was Anno Christi 1534. Infamous for the abominable cruelty exercised against the poor Saints of God especially against Gerard Ruffus a Master of Art of Sorban and Caroldus an Augustinian Monk who under the protection of the Queen of Navar had for a yeare or two very much propagated the truth which the Divel envying now stirred up his instruments to pul them out of the Pulpit and to cast them into prison yea King Francis himself was so irritated by reason of certaine papers against the Mass scattered about the City and fixed to his Chamber door that he presently commanded a publick Procession wherein himselfe and his three children assisted with a bare head carrying a Torch in his hand to expiate that wickedness and commanded eight of the Saints of God to be burned alive in four principall parts of the City Swearing publickly that he would not spare his own children if he knew thâ—m to be infected with those damnable he esies Calvin beholding these sad spectacles went presently afâ—er to Orleans where he published his famous book which he called Psâ—chopannychia against that error long before broached and now again revived of them which held The Soules sleeping after they were sâ—vered from the bodies And so purposing to bid adien to France he associated to him his old friend with whom he had sojourned at Xantone and travelling through â—orrain went towards Basil But being not far from the City of Meton they fell into great straits for one of their servants who had gotten all their money being mounted upon a lusty horse ran away from them and could by no means be overtaken so they were fâ—in to send their other servant to borrow ten crowns which with much adoe carried them to Strasborough and from thence to Basill There Mr. Calvin quickly became an intimate friend to those famous men Simon Grynaeus and Wolfgang Capito He studied also the Hebrew tongue and though he endeavoured by all means to conceal himself yet was he forced to publish his Institutions which he called but the foundation of a far greater work The Protestant Princes in Germany hearing of this bloody act of King Francis were much provoked by it yet did the King at this time seek their friendship and to excuse his cruelty by the advice of William Bellaius Langaeus he sent them word that he had onely punished certain Anabaptists who set up their fanatick spirits instead of Scripture and shewed themselves contemners of all Magistrates Which disgrace put upon the true Religion Mr. Calvin not enduring took occasion from thence to publish that his incomparable book prefixing a Preface to King Francis which surely he never read or else it would have provoked him to have given a great wound to the Babylonish Whore For that King therein not like his Successors was a great weigher of matters had a good judgement to discern the Truth was a favourer of Learned men and not altogether estranged from the Professors of the Gospel But neither he nor the people of France either saw or heard those things the sinnes of the King and people hastning Gods wrath against them Mr. Calvin having published this book performed that office of duty to his Country had a great desire to visit the Dutchess of Ferrara the Daughter of Lewis the twelfth of France a woman famous for her piety and thereby also to have a sight of Italy To her therefore he went and endeavoured to confirm her in the Truth so that she loved him dearly all his life after yea even after his death honoured his memory Returning out of Italy into whose borders hee used to say that he went that he might return again he came into France where setling his affairs and taking along with him his onely brother Anthony Calvin he intended to returne to Basill or Strasborough but all other waies being stopped by reason of Wars he went to Geneva without any purpose of staying there Yet presently after it appeared that it was so ordered by Divine Providence For a little before the Gospel of Christ was almost miraculously brought into that City by the labour and industry of two excellent men William Farell of the Delphinate sometimes a Scholar of Faber Stapulensis and Peter Viret a Bernate whose labours God afterwards wonderfully blessed and prospered Calvin hearing of these worthy men as the manner is amongst the godly went to visit them to whom Mr. Farel being a man indued with an heroicall spirit spake much to perswade him rather to stay with them at Geneva then to goe any further But when he saw that perswasions wouâ—d not prevail he said thus unto him I protest unto thee in the name of the Omnipotent God that if thou thus proceedest to frame excuses and wilt not joyn with us in this work of the Lord that the Lord will curse thee as seeking thy own rather then the things of Jesus Christ. Calvin being terrified with this terrible threatning submitted to the judgement of the Presbytery and of the Magistrates by whose suffraes together with the consent of the people he was chosen not onely their Preacher but also Professor of Divinity The first he refused the second he accepted of Anno Christi 1536 in the moneth of August This year became famous by a stricter League between the Bernates and the City of Geneva as also by the entertainment of the Gospel at Lausanna where a free disputation was held between the Pontificians and the Protestants at which Mr. Calvin was present Then did Mr. Calvin publish a certain form of Christian Doctrine fitted for the Church of Geneva as yet scarce crept out of the pollutions of Popery He added also a Catechism not that which we have by way of Question and Answer but one much shorter containing the chief heads of Religion Then did he together with Mr. Farell and Caroldus most of their Colleagues through fear forsaking them attempt to form a Church amongst the Citizens For which end hee proposed that all the people being gathered together shou'd publickly forswear Popery and withall should swear to observe the Christian Religion and Discipline contained in a few Heads which thing through Gods mercy was effected Anno Christi 1537 though many of the Citizens refused the City being yet scarce free from the snares of the Duke of Savoy and the dregs of Popery and many being much enclined to Factions Yet a publick Scribe reading them the Senate and people of Geneva swore together to those heads of Christian Religion and Discipline The Devill being much enraged at this excellent work having tried a thousand wayes by open enemies to overthrow it and not prevailing by those waies he sought under the pretence of piety to destroy it stirring up first the Anabaptists and then Peter Carole
read his Lectures he performed them to the abundant satisfaction of all his hearers nothing being found wanting which could be required in the best Divine and most accomplished Professor For hee shewed much reading a sharp judgement a pure and easie stile with sound and solid learning so that his fame spreading abroad abundance resorted to his Lectures and reaped much profit thereby The first that he began with in his Lectures was to expound the three first Chapters of Luke After which he went over the Epistle to the Galathians the first to Timothy and the Canticles Afterwards he betook himself to the Controversies between the Papists and us Anno Christi 1585. About that time there came into England a proud and vain-glorious Jesuit called Edmund Campian an English man who set forth ten Arguments whereby he boasted that he had utterly overthrown the Protestant Religion To these Whitaker answered so fully and learnedly that all the Jesuits brags vanished into smoak But shortly after there rose up Durie a Scottish Jesuit who undertook to answer Whitaker and to vindicate Campian And whereas Campian had set forth his Arguments with a great deal of ostentation and youthly confidence Durie on the other side prosecuted the cause with dog-like barking and railing and scurrility Whitaker gave him the preheminence in that but did so solidly answer all his Arguments and discover his fallacies that the truth in those points was never more fully cleared by any man Then rose up Nicolas Sanders an English Jesuit who wrote about the person of Antichrist boasting that by forty demonstrative Arguments he had proved that the Pope was not Antichrist These Arguments Whitaker examined answered learnedly and solidly truly retorting many of them upon himself Then Rainolds a Divine of Remes another English Apostate pretended a reply but subtilly and maliciously presented the English Divines differing amongst themselves that by their differences he might expose their Religion to the greater hatred and obloquy But VVhitaker perceived and plainly discovered his craftie fetches and lies yet withall declared that he judged his book so vain and foolish that he scarce thought him worthy of an answer About this time hee married a Wife a prudent pious chaste and charitable woman After whose death at the end of two years he married another a grave Matron the Widdow of Dudley Fenner by these he had eight children whom he educated religiously Upon this occasion the crabbed old man Stapleton who had neither learned to teach the truth nor to speak well nor to thinke chastly of others wrote a book against him objecting his marriage as a great reproach but surely this man had not read the words of Christ Mat. 9. 11. nor of Paul 1 Cor. 9. 5. 1 Tim. 3. 2. Nor what the Council of Nice decreed concerning the Marriage of Presbyters upon the motion of Paphnutius nor what Augustine and others of the Fathers had written about that point Or else he was of Hoâ—â—aeus the Jesuits mind one of the Popes Counsellors who declared openly that Priests sinned lesse by committing Adultery then by marrying wives VVhitaker never had his Catamites as many of the Popish Priests Jesuits Cardinals yea and some of the Popes themselves had But to leave him and return to our matter Doctor VVhitaker was shortly after chosen Master of Saint Johns Colledge in Cambridge which though at first some of the Fellows and Students out of self-ends disliked and opposed yet within a little space by his clemency equitie and goodnesse he so overcame their exulcerated mindes that he turned them into love and admiration of him Yea he alwaies governed the Colledge with much prudence and moderation not seeking his own profit but the publick good as appeared not onely by the testimony of those which lived with him but by his frugality wherein yet his gaines exceeded not his expences In choosing Scholars and Fellows he alwayes carryed himself unblameably and unpartially so as hee would never suffer any corruption to creep into the Election and if he found any who by bribes had sought to buy Suffrages he of all others though otherwise never so deserving should not be chosen Lellarmine about this time growing famous and being looked upon by his own party as an invinicible Champion him Whitaker undertakes and cuts off his head with his own weapons First in the controversie about the Scriptures published Anno Christi 1588. Then about the Church Councils Bishop of Rome the Minister Saints departed the Church Triumphant the Sacraments Baptism and the Lords Supper though hee had not leisure to print them all In all which controversies he dealt not with his adversarie with taunts reproaches and passion but as one that indeed sought out the truth Hereupon that superstitious old man Thomas Stapleton Professor of Lovane perceiving that Bellarmine held his peace undertook to answer Whitaker in that third question of his first part about the Scriptures which he performed in a volume large enough but as formerly in a scurrilous and railing language Therefore Whitaker lest the testy old man should seeme wise in his own eyes answered him in somewhat a tarter language then he used to doe The week before he dyed he performed an excellent work not only for the University of Cambridge but for the whole English Church for whose peace and unity he alwaies studied in truth by undertaking to compose some differences which sprang up about some â—â—ads of Religion for which end he went toward London in the midst of winter in the company of Doctor Tyndal Master of Queens Colledge but what with his journey and want of sleep being too intent upon his business he fel sick by the way which made him return to Cambridge again and finding his disease to encrease he sent for the Physitians who after debate resolved to let him blood which yet was neglected for two daies The third day when they went about it he was unfit by reason of a continual sweat that he was in yet that night he seemed to sleep quietly and the next morning a friend asking him how he did he answered O happy night I have not taken so sweet a sleep since my disease seised upon me But his friend finding him all in a cold sweat told him that signes of death appeared on him To whom he answered Life or death is welcome to me which God pleaseth for death shall be an advantage to me And after a while he sayd I desire not to live but onely so farre as I may doe God and his Church service And so shortly after he quietly departed in the Lord Anno Christi 1595 and of his age forty seven Having been Professor sixteen years Cardinal Bellarmine procured his picture out of England and hung it up in his study much admiring him for his singular learning and being asked by a Jesuit why he would suffer the picture of that
Prince Maurice requesting the same of him Yet did VVallaeus desire that he might have time to consider of it telling them that he would seek unto God by Prayer and advise with his friends with the Church and Magistrate In the mean time the Delegates earnestly sollicited the Presbyterie and Magistrates to give their consents which at last with much ado they obtained because he was to go to Leiden where he might take care of theirs as well as of the Holland Youths His friends stuck somewhat at it because he had as good a stipend at Middleborough as he was to have at Leiâ—en and though at Leiden he might bring up his sons at the University yet being so far from his friends he could not place them forth as well to honest Callings as at Middleborough â—o satisfie these therefore he had also a Pastors place in Leiden profered him Wallaeus thought that he might not resist this call because he was not so much to form one Church by it as to prepare Pastors for many nor so much to govern one Church as to assist with his counsels all the Belgick Churches September the tenth he preached his farewel Sermon which filled his people with sighs and tears so that it seemed rather that children were to part with their Father then people with their Pastor During his abode at Middleborough he much wanted his health being troubled with Rheumes Collick Feavers and other Diseases Sometimes also having an intermitting Pulse the cause whereof was partly hereditary from his Mother and partly by reason of studying so soon after meals scarce affording any rest to his minde or food for the refreshing of his body yet a healthful and diligent wife much cheered him up He had seven children five daughters and two sons whereof two dyed very young the other he took much pleasure and delight in September the nineteenth he removed with all his family to Leiden where he was entertained honorâ—bly with a Publicâ— Feast by the Magistrate with much congratulation by thâ— University and very heartily by his old friends At Leâ—den he was presently graced with the Degree of a Doctor without any Examination which is used at other times October the 21. being to begin his Professorship he made an Oratios about the right regulating the study of Divinity which was received by a great Auditory with the great applause of all yet it presently displeased himself because he observed that many things are excellently conceived which cannot be brought into practise Presently after came Anthony Thysius and not long after him Andrew Rivet out of France to adorn the Profession of Divinity who as they were all men of great note so by their excellent parts they made that Faculty far more famous Each of them had his several gifts wherein he excelled Thysius in Memory and Wallaeus and Rivet in Judgement and Polyander in dexterity of performance In actions Thysius was fervent Wallaeus full of vigor Rivet was somewhat slower and Polyander very calm c. The first care of these men was to prevent all discord in matters of Divinity wherefore they testified their mutual agreement by subscribing the Catechism of Heidleberg and the Belgick Confession of Faith They resolved that none of them would pass his judgement about any Controversie in Divinity about the Government of the Church and in cases of Conscience apart but by mutual consulting each with other That no Theses should be publickly disputed of till all had seen and approved them That no book should be printed till all had examined and consented thereto The like care they took to train up young Students to the same unanimity in Religion for which end they agreed upon one rule and method by which all their studies should be directed And because these Controversies with the Remonstrants had occasioned the fuller clearing of many points in Divinity and had taught them to speak more cautiously in many things Therefore in their Publick Disputations they went over the whole Body of Divinity out of which they published their Book which they called Synopsis purioris Theologâ—â— Having thus setled the affairs of the University in good order they began to consider what enemies they had abroad against whom the Truth was to be defended And they found that they must answer John Arnoldi Corvinus who had written a great Volume against Peter Du Moulin They must answer the Remonstrants also who in a Book called Acta Synodalia Remonstrantium had inserted such things as might confirm their own opinions and invalidate the opinions of the Contra-Remonstrants And this task they all agreed Wallaeus should undertake who afterwards published an answer to both those Books whereby he gat very great credit not only amongst his own but amongst the French English and Scots and for a long time silenced the Remonstrants In the mean time these worthy men neglected not to make their Professors places very famous The Old Testament was expounded by Rivet and Thysius the New by Polyander But Wallaeus was imployed in reading Common places which was accounted the more grateful and more worthy imployment In these Common places he did not cull out here and there one head but went over the whole Body of Divinity handling each head fully but principally insisting upon those Controversies or difficulties wherewith the Church was most molested Yet stood he not upon answering all Arguments of the Adversaries but chose out those which had most weight in them by answering whereof the other fell of themselves But he was most copious and acurate in the Modern Controversies as De Deo against Vorstius De Sabbatho De Praedestinatione of the Authority of Magistrates in Ecclesiastical affairs and such like concluding all not so much by the strength of Humane Reason as by the clear Word of God whereupon the greatest confluence of Auditors attended upon Wallaeus And one of his Colleagues thinking that he had so many Auditors because he read Common places he also fell upon the same subject but when he saw that he labored in vain he gave it over again But seeing it was not enough for them thus to instruct their Auditors in the knowledge of Divinity except also they prepared the Candidates for the Ministry enabling them rightly to defend the Truth and to enervate the Adversaries Arguments This therefore they effected by Disputations wherein all were very diligent but especially Wallaeus and Pâ—lyander Wallaeus would not suffer those things to be propounded for Disputation wherein the Reformed might freely differ amongst themselves He would not suffer the Opponents to object vain things which were unprofitable He would not suffer them to oppose immodestly to the scandal of the hearers But he would have the Defendant clearly repeat the Opponents Argument and then not only to give a bare answer but to demonstrate the solidity of it Truly Wallaeus in his Lectures deserved great
