this day Having notice given on the over-night that the next day he should be burn'd he said I am ready God grant me strength and a joyfull resurrection and so he went to his chamber pouring out his spirit unto the Lord in pâ—ayer and giving him most hearty thanks for accounting him worthy to suffer for his Truth Going into Smithfield the way was very foul whereupon two Officers took him up to bear him to the stake then â—e said merrily Whâ—t will you make me Pope Comming into Smithfield he kneeled down saying I will pay my vows in thee O Smithfield He kissed the stake saying Shall I disdaine to suffer at this stake when my Lord and Saviour refused not to suffer a most vile death for me When the fire was kindled with much meekness and comfort he resigned up his spirit unto God Anno Christi 1555. In a Letter which he wrote to John Carelesse then prisoner in the Kings-bench he thus writes Indeed my dear Carelesse I am in this world in hell and in the shadow of death but he that for my deserts hath brought me down into hell shall shortly lift me up unto heaven where I shall look continually for your comming and others of my faithful brethren in the Kings-bench And though I tell you that I am in hell in the judgement of the world yet assuredly I feel in the same the consolation of heaven I praise God And this lothsome and horrible prison is as pleasant to me as the walks in the Garden of the Kings-bench And in a Letter that he wrote to his Sister he thus concludes My dissolution I look for daily but the Lord knoweth how unworthy I am of so high an honour as to die for the testimony of his Truth Pray that God would vouchsafe to make me worthy as he hath done of long imprisonment Pray and look for the coming of the Lord c. In another Letter he writes thus Commend me to Mr. Elsing and his wife and thank them for providing me some ease in prison and tell them that though my Lords Cole house be but very black yet it is more to be desired of the faithfull then the Queens Palace The world wondereth how we can be merry in such extream miseries but our God is omnipotent which turneth misery into felicity Beleeve me there is no such â—oy in the world as the people of Christ have under the Crosse I speak by exâ—rence therefore believe me and fear nothing that the world can doe unto you for when they imprison our bodies they set our souls at liberty with God when they cast us down they life us up yea when they kill us then doe they send us to everlasting life and what greater glory can there be then to be made confoâ—mable to our head Christ which is done by afflictions O good God what am I upon whom thou shoulde bestow so great a mercy This is the day which the Lord hath made let us rejoyce and be glad in the same this is the way though it be but narrow which is full of the peace of God and leadeth to eternall blisse Oh how my heart leapeth for joy that I am so near the apprehension thereof God forgive me my unthankfulness and unworthiness of so great glory I hâ—ve so much joy that though I be in a place of darknesse and mourning yet I cannot lament but both night and day am so joyfull as if I were under no crosse at all yea in all the daies of my life I was never so merry the name of the Lord be praised for ever and ever and the Lord pardon my unthâ—nkfulness Our enemies do fret fume and grash their teeth to see and hear that we under this grievous affliction can be so merry Pray instantly that this joy may never be taken from us for it passeth all the delights of this world This is the peace of God which passeth all understanding This peace the more his chosen be afflicted the more they feel and therefore cannot faint neither for fire nor water Whilst Mr. Philpot was prisoner in Newgate a dertaine friend of his that scrupled the Baptizing of Infants wrote to him for his judgement about it to whom he wrote a large and learned Answer proving by Scripture by Arguments by testimony of the Fathers and by the constant practise of the Primitive Church from the Apostles daies the lawfulnesse and necessity of the same which you may read in the Book of Martyrs vol. 3. pag. 606. c. THO. CRANMER The Life of Thomas Cranmer who died Anno Christi 1555. THomas Cranmer was a Gentleman by birth of a very ancient Family born at Arselacton in Nottinghamshirte brought up at School and from thence sent to Cambridge where profiting much in learning he was chosen fellow in Jesus Colledge After which he married a wife and thereby loosing his Fellow-ship he was chosen Divinity-Reader in Buckingham-Colledge but not long after his wife dying in child-bed the Master and Fellows chose him again Fellow into Jesus Colledge After which he commenced Doctor in Divinity From thence hee was chosen a Fellow in the Foundation of Cardinal Wolsey's Colledge in Oxford but fore-seeing the danger which after followed he refused that place Whilst he was in Cambridge the question arose about King Henries Divorce from his brothers widdow and the Plague breaking forth at Cambridge Doctor Cranmer retired to Waltham-Abbey At which time this fell out The King to recreate himselfe and to take private counsell with those in whom he most consided who were the Dukes of Norfolke and Suffolk and some others went on hunting to Waltham at which time he signified his minde to Steven Gardiner his Secretary and to Fox his Almoner willing them to search what was most expedient for him to doe to end well that controversie about his Marriage and as God would have it these two men lodged in the house of one Master Cressie at Waltham where also Doctor Cranmer was having left Cambridge upon the forementioned occasion â—nd being Tutor to Master Cressies two sons Gardiner and Fox thus meeting with him and knowing him to be famous for learning and piety invited him to their good cheer and asked his advice concerning the Kings cause Dr. Cranmer was at fiâ—st very loath to deliver his judgement but being much importunâ—d by them he at last â—aid I cannot say much on the sudden in so weighty a businesse without study and meditation but in my opinion seeing the King is in so great trouble of mind and conscience nothing can more encrease it then so great delaies and wandring in Romish suites inwhich whosoever are once entangled can source ever extricaâ—e themselves out of the snares I think it better therefore that layâ—ing aside all delayes and Court suites wherein the King hath been too long tossed with great affliction of mind the judgement of Divines hath in our
injuria praesentium malorum fiducia futurorum bonorum All injurie of evils present is to be neglected for the hope of good things to come Nihil prodest verbis proferre virtutem factis destruere To set out vertue in words and by deeds to destroy the same is nothing worth Cyprian in another Book mentioneth twelve absurdities in the life of man which are these Sapiens sine operibus A wise man without good works Senex sine Religione An old man without Religion Adolescens sine Obedientia A young man without Obedience Dives sine Elemosyna A rich man without Alms. Famina sine Pudicitia A woman without shamefastness Dominus sine Virtute A guide without Vertue Christianus contentiosus A contentious Christian. Pauper superbus A poor man that is proud Rex inîquns A King that is unjust Episcopus negligens A Bishop that is negligent Plebs sine Disciplina People without Discipline Populus sine Lege Subjects without Law His works are four Books containing 62 Epistles Besides Tractatus contra Demetrianum De Habitu Virginum De Simplicitate Praelatorum De Idolorum Vanitate Sermo de Ele emosyna De Zelo Livore De bono Patientiae De Mortalitate De Lapsis De Oratione Dominica Liber de Exhortatione Martyris The Life of Arnobius who flourished Anno Christi 330. ARnobius was a famous Professor of Rhetorick in a City of Africk called Sicca About the year 330. being converted to the Christian Religion he came to some Bishops earnestly desiring to be admitted into the Church and Baptized but they suspecting nè vir seculari eloquentiâ tumens c. lest a man swelling and puffed up with secular wisdom and who had always hitherto opposed Christian Religion should make a mock both of them and it therefore they rejected him whereupon he offered unto them those seven Excellent Volumes of his Disputations against his former Gentilism which they seeing with great joy received him He was Master to Lactantius He used to say that Persecution brings Death in one hand and Life in the other for while it kils the Body it crowns the Soul He flourished under Dioclesian between Anno Christi 300. 330. Learned Scultetus in his Medulla Patrum holds all the works that go under the name of this Arnobius to be spurious but only those seven Books which he wrote against the Gentiles wherein saith he Eruditè quidem tumido elatoque orationis genere contra gentes disputat The Life of Eusebius who dyed Anno Chri. 340. THe life of Eusebius was written by Acatius his Disciple and successor in the Bishoprick of Caesarea which being lost I can meet with no Author that gives us any account either of his Parents Masters or his first course of life But Eusebius is commended to the Christian World not for his Parents and Masters sake but for his excellent wit and great variety of Learning So that S. Basil saith of him Eusebius Palaestinus est fide dignus propter multiplicem experientiam Eusebius of Palestine is worthy to be credited for his great experience S. Hierom saith Eusebius in Divinis Scripturis studiosissimus Bibliothecae Divinae cum Pamphilo Martyre diligentissimus pervestigator Eusebius was a great student of the sacred Scriptures and together with Pamphilus the Martyr a most diligent seacher of the Divine Library Evagrius saith Eusebius vir sanè cùm in aliis rebus disertissimus tùm in scribendo tantum pollens ut possit lectores suorum librorum etsi non efficere perfectos Christianos ita tamen persuadendo impellere ut Christianam Religionem lubenter colant Eusebius truly was a man as in other things most Eloquent so in writing of such prevalency that though he could not make the Readers of his Books perfect Christians yet he could inforce them by his perswasions willingly to embrace the Christian Religion He was Bishop of Caesarea Palestina and for his great love to Pamphilus sir-named Pamphilus a most learned man of whom Constantine the Great used to say that he was worthy to be Bishop not of one only City but of the whole World and for his eloquence Hierom stiled him Romani eloquii Tubam the Trumpet of Roman Elocution About this time Eustathius Bishop of Antioch was deposed from his Bishoprick as some say for the Sabellian Heresie whereupon there was kindled in Antioch such a fierie flame of Sedition that in a manner the whole City was therewith turned upside down Amongst the common sort of people some cleaved to this side some to that The Garrison Souldiers also were so divided and set one against the other that if God and the Allegiance they owed to the good Emperour Constantine the Great had not been called to remembrance they had lamentably murthered one another But the Emperour by his Letters appeased the Tumult and Sedition that was raised amongst them the cause whereof was this One party of them chose Eusebius Pamphilus for their Bishop and would bring him in the other party would have their former Bishop Eustathius again But Eusebius refused to come to them whereupon the Emperour Constantine highly commended him for his wisdom and moderation Afterwards a Synod being gathered at Tyre to determine the controversies which were sprung up amongst the Bishops Constantine sent Eusebius thither to take cognizance of their differences where this memorable thing fell out Potamon one of the Bishops seeing Eusebius to rit as a Judge and Athanasius standing and pleading his cause before him being overcome with sorrow and weeping for those things which he saw the Professors of the Truth to suffer with a loud voice he inveighed against Eusebius saying Thou sittest there Eusebius and innocent Athanasius stands to be judged by thee Who can endure such things Tell me Eusebius Was thou not in Prison with me in the time of Persecution and I truly lost one of my Eyes for the Truth sake but thou hast nothing mutilated in thy Body neither didst thou give any testimony for thy Confession thou livest and hast had no member cut off How gatest thou out of Prison but because thou either madest a promise of submission to our Persecutors or else didst that which was abominable Eusebius hearing these things grew into great choller and dissolved the Assembly saying If you come hither and now speak such things against us surely your Accusers speak nothing but the truth For if you go about to exercise a Tyranny here much more will you do it in your own Country There is much contest amongst Divines both Ancient and Modern what Eusebius Faith was about the person of the Son of God Some charge him with Arianism for denying the Deity of Christ but Athanasius saith that he recanted it in the Nicaene Council Eustathius of Antioch accused him for innovating the Nicaene Creed when as himself professed that he rested satisfied therewith Hierom nameth him for an open defender of the Arian
Art There thou mayst finde the knowledge of mundane Philosophy without the least ostentation of it there thou mayst discern his skill of the Liberal Sciences and amongst them of the Mathematicks and yet he makes them all handmaids to Piety In his discourses he doth exquisitely mingle Divine testimonies of Scripture that they are like to precious stones not sowed to but bred in purple clothes His Works are these In Opificium sex dierum Hom. 11. In Psalmos Hom. 17. Variorum argumentorum Hom. 28. De Virginitate De Paradiso Contra Apologeticum Eunomii Contra Sabellianos Arium De S. Sancto De Libero Arbitrio De Baptismate Exercitamenta per aliquot Sermones Praefatio de judicio Dei De Fidei Confessione Moralium Summae Questiones diffusè Explicatae Aliae compendio Explicatae Constitutiones Exercitatoriae Epistolae Explicationes in Psalmos Davidis All printed at Basil by Froben Anno Christi 1566. GREGORI NAZIANZEN The Life of Gregory Nazianzen who flourished Anno Christi 370. GRegory Nazianzen was first Bishop of Sasima then of Nazianzum in Cappadâ—cia and lastly of Constantinople he was a living Library of Philosophy and Divinity exceeding Eloquent a defender of the poor and oppressed and a comforter of the afflicted In his younger days he became acquainted with Basil and joined studies with him So that with him at Athens he heard those famous Rhetoricians Hymerius and Proaeresius At Antioch in Syria he frequented the School of Libanius and by these means he became an excellent Orator By reading the Commentaries of Origen he learned to expound and interpret the Sacred Scriprures In disputation he foiled and overthrew the most learned amongst the Arians and fearing least those Errors should infect the Churches of Cappadocia he gat him thither to oppose them where he was made Bishop of Nazianzum a mean City of Cappadocia whereof his Father had been Bishop before him What insight he had into mens dispositions by their Physiognomies may appear by that which he wrote concerning Julian the Apostate in his second Oration against the Gentiles where he thus writeth I foresaw saith he long ago in Julian that which is now come to pass when I knew him at Athens For he came thither when the Empress had procured License of the Emperour for his voyage and when his Brother Gallus had conspired the death of the Emperour Constantius There were two causes that moved him to repair to Athens The first was tolerable the second had small honesty in it The first was to see Greece and the Schools that flourished therein The second which was more secret and was known unto few was to consult with Southsayers and Sacrificers about his affairs in time to come because it was not permitted openly for the Authors of such impiety to practise such divellish inventions And I my self in conjecturing of him at that time although I am not of the number of Prophets yet was not much deceived For his wavering minde and frantick disposition made me Prophet good enough I saw not one sign in him that gave me any hope that ever he would become an honest man He had a running head his shoulders did never leave waging he had winking eyes that continually rouled in his head His countenance was staring He had a sliding and limping pace His visage was scornful He had a fleering face of his own the which his immoderate laughter and continual scorning did declare His manner was without all honesty to say and unsay His words came tumbling out with vehemency and stops the sentence broken in the midst His questions and objections were rash and foolish His answers were little better which oftentimes followed one after another and as there was little hold of them so were they proposed without order But what need I to run over all particulars I foresaw in him before he was created Emperour that which afterwards proved to be most true If there were any of my familiar friends present which heard me thus divining of him I am sure they would testifie this to be no otherwise then I do report it in whose hearing also at the foresight of these things I uttered these words O good God what a Monster the Empire of Rome doth nourish When I had uttered these words I desired of God that in this matter I might be found a lyer For that had been far better then that the whole World should have been visited with so many mischiefs or then that such a Monster should have been seen amongst men the like unto whom had never been remembred before For in his time happened many deluges and flouds over-flowing the Countries the which both young and old do at this time remember Besides great losses by fire terrible Earthquakes and gapings of the ground Men also of a strange shape were born into the World of mixt and compound natures being half Men half Beasts But he purchased to himself such an end as his frantick disposition justly deserved These things did Gregory report of Julian Not long after in the reign of Theodosius senior Gregory was translated from the City Nazianzum to govern a little Church within the wals of Constantinople unto which the Emperour afterwards annexed a goodly Temple called the Resurrection But Gregory being a famous man and excelling in vertue and godliness all that flourished in his time when he perceived that some murmured and objected to him that he was a stranger and foreigner although he rejoyced at the Emperours coming yet utterly refused to continue any longer at Constantinople He had such a dexterity of wit that which way soever he turned himself he could happily effect it In opening the Mysteries of the Sacred Scriptures he was an exellent Teacher diligent cautious plain and without offering violence to the Text. Nature seemed to have framed him for Panegyrick Orations yet did he so temper his speeches therein to the mindes and ears of the multitude that he was very plain to the ignorant and yet at the same time to be admired by the learned In his Disputations against Eunomius he shewed admirable acuteness yet never receded from perspicuity of speech and so contained himself within bounds of defence of the Catholick Truth that he never brake forth into reproaches extravagant from the cause Neither was he unlike himself in his work to Amphilocus about the Holy Ghost But what argument soever he handled wholsome and pleasing speeches were never wanting to him and those not acquired but natural According to his name in all his works there appears a certain Kingly Majesty mixed with admirable humanity He so inveighed against the evil manners of men that they could not but love him whilest he child them And look what his Doctrine was such was his life By this dexterity of his wit when Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea by his ambition stirred up Sedition of an aemulus he made him his very good friend By this
