indited rather from his Cowardise then Conscience Oâ—r Illyricus in His catalogue of the witnesses of the Truth affords him a principall place therein We leave him to stand or fall to his owne master according to that concluding Disticke which we find in an Aauthor Cum nihil ipse vides propria â—uin labe laboret Tu tua fac cures caetera mitte Deo Seeing nought thou seest but faults are in the best Looke Thou unto thy selfe leave God the rest 16 Remarkeable are his words wherewith he breathed out his last gaspe which Illyricus reporteth to this Effect now am I to goe and appeare before God either to be acquitted by him as I hope or condemned by him as I feare Which words as they savour not of that full assurance of Salvation which God vouchsafeth to many of his servants so they carry not with them any offensive Breath of Despaire And it is no contradiction in Christianity to rejoyce before God with trembling And in this Twilight we leave Berengarius to that mercifull God who knoweth whereof we are made and remembereth we are but dust Most worthily may this Divine Old Berengarius fairely shine Within this Skie of lustrious Starres Who 'gainst Romes errours fought Truths warres Confuting with high approbation Romes sigment Transubstantiation Which did that Hierarchie so vex And with such passion so perplex That they would never give him rest But did his Soule so much molest That at the last by fraud and force They made him with most sad remorse Two severall times his Cause recant Him of his Crown thus to supplant Thus O thus oft Sols raye most rare With duskie clouds ecclipsed are IOHâ—N WICKLIâ—â—â— The Life and Deth of John Wicklief AMongst many famous Writers in this Nation as Beda Alckvine Iohn Carnotenesis Nigellus Neckam Sevall Bacanthorpe Ockam Hampoole of Armach this Wicklief is not the least of worth he was famous both for Life and Learning he was brought up in the famous Vniversity of Oxford in Merton Collâ—dge he gave himselfe after he was Master of Arts to the study of Schoole Divinity wherein having an â—xcellent acute wit he became excellently well qualified and was admired of all for his singular Learning and sweâ—tnâ—sse of behavior in King Edward the thirds time who protested that his chiefe end and purpose was to call backe the Church from her Idolatry especially in the matter of the Sacrament He was much favoured by Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster and the Lord Henry Percy who defended and protected him from his raging adversaries and Bishops And when Pope Gregory the eleveeth sent his Bull to Oxford to require them to root out Wicklâ—ef's Tares as he called them the Proctors and Masters were in long debate whether they should receive it or reject it In the time of King Richard the second this Wicklief was brought before the Bishops at Lambeth and had many Articles put in against him but what by the meanes of some Courtiers and Citizens of London he was again released After this William Barton Vice-chancellor of Oxford wiâ—h some other Doctors set forth an Edict against him and his followers whereupon he published a confession of his Doctrine Anno Christi 1382. the Archbishop of Canterburie held a Convocation at London and condemned the Articles of Wicklief as Heretical and when the said Archbishop with many of his adherents were gathered together about this business just as they were readie to begin their debate there fell out a great and generall Earthquake which so affrighted manie of them that they desisted from their business yet all means were used for the suppressing of his opinions but through God's mercie they could never bee exstirpated to this daie He was a great enemie to the swarms of begging Friers with whom it was harder to make war then with the Pope himselfe He denied the Pope to be the Head of the Church and pronounc'd him to be Antichrist he confuted and condemned his Doctrine about Bulls Indulgences c. The Bishop of Rome lost by his Doctrine the power of making and ordaining Bishops in England and the Tenths of spirituall promotions also the gains of his Peter-pence Whereupon Polidore Virgil cals him an infamous Hereticke He affiâ—med the Scripture to be the supreme Judg of Controversies condemned Transubstantiation c. He was a painfull and faithfull preacher of the Gospell under that famous King Edward the thiâ—d who alwaies favored and protected him against the rage of his adversaries In the raign of Richard the second he was by the power of his adversaries banished yet in all his affliction he shewed an undanted spirit At last returning from Exile he died in the yeere of our Saviour Jesus Christ whom he had Preached 1387. and was buried the last day of December at his Parsonage of Lutterworth in Leicester-shire But in the yeer 1428. which was 41. yeeres from the time of his death his dead body was by the Decree of Pope Martin the fifth and Counsell of Sene dig'd up and burned with the Execreations of that fiery Pope thus he found the cruelty of them being dead whom he had being living taught to be so He writ as Pius Aenaeas testifies more then two hundred faire volumnes most of which were burned by Sùbinck Arch-bishop of Prague in Bohemia The Catalogue of his Works you may reade in the Centuries of Ioâ—n Bale somes of them I have here set downe 1 Of Christ and antichrist 2. Of Antichrist and his members 3. Of the truth of the Scriptures 4. Of the fountain of Eâ—rors 5. A booke of Conclusions 6. 