praise but in Disputations he deserved a Triumph Because these Candidates in Divinity could not be sufficiently exercised in publick he did twice a week in private explain to them his Enchiridion of the Reformed Religion he examined it and appointed them to dispute upon it yea he set up divers private Lectures wherein he confuted the Anabaptists Socinians and Papists He caused these Candidates also often to Preach in private wherein he directed them to the most profitable subjects and taught them how they should prosecute the same Neither would he ever take any thing for these his private imployments This course of training up young Students he continued for twenty years even till his death so that innumerable Pastors were sent forth by him into the Church amongst which many were admirable Lights which were a great comfort and rejoycing to him In the Government of the University he neither made nor nourished parties but when any differences arose he always sought to compose them as he did betwixt Polyander and Thysius between Cunaeus and Burgersditius amongst whom some emulation was sprung up Wallaeus himself had no Enemy but only Daniel Heinsius who was also a Gantois and seemed somewhat to emulate him Yet would not Wallaeus do any thing that might offend Heinsius neither would he mingle himself in the contention between Salmatius and Heinsius about precedency Wallaeus his next care was that all the Honors of the University so far as might be should be equally divided amongst his Colleagues that so they might live together the more sweetly and might labor together in their several imployments with the better concord So that when he should have been chosen Rector of the University he sought it for his Colleague but honour followed him whilst he fled from it so that he was often Deputy of the University and thrice Rector He would never give to Candidates his testimony for their lives and proficiency in their Studies of Divinity except they deserved it Judging it better to offend them and their friends then to deceive the Church by advancing unworthy persons to the Ministry which faithfulness of his was taken notice of so that many were rejected till they could get the testimony of Wallaeus He with his Colleagues would never prefer any to the title of Doctors except they were conspicuous for their Piety and eminent for Learning He had more Books brought to him to License then he could possibly read over for which cause he sent many of them to the Classes of Pastors to be read over by them reserving to himself only such as handled Controversies of greater moment These Professors would meddle with no cases of Conscience but such as concerned Matrimony as for all others that came to them they sent them to their own Pastors whereby they much eased themselves and took off people from undervaluing their own Ministers And in cases of Matrimony they always determined them with such sound judgement that so long as Wallaeus lived there was never any Church or Magistrate that had cause to alter what they had determined He was dayly sought to for advice in cases of Conscience In Controversies of Religion and about Church Government by Churches Classes Synods Cities States and Princes to all whom he freely imparted his counsel The States General and the States of Holland would never suffer any Divinity Book to be Dedicated to them till Wallaeus had perused and set his â—merimatur to it They would never suffer any Petitions about Controversies in Religion or about reforming the peoples lives to be presented to them till he had approved of them Frederick King of Bohemia would give no answer to the great â—urk who proffered him assistance against the Emperour till he had consulted with Wallaeus The Prince of Orange in giving Laws to Cities conquered by him would always consult with these men He called Polyander and Wallaeus to compose a difference between the Magistrates and Ministers of Roterdam that had tired three Synods and fifteen Classes Wallaeus with his Colleagues were appointed to publish the Acts of the Synod of Dort because it was very necessary for all the Reformed Churches yea for all the World to know in what way and order the cause of the Remonstrants had been examined and what seemed good to any and what was concluded by all the Fathers in that assembly and herein they were much holpen by Festus Hommius who was the Scribe of the Synod Presently after the Publication of these Synodal Acts the Remonstrants set forth another wherein in some particulars they sought to invalidate those Acts but their cheif design was to confirm their own opinion by Arguments the confuting whereof was committed to VVallaeus who presently answered their Acts and Corvinus though he pretended a Reply yet quickly gave over and was silent But presently a quarrel sprang up between the Remonstrants themselves For Vtenbogard Corvinus and the greatest part of the Remonstrants adhered to Arminius and would depart no further from the Orthodox Episcopius and his followers joined with the Socinians Error is fruitful and is ever declining from bad to worse Shortly after this some rose up that endeavoured a Union between the Contra-Remonstrants and the Remonstrants On the Contra-Remonstrants side were Cornelius Dunganus of Vtrich Godschalcus Arlius of Arnheim and James Testardus Pastor of Blesa On the Remonstrants side was only Anthony Hornhovius who yet lurked amongst the Orthodox Pastors But it was impossible to unite those that held such contrary opinions There was more hope of an attempt made between Wallaeus and Vtenbogardus which was to consider how the Remonstrants might be admitted into the Reformed Churches and how far forth they might be tolerated therein And it was concluded that such of them might be admitted as members as were free from the Socinian Errors and would acknowledge that all spiritual and saving gifts were of the free Grace of God through Christ if they would promise that in other things they would not disturb the Peace of the Church The greatest difficulty was about their Pastors who would not be quiet except they might exercise their Ministry and enjoy their stipends neither would they be tyed to silence in Controversies But the Remonstrants setting forth a Confession of their Faith brake all in sunder For thereby it appeared that they differed from the Reformed not only in five Articles but in many other things Whilst Wallaeus was at Middleborough he had read Ethicks in the Schools and had begun to make a Compendium of it for the use of his Scholars but finished it not by reason of his remove to Leiden wherefore now the Curators of the School prevailed with him to compleat that Work and to publish it for the use of that School And it found such acceptance abroad that it was often printed and by Theod. Schrevelâ—us Master of the School of 〈◊〉 it was turned into Jambick verse
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
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
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
troubled Augustine coming to Carthage where he was profered to dispute with him in the presence of many Noble men But this Heretick though he accepted the challenge would by no means suffer any thing to be written which passed betwixt them his pretence was least that which was written might be made use of against him to his prejudice because of the Law Hereupon Augustine consented privately to dispute with him without Notaries yet withall foretelling that after the Disputation every one would take liberty to make what reports they pleased of things never spoken because there was nothing set down in writing to refel them Augustine in the conference declared his Faith and Judgement requiring an account of the same from the other by Arguments and Authority of the Scriptures he confirmed his own and refelled the Errors of the other which so enraged him that he brake up the conference and when he was departed he falsly reported that he had overcome Augustine and scattered abroad many such lyes which coming to the Ears of Augustine he was compelled to write to Pascontius and therein to set down all the passages of the conference which if he should deny he was able to produce many witnesses for the proof thereof both worthy and Honorable men who were then present But he being thus twice written to by Augustine scarce returned a single answer wherein also he rather railed then asserted his Opinions Also when the Goths came into Africk there came along with them one Maximus an Arian Bishop who coming to Hippo at the earnest request of many godly and eminent men and in their presence Augustine entred into the Lists with him having Notaries to write down all that passed betwixt them His Adversary shewed more subtilty then solidity but the Truth prevailed yet this impudent Heretick when he was returned to Carthage amongst his own Sectaries lyingly boasted that he came away with the Victory whereupon Augustine was enforced to publish in writing a Narrative of the whole Disputation with all the Objections and Answers withall shewing wherein Maximus failed and to what Arguments he was able to give no Answer He took great pains also by the space of ten years against the Pelagians who were subtle Disputants publishing their Heresies by a very cunning way and endeavouring to propagate them not only in Publick but from house to house Against these Augustine wrote many Books and often disputed with them in the Congregation both to reduce them and preserve others from the infection of their Errors He was the Author also of calling many Councils in Africk against them who wrote to the Bishop of Rome that that Heresie was abominable and to be condemned by all that adhered to the Catholick Faith whereupon the godly Emperour Honorius taking cognizance of it condemned it by his Laws and appointed the holders of it to be reckoned amongst the Hereticks whereby many of them forsaking their Errors returned to the true Church again Thus was this holy man of God Augustine very solicitous about and careful of the safety of the whole Church and truly God gave him much comfort and occasion of rejoycing in the fruit of his labors even in this life First in Hippo and the Country thereabouts which was more immediately under his charge the Churches thereof enjoying much Unity and Peace Then in other more remote parts of Africk which either by his labors or by the labors of such of his Society as were called forth to be Bishops and Ministers in other places were very much established in the Truth many Manichees Donatists Pelagians and Pagans being converted from their Errors and rejoycing that they were now made Members of the true Church He was very patient towards all men he bore with the infirmities of the weak mourned for the sins of the wicked both of such as were within and without the Church rejoycing when any were gained to the Lord and weeping when any were lost So many things were dictated and published by him so many Disputations held in the Church so many things written against Hereticks and so many Books of Sacred Scripture expounded by him for the edification of the godly that a studious man all his life long can scarcely know and read over And knowing the duty imposed by Saint Paul 1 Cor. 6. 1 c. of endeavouring to decide Controversies he was very forward whensoever he was requested either by Christians or by men of any other Sect to compromise and decide their Controversies with much patience and prudence hearing both parties that so he might pass a righteous sentence and that he might the more fully take cognizance of the cause he used sometime to spend a whole day fasting to hear the same always taking advantage thereby to do what possible good he could to their souls like a good Steward Preaching the Word in season out of season Exhorting Instructing and Reproving with all long suffering and Doctrine endeavouring to instruct the Ignorant and to quicken those that were remiss in the way to Heaven Many Letters he wrote to such as sought to him for counsel and direction in their secular affairs But this he thought a trouble to him and hinderance from better imployments and therefore he always thought best of those who would either write or speak to him about Heavenly businesses He seldom was absent from the Councils which were often held in divers Provinces yet always seeking therein the things which were of God and not his own advantage His endeavour was that the Faith of the Holy Catholick Church might be preserved inviolate that such Ministers as were unjustly Excommunicate might be absolved that such as were wicked and obstinate might be cast out In the Ordination of Ministers he always judged that the consent of the godly should concur in it and that the custom of the Church should not be violated Upon a time Augustine forgetting the Argument which he first proposed to proâ—ecute fell upon a confutation of the Manichees and one Firmus a rich Merchant and a Manichee hearing him was so convinced that he came to him after and with tears on his knees confessed his Errors and promised Reformation Also one Felix a Manichee coming to Hippo to spread his Heresie in a Disputation with Augustine after the third time was so convinced that he recanted his Errors and was joined to the Church He was termed Hereticorum Malleus The hammer against Hereticks He won also many Pagans to embrace the Truth He took much pains in ending disferences His Apparel was neither sumptuous nor sordid his Diet usually was Broth and Roots He used to say Non ego immunditiam obsonii timeo sed immunditiam cupidâ—tatis Scio enim Noe omne genus carnis quod cibo esset usui mâ—nducare permissum Heliam Cibo carnis refectum c Though for his Guests and sick-folks he had better His Dishes for his meat were of Earth or
this present evil World and I believe that God will answer my desire And indeed accordingly in the third moneth of the siege he fell sick of a Feaver which proved his last sickness neither would God defraud his servant of the fruit of his Prayers And indeed he was very powerful in Prayers so that sometimes thereby he hath cast out Devils and restored sick men to their health His Feaver proved so violent that he dyed in the same third moneth of the siege In his sickness he breathed forth most pious ejaculations He made no Will having nothing to bestow but only Books upon several Libraries He dyed Aged 76. Anno Christi 430. having been a Minister 40 years It 's written of him that after his first Conversion to the Faith he was grievously vexed with inward conflicts against his corrupt affections complaining of his inward hereditary habitual inveterate vices and after long strugling with them by purposes vows strong resolutions watching fasting self-revenge and other good means finding still his own weakness and the encreasing violence of his corruptions as he was intentively musing and meditating what to do more he heard a voice saying In te stas non stas whereupon rightly apprehending that his own strength of wit carnal reason and other powers and helps of nature could not serve the turn for the effecting of that which was the proper and peculiar work of Grace he betook himself to his Saviour by humble faithful and fervent Prayer and at last found such assistance from the Holy Spirit of Grace as strengthned him to stand and make good his resolutions with more comfort then before His usual with was that Christ when he came might finde him aut Precantem aut Praedicantem either Praying or Preaching When the Donatists upbraided him unworthily with the impiety and impurity of his former Life Look said he how much they blame my former fault by so much the more I commend and praise my Physitian He used to say Holy Marriage is better then proud Virginity And again Prayer that is pure and holy pierceth Heaven and returns not empty It 's a shelter to the Soul a sacrifice to God and a scourge to the Divel And again There is nothing that more abateth sin then the frequent meditation of Death He cannot die ill that lived well aud seldom doth he die well that lived ill A Christian at home in his house must think himself a stranger and that his Country is above where he shall be no stranger And again If men want wealth it is not to be unjustly gotten if they have it they ought by good works to lay it up in Heaven He that hath tasted the sweetness of Divine love will not care for temporal sweetness The reasonable Soul made in the likeness of God may here finde much careful distraction but no full satisfaction for it being capable of God can be satisfied with nothing but God Not to be without affliction but to overcome affliction is blessedness Love is strong as death for as death kils the body so love of eternal life kils worldly desires and affections He called Ingratitude the Devils Sponge wherewith he wipes out all the favors of the Almighty He so admired and loved the seven Penitential Psalms that he caused them to be written in great letters and hung within the curtains of his Death-bed that so he might give up the Ghost in the contemplation and meditation of them His Prayer was Lord give first what thou requirest and then require of me what thou wilt And He that prays well cannot chuse but live well His Works are printed in nine Tomes at Basil by Froben The Life of Cyril of Alexandria who flourished Anno Christi 430. THeophilus Bishop of Alexandria falling into a Lethargy shortly after dyed whereupon a great contention arose about the Election of a new Bishop some standing for Timotheus the Archdeacon and others for Cyrillus Abudatius the Captain of the Garrison laboured all that he could to prefer Timothy but the other party prevailed and so Cyril was chosen and setled in the Bishoprick About this time Nestorius the Heretick vented his blasphemous opinions against the Deitie of our Saviour Christ whom Cyril answered and confuted Upon this the Emperour Theodosius minor summoned a Council at Ephesus in which Cyril was chosen President and where with much learning and judgement he confuted Nestorius and Pelagius So that the Council after serious examination and deliberation pronounced this sentence To omit the other abominable wickednesses of Nestorius because being sent for by us he hath refused to appear neither would he receive those godly and religious Bishops whom we sent to confer with him being therefore forced by necessity we proceeded to the examniation of his wicked opinions and finding partly by the Epistles and Books that he hath written and partly by his words which in this famous City he hath lately spoken which by sufficient witness have been proved before us that he holds and publisheth Heretical opinions contrary to the Word of God and the Canons of the holy Councils we therefore not without many tears are forced to pass this severe sentence against him and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ whom he hath so grosly and grievously blasphemed doth by us Decree that Nestorious be deposed from his Rishoprick and excommunicated from the holy Assemblies of the Ministers of God Which sentence the Emperour Theodosius did also approve of and confirm and withall banished him to Oasis and God to shew the severity of his justice against blasphemers strake him with an incurable disease whereby his tongue rotted and breeding many Worms was devoured by them so that he ended his wretched life after a most miserable manner This Cyril was by birth a Grecian and as one testifies of him was Vir doctus sanctus a learned and holy man He was President in the Council at Ephesus where with much learning and judgement he confuted Nestorius and Pelagius He was admirably experienced in the holy Scriptures flourished under Theodosius junior he was so famous for piety eloquence and wit that the Grecian Bishops gat some of his Homilies by heart and recited them to their people After twenty two years labor in the Government of that Church he quietly yeelded up his spirit unto God Anno Christi 448. under Theodosius junior He used to say It 's the best way for a rich man to make the Bellies of the Poor his Barn to succour the fatherless and needy and thereby to lay up treasure in Heaven that he may be received into everlasting habitations And Where the Scripture wants a tongue of expression we need not lend an ear of attention we may safely knock at the Council door of Gods secrets but if we go further we may be more bold then welcome And again The Devil runs