and down through Villages and Countries having no fear to shed blood But whilst the Word of God was diligently Preached and Peace was endeavoured to be held with these haters of Peace they committed many acts of hostility And whilst the Truth was made known against their Erroneous opinions they which were Lovers of Truth shunned their society and endeavoured to preserve the unity of Truth in the bond of Peace Hence it came to pass that these men seeing their number to be deminished and envying the encrease of the Church being incensed with extream anger raised intolerable persecutions against the true members of Jesus Christ often setting upon the godly Ministers both by night and day and many times robbing them of all they had and not contented therewith they often murthered them and often threw Lime and Vinegar into their Eyes to blinde them for which cause these Rebaptizing Donatists grew hateful to their own Disciples So that through Gods mercy the Word of God prevailed the more in Hippo by the Ministry of Augustine and his Colleagues and the fame thereof spreading abroad many Cities sent to chuse their Bishops out of that Society which exceedingâ—y conduced towards the furtherance of the Peace of the Church He Preached and writ also very learnedly against the Donatists Pelagians and other Hereticks whereby the African Churches recovered their ancient splendor He went not so willingly to a Feast as to a conference to reduce any that erred He would not receive gifts to the Church from those which had poor kindred of their own Augustines Books also being dispersed and some of them translated into Greek and sent beyond-Sea into the Eastern Churches were means of very much good But these things so much the more enraged the Circumcellions insomuch as when Augustine went abroad to Preach to and visit his Churches which he frequently used to do they often lay in wait for him by the way to have murthered him and had certainly one time effected it but that the person who was his guide by a special Providence of God mistook his way and so led him by a By-way to the place whereby he escaped their hands as afterwards came to his knowledge for which he praised God as his only deliverer But these men in the mean time neither spared Ministers nor Lay-men One notable example we have of their wickedness which is not be passed over in silence One of Augustines Society being called to be Bishop at Calamen was very careful to propagate the Truth and to beat down Heresies but whilst he was going from Town to Town about this business he fell into the hands of the Rebaptizing Donatists who lay in wait for him these men took away the Beasts both from him and his company and all their necessaries beating the Bishop very cruelly Hereupon the Proconsul being made acquainted with it sent for Crispin the Bishop of the Donatists in that place and set a fine upon him according to the wholesom Laws made against Hereticks But Crispin denyed himself to be an Heretick whereupon a Disputation was appointed at Carthage between these two Bishops which was to be in the presence of Augustine and the Eyes of all Africk were fixed upon the event of it To be brief the Bishops met and after three days Disputation Crispin was overthrown and by the Proconsul was adjudged and condemned for an Heretick but he not standing to this sentence appealed to the Emperour who patiently heard all the cause and at last concluded that the Donatists were Hereticks that they ought not to be suffered in any Publick places and that the Laws against Hereticks should be put in Execution against them whereupon Crispin was fined in two pounds of Gold But the Catholick Bishops and especially Augustine so prevailed with the godly Emperour that the rigour of his sentence was taken from them which Piety and Charity of theirs much conduced to the encrease of the Church Not long after there was a Council held at Carthage by the appointment of the good Emperour Honorius who sent thither a Tribune and a Publick Notary to supply his own place This Council consisted of the Bishops both Catholicks and Donatists wherein the Donatists being heard to the full whatsoever they could say for the defence of their opinions were fully confuted by the Catholicks and condemned for their Errors and by the Emperours Judge were declared to be Hereticks Their Persecutions also against the Catholicks were declared even to the cutting off their members and taking away of their Lives to the great disturbance of the Peace of the Church But after this Council was dissolved many of their friends reported that they were not suffered to speak all they could for themselves and their cause because that the Judge appointed by the Emperour was too favourable to the Catholicks which yet appeared to be but a poor shift to excuse the weakness of their cause seeing that they knew him to be a Catholick before the Disputation began and yet never excepted against him Not long after there was another Council assembled at Caesarea a chief City in Mauritania for the setling of other affairs of the Church In this City was Emeritas the Bishop of the Donatists a chief defender of his Sect and one whom they most relyed upon Him therefore Augustine singled out and in the Publick Congregation challenged him desiring him now to produce what he had further to say for his Opinions seeing his friends gave out that formerly he could not be suffered to do it at Carthage but now he had full liberty and security being in his own City and environed with his friends Notwithstanding which neither by this Exhortation of Augustine neither by the instant request of his Parents and Friends could he be perswaded to it though they told him that they would all be of his Communion though they lost their Estates or underwent any other temporal punishment if he could overthrow the Catholick assertions yet nothing would prevail with him having indeed nothing to say more then he had spoken before which distrust of his cause through Gods mercy turned to the great advantage of the Church which was much encreased and confirmed hereby At another time at Carthage many Manichees being brought before him of those whom they called Elect men and Elect women Augustine who had formerly known that execrable Sect produced their damnable blasphemies out of their own Books and at length brought them to an acknowledgement of their blasphemies and those Elect women also confessed what filthy things had been according to their customs committed amongst them all which things exceedingly redounded to the benefit of the Church and to the securing of the flock against such thieves There was also a certain Noble man called Pascentius an Arian by whose authority the tribute was exacted with much rigour the Catholick Faith was much opposed and many godly Ministers were much molested and
give mee strength and his holy spirit that all my adversaries shal be asham'd of their doings Then said his friends Master Dr. we think it not best so to do you have sufficiently done your duty and borne witness to the truth both in your Sermons and in resisting this Popish Priest and therfore seeing our Savior Christ bids us when we are persecuted in one City to flee to another we think that by flying at this time you should doe best reserving your selfe for better times O said D. Tailor I am now old and have already lived too long to see these terrible and wicked dayes You may doe as your consciences serve you but I am resolved not to fly God shall hereafter raise up Teachers which shall with much more diligence and fruit teach then I have done for God will not forsake his Church though for a time he tryeth and correcteth us and that not without just cause His friends seeing his constancy and resolution with weeping eyes commended him to God and so preparing himself he went to London and presented himself to Steven Gardiner Lord Chancellor of England who railed upon him calling him Knave Traitor Heretick asking him if he knew him not c. To whom he answered Yea I know you and all your greatness yetâ— you are but a mortall man and if I should be affraid of your Lordly looks why fear you not God the Lord of us all How dare you for shame look any Christian in the face seeing you have forsaken the truth denyed our Saviour Christ and his word done contrary to your own oath and writing with what countenance can you appear before the judgement seat of Christ and answer for your oath first made to King Henry the eighth and afterwards to King Edward the sixth Gardiner Tush tush that was Herods oath unlawfull and therefore fit to be broken I did well in breaking it and thanke God that I am come home to our Mother the Church of Rome and so I would thou shouldest doe Tailor Should I forsake the Church of Christ which is founded upon the true foundation of the Prophets and Apostles to approve those lyes errors superstitions and idolatries that are approved of most blasphemously by you God forbid Remember that you wrote truly against the Pope and were sworne against him Gardin I tell thee that was Herods oath and our holy Father the Pope hath discharged me of it Tailor But you shall not be so discharged before Christ who doubtlesse will require it at your hands as a lawful oath made to your King from which no man can assoile you Gardiner I see that thou art an arrogant Knave and a very fool Tailor My Lord leave your railing which is unseemly in one that is in your place I am a Christian man and you know that he that call's his brother Fool is in danger of Hell fire Gardiner Yee are false and liers all the sort of you Tailor We are true men and know that God will destroy all them that speak lies and therefore we abide by the truth of Gods word which ye contrary to your own consciences deny and forsake Gardiner Thou art a married man Tailor Yea and I thanke God that I am and have had nine children and all in lawfuâ— matrimony and blessed be God that ordained matrimoâ—y and commanded that all that had not the gift of continency should marry and not live in whoredom and a dultery After some other discourse the Bishop called hi men commanding them to carry him to the Kings Bench requiring his Keeper to keep him strictly Then Doctoâ— Tailor kneeling down and holding up his hands said Good Lord I thanke thee and from the Tyranny of the Bishop of Rome and all his detestable errors and abominations good Lord deliver us So they carried him away to prison where he lay almost two years In Prison he spent his time in praier reading the Scriptures preaching to the prisoners and to other that resorted to him And it pleased God that he found in that prison holy Master Bradford whom he began to exhort to Faith strength and patience and to persevere constantly unto the end Master Bradford hearing this thanked God who had provided him so comfortable a prison-fellow and so they both together praised God and continued in praier reading and exhorting one another Insomuch as Doctor Tailor told his friends that God had provided graciously for him to send him to that prison where he found such an Angell of God to be in his company to comfort him He was diverse times examined of his faith and witnessed a good Confession before his adversaries for which at last he was condemned to die When his sentence was read he told them that God the righteous Judge would require his blood at their hands and that the proudest of them all should repent their receiving againe of Antichrist and their Tyranny against the flock of Christ. He also thus wrote to his friends God be praised since my condemnation I was never affraid to die Gods will be done If I shrinke from Gods truth I am sure of an other manner of death then had Judge Hales But God be praised even from the bottome of my heart I am unmovably setled upon the Rock nothing doubting but that my dear God will performe and finish the work that he hath begun in me and others To him be all honor both now and ever through Christ our onely Saviour Amen After his condemnation Bishop Bonner came to the prison to degrade him bringing all the Massing Garments with him which he commanded him to put on No quoth Doctor Tailor I will not Bonner Wilt thou not I shall make thee ere I go Tailor You shall not by the grace of God Bonner I charge thee on thy obedience to do it Tailor I will not Then the Bishop bad his owne man to put them on his back which when it was done setting his hands by his side he walked up and down and said How say you my Lord am I not a goodly fool If I were in Cheap-side would not all the boies laugh at these apishtoies The Bishop having dispoiled him of all would have given him a stroke on his breast with his Crosier But his Chaplain said My Lord strike him not for he will sure strike again Yea by Saint Peter will I quoth Doctor Tailor The cause is Christs and I were no good Christian if I would not fight in my masters quarrell Then the Bishop cursed him but durst not strike him To whom Doctor Tailor answered Though you curse yet God doth blesse me The next night his Wife Son and Servant came to him where before supper they kneeled down and praied saying the Letany He was sent down to Hadley to be burn'd and all the way as he went he was very merry as one that went to a banquet or Bridal In his
and zeal of mine if it be worthy so to be called hath been so remisse and languishing that I confesse innumerable things have been wanting to me to the well performing of my duty and unlesse the immeasurable bounty of God had been present my studies had been vaine and vanishing away Moreover I acknowledge that unlesse the same bounty had been present unto me the goods of the minde which God hath given me would have made me guilty of the greater sinne and slothfulnesse before his judgement seat For which causes I witnesse and profess that I hope for no other help for salvation but this onely that seeing God is a Father of mercy hee shewed himself a Father unto me who acknowledge my self a miserable sinner As for other things After my departure out of this life I would have my body committed to the earth in that order and manâ—er which is usuall in this Church and City till the blessed day of Resurrection cometh As touching that slender Patrimony which God hath given me concerning which I have determined thus to dispose Let Anthony Calvin my most dear Brother be mine heire but only for honour sake let him take before hand and have to himself the silver Charger which was given me by Varannius for a gift wherewith I desire him to be contented For whatsoever things remaine in mine â—â—heritance I request and commit them to his faith that he returne them to his children when he shall dye I bequeath tenne gâ—â—den Scutes to the School of boyes from the same my brother and heire Also so much to poore strangers So much to Joane the daughter of Charles Costan and of my Kinswoman But to Samuel and John the sonnes of my said Brother I desire to have given to them forty golden Scutes by mine heir when he dieth To Anne Susâ—â— and Dorothy his daughters thirty Scutes of gold But to David their brother because of his lightnesse and miscarriages but five and twenty Scutes of gold This is the summe of the whole Patrimony and goods which God hath given me so neare as I can estimate it setting a price upon my Library my moveables and all my houshold goods with all other my faculties If there bee found any thing above I would have it to be distributed to all those children the sons and daughters of my brother Neither doe I exclude that David if hee prove a good husband If there shall be any surplusage above that summe I beleeve there will be no great matter especially when my debts are paid the care whereof I have committed to my said brother upon whose love and fideâ—ity I relye For which cause I will and appoint him to be the Executor of my Testament and together with him the worshipfull man Laurence Normendie giving them power to take an Inventory of my goods without any more accurate diligence of the Court I also permit them to sell my moveables that out of the money made thereof they may execute my Will above written Dated this 25. of April Anno Christi 1554. When this Will was made and confirmed Mr. Calvin sent to the four Syndiâ—s and all the Aldermen desiring to speak with them all yet once more in the Court before his death whither he hoped to be carried the next day The Senators answered that they would rather come to him dâ—siring him to have a regard to his 〈◊〉 And the day after when they came all to him from 〈◊〉 Court after mutuall salutations and pardon craved for their comming to him whereas he rather would have come to them and pâ—ofessing that he had long desired to speak with them though he had deferred it till now even till he found the approaching of his departure out of this world he said Honoured Masters I give you great thanks that ye have honoured me thus far having not deserved it from you and for that you have so often borne with mine infirmities which to me hath alwaies been an argument of your singular good will towards me And albeit in performance of mine office it could not be but that I must undergoe many bickerings and divers assaults because every good man must be exercised therewith yet I know and acknowledge that none of these things have falne out through your default and I earnestly beseech you that if I have not alwaies done that which behoved me you rather would have regard of my will then of my ability For I can truly testifie that I have been heartily studious of the welfare of your Commonwealth and howsoever I have not fully performed mine office yet surely I have studied the publick good according to mine ability and except I should acknowledge that the Lord hath used my service sometimes not unprofitably I could not avoyd the crime of dissembling But this I requst of you again and again that I may be excused by you for that the things are so little that I have publickly and privately performed in comparison of those things which it behoved me to have done Certainly of mine own accord I acknowledge that I am much indebted to you for this cause also that yee have patiently born with my too much vehemencie sometimes which sinne also I trust God that he hath forgiven me But as touching the Doctrin that you have heard from me I take God to witness that I have not rashly and uncertainly but purely and sincerely taught the Word of God intrusted unto me whose wrath I should otherwise have felt now hanging over me as I am certainly assured that my labours in teaching it hath not been displeasing to him And I testifie this the more willingly both before God and you because I doubt not but that the devill according to his custom wil raise wicked light and giddy-headed people to corrupt the sincere Doctrine which you have heard from me Then considering the unmeasurable benefits which God had conferred on that City hee said I am a very good witnesse out of how many great dangers the hand of the great and best God hath delivered you Morâ—over you see in what estate you now are therefore whether your affairs be prosperous or adverse let that be alwaies conversant before your eyes that God is he alone that establisheth Kingdomes and Cities and therefore will be woâ—shipâ—ed by mortall men Remember what that great David doth testifie that when he enjoyed a deep peace he fell soulest and should never have risen again if God of his singular goodnesse had not reached out his hand to him What then shall become of such punies if he fell being so strong and powerfull a man Yee had need of great humility of mind that yee may walk circumspectly and with great reverence before God and trust upon him onely being sure that it will alwaies be as ye have often found that by his aid you may stand sure although your safety and welfare may be hung as it wereâ— upon a very slender thread Wherefore if prosperity befall you take heed
