Anno Christi 1516. Anno Christi 1520. through the favor of Sir Vlrick Hutten he was called to Ments by the Archbishop thereof to be the Preacher and Counsellor to the Prince at which time also Gasper Hedeo was made Preacher and chief Governor over the highest Church in Ments Capito did the more willingly embrace this call that he might plant the reformed Religion in Ments Concerning his commencing Doctor he thus writes in an Epistle to Hutten Juris Pontificii ut vocant Doctoratum suscepi propter authoritatem videlicet comparandam scopam subolescis Licet interim sint aliqui qui vitio vertunt Theologum esse unà simul Civilem quasi Theologus necesse habet omnem exuere humanitatem Anno Christi 1521. Tecelius the Merchant of Indulgences being dead by the order of the Archbishop of Ments Letters Patents for the renewing of them were set to sale at Hale in Saxony whereupon Luther wrote to the Archbishop and Melancthon to Capito his Counsellor to disswade them from such Merchandize Capito therefore secretly favouring the Gospel so far prevailed with his Master that he wrote mildly and humbly to Luther And Capito also wrote to him to advise him that in writing against the vices of Prelates he should not name them For saith he Exasperantur potius animi insectatione quà m curantur mens mindes by such bitterness are rather exasperated then cured Capito thus continuing with the Elector of Ments was very dear unto him for his rare Wisdom joined with Piety his happy Eloquence and mild Nature so that by him he was sent upon many Embassies And February the 7. Anno Christi 1523. he was by the Emperour Charles the Fifth endowed for himself and posterity with the Ensignes of Nobility under the Imperial Seal But not much esteeming these things when he saw that he could not accomplish his purpose at Ments to the wonder of the Archbishop and astonishment of the Courtiers he left it and followed Bucer to Strasborough where he was called to a Pastoral charge The fame of Capito and Bucer did so spred abroad that James Faber Stapulensis and Gerard Ruâ—us came privily out of France to them being sent by Margaret Queen of Navar and sister to Francis King of France where they discoursed largely with them of all the heads of Divinity So that France oweth the beginning of her embracing the reformed Religion as to other godly Ministers so especially to Capito and Bucer Capito was a very Prudent and Eloquent man a good Hâ—brician and studious of Peace Concerning the Sacrament he said Mittendas esse contentiones cogitandum de usu ipsius coenae fidem nostram pane vino Domini per memoriam carnis sanguinis illìus pascendam Anno 1525 he was called into his own Country where he instructed his Brethren in the Doctrine of the Gospel preached and administred the Lords Supper to his own Citizens and Baptized without the Popish Ceremonies and whereas in Helvetia many seemed to incline to the reformed Religion Capito often went amongst them confirming them in the Faith And in a Disputation at Bern in Helvetia Anno Christi 1528. Capito with many other Divines was present at it defending the Truth against the Adversaries so that he with the rest prevailed for the abolishing of the Mass and setting up a faithful Ministry in that place The rest of his time he spent in Preaching at Strasborough and giving wholsome counsel to the Churches Anno Christi 1541. when a Diet was appointed at Ratisbone especially for the cause of Religion Capito amongst other Divines was sent by the Protestants to it where he gave an excellent demonstration of his wit and judgement But when nothing could be effected returning home in a great and general infection he dyed of the Plague Anno Christi 1541. of his Age 63. He was a man of an excellent wit and judgement constant in Religion A great lover of the Schools and Learning wherefore he exhorted to the repairing of Schools and keeping up Scholastical Titles that the studious might be distinguished from the slothful the Seniors from the Juniors and that diligence might be spurred on by hope of honest glory When Erasmus halted between two opinions he continually called upon him to put off that Nicodemus-like temper His first wife was Agnes a learned woman after whose death he marryed the Widdow of Oecolampadius his intire friend He left to posterity these excellent works Institutionum Hebraicarum libriduo Enarrationes in Habacuc Hoseans Prophetas Vita Johannis Oecolampadii De formando puro Theologo Explicatio doctissima in Hexameron opus Dei LEO JVDAE The Life of Leo Iudae who dyed An. Chri. 1542. LEO Judae was born An. Chr. 1482. his fathers name was John Judae his mothers name was Elizabeth By the care of his Father he was brought up at School in Slestadia where having learned Grammer he went to Basil An. Chr. 1502. There he joined in study with Zuinglius was an hearer of Dr. Wittenbash by whom he was instructed in the knowledg of the Gospel There also he continued in his studies till he commenced Master of Arts Anno Christi 1512. after which he was made a Deacon and from thence he was called into Helvetia where he set himself to the study of the Oriental Tongues and to read the Fathers especially Hierom and Augustine as also he read diligently the Books of Luther Erasmus and Capito At length being called to a Pastoral charge at Zurick he opposed the Popish Doctrine and Ceremonies both in the Pulpit and Press so that his fame spread far and near there he continned eighteen years and spent much of it in expounding the Old Testament out of the Hebrew wherein being grown very skilful he set upon at the importunity of his Brethren of the Ministry the translation of the Old Testament out of the Hebrew wherein also he was much holpen by the industry of other learned men His care was to get the most exact Hebrew copy that he could which also he compared with others neither did he neglect to examine the Greek and Latine versions that by all he might the better finde out the genuine signification of the words and minde of the Holy Ghost But this work proving very great he was so wasted with labor and old age that he dyed before he finished it Anno Christi 1542. and of his Age 60. leaving undone Job the forty last Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Canticles and the eight last Chapters of Ezekiel which he commended to Theodore Bibliander to finish who accordingly did it and he left all to Conradus Pellican to peruse and put to the Press which he carefully performed Four days before his death sending for the Pastors and Professors of Zurick he made before them a Confession of his Faith concerning God the Scriptures the Person and Offices of Christ concluding Huic
in peâ—secution He goes to Heidleberg A great plague He returnes to Heidleberg Bible translated He is made Professor in Leiden His death His Works His birth and education He goes to Paris He goes to Orleance He comes into England His several imploymentâ— His Death His parentage His birth A prediction His education He goes to Caâ—bridge He is Fellow of Peter-house The Pope is Antichrist He is Mr. of Pembrok-hall And Margaret Professor His prefermâ—nts His esteem with the Qu. His sicknesse His death His charity His birth and Parentage His Education He studies the Law His Poems Popish malice His tentations His conversion His marriage New tenâ—atâ—ons Gods mercy to him by sicknes Affliction sanctified He leaves all for Christ. A speciall providence His remove to Lausanna His prudence He turnes the Psalms inâ—o French metre His expâ—sitions He falls sick of the Plague Gods goodness His works Persecution in France Popish malice Friendship His remove to Geneva He is chosen Paâ—â—or â—earning advanced in troublesomâ— times He deals with the King of Navar. Persecution stopped A confâ—rence about Religion Who repaâ—r to it The French Ministers Beza's speech His conference Cardinal of Lorrains speech to Beza The first meeting Beza's Oration A Confession of faith presented to the King The second meeting The third meeting The several conferences Popish â—â—â—â—lty Beza's aâ—swer The fâ—â—rth meâ—ting A way of reconciliation propounded The Form of the Agreement The form rejected by the Pontificians The conference ends The Church increaseth Carnal policy The King of Navar falls to the Papists 〈…〉 The Protestants murdered Beza stayes in France A Synod A Plague The protetants beaten Beza comforts he Prince His return to Geneva His imployments He relates the miseries of the French Churches He confutes Hereticks and Lutherans Civil wars in France Geneva a refuge to the godly He is sent for into France Moderates in a Synod 1572. The Massacre at Paris He provides for the afflicted Charity His great imployments A Plague Friendship amongst the Pastors Anabaptists converted A Disputation No good comes of it His Wife dyes His second marriage His great labours Prayer in danger His weaknesse His diligence His last sermon He invites his Colleagues Friendship amongst brethren Popish lyes Confuted Death desired He visits the Kings His request for the Church at Lions His meditations He is visited by many Preparation for death Ephes. 2 10. His sicknesse His death His Character Thanksgiving for five things His small means His works His birth and education His brothers are Papists His excellent parts His humility His preferments Gods providence His death His birth and education He goes to Paris His Industry He studies Hebrew His humility His travels He is made Professor at Leiden His Death His birth and education He goes to Tubing He goes to Basil. He commenceth Doctor in Divinity Is made Professor His death His works His birth and education His preferments His great learnâ—ng His zeal Preparation for death His death His birth and Education He goes into England He studies Hebrew Greek He goes into Fâ—ance He is Professor in Oxford He is Professor in Leiden His marriage His death His Birth Parentage and Education Gods Providence He is ordained Deacon His remove to Tubing He doubts of the Ubiquity He is chosen Pastor of Raetela His marriage He denies the Ubiquity He is sent for to Basil. His remove to Basil. His friends He removes to Heidleberg The Lutherans removed His return to Basil. His greaâ—ains His imployments abroad He growâ— weak His patiencâ— His sicknesses Prayer Death desired His death His speech to Meier His sayings His diligence and Indusâ—â—y His Character His Works His birth and education His degrees His works His patience His sicknesse His Death His birth and education His conversion He goes to St. Andrews His tentations Gods mercy He goes into England Gods providence He serves Mr. H. Broughton His return to Edenborough He preaches privately His calling to the Ministry Power of the Word He is sickly Assaulted with â—eâ—â—ations His remove His painfulnes in the Ministry The success of his Ministry His zeal His works His tentations Joy unspeakable His outward troubles Power of the word The apostasie of his people He is made Bishop of Gaâ—loway His humâ—lity His desire of deâ—â—h Death why desired He grows sickly Preparation for death His sicknesse His death A sweet speech His works His birth and education He goes to Cambridge His proficiency He is ordained Minister He is Prebend â—f Ely His marriage His studiousness His piety His recreations His great â—eading His Works His Ministry He is made Pastor Preachers pattern His holy life His family wel governed His charity His justice He was a Peace maker His hospitality He breaks his 〈◊〉 His preparation for death He faints His death His birth parentage and education Hee is made a Prentice He returnes to school His Masâ—er is driven away Malice His poverty He goes into the Palatinate He enters into the Ministry He is driven from Heidleberg He returns home His return into the Palatinate His preferment there He commenceth Doctor in divinity Lutherans malice A great plague He is made Professor Gods mercy His fame His wife dies He is chosen to the Synod at Dort Gods providence Peace maker His works The Spaniards come into the Palatinate He goes to Anvilla Death desired His sicknesse His returne to Heidleberg His death His workes His birth and ducation He goes to Leiden His travels His great learning His returne to Leiden He is made Professor at Leiden His marriâ—ge Dr. Rivet brought to Leiden His great esteem His death His birth and education He goes to Friestade His travels He studies divinity His eloquence His employments He goes into England He is made Dr. and Professor His afflictions He is called to Embden His death His works His birth and education He is Professor at Herborn His works Bible translated His death His birth and education He goes to Oxford His poverty His Industry He is made a Fellow His Prophanesse His judgement of Mr. Perkins His tentation A special providence His conversion His 〈◊〉 His comfort He is ordained Minister Gods providence His marriage His great labours The success of his Ministry Preachers pattern His holy life His frequent prayers Christ preferred before health His humility His Charity His sicknesse Preparation for death His patience Death desired His submission to God His Thanksgiving His admonition to his children His joy unspeakable His speech to his friends His death His works His birth parentage and education He goes to Cambridge His excellent memory His marriage He is called to Banbury His character His eloquence Preachers paâ—teâ—n His great labours The method in Sermons His manner of Reading Conversion wrought by him Peace-maker His excellency in pâ—ayer His family duties His prudence His fasting His humility His charity He gained by his falls His sicknesse His exhortation to his friends His patience His death Note His works His
menaces let all such know that the Church of the Lord will oppose them and that the Tents of Christ will prove immovable and not to be conquered by them His fidelity will notably appear by his Epistles wherein he excellently comforts the afflicted recalls such as were faln or commends the care of them to other Bishops of the Church vigorously opposeth the Hereticks and Schismaticks Neither was he only a Spectator of the Martyrdom of others but suffered himself to be proscribed yea chose death rather then to betray the truth of the Gospel or to approve of the least defection to the impious worship of the Gentiles By these means his fame increased so exceedingly that he was not so much the Bishop of Carthage as of all Africk yea of Spain the East West and Northern Churches Yea he was judged the Father of all Christians And to the further setting forth to the praise of Gods grace of his glorious vertues wherewith he was endued appearing as well in his own works as described by other worthy Writers he was courteous and gentle loving and full of patience and therewithal severe and impartial in his Office Furthermore he was most affable and kinde towards his Brethren and took much pains in helping and releiving the Martyrs Yea he wrote Letters to the Elders and Deacons of his Bishopwrick that with all study and endeavour they should gently entertain and do all the Offices of love that possibly they could to the Martyrs in his absence He was very prudent and circumspect Of a marvellous liberal disposition towards the Brethren that fled for refuge from other Countries and so often as he had cause of absence he committed the care of those poor men to his fellow Officers writing to them that of their own proper goods they should help their banished Brethren to that which was necessary for them He had also great skill in the fore-knowledge of future events He was of so communicative a disposition that he concealed nothing which he knew but with meekness and willingness uttered it to others He maintained Ecclesiastical Peace and Concord with those that differed from him in smaller matters Lastly he neither circumvented nor did prejudice to any man but did that which always seemed good in his judgement He much addicted himself to reading and would let no day pass wherein he read not some part of Tertullians Works and when he called for him he used to say Da Magistrum Give me my Master He chiefly studied to keep his body continent and clean from fleshly lusts saying That then his heart would be truly sit to attain to the full capacity and understanding of the Truth if once he could trample down Concupiscence A great Persecution being raised against the Church of Christ by Aemilianus President of Egypt Paternus and Galerius Maximus Proconsuls of Africk Cyprian sheweth the true causes thereof in his fourth Book Epist the fourth in these words We saith he must acknowledge and confess that this turbulent oppression and calamity which hath wasted for the most part all our Church and doth dayly more and more consume it ariseth chiefly from our own wickedness and sins whilst we walk not in the way of the Lord nor observe his Precepts left unto us for our instruction Our Lord Christ observed the will of his Father in all points but we observe not the will of the Lord having all our minde and study set upon lucre and possessions we are given to pride full of emulation and dissention void of simplicity and faithful dealing renouncing this World in word only but not in deed every man pleasing himself and displeasing all others and therefore are we thus scourged and that worthily for what stripes and scourges do we not deserve when as the Confessors themselves who formerly enaured the trial of their Faith and ought to be an example to the rest in well doing do now observe no Discipline And therefore for their sakes who proudly brag with swelling words of their former Confession and Sufferings these torments come even such as do not easily send us to the Crown except by the mercy of God some being taken away by a quick death do prevent the tediousnes of punishment These things do we suffer for our sins and deserts as by the Lords threatning we have been forewarned where he saith If they shall forsake my Law and will not walk in my Judgements If they shall prophane my Institutions and will not observe my Precepts I will visit their iniquities with the rod and their transgressions with scourges These rods and scourges we justly feel who neither please God with our good deeds nor repent of the evil wherefore saith he let us pray from the bottom of our hearts and with our whole minde and let us intreat his mercy who promiseth that his loving kindness shall not be wholly taken away Let us ask and we shall obtain and though we be delayed yet seeing we have grievously offended let us continue knocking for he hath promised that to them that knock it shall be opened therefore with our Prayers sighs and tears let us still knock and we shall be sure to speed c. And in another part of his Epistle he shews what vices were principally reigning amongst the Christians viz. grievous divisions and dissentions amongst the Brethren For when these words were spoken to them in a Vision Petite impetrabitis Pray and ye shall obtain afterwards when it was required of the Congregation to direct their Prayers unto God in the behalf of certain persons assigned to them by name they could not agree about the persons that were to be prayed for but disagreed in their Petitions which thing did greatly displease God that spake unto them Pray and ye shall obtain because they were not uniform in voice and heart neither was there one joint consent amongst the Brethren Upon which occasion Cyprian moveth them to Prayer with mutual agreement For saith he if it be promised in the Gospel that whatsoever two or three shall agree upon to ask upon Earth it shall be granted in Heaven what shall then be done when the whole Church agree together Or what if this Unanimity were amongst the whole Fraternity which Unanimity if it had been amongst the Brethren Non venissent fratribus haec mala si in unum fraternitas fuisset animata i. e. These evils had not befaln the Brethren if they had joined together in brotherly Unanimity Cyprian having thus described the causes of this Persecution sets down a Vision wherein was shewed unto him by the Lord before the Presecution came what should happen The Vision saith he was this There was a certain aged Father sitting at whose right hand sat a young man very sad and pensive as one that with indignation is sorrowful with his hand upon his breast and an heavie countenance On the other hand sat a person having a Net in