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
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
Professor of Divinity in that City though the Popish party sought by all means to oppose it where he read on the Prophet Isaiah and after awhile he was called to a Pastoral charge in that City to the great regret of the Papists Anno Christi 1524. In that City he caused Infants to be Baptized in the Dutch Tongue He administred the Lords Supper in both kindes by the consent of the Magistrates He confuted by the holy Scriptures the Sacrifice of the Mass Purgatory and other Popish Traditions of the like kinde whereupon by little and little they vanished away Upon this John â—ochlaeus sent Letters to him from Stutgard full of great promises thereby endeavouring to withdraw him from the Truth and the Mass Priests thundred against him and his companions saying that they deserved the punishment of the worst Hereticks But the Magistrates of Basil commanded all the Preachers within their Jurisdiction to Preach to the People the Word of God and not of men and to abstain from railing and evill speeches threatning severe punishments to those that offended against their Proclamation so that not long after there was a general Reformation of Religion not only in Basil but in the parts adjacent A Decree being made by the Senate that as well within the City of Basil as without throughout all their Jurisdiction the Mass with all Idols should be abandoned and the Ash-wednesday following all the Wooden Images were distributed amongst the Poor of the City to serve them for fire-wood but when they could not agree upon the dividing of them it was Decreed that all the said Images should be burnt together so that in nine great heaps all the stocks and Idols were the same day burnt to ashes before the great Church door Oecolampadius also like a faithful Minister of Jesus Christ was careful to restore Christs Discipline and brought in the censure of Excommunication And presently after being sent for to Vlm together with Blaurerus and Bucer he carryed on the work of Reformation there At Marpurg by the invitation of the Lantgrave of Hess there was a Disputation for three days between Luther Jonas and Melancthon on the one part and Oecolampadius Zuinglius and others on the other about the controversie concerning Christs presence in the Sacrament but the Sweating sickness breaking out there put an end to it yet they agreed about all other Fundamentals in Religion and parted in a brotherly manner Oecolampadius returning to Basil spent the remainder of his days in preaching reading writing publishing of books visiting the sick c. Anno Christi 1531. and of his Age 49. he fell sick about the same time that Zuinglius was so unhappily slain the grief of whose death much aggravated his weakness yet intermitted he not his labors till an Ulcer breaking forth about his Os sacrum he was forced to keep his bed and though his friends Physitians and Chyrurgeons used all means for his cure yet he told them that his disease was mortal He spent his time in Divine meditations and comforting his friends and sending for the Ministers of the Churches to him he spake to this purpose O my Brethren the Lord is come he is come he is now calling me away c. I desired to speak with you to encourage you to continue faithful followers of Christ to persevere in purity of Doctrine in lives conformable to the Word of God Christ will take care for the defence of his Church therefore Let your light so shine forth before men that they may see your good Works c. continue in love unfeigned walk as in Gods presence adorn your Doctrine with holiness of life a cloud is arising atempest is coming and some will fall off but it becomes you to stand fâ—st and God will assist you c. For my self I pass not the aspersions that are cast upon me I bless God I shall with a clear conscience stand before the Tribunal of Christ I have not seduced the Church of Christ as some affirm but leave you all witnesses that at my last gasp I am the same that formerly I was He had nothing to give and therefore made no Will The fifteenth day of his sickness he called for his children took them by the hand strok't them on the head and though the eldest was but three years old yet he said unto them Go to my three children see that you love God Then speaking to his wife and kindred he desired them to take care that his children might be brought up in the fear of God and then commanded them to be taken away The Ministers continued with him that night and a certain friend coming to him Oecolampadius asked him what news his friend answered None but saith he I 'le tell you some news I shall presently be with my Lord Christ and some asking him whether the light offended him he putting his hand to his heart said Here 〈◊〉 abundance of light In the morning he prayed earnestly with the words of David in the 51. Psalm which he repeated from the beginning to the end and presently after said O Christ save me and so he fell asleep in the Lord. The Papists spread many lyes abroad of his death some said that in dispair he slew himself others that he was murthered or poysoned c. He dyed Anno Christi 1521. and of his Age 51. Erasmus wrote to his friends concerning his Book about the Sacrament Oecolampadium emisisse libellum tam accuratè scriptum tot machinis argumentorum tótque testimoniis instructum ut posset vel electos in errorem pertrahere In the beginning of Reformation he was another Doctor in Helvetia of a milde and quiet wit Somewhat slow in dispatching businesses but very circumspect He took pleasure in nothing so much as in reading and writing Commentaries wherein he wrote upon Genesis Psalms Job Isaiah Jeremie Ezekiel Daniel and most of the small Prophets as also upon the Books of the New Testament Before his Conversion he was superstitiously religious So oft as he read the words of Institution of the Lords Supper he thought that some spiritual sense was included in them and yet still drave out those thoughts with this Wilt thou be wiser then other men You should believe as others believe But it pleased God at last to inlighten him with his truth which he submitted to He was most studious of the peace and concord of the Church He excelled in the knowledge of the Latine Greek and Hebrew and was very skilful in Ecclesiastical Antiquities He was older then Martin Luther by one year Scripta ejus vel sunt Exegetica vel Didascalica vel Apologetica vel conversa è Graeco Multa praeterea ab ejus amicis edita multa ab Hedione aliis Germanicè conversa Multa a Gastione collecta quae non sunt impressa
New Testament At the time of his burning one Doctor Cook a Parson in London admonished the people that they should no more pray for him then they would pray for a Dog whereupon John Frith smiling prayed God to forgive him This speech of the Doctor much moved the people to anger and this milde answer of the Martyr sunk deeply into their mindes The books that were written by this blessed Martyr were many and much sought after in King Henry the Eighth and in Queen Maries Reign to be burned and in the times of King Edward the Sixth and Queen Elizabeth for the instruction and comfort of the godly But it pleased God by a marvellous occasion to cause three or four of his most useful Treatises to be reprinted of late which was this On Midsummer Eve Anno Christi 1626 a Codfish being brought into the Market in Cambridge and there cut up for sale in the Maw of the Fish was found wrapt up in Canvas a Book in Decimo sexto containing three Treatises of Mr. Friths The Fish was caught about the Coast of Lin called Lin-deeps by one William Skinner when the Fish was cut open the garbish was thrown by which a woman looking upon espied the Canvas and taking it up found the Book wrapped up in it being much soiled and covered over with a kinde of slime and congealed matter This was beheld with great admiration and by Benjamin Prime the Batchelors Beadle who was present at the opening of the Fish was carryed to the Vicechancellor who took speciall notice of it examining the particulars before mentioned By Daniel Boys a Book-binder the leaves were carefully opened and cleansed The Treatises contained in it were A Preparation to the Cross. A Preparation to Death The Treasure of Knowledge A Mirrour or Glass to know thy self A brief instruction to teach one willingly to dye and not to fear death How useful the reviving of these Treatises by such a special Providence hath been may easily be discerned by such as have lived since those times The Life of Thomas Bilney who dyed Anno Christi 1531. THomas Bilney was born in England and brought up at the University of Cambridge where he profited exceedingly in all the Liberal Sciences was chosen Fellow of Trinity Hall and commenced Batchelor of both Laws but betaking himself to the study of Divinity he was wonderfully enflamed with the love of true Religion and godliness He was requested to Preach at a poor Cure belonging to the Hall he converted many of his fellows to the knowledge of the Gospel and amongst others Hugh Latimer who was Cross-keeper at Cambridge and used to carry it before the Procession Bilney afterwards forsaking the University went into many places Teaching and Preaching everywhere and sharply reproving the pomp pride and insolency of the Clergy whereupon Cardinal Wolsey caused him to be apprehended An. Chr. 1527. and to be examined before him and sundry Articles to be drawn up against him Amongst which these were some That in the Church of Willesdon he had exhorted the people to put away their gods of silver and gold and to leave offering to them for that it was known that such things as they had offered to them were many times spent upon Whores and Stews And that the Jews and Saracens would have been Christians long ago had it not been for the Idolatry of Christians and their offering to stocks and stones That Christ is our only Mediator and that therefore we should not seek to Saints That man is so imperfect in himself that he cannot merit by his own deeds That it was a great blasphemy to say that to be buryed in Saint Francis Cowl would take away four parts of penance seeing the blood of Christ taketh away the sins of the World That it was great folly to go on Pilgrimage That Miracles done at Walsingam Canterbury c. were done by the Devil through Gods permission to blinde the poor people That the Pope hath not the Keys that Peter had except he follow Peter in his life That for these 500 years there hath been no good Pope and that of all since Christs time we read but of fifty that were good Lastly that he had Prophesied that there would come others besides him that would Preach to the people the same Faith and manner of living that he did which said he is the very true Gospel of Christ and agreeable to the mindes of the holy Fathers c. For these and such like things the Cardinal being himself busied in the affairs of the Kingdom turned him over to Tonstal Bishop of London who after examination of witnesses against him urged him to recant but he stifly refused three several days still saying Fiat Justitia Judicium in nomine Domini And Haec est dies quam fecit Dominus exultemus laetemur in ea Then the Bishop after deliberation putting off his Cap said In nomine Patris Filii Spiritus Sancti Amen Exurgat Deus dissipentur inimici ejus and so making a Cross on his Forehead and Breast he said I by the consent and counsel of my Brethren here present do pronounce and declare thee Thomas Bilney to be convict of heresie and for the rest of the sentence we will take deliberation till to morrow At which time the Bishops being again assembled London asked him if he would yet return to the Unity of the Church and revoke his Error Mr. Bilney answered that he would not be a slander to the Gospel trusting that he was not separated from the Church and that if multitude of witnesses might be credited he could have thirty men of honest life of his part for one on the contrary brought in against him The Bishop told him it was too late they could admit no witness and therefore exhorted him to abjure This contest continued between the Bishops and him for divers days they still urging and he refusing to recant yet at last through humane frailty he told them that he was perswaded by Mr. Dancaster to abjure and so reading his Abjuration he subscribed it and for penance was enjoyned to abide in Prison till he was released by the Cardinal and that the next day he should go bare-headed before the Procession carrying a Fagot on his shoulder and so stand at Pauls Cross during all the Sermon In the time of his Imprisonment before this he wrote to Cuthbert Tonstall Bishop of London several Letters and in one of them he compares the Priests and Fryars that accused him to Jannes and Jambres to Elymas to Dâ—metrius to the Pythoniss to Baalam Cain Ishmael c. Adding further These are those Physitians upon whom the woman vexed twelve years with a Bloody Issue spent all that she had and found no help but was still worse and worse till at last she came to Christ and was healed by him Oh the mighty power of the
c. help me with your Prayers By the way as he went he gave much Alms and at the place of Execution he spake to the people confessing his Faith by rehearsing the Articles of the Creed and afterwards prayed privately with earnest elevation of his Eyes and Hands to Heaven Being tyed to the stake the Fryars desired him to declare his charity to them by assuring the people that they were not the causers of his death for said they they think that we have procured it and thereupon will withdraw their charitable alms from us whereupon he said I pray you good people be never the worse to these men for my sake for they were not the Authors of my death The fire being kindled the winde drove away the flame from him so that he was the longer a burning holding up his hands crying sometimes Jesus sometimes Credo and so at last yeelded up his spirit unto God Anno Christi 1531. WILLIAM TINDALL The Life of William Tindal who dyed Anno Christi 1536 WIlliam Tindal was born about the borders of Wales and brought up from a childe in the University of Oxford where he grew up and encreased in the knowledge of the Tongues and the Liberal Arts but especially in the Scriptures whereunto his minde was singularly addicted insomuch as being in Magdalen-Hall he read privately to some Fellows and Students some parts of Divinity instructing them in the knowledge and truth of the Scriptures His â—ife also was so blameless that he acquired much love and esteem thereby After he had profited exceedingly and taken his degrees there he remoued to Cambridge and being well ripened in the knowledge of Gods Word he went to live with one Mr. Welch in Glocestershire where he was Tutor to his children and many Abbots and Doctors resorting thither Mr. Tindal discoursing with them of Luther Erasmus c. shewed them plainly his judgement in Religion proving the same by the Word of God and confuting their Errors which caused them to bear a secret grudge in their hearts against him Not long after it happened that some of these great Doctors invited Master Welch and his Lady to a banquet where they had talk at will uttering their blinde Superstitions without gainsaying Then Master Welch and his Lady coming home and calling for Master Tindal began to reason with him about those matters whereof they had talked before with the Priests Mr. Tindal answering by the Scriptures maintained the Truth and confuted their Errors whereupon the â—ady Welch said There was such a Doctor as may expend 100 l. per annum and such an one as may spend 200 l. per annum and such another as may spend 300 l. per annum and is it reason think you that we should believe you before them Mr. Tindal gave her no answer at that time and talked but little afterwards of those matters because he saw it was in vain But fell upon translating a book called Enchiridion miliâ—s Christiani and having finished it he gave it to the Knight and his Lady who after they had well read and perused the same did not more so often invite the Doctorly Prelates to their house as before neither had they that chear and countenance when they came as formerly which they well perceiving supposed that it was by the means of Mr. Tindal whereupon they utterly withdrew themselves and came no more thither Then did the Country Priests cluster together storming and railing against Mr. Tindal in their Alehouse-meetings concerning whom himself writes thus I was saith he in that Country much molested by a company of unlearnnd Priests that had never seen more Latine then in their Portesses and Missals which yet many of them can â—carcely read and if they be but sorrily learned they get Albertus Magnus de secretis mulierum which they pore night and day upon making notes therein c. These men railed and raged against him affirming that he held heretical opinions and thereupon accused him to the Bishop and Chancellor whereupon the Chancellor appointed those Priests and Mr. Tindal also to appear before him and Mr. Tindal suspecting the matter as he went prayed heartily unto God to give him strength to stand fast to the Truth When he came the Chancellor threatned him grievously reviling and rating him as though he had been a Dog accusing him of many things whereof no proof could be brought and so dismissed him for the present Not long after Mr. Tindal happening into the company of one that was esteemed a learned Doctor in disputing with him he drave him to that issue that the Doctor burst out into these blasphemous words We had better be without Gods Laws then the Popes Mr. Tindal hearing this full of godly zeal replyed I defie the Pope and all his Laws and if God spare me life ere many years I will cause a boy that drives the Plough to know more of the Scripture then you do The rage of the Priests encreasing Mr. Tindal told Mr. Welch that he well perceived that he could stay there no longer with safety and that his stay might be prejudicial to his Family and therefore with his good leave he departed and went to London where he preached a while as he had done in the Country before And then hearing a great commendation of Cuthbert Tonstal Bishop of London he endeavored to get into his service but the Lord saw that it was not good for him and therefore he found little favor in the Bishops sight Remaining thus in London about the space of a year and being desirous for the good of his Country to translate the New Testament into English he found that there was no place for him to do it in England and therefore being assisted by Master Humphry Manmouth a godly Citizen and other good men he left the land and went into Germany where this good man being inflamed with a tender care of and zeal for his Country refused no travel nor pains if by any means possible he might reduce his Brethren and Countrymen of England to the same taste and understanding of Gods holy Word and Truth which the Lord had endued him withall Then conferring with Master John Frith he thought in his minde that no way would more conduce thereunto then if the Scriptures were translated into their vulgar language that so the people might fee the plain text before them for he well perceived that one great cause of Error was because the knowledge of the Scriptures was hidden from the peoples Eyes upon these considerations he there set upon this work Translating the New Testament Anno Christi 1527. and then setting upon the Old he finished the five Books of Moses with sundry most learned and godly Prologues prefixed before every one of them the like also he did upon the New Testament Besides divers other godly Treatises which he wrote there