Christ. 4. Confine not your desires designs endeavors to any degree of Spiritual goodness attained by the fairest Saint on this side Heaven For no example Christ's onely excepted did ever reach that rule according to which we are always obliged to order our hearts and lives A man may fully fall in with the forwardest follower of Jesus Christ and yet fall far short of conformity to Gods commandements That blessed Apostle who propounds himself a pattern for imitation having his conversation in Heaven yet he speaks thus of himself Not as though I was already perfect And that beloved Disciple John tels us that Every one who hath a well-grounded lively hope of heaven purgeth himself as Christ is pure If according to this counsel with these directions you shall improve the manifold pretious examples which are here presented unto your perusal then shall you have good cause to bless Almighty God for bringing this book unto your hands The godly and Reverend Author our antient friend and Fellow-Pupil with one of us under the tuition of Master Thoms Hooker in Emanuel Colledge who for his eminent abilities and glorious services both in this and in the other England deserves a place in the first rank of them who are here recorded hath in this collection imitated the Lord who hath a book of Remembrance wherein he Registers the gratious speeches and actions of his zealous servants in cvil times Hereby also he is instrumental in the accomplishment of Gods promise who hath said The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance An instance whereof the Apostle gives in Abel the proto-Martyr who for his faith and righteousness is yet spoken off as some render the phrase though long since dead That which the Apostle affirms upon the reveiw of his Catalogue of believers recorded in the eleventh Chapter of his Epistle to the Hebrews I may apply to this Book We are compassed about with a clowd of witnesses for which way can we look or to what condition and concernment of life can we turn our selves wherein some Example propounded in this book will not aptly suit with our estates for guidance comfort encouragement And although the labor of our Author hath been in this collection very great yet he resolves if God give life and health to add a second part unto this now published wherein if any one will be pleased to furnish him with full and faithful relations of the godly life and death of any their Christian friends whether Ministers or others who have been eminent in their days their Names may hereby be perpetuated unto the service of posterity Here we might have given in a true though short Character of some pretious servants and messengers of Christ whose graces were admired whilst they lived and whose memâ—ry their surviving friends do much honor viz. Doctor Preston Sibs Tailor Stoughton c. Mr. Rogers Stock Culverwel Pemble c. As also Mr. Hildersham Dod Pierson Herring Ball Nicols Hind and Rathband who for their Christian graces and Ministerial abilities for their services and sufferings do deserve an honourable memorial in the Church of Christ The later of these though they lived and dyed Non-conformists yet they always kept a due distance from Brownistical separation and were zealously affected towards the Presbyterial Government of the Church as the works of some of them do sufficiently witness Through Gods grace their judgments were never tainted with the noisom Errors of these declining times neither were their lives stained with any such scandals for which too many who pretend to an higher pitch of purity and Saintship are justly reproached But now we will not discourse any further of them because we hope that the next part of this book which before we intimated may bring to light the excellencies of some of them at least which call for remembrance and imitation And now Christian Reader craving pardon for our tediosness whereby thou hast been thus long detained out of this pleasant Garden we desire that Gods direction and blessing may accompany thy passage through it that whilst thou seest thy self surrounded with sweet and fragrant flowers thou mayst adore the inexhaust fulness of Jesus Christ from whom all graces and consolations do continually flow And because an inward supernatural principle is necessary to the right improvement of such helps as the Bee by an innate quality which other creatures want maketh Honey out of Flowers we commend thee to the God of all Grace that by the abilities of his spirit thou mayst be abundantly benefited in spiritual respects by thy serious survaying of this useful book London Decemb. 7th 1649. Thine in the service of Jesus Christ SIMEON ASH JOHN WALL THE AVTHORS EPISTLE TO THE CHRISTIAN READER Christian Reader THE holy Apostle tels us that when Christ ascended on high he gave gifts unto men some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come into the uaity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ The accomplishment hereof will in part appear by these Examples following wherein we shall see how the Lord Jesus Christ hath in all Ages raised up and sent Pastors after his own heart for the ends before mentioned and because that old subtile Serpent the Divel knows that the chiefest way to hinder the success of the Ministry is to breed in mens hearts an undervaluing and disesteem of the Ministers therefore we may take notice what titles Christ Jesus in the New Testament is pleased to honor them withall He calls them Angels 2 Rev. 1. 8 12 18 c. Stars 1 Rev. ult Ambassadors of Christ 2 Cor. 5. 20. Builders 1 Cor. 3. 10. Gods Stewards Tit. 1. 7. Lights of the World Matth. 5. 14. The Glory of Christ 2 Cor. 8. 23. Nurses 1 Thes. 2. 7. Spiritual Fathers 1 Cor. 4. 15. And such as stand in Christs stead 2 Cor. 5. 20. And such indeed have most of these Worthies been whose Lives are recorded in this Book Yet least any should run into the contrary extreme and judge of them above that which is meet the Scriptures tell us also that they are earthen vessels 2 Cor. 4. 7. and men subject to the like passions with others James 5. 17. Acts 14. 15. This you shall finde evidenced in the Narratives of some of these Lives who though they were men of God yet were they sons of Adam also and I could have given you in a Catalogue of the Naevi and blemishes of the Antient Fathers as well as of the Modern Divines that so we might be convinced that our faith ought not to stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God But most men are too apt to espie motes upon a black coate and therefore I
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
very doubtful what to do when he saw his accusers wholly to frame themselves to the will and beck of his Judges as also that they had gotten many witnesses against him partly of the Arians and partly of the Miletians which grievously calumniated him though the crimes objected were false and he had easily refuted them yet the false accusers went away with impunity especially in the great business about Arsenius whose arm they said he had cut off to practise Magick with they accused him also for giving gifts to a certain woman that he might satisfie his iust upon her vea that one night he had lien with her against her will both which accusations were plainly ridiculous and full of falsehood For whereas they brought the woman into the Council before them to justifie this charge Timothy a certain Presbyter of Alexandria standing by Athanasius according to their former agreement spake thus to the woman Did I lie with you by force Yes said she did you not and withal told them the time and place where it was done Athanasius also produced Arsenius in the midst of them and shewed them both his arms safe and sound requiring with all that his accusers should shew the arm that was cut off For it pleased God that Arsenius being again hidden by them hearing that the good Bishop was in danger by reason of him stole away in the night and hasted to Tyrus and came to Athanasius two days before he was to be judged for that cause By these means Athanasius was so clear from both the crimes wherewith he was charged that he thought he needed not any other purgation In the records of the Council there is no mention made of the first of these charges the business being so fowl and ridiculous that they were ashamed to make mention of it Put for the latter his accusers thought it sufficient to say that Plusianus one of the Bishops that was under Athanasius by the command of Athanasius had set Arsenius his house on fire bound him to a pillar and whipt him and afterwards shut him up in his house but Arsenius escaping out at a window had hid himself for his own security and he no where appearing it gave just cause of suspition that he was murthered for which cause the Arian Bishops pretended that they had diligently sought after him as a worthy Person and Confessor and when they could not finde him had brought his cause before the Magistrate Athanasius perceiving their violence began to be afraid and justly to suspect least his adversaries should watch an opportunity privily to murther him The Council having many meetings after this and all things being filled with Tumult Athanasius his adversaries still crying out against him that he was a jugler a violent man a man that was unworthy of his Ministry and worthy to be punished with death they which were appointed by Constantine to see businesses regularly managed in this Council began greatly to fear least a tumult being raised which they had just cause to suspect Athanasius should be murthered amongst them whereupon they secretly conveyed him out of the Council Athanasius also finding certainly that he could not safely remain at Tyrus and that it was not possible for him to contend with such a multitude of accusers before such Judges as were his professed Enemies he fled to Constantinople Hereupon the Council without rendring any reason condemn him cast him out of his Bishoprick and Decree that he shall no more return to Alexandria least say they by his presence there he stir up and occasion Seditions and tumults and withall they absolve the Arians and all others which had been censured by him as if he had done them much wrong therein whereupon they did not only restore them to Communion again but to all those places and offices from whence they had been justly ejected They also signified these Decrees to the Emperor and wrote to all other Bishops that they should hold no Communion with Athanasius that they should by no means write to him nor receive any letters from him Because say they having sundry great crimes proved against him before us partly by his flight and partly by refusing to plead his cause before us he hath declared himself to be guilty Furthermore they declared that they proceeded to pass such a sentence upon him because when the Emperour the former year had called together the Bishops of the East to meet in a Council at caesarea for the hearing of his cause he never came at them and thereby had tired the Council and despised the Emperours Command and when many Bishops were met together at Tyrus he came to them with a great multitude of persons raising tumults in the Council one while refusing to answer before them another while loading the Bishops with reproaches sometimes when he was called before them he refused to hear them and others sometimes refusing to stand to their judgment As also because it plainly appeared to them that he had broken the Holy Chalice for witness whereof they had produced Theognis Bishop of Nâ—ce Mars Bishop of Chalcedon Theodore Bishop of Heraclea besides Valence Vrsacius and Macedâ—nius whom said they we have sent into Egypt to examine the matter and when they came into a certain Village they found the Chalice broken By such cunning and flie Allegations they sought to traduce Athanasius yet there were many Presbyters present in that Council who altogether disliked their proceedings as unjust whereupon 〈◊〉 a Confessor took Maximus Bishop of Haerusalem by the hand saying Come let us rise and be gone hence for it doth not become us that have lost our Eyes and have been lamed for the Truth of Christ to be present or to communicate with such wicked men in their sins But Athanasius as we said before being gone to Constantinople complained to the Emperour of the unjust judgement that the Bishops had passed against him whereupon the Emperour sent for them to appear before him to give an account of their proceedings who as soon as they came perceiving that their false and unworthy dealings were fully discovered leaving those former fictions they now accuse Athanasius to the Emperour for threatning to restrain the coming of corn out of Egypt to Constantinople as it used to do to which accusations the too credulous Emperour giving heed was so much incensed against Athanasius that he banished him to Triver in France Presently after his departure Arius with his complices returned to Alexandria where he made such factions and divisions that he cast the whole City into disorder and tumults the people of Alexandria being much grieved and offended that Arius with his companions had that liberty granted them of returning thither but especially because they understood that their godly reverend Bishop was driven into Exile by their means But when the Emperour understood of the perverse minde and unquiet behaviour of Arius he sent for him to
Huss who opposed the Errors of Popery in Bohemia The 36. year from the condemnation of Dr. Wessalia who taught at Worms the same Doctrine before Luther was born that Luther did afterwards Anno Christi 1517. John Tecelius brought Indulgences into Germany to be sold averring that he had so large a Commission from the Pope that though a man had deflroured the blessed Virgin yet for money he could pardon his sin Luther's zeal being inflamed herewith it caused him to set forth some propositions against Indulgences which so enraged Tecelius that wheresoever he came he declamed against Luther and set forth contrary positions and not content therewith he burned openly Luthers propositions and the Sermon which he wrote about Indulgences This caused the Students at Wittenberg to burn his positions also The Propositions which Luther set up were 95 in number After which he made this Protestation I Martin Luther Doctor of the Order of the Eremites at Wittenberg would have it publickly testified that I have set forth certain Propositions against the Popes Indulgences as they call them But albeit neither the famous and worthy School of ours nor the Civil nor Ecclesiastical Power hath hitherto condemned me yet as I hear there are certain men of a violent and bold wit who dare to pronounce me an Heretick as if they well understood and throughly knew the whole matter But I beseech every one as I have often done before so now by the Christian Faith that they either shew me a better way if it be revealed by God to any of them or else let them submit their sentence to God and his Churches Judgment For neither am I so rash that I would have my Opinion alone to be preferred before all others neither am I so doltish that I would have the Word of God to be placed after Fables devised by Humane Reason Anno Christi 1518. Andrew Bodenstein from his Native place called Caralostadius with many other Divines of Wittenberg defended Luthers Doctrine by their writings Also the Elector of Saxony of his own accord without intreaty took upon him the Patronage of Luther neither would he suffer that he should be drawn to Rome Also about the same time Luther contrary to the advice of his friends went to the Chapter of the Angustine Fryars held at Heidleberg to defend his Doctrine and shew his obedience to their Summons He was honorably entertained by the Bishop of Wurstburg and at Heidleberg by Wolfgang the Count Palatine Amongst the Fryers there he disputed of 28 Paradoxes which he propounded out of St. Pauls Epistles concerning Justification by Faith without works Bucer being present and taking notes at this Disputation wrote thus of it to Beatus Rhenanus His sweetness in answering saith he was admirable his patience in hearing was incomparable you might have seen the acuteness of Saint Paul in resolving doubts so that he brought them all into admiration of him by reason of his short and pithy answers and those taken out of the Storehouse of Gods holy Scriptures In his return when he was at Erford he wrote to Jodocus a Divine of Isenach who had been his Master wherein he thus expresseth himself The whole Vniversity of Wittenberg is of my minde concerning the Doctrine of Faith and Works except one Licenciat and also the Duke of Saxony The Bishop of Brandenburg who is my Ordinary and many Prelates and the more Ingenuous Citizens say with one mouth that they never knew Christ and the Gospel before August following Maximilian the Emperor hearing of these Controversies between Luther others presently wrote to the Pope to provide timely remedies against those spreading evils as he called them promising that whatever he should Decree about the same he would see that it should take place through all the Provinces of the Empire Hereupon Pope Leo citeth Luther to Rome which he also signified to his Legat Cardinal Cajetan in these words Hearing that Luther defendeth certain ungodly opinions estranged from those of the Church of Rome which is the Mistris of Faith and Religion out of my Fatherly affection desiring to repress his rashness I have commanded the Bishop of Aeculan to cite him to Rome to answer those accusations that are laid against him This the said Bishop hath done yet Luther is so far from returning to soundness that being stubborn in his Heresie he hath set out writings much worse then the former to my great grief and perturbation c. Then he proceeds to require the Cardinal to see that Luther were brought to Auspurg and that he should implore the Emperour and Princes to set a guard upon him and carry him to Rome yet withall if he should repent and voluntarily confess his fault he bade the Cardinal pardon him otherwise to interdict him from holy services c. The Pope also wrote to the Duke of Saxony in which Letter after a few flatteries he tels him that he heareth many and grievous complaints against Luther an undone man who forgetting his Order and Profession doth many things very sawcily against the Church of God with great confidence braging that he is defended with the favor of his Prince and that he fears the authority of no man which thing he presumes to be false and scandalous to the Prince yet saith he I am willing to write to you to admonish you to be mindeful of the dignity and splendor of your Ancestors flying not only the fault but also suspition of it c. After which he tels him that it properly belonged to the Church of Rome to judge in these causes of Religion and therefore requires him at the request of his Legat to see that Luther be sent to Rome that there he might be either censured or pardoned according to his deserts The Pope wrote also to the Master of the Augustine Monks exhorting him by his Authority to endeavour to recal Luther from his undertakings and to sollicit him earnestly thereto both by Letters and learned men withall telling him that this must be done speedily whereby he might quench the flame that was but lately risen whereas by delays it was to be feared that the danger would grow greater and greater for the timely suppressing whereof he required him to use all his study care and diligence When Luther saw that he was called to Rome he earnestly sollicited that his cause might be heard in Germany before fit Judges appointed thereto and in a place least subject unto danger The University also of Wittenberg wrote to the Pope giving a notable testimony unto Luther both for his Life and Learning They said also that in regard of his sickliness and the danger of the way he could not go to Rome they beseeched the Pope that he would think no otherwise of him then of a good man that certain things indeed were propounded by him only for Disputation sake not to define them that his Adversaries interpreted him in the
should marry in these unhappy times as if he cared not for those mischiefs which are before our Eyes But I think this was the occasion of it you know well enough his course of life that he is none of those that shun meetings I think better to leave you to think the rest then that I should write it If any undecent thing be reported by the people of him it 's alye and a calumny I judge also that nature compelled him to become as husband If any thing seem unseasonable and unadvised it must not trouble us too much perhaps there is some hidden and divine matter in it into which it becometh not us curiously to search and because I see him sorrowful for the change of his condition I labor to comfort him all that I can Anno 1527. he fell sick of a congealing of blood about his heart but by the drinking of the water of Carduus Benedictus he recovered Presently after on a Sabbath day he endured a spiritual temptation which he called the buffeting of Satan It seemed to him that swelling surges of the Sea did sound aloud at his left Ear and that so violently that dye he must except they presently grew calm afterwards when the noise came within his head he fell down as one dead and was so cold in each part ut nec calor nec sanguis nec sensus nec vox superesset that he had remaining neither heat nor blood nor sense nor voice but when his face was sprinkled with cold water by Justus Jonas he came to himself and prayed most earnestly and made a confession of his Faith saying That he was unworthy to suffer Martyrdom which by his proceedings he might seem to run upon He often mentions this tentation in his Letters to his Friends and was confirmed in his Faith by receiving absolution from a Minister and the use of the Sacrament Melancthon knowing the rage of the Papists and Caesars threats to subvert the Gospel was much troubled at it and gave himself wholly up to grief sighs and tears whereupon Luther wrote to him In private conflicts I am weak and you are strong but in publick conflicts you are found weak and I stronger because I am assured that our cause is just and true If we fall Christ the Lâ—rd and Ruler of the World falleth with us and suppose he fall Mallem ruere cum Christo quà m regnare cum Caesare I had rather fall with Christ then stand with Caesar I extremely dislike your excessive cares with which you say that you are almost consumed That these reign so much in your heart it is not from the greatness of the danger but the greatness of your incredulity Si piam justam causam defendimus cur Dei promistis non confidimus praeter vitam hanc misellam Satanas mundus nobis eripere nihil potest At vivit in sempiternum regnat Christus in cujus tutela consistit veritas Is nobis aderit is etiam causam hanc quae non nostra sed ipsius est ad optatum producet finem If the cause be bad let us revoke it and flie back if it be good Why do we make God a lyer who hath made us so great promises Cast thy care upon the Lord c. Be of good comfort I have overcome the world If Christ be the conquerour of the world why should we fear it as if it would overcome us A man would fetch such sentences as these upon his knees from Rome or Hierusalem Nolite igitur timere estote fortes laeti nihil solliciti Dominus propè adest Be not afraid be couragious and cheerful solicitous for nothing The Lord is at hand to help us And in another place when our King Henry the Eighth had written bitterly against him Agant quicquid possunt Henrici Episcopi atque adeò Turca ipse Satan nos filii sumus regni c. Let the Henries the Bishops the Turk and the Divel himself do what they can we are the children of the Kingdom worshipping and waiting for that Saviour whom they and such as they spit upon and crucifie Concerning this his answer Erasmus thus writes If saith he Luther commending the Kings good intention had proceeded by strong Arguments without violating the Kingly Majesty in my judgement he had taken a better course for the defence of his cause For what made Luther in his Book to the King of England to use these words Come hither my Lord Henry and I will teach you Truly the Kings Book was written in Latine and that not unlearnedly But Luther thus excuseth himself If any man saith he be offended at my sharpness against the King let him know that in that Book I dealt with senseless Monsters who contemned my best and most modest writings and by my humility and modesty were more hardned in their Errors Besides I abstained from bitterness and lies with which the Kings Book was stuffed Neither is it any wonder if I contemn and bite an Earthly King when as he feared not at all in his writings to blaspheme the King of Heaven and to profane his truth with virulent lyes Anno Christi 1523. A Diet was held at Norinberg in the absence of Caesar wherein the Edict of Worms was made null Of this the Popes Legat complained to the Princes saying That Luther was not punished according to the Emperours Edict To which the Princes answered That the Court of Rome neglected Reformation That Germany was so far inlightned by the Sermons and Writings of Luther that if they should go about to put the Edict in Execution great tumults would arise and the people would be ready to think that they went about to oppress the Truth and to put out the light of the Gospel that so they might the better defend those manifest vices which could be no longer concealed The same year Luther published his Book Of the Dignity and Office of the Civil Magistrate He wrote also to the Waldenses about the Adoration of the Sacrament He published the Pentatâ—uch in the German tougue He wrote to the Senate of Prague his Book De Instituendis Ministris Ecclesiae and another about the avoiding the Doctrines of men Besides divers others What was judged of him for his constancy and resolution may appear by this Upon a time a motion was made in the Consistory at Rome that a great sum of mony should be profered to him to buy him off from opposing Popery but one wiser then the rest cryed out Hem Germana illa bestia non curat aurum sed auram That beast of Germany cares for no money but seeks vain-glory Anno Christi 1529. he set forth both his Catechisms the lesser in January the greater in October following The year after the Emperour summoned a Diet at Auspurg giving the Publick Faith for the security of all men that would come to the Diet to