Constantinople to give an account of the tumults and seditions that he had raised at Alexandria At this time there was one Alexander a godly and worthy man Bishop of Constantinople He in the dimication which arose about Arius shewed himself a very prudent and pious man For as soon as Arius came to Constantinople he presently raised divisions amongst the people there also so that great tumults ensued whilest one part of the people stood for the Faith confirmed by the Nicene Council another part of them said that the opinion of Arius was most consonant and agreeable to reason Hereupon Alexander fell into a great perplexity especially because Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia often and grievously threatned him that he would depose him from his Bishoprick if he would not receive Arius and his companions into Communion with him But Alexander was not so solicitous about his own Deposition as he was careful for to maintain the Nicene Faith and the Doctrine established by that Council For esteeming himself bound to be a Patron of the Decrees of that Council he thought that it was his duty to the uttermost of his power to see that they might not be broken nor made invalid Being therefore ingaged in this contestation he laid aside humane arguments and betook himself to the help and assistance of God and thereupon shutting himself up in the Church he fell to Fasting and Prayer and night and day with tears he begged of God that if the opinion of Arius was true he might never see the day appointed for the trial but if his own Faith were the truth that then God would inflict some visible judgement upon Arius the Author of all those mischiefs In the mean time the Emperour desirous to finde out the opinion of Arius sent for him to his Pallace and asked him whether he did agree to the Decrees of the Council of Nice He without delay willingly and chearfully subscribed them whereas in the mean time he cunningly and fallaciously evaded those things which were determined about matters of Faith The Emperour wondering at it required him to swear to them which he also did but with the like fraud as he had before subscribed them For having writren privately his own opinion he put it into his bosom and then swore that he did truly and from his heart believe according as he had written The good Emperour giving credit to his Subscription and Oath commanded Alexander the Bishop of Constantinople to receive him into Communion This was on the Saturday and Arius expected the next day to be admitted into the Communion of the Church but God prevented it For Arius going out of the Pallace with Eusebius and a great number of his followers in great pomp and pride as having gotten the victory of his adversaries He no sooner came to the chief Market place in the City but his Conscience began to accuse and terrifie him for all his deceit and wickedness through the violence whereof his belly was loosened whereupon he asked whether the Jakes was not nere and being informed that they were hard by he turned aside into them and whilest he was casing Nature first his Fundament came forth then abundance of blood and at last he voided his Bowels with his Spleen and his Liver whereupon he immediately dyed Some of his company thinking him long went in to see the cause and found him dead in this miserable manner Hereupoâ— Eusebius and all his rout were stricken with a wonderful terror The fame of Arius his accursed death presently flew all over the City yea almost over all the World Every one as they went by pointed at the place where he made this wretched end and shunned the use of it Yet his Associates gave it out that his adversaries by the help of Magick had thus destroyed him And whereas many resorted to see the place of his death whereby it became very infamous at length a certain rich Citizen that was an Arian bought it and pulling down the Jakes built an house in the room of it that so the thing in process of time might be wholly forgotten Athanasius being throughly informed of these things writes thus of them Arius saith he the Prince and Author of his Sect and the companion of Eusebius was by the art and industry of the Eusebian Faction sent for to Constantinople by the Emperour of blessed memory who commanded him to write his Faith and this cunning Fox wrote it indeed but after the manner of the Devil in quoting Scripture he craftily suppressed and left out the impudent words of his impiety And when Constantine urged him that if he had no other opinion which he kept secret in his minde he should subscribe and swear to the truth withal telling him that if he forswore himself God would finde him out and plague him for it this miserable wretch swore that he held no other opinion nor thought otherwise then he had written Whereupon saith he going forth from the Emperour Gods hand presently fell upon him and like Judas dying he burst in sunder and his bowels came forth And though death be common to all men so that no man no not our Enemy is to be reproached after death yet the death of Arius being so strange and differing from the death of other men is not to be passed over in silence For when Eusebius and his followers threatned to bring Arius the very next morning into the Congregation and Alexander by Prayer had sought unto God to prevent it It pleased God who was now made the Judge that very day to bring him to such a fearful end Constantine being informed hereof wondred at it assuring himself that Arius had been guilty of perjury But shortly after it pleased God to take away that good Emperour After whose death Eusebius Bishop of Nâ—comedia and Theognis Bishop of Nice supposing that now they had gotten a fit time endeavoured by all means possible to take away the Nicene Creed out of the Church wherein was the clause of One Substance and in the room thereof to settle the detestable heresie of Arius But this they knew they could never effect if Athanasius returned from Exile to Alexandria wherefore they made use of a certain Arian Priest to carry the last Will and Testament of Constantine to Constantius his son together with the Legacies bequeathed him Constantius finding in the Will that which he greatly desired viz. that the Empire of the East was left to him made very much of the Priest granted him great liberty charged him to use his Pallace freely and boldly at his pleasure Hereupon this cunning seducer insinuated into acquaintance with the Empress and with her Eunuchs and Chamberlains and whereas one Eusebius was chief of the Eunuchs through the perswasions of this lewd Priest he became an Arian and infected the other Eunuchs of his Company Yea the Empress also by the enticements of this Priest and her Eunuchs fell into
them so that every one looked upon him as a Tyrant Yea he grew into such hatred of the multitude that on a time they rose up against him whilst he was in the Church and he hardly escaped being torn in peices by them which so affrighted him that he immediately fled to the Emperour Hereupon the friends of Athanasius recovered their Churches again but they kept them but a while for the Praefect of the Egyptian Souldiers drave them out and restored the Churches to the followers of Georgius The Emperour also sending his Secretary to Alexandria he grievously punished many of the people whipping and scourging them in a cruel manner and shortly after him came Georgius and for the aforementioned causes was far more terrible to them then formerly he had been which procured him their implacable hatred both for incensing the Emperour against them and for his Heretical opinions and cruel usage of them But not long after in a tumult raised by the Gentiles Georgius was pulled out of the Church by the Ears tyed to a Camel torn in peices and burned to ashes together with the Beast Constantius the Emperour also dyed and Julian the Apostate succeeded him about which time Athanasius returned to Alexandria and was lovingly and chearfully entertained by his people the Arians were banished and the Church was restored to the Government of Athanasius But the Arians took occasion from his former flight exceedingly to reproach and traduce him whereupon he made this Apology Behold saith Athanasius the lewd practises of wicked persons although they are privy to the hainous offences committed against me yet are they nothing ashamed of them but charge me with a foul spot in their opinion and blemish of infamy for escaping the hands of cut-throats and blood-suckers yea they beshrew themselves that they dispatched me not out of the way Moreover that they may stain my credit and estimation they fall to accuse me of faint-heartedness and a timorous disposition being forgetful that whilest they blaze these things to my dispraise they cause the shame to light upon their own pates For if it be a discredit to fly the hands of a Tyrant how much more for them to persecute a man to death He that flyeth seeks means to save his life But he that persecuteth goeth about to procure anothers death That we should fly in such cases the Scripture doth warrant us but in thirsting after the blood of our brother the command is broken and the author thereof is found the chief cause of the flight If they blame me for giving them the slipt they are worthy of far greater shame and reprehension themselves For let them cease from persecuting and threatning with death and then will I cease from running away But their spite and malice hath no end they do nought else but devise snares to bring men to destruction Yea though they know full well that the slight of the persecuted is a foul shame to the Persecutors For no man flieth from the gentle and meek but from the cruel and wicked man They that were far indebted to others gave Saul the slip and fled unto David Wherefore these men go about to dispatch such as convey themselves out of their way least the lewdness of their Bishops should be manifestly known Herein also they seem to be stark blinde For look how evident the slight is far more apparent wil their slaughter and banishment seem unto the World If they murther men death no doubt lifteth up her voice and soundeth out their cruelty If they banish them therein they set up monuments for the remembrance of their wicked doings Had they been in their right wits they might have perceived their own folly and seen themselves overthrown in their own devices If they reproachfully charge them with hiding themselves from such as seek their lives and accuse them for flying from the hands of their Persecutors what have they to say when they read that Jacob fled from the face of his brother Esau and that Moses for fear of Pharaoh conveyed himself to Madian what have these contentious quarrellers to say unto David who fled from Saul which sent some of his Guard to slay him who hid himself in a Cave counterfeited his person untill he had subtilly past Abimelech the Priest and avoided their laying of wait for him what answer can these rash bablers give when they see that the great Prophet Elias who so devoutly called upon the name of God and raised the dead was fain to flie from and hide himself from Ahab and run away because of the threats of Jezebel The sons of the Prophets also in those days being sought for hid themselves and through the help of good Obadiah were sustained in Caves Have they not read these ancient stories Are they ignorant also of what the Evangelists have written For the Disciples fearing the Jews fled and were scattered abroad in divers Countries Paul also being at Damascus and sought for by the Governor of that country was let down over the wall in a basket and so escaped the danger The Scripture therefore having shewed us these things what colour can they finde to cloak their impudent cavils If they charge them with timerousness and fear the fault recoils and lights upon their own distempered brains If they say it is contrary to the Will of God then are they found altogether ignorant of the Word of God For it s commanded in the Law that Sanctuaries and Cities of Refuge should be appointed for such as were pursued to death where they might live in safety Yea what saith Christ When they shall persecute you in one City fly into another And again saith Christ When you shall see the abomination of desolation mentioned by the Prophet Daniel standing in the Holy place then let them that be in Judaea flie into the Mountains He that is on the House top let him not come down to take ought out of the House and let not him that is in the Field return home for his rayment Holy men having learned these things framed their lives thereafter Yea the Word of God being made man sticked not to hide himself as we commonly do when he was sought for he fled to avoid the conspiracies of Herod and afterwards of the Pharisees which persecuted him For as by his patient suffering of hunger and thirst and such miseries he shewed himself to be true man so also by flying away from the face of his Adversaries And as in his childhood he fled into Egypt from Herod so when he heard that Archelaus reigned in his Fathers stead it pleased him to go aside into the parts of Nazareth Afterwards when he manifested himself to be God and healed the withered hand the Pharisees went out and took counsel how they might dispatch him but Jesus perceiving their conspiracy conveyed himself from amongst them Again when he restored Lazarus to life they took counsel how they might put him to death Jesus therefore
to bring the glad tidings of the Gospel to them And whereas some of the Marcionites had infected the parts about Ancyra with their Errors he procured an Edict from the Emperour which he sent to the Bishop of Ancyra to expel them out of their places Also whereas one Gainas a great man in Scytia of an Insolent and Tyrannical spirit had importuned the Emperour for a Church for himself and his followers being Arians the Emperour acquainted Chrysostom with it telling him that he durst not say him nay He desired to speak with this Gainas before the Emperour where in his presence he so daunted the proud Tyrant with his stout and resolute speeches that he caused him to be ashamed of his request and to be content without it Yea he afterwards so prevailed with Gainas that when he had invaded some parts of the Empire he brought him not only to make peace with the Emperour Arcadius but also to set his Prisoners free He stoutly told Eudoxia the Empress that for her covetousness she would be called a second Jezabel she thereupon sent him a threatning message to which he answered Go tell her Nil◠nisi peccatum timeo I fear nothing but sin yet when she confederating with some others his Enemies had procured his banishment into Hieron as he went forth of the City he said None of these things trouble me but I said within my self If the Queen will let her banish me The Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof if she will let her saw me a sunder Isaiah suffered the same if she will let her cast me into the Sea I will remember Ionah if she will let her cast me into a burning fiery Fornace or amongst wilde Beasts the three Children and Daniel were so dealt with if she will let her stone me or cut off my head I have S. Steven and the Baptist my blessed companions if she will let her take away all my substance Naked came I out of my mothers womb and naked shall I return thither again He was so beloved that on a time when he was like to be silenced the people cryed out Satius est ut Sol non luceat quà m ut non doceat Chrysostomus We had better want the shining of the Sun then the Preaching of Chrysostom He used to say As a great showr of rain extinguisheth the force of fire so meditation of Gods Word puts out the fire of lust in the soul And as a Boat over-laden sinks so much wealth drowns men in perdition And a bulwark of Adamant is not more impregnable then the Love of Brethrer And as a rock though windes and waves beat against it is unmovable so Faith grounded on the Rock Christ holds out in all temptations and spiritual combats And the Divels first assault is violent resist that and his second will be weaker and that being resisted he proves a coward His Works were printed very acurately in Greek by Sir Henry Savill at Eaton Colledge Anno Christi 1613. in eight Volumes AVGVSTINVS The Life of Augustine who dyed An. Christi 430. AVgustine was an African by birth of Thagasta of pious parents Patricius and Monica who by breeding their son in Learning much weakned their estate He attained to singular skill in the liberal Arts wherein he was much holpen by the bountiful contribution of Romanian a Noble Gentleman In his youth he was vitious in manners and erroneous in judgement tainted with the Error of the Manichees He first taught Grammer in his own City where he was born Then Rhetorick in the Regal City of Carthage Afterwards he went to Rome and from thence to Millain where he was Tutor to Valentinian the Fifth And by the Doctrine and Wisdom of Ambrose he was reduced from his Error and Baptized after which he wholly set his heart to seek the Lord regarding neither honour nor riches being then about thirty years old This much rejoyced Monica his Mother then a Widdow who was more glad that her son devoted himself to the Service of God then she would have been of having Grand-children by him He also gave over reading of Rhetorick leaving his Scholars to seek them a new Master After this he returned into Africa spent his time in Watchings Fastings and Prayer serveing God both day and night and at last was chosen Minister in Hippo where he Preached both by Life and Doctrine diligently But before this it fell out that a certain Great man at Hippo hearing the fame of Augustine both for his Life and Learning was very desirous to see and speak with him promising to himself that he should easily be perswaded to forsake the World with the allurements of it and all the lusts of the flesh if he could but once hear the Word of God taught by him which when Augustine was informed of by faithful witnesses being desirous to deliver a soul from the perils of this life and eternal death hereafter he hasted to Hippo where he visited and often preached to the man exhorting him to remember his promise and to perform his Vows to God yet he deferred the performance of it from day to day neither did Augustine at that time see his desires accomplished At this time one Valerius was Bishop of Hippo who the necessity of the Church requiring it was very solicitous to procure a Minister for that place whereupon when the Congregation was assembled he exhorted and perswaded them seeing they now had experience of the Life and Doctrine of Augustine to make choice of him Augustine not suspecting any such matter was present amongst them Hereupon the people laid hold of him and presented him to the Bishop all of them with one heart and mouth earnestly desirng that he might be their Minister At this Augustine wept very much which some of them misinterpreting laboured to comfort him saying that though he deserved a better place yet being called to the Ministry he was in the next degree to a Bishop whereas indeed the cause of his weeping was because he foresaw how many and great perils hung over his head by undertaking the Government of that Church Thus being made a Presbyter for that place he associated to himself some others which might live with him according to the example of the Primitive Church having all things in common Valerius the Bishop being a very godly man rejoyced exceedingly and gave thanks to God for answering his Prayers by such a special Providence sending him one so able by his Doctrine to edifie the Church of Christ and this he did the rather because himself being by Nation a Grecian was not so fit nor able to instruct that people as was Augustine and contrary to the use and custom of the African Churches he permitted yea urged Augustine often to Preach in his own presence for which some other Bishops reproached him But this Venerable and good man knowing that it was usual in
Wood or Marble His Table rather for Discourse and Disputation then for rich Banqueting and it had Ingraven upon it Quisquis amat dictis absentem rodere famam Hanc mensam indictam noverit esse sibi He that doth love an absent friend to jeer May hence depart no room is for him heer Which rule some of his Fellow Bishops upon a time forgetting he sharply reprehended them for it and told them that he must either blot those Verses out of his Table or arise from dinner and go to his chamber He would never buy either House or Land but any thing that was given to the Church he would not refuse it yet he often refused Inheritances when dying persons would have given them to the Church not but that he thought theâ— might be profitable to the Poor but because he judged it fit and equal that their Children Parents or Kindred should rather inherit them often saying that it was fitter that Legacies should be left to the Church then Inheritances which are troublesome and sometimes chargeable yet those Legacies he would have freely given and not begged or extorted from men He was almost wholly taken up with heavenly affairs wherein he labored both day and night with Mary choosing the better part which could not be taken from him He was very careful of the Poor and in case of great want would â—ell the Ornaments of the Church for their relief And when the Church stock was spent he used to declare to the people that he had nothing left wherewith to relieve the Poor that thereby he might stir up their charity to contribute to so good a work All his Presbyters lived with him in the same House fed with him at the same Table and were maintained and clothed out of the common purse He always judged it fit that Ministers should be present at Marriages both to testifie the mutual consents and compromises and to bestow his Benediction upon the married persons He always kept Scholars in his house whom he fed and clothed He was so severe against Oaths that he abated of their allowance to those that swore He never admitted women into his house though of his own kindred no not his own Sister when she was a Widdow and had wholly devoted her self to the Service of God nor his Uncles daughter nor his Brothers daughter saying that though they might dwell in his house without suspition yet they could not be without Maids or other Women would come to visit them which could not be without offence and scandal and when any Women sent to him being desirous to see or speak with him he would always have some of his Ministers present and would never speak with them alone He praised one who when he was sick said I have not lived so that I am ashamed to live longer nor do I fear to dye having so good a Master to go to In his latter days he looked over all his Books Those which he wrote at his first Conversion whilst he was a Lay-man and those which he wrote when he was a Minister and lastly those which he wrote when he was a Bishop and whatsoever he found in them less agreeing with the Word of God and the Ecclesiastical Constitutions he corrected or retracted Of which he wrote two Volumes which he called his Retractations He complained also that some Ministers had gotten and divulged some of his Books before he had perfected them though afterwards he amended them Yet being prevented by death he left some of his Books unperfected And being desirous to profit all knowing that many were desirous to read much which yet for want of time they could not do out of the Old and New Testament he collected such Precepts as concerned the rule of a Christian Life and such things as were forbidden in the same which he composed into a Book adding a Preface to it that so every one which pleased might read it and thereby discern how obedient or disobedient he was unto God and this he called A Looking-Glass But shortly after brake out by the permission of God that hideous inundation of Goths and Vandals and other Northern people who were ensis Dei Gods sword to punish the pride of the Romane Empire These sailing out of Spain arrived in Africk over-running the whole Country of Mauritania and other African Provinces and Countries laying all waste before them and destroying all they could with barbarous cruelty and inhumanity filling all places with torments of all sorts murthers burnings and with innumerable and abominable depopulations sparing neither sex nor age no not the Ministers of Jesus Christ The Churches Ornaments they plundered the Churches themselves they demolished and like incarnate Devils made havock of all This holy man of God lived to see these grievous calamities and was not affected with them only as other men were but considering them more deeply and profoundly and in them foreseeing the great danger of souls he poured forth Prayers and tears day and night For he saw Cities subverted Villages destroyed the Inhabitants being either slain or driven away Churches destitute of Ministers holy Virgins defloured some of them dying under their torments some slain with the sword some led into captivity in danger of having their souls infected with Error and Heresie and their bodies enslaved under a cruel Enemy He saw the Psalms of Thanksgiving ceased in the Congregations the Temples burned and the solemn Assemblies to be given over The Sacraments either not to be sought after or none to dispense them to those that desired them And for those which fled into Mountains Woods Desarts Caves of the Earth or to any other places of refuge they were either hunted out and slain or perished with famine and drought The Bishops and Ministers of Churches which had by the goodness of â—od escaped their bloody hands being spoiled of all things went about begging their bread He scarce saw of all the innumerable Churches of Africk three remaining viz. Carthage Hippo and Circe which through Gods mercy yet remained in some safety though not long after his death Hippo being sorsaken of her Inhabitants was burned by the Enemy These things this good man much bewailed and that which much encreased his sorrow was that just now the Enemies were coming to besiege Hippo the Governor whereof was one Earl Boniface This siege lasted fourteen moneths wherein Augustine with his fellow Bishops that were fled thither for refuge and his Presbyters exercised themselves wholly in Prayers and Tears intreating the Father of Mercies to be merciful to them and to preserve his Church from the rage of the Adversaries And one day as they sate at dinner together Augustine said to them You know Brethren that from the beginning of this siege my daily Prayers have been that God would either free us from it or give his servants patience and courage to undergo what he imposeth or to take me out of