studies he went into Germany and there setled himself at Wittenberg where he commenced Doctor in Divinity and was a publick Professor Anno Christi 1512. Afterwards he became an earnest assertor of Luthers doctrine and a defender of it against Eccius both by disputation and writing At the Disputation held at Lipsich Anno Christi 1519. of which you may read in Luthers life Caralâ—stadius and Eccius first began it There was a great dissimilitude between these two persons For Caralostadius shewed the modesty of a Divine in his voice countenance gesture and proceedings disputing not for glory and victory but to search out the Truth wherefore he affirmed nothing but what he soundly proved nor admitted any Quotations brought by the Adverse party till he had gathered the meaning of the Anthor by the words that went before and followed after By this his diligence he commended himself to the learned but the unlearned interpreted it to be duâ—ness and fear But Eccius on the other hand appeared fierce by his outcryes his stern countenance his Theatrical gesture and his impetuous proceedings which outward gestures of the body shewed a minde little Theological he often boasted of himself so highly and impudently that he lost his reputation amongst wise men He most constantly affirmed those things which were false and as shamelesly denyed those things which were true their Disputation was about Freewill the fruit whereof as Luther writes was not the searching out of truth but temporis perditio the loss of time At his return to Wittenberg he published Trecentas septuaginta conclusiones Apologeticas defensionem adversus monomachiam D. Johannis Eccâ—i cum epitome de impii justificatione The year after he set forth his Theses against the Papacy Anno Christi 1521. at the time of Luthers being in his Pathmos Caralostadius obtained or the Elector the abolishing of private Mass Auricular confession Images c. at Wittenberg about which time he marryed a wife concerning which Luther writing to Amsdorfius saith thus Caralostadii nuptiae mirè placent novi puellam conforteâ— cum Dominus in bonum exemplum inhibendae minuendae Papisticae libidinis Amen But Luther hearing of that Reformation in Wittenberg and being offended at it returned presently thither Anno Christi 1522. and preached eagerly against that alteration whereupon Caralostadius who in Luthers absence was the principal man in Wittenberg being netled with those sharp Sermons of Luther wrote in justification of it which was the first beginning of greater differences betwixt them about the Sacrament whereupon he left Wittenberg Anno Christi 1524. and went to Orlamund being called to a Pastoral charge there But after a while he was called back to his place in Wittenberg yet before he went Luther being sâ—nt by the Elector to Jene and Orlamund in a Sermon where Caralostadius was present inveighed bitterly against the Anabaptists and said withall That the same spirit reigned in the Image haters and Sacramentaries whereupon Caralostadius being much offended went to his lodging to confer with him about it Afterwards Luther coming again to Orlamund went not to salute Caralostadius but in his Sermon quarrelled with their abolishing of Idols and shortly after he procured the Elector to banish Caralostadius whereof Caralostadius afterwards complained in a Letter to his people in Wittenberg that unheard and unconvicted he was banished by Luthers procurement From thence he went to Basil where he printed some Books that he had written about the Lords Supper for which the Magistrates being offended with the novelty of the Doctrine cast the Printers into Prison and the Senate of Zurick forbade their people to read those Books but Zuinglius in his Sermon exhorted them first to read and then to pass judgement on them saying That Caralostadius knew the truth but had not well expressed it Afterwards whilst Caralostadâ—us was wandring up and down in upper Germany the sedition of the boorish Anabaptists brake out unto which they were stirred up by Muncer for which many of them especially of their Ministers were brought to punishment and Caralostadius also escaped very narrowly being let down in a basket over the wals of Rottenburg Thus being in great straits he wrote to Luther and purged himself from having any hand in those uproars entreating him to print his Book and undertake his defence which also Luther did desiring the Magistrates that he might be brought to his just trial before he was condemned Caralostadius wrote again to him a Letter wherein he said That for his opinion about the Sacrament he rather proposed it for Disputation sake then that he positively affirmed any thing which many imputed to him for levity But Luther thereupon procured his return into Saxony yet he finding little content there went to Zurick Anno Christi 1530. and taught in that place till the death of Zuinglius and then he went to Basil where he taught ten years and Anno Christi 1541. he dyed there of the Plague and was very honorably buryed What esteem Luther had sometimes of him may appear by this superscription of a Letter which he wrote to him Eruditâ—ssimo viro praestantissimo D. Andreae Boâ—enstein Caâ—alostadio syncerioris Theologiae asscrtorâ— facile primario Archidiacono Wittenbergensi Praeceptori ac majori suo in Christo Jesu The Life of Capito who dyed An. Chri. 1541. WOlfgangus Fabricius Capito was born at Hagenaw in Alsatia Anno Christi 1478. His Father was of the Senatorian ranck who bred him in Learning and sent him to Basil where he studyed the Liberal Arts and Tongues and by his singular diligence profited very much therein Afterwards when he applyed himself to the study of Divinity his Father who abhorred the unholy life of those which professed holiness took him off from those studies and set him in a way of studying Physick wherein he made such a progress that Anno Christi 1498 he commenced Doctor of Physick But his Father being dead he returned to the study of Divinity being religiously inclined and profited much in it Then he went to Friburg where he studyed School Divinity but after a while growing weary thereof because he found in the Schoolmen much subtilty but little utility he was ordained a Presbyter And then fell to the study of the Law being for four years space a Hearer of Zâ—sius But above all things he admired and esteemed the Doctrine of the Gospel and was a great lover and admirer of godly Ministers At Heidleberg he grew into acquaintance with Oecolâ—mpadius and there was a near tye of friendship betwixt them all their lives after with him also he studyed Hebrew being therein assisted by Matthew Adrian a converted Jew From thence being sent for by the Senate he went to Basil where he was Preacher in the chief Church for some years and laid the foundation of a blessed Reformation in that City there also he commenced Doctor
prevailed with him that he sold his Plate and was more open-handed to the Poor He wrote many things but not seeking his own honour would never suffer them to he printed yet afterwards some few were published As his Catechism in Dutch An Explication of certain heads in Divinity A defence of the Christian Religion An Oration wherein he defended the Marriage of Ministers As also of the Decalogue Lords Prayer and Belief The Life of Vitus Theodorus who dyed Anno Christi 1549. VItus Theodorus was born at Norinberg one of the most famous Cities in Germany and after he had been trained up in his Country School he went to Wittenberg where he continued many years applying himself hard to his studies and by his diligence and attending upon the Lectures both publick and private he made such a progress in Learning that he commenced Master of Arts with the good approbation of the University After which he betook himself to the study of Divinity and attained to an excellent measure of knowledge therein So that he was very dear to Luther both for the eminent gifts of his minde and for the holiness of his Life as also to Melancthon Both whose Lectures he daily attended upon and heard with much diligence and by his good will would never be from their sides He went with Luther An. Chr. 1530. to Coburg in the confines of Franconia during the Diet at Auspurg He was also often present at the Imperial Diets which met about Religion where he disputed wit the Adversaries about the Principal heads of the Controversies He was called to be a Pastor at Norinberg his own country where he preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ with great zeal and Eloquence to the great profit of his hearers and that for many years together in the Church of Sebald till it pleased God to put an end to his labors by translating him out of this vale of tears into his Everlasting Kingdom Anno Christi 1549. Scripsit Annotationes breves into tota Biblia Germanica utilem Ecclesiae operam navavit Lutheri Colligendis expoliendisque Commentariis in Prophetam Micheam in priora undecem Geneseos capita The Life of Paulus Fagius who dyed An. Ch. 1550. PAulus Fagius was born in the Palatinate An. Chr. 1504. of mean parents His Father was Peter Buchlin who was Schoolmaster of Taberna Rhenana the Town where this Paul was born His Mothers name was Margaret His Father brought him up in his own School till he was eleven years old and then sent him to Heidleberg where he was educated under John Brentius and Martin Frechtus till he was about 18 years old and then he went to Strasborough where he taught School to supply his necessities for some years and the study of the Tongues beginning about this time to be in request he applyed himself thereto and became familiar with the most eminent therein as Capito Hedio Bucer Zellius c. who also were happy reformers of the Church of Christ at that time Anno Christi 1527. having attained some competent knowledge in the Languages and other Learning being compelled by poverty he removed to Isna where also he taught School and by his diligence and virtuous carriage approved himself to all There also he married a wife and growing more famous he was called to the Ministry and to a Pastoral charge But the studie of the Tongues flourishing most at Strasborough whither many Exiles resorted for that end he returned thither again and read Hebrew to some with good success And yet in the mean time he so followed the study of Divintiy and applyed himself to Preaching that after two years space he returned with his Family to his friends more learned and better accommodated with outward things Anno Christi 1537. he was recalled to Isna to a Pastoral charge which he discharged with good credit for about five years spending his spare-time in the study of the Hebrew wherein he profited to a miracle so that it was believed that those later ages never produced a more learned man in the Hebrew then Fagius He made use also of a learned Iew called Elias Levita whom he sent for to him from Venice and amongst his other friends there was one Senator of Isna most dear unto him called Peter Bufler by whose assistance he set up a Press and published some Books for the Publick good and when he was faln into want the said Bufler was very bountifull to him But finding that place not so fit for his purpose he thought of changing his seat again Whilst he was at Isna Anno Christi 1541. a great Plague brake forth which caused many especially the richer sort to leave the place Yet before their departure by his zealous and fervent Sermons and Exhortations he prevailed with some to stay and with others to leave their alms behinde them for the relief of the indigent He prevailed also with the Senate upon the Publick purse to hire fit persons to take care of the sick and Fagius himself all the time of the Infection went up and down night and day to comfort those that were visited refusing none no not the Poorest so all acknowledged it no less then a miracle that he was preserved in so contagious a time About the same time the Plague raged much at Strasborough and amongst others snatched away Wolfgang Capito whose place continued void for a year after viz. to the year 1542. whereupon the Commonwealth of Constance which was associated with them of Strasborough in Religion by their Prayers and messengers prevailed to get him to Strasborough first for two years and afterwards for two years more Though before this Philip Prince of Hassia had designed him for a Professor in his University of Marpurg About the beginning of the Germanâ— war Frederick the second Prince Elector Palatine purposing to reform the Churches within his Dominion made choice of Fagius who was famous for his Eloquence and Doctrine for that work whereupon he sent for him to Heidleberg to be a Preacher there During his abode at Heidleberg he published divers Books which were very useful for those that studyed the Hebrew Tongue whereupon it seemed good to Bucer Martyr and Hâ—dio who were the ordinary Professors of Divinity in that University that each other week he should read an extraordinary Divinity Lecture and that when any of them were hindred by business or sickness he should supply their rooms Anno Christi 1548. Caesar having prevailed in the war against the Protestaâ—â— the progress of Religion was hindred in the Palatinate and the Interim began to be pressed with great violence and it was resolved that the godly Ministers should be banished especially such as by reason of their great imployments stood as a brazen wall in the way of Antichrist amongst whom Fagius was one who notwithstanding all the threats of the Papists continued constant and
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
therefore I desire the most hearty and unfeigned prayers of all Christs true members the true imps of the true Catholique Church that the Lord God of all consolation will now be my comfort aid strength buckler and shield as also of all my brethren who are in the same case and distresse that I and you all may despise all manner of threats and cruelty and even the bitter burning fire and the dreadfull dart of death and stick like true soldiers to our deare and loving Captaine Christ our onely Redeemer and Saviour and the onely true head of the Church that doth all in us all that we doe not traiterously run out of his tents or rather out of the plaine field from him in the heat of the Battell But that we may persevere in the fight if he please not otherwise to deliver us till we be most cruelly slaine of his enemies For this I most heartily and even with teares most instantly and earnestly desire you all to pray And if I dye to be good to my poore and most honest-wife being a poore stranger and to all my little soules her and my children c. The next day he was brought before the Councell againe and the third day also where he met with the like usage and when by no means they could remove him from his constancy Steven Gardener read his sentence of condemnation Degraded him and so delivered him over to the secular power Declaring that he was under the great curse and that it was a vengeable dangerous matter to eat or drink with him or to give him any thing for that all that did so should be partakers of the same curse Then said Mr Rogers Well my Lord here I stand before God and you and all this Honorable audience and take him to witnesse that I never wittingly and willingly taught any false Doctrine and therefore have I a good conscience before God and all good men I am sure that you and I shall come before a righteous Judge before whom I shall be as good a man as you and I nothing doubt but I shall be found then a true member of Jesus Christ and everlastingly saved And as for your false Church you needed not to have excommunicated me out of it for I have not lived in it these twenty yeares the Lord be thanked for it Then he desired that his wife to whom he had been married eighteen years and by whom he had ten children and the being a stranger might be admitted to come to him whil'd he lived But Steven Gardner the then Lord Chancellor would by no means suffer it Febr. 4th Anno Christi 1555. He was warned suddenly by the keepers wife of Newgate to prepare himselfe for the fire who then being sound asleep could scarce be awaked with much jogging At length being awaked and raised he was bid to make hast If it be so said he I need not tie my points and so he was presently had away to Bonner to be degraded of whom he earnestly requested to be admitted to speak with his wife but could not prevaile From thence he was carried into Smithfield where scarce being permitted to speak to the people he briefly persuaded them to perseverance in that truth which he had taught them which also he was now ready to seal with his blood Then was a pardon profered to him if he would recant but he utterly refused it His wife with nine small Children and the tenth sucking at her brest came to him but this sorrowfull sight nothing moved him but in the flames he washed his hand and with wonderfull patience took his death all the people exceedingly rejoycing at his constancie and praising God for it He was the Proto-Martyr in Queen Marie's dayes The Sabbath before his death he drank to Mr Hooper who lay in a chamber beneath him bidding the Messenger to commend him to him and to tell him That there was never little fellow that would better stick to a man then he would to him supposing they should be both burn'd together although it happened otherwise During the time of his imprisonment strait search was made in his chamber for his writings and papers yet nothing was found But after his death his wife and one of his sons going to his chamber to look after them could find nothing till being ready to depart the boy espyed a black thing lying in a corner under a blind paire of staires which indeed proved the book they looked for containing a narration of his examination and answers whereunto were added these predictions If said he God look not mercifully upon England the seeds of utter destruction are sown in it already by these hypocritical Tyrants and Antichristian Prelats double traytors to their native Countrey And yet they speak of Mercy of Blessing of Unity of the Catholike Church c. But this double dissimulation will be discovered one day when the plague comes which undoubtedly will fall upon those Crown-shorne Captains and that shortly what soever the godly and the poore Realme suffer in the meane time by Gods permission and will For the dispersed English flock shall be brought againe unto their former state or a better I trust in the Lord God then it was in innocent King Edwards days and our bloody Babylonian Bishops with their whole Crown shorne company shal bâ— brought to utter shame rebuke ruine and destruction For God cannot and undoubtedly will not for ever suffer their abominable lying false Doctrine their hypocrisy bloodthirstinesse whoredoms idlenesse their pestilent lives pamperd in all kinds of delights their Thrasonical boasting pride their malitious envious and poysonfull stomacks which they beare towards his poore afflicted flock Some shall have their punishment here in this world and they that escape here shall not escape everlasting damnation This shall be your sawce O yee wicked Papists make yee merry as long as yee may Also an honest Printer being his prison fellow Mr. Rogers said to him Thou shalt live to see the alteration of Religion and the Gospell to be freely preached againe and therefore have me commended to my brethren as well in exile as others and bid them be circumspect it displacing Papists and putting good Ministers into the Churches or else their end will be worse then ours Whilst he lay in the prison of Newgate which was above a yeare he was very merry and earnest in all he went about to the prisoners very charitable and liberall for whose sake he made an agreement with his fellows that they should eat but one meale a day yet paying for two which overplus should be given to them that lacked on the other side of the prison The Life of Laurence Saunders who dyed A no Christi 1555. LAurence Saunders was borne of worshipfull parents brought up in learning at Eaton School and from thence chosen to King's College in Cambridg where he continued three years and