with his own blood and delivered to the Devil But presently after the man began to decay in his health so that the thing being suspected he was brought to Luther who examined him about it but he through fear and shame long denyed to confess any thing yet at last through Gods mercy he revealed the whole matter to him whereâ—â—â—n Luther much pitying his lamentable condition called the whole Congregation together where he prayed with so much earnestness and affection that the Devil was at last compelled to throw in his Obligation at the window And as he was mighty in Prayer so in his Sermons God giving him such a grace that when he preached they which heard him thought every one his own temptations severally to be noted and touched whereupon some of his friends asking him the cause of it Mine own manifold temptations and experiences said he are the cause of it Wellerus also a Disciple of Luthers recordeth that he oft heard his Master thus report of himself That he had been often assaulted and vexed with all kinde of Temptations save only unto the sin of câ—vetousness Lutherus multa Latino vernaculo sermone scripsit quae diversis locis temporibus separatim primum edita postea collecta in plures Tomos distributa There is also lately printed in English his Colloquia mensalia of which one thus writes Praestitisset hos Sermones convivales in lucem nunquam emissos Fortè adversariis procurantibus illi editi Sin minus videant ii qui Lutheranorum nomine superbiunâ— quomodo modestiam judicium existimationem authoritatem Lutheri defendere queant Sunt enim in iis non dico multa sed plurima quae piae castigataeque aures non solùm in conviviis Theologorum sedetiam in lndis atque theatris Comicorum non ferrent c. Concerning his works he thus writes Above all things I request the pious Reader and beseech him for our Lord Christ Jesus sake that he read my Books with judgement yea with much pitty and let him remember that I was sometime a Fryar and a mad Papist and when I first undertook this cause so drunken and drowned in Popish Doctrines that I was ready if I could to have killed all men or to have assisted others in doing of it who withdrew their obedience from the Pope but in one syllable Such a Saul was I as there are many at this day neither was I so cold and frigid in defending the Pope as Eccius and some like him are who seem to me to defend the Papacy rather for their bellies sake then in good earnest Yea like Epicures they seem to me to deride the Pope whereas I was serious in his cause as one that trembled at the thoughts of the day of Judgement and from my very heart desired to be saved He would by no means endure that any should be called after his name For saith he the Doctrine which I teach is none of mine neither did I dye for any man neither would Paul 1 Cor. 3. 4 c. endure such terms Besides we are all Christians and profess the Doctrine of Christ And lastly because the Papists use to do so calling themselves Pontificians whom we ought not to imitate Melancthon gave this testimony of him Pomeran saith he is a Grammarâ—an and explains the force of the words I am a Logician shewing the context and arguments of things Justus Jonas is an Orator and speaks copiously and eloquently but Luther is all even a miracle amongst men whatsoever he saith whatsoveer he writes peirceth into the soul and leaveth wonderful stings in the hearts of men Many Epitaphs were made of him amongst which these were some Roma orbem domuit Romam sibi Papa subegit Viribus illasuis fraudibus istâ— sâ—is Quantò isto major Lutherus major illâ Istum illamque uno qui domâ—it calamo I nunc Alciden memorato Graecia mendax Lutheri ad calamum ferrea clava nihil Theod. Beza Lutherus decimum confecit strage Leonem De clava noli quaerere penna fuit Jo. Major He used often to say That through Gods goodness there should be no Wars in Germany in his life time but saith he let the survivors look to it after my death Concerning the Doctrine of the Gospel he used to say that three things would destroy Christian Religion First Forgetfulness of the blessings received by the Gospel Secondly Security which reigns everywhere Lastly Worldly wisdom which will seek to bring all things into order and to support the publick peace by wicked Counsels He was of a sharp and quick wit Of a great and invincible minde Constant in the known Truth from the Confession whereof he could not be withdrawn either by threats or promises Many false reports were raised of him by the Papists insomuch as King Ferdinands Ambassador went to see what a manner of man he was telling him that it was reported in his Kings Court that he never went abroad but armed and attended with his guard that he spent all his time with Whores at Dice and Taverns But saith he I am well accustomed to such lyes He had a very sharp and Satyrical stile so that Eralmus used to say Deus dedit hâ—ic postremae aetati propter morborum magnitudinem acrem medicum God hath given to this latter Age by reason of the greatness of its diseases a sharp Physitian And Charles the Emperour used to say Si sacrificuli frugi essent nullo indigerent Luthero If Priests were not so dissolute they would not need a Luther When this Emperour had taken Wittenberg some of his Spanish souldiers would have digged up Luthers body and burned it but he said to them Sinite ipsum quiescere usque ad diem resurrectionis judicii omnium Let him rest till the day of Resurrection and of the Judgement of all things HVLRI ZVINGLIVS The Life of Zuinglius who dyed Anno Christi 1531. HVldericus Zuinglius was born in Switzerland of godly Parents and by them brought up in Learning Being about ten years old was sent to School to Basil to George Bintzlius where he profited so much that in all Disputations he went away with the victory He excelled all in Musick From Basil he was sent to Bern to Henry Lupulus a most learned man and an excellent Poet under whom he learned Rhetorick and became a good Poet. After two years he went to Vienna in Austria where he studyed Philosophy and proâ—itted much therein After a while he was called back into his own Country and at Basil he taught others what himself had learned where also he commenced Master of Arts and fell to the study of School-Divinity and being called to a Pastoral charge he entred into the Ministry and studied Divinity very hard and to furnish himself with examples he gat Valerius Maximus by heart He especially addicted himself to the study of the Bible and
Haec omnia vir magnae doctrinae pietatis laboris in ipso quasi aetatis vigore hinc discedens nobis reliquit The Life of John Frith who dyed Anno Christi 1531. IOhn Frith was born at Westram in Kent and had from his childehood a marvellous love to Learning a wonderful promptness of Wit and was of a ready Capacity to receive and understand any thing neither was there any diligence wanting in him equal to that worthy disposition that God had given him He was first a Student in Cambridge where he profited exceedingly in the knowledge both of the Arts and Tongues where it pleased God he fell into acquaintance with William Tindal through whose Instructions he first received into his heart the seed of the Gospel and sincere godliness About the same time Cardinal Wolsie undertaking to build a stately College in Oxford sought out the most learned men to be Fellows in the same and amongst others John Frith though but Batchelor of Arts was appointed for one But when divers of them were persecuted for Religion and accused of Heresie he together with some others who were chosen with him out of Cambridge was committed to Prison in a dark Cave where salt fish was then kept the savor whereof infected them all so that some of them dyed but Mr. Frith by Gods Providence escaped the danger in the same year wherein Queen Elizabeth was born having been dismissed out of his former Prison by means of Cardinal Wolsies Letter whereupon he went beyond Sea to avoid the storm But after two years he came back and having some business in Reading he was there taken for a Vagabond and set in the stocks where they suffered him to sit till he was almost pined with hunger At last he desired to speak with the Schoolmaster of the Town who when he came to him Frith in Latine bewailed his captivity The Schoolmaster being overcome with his Eloquence began exceedingly to affect and pity him the rather when he spake in Greek to him also and repeated divers verses out of Homâ—r upon this the Schoolmaster repaired speedily to the Magistrates and procured his enlargement yet neither then was he in safety for Sir Thomas Moor the then Lord Chancellor persecuted him both by Land and Sea promising great rewards to those that could bring any news of him Frith to avoid this storm changed place and apparrel often yet at last he was betrayed by one William Holt a Taylor who Judas-like pretended great friendship to him aud so was sent to the Tower where he had many conflicts with the Bishops but especially in writing with Sir Thomas Moor and in his Disputations he used such strength of Reason and evidence of Scripture that Doctor Canner Archbishop of Canterbury never gave more credit to any Author then to John Frith and at Friths candle he lighted his lamp also he converted Rastal to his part who was Moors son in law During his Imprisonment in the Tower it happened that Doctor Curreine Chaplain in Ordinary to King Henry the Eight preached a Sermon in Kent before his Majesty wherein he inveighed bitterly against the Sacramentaries as they then were called which denyed the Real Presence And he proceeded so far herein as that he said It 's no marvel though this abominable Heresie doth so much prevail amongst us seeing there is now one in the Tower which is so bold as to write in the defence of it and yet no man goeth about his reformation c. This Doctor was set on work by Gardiner Bishop of Winchester on purpose to procure the destruction of Mr. Frith They also suggested to the King that he was kept in the Tower rather for his safeguard then for his punishment by súch as favoured him as by the Lord Cromwel and others Hereupon the King called to him the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lord Cromwel willing them forthwith to call Frith to Examination that so he might either be compelled to recant or to suffer condign punishment But when as they delayed time the King took it so hainously that he sent a Commission to the Archbishop to Stokesly Bishop of London and some others without further delay to proceed to Examination of him and that there should be no concourse of Citizens at the said Examination the Archbishop removed to Croydon whither Stokesly and the rest of the Commissioners resorted But before the day for his Examination came the Archbishop send one of his Gentlemen and one of his Porters to fetch Frith from the Tower to Croydon This Gentleman had the Archbishops Letter and the Kings Ring to the Lord Fitz-Williams Constable of the Tower for the delivery of the Prisoner The Lord Fitz-Williams lodging then at Westminster understanding for what end they were come fel a cursing and banning Frith and all other Hereticks saying Take your Heretick with you I am glad that I am rid of him Frith being delivered to these two men as they went in a Wherry towards Lambeth the Gentleman being very sorry for his condition said to him Consider the state wherein you are a man altogether cast away in this World if you do not the more wisely behave your self But though your case be very dangerous yet may you help your self by giving way for a time and somewhat relenting of your opinion which hereafter when occasion and opportunity shall serve you may promote again You have many friends which will stand for you so far as they are able and dare do It 's great pitty that one which hath such singulâ—r knowledge in Greek and Latine and is so ready and ripe in all â—inde of Learning as well in the Scriptures as in the Antient Fathers should now suddenly suffer all those excellent gifts to perish with little profit to the World and less comfort to your Wife Children and Kindred And as for your opinion about the Sacrament it 's so unseasonably vented at this time in England that it 's like to do more hurt then good therefore be ruled by good counsel till a â—itter opportunity may serve This I am sure of that my Lord Cromwel and my Lord of Canterbury much favour you knowing you to be an eloquent and learned youngman young in years but old in knowledge and likely to be a profitable Instrument of much good in this Realm and therefore they will never suffer you to sustain any open shame if you will be advised by their counsel But if you stand stiffe in your opinion it 's not possible for them to save your life for as you have good friends so you have mortal foes I most heartily thank you Sir said Mr. Frith for your good will and counsel whereby I see your love to me yet my Cause and Conscience is such that in no wise I either may or can for any worldly respect without danger of damnation start aside and fly from the Truth
This Embassie of yours is just like to the Devils dealing with Christ when he promised him al the World if he would fal down and worship him but for my own part I am resolved not to depart from the Truth which God hath revealed unto me but before the return of the Ambassadour Duke George was dead whereupon this Henry notwithstanding all the opposition of the Papists made this Reformation in the Churches which work being finished Myconius visited all the Churches in Thuringia and with the help of Melancthon and some other he provided them Pastors and Schoolmasters and procured stipends to be setled upon them for their maintenance The rest of his life he spent in Preaching Praying and writing of Letters many great persons in Universities and the chief Churches holding correspondence with him amongst whom were Luther Melancthon Cruciger Menius Basilius Monerus John Langus Mechlerus John Marcellus Matthew Ratzenbergerus c. Anno Christi 1541. He fell into a Consumption whereof he wrote to Luther That he was sick not to death but to life which gloss upon the Text pleased Luther excellently well unto whom he wrote back I pray Christ our Lord our Salvation our Health c. that I may not live to see thee and some others of our Colleagues to dye and go to Heaven and to leave me hear amongst the Devils alone I pray God that I may first lay down this dry exhausted and unprofitable tabernacle farewel and God forbid that I should hear of thy death whil'st I live Sed te superstitem faciat mihi Deus hoc peto volo fiat voluntas mea Amen quia haec voluntas gloriam nominis Dei certè non meam voluptatem nec copiam quaerit A while after Myconius recovered according to this Prayer though his disease seemed to be desperate and out-lived it fix years even till after Luthers death whereupon Justus Jonas speaking of Luther saith of him Iste vir potuit quodvoluit That man could have of God what he pleased A little before Myconius his death he wrote an excellent Epistle to Joan. Frederick Elector of Saxony wherein he praiseth God for raising up three successively in that Family viz. Frederick John and John Frederick to undertake the patronage of Luther c. He was a man of singular piety of solid learning of a dextrous judgement of a burning zeal and of admirable candor and gravity He dyed of a relapse into his former disease Anno Christi 1546. and of his Age 55. His Works were these Expositio in Evan. Marci Enarrationes in Psalmum 101. Expositiones in Evan. secundum Matthaeum Lucam Johannem Commentaria in Jesaiam Jeremiam Jonam Narratio de vita morte Zuinglii Sermo de liberis recte educandis De crapula ebrietate De faenore usura c. Iohn Stigetias made this Epitaph upon him Quo duce Gotha tibi monstrata est Gratia Christi Haec pia Mâ—conii contegit ossa lapis Doctrina vitae tibi moribus ille reliquit Exemplum Hoc ingens Gotha tuere decus The Life of John Diazius who dyed Anno Christi 1546. IOhn Diazius was born in Spain and brought up at School afterwards he went to Parâ— to study the Arts where he continued thirteen years but it pleased God that whilst he read over the holy Scriptures and some of Luthers Books and other Protestant Divines he began to see and abominate the Errors of Popery and therefore to further himself in the knowledge and study of the Truth he went to Geneva where he spake with Calvin and was very dear unto him From thence he went to trasborough where Martia Buâ—er observing his Learning Piety and diligence in his study obtained of the Senate that he should be joined with him to go to the Disputation at Ratisbone and when he came thither he went to Peter Malvenda a Spaniard the Popes Agent in Germany who when he knew that he came in the company of Bucâ—r and the other Protestant Divines he was much astonished and admired how he was so much changed from that which he knew him to be at Paris and withall he fretted exceedingly that they had gotten a Spaniard amongst them presuming that they would triumph more in him then in many Germanes whereupon he left no means untryed to draw him back again to the Church of Rome sometimes making large profers and promises to him other-sometimes threatning severe punishments and mixing both with earnest entreaties He also advised him by no means to stay at Ratisbon till the Emperours coming for saith he that cannot be without great danger to you rather haste to his Court and beg your pardon Also at another conference Malvenda asked him wherefore he was to Ratisbone Diazius answered that he was sent thither by the Senate of Strasborough that he might join his Prayers with the Prayers of the Church and in the publick conference might endeavor reconcilement as much as he could in those Articles which were to be disputed of Then said Malvenda you are come hither in vain for nothing will be concluded at this conference but if you would do good you should rather go to the Council that the Pope hath begun at Trent But when by no means he could prevail to divert him from the Truth he sent for his brother Alphonsus Diazius one of the Popes Lawyers from Rome who hearing that his Brother was turned Protestant came speedily into Germany bringing a notorious cut-throat with him resolving either to divert or destroy him when he came to Ratisbone Diazius was departed to Neoburg about the printing of Bucers Book which Alphonsus hearing of followed him thither carrying with him Letters to Iohn Diazius from Malvenda wherein he wished him to obey his Brother Alphonsus who would give him good Counsel When Alphonsus came to Neoburg his Brother Iohn wondred to see him there asking him the cause of his so unlooked for presence after some other excuses at length he told him that he had undertook that long and dangerous journey to recall him into the bosome of the Church Hereupon they had much conference about matters of Religion and at length Alphonsus told him that he had five hundred Ducats per annum in Church revenues all which he would make over to him if he would go with him to Rome But when by no means he could prevail with him fetching a deep sigh he said Brother I perceive the constancy of your Faith â—nd your unmoveablness in adhering to the Doctrine of the Gospel to be so great that you have almost drawn me unto your opinion Yea upon further discourse he seemed to be in love with the Doctrine of the Gospel and thereupon perswaded Iohn to leave Germany which abounded with learned men and where there was less use of him and to go with him into Italy Rome