this present evil World and I believe that God will answer my desire And indeed accordingly in the third moneth of the siege he fell sick of a Feaver which proved his last sickness neither would God defraud his servant of the fruit of his Prayers And indeed he was very powerful in Prayers so that sometimes thereby he hath cast out Devils and restored sick men to their health His Feaver proved so violent that he dyed in the same third moneth of the siege In his sickness he breathed forth most pious ejaculations He made no Will having nothing to bestow but only Books upon several Libraries He dyed Aged 76. Anno Christi 430. having been a Minister 40 years It 's written of him that after his first Conversion to the Faith he was grievously vexed with inward conflicts against his corrupt affections complaining of his inward hereditary habitual inveterate vices and after long strugling with them by purposes vows strong resolutions watching fasting self-revenge and other good means finding still his own weakness and the encreasing violence of his corruptions as he was intentively musing and meditating what to do more he heard a voice saying In te stas non stas whereupon rightly apprehending that his own strength of wit carnal reason and other powers and helps of nature could not serve the turn for the effecting of that which was the proper and peculiar work of Grace he betook himself to his Saviour by humble faithful and fervent Prayer and at last found such assistance from the Holy Spirit of Grace as strengthned him to stand and make good his resolutions with more comfort then before His usual with was that Christ when he came might finde him aut Precantem aut Praedicantem either Praying or Preaching When the Donatists upbraided him unworthily with the impiety and impurity of his former Life Look said he how much they blame my former fault by so much the more I commend and praise my Physitian He used to say Holy Marriage is better then proud Virginity And again Prayer that is pure and holy pierceth Heaven and returns not empty It 's a shelter to the Soul a sacrifice to God and a scourge to the Divel And again There is nothing that more abateth sin then the frequent meditation of Death He cannot die ill that lived well aud seldom doth he die well that lived ill A Christian at home in his house must think himself a stranger and that his Country is above where he shall be no stranger And again If men want wealth it is not to be unjustly gotten if they have it they ought by good works to lay it up in Heaven He that hath tasted the sweetness of Divine love will not care for temporal sweetness The reasonable Soul made in the likeness of God may here finde much careful distraction but no full satisfaction for it being capable of God can be satisfied with nothing but God Not to be without affliction but to overcome affliction is blessedness Love is strong as death for as death kils the body so love of eternal life kils worldly desires and affections He called Ingratitude the Devils Sponge wherewith he wipes out all the favors of the Almighty He so admired and loved the seven Penitential Psalms that he caused them to be written in great letters and hung within the curtains of his Death-bed that so he might give up the Ghost in the contemplation and meditation of them His Prayer was Lord give first what thou requirest and then require of me what thou wilt And He that prays well cannot chuse but live well His Works are printed in nine Tomes at Basil by Froben The Life of Cyril of Alexandria who flourished Anno Christi 430. THeophilus Bishop of Alexandria falling into a Lethargy shortly after dyed whereupon a great contention arose about the Election of a new Bishop some standing for Timotheus the Archdeacon and others for Cyrillus Abudatius the Captain of the Garrison laboured all that he could to prefer Timothy but the other party prevailed and so Cyril was chosen and setled in the Bishoprick About this time Nestorius the Heretick vented his blasphemous opinions against the Deitie of our Saviour Christ whom Cyril answered and confuted Upon this the Emperour Theodosius minor summoned a Council at Ephesus in which Cyril was chosen President and where with much learning and judgement he confuted Nestorius and Pelagius So that the Council after serious examination and deliberation pronounced this sentence To omit the other abominable wickednesses of Nestorius because being sent for by us he hath refused to appear neither would he receive those godly and religious Bishops whom we sent to confer with him being therefore forced by necessity we proceeded to the examniation of his wicked opinions and finding partly by the Epistles and Books that he hath written and partly by his words which in this famous City he hath lately spoken which by sufficient witness have been proved before us that he holds and publisheth Heretical opinions contrary to the Word of God and the Canons of the holy Councils we therefore not without many tears are forced to pass this severe sentence against him and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ whom he hath so grosly and grievously blasphemed doth by us Decree that Nestorious be deposed from his Rishoprick and excommunicated from the holy Assemblies of the Ministers of God Which sentence the Emperour Theodosius did also approve of and confirm and withall banished him to Oasis and God to shew the severity of his justice against blasphemers strake him with an incurable disease whereby his tongue rotted and breeding many Worms was devoured by them so that he ended his wretched life after a most miserable manner This Cyril was by birth a Grecian and as one testifies of him was Vir doctus sanctus a learned and holy man He was President in the Council at Ephesus where with much learning and judgement he confuted Nestorius and Pelagius He was admirably experienced in the holy Scriptures flourished under Theodosius junior he was so famous for piety eloquence and wit that the Grecian Bishops gat some of his Homilies by heart and recited them to their people After twenty two years labor in the Government of that Church he quietly yeelded up his spirit unto God Anno Christi 448. under Theodosius junior He used to say It 's the best way for a rich man to make the Bellies of the Poor his Barn to succour the fatherless and needy and thereby to lay up treasure in Heaven that he may be received into everlasting habitations And Where the Scripture wants a tongue of expression we need not lend an ear of attention we may safely knock at the Council door of Gods secrets but if we go further we may be more bold then welcome And again The Devil runs
justly spoken and in consenting to the wicked condemnation of Huss and that he repented with his whole heart that ever he did it This so enraged them that they proceeded to condemn him whereupon he said I after my death will leave a remorse in your conscience and a nail in your hearts Et cito vos omnes at respondeatis mihi coram altissimo justissimo judice post centum annos I here cite you all to answer to me before the most High and just Judge within a hundred years When he was brought forth to Execution they prepared a great and long paper painted about with red Divels which when he beheld throwing away his hood he took the Miter and put it on his head saying Our Lord Jesus Christ when he suffered death for me â—ost â—â—wretched sinner did wear a crown of thorns upon his head and I for his sake will willingly wear this Cap. As he went to the place of Execution he sung some Hymns and coming to the place of Execution where John Huss was burned he kneeled down and prayed fervently He was bound to the Image of John Huss and so fire was set to him which he endured with admirable valor for standing at the stake bound and the Executioner kindling the fire behinde him he bade him kindle it before his face For said he If I had been afraid of is I had not come to this place having had so many opportunities offered to me to escape it The whole City of Constance admired his constancie and Christian magnanimity in fuffering death At the giving up the Ghost he said Hanc animam in flammis offero Christe tibi This soul of mine in slames of fire O Christ I offer thee An aliquid ab Hieronymo Pragensi scriptum sit posterisque relictum ignoro credibile verum est virum tam doctum ac eloquentem quaedam scripsisse Orationes quas in Academiis illu strioribus habuit tum Themata quae proposuit forte in lucem edita suppressa fuare extincta ab iis qui more suo lucem ferre nequeunt MARTIN LVTHER The Life of Martin Luther who flourished Anno Christi 1500. MArtin Luther was born at at Isleben in the Earldom of Mansfield Anino Christ 1483. of good parents His Fathers name was John Luther who first lived at Isleben and afterwards removed to Manfield where he had some metal Mines and was chosen a Magistrate and was grateful to all for the integrity of his life His Mothers name was Margaret Lindeman who was adorned with such Virtues as became an honest Matron but especially she was eminent for chastity the fear of God and often calling upon his name Assoon as this their son was capable of Learning they first trained him up in the knowledge and fear of God and in the Exercise of other virtues under their own wings Then their care was to educate him in humane Learning for which end they set him to school to George Aemilius and though at this time the darkness of Popery had much obscured the light of Truth yet it pleased God to preserve in the Schools the Catechisms containing the Principles of Religion the use of singing Psalms and some forms of Prayer At fourteen years of age he went to Magdeburg where he lived a poor Scholar one year From thence he was removed by his Parents to Isenach where was a famous School and where he first tasted the sweetness of Learning and so after a while went thence to the University of Erford Anno Christi 1501. There he profited so much in the knowledge of Logick and other Learning that the whole University admired his wit At twenty years old he was made Master of Arts and Professor of Physicks Ethicks and other parts of Philosophy Then he betook himself to the study of the Law but at the age of twenty one being affrighted at the violent death of a faithful companion of his whom he dearly loved he betook himself into the Augustine Monks Colledge in Erford writing to his parents the reason why he changed the course of his life In the Library of that Colledge he met with a copy of a Latine Bible which he had never seen before and with admiration observed that there were more portions of holy Scripture then were read in the Churches which made him wish that he had the like book And it pleased God that not long after he obtained his desire and fell close to the study thereof some sickness and fear also whening him on in those studies Afterwards falling into a violent disease which threatned death an old Priest came to him saying Sir be of good courage your disease is not mortal God will raise you up to afford comfort to many others which also came to pass and he was much cheared up by conference with that Priest who largely discoursed with him about Justification by Faith and explained the Articles of the Creed to him Then did Luther read over Augustines Works where he found the same Doctrine of Justification by Faith frequently confirmed He read over the School-men also especially Occam and in these studies he spent five years in that Collegde Anno Christi 1507. he was made Presbyter and John Staupicius endeavouring to promote the University of Wittenberg then lately begun knowing the wit and Learning of Luther removed him thither Anno Christi 1508. when he was but 26 years old where by his labors he did much good Three years after he was sent to Rome in the behalf of his Convent where he saw the Pope and the manner of the Roman Clergy concerning which he saith At Rome I heard them say Mass in such a manner as I detest them for at the Communion Table I heard Curtisans laugh and boast of their wickedness and others concerning the Bread and Wine of the Altar Saying Bread thou art and Bread thou shalt remain Wine thou art and Wine thou shalt remain Upon his return from Rome he was made Doctor in Divinity at the charge of Duke Frederick Elector of Saxonie who heard him Preach and admired the foundness of his Invention the strength of his Arguments and the excellency of the things which he delivered Soon after he began to explain the Epistle to the Romans and some Psalms where he shewed the difference between the Law and Gospel refuted Justification by Works c. And his demeanor agreed with his Doctrine his speech seemed to come from his heart not from his lips only Then he betook himself to the study of the Greek and Hebrew This year 1517. was by the account of Scultetus the 356. from the Reformation of Religion in France by the Waldenses the 146. from the first confutation of Popish Errors in England by John Wicklief The 116. from the first year of the Ministry of John
Professor of Divinity in that City though the Popish party sought by all means to oppose it where he read on the Prophet Isaiah and after awhile he was called to a Pastoral charge in that City to the great regret of the Papists Anno Christi 1524. In that City he caused Infants to be Baptized in the Dutch Tongue He administred the Lords Supper in both kindes by the consent of the Magistrates He confuted by the holy Scriptures the Sacrifice of the Mass Purgatory and other Popish Traditions of the like kinde whereupon by little and little they vanished away Upon this John â—ochlaeus sent Letters to him from Stutgard full of great promises thereby endeavouring to withdraw him from the Truth and the Mass Priests thundred against him and his companions saying that they deserved the punishment of the worst Hereticks But the Magistrates of Basil commanded all the Preachers within their Jurisdiction to Preach to the People the Word of God and not of men and to abstain from railing and evill speeches threatning severe punishments to those that offended against their Proclamation so that not long after there was a general Reformation of Religion not only in Basil but in the parts adjacent A Decree being made by the Senate that as well within the City of Basil as without throughout all their Jurisdiction the Mass with all Idols should be abandoned and the Ash-wednesday following all the Wooden Images were distributed amongst the Poor of the City to serve them for fire-wood but when they could not agree upon the dividing of them it was Decreed that all the said Images should be burnt together so that in nine great heaps all the stocks and Idols were the same day burnt to ashes before the great Church door Oecolampadius also like a faithful Minister of Jesus Christ was careful to restore Christs Discipline and brought in the censure of Excommunication And presently after being sent for to Vlm together with Blaurerus and Bucer he carryed on the work of Reformation there At Marpurg by the invitation of the Lantgrave of Hess there was a Disputation for three days between Luther Jonas and Melancthon on the one part and Oecolampadius Zuinglius and others on the other about the controversie concerning Christs presence in the Sacrament but the Sweating sickness breaking out there put an end to it yet they agreed about all other Fundamentals in Religion and parted in a brotherly manner Oecolampadius returning to Basil spent the remainder of his days in preaching reading writing publishing of books visiting the sick c. Anno Christi 1531. and of his Age 49. he fell sick about the same time that Zuinglius was so unhappily slain the grief of whose death much aggravated his weakness yet intermitted he not his labors till an Ulcer breaking forth about his Os sacrum he was forced to keep his bed and though his friends Physitians and Chyrurgeons used all means for his cure yet he told them that his disease was mortal He spent his time in Divine meditations and comforting his friends and sending for the Ministers of the Churches to him he spake to this purpose O my Brethren the Lord is come he is come he is now calling me away c. I desired to speak with you to encourage you to continue faithful followers of Christ to persevere in purity of Doctrine in lives conformable to the Word of God Christ will take care for the defence of his Church therefore Let your light so shine forth before men that they may see your good Works c. continue in love unfeigned walk as in Gods presence adorn your Doctrine with holiness of life a cloud is arising atempest is coming and some will fall off but it becomes you to stand fâ—st and God will assist you c. For my self I pass not the aspersions that are cast upon me I bless God I shall with a clear conscience stand before the Tribunal of Christ I have not seduced the Church of Christ as some affirm but leave you all witnesses that at my last gasp I am the same that formerly I was He had nothing to give and therefore made no Will The fifteenth day of his sickness he called for his children took them by the hand strok't them on the head and though the eldest was but three years old yet he said unto them Go to my three children see that you love God Then speaking to his wife and kindred he desired them to take care that his children might be brought up in the fear of God and then commanded them to be taken away The Ministers continued with him that night and a certain friend coming to him Oecolampadius asked him what news his friend answered None but saith he I 'le tell you some news I shall presently be with my Lord Christ and some asking him whether the light offended him he putting his hand to his heart said Here 〈◊〉 abundance of light In the morning he prayed earnestly with the words of David in the 51. Psalm which he repeated from the beginning to the end and presently after said O Christ save me and so he fell asleep in the Lord. The Papists spread many lyes abroad of his death some said that in dispair he slew himself others that he was murthered or poysoned c. He dyed Anno Christi 1521. and of his Age 51. Erasmus wrote to his friends concerning his Book about the Sacrament Oecolampadium emisisse libellum tam accuratè scriptum tot machinis argumentorum tótque testimoniis instructum ut posset vel electos in errorem pertrahere In the beginning of Reformation he was another Doctor in Helvetia of a milde and quiet wit Somewhat slow in dispatching businesses but very circumspect He took pleasure in nothing so much as in reading and writing Commentaries wherein he wrote upon Genesis Psalms Job Isaiah Jeremie Ezekiel Daniel and most of the small Prophets as also upon the Books of the New Testament Before his Conversion he was superstitiously religious So oft as he read the words of Institution of the Lords Supper he thought that some spiritual sense was included in them and yet still drave out those thoughts with this Wilt thou be wiser then other men You should believe as others believe But it pleased God at last to inlighten him with his truth which he submitted to He was most studious of the peace and concord of the Church He excelled in the knowledge of the Latine Greek and Hebrew and was very skilful in Ecclesiastical Antiquities He was older then Martin Luther by one year Scripta ejus vel sunt Exegetica vel Didascalica vel Apologetica vel conversa è Graeco Multa praeterea ab ejus amicis edita multa ab Hedione aliis Germanicè conversa Multa a Gastione collecta quae non sunt impressa