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
to the poor severe and stout in reproofs an earnest defendor of the Truth against Errors ardent in Prayer c. He joyned with Luther in the Translation of the Bible which being finished every year upon that day he invâ—ted his friends and made a feast which he called the Feast of the Translation of the Bible He was alwaies well content with his station and condition at Wittenberg and would never remove though hee was earnestly pressed to have removed to places of more honour power and profit He attended his charge with great fidelity admirable assiduity and extraordinary pains In his Sermons he was very modest and so devout that sometimes forgetting himself he would spend some hours in preaching He wrote a Commentary upon the Psalmes Annotations upon the Epistles to Gal. Ephes. Phil. Collos. Thess. 1 2. to Timothy 1. 2. to Titus Philemon Hebr. Also Annotations upon Samuel Jonah and Denter besides some Epistles to sundry friends P. MELANCTHON The Life of Philip Melancthon who dyed A no Christi 1560. PHilip Melancthon was born at Bretta in the lower Palatinate Anno Christi 1497. of honest parents of a middle rank by whom he was set to School to learne Grammer of John Hungarus a learned and honest man and to learne Greek of George Simler and afterwards they sent him to Heidleberg at twelve years of age where he had Logick and Physicks read to him and attaining ability to make a verse he fell to reading Poetry and History There also being very young be instructed the Sons of Count Leonstein and Commenced Bachelor of Arts Anno Christi 1511. and of his age fourteen with generall approbation After three years study there the air not agreeing with him and being denyed his degree of Master of Arts by reason of his youth removed to Tubinge anno 1512. He alwayes used to carry his Bible about with him reading often in it both at Church and elsewhere yet was he carried away with the common errors of the times of which himselfe saith I â—remble to think with what blind devotion I went to Images whilst I was a Papist He pivately at Tubinge taught the Law and read over very diligently all the books of Gallen and with Oecolampadius read over Hesiod He stayed in that University four years where he profited so much in the Arts Tongues and Philosophy that he read publick Lectures in the Schools out of Virgil Terence and Tully and was imployed in overseeing the Presse He studied the Mathematicks Law and Physick in all which he profited much There he commenced Master of Arts Anno Christi 1513. and of his age Seventeen Luther about that time beginning to oppose the Pope In August 1518. Philip Melancthon was sent for from Tubinge by Frederick Duke of Saxony to the University of Wittenberge to teach the Greek Tongue He consulted with â—apnio who advised him to imbrace the invitation whereupon August 25. he came to Wittenberg About which time Erasmus wrote thus of him Philip Melancthon is a most learned and exoe Neâ—t Greciâ—â—â— he is a youth and stripling if ye consider his age but one of us if ye look upon his variety of knowledge almost in all books He is very exquisite in the learning of both the Tongues I pray Christ this young man may live long amongst us he wil quite obscuâ—e Erasmus Four dayes after he came to Wittenberg he made a most earned and polite Oration in the University with so much grace as was admirable He came to Wittenberg when he was but 22 years old There he began to expound Pauls Epistle to Titus â—ut of Greek to the great admiration of his hearers which flockâ— exceedingly to his Lectures and â—uther also was exceedingly taken with the same as himself professeth in a Letter to Spalatmus saying Philippum Graecissimum eruditissimum humanissimum habe commendatissimum auditorium habet refertum auditoribus imprimis omnes Theologos summos cum mediis infimis studiosos facit Graecitatis When he first began to teach he found the precepts of arts either false or obscure or out of order and therefore taking the labour upon him he made learned Systemes almost of all Arts cutting off what was false illustrating what was obscure and rightly placing what was out of order so that anno 1519. he published his Rhetorick the year after his Logick and shortly after his Grammer with other Arts in order Anno 1519 he went with Luther to Lipswich where he disputed with Eccius and though Eccius contemned him for his youth and called him saccum distinctionum yet he got himselfe much credit and gave some experience of his abilities in controversies Anno Christi 1520. he expounded the Epistle to the Romans which Commentary Luther printed without the privity of Melancthon The year after when the Divines of Paris had condemned Luthers Doctrine and books he wrote an Apology for him against their furious Decree Anno Christi 1522. he printed his Common-places And his Commentaries on both the Epistles to the Corinthians Anno 1523. he published his Annotations upon Genesis with some other books The year after taking Joac Camerarius along with him he went to visit his friends and at his return at the request of the Lantgrave of Hesse he wrote an Epitome of the Ecclesiasticall Doctrine renewed and a Treatise of the difference between the righteousnes of the world and of Christ. He turned into Latine the Proverbs of Solomon and wrote prefaces to the Psalms and Lamentations An. 1525. In the wars of the Boorish Anabaptists he confuted their Articles whereby they sought to justifie their Rebellion and in the end of that yeare hee was sent for to Norimberg to direct the Senate in the erecting of a School Anno 1527. he was imployed in visiting the Churches in Saxonie Anno Christi 1529. the Elector of Saxonie took him with him to the Convention at Spire where by the consent of the Protestant Princes He drew up a confession of Faith with great pains and exactnesse which by them was presented to the Emperor Charls the Fifth Anno Christi 1534. Henry the eighth King of England sent to invite him into England with promise of Courteous entertainment and good preferment hoping by his meanes to draw the Protestant Princes of Germany into a league with him against the Pope But Melancthon refused to goe rendring the reason in a Letter that he wrote to Camerarius wherin is this passage Perhaps many things are reported amongst you concerning England that it lyeth open now for the Religion of the purer Doctrine but I have intelligence from a good hand that the King hath no great care of the affairs of the Church onely this good comes of his rejecting the Popes Authority that for the present no crueâ—ty is used towards those that are desirous of better Doctrine Anno Christi 1536. he went abroad to visit
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
stripes gained to Christ multitudes in Montbelgard Aquileia Lausanna Geneva and Neocome There was in him besides piety learning innocency of life and exemplary modesty a certain singular presence of mind sharp wit and vehemency of speech so that he rather seemed to thunder then speak and lastly such admirable fervency in his prayers that he seemed to carry his hearers into heaven with him Farellus concionibus magis quam scriptionibus operam dedit Edidit tamen Themata quaedam disputanda Basiliae excusa Latinè Germanicè Disputationem Bernae habitam Latinè anno 1528. Beza made these verses of him Gallica mirata est Calvinum Ecclesia semper Quo nemo docuit doctius Est quoque te semper mirata Farelle tonantem Quo nemo tonuit fortius PET PAV VERGERIVS The Life of Vergerius who died Anno Christi 1562. PEter Paul Vergerius was a man excellently learned both in the Law and Popish Divinity wherein hee attained the highest degrees Anno Christi 1530 at which time that famous Convention at Augsburg was appointed hee was sent by Pope Clement the seventh as his Legate into Germany to improve his uttermost abilities to hinder a National Council and accordingly he bestirred himselfe to hinder and endamage the Lutherans and that he might the better encourage the Popish Divines viz. Faber Eccius Cochlaeus and Nausea to play the men in their Masters cause he bestowed sundry favours and gifts upon them He also by his Legantine power made Eccius Cannon of Ratisbone Anno Christi 1534 Paul the third sent for him to Rome to give an account of the state of affairs in Germany which when he had done the Pope deliberated with his Cardinals what course was fittest to be taken to prevent a Nationall Council till as Caesar and the other Kings could be stirred up to war by their secret instigations and so after a while he sent back Vergerius into Germany to promise the Princes that a General Council should be held at Mantua but withall to prescribe such rules about comming to it as he knew the Protestant Divines would not accept of He had in charge also to stirre up the Prince's mindes against the King of England and to profer his Kingdom to whosoever would conquer it and to try if by any meanes he could take off Luther and Melancthon from prosecuting what they had begunne There were also nine Cardinals and Bishops chosen out the better to delude the Germans who were to consider of and to prescribe a form of Reforming the Church which accordingly they did Hereupon Anno Christi 1535 he went back from Rome into Germany to King Ferdinand where he met with the Lantgrave of Hesse and opened to him the Popes purpose of calling a Councill After which he went to the rest of the Princes to impart the same to them also Then went hee to Luther at Wittenberg where with better diligence then successe hee prosecuted what hee had in Commission to him About the end of that year the Princes by their writing returned answer to Vergerius And the year after when Caesar went to Naples Vergerius was called home by the Pope to whom he shewed the success of his affairs viz. That the Protestants required a free and Christian Councill to be convened within the borders of Germany as the Emperour had promised That there was no hope of gaining Luther and his associates but by their destruction That the Protestant Princes would not hearken to any thing about England and that the other Princes were very cold also in that cause and that George Duke of Saxony had told him that there was great danger from the Lutherans which could by no other means be prevented except the Emperour and Pope would make war with them Hereupon the Pope commanded him to make all the haste he could to Naples to acquaint the Emperour herewith especially to excite him all hee could to take up armes against the Lutherans But when Caesar came to Rome Anno Christi 1536 he pressed the Pope for a Generall Councill desiring to carry back with him into Germany the Patent for it The Pope denyed not his request but told him that hee would chuse a City in Italy for it and that he would prescribe such Rules for it as were most necessary for the Roman Church Caesar answered that if he would call a Councill he much cared not where it was presuming that he could bring the greatest part of the Germans along with him to it Then did the Pope with his assistants draw up a Patent for it at which time he made Vergerius first Bishop of Modrusium and shortly after of Justinople Anno Christi 1537 the Pope intending to send another Legate into Germany commanded Vergerius to acquaint him with the state of the Country and how he should deport himself amongst them but both Master and Scholar lost their labour with the German Princes Anno Christi 1541 Vergerius was again sent into Germany to the Convention at Worms in the name indeed of the King of France but in truth that under that pretence he might the better promote the Popes affairs at which time he wrote his book De unitate pace Ecclesiae The scope whereof was to take off the Germans from thinking of a National Council Thus Vergerius for a long time had been serviceable to the Popes and had promoted their interest he had also â—â—ttained great favour with Princes and Kings and King Ferdinand did so highly esteem him that he made him Godfather to his Daughter Katherine Yet at last he fell off from the Pope by this wonderfull occasion After the Convention at Wormes he was called back to Rome and the Pope being to make some Cardinals intended to make Vergerius one but some suggested that he had been so long in Germany that he smelled of a Lutheran which made the Pope to alter his purpose which when Vergerius was informed of by Cardinal Ginucius to whom the Pope had told it he was wonderfully astonished and that he might purge himself went into his own country purposing to write a booke with this title Against the Apostate Germans But it pleased God that whilst he read over his adversaries books with an intent to confute them himself was converted by them Whereupon casting off all desires of a Cardinalship he retired himself to his brother John Baptista Bishop of Pola and communicating his thoughts to him asked his advice His brother at first was much astonished and bewailed his condition but after a while was perswaded by him to read and study the Scriptures especially in the point of Justification by Faith wherby it pleased God that he also saw the Popish Doctrines to be false and so they both became zealous Preachers of Christ to the people of Istria diligently inculcating the wonderful benefits which we have by Christ and shewing what
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
reason of his many imployments he had no time to follow his book there he thought it better to betake himselfe to the service of some learned man So going to Paris and being admitted into the Colledg of Navar he laboured hard all day for his Masters and spent a great part of the night in study so that in a short time he was made Master of Arts and Laureat Poet. And the Professors in that Colledge every one taking much delight in his diligence each strove to forward him in Learning and lent him such books as he needed Then he betook himselfe to instructing others and to exercise himselfe in private Lectures till thereby he had fitted himselfe for more publick imployments Which when he had done he was appointed publickly to read Logick and when he was twenty one years old he published his Logick with some Animadversions upon Aristotle This procured him much love every one admiring such ripe parts in so young a man and envy being the usuall Concomitant of vertue he had also many that envied and aspersed him especially the Sâ—rbone Doctors who accused him of Heresie in Philosophie for that he being but a Novice durst take upon him to correct Aristotle the Prince of Philosophers and by their authority they so far prevailed that Ramus was forbidden to read or write any more of Philosophy This being very grievous to him it pleased God to stir up the heart of the Governour of another Colledge to send for him to assist him in restoring of that Colledge which was now empty the Students being all fled by reason of the infection of the Plague And it came to pass that in a short time Ramus being so famous a man the Colledge was better stored with students then ever it had been before The Sâ—rbonists much raged at this and laboured to sow division between the Governour of the Colledge and him Yet Ramus carried himself with so much candor and ingenuity that they lived together with much concord At last that Governour dying Ramus succeeded him by the Cardinall of Lorrains means who was a great favourer of learning he was made the Regius Professor of Rhetorick and Philosophy Anno Christi 1551 and of his age 36. His fame spreading into all the Universities of Christendome there were may Princes that strove to get him out of France profering him large stipends if hee would come to them but he being now famous in France preferred his own Country before all others and therefore rejected all their offers In Paris he had so great esteem that though his enemies strongly opposed it yet he was made Dean of the whole University And so having obtained a more quiet kind of life hee betooke himselfe to the studie of the Mathematicks wherein he grew very exquisite But when the Civill Warrs brake forth in France for Religion and that none could safely enjoy themselves or any thing that they had whilst under pretence of Religion every one revenged his own private quarrels upon others Ramus to free himself from this tempest left Paris and went to Fountanblew where the Kings Library was yet neither there could he be in safety so that at last hee was compelled to betake himselfe to the Camp of the Prince of Conde But when he saw that France was no fit place for him for the present to reside in hee resolved to travell into Germany till God should restore peace to his Country again And accordingly he went to Strasborough Basil Lausanna Zurick Heidleberg Norenberg and Augsburg and was entertained in all these Universities with great applause and with much joy by all Learned men When the Civill War was ended in France he returned to Paris again Where he remained in his former imployment as the Kings Professor in Logick till that horrible Massacre happened on St. Bartholmews day wherein so many thousands perished by the cruel hands of bloody Papists At which time he was in the Colledge of Priests and the Colledge gates being fast shut he locked himselfe up in his owne house till those furious Papists brake open his doores and finding him ranne him thorow and being half dead threw him out of his window so that his bowels issued out on the stones and not being satisfied therewith they cut off his head dragged his body about the streets in the channels and some young Scholars were set on by their Popish Tutors to whip it in a most contemptuous manner and at last it was thrown into the River of Sein Anno Christi 1572 and of his Age 57. After which also they seized upon his Goods Library and Writings whereby many excellent Commentaries and other Works not fully compleat perished to the great loss of Learned men He wrote a Grammer Rhetorick Logick of Mathematicks and divers other excellent Works The Life of Matthew Parker who died Anno Christi 1574. MAtthew Parker was born in the City of Norwich Anno Christi 1502 and having spent some years at School went to Cambridge where he was admitted into Corpns Christi Bennet Colledge in which place he profited so much that he was chosen Fellow and grew so famous that Queen Anâ—â— Bullen Mother to Queen Elizabeth made him her Chaplain whereupon he Commenced Doctor in Divinity And after her death King Henry the eighth and after his death King Edward the sixth made him their Chaplains and preferred him to be Master of Bennet Colledge Besides other Ecclesiasticall dignities which they advanced him to But in Queen Maries daies he was dispoyled of all and was compelled to live a poor and private life But so soon as Queen Elizabeth came to the Crown shee made choice of this Dr. Parker for his admirable learning and piety to be the Archbishop of Canterbury Anno Christi 1559. For Decemb. 17 the Dean and Chapter of the Church of Canterbury having received their Congedelier from the Queen and proceeding in their election according to the ancient and laudible custome of the aforesaid Church chose Dr. Parker for their Archbishop whereof they made a returne to the Queens Majesty for her confirmation whereupon the Queen sent her Letters Patents to seven Bishops six whereof were lately returned from their voluntary exile for his consecration The Bishops were Anthony Bishop of Landaffe William Barlow Bishop of Bath and Wells John Scory Bishop of Hâ—reford Miles Coverdale late Bishop of Exetâ—r John Suffragan of Bedford John Suffragan of Thetford and John Bale Bishop of Osâ—ry in Ireland and accordingly he was consecrated by them and lived in that place with great commendation for above fifteene years His works of Charity were very eminent He gave to the Corporation of Norwich where he was born a Bason and Ewr double gilt weighing 173 ounces as also fifty shillings a yeare for ever to be distributed amongst the poore of that City And