7. Of Ecclesiasticall and Civill government 8 Of the Impostures of Hipocrites 9. Of Blasphemy 10. Lectures on Daniel 11. On the Apocalyps 12. Of the marriage of Priests 13. The Divels craft against Religion 14. His policy to overthrow faith 15. Of Apostacy 16. Two bookes of Metaphysickes one containing 12. Bookes 17. Glosses upon the Scripture 18. Of falling away from Christ. 19. Of truth and lying Besides these he writ many of Philosophy and translated the Bible into the English tongue making Prefaces and Arguments to every Booke he also translated the twelve Bookes of Clement the Parson of Lanthon containing the harmony of the Evangelists And thus went out this Lampe of England of whom one thus hath said With our old English writers rare John Wicklief justly might Compare For Learning Life and solid Witt And many Works he rarely Writt Contending stoutly 'gainst Romes Errours Nere daunted by their threats or terrours But to his death still fought faiths fight And thus went out this Lamp of Light But being dead Rome did so rave 'Gainst this Faiths Champion that from 's grave They digged-up his Bones with ire And burnt as Hereticks in fire Thus was Romes Folly Rage exprest To burn dead Bones of Soules at rest IOHANNES HVS The Life and Death of John Huss THE faire fruit of effects is vertually couched in the small seeds of their causes 1 Iohn Huss
where he was prisoner he had nothing but a pad of straw for a bâ—d and a rotten covering till good people sent him a bed to lye on of one side his chamber was the sinke and filth of the house on the other the town-ditch enough to have choaked him After he had laien thus a while falling sick the doors bars hasps and chaines being all made fast he both mourned called and cryed for helpe yet the Warden hearing would suffer none to go to him saying Let him alone if he dye it were â— good riddance of him c. At last being degraded and condemned he was sent to Glocester to be burned the night before his death he did eat his meat quietly and slept soundly after his first sleep he spent the rest of the night in prayer the next day Sir Anthonie Kingston coming to him told him that life was sweet and death bitter to which he answered The death to come is more bitter and the life to come more sweet I am come hither to end this life and suffer death because I will not gain-say the former Truth that I have here taught unto you also a blinde Boy coming to him after he had examined him in the grounds of Religion he said Ah poor Boy God hath taken from thee thy outward sight but hath given thee another sight much more precious having endued thy soule with the eye of knowledge and faith Being delivered to the Sheriff he said to him My request to you Master Sheriff is onely that there may be a quick fire shortly to make an end of me and in the mean time I will be as obedient to you as you can desire if you thinke I doe amisse in any thing hold up your finger and I have done I might have had my liâ—e with much worldly gaine but I am willing to offer up my life for the Truth and trust to dye a faithfull servant to God and a true subject to the Queen when he saw the Sheriffs men with so many weapons he said This is morâ— then needs if you had willed me I would have gone alone to the stake and have troubled none of you all as he went to the stake he was forbid to speake to the people he looked chearfully and with a more ruddy countenance then ordinary being comâ— thâ—thâ—r he prayed about half an â—our and having a box with a pardon set before him he cryed If you love my soul away with it if you love my soul away with it Three Irons being prepared to fasten him to the stake he onely put on an Iron-hoop about his middle bidding them take away the rest saying I doubt not but God will give me strength to abide the extremity of the fire without binding When reeds were cast to him he embraced and kissed them putting them under his arm where he had bags of gun-power also when fire was first pâ—t to him the faggots being green and the winde blowing away the flâ—me he was but scorched more faggots being laid to him the fiâ—e was so supprest that his nâ—ther-parts were burned his upper being scarce touched he prayed O Iesus the son of David have mercy upon mâ— and receive my soule and wiping his eyes with his hands he said For Gods love let me have more fire A third fire being kindled it burned more violently yet was he alive a great while in it the last words which he uttered being Lord Iesus receive my spirit In one of his Letters he wrote Imprisonment is painfull but liberty upon evill conditions is worse the Prison stinkes yet noâ— so much as sweet houses where the feare of God is wanting I must be alone and solitary it s better to be so and have God with me then to be in company with the wicked Losse of goods is great but losse of grace and Gods favour is greater I cannot tell how to answer before great and learned men yet it is better to doe that then stand naked before Gods tribunall I shall dye by the hands of cruell men he is blessed that looseth this life and findeth life eternall there is neither felicitie nor adversitie of this world that is great if it be weighed with the joyes and pains of the world to come Reader behold and then admire Hoâ—pers most rich Seraphicke fire His constancâ— waâ— great his heart Balsoâ—'d by heav'n out-vi'd all smart Rare was his life rare was his death Whilst time remains his fame shall