Most High which I also miserable sinner have often tasted and felt whereas before I had spent all that I had upon these ignorant Physitians so that I had little strength left in me less money and least wit and understanding But at last I heard speak of Jesus even then when the New Testament was translated by Erasmus which when I understood to be eloquently done I bought it being allured thereto rather by the elegant Latine then the Word of God for at that time I knew not what it meant and looking into it by Gods special Providence I met with those words of the Apostle S. Paul This is a true saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners Whereof I am the chief O most sweet and comfortable sentence to my soul This one sentence through Gods instruction and inward working did so exhilarate my heart which before was wounded with the guilt of my sins and being almost in despair that immediately I found marvellous comfort and quietness in my soul so that my bruised bones did leap for joy After this the Scripture began to be more sweet unto me then the Hony and the Honycomb whereby I learned that all my Travels Fastings Watchings Redemption of Masses and Pardons without Faith in Christ were but as S. Augustine cals them an hasty and swift running out of the right way and as the Fig-leaves which could not cover Adams nakedness Neither could I ever obtain quietness and rest or be eased of the sharp stings and bitings of my sinâ— till I was taught of God that Lesson Joh. 3. 14 15. As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life Assoon as according to the measure of grace given unto me by God I began to taste and rellish this heavenly Lesson which none can teach but God only I desired the Lord to encrease my Faith and at last desired nothing more then that I being so comforted by him might be enabled by his holy Spirit and Grace from above to teach the wicked his ways which are all Mercy and Truth that so sinners might be converted to him by me I did with my whole power teach that all men should first acknowledge their sins and condemn them and afterwards hunger and thirst for that righteousness which is by Faith in Christ c. For these things I have been cryed out of attached and am now cast into Prison though I exhorted all men not so to cleave to outward Ceremonies as to be satisfied therewith and so to loath and wax weary of Christ c. Yet at last through infirmity rather then by conviction he was drawn to abjure and submit himself Anno Christi 1529. After Mr. Bilneys Abjuration which we mentioned before he fell into such terrors of conscience that he was near the point of utter despair and returning to Cambridge he continued under such terrors that his friends were fain to be with him night and day endeavoring to comfort him but all in vain this continued a whole year he was in such anguish that nothing did him good neither eating nor drinking c. yea he thought that all the Word of God was against him and sounded his condemnation But Anno Christi 1531. he began through Gods mercy to feel some comfort being resolved to lay down his life for that Truth which before he had renounced whereupon taking his leave of his friends he went into Norfolk preaching first in private to confirm the Brethren afterwards in the fields confessing his fact and intreating all to beware by him and never to trust to their fleshly friends in the cause of Religion At Norwich he was apprehended and by the Bishop cast into prison whither Dr. Cole and Dr. Stoaks were sent to dispute with him but Bilneys Doctrine and good life so prevailed with Cole that he was somewhat reclaimed and brought to favor the Gospel Also whilst he was at Ipswich there came one Fryar Brusierd to reason with him about those things which he had taught at which time Mr. Bilney told him that the signs and lying wonders attributed by S. Paul to the Pope were those wonders which were dayly wrought in the Church not by the power of God but by the illusions of Satan whereby he labors to draw men to put their Faith in our Lady and other Saints and not in God alone as we are commanded in the holy Scriptures This free speech so incensed the Fryar that he spake thus to him But that I believe and know that God and all his Saints will take everlasting revenge upon thee I would surely with these nails of mine be thy death for this horrible and enormous injury against the pretious blood of Christ. For whereas God saith I desire not the death of a sinner but rather that he should convert and live thou blasphemest him as though he should lay privy snares for us to betray us which were it true we might say with Hugo de Sancta victoria If it be an Error it is of thee O God that we are deceived for these be confirmed with such signs and wonders which cannot be done but by thee alone But I see you rest the Scriptures to a reprobate sense so that I am scarce able to hold mine Eyes from tears hearing these words from you therefore farewel During his latter Imprisonment they used many means to have withdrawn him from his stedfastness which not prevailing he was condemned to death The day before his Execution some friends finding him eating heartily with much cheerfulness and a quiet minde said that they were glad to see him at that time so heartily to refresh himself O said he I imitate those who having a â—uinous house to dwel in yet bestow cost as long as they may to hold it up Discoursing further with them for their edification some put him in minde of the heat of the fire yet told him withal that the comforts of Gods Spirit should cool it to his everlasting refreshing whereupon he putting his finger into the flame of the candle as also he did at divers other times I feel said he by experience that fire is hot yet I am perswaded by Gods holy Word and by the experience of some spoken of in it that in the flame they felt no heat and in the fire no consumption and I believe that though the stubble of my body be wasted yet my soul shall be purged thereby and after short pain will be joy unspeakable alleaging that text Isai. 43. 1 2. The next morning the Officers fetching him to Execution a certain friend intreated him to be constant and to take his death patiently to whom he said I am sailing with the Marriner through a boisterous Sea but shortly shall be in the Haven
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
which place he continued all his life and carried himself with much sedulity pioty and prudence in the same alwaies maintaining love and concord with his Colleagues And in his Sermons he preached over the Pentateuch and the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. And whereas one Peter a Soto a Spaniard wrote a Confession of the Roman Faith and made some Annotations upon the forementioned Confession of Wirtemburg labouring to bespatter and traduce it Brentius answered this out of the Scriptures and Fathers defending the Doctrine of the Protestants against the opinions of the Papists and the Decrees of the Councill of Trent which he confuted so that a blind man might perceive the Idolatries of the Romanists to be condemned by the Word of God Anno Christi 1557 he was sent by his Prince to the Conference at Worms which came to nothing because the Popish party would not suffer that the Scripture should be the Judg of their Controversies In his old age hee wrote upon the Psalmes And whereas there were many Monasteries in Wirtemburg out of which the Friars were driven he perswaded his Prince to turne them to Schooles for the training up of youth in learning which was accordingly done and once in two years Brentius visited those Schools and took notice how the Scholars profited in Learning and encouraged them to make a daily progresse therein He had almost finished his Comment upon the Psalms when as his old age worn out with studies and labours put a period unto the same and his end was hastned by grief for the immature death of his Prince for whom he professed that he would willingly have sacrificed all his estate his own life also Falling into a feaver whereby he perceived that his end approached he made his Will wherein he set down a Confession of his Faith And sending for the Ministers of Stutgard hee caused his sonne to read it to them and requested them to subscribe their hands as witnesses to it He also received the Sacrament and exhorted them to unity in Doctrine and love amongst themselves He was exceeding patient in all his sickness neither by word nor gesture shewing the least impatience alwaies saying That he longed for a better even an eternall life The night before his death he slept sweetly and when he awaked the Minister repeated the Apostles Creed and asked him whether he dyed in that Faith to whom he answered Yea which was his last word and so he quietly resigned up his spirit unto God Anno Christi 1570 and of his Age seventy one He was buried with much honour and had this Epitaph Voce stylo pietate fide candore probatus Johannes tali Brentius ore fuit With voice stile piety faith and candor grac'd In outward shape John Brentius was thus fac'd He was of a bigge stature of a sirm health in which hee continued to his old age had strong fides a clear and full voice had many excellent virtues went through many great dangers with an undaunted spirit His piety to his Parents was very singular and his love to God and his Church exemplary He wrote many things which are printed in nine Tomes Most of which are mentioned before in his life The Life of Peter Viretus who died A no Christi 1571. PEter Viretus was born at Orba in the Country of the Bernates brought up in learning at Paris where he beganne to be acquainted with Farel whom afterwards he helpt much in setling the Churches in those parts But principally the Church of Lausanna where he spent many years in the Ministry and writing books to his great praise And when Calvin was sent to the Conference at Worms An. Chr. 1541 and from thence to Ratisbone he obtained of the Senate of Lausanna that Virete should supply his place at Geneva till his return and when he came back he much importuned that Virete might still continue there affirming that it would much conduce to the good of the Church at Geneva to enjoy his labours but he would needs return to Lausanna to his former charge Afterwards at the earnest entreaty of the French-Churches he went to Lions where in the middest of the Civill Warrs and the Pestilence which followed he with his Colleagues governed the Church with much prudence till by the Jesuits means Anno 1563 there was a Proclamation sent abroad that none but such as were Native French should be Preachers in the Protestant Churches upon which occasion many forraign Ministers were driven out of France and amongst the rest Master Virete Then at the earnest request of the Queen of Navarre he went to Bern where hee continued untill his death which was Anno Christi 1571 and of his Age sixty He was much bewailed of all good men Whilst he lived he was of a very weak constitution and the rather by reason of poyson which a Priest had given to him at Geneva as also because of some wounds that he had received from a Priest that lay in wait for him in another place where he was left for dead He was very learned of a sweet disposition and so exceeding Eloquent that he drew many to be his hearers which were no friends to Religion and they were so chained to his lips that they never thought the time long wherein he preached but alwaies wished his Sermons longer At Lions which was a populous City he preached in an open place and turned some thousands to the Truth and Faith in Christ yea some that passed by with no purpose to hear his Sermon Yet did he so work upon them that they neglected their other businesse to hearken to him At that time France enjoyed those three excellent Preachers Calvin Farel and Virete Calvin was famous for his Learning Farell for his earnestnesse and Viret for his Eloquence Whereupon Baza made these verses Gallica mirata est Calvinum Ecclesia nuper Quo nemo docuit doctius Est quoque te nuper mirata Farelle tonantem Quo nemo tonuit fortius Et miratur adhuc fundentem mella Viretum Quo nemo fatur dulciùs Scilicet aut tribus his servabere testibus olim Aut interibis Gallia Scripta Viretus reliquit Commentarios in Acta Apost De origine novae veteris Idololatriae lib. 5. Qua Imagines Reliquiae verae aut falsa sint Quis verus Mediator De origine continuatione usu authoritate atque praestantia Ministerii Verbi Dei Sacrament orum c. De vero Verbi Dei Sacramentorum Ecclâ—siae Ministerio lib. 2. De Adulterinis Sacramentis De Theatrica Missae saltatione c. De usu salutationis Augelicae c. Epistola ad fideles agentes inter Papistas Epistolae consolatoriae De officio hominis necessitate inquirendi de voluntate Dei ex ejus verbo c. Physicae Papalis Dialogi 5. Christianarum Disputationum Dialogi 6. Instructio Christiana
of Life where he first drew the Breath of Life After this he was made Bishop of Salisbury though with much reluctancy looking upon it as a great burthen In that office he took much paines both by Preaching and Governing and was very careful in providing faithfull Pastors and in reforming abuses Anno Christi 1560 he was called to preach at Pauls Cross where he took that Text 1 Cor. 11. 23. For I received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you c. In which Sermon he confirmed largely the Protestants Doctrine concerning the Sacrament of the Lords Supper by Scriptures and Fathers adding this solemn Protestation That if any Learned man of all our adversaries or if all the Learned men that be alive are able to shew any one sufficient sentence out of any old Catholick Doctor or Father or out of any old Generall Council or out of the holy Scriptures of God or any one example of the Primitive Church whereby it may be clearly and plainly proved That there was any private Masses in the world at that time for the space of six hundred years after Christ or that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper was ever administred to the people under one kind or that the people then had their Common Prayers in a strange tongue that they understood not or that the Bishop of Rome was then called a Universall Bishop or the Head of the Universall Church or that the people were taught to beleeve that Christs Body is really substantially corporeally carnally or naturally in the Sacrament or that his Body is or may be in above a thousand places at one time or that the Priest did then hold up the Sacrament over his head or that the people did then fall down and worship it with divine honour or that then the Sacrament was hanged up under a Canopy or that in the Sacrament after the words of consecration there remained onely the accidents or shews without the substance of Bread and Wine or that the Priest then divided the Sacrament in three parts and after received all alone himself or that whosoever had then said that the Sacrament is a figure pledge token or remembrance of Christs body had therefore been judged for an Heretick or that it was then lawfull to have thirty twenty fifteen or five Masses said in one Church in one day or that Images were then set up in Churches that the people might worship them or that the Lay-people were then forbidden to read the Word of God in their own language If any man alive can prove any one of these Articles by any one clear or plain clause or sentence of Scripture ancient Fathers or any one Generall Councill or any example of the Primitive Church I here promise that I will give over my opinion and subscribe to him Yea I further promise that if any of all our Adversaries be able clearly and plainly to prove in manner aforesaid that it was then lawfull for a Priest to pronounce the words of consecration closely and in silence to himself or that the Priest had then authority to offer up Christ unto his Father or to receive the Sacrament for another as they now do or apply the virtue of Christs death and passion to any man by means of the Mass or that then it was thought a sound doctrine to teach the people that the Mass ex opere operato is able to remove our sinnes or that any Christian man called the Sacrament his Lord and God or that the people were then taught to beleeve that the Body of Christ remaineth in the Sacranent so long as that bread remaineth without corruption or that a Mouse Worm or other creature may eat the Body of Christ or that Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion As I said before so say I new again if any of them can clearly prove any of these things in the manner aforesaid I promise to yeeld and subscribe unto him Indeed they have long boasted of Antiquity c. but when they are put to their proofs they can produce nothing I speake not this out of arrogancy thou Lord knowest it that knowest all things but because it is in the cause of God and for asserting his Truth I should doe God great injury if I should conceal it He was very bountifull in relieving the poor and wise in composing litigious strifes Besides his publick employments he read much and wrote much scarce any yeare in all the time of his Bishoprick passed wherein he published not some famous work or other Diu vixit licet non diâ— fuit He lived long in that short scantling of his life At Meales a Chapter being first read he recreated himself with Scholastical combats between young Scholars whom he maintained at his table the conquerors were bountifully rewarded After Meals his doors and eares were open to all suits and causes and then he retired to his study At nine a clock at night he called all his servants to an account how they had spent that day and after prayer admonished them accordingly Then he returned to his study where often he sate till after midnight When he was layd in bed one that waited upon him read some part of an Author to him which done commending himself to the protection of his Saviour he took his rest His memory was raised by art to the highest pitch of humane possibility for he could readily repeat any thing that he had penned after once reading it And therefore usually at the ringing of the bell he beganne to commit his Sermons to heart and kept what he learned so firmely that he used to say That if he were to make a speech premeditated before a thousand Auditors shouting of fighting all the while yet could he say all that he had provided to speak Many barbarous and hard names out of a Callender and forty strange words VVelsh Irish c. after once or twice reading at the most and short meditation he could repeat both forwards and backwards without hesitation And Sir Francis Bacon reading onely to him the last clauses of tenne lines in Erasmus his Paraphrase in a confused and dismembred manner he sitting silent a while on a sudden rehearsed all those broken parcels of sentences the right way and the contrary without stumbling Long before his sickness he fore-told the approaching and in his sicknesse the precise day of his death And hee was so farre from declining it that by fasting labour and watching he seemed rather to accelerate it that he might be the readier to entertain death and meet his Saviour Being very weak as he was going to preach at Lacock in Wiltshâ—re a Gentleman meeting him friendly admonished him to returne home for his healths sake telling him that it was better the people should want one Sermon then be altogether deprived of such a Preacher To whom he replyed That it best became a Bishop to die preaching in a
Letter advised with Master Calvin and other Ministers who upon mature deliberation told him that he could not refuse this call unlesse he would shew himselfe rebellious against God and unmercifull to his Country Whereupon he returned answer that he would come to them so soon as he could settle the affairs of that dear flock that was committed to his charge Shortly after he began his journy and arrived in Scotland that very day whereon the Bishops ended their Provinciall Councill and hearing that the brethren were met at Dundee he went to them and earnestly requested that he and his brethren might joyne together to make a confession of their faith which being assented to he went to St. Johnstons to them where also he preached to the people But presently came a summons that the Preachers should appear before the Queen Regent at Striveling which being known abroad the Protestants repaired in a peaceable manner to St. Johnstons to accompany their Preachers to the Queen and least such a multitude should affright her the Laird of Dun a zealous godly and prudent man went before to Striveling to acquaint the Queen that the cause of their meeting was onely with their Preachers to give in a confession of their faith and to assist them in their just defence The Queen very craftily solicited him to stay the multitude and the preachers also promising to take some good order about their affairs Yet when the Preachers appeared not upon the day appointed she put them to the Horne prohibiting all men upon pain of Rebellion to assist comfort relieve or receive any of them which treacherous dealing of hers so inflamed the multitude that neither the exhortation of the Preachers nor the command of the Magistrates could restraine them but that they pulled down the Images and all other monuments of Idolatry in St. Johnstons This being told to the Queen she was so much enraged at it that she vowed to destroy man woman and child in that place then utterly to burn the Towne and to sow it with salt for a perpetuall desolation The Protestant Congregation hearing hereof presently wrote a Letter to the Queen and caused it to be laid on her Cushion where she sat at Mass wherein they declared that except she moderated her wrath and stayed her intended cruelty they should be compelled to take the Sword in their just defence against all that should pursue them for matters of Religion and for their Conscience sake which ought not to be subject to any mortal creature farther then Gods Word doth command c. They further requested that she would permit them to live in that peace and liberty which Christ had purchased for them by his blood that they might have his Word truly preached and the holy Sacraments rightly administred to them for that they had rather expose their bodies to a thousand deaths then to hazard their soules to perpetuall damnation by denying Christ and his manifest Truth c. They wrote also another Letter to the Nobility of Scotland which coming abroad the brethren in Cunningam and Kile met together at the Church of Craggy where Alexander Earl of Glencarne said to them Let every man doe as his conscience shall direct him I will by Gods grace see my bâ—ethren at St. Johnstons yea though never a man will goe along with me though I have but a pike on my shoulder for I had rather die with that company then live after them This speech so encouraged the rest that they all resolved to go forward In the meane time the Queen sent her French Forces and the Bishops and Priests their bands against Saint Johnstones whereupon the brethren repaired thither from all quarters for their relief which the Queen hearing of sent the Earle of Argile and the Prior of Saint Andrews to them to know the cause of that great meeting They answered that it was onely to resist the cruell Tyranny decreed against them and to protect the Town from ruin The Lords answered that they were farre otherwise informed Then Master Knox spake thus unto them The present troubles honourable Lords ought to move the hearts of all the true servants of God and of such as bear any true love to their country and country men deeply to consider what will be the end of this intended Tyranny The rage of Sathan seeks the destruction of all those in this Realm that professe the Name of Christ. Therefore I most humbly require you my Lords in my name to tell the Queen that we whom she in her blind rage doth thus persecute are faithfull servants to God and obedient subjects to the authority of the Realm whereas that Religion which she maintains by fire sword is not the religion of Jesus Christ but expresly contrary to the same a superstition devised by mans brain which I offer my self to prove against all men in Scotland which will maintain the contrary Gods word being admitted for Judge Tell her also from me that this her enterprise shall not prosperously succeed in the end and that herein she fights against God The Lords promised to deliver his message yet did the Queen straitway send her Herauld to them to command them presently to depart the Towne upon pain of Treason But when she perceived their number to increase and their resolutions fearing the event of a Battel she upon a parley and large promises prevailed with them to depart home But before their departure Master Knox preached a Sermon wherin he exhorted them to constancy adding I am perswaded that this promise shall be no longer kept then till the Queen and her Frenchmen can get the upper hand Which shortly after sell out accordingly for when she was entred St. Johnstons she contrary to promise garrisoned it saying That she was not bound to keep promise with Hereticks This was so distastefull to the Earl of Argile and the Prior of St. Andrews that they forsook the Queen and went toward St. Andrews sending to the Laird of Dun and some others to meet him there which accordingly they performed taking Master Knox along with them who in the way preached in Carrel one day in Anstruddor the second intending the third day to preach at St. â—ndrews The Bishop of St. â—ndrews hearing hereof presently raised a 100 spearmen and went thither on the Saturday whereas the Lords had none but their houshold servants about them and at the same time the Queen and her Frenchmen lay at Faikland 12 miles from St. Andrews The Bishop sent word to the Lords that if John Knox offered to preach the next day he should be saluted with a dozen of Calivers whereof the most part should light on his nose The Lords after long deliberation sent for M. Knox to hear his opinion herein 〈◊〉 withâ—ll advised him to forbear for his owne safety and not to 〈◊〉 that day in contempt of the Bishop To which 〈◊〉 Knox