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
taught Greek and Hebrew for his maintenance and heard Luther and Melancthon He was much troubled there with temptations about Sinne Gods wrath and Predestination But by the good counsel of Pomerane and Luther and the publick praiers of the Church it pleased God that he overcame them Melancthon loved him much for his Wit and Learning and maintained him at his own charges And when Flacius was reasonable well grounded in the Greek he fel to the study of the Hebrew and commenced Mr. of Arts. He also married a wife and had a stipend allowed him by the Prince Elector Anno 1544. But when by reason of the Wars that University was dissipated he went to Brunswick being invited thither by Medler where he got much credit by his publlck teaching The Warres being ended he returned to Wittenberg Anno 1547. But when the Interim came forth and Melancthon thought that for peace-sake somthing should be yeelded to in things indifferent Flacius with the Divines of Lubec Lunenburg Hamborough and Madgeburg strongly opposed it as opening a gap to the return of Popery Hereupon shortly after he removed to Madgeburg where he strongly opposed Popery the Interim and whatsoever was contrarie to the Augustane Confession There also he assisted Gallus Wigand and Judex in writing the Madgeburgenses Centuries Confuted the opinion of Osiander about the Justification of a man before God and the fond conceits of Schwensield And when the Duke of Saxonie had erected an University at Jeans hee sent for him thither Anno Christi 1557. But after five years a great contention arising between Strigelius and him about Free will he left that place and went to Ratisbone and Anno Christi 1567 the Citizens of Antwerp having procured liberty for the free exercise of the Reformed Religion sent for Flacins amongst others thither but Religion being quickly expelled thence he went to Strasborough where he published his Glosse upon the New Testament And from thence to Franckfurt upon the Main where after a while falling out with the Ministers about the Essence of Originall Sin he fell into great disgrace and not long after died Anno Christi 1575 and of his Age 55. He was of an unquiet wit alwaies contending with some or other and brought much grief to Melancthon yet wrote some excellent Workes for the benefit of the Church and amongst others his Catalogus Testium Veritatis His Clavis sacrae Scripturae His Martyrologie with many others set down by Verheiden in his Praestantium Theologorum effigies The Life of Josias Simlerus who died A no Christi 1576. JOsias Simlerus was born at Capella in Helvetia An. Ch. 1530. His Fathers Name was Peter who was a godly learned and prudent man by whom he was carefully brought up in learning in the School of Capella and at fourteene yeares of age was sent to Zurick Anno Christi 1544 where he lived in Bullingers Family who was his Godfather almost two yeares and in which place he demeaned himself so piously modestly and diligently and made so eminent a progresse in Learning that he was exceedingly beloved of all From thence he went to the University of Basil Anno Christi 1546 where he studied the Arts and Tongues one year and from thence he went to Strasborough in which place there flourished at that time Sturmius Martyr Bucer Fagius Herlinus Sevenus Dasypodius Hedio Niger with some others Some of these he heard and spent two years in the further study of the Arts and Tongues And so at the end of three years he returned home to the great joy of his Father and Bullinger Neither did he now spend his time in pleasures and idlenesse but partly in learning partly in preaching in neighbouring villages and partly in teaching a School so that being not above twenty yeares old he was very serviceable both in the Church and Schoole And whereas Gesner was exceeding full of imployments hee many times supplyed his publick Lectures one while reading Astronomie another while Geometrie and other whiles Arithmetick Lectures for him Anno Christi 1552 he was appointed publickly to expound the New Testament in Zurick being but two and twenty years old and he beganne with Matthew and shewed such diligence and abilities that he was not only admired be his own Countrymen but by strangers especially the English who lived as exiles there at that time Four years after An. Chr. 1557 he was made Deacon and went on in his former worke with admiration so that he was highly prized by all and judged fit for better preferment Bibliander being grown very old Simler supplied his place and was Colleague to Peter Martyr who highly prised him and foretold that Simler would prove a great ornament to the Church and when he died expressed much joy that he should have so able a man to succeed him And accordingly after his death Simler was chosen into his place by the unanimous votes both of the Doctors and Senate of Zurick which was in the year 1563 and had for his Colleague John Wolffius a very learned and godly man Simler besides his publick labours instructed many in private and amongst them some Noblemen both in sacred and humane learning His Lectures publick and private ordinary and extraordinary were sufficient witnesses of his diligence industry piety learning eloquence judgement and memory He had such an acute wit and strong memory that he was able ex tempore to speak of any subject and to answer his friends questions out of any Author and to give an account of their writings to the great admiration of the hearers And though in reading of books he seemed to run over them very superficially yet when he had done he was able to give an exact account of any thing that was contained in them Being so troubled with the Gout that many times he was confined to his bed and had the use of none of his members but his Tongue onely yet in the midst of his pains he used to dictate to his Amanuensis such things as were presently printed to the great admiration of Learned men Besides the Gout he was much troubled with the stone so that the pains of these diseases together with his excessive labours in his Ministry hastned his immature death which he also foresaw yet without any consternation or fear but by his frequent and fervent prayers to God endeavoured to fit himselfe for it and accordingly Anno Christi 1576 he resigned up his spirit unto God being five and forty years old and was buried in Peter Martyrs Tomb. Hee was of a very loving and gentle nature free from passion very charitable spending all his Patrimony upon the Poore and Strangers And such as came thither to study he entertained them in his house and often feasted his friends with whom he would be very merry otherwise he was very sparing of speech He delighted much in
Gods mercy the Pastors escaped To make the prisoners more odious the Friars in all their Sermons gave out that the Protestants met together for no other end but to feast and junket after which putting out the candles they fell to all promiscuous uncleannesses and the Cardinall of Lorrain buzed such things into the Kingâ— head and though the Judges upon enquiry found all these things false yet the Church thought fit by an Epistle to the King and a book to the people to vindicate and clear themselves which work was committed to Sadeel who performed it so excellently that some good effects followed thereupon The year after Sadeel was delivered from a great danger for at midnight many apparitors brake into his house sâ—arching every corner and at last brake into his chamber â—eized on his books and his papers crying out they were Hâ—retical and so laid hold upon him and carried him to prison 〈◊〉 it pleased God that Anthony of Burbon King of Navar who knew him and had often heard him hearing of his â—mprisonment sent to the Officers to release him as being one of his train and when they refused to do it he went himself to the prison complaining of the wrong that was done him by imprisoning one that belonged to him being neither a murtherer nor thief and withall bâ—â—e Sadeel follow 〈◊〉 and so took him away with him Wherupon the day after he publickly before the King gave thanks to God for his deliverance expounding the 124 Psalm Then it being judged the safest for him to absent himself for a while hee went to visit the Churches in other parts of the Kingdome and at Orleance he continued some moneths Preaching to many Citizens and students in the night time to their great advantage A while after he returned to Paris and the number of Churches increasing in France there was a Synod held at Paris of Ministers and Elders the first that ever was there who assembled to draw up a Confession of their Faith unto which Sadeel prefixed an Epistle and which afterwards was presented to the King by the Admiral Colâ—gnie But the King shortly after dying the Queen Mother and the Guises drew all the Government of the Kingdome into their hands and raised a great persecution against the Church drawing many of all ranks to prisons and punishments yet Sadeel intermitted not his office but was wholly imployed in preaching to his flock comforting the dejected confirming the weak c. till the danger encreasing it was thought fit that the care of the Church should be committed to one Macardus a man lesse known and that Sadeel should retire himself And so hee went into severall parts of the Kingdom and thereby much propagated the true Faith The yeare after the persecution not being so violent at Paris Sadeel could not refrain from going to his Flock which he loved so dearly Anno Christi 1561 he fell sick of a Quartan Ague and by the advice of his Physitians and friends he was perswaded to goe into his own Country yet neither there did he live idle but preached up and down to the spirituall advantage of many From thence he was called to be the moderator in a Synod at Orleance where the opinion was discussed and confuted of some that held That the Government of the Church should not be in the Eldership but in the body of the Congregation and Sadeel took so much paines in this point that the first Author of that Schism was confuted and converted and publickly in writing confessed and recanted his error Being returned to Paris the persecution began to grow so hot there again that he was perswaded to retire himself from the same after which he never could return to his flock that so loved and was beloved of him After his departure he was present at and moderated in many Synods of the French Churches but withall hee was so hated of the wicked that at last hee was driven from thence to Lausanna where hee preached for a time and from thence he went to Geneva where for divers years he was a Pastor But the Church in France having some peace he returned thither again and at Lions and Burgundy edified the Churches exceedingly Afterwards he was sent for by Henry the fourth King of Navarr to whom he went very unwillingly not liking a Court life yet by the advice of his friends he went to him for three years space in all his troubles was with him comforting and encouraging him very much and at the battle of Courtrass a little before it began he stood in the head of the Army and prayed earnestly for successe which much encouraged all the Souldiers and when they had gotten the Victory he also gave publick and solemn thanks unto God for the same But by reason of sickness and weakness being unable to follow that kind of life any longer he was with much unwillingness dismissed by the King went through his enemies countries in much danger till hee came to his wife and children at Geneva Shortly after hee was sent by order from the King of Navar into Germany Upon an Ambassie to the Protestant Princes where not onely the Universities but the Princes also received him in a very honourable manner especially Prince Cassimire and the Lantgrave of Hesse Anno Christi 1589 he returned to Geneva where in the middest of many troubles he continued in the worke of his Ministry to the end of his life And when the City was besieged by the Spaniards and others he oft went out with the Citizens to the fights so encouraging them that through Gods mercy a few of them put thousands of the enemies to flight many times At last hee fell sick of a Plurisie and though the Physitians apprehended no danger yet hee foretold that it would be mortal and retiring himself from the world he wholly conversed with God Praiers were made daily for him in the congregations and Beza and the other Ministers visited him often with prayers and tears begging his recovery He enjoyed much inward peace and comfort in his sickness and at last slept in the Lord Anno Christi 1591 and of his age 57. His losse was much bewailed by the whole City his Preaching was not too curious and yet not void of Art and Eloquence So that his Ministry was alwaies most gratefull to the people He was very holy and exemplary in his life and had most of the learned men of those times for his special friends He was tall and slender of his body had a pale face red haire sharp sight a countenance composed of gravity and courtesie He was very sickly so that except he had been very careful of himselfe he could not possibly have endured such labours and studyes as he was exercised in In his Sermons his profitable matter was adorned with eloquence his
Naschovia where he remained three years From thence he removed to Nykopin where also he remained three years And from thence to a School in Zealand where likewise hee continued three years At last hee came to Roschildia where hearing there was one Benedict a famous learned man and a good Grecian that read at Lunden he went thither and was under him three yeares And Benedict perceiving his excellent wit his diligence and modesty was very helpfull to him Then had Hemingius an ardent desire to goe to Wâ—ttenbâ—rg which was made famous by Philips Melancthons Lectures and having gotten some little money in his purse he travelled thitherward but by the way sâ—me theeves met him and stripped him of all that he had yet when he came to Wittenbâ—rg he found the people very charitable to him especially Melancthon There he remained five years and by his writing for and attending upon richer students and teaching some privately he maintained himself When he returned home he had an ample testimony from Melancthon for his excellent wit and learning A while after his return he was intertained by Olaus Nicholas to teach his daughters And from thence he was chosen to be Pastor at Hafnia and accordingly ordained to it which place he discharged with much diligence and faithfulnesse And when many young students resorted to him he read privately to them And by his extraordinary paines gat so much credit that shortly after he was chosen Hebrew Professor in that University In which place he read Hebrew and Logick to the great benefit of many And about the same time he printed that excellent book De Methodo which he dedicated to Christian the third King of Denmark who bountifully rewarded him for the same Anno Christi 1578 he was made Doctor in Divinity and performed the office of a Divinity Professor with admirable diligence and paines for six and twenty years together as appeares by those many excellent bookes published by him in that time Anno Christi 1579 when hee was grown old and exhausted with his daily labours Frederick the second King of Denmark gave him a liberall Pension upon which he lied contentedly and comfortably all the remainder of his daies Yet neither then was he idle but imployed his time in writing and publishing books Some years before his death he grew blind and was troubled with several diseases desiring nothing more then that he might be dissolved and be with Christ. A little before his death he expounded the 103 Psalm with so much fervor efficacy and power of the Holy Ghost that all that heard him wondred at it and shortly after resigned up his spirit unto God Anno 1600 and of his age 87. Scripta ejus sunt varia exegetica didactica polemica The Life of James Heerbrand who died A no Christi 1600. JAmes Heerbrand was born at Noricum Anno Christi 1521 of an ancient Family His Father was one of Luther's Disciples and seeing the towardlinesse and promptnesse of his son was carefull to bring him up in Religion and Learning At seven years old he set him to School and yet had a watchfull eye over him to carry on the work of piety requiring him to repeat every Sermon that hee heard At twelve years old hiâ— Father bought him a fair Bible which he diligently read over and used all his life after His Father also perceiving that naturally he was much inclined to Musick he would not sufâ—er him to learn it lest it should be an impediment to him in his other studies And so when he had been sufficiently grounded in Grammar-learning he was sent to Ulm where the Colloquies of Erasmus were publickly reaâ— but Pope Paul suspecting that that book might do much hâ—â—t amongst youth because it discovered many errors and vices of the Papists forbade the use of it yet this caused it more to be read especially by Heerbrand who gat much good by it At Ulm also he studied the Arts and Tongues and a seventeen years old his Father sent him to Wittenberg to hear Luther and Melancthon in the year 1538 which yearâ— was famous for divers things For then the Kingdome of Denmark embraced the Gospel The Emperour and King of France met together to treat of peace The Bible was printed in English at Paris The University of Strasborouâ—h was erected The Sect of the Antinomians was detected The Marquess of Brandenburg imbraced the Augustanâ— Confession And the Sea by the Kingdom of Naples was wholly dry for eight miles together out of which place â—ire and ashes brake forth so abundantly that many places were miserably destroyed thereby In the University of Wittenberg Heerbrand studied the Arts with great diligence and was so sparing of his time that he would not intermit one hour from his studies insomuch that other students called him Suevicam Nâ—ctuam the Swevian Night-crow He heard Luther and Melancthons Lectures with â—uch diligence as also Bugenhag reading upon Deuteronomie Cruciger sen. upon Saint John George Major reading private Lectures upon Genesis Besides which hee attended the publick Sermons of these famous men which he wrote repeated meditated on and laboured to rivet in his memory An. Christi 1540 he commenced Master of Arts. He preached also abroad in the villages on the Sabbath dayes And thus having spent five yeares in his studies he returned home with an ample testimony from Melancthon and the University When he came home the Pastors of the Church appointed him to Preach which he performed with great approbation and commendation of all His Parents rejoycing much at his proficiency would needs have him employ his Talent in his own country and at Stutgard Snepfius being Superintendent examined him and finding his abilities said Dominus te mihi obtulit the Lord hath offered thee unto me Being but twenty two years old he was made Deacon at Tubing In which employment he continued six yeares and followed his studies in that University He also privately read Mathematick Lectures to many and sometimes preached in the Castle of Tubing before Prince Ulrick who loved him very well and told his Courtiers that he would prove a great Divine The year 1546 was fatall by the death of Luther and the war of the Emperour began against the Duke of Saxony and the Lantgrave of Hesse Anno Christi 1547 Heerbrand married a wife Margaret the daughter of Conrade Stamler Consul of Tubing by whom he had eight sons and three daughters An. Christi 1548 came forth that accursed Interim at which time Heerbrand amongst other Ministers that rejected it was banished from Tubing And being out of employment hee studyed Hebrew till Prince Ulrick being dead his son Christopher who succeeded him called back the Ministers and Heerbrand amongst them to their former places Hee also made him Pastor of Herrenberg Anno Christi 1550 he commenced Doctor in Divinity and the