Gardiner said to him How happened it that notwithstanding the Queens Proclamation you dared to preach Saunders Seing the perilous time now at hand I did but according to my duty exhort my flock to persevere and stand stedfast in the Doctrine that they had learned I also remembred those words of the Apostle That its better to obey God then man and what I did I was moved thereto by my conscience Gardiner A goodly conscience surely This your conscience could make our Queen a Bastard would it not Saunders We declare no such matter But for that let them care whose writings are yet abroad to testify the same not without the great shame and reproach of the author This he said because Gardiner to curry favor with King Henry the eighth had published a book wherin he had openly declared Queene Mary to be a Bastard And so going forward he said We onely professe and teach the sincerity and purity of Gods Word which albeit it be now forbidden us to publish with our mouths yet I doubt not but it shall be sealed with our blood The Bishop being vexed at this free speech said Carry away this frensie foole to prison To whom he said I thanke God that at last he hath given me a place of rest where I may pray for your conversion Hee continued in prison one year and three months In a letter to his wife he thus writes I am merry and I trust I shall be merry maugre the teeth of all the Divels in hells Riches I have none to endow you with but that treasure of tasting how sweet Christ is to hungry consciences whereof I thanke my Christ I doe feel part that I bequeath unto you and to the rest of my beloved in Christ c. He was so zealous in the defence of the truth that he forbad his wife to sue for his delivery and when other of his friends had by suit almost obtained it he so discouraged them that they ceased from following their suit Being at last brought againe to examination and life being promised if he would recant he answered I love my life and liberty if I could enjoy them without the hurt of my own conscience but by God's grace I will abide the most extretremity that man can do against mee rather then do any thing against my conscience and when Gardiner threatned him with death he said Welcome be it whatsoever the will of the Lord be either life or death and I tell you truly I have learned to dye But I exhort you to beware of shedding innocent blood Truly it will cry aloud against you Being excommunicated degraded and condemned he was sent to Coventry to be burned When he came near the place of execution he went cheerfully to the stake kissing it and saying Welcome the Cross of Christ Welcome everlasting life The fire by his cruell enemies was made of green wood and other smothering matter which would not burne whereby he was put to grievous torments but the grace and plentifull consolation of Christ which never forsakes his servants gave him admirable strength and patience so that in all he stood quietly and at last sweetly slept in the Lord. During his imprisonment he wrote many excellent Letters and after his condemnation in a Letter to his wife and friends he thus writes Oh what worthy thanks can be given to our gracious God for his unmeasurable mercies plentifully 〈◊〉 upon us And I most unworthy wretch cannot but bewail my great ingratitude towards so gracious a God and loving Father I beseech you all as for my other many sins so especially for my sin of unthankfulness crave pardon for me is your earnest prayers To number Gods mercies in particular were to number the drops of water in the Sea the sands on the shâ—re or the stars in Heaven O my dear Wife and Friends rejoyce with me I say rejoyce with thanksgiving for this my present promotion in that I am made worthy to magnifie my God not onely in my life by my slow mouth and uncircumcised lips bearing witness to his truth but also by my blood to seal the same to the glory of my God and confirming of his true Church I profess to you that as yet the comfort of my sweet Christ doth drive from me the fear of death But if my dear Husband Christ doe for my tryall leave me a little to my selfe Alas I know in what case I shall then be but if he doe yet I know that he will not be long nor far absent from me though he stand behind the wall yet he will peep in at a crâ—vise He is a tender-hearted Joseph though he speak roughly to his brethren and threaten bondage to his best beloved Benjamin yet can be not containe himself from weeping upon us and with us with falling on our necks and sweetly kissing us Such such a brother is our Christ unto all his wherefore hasten to goe unto him as Jacob did with his sons and family leaving their Countrey and Acquaintance Yea this our Joseph hath obtained for us that Pharaoh the Infidel shall provide us Chariots whereby with ease we may be carried to him Our very adversaries do help us to our everlasting blisse by their speedy dispatch blessed be our God Fear not bugbears which lye in the way fear rather the everlasting fire c. My dear Wife and fellow Heirs of the everlasting Kingdom always remember the Lord Rejoyce in hope be patient in tribulation continue instant in prayer and pray for us appointed for the slaughter that we may be unto our heavenly Father a fat offering and an acceptable sacrifice c. Farowel all in Christ in hope to be joyned with you in everlasting joy Amen Amen Amen Pray Pray Doctor Pendleton and this Mr Saunders meeting together in the beginning of Queen Maries reign and speaking of the Persecution that was like to ensue about which Master Saunders shewed much weaknes and many fears Pendleton said to him What man there is much more cause for me to fear than for you forasmuch as I have a bigge and fat body yet will I see the utmost drop of this grease of mine molten away and the last gobbet of this flesh of mins consumed to ashes before I will forsake Iesus Christ and his Truth which I have professed Yet not long after upon trial poor feeble saint-hearted Saunders by the power and goodness of God sealed the Truth with his blood whereas proud Pendleton played the Apostate and turned Papist The Life of John Hooper who died Anno Christi 1555. JOhn Hooper was a Student and Graduate in the University of Oxford where having abundantly profited in the study of other Sciences he was stirred up with a fervent desire to the love and knowledge of the Scriptures in which study he joyned earnest prayers to his diligence for the better understanding of the same
David have mercie upon me and receive my soul and wipeing his eies with his hands he said For God's love let me have more fire A third fire being kindled it burn'd more violently yet was he alive a great while in it the last words which he uttered being Lord Jesus have mercy on me Lord Jesus receive my spirit And so he slept in the Lord. In one of his letters he wrote Imprisonment is painfull but libertie upon evill conditions is worse The Prison stink's yet not so much as sweet houses where the fear of God is wanting I must be alone and solitarie it 's better so to be and have God with me then to be in company with the wicked Losse of goods is great but losse of grace and God's favor is greater I cannot tell how to answer before great and learned men Yet it is better to do that then stand naked before God's Tribunal I shall die by the hands of cruâ—ll men he is blessed that loseth his life and fiâ—de's life eteâ—nal There is neither felâ— city nor adversity of this World that is great if it be weighed with the joyes and pâ—ines of the world to come And in the conclusion of the Letter he writes thus I am a precious Jewell now and daintily kept never so daintily before For neither mine owne man nor any of the servants of the house may come to me but my Keeper onely who is a simple rude fellow But I am not troubled thereat In the time of King Edward when he was made Bishop much controversie was betweene him and Doctor Cranmer and Doctor Ridley about the Cappe Rochet c. But when in Queene Maries daies they were all in Prison for the cause of Religion Doctor Ridley wrote thus to him My dear brother forasmuch as I understand by your works which I have but superficially seene that we throughly agree in those things which are the grounds and substantial points of our Religion against which the World so furiously rageth in these daies however formerly in certain by matters and circumstances of Religion your wisdome and my simplicity hath a little jarred each of us following the abundance of his owne sence and judgement Now I say be you assured that even with my whole heart God is my witness in the bowels of Christ I love you in the truth and for the truths sake which abideth in us and shall by the grace of God abide for ever He was above three-quarters of an hour in the fire before he dyed yet even as a Lambe he patiently abode the extremity thereof neither moving forwards backwards or to any side But having his nether parts burned and his bowels faln out he dyed as quietly as a Child in his bed an Christi 1555. The life of Rowland Tailor who died A no. Christi 1555. ROwland Taylor was Doctor of both Laws and Rector of Hadley in Suffolk 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 read over the whole Bible and could say a great part of Paul's Epistles by heart Here this D. Taylor preached constantly on Sabbaths Holy-days and at other times when he could get the people together So soon as he was called to this place he left the family of Doct. Cranmer A. B. of Canterbury with whom he had formerly lived like a good shepherd constantly abode with his flock and gave himself wholly to the study of the Sacred Scriptures most faithfully endeavouring to fulfill the precept of Christ to Peter Lovest thou me feed my sheep His life also and conversation was very exemplary and full of holiness He was meek and humble yet would stoutly rebuke sinne in the greatest He was very mild void of all rancor and malice ready to do good to all mer forgiving his enemies and far from doing the least wrong To the poor 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 own bounty he gave them He brought up his own children in the fear of God good learning And thus he continued as a good Sheepherd amongst his flock feeding governing and leading them through the wilderness of this wicked world all the days of holy King Edward the sixth But in the beginning of Queen Marie's Reigne two Popish persons suborned a Priest to come and say Mass in his Church Hee being at his study and hearing the Bell to toll went to Church and finding this Priest guarded with drawn swords in his Popish Robes ready to begin the Mass he said unto him Thou Divel who made thee so bold to enter into this Church to profane and defile it with this abominable Idolatry I command thee thou Popish-Wolfe in the name of God to avoid hence and not to presume thus to poyson Christ's flock Then said one Foster the ringleader in this business to Doctor Tailor Thou Traitor what dost thou here to let and disturbe the Queens proceedings Doctor Tailor answered I am no Traitor but the Shepherd which God and my Lord Christ hath appointed to feed this his flock and therefore I have good authority to be here Then said Foster Wilt thou Traiterous Heretick make a commotion and resist violently the Queens proceedings Doctor Tailor answered I make no commotion it s you Papists that make commotions and tumults I resist onely with Gods word against your Popish Idolatries which are contrary to the same and tend to the dishonour of the Queen and the utter subversion of this Realme Then did Foster with his armed men carry Doctor Tailor out of the Church and so the Priest went on with his Mass. Doctor Tailors wife who had followed her Husband to the Church when she saw their violent proceedings kneeled down and holding up her hands with a loud voice said I beseech God the righteous Judge to avenge this injury which this Popish Idolater doth this day to the blood of Christ Then did they thrust her out of the Church also and presently after Foster wrote a complaint against Doct. Tailor to Steven Gardiner who sent his Letters Missive for Doctor Tailor whereupon his friends earnestly entreated him to fly telling him that he could neither expect justice nor favor but imprisonment and cruel death To whom he answered I know my cause to be so good and righteous and the truth so strong upon my side that I will by Gods grace appear before them and to their beards resist their false doings for I beleeve that I shal never be able to doe God so good service as now and that I shal never have so glorious a calling nor so great mercy of God profferd me as I have now wherefore pray for mee and I doubt not but God will
was never more knowledge so never lesse godly living It was counted a foolish thing to serve our God truly and fervent prayer was not passed upon Preaching was but a pastime the Communion was counted too common Fasting to subdue the flesh was far out of use Almes were almost nothiâ—g Maâ—ice Covetousness and Uncleanness were common every where with Swearing Drunkenness and Idlenesse and therefore all this evill is come upon us c. Yea I my selfe loved not his Truth as I should therefore God thus punisheth me nay in punishing blesseth mee And I thanke him more for this prison than for any parlour yea than for any pleasure that ever I had for in it I finde God my sweet good God alwaies And in another place Let us repent and be heartily sorry that wee have so carnally so hypocritically so covetously so vain-gloriously professed the Gospel Let the anger and plagues of God most iustly fallen upon us bee applied â—o our 〈◊〉 that from the bottome of our hearts every one of us may say It 's â— lord that have sinned against thee it 's my hypocrisie my vain-glory my covetousnesse uncleanness carnality security idlenesse unthankfulnesse self love c. that hath deserved the taking away our good King â—of thy Word and true Religion of thy good Ministers by exile imprisonment and death It 's my wickednesse that cause hâ—â—ccesse and encrase of authority and peace to thine enemies O be mercifull be mercifull unto us c. NICHOL RIDLEY The Life of Nicolas Ridley who died A no Christi 1555. NIcholas Ridley was borne in Northumberland of worshipfull parents and bred at School in Newcastle and from thence sent to Cambridge where he grew so famous for his learning that after diverse other offices whereunto he was called in the University hee was chosen Master of Pembroke-Hall and made Doctor in Divinity From thence he was called by Arch-Bishop Cranmer to be Vicar of Herne in East-Kent where he was a fruitfull and painful Preacher at which time it pleased God to reveal to him the true doctrine concerning the Lords Supper and amongst others to convert by his Ministry the Lady Phines who proved an eminent instrument of Gods glory After a while he was made a Prebend of the Cathedral Church of Canterbury but not liking his society there he travelled into France and at his returne was made Chaplaine to King Henry the Eighth and Bishop of Rochester and from thence in Edward the sixth dayes he was removed to be Bishop of London In which places hee took so great pains in preaching that he was dearly beloved of his flock to whom also he was singularly exemplary in his life so that his very enemies had nothing to say against him Every Sabbath and holiday he preached in one place or other except extraordinary occasions hindred him and to his Sermons multitudes of people resorted swarming about him like bees to gather the sweet flowers and wholsom juice of his fruitfull doctrine He was passingly well learned and of such reading that he deserved to be numbred amongst the greatest Schollars that these latter ages produced as appeared by his notable works pithie Sermons and sundry disputations in boâ— Universities which drew an acknowledgment of his learning from his very adversaries He was of a strong memory and of great reading of a deep wit very judicious anâ— very mercifull He was of person right comely and well proportioned in all points both in complexion and lineâ—ments of his body He was free from malice and soon forgat all injuries and offences done against him very kinde to his kindred yet withall telling them that if they did evill they should look for nothing from him buâ— should be as strangers to him He used all meanes to mortifie his flesh being much in prayer and contemplation was sober in discourse and sometimes merry at meals after which he used to play at Chess about an hour and then returned to his study till five a clock at night when coming down he had prayers in his family then went to Supper then plaid a game at Chess and so returned to his study till eleven a clock at night His manner was daily to read a Lecture to his Family at prayer-time giving to every one that could read a new Testament and hiring them with mony to learn Chapters by heart being marvellous carefull that his family might give an example of godliness and virtue to others He called Bishop Bonners mother his Mother and when he was at Fulham had her constantly at meals with him setting her at the upper-end of the Table who ever was present And as he was godly himself so nothing appeared in his family but vertue and godliness He was first converted by reading Bertrams Book of the Sacrament and much confirmed by conference with D. Cranmer Peter martyr In the beginning of Q. Marie's days he was imprisoned with the first first in the Tower and from thence he was sent to Oxford with Cranmer and Latimer and there kept in the common Goal till at length being severed from his brethren he was committed to the custodie of one Irish with whom he remained till the day of his death which was Octob. 16. an Christi 1555. Writing to Latimer in prison he saith I pray you good father let me have something more from you to comfort my stomach for except the Lord assist me in his service I shall pâ—ay but the part of a white-liver'd Knight but he can make a coward in his cause to fight like a man In a Leter to M. Bradford he saith As far as London is from Oxford yet thence we have received both meat mony and shirts not onely from our acquaintance but from some strangers also I know for whole sake they doe it c. And again Ever since I heard of our dear brother Rogers his stout confession and departing blessed be God for it I never felt any â—â—mpish heavines in my heart as sometimes I did before And again Sir Blessed be God notwithstanding our hard restraint and the evil reports raised of us we are mâ—rry in God and all our care is and shall be by Gods grace to please and serve him from whom wâ— expect after these temporary and moment any miseries to have eterâ—al â—oy and perpetual felicity with Abraham Isaac and Jacob c. As yet never a learned man scholer or other hath visited us since our coming to Bocardo which now may be called the Colledge of Quondâ—ms for we be no fewer then three and I dare say every one well contented with his portion which is our heavenly fathers good and gracious gift Farewell We shall by the grace of God one day meet and be merry together which day assuredly approacheth the Lord grant it may shortly come Writing to Master Grindal who was now in exile he thus gives him an account of his