to Queen Elizabeth for aid and till it came to retire themselves towards the Highlands for their safety In the mean time the Queen Regent with her French men went from place to place plundering spoyling and making havock of all without resistance which so puffed her up with pride that she boastingly said Where is now John Knox his God My God is now stronger then his yea even in Fife But her brags lasted not long For the Earle of Arrane and the Lord James went to Desert having not above five hundred Horse and a hundred Foot whereas the French were above four thousand besides such Scots as adhered to them and yet the Protestants skirmished daily with them sometimes from morning till night and ever went away with the better killing four for one which continued for one and twenty dayes together during all which time they never put off either clothes or boots And at the end of that time came into Edenborough Frith a Fleet of the English to assist the Protestants which filled their hearts with joy and the French with rage and madnesse Thither came also some Forces by land under the command of the Lord Grey And after an agreement made with the Scottish Lords some of the English and Scots attempted to take Leith by storm and in a cruell conflict some of them gat upon the walls but the scaling-ladders proving too short they were not seconded by their fellows and so after divers hours sight were forced to retire which the Queen Regent beholding from Edenborough Castle walls burst out into a great laughter saying Now wil I go to Masse and praise God for that which mine eyes have seen And when the French had stripped the slaine and layd their naked bodyes along their walls the Queen looking on them said Yonder are the fairest Tapestries that ever mine eyes beheld I would that the whole fields which are betwixt Leith and this place were all strewed with the same stuffe But this joy lasted not long for a fire kindling in Leith many houses and much of their provision was consumed thereby and the Queen Regent falling sick shortly after died whereupon the King of France sent Ambassadors to Queen Eliz. to conclude a peace which was effected and the English and French Armies were drawn out of Scotland to the great joy of that Nation insomuch that Thanksgivings for their great deliverance by the help of the English were inserted into their Liturgie And presently after some Commissioners of the Scottish Nobility were appointed to settle Ministers in their places by whom Master Knox was setled at Edenborough where he preached many excellent Sermons Anno Christi 1566 the Earl of Murray being slaine on the Saturday Knox preaching at Edenborough the next day amongst the papers given in of those that desired the prayers of the Church he found one with these words Take up the man whom ye accounted another God At the end of his Sermon he bemoaned the losse which the Church and State had by the death of that virtuous man adding further There is one in this companie that makes this horrible murther the subject of his mirth for which all good men should be sorry but I tell him hee shall dye where there shall be none to lament him The man that had written those words was one Thomas Metellan a young Gentleman of excellent parts but bearing small affection to the Earle of Murray He hearing this commination of John Knox went home to his Sister and said That John Knox was raving to speak of he knew not whom His Sister replyed with tears If you had taken my advice you had not written those words saying further That none of John Knox his threatnings fell to the ground without effect and so indeed this came to passe for shortly after this Gentleman going to travel died in Italy having none to assist much lesse to lament him Towards Master Knox his latter end his body became very infirm and his voice so weak that people could not hear him in the ordinary place wherefore he chose another place wherein he preached upon the history of Christs Passion with which he said It was his desire to close his Ministry Finding his end near he importuned the Council of the City to provide themselves a worthy man to succeed in his place Master Iames Lawson Professor in Aberdene was the man pitched upon and Commissioners were sent from the Church of Edenborough to request him to accept of the place Iohn Knox also subscribed that request adding Accelera mifrater alioqui sero venies Hast my brother otherwise you will come too late This made Master Lawson to hasten his journey and when he was come he preached twice to the good liking of the people whereupon order was taken by the Rulers of the Church for his admission at which time Iohn Knox would needs preach though very weâ—k which also he performed with such servency of spirit that he was never before heard to preach with such great power or more content to the hearers In the end of his Sermon he called God to witnesse That he had walked in a good conscience with them not seeking to please men nor serving either his own or other mens affections but in all sincerity and truth had preached the Gospel of Christ. He exhorted them in most grave and pithy words to stand fast in the faith they had received and so having prayed zealously for Gods blessing upon them and the multiplying of Gods spirit upon their new Pastor hee gave them his last farewell Being conveyed to his lodging that afternoone he was forced to betake himself to his bed and was visited by all sorts of persons in his sickness to whom he spake most comfortably Amongst others the Earl of Morton came to see him to whom hee said My Lord God hath given you many blessings Wisdom Honour Nobility Riches many good and great Friends and he is now about to prefer you to the government of of the Realm the Earl of Marr the late Regent being newly dead In his name I charge you use these blessings better then formerly you have done seeking first the glory of God the furtherance of his Gospel the maintenance of his Church and Ministry and then be carefull of the King to procure his good and the welfare of the Realm If you doe thus God will be with you and honour you If otherwise he will deprive you of all these benefits and your end shall be shame and ignominy These speeches the Earl called to mind about nine years after at the time of his execution saying That he had found John Knox to be a Prophet A day or two before Knox ' s death he sent for Master David Lindsey Mr. Lawson and the Elders and Deacons of the Church to whom he said The time is approaching which I have long thirsted for
wherein I shall be released from all my cares and be with my Saviour Christ for ever And now God is my witnesse whom I have served with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son that I have taught nothing but the true and sincere word of God and that the end that I proposed in my Ministry was To instruct the ignorant to confirm the weak to comfort their consciences who were humbled under the sense of their sins and born down with the threatings of Gods judgements I am not ignorant that many have and doe blame my too great rigour and severity but God knoweth that in my heart I never hated those against whom I thundered Gods judgements I did onely hate their sins and laboured according to my power to gain them to Christ. That I did forbear none of what condition soever I did it out of the fear of my God who hath placed me in the function of his Ministry and I know will bring me to an account Now brethren for your selves I have no more to say but to warn you that you take heed of the Flock over which God hath placed you Over-seers which he hath redeemed by the blood of his onely begotten Son And you Mr. Lawson sight a good fight do the worke of the Lord with courage and with a willing mind and God from Heaven blesse you and the Church whereof you have the Charge Against it so long as it continues in the Doctrine of the Truth the gates of hell shall not prevail Having thus spoken and the Elders and Deacons being dismissed he called the two Preachers to him and said There is one thing that grieveth me exceedingly you have sometimes seen the courage and constancy of the Laird of Grang in the cause of God and now that unhappy man is casting himselfe away I pray you goe to him from me and tell him That unlesse he forsake that wicked course that he is in the rock wherein he confideth shall not defend him nor the carnall wisdom of that man whom he counteth halfe a god which was young Leshington shall yeeld him help but he shall be shamefully pulled out of that nest and his carcass hung before the Sun meaning the Castle which he kept against the Kings Authority for his soul it is dear to me and if it were possible I would faine have him saved Accordingly they went to him conferred with him but could by no means divert him from his course but as Knox had foretold so the year after his Castle was taken and his body was publickly there hanged before the Sun Yet at his death he did express serious repentance The next day M. Knox gave order for the making of his coffin Continuing all the day as he did also through all his sicknesse in fervent prayer crying Come Lord Jesus Sweet Jesus into thy hands I commend my spirit Being asked whether his pains were great he answered That he did not esteem that a pain which would be to him the end of all troubles and the beginning of eternall joys Oft after some deep meditation he used to say Oh serve the Lord in fear and death shall not be trouble some to you blessed is the death of those that have part in the death of Jesus The night before his death he slept some hours with great unquietnesse often sighing and groaning whereupon when he awakened the standers by asked him how he did and what it was that made him mourn so heavily to whom he answered In my life time I have been assulted with Temptations from Sathan and he hath oft cast my sins into my teeth to drive me to despair yet God gave me strength to overcome all his Temptations But now the subtill serpent takes another course and seeks to perswade me that all my labours in the Ministry and the fidelity that I have shewed in that service hath merited heaven and immortality But blessed be God that brought to my minde these Scriptures What hast thou that thou hast not received And Not I but the grace of God in me with which he is gone away ashamed and shall no more return And now I am sure that my battel is at an end and that without pain of body or trouble of spirit I shall shortly change this mortall and miserable life with that happy and immortall life that shall never have an end After which one praying by his bed having made an end asked him if he heard the prayer Yea said he and would to God that all present had heard it with such an ear and heart as I have done Adding Lord Jesus receive my spirit With which words without any motion of hands or feet as one falling asleep rather then dying he ended his life Never was man more observant of the ture and just authority of Church-Rulers according to the word of God and the practise of the purest Primitive times He alwayes pressed due Obedience from the People to the faithfull Pastors and Elders of the Church He died Anno Christi 1572. and of his age 62. Men of all ranks were present at his Buriall The Earl of Murray when the Corps was put into the ground said Here lies the body of him who in his life time never feared the face of any man Script a reliquit ad Londinenses alios Ad Evangeliâ— professores Qualiter sit Orandum In Psalmum ad matrem Contra missam Papisticam Doctrinale Missaticum De fide Eucharistiae Ad Ecclesias afflictas Ad Scotiae Reginam Mariam Consilium in Angustiis Buccinae afflatum primum Appellationem a sententia Cleri Ad populares Scotiae In Genesin consciones et alia quaedam He was a man not lesse learned then endued with vertue a constant Preacher of the Truth and a valiant defendor of the same through his whole life His zeal learning and courage did notably appeare in this example Anno Christi 1550 he was called before Tonstal Bishop of Durham and his Doctors to give an account of his opinion about the Masse where preaching before them he did so sharply taxe their Idolatries and Blasphemies and by such solid arguments confute the same that his adversaries were silenced and had not wherewithall to reply against him P. RAMVS The Life of Peter Ramus who died A no Christi 1572. PEter Ramus was born in France Anno Christi 1515. His Grandfather was a Nobleman who having his estate plundered by Charls Duke of Burgundy Generall under the Emperor Charls the fifth was forced to leave his Country and to betake himselfe to the poor and painfull life of an husbandman And his father being left very poor by him was fain to live by making of Charcoal Ramus being from his childhood of an excellent wit of an industrious nature and much addicted to learning was compelled for his subsistence to live as a servant with one of his Unkles but finding that by
whose Sermons not only the Protestants but many of the Papists were present to hear what and how he taught And indeed both sides commended his study of Peace For he exhorted them to compose their differences not by arms nor mutuall slaughters but by the Disputations of their Divines But God would not suffer his wholsome counsell to take effect at that time For they came to a battell wherein the Popish party prevailed and thereupon Bullinger together with his Father Brother and Colleague Gervase were commanded to depart except they would undergoe the present hazard of their lives Whereupon beginning their journey in the night through Gods providence they escaped the snares which were layd for them by their adversaries and came safely to Zurick Anno Chrâ—â— 1531 and three daies after at the request of Leo Judae with his Colleagues Bullinger preached in the chiefe Church and was entertained by one Werner Steiner his ancient friend that was fled to Zurick for Religion Anno Christi 1532. The Church of Basill wanting a Pastor by the death of Oecolampadius desired Bullinger and at the same time also the Bernates sent for him thither But the Senate of Zurick would by no means part with him choosing him Pastor in the room of Zuinglius who was slaine in the late battell and who had desired before he went into the field with the Army that if any thing befell him otherwise then well Bullinger might succeed him in his office He being thus called to this work in a dangerous time did his endeavour to comfort and rais up the hearts of Gods people under those great afflictions And whereas the Popish adversaries boasted that their Religion was false because they of Zurick were beaten and Zuinglius slain He wrote That the Truth of Religion was not to be judged by the prosperity or adversitie of the Professors of it He took care also to have Synods twice a year to maintain concord and unity in Doctrine and Discipline as Zuinglius had begun before him And finding a great defect of Godly Ministers in the jurisdiction of the Tigurins he tooke care that so many should bee trained up in Religion and Learning as might supply that defect and where there was a want of maintainance he prevailed with the Senate of Zurick to make up a competency out of the Publick Treasury He caused the Publick Library of that City to be set in order by Pellican and by buying Zuinglius his books to be encreased And having gotten Bibliander for his Colleague he wholly applyed himself to his publick Ministry and to writing Commentaries at home Anno Christi 1532 Bucer endeavoured a union between Luther and his followers and the Divines of Zurick perswading them that their differences consisted rather in words then in reality At which time the Tigurins shewed themselves to bee desirous of peace so that it was joyned wiâ—h truth About this time Bullingers Father died being 64 years old who at his death exhorted his sonne to Constancy in Doctrine and Faith which saith he is the onely way to salvation Anno Christi 1534 Bullinger wrote a Confession of Faith in the name of the Tigurian Churches which was sent to Bucer and to the Synod of the Churches of Suevia then met at Constance and was approved by them About the same time he wrote a Tractate of the Covenant of God against some that denied all testimonies out of the Old Testament As also another wherein he asserted the twofold Nature in Christ against Claudius Allobrog Servetus his Emissary of whose poyson the Helvetian Churches were at that time in some danger And when there was a meeting at Basil for to unite Luther and the Helvetian Churches in their difference about the manner of Christs Presence in the Sacrament Bullinger was there and took much pains for the promoting of it The Magistrates also of Zurick by the perswasion of Bullinger erected a new Colledge Anno Christi 1538 which hee had a great care of all his life after Also by his perswasion the Senate of Zurick erected another School in a place where formerly there had been a Nunnery in which fifteen youths were trained up under a good Master having food raiment books and all other necessaries plentifully provided for them and Bullinger took great care to see their proficiency all his life after About this time Schwenfield a Noble man of Silesia taught That Christ's Humane nature being received into Heaven was so farre Deified that it remained a creature no longer and this error beginning to spread into Swevia Bullinger joining with some others confuted it with much modesty Anno Christi 1541 the Plague brake forth in Zurick of which Bullingers Son and Mother died Anno Christi 1542 Leo Judae's Version of the Bible being finished and printed the Printer sent one of them to Luther fair bound up but Luther wrote back to him that hee should send him no more of the Tigurine Ministers bookes for hee would have nothing to doe with them nor read any of their bookes For said he The Church of God can hold no communion with them and whereas they have taken much pains all is in vain for themselves are damned and they lead many miserable men to hell with them Adding that he would have no communion with their damnable and blasphemous Doctrine and that so long as he lived hee would with his prayers and books oppose them Anno Christi 1544 Luther set forth his Annotations on Genesis in which he inveighed bitterly against the Sacramentarians as he called them saying That Zuinglius Oecolampadius and their disciples were Hereticks and eternally damned Melancthon would fain have hindered it but could not whereupon he wrote to Bullinger telling him how much hee was grieved at this violent proceeding of Luther which he knew was so pleasing to their common adversaries the Papists When this book of Luthers came forth there was much dispute whether it should be answered Bucer was against it because Luther was grown old and had deserved well of the Church but others thought that it would bee a betraying of the Truth not to answer it Wherefore Bullinger was appointed to that work which he accordingly performed with much judgement Anno Christi 1546 Luther dyed and the German Warre beganne betwixt the Emperour and the Protestants at which time many accused the Tigurines by reason of Bullingers book as if they had insulted over Luther after his death and gloryed that he dyed of grief because he could not answer that book Hereupon Philip Lantgrave of Hesse acquainted Bullinger with these reports which when Bullinger had read advising with his Colleagues he returned this answer First giving him thanks for his zeale in endeavouring the peace of the Church and for acquainting him with these rumours Then he told him how much he was grieved for that some turbulent spirits sought by such reports