want no breath The Life and Death of Rowland Tailor who dyed Anno Christi 1555. ROwland Tailor was Doctor in both the Laws and Rector of Hadley in Suffolke where Master Thomas Bilney had formerly been a Preacher of the Word and in which place there were few either men or women that were not well learned in the holy Scriptures many having often read over the whole Bible and could say a great part of Paul's Epistles by heart Here this Doctor Tailor Preached constantly on Sabbaths Holy-dayes and at other times when he could get the People together His life also and conversation was very exemplary and full of holinesse he was meek and humble yet would stoutly rebuke sin in the greatest to the poore blinde lame sick bed-rid or that had many children he was a father causing the Parishioners to make good provision for them besides what of his owne bounty he gave them he brought up his children in the fear of God and good learning In the begining of Queen Maries reign two Popish persons suborned a Priest to come and say Masse in his Church he being at his study and hearing the Bell to toul went to Church and finding this Priest guarded with drawn swords in his Popish robes ready to begin the Masse he said unto him Thou Divell who made thee so bold to enter into this Church to prophane and defile it with this abominable Idolatrie I command thee thou Popish Wolfe in the name of God to avoid hence and not to presume thus to poyson Christs flock but the â—tanders by forcing Doctor Tailor out of the Church the Priest went on with his Masse and shortly after the Bishop being informed hereof sent his letters Missive for Doctor Tailor whereupon his friends earnestly entreated him to flye telling him that he could neither expect justice nor favour but imprisonment and cruell death to whom he answered I know my Cause to be so good and righteous and the Truth so strong upoâ— my side that I will by Gods grace appeare before them and to their beards resist their false doings for I beleeve that I shall never be able to doe God so good service as now and that I shall never have so glorions a calling nor so great mercie of God profered me as I have now wherefore pray for me and I doubt not but God will give me strength and his holy spirit that all my adversaries shal be ashamed of their doings and so preparing himselfe he went to London and presented himselfe to
required that the Readers of Divinity should withall at certaine times read Lectures also of Philosophy it was agreed betweene him and Zanchie his fellow-professor that the one of them should read Morall Philosophy which fell to his lot and the other Naturall which Zanchie undertooke Howbeit here he was not long quiet for some factious ones began to complaine of him to the Magistrates as not concurring with the Augustine confession in the Doctrine of the Lords Supper wherein albeit he gave those in authority good satisfaction yet he perceived much heart-burning in other-some and that manifested oft times as well by scandalous libels scattred abroad as also by open opposition Whereupon supposing that he should not live quâ—etly there and do the good that he desired he began to entertaine thoughts of departure and as God in his holy providence pleased to dispose it a fit and faire occasion thereof offred it selfe to him For they at Zurick whereat first he desired to have setled wanting one to succeede Pellicane lately deceased in the Divinity Lecture invite Peter Martyr to come over to them and supply that place thither he came tho with much griefe and unwillingnesse dismissed by the Magistrates and other godly of Strasbourge his fellow-professors especially accompanied with our worthy Iewel after Bishop of Salisbury then exile in those parts who ever entirely affected and reverenced him as his Father At Zuricke with much gratulation was he most lovingly and respectively received by the Magistrates Ministers Bullinger especially and the maine body of the people and notwithstanding an Order before made to the contrary denying such admittance for some yeeres unto any enrolled instantly for a free Denison There he taught about seven yeers expounding the books of Samuel and a good part of the Kings and writing divers polemicall discoursâ—s against the adversaries of the truth Nor would he remove thence albeit he were with much importunity invited to other places where the meanes were larger as first to Geneva upon the decease of that every way noble Count Maximilian Celsus Pastor of the Italian Church there and after in Queen Elizabeths dayes when Religion was againe here setled Bishop Iewell labouring with him in it to returne into these parts but continued teaching there till he died howbeit being earnestly required by letters as well from the Queen mother of France the King of Navarre the Prince of Condee and other Peeres of that Realm as also from Beza and the rest of the Ministers of the reformed Churches in those parts he obtained leave of the Senate to goe over into France to the solemn Conference at Poysâ—i where how wisely and worthily he demeaned himselfe by the Acts of it may appeare Not long after his accesse to Zuricke desirous to continue the race and name of the Virmilii he tooke him a second wife a Virgin of good note and name commended to him from the Iâ—alian Church at Geneva where she lived an Exile for Religion by whom he had two children a son and a daughter who died both very young before him