received such abunâ—dant satisfaction by converse with him that ever after they held corespondence with him Shortly after Lodwick the Elector Palatine dying Caâ—imire was made Guardian to his son during his minority whereupon he sent for Tossan to Heidleberg that by his advise and counsell he might reform the Churches But when he came thither his adversaries loured exceedingly upon him and raised many false reports but he remembred that of â—eneca vir bonus quod honestè se facturum put averit faciet etiam si periculosum sit ab honesto nullâ— re deteâ—rebitur ad turpia nulla spe invitabitur An honest man will do that which he judges right though it be dangerous He will not be deterred from that which is honest by any meanes hee will be allured to that which is dishonest by no means His adversaries in their Pulpits daily cryed out of strange Heresies that he and his party held But Prince Casimire first sent for them to argue the case before him and then appointed a Publick disputation wherein they could prove none of those things which they charged them with whereupon the Prince required them to abstain from such accusations for the time to come and to study peace But nothing would prevail to allay their spleene till they were removed into other Countries The care of choosing Pastors to the Churches Tutors to the young Prince Schoolmasters and Professors to the University was divolved upon Tossan all which he discharged with much fidelity Anno Christi 1586. James Grynaeus the chiefe Professor in Heidleberg was called home to Basil in whose roome Tossanus though very unwilling was substituted and therefore to satisfie the Statutes of the University he commenced Doctor in Divinity But as his cares and paines increased so his sorrow also partly by reason of an unhappy quarrel that fell out between the Students and Citizens of Heidleberg partly by the death of his dear wife with whom he had lived twenty two years in wedlock which fell out in the year 1587. and therefore Anno Christi 1588 he married again and disposed of his daughters also in marriage to godly and learned men Not long after Prince Casimire died which much renewed his griefe But Frederick the fourth beeing now come to his age was admitted into the number of the Electors and was very carefull of the good both of the Church and University Anno Christi 1594 Tossan was chosen Rector of the University of Heidleberg and the year after there brake out a greivous Pestilence in that Citie which drove away the students But Tossan remained Preaching comfortably to his people and expounding the Penitentiall Psalmes to those few students that yet remained Anno Christi 1601 hee being grown very old and infirme laid down his Professors place though the University much opposed and earnestly sollicited him to retaine it still but God purposed to give him a better rest after all his labors and sorrows For having in his Lectures expounded the book of Job to the end of the thirtie one Chapter he concluded with those words The words of Job are ended Presently after falling sicke hee comforted himself with these texts of Scripture I have fought the good fight of Faith c. Bee thou faithfull unto the death and I will give thee the crown of life Wee have a City not made with hands eternall in the heavens and many other such like Hee also made his will and set down therein a good confession of his Faith and so departed quietly in the Lord An. Christi 1602 and of his age sixty one He was a very holy man exemplary in his life had an excellent wit strong memorie Eloquent in speech was very charitable and chearfull in his conversation and kept correspondence with all the choisest Divines in those times He wrote many things which were afterwards digested into Tomes and some of his works were published after his death by his Sonne I. WHITGIFT The Life of William Perkins who died A no Christi 1602. WIlliam Perkins was born at Marston in Warwickshire Anno 1558 and brought up at School from which he went to Christ's Colledge in Cambridg where he profited so much in his Studies that having got the grounds of all the liberall Arts he was chosen Fellow of that Colledge in the 24th year of Queen Elisabeth He was very wild in his youth but the Lord in mercie was pleased to reclaim him that he might be an eminent instrument of good in his Church When he first entred into the Ministâ—â—e beeing moved with pittie towards their souls he prevailed with the jaylor to bring the Prisoners fettered as they were to the Shirchouse hard by the Prison where he Preached every Lord's daie to them and it pleased God so to prosper and succeed his labors amongst them that he was the happy instrument of converting many of them unto God Freeing them thereby from the Captivity of sin which was their worst bondage This his practice being once known many resorted to that place out of the neighbor-Parishes to hear him So that from thence he was chosen to Saint Andrews Parish in Cambridge where he Preached all his life after His Sermons were not so plain but the piously learned did admire them nor so learned but the plain did understand them Hee brought the Schools into the Pulpit and unshelling their controversies out of their hard School-tearms made thereof plain and wholsom meat for his people He was an excellent Chirurgion at the jointing of a broken Soul and at stating of a doubtfull conscience so that the afflicted in spirit came far and near to him and received much satisfaction and comfort by him In his Sermons he used to pronounce the word Damn with such an Emphasis as left a dolefull Echo in his auditors ears a good while after And when hee was Catechist in Christ's Colledge in expounding the Commandements he applied them so home to the conscience as was able to make his hearers hearts fall down and their haires almost to stand upright But in his old age he was more miâ—dâ— often professing that to Preach mercy was the proper office of the Ministers of the Gospel In his life he was so 〈◊〉 and spotlesse that Malice was afraid to bite at his credit into which she knew that her teeth could not enter He had a rare felicity in reading of books and as it were but turning them over would give an exact account of all that was considerable therein He perused books so speedily that one would think he read nothing and yet so acurately that one would think he read all Hee was of a cheerfull nature and pleasant disposition Somewhat reserved to strangers but when once acquainted very familiar Besides his frequent Preaching he wrote many excellent books both Treatises and Commentaries which for their worth were many of them translated into
he gat so great esteem in Italy that he was profered a Pension of five hundred Duckats by the year to imploy himself in the version of some Arabick books into Latine He spent four years in travel and was famous every where for his learning At Paris and some other places he bought many Arabick books and so returned to Leiden Anno Christi 1612. About which time there was a purpose to have called him into England and to have allowed him an honourable stipend but the year after he was chosen Professor of the Oriental languages in Leiden and presently after he set up though with extraordinary charges a Press for those Languages whereby he published many antient Monuments both of his own and other mens Anno Christi 1616 he married a Wife by whom he left three children surviving him Anno Christi 1619 he was made Professoâ— of the Hebrew also and though he had so many and great employments yet he went through each of them with so great exactnesse as if he had nothing else to attend upon Anno Christi 1620 he was sent by the Prince of Orange and the States of Holland into France to procure Peter Moulin or Andrew Rivet to come to Leiden to be the Divinity Professor and though he prevailed not at that journey yet they sent him again the year after to Andr. Rivet and the French-Church to obtain of them their consents for his comming which businesse he transacted with so great prudence that he brought Andrew Rivet along with him to Leiden Erpenius his fame was so great that the King of Spain wrote to him making him exceeding great promises if he would come into Spain to interpret some antient writings which never man yet could doe The King of Morocco also did so exceedingly admire the purity of his Arabick stile in some of his Epistles that he shewed them to his Nobles and other learned men as some great Miracle He was also highly esteemed of by the Prince of Orange and the States of Holland who often made use of his labours in translating the letters which they received from Princes in Asia and Africa out of Arabick or other Languages But whilst he was thus busily imployed in publick and private it pleased God that he fell sick of the Plague whereof he dyed Anno Christi 1624 and of his age forty A. SCVLTETVS The Life of Abraham Scultetus who dyed A no Christi 1624. ABraham Scultetus was born at Grunberg in Silesia Anno Christi 1566. His Parents were of good rank who carefully brought him up at School where he profited exceedingly and Anno Christi 1582 he went to Uratislavia where he had for his fellow-Students Pitiscus Polanus and Pelargus men who after proved eminent in the Church of God Having studied there some time he went thence to Freistade to hear Melancthon Bucâ—lzer and some others But his active spirit could not long be contained within the bounds of his own country and therefore being assisted by the bounty of a Noble Knight he went to Wittenberg and from thence to Dessavia to acquaint himself with Peter Martyr and Caspar Pucer Anno Christi 1590 he went to Heidleberg where hee heard Dâ—niel Tossan and Francis Junius There also he read Lectures of Logick Oratory and Astronomy to divers young Noblemen and the year after Commenced Master of Arts. Then he betook himself to the study of Divinity thereby to fit himself for the Ministry which from his childhood he had devoted himself to And preaching before the Elector Palatine he so flowed with eloquence and sweetnesse of speech that the Prince and all his Courtiers were much delighted in him which caused the Elector to make him Visitor both of the Schools and Churches Yea many other Princes made use of his help in reforming their Churches in Juliers Brandenburg and Hannovia He was also sent to the Synod of Dort Anno Christi 1612 the Prince Elector Palatine tooke him into England with him where he was much esteemed and respected by King James and other learned men At his retuâ—n to Heidleberg he was made Professor in the University and Doctor in Divinity Anno Christi 1618 But about that time grievous Wars breaking forth the miseries whereof were dispersed afterwards over all Germany he was forced to leave Heidleberg and travelled into Bohemia yet there also he met with many afflictions and dangers so that having been long tossed up and down in several countries the Lord at last provided him a quiet station at Embden where he was chosen a Preacher of the Gospel But being thus worn out with travels sorrows and pains in the work of the Ministry hee quietly there slept in the Lord Anno Christi 1624 and of his age 58. What admirable endowments he had his works do sufficiently declare especially his Medulla Patrum which is so much esteemed by learned men The Life of John Piscator who died A no Christi 1625. JOhn Piscator was born at Strasborough Anno Christi 1546 at which time Germany was on fire with Civill Wars Yet that hindred not but he followed his studies very hard and profited exceedingly in learning When he came to the study of Logick with great felicity he joyned Ramus and Aristotle together And afterwards having made a good progresse in the study of Divinity he was called to Herborn to be the Professor there and his labours were so gratefull to young Students that many flocked thither out of Germany France Hungary Poland and other Northern Countries He wrote many things with great diligence and labour scarce affording any rest to himself He translated the whole Bible with great pains and faithfulnesse into the German Tongue besides his Logical and Theological Analysis of the greatest part of it He died at Herborn Anno Christi 1625 and of his age 80. R BOLTON The Life of Robert Bolton who died A no Christi 1631. RObert Bolton was born at Blackborn in Lancashire Anno Christi 1572. His Parents finding in him a great prompâ—nesse to learning though they had no great means yet they intended him for a Scholar the rather having an opportunity of a good Schoolmaster in the town where he profited exceedingly and at twenty years old he went to Lincoln Colledge in Oxford and was Master Randal's Pupil afterwards a famous Preacher there in a short time being wel grounded before and industrious he became an excellent Logician and Philosopher But about that time his father dying and his meanes failing hee took excessive paines and wanting bookes he borrowed of his Tutor and others read them over and abridged them and to perfect his knowledge in the Greek he wrote out all Homer with intollerable pains so that he could with as much facility dispute in the Schools in Greek as in Latine or English From thence he removed to
needed consolation And if his reproof or exhortation needed pressing home upon the conscience he would enlarge himselfe by shewing motives to urge the duty or disswasives from the vice taking his Arguments from duty to God decency or shamefulnesse pleasure or paine gaine or losse Sometimes also hee would shew the effectuall meanes of attaining the grace or power to performe the duty exhorted to As also the Remedies against Vices And when hee fell upon any Common place or Head of Divinity hee used to prosecute it very judiciously and profitably So that by all this it appeares that hee made good use of his Learning yet without affectation He used to read Books most swiftly and yet not cursorily being able when he had done to give an account of the substance and most remarkable passages of what he had read Though he preached often yet what he preached was before-hand well studied and premeditated And it pleased God to put a Seal to his Ministry in the converting confirming and building up many thousands in the course of his Ministry Hee was a diligent visitor of the sick under his charge without respect of persons Hee was a great Peace-maker amongst any of his flock that were at variance Hee had an heavenly gift in prayer both for aptnesse and fulnesse of Confessions Petitions Supplications Intercessions and Praises together with fervencie of spirit to pour them out to God in the name of Christ. When he had read a Psalm or Chapter in his Family in his Prayer hee would discover the scope meaning and chiefe notes of observation and their use so that his Prayer was an excellent Commentary thereupon and this not onely in the plainer but â—n the harder Texts of Scripture also In his prayers also after Sermon he could collect into a short summe all that hee had delivered to his hearers and make it the matter of his prayer unto God that they might bee inwardly taught of God and become believers and doers of what was taught them His constant practice was besides Family-prayer twice a day and sometimes catechizing to pray also with his Wife and alone both morning and evening He set a part private daies of Humiliation for his Family upon special occasions and oft for their preparation to the Lords Supper at which times he would exceed himself in pouring out his soul to God with many tears He was much in daies of private fasting and humbling himself alone before God which impaired his health but made much for the health of his soul. He was very able and very ready to confer with and to resolve the doubts of such as came to him He bare such a tender love to that great people over which God had set him that though his means was small and he had many offers of great preferment in the Church yet hee would not leave them Hee was daily inquisitive after the affaires of Gods Church and sympathized with Gods people both in their weale and woe He was much grieved when he saw that difference in opinions bred strangenesse amongst Christians that agreed in the same Fundamentall Truths He was judiciously charitable to such as shewed the power of Godlinesse in their lives though they were not of his judgement in all things He was glad when any of the righteous smote him and would take it well not from his Superiours onely but from his Equals and far Inferiours and would really shew more testimonies of his love to such afterwards then ever he did before Hee abounded in workes of Mercy he was a truly liberal man one that studyed liberall things seeking out to finde objects of his mercie rather then staying till they were offered He did set apart and expend for many yeares together for good uses the tenth part of his yearly commings in both out of his Temporall and Ecclesiasticall meanes of maintenance He entertained some poor Widdows or neceâ—â—itous persons weekly at the least at his Table and his estate prospered the better after hee took this course and in his sicknesse he comforted himself with that promise Psal. 41. 1 2. Blessed is he that considereth the poor the Lorâ— will deliver him in the time of trouble the Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing c. The truth of grace in his heart was discovered by nothing more then by his slips and strong tentations For hereby hee was made more watchfull over himselfe more humble and more to loath his originall corruption and sinfull nature and so to cry out with the Apostle O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Yea this made him more earnest in his prayers unto God and more pittifull unto others And hee was alwayes the first espier of his own faults when the world could not or did not take notice of them enjoying no rest in himselfe till he had sought and regained pardon and peace with God His last daies were his best dayes for then hee grew exceedingly in humility and in heavenly-mindednesse And a good while before his latter end God gave him victory over his greatest corruptions which for a long time kept him in continuall exercise About eight weeks before his death he was much troubled with a cough and shortnesse of breath which much weakned him yet hee preached divers times till his encreasing weaknesse disabled him In his sicknesse he gave heavenly and wholsom counsel to his people neighbours and friends that came to visit him exhorting them to labour to redeem the time to be much in reading hearing and meditating upon the word of God much in praier brotherly love and communion of Saints and that they would be careful to hold that fast that he had taught them out of the Word of Truth and that waiâ—st the means of salvation was to bee had they would neither spare paines nor cost to enjoy it His pains towards his end were very great yet hee bore them patiently He was much in ejaculations and lifting up his heart to God in behalf of the Church and State and for himself also wherein he was most frequent and earnest A little before his death a godly friend and Minister praying with him that if his time were not expired God would bee pleased to restore him for the good of his Church or if otherwise that he would put an end to his pains if hee saw good he lifting up his eyes stedfastly towards heaven and one of his hands in the close of that prayer gave up the Ghost shutting his eyes himself as if he were fallen into a sweet sleep Anno 1639 and of his Age 56. God took him away a little before the Civill Warres began and before the sad desolations that fell upon the Town of Banbury in particular He wrote Prototypes God Husbandry A Treatise of the New Birth The Redemption of time A Care cloth The Bride bush c.
