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
visit them but also administer to them Julian the Emperour having formerly known him at Athens sent and desired him to write to him which he refused to do because of his Apostasie Nay Valence the Emperour when he persecuted the Orthodox and had put eighty Presbyters into a Vessel thinking to have burnt them at Sea yet meeting Basil he spake him fair and sent also to him by many messengers to win him to that Heresie yet neither threats nor promises could once move him for when the messenger gave him good language and promised him great preferment he answered Alas Sir these speeches are fit to catch little children that look after such things but we that are taught and nourished by the Holy Scriptures are readier to suffer a thousand deaths then to suffer one syllable or tittle of the Scriptures to be altered And when Modestus the Praefect asked him Know ye not who we are that command it No body said Basil whilst you command such things Know ye not said the Praefect that we have honours to bestow upon you to which he answered They are but changeable like your selves Hereupon in a rage he threatned to confiscate his goods to torment him to banish or kill him to which he answered He need not fear confiscation that hath nothing to lose nor banishment to whom Heaven only is a Country nor torments when his body would be dasht with own blow nor death which is the only way to set him at liberty the Praefect told him that he was mad to whom he replyed Opto me in aeternum sic delirà re I wish that I may for ever be thus mad yet the Praefect gave him that night to resolve what to do but he was the same next morning whereupon the Praefect related all to the Emperour who went to Church with intentions to have disturbed him in his holy duties but seeing his reverend carriage he was so convinced that he made a large offering which Basil refused as coming from an Heretick At another time the Praefect sending for him commanded him to comply with the Emperour in his opinion or else threatned him with death whereupon Basil unfeignedly and freely spake his minde about the Emperours opinion withall highly commending the Faith Of One Substance and whereas saith he you threaten me with death would it would fall out so well on my side that I might lay down this carkase of mine in the quarrel of Christ and in the defence of his Truth who is my Head and Captain Then said the Praefect Be not so rash in thy answer second thoughts may prove better and therefore I give thee this day and night to consider further of it and to morrow I will expect thy answer desiring that thou mayst not wilfully cast away thy self Whereupon Basil replyed I have no need to take further Counsel about this matter Look what I am to day the same thou shalt finde me to morrow but I pray God that thou change not thy minde For since I am a creature my self I can never be perswaded to Worship one that is like me and to acknowledge him for God or to conform my self to thine and the Emperours Religion For though you be Illustrious Persons and command a great part of the World yet must not I submit to your wils being but men nor obey you with the neglect of my Faith in God which God assisting I will never betray though you confiscate my goods though you banish me or torment me to death Seeing none of these things will trouble me at all As for riches truly I have none besides my torn garments and a few Books and I so dwell here in this World as one that is always ready to leave it and as for my body it is so weak that one only blow will make it insensible both of grief and torments This resolute answer caused the Praefect to dismiss him Yet after this the Arians prevailed again for his banishment but when the writing was brought to Valence to be confirmed the pens would not write the least title being often tried and when the Emperour being mad with rage still endeavoured to confirm the Edict for his banishment he was struck in his right hand with a great trembling So that at last being terrisied with these judgements of God he tore the paper in pieces So having been Bishop at Caesarea and Cappadocia eight years and an half he departed this life with these words Into thine hands O Lord I commend my spirit He used to say To know thy self is very difficult for as the Eye can see all things but it self so some can discern all faults but their own And again Divine Love is a never failing treasure he that hath it is rich and he that wanteth it is poor When he had read the Bible over he faid It 's a physitians shop of Preservatives against poysonous Heresies a pattern of profitable Laws against rebellious spirits a treasury of most costly jewels against beggerly elements and a fountain of most pure water springing up to eternal life Erasmus saith that he rather deserved the name of Maximus then of Magnus Concerning whose Eloquence saith he I take it to be a great disgrace to him if I should compare him with any of those whom the Graecians most admired and endeavoured to imitate For which of all those great Orators did so excel in Eloquence wherein something was not either wanting or offensive Did Perycles Thunder and Lighten in his Orations yet it was without Art Lysias was frozen in his Attick subtlety Phalereus had much sweetness but wanted gravity Isocrates was but the shadow of an Orator Demosthenes whom Tully maketh the compleat example of an exquisite Orator yet wanted affections and urbanity in his Orations But S. Basil was an incomparable man in whom was wanting neither Nature nor Art nor Exercise He was not only an excellent Orator but a great Philosopher and exactly skilled in all kinde of Learning But as I said before it s a disgrace to compare such a Christian with any of the Heathens It s fitter therefore to compare him with Christians like himself and truly that Age produced many excellent men famous both for their Learning and Piety as Athanasius Gregory Nazianzen John Chrysostom and Gregory Nissen And each of these excelled in their several gifts Athanasius for excellent teaching Nazianzen for his florid and acute Orations Chrysostome though he answered his sir-name by reason of his golden mouth yet he hath many superfluous words and was immoderate in his digressions Nissen was content with his pious simplicity But I know not what the most critical Reader can desire more then he shall finde in Basil He shall finde in him a simple and natural form of speech flowing from his most holy breast drained of all humane passions whatsoever Art can do is to be found in him yet without the appearance of