and left her great with a third that proved a daughter He departed this life quietly after some seven dayes sicknesse sitting in his chaire in the presence of his wife and Religious friends on the twelfth day of Novâ—m in the yeer of grace 1562. and of his owne age the sixty third He was of an able healthy big-boned and well limmed body of a countenance expressing an inward grave and setled disposition of extraordinary parts of learnng as well for humanity as for divinity excellent for disputation much admired wheresoever he came for his discreet and moderate though constant and incorrupt carriage never seen in heat of dispute to breake forth into chollour very painfull and industrious endevouring to doe all the good he could for Gods Church either in the places where he was resiant or elsewhere Nor may be omitted here the speech used of him to those of Zuricke by that learned man Iosias Simler that made the Funerall Oration at his Buriall and hath described his life at large that Another they might have in Martyrs roome but another Martyr they should not have But what he was and how laborious his Workes extant besides many other never published will soon shew which are these 1. A Catechisme or Exposition of the Creed in Italian 2. A Prayeâ—-booke composed out of the Psalmes 3. His Commentaries upon Genesis 4. His Commentaries upon the Booke of Iudges 5. His Commentaries upon the two Books of Samuel 6. His Commentaries upon the first Booke of Kings and eleven chapters of the second 7. His Commentaries upon the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans 8. His Commentaries upon the first Epistle to the Corinthians 9. His Disputations at Oxford about the Lords Supper 10. His Defence about the orthodox Doctrine of the Lords Supper against Stephâ—n Gâ—rdiner 11. An abridgement of the said Defence made by him afterward 12. His Confession exhibited to the Senate of Strasbourg concerning the supper of the Lord. 13. His judgement concerning the presence of Christs Body in the Sacrament delivered at the Conference of Poyssi 14. A Discourse concerning the Masse 15. A Dialogue concerning the place of Christs Body against the Ubiquitaries 16. His refutation of Richand Smiths two bookes concerning single life and Monkish Vows 17. In his commentaries on the first and second bookes of Aristatle Ethicks and part of the third 18. His Common-Places gathered out of his Commentaries by others and digested into Heads 19. Certain Treatises of Free-wil Gods Providence Predestination and the cause of Sin 20. Propositions some necessary some probable out of Genesis Exodus Leviticus and Judges together with Solutions of a Question or two concerning some Mosaicall Laws and Oathes 21. Divers Sermons and Orations of severall Subjecâ—s and made upon severall occasions 22. His letters to sundry Persons concerning much variety of usefull Discourse Behold this Star which séem'd at the first view Eccâ—ipst with Romish fogs but after grew So bright that his Refulgence did display Truths Banner beaming like the Sun of day His sunshine was not visible alone In true Religions reform'd Horizon But cast his foraign influence as far As th'Artick's distant from th'Antartick star Uext Romes iugenious Malice did compact To quench this flame but failed in the Acts. The seven-crown'd dragons star confronting traine Lasht at this Starâ— but lasht and lasht in vaine Thus he remains sustain'd by higher powers A Saint in heau'ns bright Orbe a Star in Onrs. HVGH LATYMER The Life and Death of Hugh Latimer HVgh Latimer born at Thirkesson in the County of Leicester being of a prompt and sharp wit was by his Parents brought up in learning and at the age of 14. he went to Cambridge where after he had profited in other studies he gave himself to the study of School-Divinity commensed Batchelor in Divinity and was a very zealous Papist made an Oration against Philip Melancâ—hon railed against Master Stafford
is a pregnant instance thereof whose inconsiderable yea contemptable beginning improved it selfe to give a blow under the fift rib in Scripture alwaies observed mortall to the man of sin 2 It would have given much satisfaction to the reader and more to our selves could we present him with exact Particulars of Huss his birth and extraction But alas we are so far from having a starre going before us to direct us to the place of his nativitie that we finde not the least candle-light to guide us to the notice thereof In or neere Prague we conceive him to be borne in which University he had his education 3. Now the learning of that age moved in a very narrow circle in Case and Controversiall Divinity The Schoolmen wanting the wings of the learned tongues therewith to mount into the meaning of the Scriptures in their originall onely employed themselves in running round in the beaten path of common questions whilst such amonst them as were of extraordinary parts impatient to be confined within yet unable to exceed the foresaid compasse let out their soules and made roome for the activitie of their mindes by digging deepe into curious inquiries where their best results are either unnecessarie or certaine or both Wherefore Iohn Huss declining such intricate labyrinthes betooke himselfe to finde out the right way to heaven describ'd in Gods word 4 It happened about this time that Richard the second of England married Anne sister to Wencelaus King of Bohemia and although he had no children by her yet