for theft was hanged by the heels with his head downward in a village hard by having not seen that kind of punishment he went to the place where he found him hanging between two Dogs that were alwaies snatching at him tearing and eating his flesh The poor wretch repeated in Hebrew some verses of the Psalms wherein hee cried to God for mercy whereupon Andreas went nearer to him and instructed him in the Principles of the Christian Religion about Christ the Messiah c. and exhorted him to believe in him and it pleased God so to blesse his exhortation to him that the Dogs gave over tearing of his flesh and the poor Jew desired him to procure that he might be taken down and baptised and hung by the neck for the quicker dispatch which was done accordingly The same year Charles Marquesse of Baden beganne a Reformation of the Churches within his dominions and to assist him therein he sent for divers Divines and amongst the rest for Dr Andreas by whose help he cast out the Popish Religion and Ceremonies and established the true Religion according to the Augustane Confession The like he did in Brugoia About the same time also Doctor Andreas was sent for by the Senate of the Imperiall City of Rottenburg because the Pastors in their jurisdiction used divers Ceremonies so that they feared least contentions should arise about the Substantials in Divinity whereupon by the advice of Andreas they were united in one Confession of Faith consonant to the Word of God and certain Ceremonies were agreed on which all the Ministers should unanimously use for the time to come Yea he was of such esteem that he was sent for by divers Princes to reform the Churches in their jurisdictions Hee was present at divers Synods and Disputations about Religion Hee travelled many thousands of miles being usually attended but with one servant yet it pleased God that in all his journyes he never met with any affront Anno Christi 1552 the Chancellors place in the University of Tubing was voyd by the death of Beurlin whereupon Prince Christopher consulting with the Heads of the University made Doctor Andreas Chancellor in his stead About which time he was sent into Thuringia to compose the difference between the Divines of Jenes Flacius Illiricus aud Strigelius about the power of Free-will Anno Christi 1580 came forth the book of Concord which was approved and subscribed by three Electors twenty one Princes twenty two Counts four Barons thirty five Imperiall Cities and eight thousand Ministers This was set on foot by the Elector of Saxony but carried on by the excessive labours of Doctor Andreas who carried it from one to another resolving all doubts and answering all objections till he had got all those subscriptions The year before his death hee used often to say that hee should not live long that hee was weary of this life and much desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ which was best of all Falling sick he sent for James Herbrand saying I exspect that after my death many adversaries will rise up to asperse me and therefore I sent for thee to hear the confession of my faith that so thou mayst testifie for me when I am dead and gone that I died in the true Faith The same Confession also he made afterwards before the Pastors and Deacons of Tubing The night before his death he slept partly upon his bed and partly in his chair When the clock struck fix in the morning he said My hour draws near He gave thanks to God for bestowing Christ for revealing his Will in his Word for giving him Faith and the like benefits and when he was ready to depart he said Lord into thy hands I commend my spirit and so he fell asleep in the Lord Anno Christi 1590 and of his age 61. In the discharge of his office he never spared any labour hee never shrunk under any trouble He wrote many Epistles to severall men upon several arguments A learned and rich man of Tubing after Doctor Andreas his death said that he had in his Library fifteen hundred bookes of his writing upon severall Arguments H. ZANCHY The Life of Hierom Zanchius who dyed A no Christi 1590. HIerom Zanchius was born at Atzanum in Italy Anno 1516. His Father was a Lawyer who brought him up at School and when Zanchy was but twelve years old his Father died of the Plague Anno Christi 1528 at which time Zanchy was at School where he was instructed in the Liberall Sciences When he came to the age of fifteen years being now deprived of both his parents observing that divers of his kindred were of the order of Canons Regular amongst whom he judged that there were divers learned men being exceeding desirous of Learning he entered into that Order where hee lived about twenty years and studied Arts and School-Divinity together with the Tongues He was very familiar with Celsus Martiningus joyning studies with him was a diligent hearer of Peter Martyrs publick Lectures at Luca upon the Epistle to the Romans and of his private Lectures upon the Psalmes which he read to his Canons This drew his mind to an earnest study of the Scriptures He read also the Fathers especially St. Augustine with the most learned Interpreters of the Word of God And thereupon he preached the Gospel for some years in the purest manner that the time and place would suffer And when Peter Martyr left Italy so that his godly Disciples could no longer live in safety there much lesse have liberty of Preaching about twenty of them in the space of one year left their station and followed their Master into Germany amongst whom Zaâ—chy was one Being thus as he used to say delivered out of the Babylonish captivity anno Christi 1550. He went first into Rhetia where he staied about eight moneths and from thence to Geneva and after nine moneths stay there he was sent for by Peter Martyr into England but when he came to Strasborough he staid there to supply Hedio's room newly dead who read Divinity in the Schooles which was in the yeare 1553. He lived and taught Divinity in that City about 11 yeares sometimes also reading Aristotle in the Schools yet not without opposition old James Sturmius the Father of that University being dead Yea his adversaries proceeded so far as to tell Zanchy that if hee would continue to read there he must subscribe the Augustaâ—e Confession to which hee yeelded for peace-sake with this proviso modò Orthodoxâ—e intelligatur declaring his judgement also about Christs presence in the Sacrament wherewith they were satisfied And thus he continued to the year 1563 being very acceptable to the good and a shunner of strife and a lover of concord At the end whereof the Divines and Professors there accused him for differing from them in some points about
received such abunâ—dant satisfaction by converse with him that ever after they held corespondence with him Shortly after Lodwick the Elector Palatine dying Caâ—imire was made Guardian to his son during his minority whereupon he sent for Tossan to Heidleberg that by his advise and counsell he might reform the Churches But when he came thither his adversaries loured exceedingly upon him and raised many false reports but he remembred that of â—eneca vir bonus quod honestè se facturum put averit faciet etiam si periculosum sit ab honesto nullâ— re deteâ—rebitur ad turpia nulla spe invitabitur An honest man will do that which he judges right though it be dangerous He will not be deterred from that which is honest by any meanes hee will be allured to that which is dishonest by no means His adversaries in their Pulpits daily cryed out of strange Heresies that he and his party held But Prince Casimire first sent for them to argue the case before him and then appointed a Publick disputation wherein they could prove none of those things which they charged them with whereupon the Prince required them to abstain from such accusations for the time to come and to study peace But nothing would prevail to allay their spleene till they were removed into other Countries The care of choosing Pastors to the Churches Tutors to the young Prince Schoolmasters and Professors to the University was divolved upon Tossan all which he discharged with much fidelity Anno Christi 1586. James Grynaeus the chiefe Professor in Heidleberg was called home to Basil in whose roome Tossanus though very unwilling was substituted and therefore to satisfie the Statutes of the University he commenced Doctor in Divinity But as his cares and paines increased so his sorrow also partly by reason of an unhappy quarrel that fell out between the Students and Citizens of Heidleberg partly by the death of his dear wife with whom he had lived twenty two years in wedlock which fell out in the year 1587. and therefore Anno Christi 1588 he married again and disposed of his daughters also in marriage to godly and learned men Not long after Prince Casimire died which much renewed his griefe But Frederick the fourth beeing now come to his age was admitted into the number of the Electors and was very carefull of the good both of the Church and University Anno Christi 1594 Tossan was chosen Rector of the University of Heidleberg and the year after there brake out a greivous Pestilence in that Citie which drove away the students But Tossan remained Preaching comfortably to his people and expounding the Penitentiall Psalmes to those few students that yet remained Anno Christi 1601 hee being grown very old and infirme laid down his Professors place though the University much opposed and earnestly sollicited him to retaine it still but God purposed to give him a better rest after all his labors and sorrows For having in his Lectures expounded the book of Job to the end of the thirtie one Chapter he concluded with those words The words of Job are ended Presently after falling sicke hee comforted himself with these texts of Scripture I have fought the good fight of Faith c. Bee thou faithfull unto the death and I will give thee the crown of life Wee have a City not made with hands eternall in the heavens and many other such like Hee also made his will and set down therein a good confession of his Faith and so departed quietly in the Lord An. Christi 1602 and of his age sixty one He was a very holy man exemplary in his life had an excellent wit strong memorie Eloquent in speech was very charitable and chearfull in his conversation and kept correspondence with all the choisest Divines in those times He wrote many things which were afterwards digested into Tomes and some of his works were published after his death by his Sonne I. WHITGIFT The Life of William Perkins who died A no Christi 1602. WIlliam Perkins was born at Marston in Warwickshire Anno 1558 and brought up at School from which he went to Christ's Colledge in Cambridg where he profited so much in his Studies that having got the grounds of all the liberall Arts he was chosen Fellow of that Colledge in the 24th year of Queen Elisabeth He was very wild in his youth but the Lord in mercie was pleased to reclaim him that he might be an eminent instrument of good in his Church When he first entred into the Ministâ—â—e beeing moved with pittie towards their souls he prevailed with the jaylor to bring the Prisoners fettered as they were to the Shirchouse hard by the Prison where he Preached every Lord's daie to them and it pleased God so to prosper and succeed his labors amongst them that he was the happy instrument of converting many of them unto God Freeing them thereby from the Captivity of sin which was their worst bondage This his practice being once known many resorted to that place out of the neighbor-Parishes to hear him So that from thence he was chosen to Saint Andrews Parish in Cambridge where he Preached all his life after His Sermons were not so plain but the piously learned did admire them nor so learned but the plain did understand them Hee brought the Schools into the Pulpit and unshelling their controversies out of their hard School-tearms made thereof plain and wholsom meat for his people He was an excellent Chirurgion at the jointing of a broken Soul and at stating of a doubtfull conscience so that the afflicted in spirit came far and near to him and received much satisfaction and comfort by him In his Sermons he used to pronounce the word Damn with such an Emphasis as left a dolefull Echo in his auditors ears a good while after And when hee was Catechist in Christ's Colledge in expounding the Commandements he applied them so home to the conscience as was able to make his hearers hearts fall down and their haires almost to stand upright But in his old age he was more miâ—dâ— often professing that to Preach mercy was the proper office of the Ministers of the Gospel In his life he was so 〈◊〉 and spotlesse that Malice was afraid to bite at his credit into which she knew that her teeth could not enter He had a rare felicity in reading of books and as it were but turning them over would give an exact account of all that was considerable therein He perused books so speedily that one would think he read nothing and yet so acurately that one would think he read all Hee was of a cheerfull nature and pleasant disposition Somewhat reserved to strangers but when once acquainted very familiar Besides his frequent Preaching he wrote many excellent books both Treatises and Commentaries which for their worth were many of them translated into
Latine and sent beyond sea where to this day they are highly prized and much set by yea some of them are translated into French High-Dutch and Low-Dutch and his Reformed Catholick was translated into Spanish also yet no Spaniard ever since durst take up the Gantlet of Defiance cast down by this Champion He died in the forty fourth year of his age of a violent fit of the Stone Anno Christi 1602 being born the first and dying the last year of Queen Elizabeth He was of a ruddy complexion fat and corpulent Lame of his right hand yet this Ehud with a left-handed pen did stab the Romish cause as one saith Dextera quantumvis fuerat tibi manca docendi Pollebas mirâ dexteritate tamen Though nature thee of thy right hand bereft Right-well thou writest with thy hand that 's left He was buried with great solemnity at the sole charges of Christs Colledge the University and Town striving which should expresse more sorrow at his Funeral Doctor Montague Preached his Funeral Sermon upon that Text Moses my servant is dead Master Perkins his manner was to go with the Prisoners to the plaâ—â— of execution when they were condemned and what 〈◊〉 his labours were crowned with may appeare by this example A young lusty fellow going up the ladder discovered an extraordinary lumpishnesse and dejection of spirit and when he turned himselfe at the upper round to speak to the people he looked with a rueful and heavy countenance as if he had been half dead already whereupon Master Perkins laboured to chear up his spirits and finding him still in an Agony and distresse of minde he said unto him What man what is the matter with thee art thou afraid of death Ah no said the Prisoner shaking his head but of a worser thing Saist thou so said Master Perkins come down again man and thou shalt see what Gods grace will doe to strengthen thee Whereupon the prisoner coming down Master Perkins took him by the hand made him kneel down with himself at the ladder foot hand in hand when that blessed man of God made such an effectuall prayer in confession of sinnes and aggravating thereof in all circumstances with the horrible and eternal punishment due to the same by Gods justice as made the poor prisoner burst out into abundance of tears and Master Perkins finding that he had brought him low enough even to hell gates he proceeded to the second part of his prayer and therein to shew him the Lord Jesus the Saviour of all penitent and believing sinners stretching forth his blessed hand of mercy and power to save him in that distressed estate and to deliver him from all the powers of darkness which he did so sweetly press with such heavenly art and powerfull words of grace upon the soul of the poor prisoner as cheared him up again to look beyond death with the eyes of Faith to see how the black lines of all his sinnes were crossed and cancelled with the red lines of his crucified Saviours precious blood so graciously applying it to his wounded conscience as made him break out into new showres of tears for joy of the inward consolation which he found and gave such expression of it to the beholders as made them life up their hands and praise God to see such a blessed change in him who the prayer being ended rose from his knees chearfully and went up the Ladder again so comforted and tooke his death with such patience and alacrity as if he actually saw himself delivered from the hell which he feared before and heaven opened for the receiving of his soul to the great rejoycing of the beholders His works are printed in three volumes F. JVNIVS The Life of Francis Junius who died A no Christi 1602. FRancis Junius was born in France of a Noble Family An. Christi 1545. His Grandfather was William Lord of Boffardineria who for his valiant service in the wars of Navar was rewarded by King Lewis the twelfth with that honour His Father was Denis who in his youth studied Law in the most famous Universities of France His Mother was Jacoba Hugalda which bore nine children four sons and five daughters amongst which this our Francis was born in Biturg His Mother being sickly the child was very weak not likely to live one houâ— and therefore was hastily baptised And during his childhood this weakness continued which falling into his left legge caused a soare which was difficultly healed When hee was five yeares old his Father beganne to teach him to read as his leisure would permit At six yeares old he began to write and to discover his ingenuity being of a pleasant disposition very desirous of honour quickly angry and for his age of a grave judgement Hee did eat his meat eagerly was very shame-fac'd which continued with him all his life after Hee had the publick Schoolmasters for his instructers besides others that privately taught him at home At twelve years old he attended the publick Lectures and began to study the Civill Law and his Father much encouraged and assisted him therein Yet one thing much impeded him in his first studies For being put forth to School hee met with harsh and severe Masters which used to beat him in a most cruel and barbarous manner yet his love to learning made him conceal it from his friends When he had studied Law about two years he was sent to Lions to have gone with the French Ambassador to Constantinople but coming too late after the Ambassadors departure he staid and studied there turning over many bookes whereof in that place were great plenty But there he met with great temptations to evill a woman and a young mayd labouring upon every opportunity to draw him to lewdnesse This much troubled him having been brought up religiously by his parents whereupon he thought of returning home but his fathers authority who commanded his stay there altered those thoughts and so through Gods assistance he resisted that temptation But presently fell into another For as he was reading over Tully de Legibus there came a certain man to him using the words of the Epicure nihil cur are Deum nec alieni that God cares for nothing And he so pressed it with such subtile arguments that hee prevailed with him to suck in that damnable principle and so he gave up himself to vile pleasures for a year and somewhat more But the Lord suffered him not to continue longer therein For first in a tumult in Lions the Lord wonderfully delivered him from imminent death so that he was compelled to acknowledge a divine providence therein And his Father hearing the dangerous waies that his son was misled into sent for him home where he carefully and holily instructed him and caused him to read over the new Testament of wich himselfe writes thus novum Testamentum aperio exhibet se mihi