where he learned without book almost all Pauls Epistles and the Epistles of James Peter John and Jude concerning which himself said Though in time I did forget much of them againe yet the sweet smel thereof I trust I shall carry with me into heaven and the profit thereof I have felt in all my life time hitherto HVGH LATIMER The Life of Hugh Latimer who dyed A no Christi 1555. HUgh Latimer born at Thirkesson in the County of Leicester being of a prompt and sharp wit was by his parents brought up in learning and at the age of fourteene he went to Cambridge where after he had profited in other studies he gave himself to the study of School-Divinity Commenced Batchelor in Divinity and was a very zealous Papist made an Oration against Philip Melancthon Railed against Master Stafford Divinity-Lecturer and willed the Scholars in no wise to believe him He was so zealous in his Popish Religion and therewith so scrupilous that being a Priest and using to say Mass he was so servile an observer of the Romish Decrees that he thought he had never sufficiently mixed his Massing-wine with water and that he should never be damned if once he were a professed Frier He used to carry the Crosse before the Procession Master Thomas Bilney seeing Mr. Latimer to have a zeal in his wayes although without knowledge was stricken with a brotherly pitty towards him thinking by what meanes he might best win this ignorantly zealous brother to the true knowledge of Christ And thereupon going to his study he desired him to hear him make a Confession of his Faith which Latimer consenting to was so touched thereby that he gave over School Divinity and studied more Orthodox Divines So that whereas before he was an enemy and almost a persecutor of Christ he was now a zealous seeker after him changing his old manner of cavilling and railing into diligent conferring with Mr. Bilney and others And asked Mr. Stafford forgivenesse before he died Being thus wonne to Christ he was not satisfied with his own conversion but pittying the misery of others he became a powerfull publick Preacher and an instructor of many in private also whereupon the Devill raised up many Doctors and Fryers against him and the Bishop of Ely forbade him to preach Anno Christi 1529 yet he continued three years preaching with much applause yea the Bishop himself hearing him upon a time commended him and wished that he had the like gifts himself He used often to visit the Prisoners to relieve the needy and feed the hungry Amongst the Adversaries which the Devill raised against him one was Doctor â—edman who wrote to him to divert him from the Truth To which he madâ— this short answer Reverend Mr. Redman It 's enough for me that Christs shâ—ep hear no mans voice but Christs and as for you you have no voice of Christ against me whereas for my part I have an heart ready to hearken to any voice of Christ that you can produce Thus fare you well and trouble me no more from talking with the Lord my God But shortly after complaint was made against him to the Cardinal who sent for him but by the meanes of Dr. buts the Kings Physitian a favourer of good men he was chosen into the number of those which laboured in the cause of the Kings Supremacy whereupon he went to the Court and lodged in Doctor Buts his chamber preaching many times in London At last being weary of the Court by the Lord Cromwel's means he had a living given him in Wiltshire whither he presently removed The place was called West-Kingstone near Sarum where with much diligence he instructed his flock and preached zealously many times abroad in the Country Whereupon some Popish Priests drew up Articles against him and he was much molested by the Bishop of London and Warham Archbishâ—p of Canterburie by whom he was cited to appear before him and the Bishop of London These malicious persons detained him for a long space from his cure at home calling him three times every week before them which much troubled him seeing they would neither preach themselves nor suffer him to doe his duty Hereupon hee wrote to the Archbishop expostulating with him for so detaining him from his charge and that for no just cause but onely for preaching the truth against sundry abuses which were crept into the Church Yet this nothing prevailed till the King rescued him out of their hands and at the request of the Lord Cromwell made him Bishop of Worcester In which place he busily employed himself in instructing his flock and giving them a good example by his holy life He spent all his time in study teaching preaching exhorting visiting correcting and reforming to the utmost of his power and as the times could bear and though he could not utterly extinguish the reliques of Popery yet he so wrought that they should be used with as little hurt and with as much profit as might be Yet neither there was he quiet for one of great place accused him to the King for preaching Sedition but the King rested satisfi'd with his answer At New-years-tide the Bishops us'd to present the King with a New-years gift and Bishop Latimer amongst the rest presented him with the New Testament wrapped up in a Napkin with this Posie about it Fornicatores adulteros judicabit Dominus Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge But the six Articles coming out and he seeing that he could not retain his Office with a good conscience of his own accord he resigned his Bishoprick And when he put off his Rochet in his chamber amongst his friends he gave a skip in the floor for joy feeling his shoulders lighter and being as he said discharged of so heavy a burthen This was Anno Christi 1539 after which he betooke himself again to his mean Parsonage at West-Kingston in VViltshire not farre from Bristow Yet by the malice of certain Popish Priests who slandered his Doctrine he was much endangered whereupon he had recourse to Mr. Ralph Morrice who was Doctor Cranmers right hand by whose intreatie the Archbishop so prevailed with the King for him that for the present he was freed out of his troubles yet neither then would the Bishops suffer him to be quiet till he was layd up in the Tower where he remained till Edward the sixth's Reign At which time being restored to his liberty he continued a faithfull and painfull preacher all that Kings dayes preaching twice every Sabbath though 67 yeares of age He rose to his Study Winter and Summer at two a clock in the morning He evidently fore-saw and fore-told aâ—l those plagues which England afterwards felt under Queen Mary and fore-told concerning himself that his preaching of the Gospel would cost him his life and that Winchester was
prudent diligence of Mr. Calvin was quickly extinguished which was this There was the Bishop of Carpentoratum called James Sadolet a man of great eloquence which yet he abused to the subversion of the Truth for which cause he was made a Cardinall This man seeing the flock deprived of such able and vigilant shepherds thought it a fit time to ensnare them for which end he wrote Letters under the pretence of his neighbourhood directed to his dear friends as he called them the Senate Councell and people of Geneva in which he omitted no arguments whereby he might perswade them to return into the bosome of the Romish Church And at this time there was no man in Geneva that would undertake to answer the same so that probably they would have done much mischief but that they were written in a forraign language But wheâ— Mr. Calvin at Strasborough had read them forgetting all the wrongs which had been done him he returned an answer so speedily truly and eloquently that the Cardinall despairing of accomplishing his end wholly gave over his design Neither indeed did Mr. Calvin deferre till this time the manifesting of his Pastorall bowels which he yet retained to the Genevians especially to those that suffered with him in the same cause as may appeare by those excellent Epistles which he wrote to them the same year wherin he was banished Wherein his principall scope was to exhort them to repentance to bear with the wicked to maintain peace with their Pastors and to bee frequent in calling upon God as also to stirre them up to expect light after those deadly mists of darknesse which he told them would follow as also the event ere long made to appear About the same time also hee published his Institutions much enlarged and his Commentarie upon the Romans dedicated to Simon Grynaeus his dear friend and that golden book of his concerning the Lords Supper which he made for the use of his French Church which Galasius afterwards turned in Latin In which he handled the Doctrine of the Sacrament so dextrously and learnedly that it served to determine the unhappy controversies about it to the satisfaction of all good and learned men Neither was his happinesse lesse in reclaiming many Anabaptists from their errors amongst whom were these two principall men Paul Volsius who afterwards was a Pastor in the Church of Strasborough the other was John Storder who afterwards dying of the Plagne Mr Calvin by the advice of Bucer married his Widdow called Idellita a very grave and honest Matron In these studies and labours did Mr. Calvin continue at Strasborough to the year 1541. In the which year the Emperour Charles the fifth assembled two Diets the one at Worms the other at Ratisbone for compounding the differences about Religion At both which by the desire of the Divines of Strasborough Mr. Calvin was present o the great advantage of the Churches especially of his own French Congregation and where he was most lovingly entertained and highly prised by Philip Melancthon and Gasper Cruciger so that Philip called him His Divine Hee also had much private conference with them about the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and they could not but very well appove of his opinion therein But now the time was come wherein the Lord purposed to shew mercy to his poor Church at Geneva For one of the Syndics who had promoted the Decree for their banishment did so misdemeane himself in his Office that being found guilty of sedition whilst he thought to escape out at a window being a fat man he fell down so bruised himself that within a few daies after he died Another of them had his head cut off for a Murther the other two having done the Commonwealth much disservice in an Ambassy wherein they were employed were faign to fly their Country and were condemned in their absence These evill instruments being thus removed the City of Geneva beganne to call for their Farell and Calvin but when by no means they could recover Farell from Neocom where he was now setled they used all their endeavours to procure Calvin and for that end they sent Ambassadors to Strasborough using also the intercession of those of Zurick to request that Mr. Calvin might be sent back to them The Senate of Strasborough were exceeding unwilling to hearken to it Calvin himself although he had not changed his mind towards the Genevians for the miscarriages of some wicked men yet abhorring to enter into new troubles but especially because he found the Lord blessing his Ministery at Strastborough did absolutely refuse to return Besides Bucer and the other Pastors did professe their great unwillingnesse to to part with him But the Genevians still pressing hard for him Bucer at last thought that their requests should be condescended to at least for a time which yet was not granted by Mr. Calvin himself til they had urged him with the judgment of God in case he refused and with the example of Johah But this falling out just at the time when Calvin with Bucer was going to visit the Diet at Ratisbone his return was delayed for a time and in the mean time the Genevians obtained of the Bernates that Peter Viret should go from Lausanna to Geneva and indeed this made Mr. Calvin farre more willing to return to Geneva when he saw that he was to have such a Colleague by whose labours and counsels he might be much furthered in reforming that Church So after some moneths Mr. Calvin went to Geneva Sept. 13 Anno Christi 1541 being singularly welcomed by the people and especially by the Senate who acknowledged the wonderfull mercy and goodnesse of God towards them in restoring him to them again And whereas the Senate of Strasborough had decreed that after a time he should returne to them againe they of Geneva would never give over till they had reversed that Decree which at last was yeelded to by them of Strasborough yet with this Proviso that that pension which they had setled upon him should still be continued to him but Mr. Calvin could never be perswaded to receive it caring for nothing lesse then for riches Mr. Calvin being thus restored to his Church and perceiving that the City needed such bridles he professed that he could not comfortably exercise his Ministry amongst them except together with the Doctrine of the Gospel they would embrace the Presbyterian Government for the well regulating of the Church Hereupon Elders were chosen a Model of the Presbyterial Government was drawn up consonant to the Word of God and gratefull to the Citizens which the Devill afterwards sought by all his artifices to destroy but all in vaine Hee wrote also a Catechism in French and Latine not much different from the former but much larger divided into Questions and Answers which indeed was an admirable peece and found such approbation and entertainment abroad that it was turned
which was not laid aside notwithstanding that judgement of God amongst them Good men assented to this which Master Calvin spake but some there were of the great men of the City which hindred the reformation hereof till at last they ruined themselves thereby And to all these evils this was added to compleat them that now though very unseasonable the controversie about the priviledges of the City sprang up neither could the faithfull Pastors be suffered to dispose of the Ecclesiasticall goods taken from the Pontificians as they ought to be About this business were many clamours many complaints and much pains taken by writing and conference but they proved all in vain whereupon Master Calvin did publickly profess that he could not endure so many sacriledges which he knew would at the length be severely punished by God yet withall he acknowledged the justice of God in that the goods which were formerly so unjustly gotten by the Masâ—-Priests God would not suffer them to be brought into the Churches Treasury Master Calvin yet met with two more things which did afflict him this year A wicked fellow was returned to Geneva his own Country who for a time had lived as an Hermite in France This man pretending to the reformed Religion Master Calvin who was very acute in prying into mens minds and manners taking notice of him admonished him first gently and afterwards more freely and at last reproved him for carrying himselfe more proudly in the Congregation then beseemed him The man not bearing this easily found out such as had been reproved for their wickedness by Master Calvin by whose favour and help he might be assisted so that a Pastor being to bee chosen in the room of one that was dead this man by the help of his companions sought the place and so far prevailed that the Senate commanded that in the Election regard should be had of him Master Calvin with his Colleagues opposed it shewing how far this his seeking to intrude himself was dissonant from the word of God and at length obtained of the Senate that they should proceed in their Election according to the Ecclesiasticall constitutions so merly agreed on At this same time also there were many in France who being falne at first through sear of persecution began at last to please themselves with this conceit that it was no sin to be present with their bodies at the Popish services so they kept the true Religion in their hearts This pernicious error was long since condemned by the Fathers Against these Master Calvin wrote and confuted that error and because these persons thought him too rigid he adjoyned to his own the opinions of these learned and godly Divines Philip Melancthon Bucer Peter Martyr and the Church of Zurick so that the name of these Nicodemites stark amongst all good men for so were they called who cloaked their errors with his example The next year being 1546. proved nothing milder then the former For frequent intelligence came of the preparations of the Emperor and the Popes frauds against the Protestants Wherefore Mr. Calvin judged it necessary to confirm the mindes of the Citizens against the terrour of these reports especially considering the impudency of many wicked men who were so farre from being curbed by all the bridles of Ecclesiasticall Discipline that on the contrary they raged the more and sought to break them all in sunder These men having gotten one Amedius Perrinus a vain bold and ambitious man for their Captaine for indeed he had long before procured to be chosen the Captaine General by the Suffrages of the people This man supposing as the truth was that neither he nor such like himselfe could stand whilst the Ecclesiasticall Laws were in force and especially whilst Mr. Calvin did so thunder against their lasciviousnesse beganne now to discover what he and his associates had been long contriving which being taken notice of and speedily prevented by the authority of the Senate hee indeed held his peace but the contrived wickednesse presently brake out more openly For shortly after one of the Senators in a publick assembly of the people blamed Calvin as one that taught false Doctrine subâ—â—ned as was supposed hereunto privately by two of the Colledge of Pastors both of them being Drunkards and therefore no whit lesse fearing the severity of the Laws then the others forementioned But Mr. Calvin made little account of this barking Yet this man that thus accused him was called before the Senate and his cause being heard was condemned for slander and those two drunken Ministers which had set him on were removed out of their places being forbidden going into Taverns Whereby we see that the wickedness of the wicked returns upon his own pate The troubles of this year being thus ended the next year which was 1547 proved far world indeed that Age saw not a more calamitous time then that was The Churches of Germany seeming utterly subverted the Protest in Princes taken and Cities yeelding up themselves after so grâ—at labour used and so great difficulties passed through in planting the Gospel amongst them with what great grief the godly soul of Mr. Calvin was afflicted for the desolations of the Churches is not easie to express especially if we consider that great affection which he bore to them though farre remote from him which indeed was no other then if he had bore them all upon his shoulders And indeed he was wonderfully grieved when he heard of those holy men his worthy friends Philip Melancthon Bucer Peter Martyr c. in so great danger that they seemed nearer death than life But yet that Mr. Calvin bore up with a valiant mind in this tempest appeares both by his writings and by his carriage for being much vexed at home by sundry wicked men yet would he not start at all from his fixed course To speak somewhat of his domestick troubles Mr. Calvin wholly imploying himself to shew that the life of Christianity did not so much consist in vain speculation as in practise he necessarily met with those enemies which did not onely oppose all piety and honesty but threatened warre to their own country The chief of these was that Perrinus before mentioned who with his companions had brought themselves into this condition that they must needs use extremity for which end they appealed from the Presbytery to the Senate The Presbytery on the contrary pleaded their Ecclesiastical Constitutions agreeable to the Word of God and setled by Authority and therefore they desired the Senate that their priviledges might not be infringed The Senate concluded that the Ecclesiastical Laws being established ought not to be violated But when this audacious fellow would not otherwise be ruled the Senate decreed that he should be deposed from his Oaptainship and live a private life Though all these things were transacted before the Senate yet was Mr. Calvin wonderfully afflicted by them
what profit came to the people thereby Another decree for the abolishing of Christmas-day and that no holy day should be observed but the Sabbath onely which did so offend some loose persons that they bruited abroad that Master Calvin had abolished the Sabbaths to bring the greater odium upon him This offence taken by some occasionâ—â— Calvin to write his book of Scandals dedicated to Laurenâ—â— Normendius his intimate friend Anno Christi 1551. great contentions brake out in the Church and this year was begun with the death of Bucer to the great grief of the whole Church and of Master Calvin especially who alwayes highly prised him About the same time dyed Joachim Vadian a Senator of Geneva a man endowed with singular learning and piety Whereupon the wickedness of the factious persons brake forth again which had slept a great while These men would by no means suffer the exiles which fled thither for Religion to injoy the priviledges of the City and not content therewith Mast. Calvin having been forth to Preach beyond the Rhodanus as he came home they entertained him with scorns and one Raimund his Colleague having occasion one evening to pass the bridge over the Rhodanus they had almost cast him into the River and lastly they raised a great tumult in the Church of Saint Gervase because a child being brought to be baptized the Minister refused to give him the name of Balthazar which name had beenf or some reason forbidden by their Law Neither could Master Calvin tel how to cure these evils but by his invincible patience About the same time another mischief invaded the Church of Geneva which was occasioned by one Jerome Bolsec a Frier Carmelite of Paris who had indeed laid aside his Coul but not his Monkish mind This man first fled to the Dutchess of Ferrara whom he deceived till being found out he was driven from thence Then pretending to be a Physician he came to Geneva but the learned Physicians there rejecting him that he might manifest himselfe a Divine he vented some false and absurd opinions about Predestination first in private and then in the publick Congregation Him therefore did Master Calvin confute first with a moderate reproof only then sending for him to him he laboured to instruct him better but he either puffed up with his Monkish pride or provoked by the seditious persons seeking by him to provoke Master Calvin took the boldness upon the sixteenth of October to preach upon this Text He that is of God heareth the words of God and they which hear them not are not of God whence he took occasion to preach up Freewill and that Predestination was out of works foreseen withall reproaching the true doctrine and shewing himself seditiously proud and he became the more bold because seeing Master Calvins seat empty he judged him to be absent But indeed Master Calvin coming late sate behind some others and when the Frier had done Master Calvin suddenly standing up though he had thought of no such thing before then truly if at any time he shewed what a man he was confuting the Frier with so many testimonies of Scripture with so many places out of Saint Augustine and lastly with so many weighty arguments that all were ashamed of what he had taught but only the impudent fellow himself Insomuch that one of the Magistrates of the City apprehended him and committed him to prison for a seditious person and after hearing and examining his cause the judgement of the Senat of the Helvetian Churches being also requested upon the 23th day of Decemb. he was publickly condemned for sedition and Pelagianisme and banished the City being rhreatned with severe punishment if he were afterwards found either in the City or territories belonging to it After this going into a neighbour Town he was the cause of many and great stirs there till he was twice expelled the Country of the Bernates From thence going into France he sought to get into the Ministry in the Reformed Churches which he found in a peaceable condition first in Paris then in Orleans pretending great penetency for his former miscarriages and of his own accord seeking reconciliation with the Church at Geneva But presently after when he saw the Churches under affliction he fell back to his Popery loading the reformed Churches with many reproaches At the same time the Colledge of Ministers at Geneva in a publick meeting asserted the true Doctrine of Predestination which Calvin put into writing So that all the Divel gat by these contentions was that that head of Christian Religion which before which was very obscure was now very clearly opened to the understanding of all that were not contentious The year following which was 1551. it further appeared what a flame this wicked Varlet had kindled though condemned by the common judgement of so many Chuâ—ches For the difficulty of the question having not been sufficiently explicated by the Ancients did stir up especially curious wits to make inquiry into the same By which means the factious persons supposing that they had gotten an excellent advantage against Master Calvin thought that by removing him they might subvert all things So that it cannot be imagined what stirs arose not onely in the City but also in other places as if the Divell had set all his engines on work to raise contentions For though there was a sweet agreement amongst the chief Pastors of the Churches yet there were not some wanting in the Country of the Bernates which accused Calvin as if he had made God the Author of sin Being forgetful how far he had professedly opposed that cursed Tenet when he had confuted the Libertines At Basil Castalio a good and simple man though he did all things closely yet it was discerned that he defended Pelagianisme and Melancâ—â—hon had so bâ—gun to write of these things that though he had formerly subscribed Calvins book against Pighius yet he seemed to brand the Genevians as if thâ—y held the Fate of the Stoicks The Pontificians also though they had been a thousand times confuted yet renewed their old slanders These things did much trouble Master Calvins mind and so much the rather because the efficacy of error was so great at this time that thâ— mouth of truth in some places seemed to be stopt by publick Authority Neither was this a controversie of a few years This same year that good Hermite whom we mentioned before appeared publickly to dispute with Calvin who had suffered a repulse when some years before he had sought tâ— creep into the ministry whereupon he turned Lawyer and the Patron of the factious persons Their cause came to be heard before the Senate with a great contention on both sides the first fighting with impudâ—ncy and the favour of the wicked but M Calvin defending his Doctrine only with the authority of truth And the truth prevailed M. Calvins writings being judged pious and