the conversion of Bohemia may fitly be stiled the issue of this their mariage Indeed this Queene Anne taught our English women modestie in riding on Side-saddles in exchange whereof the English taught the Bohemians true religion first discovâ—ring the Romish superstitions unto them For her Courtiers here did light on the bookes of Iohn Wicklief and carried them into their owne Country where Huss had the happinesse to read approve and disperse the same See here the pedegree of the Reformation wherein Germany may be counted the Son Bohemia the Father and England the Grand-father 5. Huss hereupon began zealously to preach and propagate the truth which for the soundnesse thereof was welcome to many for the novelty to more But as the Jewes Acts 22.22 heard Saint Paul patiâ—ntly untill that passage That he was sent to the Gentiles which inraged them beyond all modesty and measure crying out away with such a fellow from the earth for it is not fit that he should live so even some Friers lent attentive eares to Huss his Sermons till their profit began to be concerned in his confuting the gainefull errours of Rome and their malice mustred all opposition against him First by order from his holinesse the Arch-bishop of Suinco was commanded to suppresse him but all in vaine his commands prevailing no more with Huss than the peoples prohibitions to Bartimeus commâ—nding him silence Marke 10.48 which onely made him cry out the more a great deale In so much that the Pope himselfe was faine to take the matter in hand 6 Here happined a most remarkable Accident very advantagious for the propagating of Husses doctrine A Scisme happened in the Church of Rome betwext three Popes at the same time so that Peters chaire was like to be broken betwixt so many sitting downe together This conduced much to the benefit of Huss who hereupon took advantage to decline so good a witt having an usefull Theame would loose nothing in handling it against the Chuch of Rome Pleading that having three it had no leagall head That this monstrous apparition of the Man of â—in presaged his life was â—hort that these three Anti-Popes made up one Antichrist In a word there was opened unto â—im a great doore of utterance made out of that cracke or cleft which now happened in this seasonable schisme at Rome 7 It was now high time a generall Councell should be called The Church was growne fowle with long want of scowring however the vicious Court of Rome declined it wonder not if theeves be unwilling to heare of an Assises expecting that there their faults would be discovered and censured All the world stood on the Tiptoes of Expectation what the Councell would produce Where for a while we leave them with the three Popes tugging one against the other where all Three at last were deposed and Pope Martin substituted in the roome of them 8 Huss during the beginning of this Counsell remained at Pargue constantly preaching in his Church of Bethlehem Where his adversaries chose out of his bookes and preaching severall Articles which they charged against him for Hereticall And it may seeme wonderfull how variously the number of them is rekoned up some times eight errours sometimes nine sometimes one and twenty sometimes five and fourty which numbers the doctors and Masters of the University of Prague collected and objected against him Yet none need justly admire at this difference as if Huss his opinions were like the stones on Salsbury plain falsely reported that no two can count them alike The variety ariseth first because some count onely his primitive Tenets which were breeders whilest others count all the yong Frye of Consequences derived from them Secondly some were more industrous to seeke capatious to expound malicious to deduce far distant Consequences Excellent at the inflaming of a Reckoning and to discover an infant or Embryo errours which others over looked Thirdly It is possible that in processe of time Huss might delate himselfe in additionall and supplementall opinions more than what he maintained at first His principall accusations were that he maintained the Sacrament was to be ministred to the peoplâ— under both Kings Secondly That Priests in a mortall sinne might not minister the Sacrament Thirdly That the Popes power above other Priests was onely invented for covetousnesse Fourthly That Priests once ordained are not to be forbidden preaching c. 9 For these Tenets Huss was excommunicated by Cardinall Delâ—hunna a sure prop of the Romish Church But all in vaine seeing the Gentry and Nobility of Bohemia did highly favour him Whereupon he was brought to the Counsell of Constance under the Safeguard of the whole Empire and a solemne Conduct of the Emperour Sigâ—smunâ—'s double written both in Latine and Almane that whether learned or unlearned might pretend ignorance thereof drawne in a most favourable Latitude for him and strongest legall forme given at Spire the eighteenth of October Anno Dom. 1414. Yea when the Pope waâ— informed by a Bohemian Gentleman what liberty Huss had granted him to remaine in Constance without any trouble vexation or interruption his Holinesse replied that if Huss had killed his brother no violence should be offered unto him during his abode in this City 10 But as the man possessed with a Divell Mark 5.3 None could binde him no not with chaines So strong was the uncleane Spirit of Cruelty in the Romish Court that no duplicates or double cords of safe Conducts