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
wrote to his Brother to acquaint him therewith and to request him that Athanasius might be restored to his Bishoprick But when Constantius deferred from day to day to answer his desire Constance wrote to him the second time giving him in choise either to restore Athanasius and so account of him as his friend or else to hear the Proclamation of open War and so finde him his deadly foe The Emperour of the East hearing this was wondeful sad and pensive and calling together many of the Eastern Bishops layeth before them the choise his Brother had given him demandeth of them what was best in this case to be done they answered that it was far better to restore Athanasius then to make that an occasion of mortal and deadly Wars Hereupon the Emperour wrote this Letter unto him Constantius the Puissant and Noble Emperour unto Athanasius the Bishop sendeth greeting Our singular and wonted clemency will no longer suffer thy Fatherhood to be turmoiled and tossed with the surging waves of the Seas the Piety which we have always in great price will no longer permit thy Holiness now banished out of thy Native soil bereaved of thy substance barred of all prosperity to wander through crooked and cross ways through Desarts and dangerous Countreys Although we have lingred now a great while from sending our Letters whereby we might signifie unto thee the concealed secresie of our minde hoping that of thine own accord thou wouldst repair unto us and with humble sute crave remedy and redress of thine injuries Yet nevertheless fear peradventure hindering thee of thy purpose we sent presently our gracious Letters unto thy Grave Wisdom that with all celerity thou come unto us whereby thou shalt satisfie longing desires thou shalt have trial of our wonted clemency and be restored to thine own Sea and Nativeo sâ—l For to this end I have entreated my Lord and Brother Constance the Puissant and Noble Emperour that he would license thee to return unto us whereby thou mightest by the means of us both enjoy thy Country and have this token for trial of our singulâ—r clemency and good will towards thee But whilest Athanasius doubted and feared to go unto Constantius by reason of the false and slanderous reports that were raised of him and the implacable malice of his Enemies Constantius wrote this second Letter to him Constantius the Puissant and Noble Emperour unto Athanasius the Bishop sendeth greeting Although by our former Letters we have signified to thy Wisdom after the plainest manner that with secure minde and safe conduct thou shouldst come unto our Court because we were fully determined to restore thee to thy former dignities We have notwithstanding sent these Letters also to thy Holiness that thou hire a common Wagon and removing all timorous thoughts from thy distrustful minde thou speedily repair unto us to the end thou mayest the sooner enjoy thy long wished desires Presently after he wrote again this third Letter for his further satisfaction Constantius the Puissant and Noble Emperour unto Athanasius the Bishop sendeth greeting Being lately at Edessa where also were some of thy Presbyters then present it seemed good unto us to send one of them unto thee that thou shouldst hasten unto our Court and after thy coming into our presence without delay return unto Alexandria And forasmuch as it is now a great while ago since thou receivedst our Letters and hast deferred thy journey therefore now also we thought good to put thee in remembrance that without delay thou come unto us and so thou shalt possess the liberty of thy Country and thy long wished ease and quietness And that thou mightest fully perswade thy self of all the promises we have sent unto thee Achetas the Deacon by whom thou shalt undeâ— stand both what our purpose is and also how that thy hearts desire shall prevail Athanasius being at Aquilâ—ia when he received these Letters immediately posted to Rome and shewed them to Bishop Julius whereby the Church of Rome rejoyced much conceiving that Constantius the Eastern Emperour was of the same Faith and opinion with themselves whereupon Julius wrote this Letter to the People of Alexandria in the behalf of Athanasius Julius Bishop of Rome unto the Presbyters Deacons and Wel-beloved Brethren of Alexandria sendeth greeting in the Lord I do greatly rejoyce with you Wel-beloved Brethren that henceforth you may behold with your Eyes the fruit of your Faith For that is to be seen in my Brother and fellow Bishop Athanasius whom God hath restored unto you partly for 〈◊〉 sincere and godly life and partly also by the means of your Prayers Hereby it may be easily conjectured what pure and fervent Prayers you have always poured out unto God for when you called to minde the heavenly promises and the intire affection which you bare unto them all which you learned of my foresaid Brother you understood plainly and through the right Faith ingrafted into your mindes you were fully perswaded that Athanasius whom in your godly mindes you beheld as present should not be always severed from you wherefore I need not to use many words unto you for whatsoever I can say the same hath your Faith prevented and whatsoever you all heartily desired the same through the Grace of God is now fully come to pass And that I may repeat the same again I do greatly rejoyce with you that you have continued so firm and stedfast in the Faith that by no means you could be withdrawn from it Moreover I do no less rejoyce for my Brother Athanasius who notwithstanding the manifold calamities and sundry miseries which he endured yet remembred almost every hour your intire love and great longing for him And