but an honest young man of the Citizens advised Perinus that Mr. Farell the common Father of the City might be no way wronged joyning also with himself another honest young man they gave notice to the well-affected Citizens that they should stand by Mr. Farell at the day of hearing which also they did so that his adversaries being astonished and deterred hereat of their own accord craved pardon and Mr. Farell was dismissed About this time a grievous calamity befell the Church of England by the immature death of that godly Prince King Edward the sixth which was a grievous wound to all the Reformed Churches Yet at this same time Mr. Calvin wrote his learn-Commentaries upon the Gospel of St. John Geneva as we heard before having inflicted deserved punishment upon Servetus not as upon a Sectary but as upon a monster for his horrible impieties and blasphemies by which for thirty years space he had infected the Christian world both by his teaching and writings It cannot be imagined how this stirred up the rage of Sathan such a flame arising from hence as set Poland first then Transsylvania and Hungary all on a fire which himself seemed to foretell by the spirit of Sathan when in the beginning of his book he set this sentence out of the Revelation There was a great battle in heaven Michael and his Angels fighting with the Dragon For his ashes being scarce cold a great controversie sprung up about the punishing of Hereticks Some holding that they ought to be restrained but not to be punished with death Others thinking that it could not be clearly stated out of Gods word what was Heresie thereupon said that it was lawfull to hold either part in all the Heads of Religion and that all men though holding a wrong opinion were to be left to the judgement of God This latter opinion some good men inclined to fearing that the contrary Tenet might kindle the cruelty of Tyrants against the godly The principall of these were Sebastian Castalio and Laelius Socinus therein pleading their own cause The former indeed more closely and the latter more openly as one that studyed to vindicate the clear authority of the Scripture in a certain Preface to the perverting of the holy Bible and in his Annotations upon the first Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians had endeavoured to draw men from the written Word of God as an imperfect Rule as if Paul had taught to some of his Disciples that were more perfect then the rest a certain more hidden Divinity then that which he had committed to writing Hereupon Mr. Calvin Anno Christi 1554 set forth a copious confutation of all the Doctrine of Servetus which was subscribed by all his Colleagues adding many reasons why and how farre a Magistrate might proceed in punishing such an one as was lawfully convicted of Heresie The adversaries on the contrary published a Rapsody collected partly out of the writings of the ancient Fathers which they perverted to their own ends and partly out of the writings of certain unknown Fanaticks and under the name of Martin Bellius which indeed was Castalio though afterwards he forswore it and falsifying also the name of the City in which they falsly pretended that it was published To this book swarming with many other Errors and Blasphemies Mr. Beza answered thereby to free Mr. Calvin from that labour who was now busie in writing his learned Commentaries upon Genesis and in diverting other dangers from the Church For the factious went on to innovate things in the City and though the Amnestie was again renewed before the Senate upon the second of February yet they daily grew worse and worse so that Master Calvin was much busied both in blaming and reproving them for their wickedness and in endeavouring to strengthen the godly against the poison of their impiety for they had proceeded to such a height of wickedness that they turned part of the sacred Scriptures into obscaene songs and used to beat strangers whom they met in the night and sometimes also to rob them They also privately used the books of Bolsecus Castalio and other corrupt men that they might renew the controversie about Predestination yea they proceeded to scatter abroad a false and scandalous libell wherein they grievously aspersed that worthy servant of Christ Master Calvin Castalio also sent another Latine Book to be privately Printed at Paris to which Master Beza answered and Master Calvin also confuted some of the fooleries of the same kind About this time the care of the English exiles lay heavy upon him some of which were come to Vesalia others to Embden and others to Franckford all sending to Master Calvin for advice and counsel Neither was he a little troubled for the andaciousness of some of the Pastors encouraged by the secret favour of others of the French-Church long since planted by him at Strasborough And in short how great pains he took this year for severall Churches may appear by the multitude of Epistles wrote by him by which he stirred up many Noble-men to imbrace the Gospel and strengthned many of the Brethren some of which were in extream danger and others already cast into bonds We spake before of the sweet Harmony that was between the Helvetian and Rhetian Churches about the Doctrine of the Sacrament This concord did exceedingly displease the spirit of error therefore he easily found out one that might easily reinkindle the fire which before was extinguished viz. Joachim Westphalus who was seconded by Heshusius then a Minister of the word but afterwards a Bishop of whom wee shall speak more afterwards Hereupon Master Calvin published an explication of that agreement which by how much it imbittered their spirits by so much the more it satisfied all good men that were lovers of the truth The year following viz. 1555. by the speciall mercy of God brought peace along with it to the Church of Geneva which was now quiet from its domestick stirs for the factious ruined themselves God discovering their horrible treason to the State by the means of one of the conspirators who in his drunken fit discovered it whereupon some of them were beheaded others of them were banished who though a while after they vexed the City yet perished shamefully in the end leaving an example of the just judgement of God upon such persons though it may be deferred for a time Thus the Commonwealth was freed from these Pests To which another mercy was added by the answer of the four Helvetian Cities to whom the question about the Discipline which we spake of before had been proposed who unanimously confirmed the Ecclesiasticall Polity as it had been before settled contrary to the expectation of the factious Yet something was not wanting whereby Mr. Calvin might be further exercised For he took great pains in constituting the Church in Polonia by the will of the King In comforting the afflicted
them which counsell the Prince and his Tutor neglecting went into the boat and putting from the bank the drunken young men beganne so to thrust and justle one another that at last they overthrew the boat where they were all drowned But Judex being skilfull in swimming caught the young Prince hoping to save him but being unable to draw him with him they both sunk Olevian standing on the bank and seeing this sad spectacle leapt into the water to try if he could help them but at first he stuck in the mud and water up to the chin where he despaired of his owne life In that danger he prayed unto God and vowed that if God would deliver him he would preach the Gospel to his own Citizens if he should be called thereunto At which time it pleased God that a footman of one of the Noblemens coming to the River side and seeing Olevian caught him by the head thinking that it had been his own Master and drew him out whereupon Olevian being delivered by such a speciall providence together with the Law studied Divinity especially reading over the Sacred Scriptures with Calvins Commentaries upon them After a while returning to Trevir he was reteined to plead causes at Law but seeing the great deceit in that calling and the frequent perverting of Justice he gave it over and that he might performe his Vow wholly set himself to the study of Divinity and went to Geneva and after to Zurick where he sojourned with Bullinger and was much holpen by Martyr and Bullinger in his studies before whom also he used privately to preach for his exercise But before this as he was going to Geneva taking ship at Lausanna Mr. Farrel hapned to be with him in the ship who in discourse asked him Whether ever he had preached in his owne Country Olevian told him that he had not then did Master Farrell perswade him to doe it so soon as he could and he accordingly promised that he would Whilst he was busying himself in his studies at Geneva the Church of Metis wanting a Minister applyed themselves to the Presbytery of Geneva for a supply The Presbytery nominated two Olevian and Peter Colonius But Olevian excused himself partly because he had engaged himself by vow to the service of the Church in his owne Country and partly because he had faithfully promised Farrel to doe the same Master Calvin was satisfied with this answer exhorting him to performe what he had thus resolved on Therefore Anno Christi 1559. he returned to Trevir where he was exceeding kindly entertained by the Senators his kinsmen friends and by his brother Frederick a Doctor of Physick and the Consull and Senators presently requested him to undertake the worke of teaching a School in that City and for his encouragement allowed him a stipend Accordingly he applyed himselfe to explicating the precepts of Melancthons Logick illustrated by many Theologicall examples whereby he gott opportunity of opening the sound doctrine of the Gospel to his hearers which as soon as the Canons heard of they first suspended him from the office of teaching and afterwards shut up the School against him Then the Senate appointed him to preach in an Hospitall where after he had preached a while his adversaries suborned a Priest to step up into the pulpit before him but as soon as the people saw the Priest they called to him to come down for that they would not hear him Olevian desired them to hear him promising that so soon as he had done his Sermon he wou'd preach himself yet they would not endure it but made a great stir so that the poor Priest thought that he should have been pulled in pieces by them But Olevian comforted him and entreating the people to be quiet took the Priest by the hand and led him forth safely and going into the pulpit himselfe he asked the Auditory whether for fear of further danger they would have him to intermit that Sermon or whether he should go forward according to his former course the people lifting up their hands cryed to him Yea yea Wee desire thee for Gods sake to preach unto us For this cause the Arch-Bishop of Trevir imprisoned the two Consuls and eight more of the Senators for ten weeks space who desired Olevian to come to them to instruct and comfort them which accordingly he did Then were they commanded to appear in judgement where their charge consisted of many heads whereupon they requested fourteen days time to put in their answer but that was denyed and onely two daies assigned In which time they sent privily to Frederick Elector Palatine to Wolphgang Duke of Bipâ—nt and to the Senate of Strasborough acquainting them with their case and entreating their seasonable assistance They therefore immediately sent post to forbid the further proceedings at Law and at last obtained that they were all set at liberty And the Ambassadors for the Palatine invited Olevian to goe along with them and accordingly took him to Heidleberg Anno Christâ— 1560. As soon as hee came thither the Elector made him Master of the Colledg of Sapience which he underwent for about a year and a half About this time he married a Wife and commenced Doctor in Divinity and was made Professor of Divinity in that University Also at the importunity of the Counsellors of State he was chosen to the work of the Ministry first in Peters Church and afterwards in the Church of the Holy Ghost which places he carefully and holily discharged til the death of the Elector Frederick the third which was Anno Christi 1576. A few daies after whose death hee was called to Berleburg by Lodowick Count Witgenstein where he preached and instructed some Noble mens sonns in the principles of Divinity and in the Arts and Tongues Anno Christi 1584 he was called by John of Nassau to Herborn where he preached and taught a School three yeares which was erected by the perswasion and counsell of Olevian Anno Christi 1587 hee fell into a mortal sickness which notwithstanding all meanes of cure daily grew upon him and so weakned him that at last hee quietly resigned up his spirit unto God In his sicknesse he made his Will and by pious and holy meditations prepared himself for death Being visited by Lâ—dowick Witgenstein and John of Nassau he told them That by that sickness he had learned to know the greatnesse of sin and the greatness of Gods Majesty more then ever he did before And a while after when the Counts two sons John and George came to visit him he exhorted them carefully to preserve brotherly love to carry on and perfect the business about the School to be liberal and mercifull to the poor and obedient to their Father The next day John Piscator coming to visit him hee told him That the day before for four hours together he was
was most gratefully and heartily welcomed by them and so soon as he came thither it was observed that there ensued a great alteration both in his stile conceptions phrases and manner of life so that he lived amongst the Hollanders as if he had been born amongst them In his Oration which he made at his Inauguration he shewed himself a learned pious prudent and peaceable Divine In his Disputations he was earnest quick and altogether insuperable as one that knew all the lurking holes of Sâ—phâ—â—iers and withall knew how to overthrow them in their own Artifices He was so acute that at the first word he understood the meaning of his Antagonists and many times did so happily enucleate it that expressing it better then themselves could he taught them thereby and when any difficulty arose he could easily by the light of reason discuss and make it clear But when he handled the cause of God and was to assert his truth and honor against the impudence of adversaries you might have seen him go beyond himself rising up with a great spirit and unusual zeal to dispel the objections of his adversaries Many times also in Disputations least they should be jejune and frigid he would furnish the Oppâ—nent with Arguments and arm him against himself least an hour should pass without profit to the Hearers His care was not only to learn the first grounds of some of the Arts but he rested not till he had gained the exact knowledge of all the Arts and had dived into the profundity of Philosophy For it s the sign of an ignoble and slothful minde to retain and conclude it self with in narrow bounds yet rested he not in the knowledge of humane Arts but only made them Handmaids and Servants to Divinity For that indeed he prized above all other studies and therein he spent most of his time endeavouring throughly to understand the Sacred Scriptures and to vindicate the same from all the false glosses put upon them by Hereticks He if ever any man was studious of the Truth to the defence whereof he consecrated all his studies and indeed was then in his Paradice when he had attained to the knowledge of obscure Truths or had brought light to difficult Texts or had â—reed them from the wrestings or cavils of Hereticks He was truly a Scribe taught to the Kingdom of Heaven who out of his treasury brought forth things new and old And although his minde was estranged from contentions yet was he so great a lover of Truth that no bonds of friendship or acquaintance nor fear could divert him from the defence thereof he alwayes preferred the cause of God before all other relations and respects And though he often professed that his chiefest desire was to grapple with the open Adversaries of the Church yet withall he declared that he could not be silent towards those Brethren who through ignorance or infirmity sought to undermine the Truth for many times a little spark neglected at first proves a dangerous fire When men have once undertaken the Patronage of an opinion they begin to cling close unto it and the Error of it being not timely discovered to them begins to please them and at last shame of detracting what they have published makes them incorrigible A great wit sound judgement and strong memory seldom meet in one man by reason of the different tempers whence they proceed but they did all so concur in our Spanheim that it was hard to say in which he most excelled He was somewhat cholerick by nature yet so suppressed the same that he brake not forth at any time into sinful anger He was a man so addicted to his study and the Schools that its a wonder how he could understand any thing else But God had made him a man both for contemplation and action as may appear by the use which Noble men and women made of him for advice in civil affairs When he wrote of Politicks you would have thought that he had studyed nothing else in the whole course of his life Before he grew old he was an old man for wisdom and intentness upon businesses His whole life was an Idaea of wisdom whereby as occasion required he could accommodate himself to affairs of all sorts He was a wary estimator of humane affairs In his friendships he observed this rule that though he did not admit all promiscuously yet did he admit not a few into his familiarity He was very ready to do good to and to deserve well of all and whereas many had daily occasion to make use of him he rather numbred then weighed the good turns he did them He had almost so many friends as acquaintance especially of those that excelled in Learning In England Vsher Selden Prideaux Morton and Twisse who a little before death would trust no body but our Spanheim with sundry writings which he had prepared for the press In France besides many Noble men who were in great places of dignity he had Molinaeus Troâ—chinus William Rivet Garissolius Beaumontius Mestrezatius Drelincourtius Bouteroviusâ— Muratus Blondellus Ferrius Petitus Croius Vincentius Bochartus almost all of them famous for their writings Iâ— Germany he had Zuingerus Vlricus Buxtorsius Crocius with some others yea out of Sweden the Queen her self the mâ—racle of her sexe did lately salute him very kindely by her Bishop and by her Letters signified how much she esteemed him and how much she was delighted with his Works In Transylvania Bisterfield a very learned man kept constant correspondence with him by frequent Letters But we must not forget Andrew Rivet who was inferior to none of the Divines that then lived with whom he had a most strict bond of friendship so that they seemed to have but one soul in two bodies they willed and nilled the same thing their opinions and judgements never differing But as he was always an acute observer of wit and learning so he never desired more intimacy with any then with such as by an unusual kinde of Learning excelled all others whereupon seeing Salmatius as the bright Sun obscuring all other Stars acknowledging the immensity of his Learning and the magnitude of his Heroick motions he often professed that he delighted in nothing more then in his friendship and Salmatius also willingly imbraced the same insomuch as when Spanheim lay sick hearing that he desired to speak with him though at that time he lay sick of the Gout Salmatius hasted to him where with many tears and sighs they imbraced each other conferring of such things as became Christians and such great men to speak of to their mutual satisfaction He lived also most friendly with his other Colleagues weighing prudently what each of them deserved But amongst all observing Bernard Schot to excel for his skill in the Law and dexterity in dispatching businesses as also for his obsequious minde towards him he made choice of him especially to impart his secrets to