with his terrors and with inward tentations so that his life was almost wasted with heaviness yet thereby he learned more and more to know Christ Jesus About that time there was a General Assembly of the Church at Perth unto which some that lived in the North of Scotland sent to desire that a Minister might be sent unto them whereupon the Assembly appointed Master Cowper for that place and accordingly wrote to him by Master Patrick Simpson who coming to Sterling delivered to him the Letters from the Assembly and those from the Town containing his calling to the work of the Ministry in that place And so shortly after the Town sent their Commissioners to transport him and his family thither In that place he continued doing the work of the Lord for ninteen years together where he was a comfort to the best and a wound to the worser sort Besides the Sabbath dayes he chose thrice a week to convene the people together in the Evenings viz. Wednesdayes Fridayes and Saturdayes for a preparation to the Sabbath upon which daies they had no preaching in the morning concerning which meetings himself writes That it would have done a Christians heart good to have seen those glorious and joyfull assemblies to have heard the zealous cryings to God amongst that people with sighings and tears and melting hearts and mourning eyes And concerning himself he saith My witnsse is in heaven that the love of Jesus and his people made continual preaching my pleasure and I had no such joy as in doing his work And besides that he preached five times a week he penned also whatsoever hee preached many of which holy and godly Sermons are extant in print All the time of his abode there except some little intermissions and breathing times the Lord still exercised him with inward tentation and great variety of spiritual combats the end of all which through Gods mercy was Ioy unspeakable as himself testifies Yea once saith he in greatest extreamitie of horror and anguish of spirit when I had utterly given over and looked for nothing but confusion suddenly there did shine in the very twinkling of an eye the bright and lightsome countenance of God proclaming peace and confirming it with invincible reasons O what a change was there in a moment the silly soul that was even now at the brink of the pit looking for nothing but to be swallowed up was instantly raised up to heaven to have fellowship with God in Christ Jesus and from this day forward my soul was never troubled with such extremity of terrors This confirmation was given unto me on a Saturday in the morning there found I the power of Religion the certaintie of the word there was I touched with such a lively sense of a Divinitie and power of a Godhead in mercy reconciled with man and with me in Christ as I trust my soul shall never forget Glory glory glory be to the joyfull deliverer of my soul out of all adversities for ever In the middest of these wrestlings with God he wanted not combats with wicked men also but the greatnesse of his inward conflicts made him lightly regard all their outward contradictions and to esteem them but as the bitings of a Flea It was no marvel to see Satan stir up his wicked instruments to molest him since he professed himself a disquieter of him and his Kingdom Yet this much supported him that he never had a controversie with any of them but for their sins And the Lord assisting him the power of the Word did so hammer down their pride that they were all of them at last brought to an acknowledgement of their evil wayes But at length as God turned the heart of Pharoah and his people from the Israelites when the time drew on for their remove so by little and little did the zeal and love of most of that people fall away so that his last conflict was not with the prophane but with Justitiaries and such as were unrebukeable in their lives These men were stuffed with such pride self-conceit disdain and intolerable contempt that thereby they were carried further from their duty then any of the former and they which should have been his greatest comfort were his greatest cross Presently hereupon God called him to the Government of the Churches in Galloway in the South-West parts of the kingdom being chosen by the Assembly and presented by the King thereunto This was done without his privity or ambitious us seeking after it yea he was so far from it that eighteen weeks passed betwixt the Kings Presentation and his Acceptation of â—t In that place he was very carefull to advance the Gospel and to adorn his Ministery Concerning the frame of his spirit thus he writes My soul is alway in my hand ready to be offered to my God Where or what kind of death God hath prepared for me I know not But sure I am there can no evil death befall him that lives in Christ nor sudden death to a Christian Pilgrim who with Job waits very hour for his change Yea saith he many a daie have I sought it with teaâ—es not out of impatience distrust or perturbation â—ut because I am weary of sin and fearful to fall into it This faithful servant of God who had alwaies been faithful and painful in his Ministery when sickness grew daily upon him was no way deficient in the duty of his ordinary preaching Taking great pains also to perfect his work upon the Revelations which he desired greatly to finish before his death He had also much grief by reason of some that disturb'd the peace of the Church which he alwaies sought to procure so that his infirmity encreasing he was compelled to keep home yet as his weakness permitted he applyed himself to revise his writings and to dispose of his worldly estate that he might be ready for his passage which every day he exspected some ten daies before his decease he manifested to his friends what great contentment he had in his approaching death Many repaired to him in his sickness whom he entertained with most holy and divine conferences expressing a great willingnesse to exchange this life for a better and at last feeling his strength and spirits to decay after he had conceived a most heavenly prayer in the company of those that were by he desired to you to bed in which also after he had most devoutly commended himself unto Almighty God hee tooke som◠〈◊〉 rest After which time he spake not many words 〈…〉 failing though his memory and understanding 〈…〉 and so about seven a clock at night he rendred 〈…〉 most quiet and peaceable manner An Christi 1619. Some of his private meditations were these Now my soul be glad for at all parts of this prison the Lord hath set to his Pioners to loose thee Head feet milt and liver are
his substance encreased with his bounty Hee took much pains in composing the differences amongst his neighbours He was especially carefull to doe good to poor Ministers his fellow-labourers Some that lived near him tasted of his bounty oft to whom he sent Wheat or Malt in no scant proportion He was much given to Hospitality and Strangers out of other Nations hearing his fame resorted to him for his acquaintance About December Anno Christi 1621 having been at London as he was returning home his horse by the way stumbling threw him down in the fal brake his leg but being holpen up he rode to a town called Hodsdon where in an Inn hee sent for a Bonesetter by whom after his leg was set he was directed to keep his bed ten dayes which he willingly submitted to As he lay he imployed one of his sons who waited on him to write from his mouth some heavenly meditations upon the song of Hezekiah when he had been sick and recovered of his sicknesse Isaiah 38 especially upon the 9 10 13 and 15 verses Thus he continued to the tenth of December when early in the morning being awakened by the tolling of a passing bell which probably occasioned in him a strong apprehension of his own approaching death he fell into a discourse with his wife who lay in the chamber by him since that accident first befel him concerning death and our blessed hopes expected after death And amongst other things touching the mutual knowledge that the Saints have one of another in glory Which comfortable discourse being ended they began to sing an Hymn of his own composing giving thanks to God for their rest that night and praying for a blessing upon them and theirs in the day ensuing And then having repeated one verse of the 146 Psalm he presently brake out into these words Oh this a most sweet psalm and so went on but pausing at the end of every staff he delivered a short Paraphrase upon it and coming to these words ver 7 8. And loose the fetters strong and the lame to limbs restore he applyed both to himself calling the splints upon his legge his fetters and comforting himself with this that God would restore him from his lamenesse but having occasion for som ease to stir himself he suddenly fetched a deep groan and so fell into a trance His wife crying out and some coming in they used means and he began to rouse himself a little and to look about And uttered these his last words Let me alone I shall do well Lord Jesus and so gave up his soul to God Anno Christi 1621 and of his age 59 His Works are Synopsis Papismi A sixfold Commentarie upon Genesis Exodus Leviticus Samuel 1 2 Daniel Romans Ecclesia triumphans Thesaurus Ecclesiae A Comment upon the Epistle of Jude The Protestants Diet. D. PAREVS The Life of David Pareus who died A no Christi 1622. DAvid Pareus was born in Silesia Anno Christi 1548. His Parents were Citizens of good rank when he was about three years old he fel sick of the small pox whereof he was like to die and though it pleased God that he recovered yet he had thereby a blemish in one of his eyes which continued so long as he lived About that time his mother died When he grew up to riper yeares his Father perceiving a natural promptnesse in him to learning set him to School in his own City where one of his Masters was very rigid and severe in his carriage unto him and there he learned Grammar Musick and Arithmatick But when he was fourteene years old by the instigation of his step-mother his father placed him with an Apothecary at Uratislavia which course of life he could not well rellish and therefore after a moneths stay hee returned home againe which his step mother was much offended with yet his tender father resolved to keep him at school and when he disliked the severity of his former Master he sent him to Hirschberg to one Christopher Schillingus who was much affected with his ingenuity and towardlinesse The chief Magistrate also of that City took a great liking to him for some verses which he made at his sons Funeral so that he gave him his diet in his family When he had been there about two yeares the Pastor of that place who was a Lutherane fell out with his Schoolmaster for that in Catechising of his scholars he had taught them that Christs body being ascended into heaven was there to remain till his coming to judgement and that in the Sacrament wee feed upon it onely spiritually by faith c. And his spleene was so great that he would not be satisfied till he had driven him away from the City Pareus having to his great grief lost his Master returned home yet neither there was hee in quiet some talebearers suggesting to his father that his Schoolmaster had infected him with his errors and so far they prevailed that his father intended to disinherit him Hereupon Pareus resolved to go into the Palatinate which his father much disliked sought by all means to hinder yet at last through Gods mercy by importunity he got his fathers consent who sent him away with little money in his purse Thus forsaking his friends and fathers house he went to Hirschberg where hee met with his Master and some of his School-fellows and so they travelled together towards the Palatinate through Bohemia By the way his money failing he went to a Monastery to beg an Alms and the Abbat pittying him relieved him Going from thence to another Monastery he met with an ignorant Friar and asking an Alms of him in Latine he returned this answer Nos pauperifratres nos nihil habemus an piscimus an caro an panis an misoricordia habemus Yet at length it pleased God to bring them safely to Amberg in the upper Palatinate There his Schoolmaster stayed and sent Pareus with ten more of his Scholars to Heidleberg where they were admitted into the Colledge of Sapience There he was a diligent hearer of Ursin Boquin Tremelius Zanchy and the other Professors under whom he profited both in the Arts and Tongues to admiration Then he betook himself to the study of Divinity and having fitted himself for the work of the Ministry he was chosen by the Elector to preach in a village within his jurisdiction which he was then about to reform Not long after he was called back to Heidleberg and made a Publick-Lecturer where he continued till the death of Frederick the third and then by the Heterodox party he with the other Professors was driven from thence but most of them were entertained by Prince Casimire who erected a Universitie at Neostade appointing Ursin Zanchy Tossan Junius Piscaâ—or and others to be the Professors in it He appointed also a Synod therein to consider how to provide for the other
schism at Rome He is cited to the Council His intimations as he went His kinde entertainment as he went Gods judgement on his adversary His courage Popish cruelty His writings in prison Popish cruelty The Nobles of Bohemia petition In his behalf The Councils incivility A prodigy His appeal to Christ. He is condemned His charity Popish cruelty A wicked Decree His works condemned His ornaments His patience Popish malice His books burnt His deportment at his death His prayer His martyrdom Inhumane cruelty A prophesie Gods judgement on his persecutors His petition to the King His request to the Bishop And to the Barons His works His birth His zeal His retreat to Iberling A safe Conduct denyed him His intimations set up at Constance His return towards Bohemia He is apprehended Carryed to Constance His answer to the Bishops He is accused His answer He is imprisoned He is encouraged Popish cruelty He fals sick His weakness He is brought before the Council He retracts his recantation Back-sliding repented of His condemnation His short answer His ornaments His deportment at death His martyrdom His courage His last words His works His birth His parentage His education Gods providence Schola Illustris He goes to Erford His great proficiency He is Master of Arts. Means of his conversion The ignorance of those times His study of the Scriptures A prediction His studiousness His ordination His remove to Wittenberg He goes to Rome Anno Christi 1511. Popish profaneness He is made Doctor of Divinity An. chr 1512. He studies the Languages Popish blasphemy He opposeth Indulgences His protestation Many defend Luthers Doctrine The Emperor is against him The Pope against him The Pope writes to the Duke of Saxony The Pope further persecutes him Luther cited to Rome The University pleads for him The Bohemians encourage Luther Luthers resolution His courage The cause why Luther was so hated Erasmus's testimony of him Luther cited to Ausburg Luther goes from Ausburg The University of Wittenberg stands for him The Duke of Saxony pleads for him Popes malice The Dukes answer Luther disputes at Lipsick Fryars and Bishops stir up the Pope against him Luther intends a retreat The Popes Bull against him The Bull answered The Bull excommunicated Luthers books burnt He burns the Bull. Luther sent for to Worms His friends disswade him His courage He goes to Worms His answer to Eccius His constancy The Emperour intends to proscribe him The Princes divided about it Lutherâ— courage He is proscribed And seâ—â—way His Patmos Witchcraft frustrated Reformation in his absence He translates the Bible His return to Wittenberg He is displeased with the reformation His faith The rising of the Anabaptists Luther unmasks them He deals more sharply with them Muncer and Pseiffer the Incendiaries The Anabaptists beaten Muncer and Pseiffer beheaded Luthers marriage Melancthon excuses it His sickness His Tentation How he recovered Melancthons fears Luther encourageth him An excellent speech His faith Luthers courage Erasmus censures him He defends his Book against King Henry the Eighth Wâ—y Luther was not punished His writings He will not be bâ—â—bed He publisheth his Catechisms The Confession of Auspurg Luther perswades to peace A Diet at Auspurg Peace endeavoured between Luther and Zuinglius Yet frustâ—ated Luthers preface to the Smalcaldian Articles His violence against the Sacramentaries His power in prayer He justifies his turn from Popery Power of prayer Luther falâ— sick His recovery A Council of the Popes What it was like 1538. Antinomians Their opinions He prays Melancthon well 1541. He comforts Myconius Power of prayer 1543. His judgment about Ceremonies His Exposition upon Genesis 1545. A Popish lye about Luthers death Luthers answer to it He is sent for into his own Country He is in danger of drowning He comes to Isleben His imployments His last sickness Luthers last Prayer His faiâ—h His 〈◊〉 His last will His last word His constancy He in part retracts consubstantiation His daughters death His sayings His charity His private life His recreations His care of his children His diseases His tentations His character His wifes afflictions Miracles Special providences One gives himself to the Devil 〈…〉 〈…〉 His works His speech about his works He would have none called Lutherans Melancthons testimony of him A prediction His character His stile Notâ— His birth and education His learning He commenced Master of Arts. His study of the Scrlptures Preachers pattern He is chosen to a place His zeal He opposeth Indulgences Popish impostures A Reformation in Zurick The Bishop opposeth it Zuinglius admonisheth the Bishop He would have Ministers marry Luthers Books come abroad He studies the Hebrew Lambertus converted His constâ—ncy Popery abolished The revenues of Monasteries turned to charitable uses He presseth a further reformation A Disputation A further Reformation An Abbess converted Note His marriage A controversie about the Mass. Luk. 8. Mat. 13. The Mass abolished He is instructed in a dream Eccius his rage Zuinglius defends himself A disputation fruitless Reformation at Bern. It s written in golden letters Quarels amongst the Switzers Peace made A Disputation Luthers violence The Disputation ends Some good effects of it Catabaptists Their wickedness They are punished Popish malice He is in danger New quarrels amongst the Switzers Wars begun They of Zurick beaten Zuinglius dislikes the war He is slain Popish cruelty He preached against Popery before Luther His character His works His birth His education He goes to Heidleberg Then to Bononia His study of Divinity He enters into the Ministry He studies Greek and Hebrew He is made a Preacher His friendship with Capito He is chosen to Basil. He is chosen to Auspurg Popish malice His call to Sir Fr. Sickengen He is Professor at Basil. Popish malice Reformation in Basil. Idols burnt Discipline erected Preachers pattern Vlm reformed 1529. A Disputation It s dissolved His imployments His sickness Hi industry He prepares for death His speech to his colleagues A prediction His perseverance His poverty His care for his children He foretels his death Joy unspeakable His death Popish lyes His character His works His birth His learning His Conversion His imprisonment His release Manifold afflictious He is set in the stocks His inlargement Popish malice His imprisonment Rastal converted by him Popish malice The King commands Frith to be tryed He is sent for to Croydon His conference with the Bishops men His courage and constancy A Prophesie His escape contrived He refuseth to fly and why His examination and learning His unjust condemnation His patience Gods mercy His death Popish malice His works A strange Providence His birth and education His zeal Mr. Latimer converted by him His zeal in preaching Popish malice His apprehension The Articles against him A Prophesie His condemnation His fall His penance His letter to Tonstal His first conversion His inward joy Without Faith nothing pleases God His desire to convert others The danger of Apostacy Great comfort after great troubles Prevalency of the truth
considering with himself what time was requisite for the learning of these Sciences and purposing to defer it no longer betook himself to the Sect of the Platonists for the great fame that ran of them Wherefore choosing to himself a singularly learned man of that Sect that was lately come into those parts he remained with him profiting not a little in contemplation of supernatural things and invisible forms Insomuch as he hoped ere long through the sharpness of his wit to attain to the comprehension and contemplation of God which is the end of Plato's Philosophy And thus he imployed his Youth But afterwards being grown to riper years he was converted to the knowledge and profession of Christianity by this means Beholding the Constancy Courage and Patience of the Christians in their torments and sufferings he was wonderfully moved therewith which made him thus to reason that it was impossible for that kinde of people to be subject to any vice or carnality which would certainly disable them to sustain such sharp adversity and much more the bitterness of death Hereupon naturally affecting Knowledge he began to love and embrace the Christian Religion This himself testifies in the end of his first Apologie telling us moreover that being afflicted in minde about finding out the truth he resolved for more privacy to retire himself unto a Grange neer the Sea-side where he might be free from the concourse of people whither as he went there met him a grave ancient Father of a comly visage and gentle behaviour who began to reason with him and after long disputation told him plainly that there was no knowledge of the truth amongst the Philosophers who neither knew God nor were directed by the Holy Ghost He also further reasoned with him of the immortality of the soul of the reward of the godly and of the punishment of the wicked So that Justin being convinced by his arguments voluntarily assented to him and demanded of him by what means he might attain to the knowledge of the true God The old man counselled him to read and search the Word of God and to adjoin Prayer thereto But what man quoth Justin shall I use for my instructor therein And who shall be able to help me if these Philosophers as you say lack the Truth and are void of the same To which the old Father answered There have been saith he before these Philosophers others more ancient then they who were just men and beloved of God and who spake by the Spirit of God fore-seeing and fore-Prophesying of those things which we now see are come to pass and therefore they are called Prophets These only have known the Truth and revealed it to men neither fearing nor respecting the persons of any They were seduced with no opinions of mans invention but only spake and taught those things which themselves both heard and saw being inspired with the Holy Spirit of God whose Writings and Books are extant out of which the Reader may receive great profit and knowledge of many things As of the first Creation of the World and of the end of the same with all other things that are necessary for us to know Neither in their teachings do they use any demonstrations the things taught being of themselves more certain then that they need any such demonstration the accomplishment of their Prophesies which we see fulfilled constraining us of necessity to believe the words and Doctrine which they have taught Their Doctrine also hath been confirmed by Wonders and Miracles which induce us to give credit to it They preached of God the Creator and Maker of all things They prophesied also before of Christ the Son of God sent to be the Redeemer of the World which the false Prophets seduced by false and wicked Spirits did not but only took upon them to work certain prodigious wonders for men to gaze at that thereby they might gain belief to their false and unclean opinions But remember before all things to make thy Prayers to Almighty God that he will open a gate of light to thee for otherwise the knowledge of these things cannot be attained to by every man but they are revealed only to such to whom God and his Christ give understanding The old Father having declared these and many other things to Justine departed from him exhorting him carefully to follow those things which he had spoken after which he saw him no more But Justine was presently wonderfully inflamed in his minde to know and study the Prophets in comparison of which all other Philosophy now seemed vain and unprofitable to him and so in time he became a Christian and was baptized After this â—e became an earnest defender of the Truth travelling up and down and disputing against all those which were enemies and opposers of it fearing neither peril of life nor danger of death so that he might maintain the Doctrine of Christ against the malitious blasphemers of the same and also increase the number of Christian Believers as may appear by his vehement disputations against the Heathen Philosophers and by the long disputation of his at Ephesus against Tripho and also by his confutations of Hereticks Yea and by his Apologies which with great zeal and courage he exhibited to the Emperour and Magistrates against the Persecutors of the Christians and in their just defence all which do sufficiently testifie the same The first Apologie which he wrote was to the Senate of Rome in which he wrote with great liberty telling them that of necessity he was compelled thus to utter his minde unto them For that in persecuting the Christians they neglected their duty and highly offended God of which they had need to be admonished This Apology he also sent to Antoninus Pius the Emperour Writing also to Vrbicius Leiutenant of the City he told him that he put men to torments and death for no offence committed but only for the confession of the name of Christ which proceedings saith he neither becometh the Emperour nor his Son nor the Senate In the same Apology he also defended and purged the Christians from those crimes which were falsely charged upon them by the Ethnicks In his second Apology writing to Antoninus the Emperour and his successors with like gravity and freedom of speech he declareth unto them how they had the name and repute of vertuous Philosophers maintainers of Justice lovers of Learning c. But whether they were so indeed their Acts declared As for himself he professeth that neither for flattery nor for favour he wrote unto them but that he was constrained to sue unto them for righteousness in their judgements and sentences For saith he it becomes Princes to follow uprightness and piety in their judgements not tyranny and violence He also in plain words chargeth as well the Emperour as the Senate with manifest wrong for that they did not grant to the Christians that which was not denyed to all other