Greek Tongue so that he made excellent Greek Verses which also were printed He laid solid foundations also of Philosophy so that his Masters caused him to keep publick Disputations about sundry controversies in Philosophy He was so studious that that time which other boys spent in play he refreshed himself by variety of studies His Masters now finding him fit resolved to send him to the University where he might better be instructed in the Arts then he could be in that School For which end he went to Leiden in April Anno Christi 1596. and sojourned in the house of Thomas Spranckhusius Minister of Leiden and presently began to consider how he might best imploy himself for the advancement of his studies whereas other boys used to spend the first year in looking about them And he resolved to go on in this method First to perfect his knowledge in the Tongues then of Philosophy and at last to proceed to the study of Divinity And that he might perfect his skill in the Greek he resolved to read over the Poets who best express the genius of the Language and amongst them he made choice of Homer because he useth every Dialect his speech flows pleasingly and he makes his Reader more wise and that he might better pierce into the profundity of that Language upon every occasion he consults with Joseph Scaliger a man of stupendious Learning to whom Wallaeus was always very dear and he was much delighted with his wit Afterwards from Greek he proceeded to the study of Hebrew wherein he was assisted by Francis Rapbelingius a very courteous man but he shortly after dying and Francis Iunius being chosen into his room our Wallaeus profited so much under him that he could understand the Books of the Old Testament without an Interpreter He proceeded not to the study of the Rabbins because he judged that they that bestow much time in the study of the Tongues are very seldom good Artists For mans minde cannot contain all things the knowledge of the Tongues will take up the whole man and therefore our Wallaeus whilst he studyed the Languages laid aside all other studies only sometimes for recreation-sake he would read over some old Latine Authors Historians Poets and Orators When he was well furnished with the Tongues he went to the study of Philosophy but finding that Leiden at that time was not well furnished with Philosophers he attended the Lectures of Raph Snel the Mathematick Professor under whom he learned Geometry Astronomy and the Opticks which proved very useful to his future studies In his study of Logick he made use of Keckerman to whom he added Zabarel Monlor and some others In Physicks he used Tolet Zabarel Picholhomini In Ethicks he was most taken with Accioalus yet he read Picholhomini Magirus Muret Quarsius Metaphysicks He read over also Thomas and Scotus after which he proceeded to Plato and Aristotle whom he read in their own Language wherein they are most perfect To these he added Plotinus Ficinus Simplicius Aphrodisaeus and Averrhoes And in these studies he could the better proceed without help because he had been well grounded in all the parts of Philosophy by his Master Murdison and indeed he made such a progress therein that he exceeded all his contemporaries so that in his Disputations he often gravelled the Moderators themselves For he was prompt and subtile in Invention clear in Explication and sharp in pressing home his Arguments The chiefest scope which he proposed to himself in the study of Philosophy was to further him in Divinity and therefore judging it necessary to have the advice and assistance of some able Divine with the good leave of Spranckhusius he removed to the table of Francis Gomarus hiring a chamber in the next house till he could get a lodging in Gomarus his house which fell out within some few moneths after At this time Francis Junius was made Professor of Divinity a Divine of profound Learning Grave and of a deep Judgment as also Luke Tralcatius the Father a solid Divine and Francis Gomarus a man of much Learning and servent Piety But Wallaeus preferred Iunius above all and therefore endevoured to follow his example Yet taking Gomarus his counsel he did not begin his study of Divinity by reading Common places least being led with other mens opinions and thereby prepossessed with prejudice he should be led aside from the Truth But he first read the several forms of Concord of the reformed Churches the Catechism of Heidleberg and the Belgick Confession of Faith and so wholly betook himself to the reading of the sacred Scriptures which he read with great attention and assiduity getting the chiefest heads of Doctrine by heart So that when he was old he could repeat without Book the Epistle to the Romans the second to the Corinthians to the Galathians Ephesians and Philippians But he read them all in the Originals so that in his Sermons he was very ready in the words of Scripture Yet finding that by reading the Scripture alone he could hardly comprehend in his minde the whole Body of Doctrine being now well versed in the Scriptures he betook himself to the Theological Institutions of Bucanus that so he might at once see into the whole compendium of Divinity yet did he not stay long upon a Compendium but proceeded to the study of Calvins Institutions and Peter Martyrs Common places yet was he best pleased with Martyr because he handled the whole Doctrine plainly discoursed largely of Controversies and answered them solidly Whilst he was thus busied Luke Tralcatius first and after him Francis Gomarus began privately to read Common places whom he resolved to hear because in private they handled all thing more familiarly and largely then in publick yet especially he attended the publick Lectures because they were more accurate and learned and if after the Lectures he doubted of any thing he repaired to them in private for further satisfaction When he had profited well in the study of Common places he proceeded to the reading of Commentaries upon the Sacred Scriptures and first be read over Piscators Analysis whereby he might get the whole context of each part of Scripture into his minde then for the sense of the Scripture he read Calvin whom he used to call A Divine Interpreter To whom in his reading of the New Testament he adjoyned Beza and in reading of the Old Testament Mercer and Arias Montanus whereby he might attain to the knowledge of the Governments and Rites amongst the Iews without the knowledge whereof it is impossible to attain to the sense of many texts of Scripture Wallaeus having now read much and heard long began to prepare himself for action and disputed publickly three times De vera Theologia De Mysterio Trinitatis Et de Christi mediatoris Officio By which Disputations he procured to himself much admiration For being excellently versed in Philosophy he answered to the terms appositly
and being very ready in the sacred Scriptures he always closed up his answer with some sutable Texâ— which was very grateful to the hearers He also sometimes preached in private being directed therein by Luke Tralcatius an Eloquent Preacher and the first publick Sermon which he preached was at Voorschoten in a great concourse of people who expected no ordinary thing from him And so Wallaeus was now judged fit by his Masters to enter into the Ministry But though he abundantly satisfied others yet could he not satisfie himself whereupon he resolved before he undertook that great and difficult work that he would consult with other learned men and visit Forreign Universities and see into the Government of other Churches especially of Geneva and Helvetia whence Reformation at first proceeded and therefore getting one Apollonius Schot for his companion who was the Consuls son of Middleborough Anno Christi 1590. he sailed from Flushing into France where he visited Roan and some other Cities and so came to Paris In which City he made some stay inquiring into the Government of France and wondered that the King could exercise such an absolute Jurisdiction and yet have so much love from his People But especially he attended to their Philosophical and Thealogical Lectures which yet he disliked because they followed the Schoolmen so much though contrary to the sacred Scripture's to sound Reason and Sense After some little stay here he went to Orleance Biturg Lyons and Vienna at which place he visited the Pastors and found that through the commendations of Iunius he was better known there then he expected For some of the Neighbor Churches much importuned his stay amongst them profering him a good stipend and a Coadjutor if he would read Philosophy and Divinity amongst them But Wallaeus considering their propinquity to Geneva and Lausanna thought that there was no great need of his imployment there besides he thought that amongst strangers he should be exposed to envy where he could not have the assistance of his friends and his desire was to have some such imployment in his own Country and therefore leaving them his mony beginning to fail him he went to Gratianople and so to Geneva At Geneva he sought out such a place to sojourn in where he might best advance his studies and therefore made choice of Charles Parrots house who was a Minister of the Word and also Professor of Divinity Whilst he abode there his first care was to perfect himself in the French Tongue which he attained to by converse with the Citizens and reading French Writers so that he many times preached in French At this time the Divinity Professors in Geneva were Theodore Beza Anthony Faius and Charles Perrot Beza was now above 80 years old and had given over reading Fajus had good Learning but was neither a good Expositor nor quick Disputant Perrot was very learned and had more in him then he promised yet each of these scarce read one Lecture in a week therefore he spent most of his time in hearing Sermons which were more frequent in Geneva then in other places But above all he most admired Beza's Sermons who though he was so old yet excelled in vigor of Minde profound Learning sharp Judgement and manlike Eloquence for which the World much wondred at him He profited also very much by their Friday-meetings wherein one of the Ministers explained some texts of Scripture and when he had done the other Ministers if it needed either gave further explanations restrictions or emendations only when it came to Beza's turn to begin the other Ministers reverenced what he had said by their silence He also profited exceedingly by his frequent conferences with Beza His converse with Perrot by how much it was more frequent and familiar by so much the more grateful was it to him for he did not endeavor so much to seem as to be truly godly and learned He never held much correspondence by Letters with learned men judging that course to tend more to ostentation then to edification He liked the Government of the Church of Geneva very well where neither Wives nor Widows were shut up in their houses but dayly attended the publick Prayers and Sermons and where vices were not only punished but the occasions of them taken away by removing luxury and rigor At this time there lived a Divine in Geneva that excelled all the rest in the knowledg of the Hebrew who perswaded Wallaeus that he attained to his skill in a very short time by the Art of Memory whereupon he applyed himself to him and in six weeks space learned by heart the whole Epitome of Pagnine with such excellent success that thereby he was enabled well to interpret any place of the Holy Scriptures and to give a fit reason of it But for some reasons disliking this way of Learning he laid it aside and made little further use of it About this time Henry Steven dyed and being in debt his Books were publickly sold for a little to satisfie his Creditors upon which occasion Wallaeus bought a whole Library of Greek Authors in reading whereof he much refreshed his minde after his more serious studies Not far from Geneva is the mountain of Jura whose top is much above the clouds whereupon Wallaeus had a great desire to go to the top of it to see what was done in the other Region of the Ayr Therefore joyning to himself the company of Charles Perrot the City Secretary and a third friend in the longest days in May they went to the foot of this hill where they lodged all night and very early next morning two Shepheards leading them by the hands they began to climbe up the Mountain and about noon began to enter into the middle Region of the Ayr where they found it extream cold and the Mountain was covered with great hils of Ice only on the South side some paths appeared by which they ascended and towards the Evening came to the top which contained about ten Acres of land the Precipice was so great that they were afraid to look down but when they lay along upon the ground from whence the Villages seemed no bigger then Wals and other Mountains seemed like Molehils In this top there was neither Ice or Snow the ayr was very cold yet thin and pure And being all Musical they began to sing which sounded far more sweetly then in any part of the lower World At last as on one side they beheld France and on the other side Italy they observed vapors to ascend out of the Lake of Leman which stayed about the Mountain then gathered together and at last became a thick cloud so that it wholly took away their sight of the Earth and when night was come they began to descend and after a while entred into the cloud where they could wash their hands and when they had passed this cloud it was dissolved into rain which wet them through and
wherein I shall be released from all my cares and be with my Saviour Christ for ever And now God is my witnesse whom I have served with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son that I have taught nothing but the true and sincere word of God and that the end that I proposed in my Ministry was To instruct the ignorant to confirm the weak to comfort their consciences who were humbled under the sense of their sins and born down with the threatings of Gods judgements I am not ignorant that many have and doe blame my too great rigour and severity but God knoweth that in my heart I never hated those against whom I thundered Gods judgements I did onely hate their sins and laboured according to my power to gain them to Christ. That I did forbear none of what condition soever I did it out of the fear of my God who hath placed me in the function of his Ministry and I know will bring me to an account Now brethren for your selves I have no more to say but to warn you that you take heed of the Flock over which God hath placed you Over-seers which he hath redeemed by the blood of his onely begotten Son And you Mr. Lawson sight a good fight do the worke of the Lord with courage and with a willing mind and God from Heaven blesse you and the Church whereof you have the Charge Against it so long as it continues in the Doctrine of the Truth the gates of hell shall not prevail Having thus spoken and the Elders and Deacons being dismissed he called the two Preachers to him and said There is one thing that grieveth me exceedingly you have sometimes seen the courage and constancy of the Laird of Grang in the cause of God and now that unhappy man is casting himselfe away I pray you goe to him from me and tell him That unlesse he forsake that wicked course that he is in the rock wherein he confideth shall not defend him nor the carnall wisdom of that man whom he counteth halfe a god which was young Leshington shall yeeld him help but he shall be shamefully pulled out of that nest and his carcass hung before the Sun meaning the Castle which he kept against the Kings Authority for his soul it is dear to me and if it were possible I would faine have him saved Accordingly they went to him conferred with him but could by no means divert him from his course but as Knox had foretold so the year after his Castle was taken and his body was publickly there hanged before the Sun Yet at his death he did express serious repentance The next day M. Knox gave order for the making of his coffin Continuing all the day as he did also through all his sicknesse in fervent prayer crying Come Lord Jesus Sweet Jesus into thy hands I commend my spirit Being asked whether his pains were great he answered That he did not esteem that a pain which would be to him the end of all troubles and the beginning of eternall joys Oft after some deep meditation he used to say Oh serve the Lord in fear and death shall not be trouble some to you blessed is the death of those that have part in the death of Jesus The night before his death he slept some hours with great unquietnesse often sighing and groaning whereupon when he awakened the standers by asked him how he did and what it was that made him mourn so heavily to whom he answered In my life time I have been assulted with Temptations from Sathan and he hath oft cast my sins into my teeth to drive me to despair yet God gave me strength to overcome all his Temptations But now the subtill serpent takes another course and seeks to perswade me that all my labours in the Ministry and the fidelity that I have shewed in that service hath merited heaven and immortality But blessed be God that brought to my minde these Scriptures What hast thou that thou hast not received And Not I but the grace of God in me with which he is gone away ashamed and shall no more return And now I am sure that my battel is at an end and that without pain of body or trouble of spirit I shall shortly change this mortall and miserable life with that happy and immortall life that shall never have an end After which one praying by his bed having made an end asked him if he heard the prayer Yea said he and would to God that all present had heard it with such an ear and heart as I have done Adding Lord Jesus receive my spirit With which words without any motion of hands or feet as one falling asleep rather then dying he ended his life Never was man more observant of the ture and just authority of Church-Rulers according to the word of God and the practise of the purest Primitive times He alwayes pressed due Obedience from the People to the faithfull Pastors and Elders of the Church He died Anno Christi 1572. and of his age 62. Men of all ranks were present at his Buriall The Earl of Murray when the Corps was put into the ground said Here lies the body of him who in his life time never feared the face of any man Script a reliquit ad Londinenses alios Ad Evangeliâ— professores Qualiter sit Orandum In Psalmum ad matrem Contra missam Papisticam Doctrinale Missaticum De fide Eucharistiae Ad Ecclesias afflictas Ad Scotiae Reginam Mariam Consilium in Angustiis Buccinae afflatum primum Appellationem a sententia Cleri Ad populares Scotiae In Genesin consciones et alia quaedam He was a man not lesse learned then endued with vertue a constant Preacher of the Truth and a valiant defendor of the same through his whole life His zeal learning and courage did notably appeare in this example Anno Christi 1550 he was called before Tonstal Bishop of Durham and his Doctors to give an account of his opinion about the Masse where preaching before them he did so sharply taxe their Idolatries and Blasphemies and by such solid arguments confute the same that his adversaries were silenced and had not wherewithall to reply against him P. RAMVS The Life of Peter Ramus who died A no Christi 1572. PEter Ramus was born in France Anno Christi 1515. His Grandfather was a Nobleman who having his estate plundered by Charls Duke of Burgundy Generall under the Emperor Charls the fifth was forced to leave his Country and to betake himselfe to the poor and painfull life of an husbandman And his father being left very poor by him was fain to live by making of Charcoal Ramus being from his childhood of an excellent wit of an industrious nature and much addicted to learning was compelled for his subsistence to live as a servant with one of his Unkles but finding that by
of London and Doctor Hackwell Tutor to the Prince of Wales yea and King James himself conferred familiarly with him February following An. Christi 1613. the Prince Elector being marryed sent Henry Alting with his Scholars before him into the Palatinate who in their journey travelled through Zeland Flanders Brabant Limburg Julâ—ers and Collen and so at last arrived at Heidleberg in April the new marryed couple being not long behinde them About four moneths after our Alting was called to be a Professor of Divinity to read Common places in the University of Heidleberg Into which he was admitted August the 16. which was the Princes birth day And because by the Statutes of the University none could be Moderator of the Disputations but a Doctor he was solemnly inaugurated into that degree November the 18. by Paraeus Dean of the University and Bartholomew Coppenius Doctor of Divinity And this was very remarkable that amongst all the tumults and pleasures of the Court his minde was never taken off from the study of Divinity But Gods Providence intended him to some further imployment then a Professors place For there was in Heidleberg an excellent Seminary of the Church endowed with large revenues called the Colledge of Wisdom The Prince therefore chose him Master thereof October the 15. An. Chri. 1616. together with two Colleagues to instruct and train up young Divines for the work of the Ministry and how much good he did therein they are able to relate who gratefully acknowledge what profit they reaped by his care and culture Whilst he was thus laboring in his double imployment Coppenius another Professor dyed whose place was divolved upon our Alting but by a rare and great example of modesty he chose rather to continue in his former imployments and by his favour and authority in the Princes Court prevailed that Abraham Scultetus should have that Professors place transferred upon him About this time a National Synod was called at Dort for the composing of the differences in the Belgick Churches by reason of the Arminians and when grave learned and godly men were chosen out of all the Reformed Churches to be present at it which was Anno Christi 1618 and 1619 our Altingius with two others was sent from Heidleberg to assist in that work where he approved himself to all that were present both for his excellent Learning in Divinity and his dexterity in explicating cases of greater difficulty Thus far we have heard the happier and more comfortable part of his life now follows the more sad and afflicted part of it For scarcely was the Synod ended wherein the Arminians were condemned and the Orthodox Truths established but Alting with his Colleagues returned to Heidleberg and at the same time the tumults in Bohemia began The Prince Elector is chosen King of Bohemia and Crowned Spinola breaks into the Palatinate the great battel was fought nere Prague the Bohemians are beaten which was An. Chri. 1620. And the year following the University of Heidleberg was dissipated the Students flying for fear and the Professors having liberty granted them to go whether they pleased Yet our Alting sending his family into a place of safety stays still in the Colledge of Wisdom keeping the Students in good order remaining unterrified in the midst of emminent dangers whilst he was serviceable to the Church satisfied his own Conscience and the earnest desire of the King who from the Hâ—gue had written to him desiring him not to depart from Heidleberg An 〈…〉 in the moneth of â—â—â—gust Heidleberg was besieged by 〈◊〉 and â—eptember the 6. was taken by storm at which time it suffered whatsoever Military licentâ—ousness could inflict by plunderings murthers and ravishing of Matrons and Virgins all being heightened by the hatred of Religion and the brutishness of the Croâ—â—s At this time our Alting was in his study who hearing of the surprize of the City bolted his door and betook himself to Prayer looking every moment when the bloudy Souldiers would break in to sacrifice him to God But the great Arbiter of life and death took care for his safety For Monsieur Behusius Rector of the School and his dear friend hiring two souldiers called him forth and conveyed him through a back dore into the Lord Chancellors house which Tilly had commanded to be preserved from plundering by reason of the Publick Monuments of the Commonwealth that were kept in that place This house was commanded to be guarded by a Lieutenant Colonel that was under the Count of Hohenzollem a man greedy of prey who least he should lose his share in the booty by his attendance upon that place sent forth his Souldiers as it were a hunting commanding them that if they met with any Citizens of note that under pretence of safe-guarding them they should bring them to him purposing by their ransom to enrich himself To this man Alting was brought who with his naked sword reeking with blood said to him This day with this hand I have slain ten men to whom Doctor Alting shall be added as the eleventh if I knew where to finde him But who art thou Truly such a countenance and such a speech in such a juncture of time might have affrighted the most constant minde But our Alting by a witty answer neither denying himself to be Alting nor unseasonably discovering himself answered as sometimes Athanasius in the like case I was saith he a Schoolmaster in the Colleâ—ge of Wisdom Hereupon the Leiutenant Colonel promised him safety who if he had known him to be Alting would surely have slain him Oh what a sad time had he that night which he passed without sleep hearing the continual shrikes and groans which filled the ayr of Women ravished Virgins defloured men some drawn to torments others immediately slain But when he saw that many fled to this house as to their only refuge fearing lest he should be discovered by some of them either through imprudence or malice he retired into a Cockloft where whilst he hid himself this Leiutenant Colonel was by the authority of Tilly presently commanded away not giving him so much time as to seek out his Schoolmaster that the house might be resigned to the Iesuites for whom it was appointed Yet under these new inhabitants our Alting should not have been one jot safer if God had not by a special providence provided for his safety For the kitchin of this house was reserved for Tillies own use and one of the Palatines Cooks was appointed over it who closely fed and maintained him and whilst the Iesuites were providing all things in a readiness in the Church for the Mass he hired three Bavarian Souldiers that kept guards in the streets to guard him to his own house When he came thither he found all things broken plundred and carryed away and in his study he found a Captain boasting that all things therein were his own yet saith
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