conversion His Baptism His zeal and courage His Apology for the Christians to the Senate His Apologie to the Emperour Injustice used to the Christians He prevails for favour to the Christians He goes to Rome A prediction His Martyrdom His zeal against Heresies His sayings His zeal His works His birth and education Ordained Minister His zeal against Heresies He was studious of peace He is made Bishop of â—yâ—ons in France Satans malice His zeal against Heresies He is sent to Rome His writings The prophaneness of Hereâ—icks The immutability of Cerdon Miracles continued in the Church His courage and painfulness A great Persecution His martyrdom His sayings His works His birth and education His excellent learning He is Ordained a Presbyter His zeal against Heresies He defends the Christians Persecution increaseth Religion His learned works This was counted an unparalleld crime in Mr. Thomas Edwards A Souldiers humility His frequency in prayer The manner of his conversion His study of the Scriptures The danger of envy His death His sayings His works His Learning and Ordination His zeal against heresies His writings His sayings His works His birrth His parentage and education The reasons of his names His early desire of Martyrdom He encourages his Father His studies God provides for him His hatred of Heresie His early Preaching He inconrageth the Martyrs Gods Providence over him The Gentiles hated him extreamly The fruit of his Ministry His Chastity He gelded himself He is ordained a Presbyter He is envyed by his great friend He is forced to leave Alexandria He instructs the Emperours Mother He reclaimed Ambrose His Persecutions He is ensnared He is Excommunicated A special Providence Psal. 50. 16. His torments of Conscience His Lamentation He means the living Saints His studiousness His converts many He wrote the first Commentaries on the Scriptures He goeth into Arabia His works He reclaims Hereticks He is persecuted His death His sayings His works His birth and education His Conversion His charity He is made Bishop His modesty His humility His charity His magnanimity His Fidelity His Courage His Charity to Exiles His studiousness His Chastity â—in the fore â—unner of Persecution The sins of Professors A Vision Another Vision He vindicates the Christians from scandals He goes into exile A faithful Pastor He is again banished His apprehension His martyrdom His courage His charity His charity His sayings His works Persecution His works His commendations Constantines esteem of Eusebius A sedition in Antioch A Synod Eusebius reproved His birth and education His works A great persecution Gods Pâ—ovidence His Câ—â—tentatiâ—n His birth and education He goes to the Council of Nice His zeal against Heresies He is made Bishop of Alexandria He is persecuted by the Arians He is accused to the Emperour He is cleared by Constantine He is again accused The falsehood and subtilty of Hereticks His prudence He is again cleared by the Emperour The Church prospers under him He is again accused and cited to a Council of Arians His charge Forgeries against him His answer Gods providence He goes from the Council He is unjustly deposed And complained of to the Emperour Dissenters in the Council Athanasius banished by the Emperour Seditions raised by Arius Alexander prays against Arius Arius his equl vocation and prejury Gods just judgement upon Arius His wretched death Heretical lyes Athanasius his judgement of Ariâ—â—'s death Constantines death Heretical subtlety The danger of suffering hereticks amongst great persons The danger of heresie Athanasius returns to Alexandria Constantines Letâ—er to the people of Alexandria The Arians raise tumults against Athanasius The cruelty of Hereticks A special providence 〈◊〉 flies to 〈◊〉 His return to Alexandria Hereticks falsâ—hood 〈◊〉 flyeth Constance defendeth him Constantius his letter to Athanasius His second letter to Athanasius His third letter to Athanasius Julius his Letter in the behalf of Athanasius Athanasius goeth into the East His prudence Constantius his Letter to the Alexandrians in the behalf of Athanasius His Letter to the Governor of Alexandria Athanasius is restored by a Council He is again accused by the Aâ—ians Bishop Paulus murthered Others persecuted Athanasius flyeth His Apology for it Their wicked practises of the Arians Their cruetly against the Orthodox A Council summoned in â—word â— Athanasius condemned by a Conventicle His prudence He is sent for to the Emperour He is again banished A special providence The cruelty of the Arians Georgius slain by the Gentiles Athanasius 〈…〉 His return to Alexandria He is banished by Julian Gods providence over him Athanasius in Alexandria He is again complained of to Jovianus He returns to Alexandria See the Life of Jovian in my second Part. Athanasius flyeth again He is again restored The cruelty of the Arian Hereticks His death His works His works He is deposed His appeal His reformation His patience His charity Gods judgement on the Jews Testimonies of him His death His sayings The benefit of hearing His works His birth and education His excellent learning His Chastity His patience His humility His charity His care for the poor in a Famine His death An enemy to Hereticks His chastity His humility His charity His savings The bought of perseverance His works His birth His education His zeal against Heresie A good Pastor A special providence His zeal His courage and constancy His zeal His courage An excellent speech His zeal Death desired for Christs cause His courage and constancy A Miracle His death His sayings Love Scriptures Erasmus his Testinonie of Basil. His works His Character His education His zeal against Heresie He is made Bishop of Nazianzum His judgment on Julian A description of Julian His excellent parts His modesty His excellent gifts His desire of Martyrdom Eloquence His saying Preaching His birth and education His Conversion Hereticks seek to ensnare him His commendations Made Bishop of Salamine Preachers pattern His zeal against Heresies Epiphanius abused by Theophilus Origens books condemned Epiphanius his weakness His contests with Chrysostom Two Pâ—edictions His death His sayings Hatred cured His works His birth A Prodigy His education A special providence Ambrose baptized He is made Bishop His fidelity and courage Justina's malice The people resist her The Emperour enraged against Ambrose His courage and constancy A passionate act of Theodosius Ambrose his speech to Theodosius He excommunicates Theodosius Theodosius his humility He seeks for absolution The Emperours mâ—dness How to prevent sinful anger Theodosius absolved Special providences Profaness punished His charity His death Repentance not to be delayed True charity Conscience Death His works His parentage His learning He is made Bishop He is banished His zeal to do good Scriptures His works His sayings Usury His parentage His birth His learning His zeal against Heresie His charity His works Theodisius his wisdom His death His saying His works His birth and parentage His education He goes to Rome His studies His travels 〈…〉 choose Hierom goes into Syria His sickness His troubles by the Arians His
end I my Explication of Genesis God grant that others may more rightly expound it then I have done I cannot proceed further my strength faileth pray for me that I may have a quiet and comfortable departure out of this life This year in Italy was spread a most impudent lye about Luthers death which they called Horrendum inâ—ud tum miraculum quod in aeternum laudandus Dâ—us in foedamâ—te Mart. Lutheri corpore anima damnati exhibuit in gloriam Jesu Christi atque in emendationem consolationem piorum The substance of it was this That when he saw he must die he requested that his body should be set upon the Altar and worshipped with Divine Worship but when his body was laid in the grave suddainly so great a stir and terror arose as if the foundations of the Earth were shaken together whereupon all that were present trembling and astonished lift up their Eyes and saw the sacred Host appear in the Air whereupon they placed that upon the Altar But the night following a loud noise and ratling shriller then the former was heard about Luthers sepulchre which terrified all the City and almost killed them with astonishment in the morning when they opened the sepulchre they found neither bodie bones nor clothes but a sulphureous stink came out thereof which almost overcame the standers by c. This Lye coming printed into Germany Luther subscribed with his own hand I Martin Luther do profess and witness under my own hand that receiving this figment full of anger and fury concerning my death I read it with a joyful mind and cheerful countenance And but that I detest the blasphemy which ascribeth an impudent lye to the Divine Majesty for the other passages I cannot but laugh at Satans the Popes and their complices hatred against me God turn their hearts from their Diabolical malice but if he Decree not to hear my Prayer for their sin unto death then God grant that they may fill up the measure of their sins and solace themselves with their libels full fraught with such like lyes Anno Christi 1546. Luther taking Melancthon and some others along with him went into his own country and returned in safety to Wittenberg again And not long after he was sent for back by the Counts of Mansfield to compose a difference amongst them about the borders of their Countries and their inheritances Luther did not use to meddle with such businesses having all his life been accustomed only to deal in Ecclesiastical affairs yet because he was born in that Country he would not be wanting to promote the peace of it And therefore having preached his last Sermon at Wittenberg January the 17. upon the 23. day he began his journey and at Hall in Saxony he lodged at Justus Jonas his house and passing over the River with Jonas and his own three sons they were in danger of drowning whereupon he said to Justus Jonas Think you not that it would rejoyce the Devil very much if I and you and my three sons should be drowned He was honorably entertained by the Earl of Mansfield who sent an hundred Horse that conveyed him to Isleben being very weak whereupon he said that he never undertook any great business but he was attended with such sickness yet after the use of some Fomentations he was pretily well and attended the business about which he came from the 29. of Ianuary to the 17. of February During which time he preached some times in the Church and twice administred the Lords Supper and Ordained two to the work of the Ministry At his Table he used holy conference and was dayly very fervent in his Prayers The day before his death he dined and supped with his friends discoursing of divers matters and amongst the rest gave his opinion that in heaven we shall know one another because Adam knew Eve at first sight c. After supper his pain in his breast increasing he went aside and prayed then went to bed and slept but about midnight being awakened with the pain and perceiving that his life was at an end he said I pray God to preserve the Doctrine of his Gospel amongst us For the Pope and the Council of Trent have grievous things in hand After which he thus prayed O heavenly Father my gracious God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ thou God of all consolation I give thee hearty thanks that thou hast revealed unto me thy Son Iesus Christ whom I believe whom I profess whom I love whom I glorifie whom the Pope and the rout of the wicked persecute and dishonour I beseech thee Lord Iesus Christ receive my soul O my heavenly Father though I be taken out of this life and must lay down this frail body yet I certainly know that I shall live with thee eternally and that I cannot be taken out of thy hands God so loved the world c. Lord I render up my spirit into thy hands and come to thee And again Lord into thy hands I commend my spirit thou O God of Truth hast redeemed me and so as one falling asleep and without any bodily pain that could be discerned he departed this life February 18. Anno 1546. and in the great Climaâ—terial year of his life This was the Will which he made concerning his Wife with childe and his young son O Lord God I thank thee that thou wouldst have me live a poor and indigent person upon Earth I have neither house nor Land nor possessions nor money to leave Thou Lord hast given me wife and children them Lord I give back to thee nourish instruct and keep them O thou the Father of Orphans and Iudge of the Widow as thou hast done to me so do to them When he was ready to dye Iustus Ionas and Caelius said to him O Reverend Father do you dye in the constant confession of that Doctrine of Christ which you have hitherto preached To which he answered Yea which was the last word that he spake He was ever constant in the known Truth from the confession whereof he could never be removed neither by promises nor threats In the dismal Wars which followed when Wittenberg was yeilded to the Emperour Charles and he came to see Luthers Tomb some of his Spaniards perswaded him that the body of Luther should be taken up and burned the Emperour said Suffer him to rest till the day of the Resurrection and Iudgement of all men When he was fitting himself for his journey to Isleben he confessed to Melancthon that he had gone too far in the Sacramentary Controversie hereupon Melancthon perswaded him to explicate his minde by publishing some Book but he answered hereby I shall bring a suspition upon all my Doctrine as faulty but when I am dead you may do as you see cause He was full of affections towards his children gave them liberal education
by keeping a Schoolmaster in his house to train them up in learning and godliness When he saw his daughter Magdalen ready to dye he read to her Isay 26. 19. Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise c. Adding My daughter enter thou into thy chamber in peace I shall ere long be with thee For God will not permit me to see the punishment which hangs over the head of Germany whereupon he wept plentifully but when he followed the Corps he so restrained his affection that he shed not a tear He used to say that three things make a Divine Meditation Prayer Tentation and that three things were to be done by a Minister 1. To read the Bible over and over 2. To pray earnestly 3. Always to be a learner And that they were the best Preachers who spake as to babes in Christ in an ordinary strain popularly and most plainly He said That in the cause of God he was content totius mundi odium impetum sustinere to undergo the hatred and violence of the whole world He was very liberal to the poor A poor Student asking him some money he bade his wife give him some but she pleading penury he took up a silver cup and gave it him Also a friend sending him two hundred angels of gold he bestowed them all on poor Students and when the Elector gave him a new gown he said That he mas made too much of for saith he if here we receive a full recompence of our labors we shall hope for none in another life And again he said turning my self to God Valdè protestatus sum me nolle sic satiari ab eo I said flatly that God should not put me off with these low things And having a vein of metal offered him he refused it least he should incur the temptation of the Devil who is Lord of treasure under the Earth He never took any thing of Printers for his Copies On a time one brought him a stone that was found in the Mines in Mansfield which had upon it the Image of the Pope with his tripple Crown whereupon he said Hem oportet Papam revelari etiam per metalla metallicos The Pope must be revealed even by metals and metal-diggers His private life was very exemplary At dinner and supper-time he used often to dictate Sermons unto others Sometimes to correct sheets from the Press Sometimes with Musick to refresh his friends He was very temperate both in meat and drink Sometimes he used to fast four days together and other sometimes to eat only a little bread and an herring As much as he could he avoided Feasts that he might not spend time In his converse with his friends he was pleasant courteous and sociable mixed with gravity He sometimes used recreations and amongst the rest turning in a Lathe He would never be idle He was very loving to and tender of his children maintaining a Schoolmaster in his house to instruct them in Piety and Learning He was very passionate but soon appeased Melancthon seeing him once in a passion said Vince animos iramque tuam qui caetera vincis whereupon he smiling said we will no longer dispute of these matters and so he discoursed pleasantly of other things He foretold many things which afterwards came to pass He was very healthful but that sometimes he was troubled with the Headach especially towards his latter end whereupon he feared an Apoplexy and when his head was so out of order he used to say Feri Domine ferâ—â—lementer ego paratus sum quia verbo tuo à peccatis absolutus corpore sarguine tuo pastus He was troubled with frequent tentations whereupon he used to write Valemus omnes praeter Lutherum ipsum qui corpore sanus foris a toto mundo intus à Diabolo patitur omnibus Angelis ejus He was big of stature strong and had such a sharp sight that few could endure stedfastly to look upon him Upon a time one was sent under pretence of private conference to pistol him Luther entertained him friendly but withall stedfastly looking upon him the man was so terrified that he took care for nothing but how he might run away He had a gentle and clear voice He lived chastly and holily in Wedlock above twenty years and after his death left three sons and his Widdow who lived seven years after him who was much grieved that she was absent at his death whereby she could not perform her last duty of love to him as she desired Presently after his death the wars breaking forth she wandred up and down with her children as an Exile through many difficulties and dangers and besides the inconveniences of her widdowhood which were many she met with great ingratitude from many from whom she expected better considering how much her husband had deserved from the Church At length being returned to Wittenberg after a while the Plague brake forth wherefore removing with her children to Fergaw as she was passing in a Wagon the Horses affrighted at some thing ran away whereupon leaping out of the Wagon she bruised her self and falling into a Lake of water she caught a disease whereof she dyed three Months after Anno Christi 1552. One saith of him That Luther a poor Fryar should be able to stand against the Pope was a great miracle That he should prevail against the Pope was a greater and after all to die in peace having so many Enemies was the greatest of all Again it was no less miraculous that he should escape so many dangers for when a certain Jew was suborned to kill him by poyson Luther had warning of it before hand and the picture of the Jew sent him whereby he knew him and avoided the danger concerning which himself thus writes There is saith he here with us a certain Polonish Jew that is hired with two thousand Crowns to poyson me this is discovered to me by Letters from my friends He is a Doctor of Physick and one that dare undertake and is ready to perform any villany of incredible subtilty and dexterity One a time as Luther was walking in his Garden the Devil appeared to him in the shape of a black Boar but he slighted him after which he vanished Another time as he was sitting in a certain place on his stool there was a great stone over his head in the vault which being stayed up miraculously so long as he sate there so soon as he was up immediately it fell upon the place where he sate being able to have crushed him in peices if it had light upon him And again a young man about Wittenberg being kept bare and needy by his Father was tempted by the Devil to yeild himself body and soul to him upon condition to have his wish sastisfied with money and thereupon an Obligation was made by the young man written
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