Malefactors but judged them to death not convicted but out of an hatred to their name Other men saith he which are appeached in judgement are not condemned till they are first convicted But for us you take the name for a sufficient crime whereas indeed you ought to see justice done rather upon our accusers So that if a Christian that is accused deny his name him you release being not able to charge him with any other offence But if he stand to his name you condemn him Whereas it were your duty rather to examine their manner of life and so according to their demerits to see justice done upon them And in another place You examine not the Causes but hurried on with rash affections as with the spur of fury you slay and murther the innocent without any respect of justice And if any will say some of them have been taken in evil doings I answer that you use not to enquire after those things but condemn them before due examination of their offences for the cause above mentioned Hereby it appears that you degenerate from the goodness of your predecessors whose examples you follow not For your Father Adrian of famous memory caused to be proclaimed that Christians accused before the Judge should not be condemned unless they were found guilty of some notorious crime c. In the same Apologie he also proves by firm and strong arguments that Christians ought not at the sole will and command of the Emperor and Senate to offer Sacrifice to Idols for which if they be condemned they suffer open wrong He affirms moreover that the only true Religion is the Religion of Christians whose Doctrine and Conversation hath no fault And although by these and such like perswasions he could not prevail with the Emperour to love their Religion and to become a Christian yet thus much he obtained that the Emperour wrote to his Officers in Asia in the behalf of the Christians requiring and commanding them that those Christians only that were found guilty of other crimes should suffer and that none for the bare name of a Christian should be punished as hitherto they had been By this it is apparent with what zeal and â—aith Justine strove against the persecutors of his time who as he used to say could kill but could not hurt At last he went to Rome where he had many open disputations and publique conferences with some Philosophers especially with one Crescens who was of the Sect of the Câ—nikes from whom he alwayes bore away the Bell which tended to the shortning of his life as himself foresaw and foretold in these words I look for no other end then this that I be betrayed by some one of them called Philosophers or knocked on the head with a club by Crescens no Philosopher indeed but a proud boaster For it is not meet to call him a Philosopher which ignorantly reporteth that the Christians are impious and irreligious to the end that he may flatter and please such as are over-shadowed with the mist of error and ignorance For if he impugn the Doctrine of the Christians having never read nor known the same then is he full of malice and far worse then Idiots that sometimes fear to reason of unknown matters least they speak falsely Or if he hath read them yet he understands not the Mysterie and Majestical meaning thereof Or if in any thing he understands them yet is he afraid to confess the Truth least he should be taken for one of them and then he is far more wicked and malitious yea the bondslave of vain glory and brutish fear I desire that you may understand the Truth I have proposed certain Questions and Interrogatories to him whereby I have found that he knows nothing So that if you knew what I propounded and what answer he made thereto you would certainly give sentence that he is altogether ignorant in our Doctrine c. And according to this his prediction he was slain by the procurement of Crescens being beheaded An. Christi 139. Suffering Martyrdom with much cheerfulness under Verus the Emperor or as Epiphanius saith under Adrian Tatianus a learned man writeth thus of it Crescens saith he being in Rome passed all men in that filthy and unnatural sin of Sodomie defiling himself with mankinde inferiour also he was to no man in covetousness He taught that death was not to be feared yet himself was so extreamly fearful of it that he procured Justins death as it were for a great evill Because that he Preaching the Truth reprehended the Philosophers as gluttonous and deceitful persons He confuted Marcion the Heretick and the Valentinians He complain'd to the Emperor Antoninus Pius of the cruelty of the Proconsul in Asia against the Christians who forbad them to read any Books that spake of Christ. His usual saying was That which the Soul is in the Body that are Christians in the World for as the Soul is in but not of the Body so Christians are in but no part of the World Also It is best of all not to sin and next to that to amend upon the punishment Again That it is the greatest slavery in the World to be subject to ones own passions He was one that did not only suffer in his Saviours Cause but took great pains in defending it against all oppositions in his times He gat much repute for his constant zeal against Idolatry and Superstition and perswading the Gentiles to leave it as a vain and unprofitable service declaring unto them the excellency and benefit of the true Worship of God So that he was a blessed Instrument to bring many out of that miserable condition cheerfully to imbrace the Faith of Christ crucified His works are these A Dialogue with Triphon the Jew An Apology to the Senate of Rome Another to Antoninus Pius An Oration to the Gentiles with some Epistles One Ad Zenam Serenum Altera ad Diognetum Paraenetica Oratio ad Graecos IRENAEVS The Life of Irenaeus who dyed An. Chrsti 182. IRenaeus was born in Asia of Greek Parents as both his name and writings do declare In his younger years he was scholar to and a constant hearer of Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna In his riper years he went into France and was Ordained Minister by Photinus Bishop of Lyons and some other Presbyters At this time the Church of Christ was in great trouble both by reason of the Persecution raised by foraign Enemies but especially by reason of Errors and Sects which then sprung up in that time against which he diligently laboured and wrote much His Nature did well agree with his Name for he was a great lover of Peace and endeavoured to the uttermost to procure Unity when Controversies arose in the Church And therefore when the great controversie about keeping Easter day was renewed and Victor the Bishop of Rome would have excommunicated the Eastern Churches as
found more nervous and quick in Disputing then the rest And in the mean time he exercised himself in Preaching sometimes in Leiden and sometimes in the neighbor Villages which he performed with such a grace that he was called to a Pastoral charge in Leiden This call being so unexpected troubled him so much the more He thought it a great honour to be at first called to a place in so eminent a City where also he had the benefit of the University for the promoting of his Learning But yet he judged it a very hard burden to govern a great Church who had not yet learned to govern a little one Hereupon he betook himself by his ardent Prayers unto God for direction and at last resolved to refer the business wholly to the judgement of his Parents They by Gomarus returned thanks to the Presbytery and make many excuses why he could not accept of the call but the truth is their principal reason was because they would have their son the staffe of their old Age neerer to them And indeed they were not satisfied till leaving the University he came home to them which was in the Spring Anno Christi 1602. The whole course of his life from his childhood both in the University in his travels and hitherto had been very blameless pious modest free from luxury and wantonness and his care was that as he grew in years he might grow in goodness he never minded trifles yet was not his conversation austere and froward but mild and pleasing He was unwearyed in his studies spending not only the days but half the nights therein that going cold to bed sometimes he rose out of it before he was well warm so that once whilst he was at Leiden he fell into a Quartain Ague which held him fourteen moneths which was accompanyed with a Cough notwithstanding which he would not desist from the course of his studies whereby he contracted a weakness of stomach accompanyed with crudities and a stopping in his head from which he was never free all his life after Being thus come to Middleborough he submitted himself to Examination in order to his Ordination and his Examiner was James Cornelii one of the Ministers but being inferior in Learning to Wallaeus not Wallaeus but â—ornelii was examined After his Examination he was to Preach monethly before the Ministers to make him more prompt and ready in it he was also admitted to be weekly present at their Presbyteries that he might be acquainted with their way of Government before he undertook it himself In all which Exercises and Conferences in the Presbyteries they observed that young Wallaeus was of an acute Wit composed Judgement and profound Learning About this time a Pastoral charge was void at Caletus and the Ministers of Middleborough would fain have sent Wallaeus thither But his Parents took it very ill that when they had refused a place in Leiden which was in the heart of the Low-countries he should now be sent into a corner which is exposed to the injuries both of the French and Spaniards whereupon they sharply opposed themselves against it and Wallaeus himself disliked it But when some Ministers shewed themselves very violent the Magistrates to gratifie his Parents put an end to the controversie This also happened at the same time There was neer to Middleborough a Village called Koukerk which wanting a Pastor chose Wallaeus for their Minister which he accepted of and so undertook the charge in Nâ—vemb An. Chri. 1602. accounting it a great honour that God was pleased thus to admit him into his service and withall considering the greatness of the Burthen in procuring the welfare of souls wherein the least miscarriage is a great sin against God he not only now but all his life after never undertook any thing till he had first craved the assistance of God begging of him wisdom and ability to mannage it a right At Koukerk he attained to a promptness and habit of Preaching he learned to Govern a Church to comfort the afflicted to resist the obstinate and Sectaries with whom he so far prevailed that they adjoined themselves to the Church and ever after reverenced Wallaeus as their Father His Sermons were so famous that when Grave Moris besieged Sluce Anno Christi 1604. the Wallachrian Classis made choice of Wallaeus to be joined to John Vtenbogard the Court Preacher to be Chaplain to the Army This Vtenbogard was an Eloquent Preacher one that sought to ingratiate himself with the great ones Whereas Wallaeus sought to please God rather then men and indeed at his first coming what by Prayers and what by Admonition he prevailed with the Colonels and Captains to banish swearing from amongst them Vtenbogard made too much account of Socinus and still carryed about him a New Testament having Annotations every where written in it by Socinus his own hand But Wallaeus abhorred his opinions Sluce being taken Wallaeus returned to Koukerk setling all his affairs as if he meant to live there all his life and having a competent estate he desired not an encrease of his stipend He had a full Congregation yet not burdensome so that besides his Ministerial employments he had sufficient time for his private studies He was well beloved of his people and had good societie with his Elders and Deacons His Town was not above an hours walk from Middleborough and Flushing Fruitful of Pastures had good store of Corn-ground and pleasant Orchards It was neer to that Sea by which greater ships go into the Havens of Zeland He had a large house a spacious garden which he kept very neat and orderly At this time Middleborough had but three Churches and the Auditories grew too big for them whereupon they Petition the Magistrate for a fourth Church and a eighth Minister to have a stipend allowed him The Church was appointed neer to the Fish-Market and by the Presbytery Wallaeus was appointed for the Minister Truly Wallaeus desired to stay at Koukerk and not mingling himself with the troubles of the world to serve God and his people in that place yet durst he not resist this call having thereby an opportunity of more service His two years stay at Koukerk had much changed the course of his life For having in the first year dispatched the work of his Sermons and Catechising he began to bethink himself of entring into a marryed condition and having found out Paschaesia of Isenhout a pious prudent and well-bred maid he consulted with his Parents for their consent and so all things concurring to his and their mindes he marryed her Aug. the seventh Anno Christi 1603. But presently after he lost his Parents first his Mother and then his Father who survived her but a little time In the whole time of their sickness our Wallaeus attended upon them and comforted them with Divine Consolations out of Gods Word wherefore at the hour
of death they both of them blessed him and gave him this testimony that he had never offended them in all his life Wallaeus laid their death exceedingly to heart so that for a years space no day passed wherein he did not with grief think on them nor night wherein he did not dream of them But it pleased God that in December the 27. he had a son born whom he called John this somewhat mitigated his sorrows Before this the Citizens of Middleborough had much importuned him to remove his habitation to their City but he would not consent to it till his Wife was brought to bed least he should seem to contemn his people at Koukerk who had shewed themselves so honest and loving to him But when she was up again he then removed and was entertained both by the People and Magistrates with great applause being received with more favour then ordinary which stirred up envy in some of the Ministers of Middleborough who thereupon would have had him confined to a little Church that was in the outmost part of the City but the Presbytery would not suffer it yea it returned to the glory of Wallaeus that these ancient Ministers feared least he should get their Auditories from them But after a while he moderated their passions by his modesty courtesie and readiness to do any Offices of love to them so that he lived very friendly with them In his Ministry he thought that he did not sufficiently discharge his duty by Preaching and Governing and therefore every Sabbath day at five a clock he Catechized wherein he explained all the common places in Divinity and whereby he made his people very ready in the knowledge of the Scriptures so that some of them were fitted for the work of the Ministry in the Indies He was diligent in visiting his Parishoners whereby he reformed many which were given to vitiousness giving them counsel how they might shun those sins which naturally they were addicted to He satisfied doubting Consciences and extricated them out of the snares of Satan He raised up and comforted those that were cast down at the apprehension of Gods wrath for their sins In these his visitations he ministred relief to Widows Orphans and such as were destitute of all humane help He encouraged such as were weak and sick to persevere in Faith and prepared them for death and such as were neer death he comforted them against the terrors thereof and wrought in them a desire to be with Christ yea he did not only visit such as owned him for their Minister but Sectaries also Papists and Anabaptists which he did with such sweetness that his company was never grievous to them and he carryed himself so justly that many times even they repaired to him for advice in cases of Conscience about Matrimony and always went well satisfied from him This much troubled a Popish Priest called Curio who knowing how powerful Wallâ—us was in reproving sin to deter his Disciples from conference with Wallaeus or hearing his Sermons told them that the Devil always sate upon his shoulders and as he was Preaching suggested to him what he should say But God turned his malice and lyes to good For many Papists either drawn by curiosity or by the fame of the man or upon the occasion of Baptisms into his Church when they heard nothing that was Diabolical to proceed out of his mouth they began to esteem their Curio a slanderer to doubt of the truth of his other sayings to perceive that they learned more and received more comfort by Wallaeus his Sermons then by his and so by degrees fell off to the Reformed Religion Wallaeus his Colleagues left to him yea appointed him as the most learned man amongst them to take care that their Religion received no detriment and to defend the same against all Adversaries wherein like another Hercules he subdued many Monsters There was one Abraham Beckman that of a long time had disturbed the Peace of the Church of Middleborough A man of a sharp wit and blameless life he reproved the Ministers for baptizing such children whose Parents were not members of the Church and he had drawn some hundreds of the Church membrs to his party To these Wallaeus opened the Doctrine of Truth more plainly by Conference and Disputations he overthrew the pertinacious convinced most of them by writing and so brought them to an acknowledgement of their Errors But Wallaeus thought it not sufficient to conquer them but he would also gain them to the Church which he effected by procuring that Beckman should be chosen one of the Presbytery whereby he was quieted and afterwards did good service to the Church Sectaries are never better quieted then whilst they pretend for God they may have riches or honours conferred upon them Shortly after there was one Gedeon Vanden Bogard a Noble man of Flanders who being inticed with great promises was resolved to turn over to the King of Spains party and therefore also must change his Religion for which end he gives out that the Popish Religion was truer then the Reformed and that in the point of Transubstantiation which he undertook to prove by the assistance of Father Gauda a Jesuite of Antwerp who was grown to that height of impudency and impiety that he published in Print that he would pawn his soul to God to expiate all the Errors that were in the Romane Church To whom therefore Wallaeus presently answers and shews that the Pontificians themselves could not otherwise understand the words of Institution in the Lords Supper but Figuratively and that the body of Christ â—ould not be in infinite places at the same time for that then it should cease to be a body which is always circumscribed within its own limits so that Gauda held his peace Presently after a certain stranger coming to Middleborough for Zeland brings forth no such Monsters Preached That Christ had excellently taught reverence to God and love to our Neighbors But that his Doctrine might have the more weâ—ght hâ—d affirmed himself to be the Son of God by a certain pious fraud saying that he was God when indeed he was not And not content to divulg these blasphemies in private he preached them in publick VVallaeus judged this man the more dangerous by how much he seemed to be very religious and that he would not speak without commending Christ whenas indeed he sought to destroy him wherefore setting upon him in a Publick Assembly he proved that in the Nativity Life and Death of Christ all things did concur which were foretold of the Messias in the Old Testament and therefore that he could not but be God which was required in the Messias That Christ whom he confessed to teach Piety must express it in his Life and therefore could not begin his Doctrine with a lye who must not do evill that good might come of it Neither was it worth the while