though for a season he seemed to be absent from you in body yet lived he always as present with you in the Spirit I think verily Wel-beloved Brethren that all the temptations and pains which he indured are not void of their commendations or profit For by this means both his Faith and yours have been made manifest to the whole World If he had not been tried with such great and lamentable temptations who would ever have thought or known that your minds had been so unmovably fixed upon so worthy a Bishop or that he was the man that excelled in such rare gifts by means whereof he is made partaker of the hope that is laid up for him in Heaven wherefore he hath attained to a notable testimony of his Faith not only in this life but of that which is to come For by his patient suffering of much adversity both by Sea and Land he bath trampled and trod under foot all the malitious treacheries of his Arian adversaries Oft-times by reason of their spite he stood in great hazard of his life yet made â—e no account of death but through the Grace of Almighty God and power of our Lord Jesus Christ he escaped their hands whereby he conceived good hope that in
an excellent faculty in perswading wherein he excelled most men of that age He was very frequent and earnest in reproving sin not only in his publick Ministry but by going to the houses of such as were scandalous and dealing privately and plainly with them laying to heart the dishonour done unto God as if himself had been personally wronged by them By this means he became very grateful to the common people but most ungrateful to great and rich men who usually take most liberty in sinning Hereupon his fame spread all over the Roman Empire Such as knew him prized his great experience such as knew him not were drawn by the fame of his great Learning insomuch as the Bishoprick of Constantinople being void he of all others was thought most worthy to succeed therein and thereupon he was unanimously chosen both by the Clergy and Laity the Emperour himself approving well of their choice and sending some messengers to fetch him In the mean time also the Emperour convocated a Synod that by that means his Ordination to the Bishoprick might be better approved of Asterius the Praefect of the East having received the Emperours Letters sent to Antioch for John as if he meant to confer with him about something But as soon as he came taking him up in his Coach he carryed him to Pagra where he delivered him to the Emperours Messengers and this he did because he knew the tumultuous disposition of the Antiochians who would have raised some Sedition rather then have parted with him and would never but by force have suffered him to have gone from them When he came to Constantinople the Clergy were called together But Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria opposed his Ordination endeavouring to prefer to that place one of his own Presbyters called Isidore who had been his Instrument in an action very prejudicial to the Emperour But when Eutropius one of the Courtiers had told him that except he consented with the rest for the choice of John he should be questioned for that former fact he also gave his suffrage for him Thus John being setled in the Bishoprick of Constantinople his first study and care was to reform the lives of his Clergy and making a diligent Inquisition into their conversation their dyet and other carriages he reproved corrected yea and cast some of them out of the Church For John being of a cholerick and hasty Nature and now armed with Authority would not indulge their faults but laboured throughly to reform them And this he did not only to the Clergy of his own Church but being of a great spirit and inflamed with zeal he endeavoured the Reformation of all within his Jurisdiction And finding also a great Rent and Schism between the Eastern and Western Churches he did all that possibly he could for the healing and making up of the same and prevailed somewhattherein though he could not perfectly attain his desire His Gouernment and Ministry through Gods mercy proved very effectuall in Constantinople so that he converted many Pagans to Christianity and reduced many Hereticks from their Errors Many flocked dayly to him some for the profit and benefit which they got by his Doctrine others for the tempting of him all whom he held Captive and prevailed with them to agree with him in matters of Religion So great a confluence of people resorted to his Sermons with an insatiable desire after them that they were ready to stifle one another whilest every one crowded to come neerest to him About this time Chrysostom was informed that the Churches in Asia were generally governed by unworthy Bishops who either for affection or bribes preferred unfit persons to the Ministry whereupon he went to Ephesus and examining these things he deposed thirteen Bishops some in Lycia some in Phrygia and the rest in Asia placing more fit persons in their rooms At Ephesus finding the Bishop to be lately dead he placed Heraclides born in Cyprus and sometimes a Disciple of Evagrius But upon the removal of these Bishops they with their adherents raised many slanders against Chrysostom accusing him every where as a violator of their Country Laws and amongst others they stirred up Eutropius an Eunuch in the Emperours Court against him who was in great favour and was esteemed as the Father of the Emperour and made one of the Consuls of the City This Eutropius procured a Law to be Enacted that Malefactors taking Sanctuary in the Church should be drawn thence and punished according to their demerits Shortly after himself was accused for using the Emperours wife unworthily whereupon he fled to the Church and there lay under the Communion-Table Chrysostom being to Preach the next day took occasion to speak against the Pride and Insolency of Great men and to shew the vanities and uncertaintie of all worldly glory and Eutropius according to his own Law was fetched out of the Church and beheaded About the same time also the Arians who by the Emperour Theodosius were driven out of all the Churches within Constantinople held their Conventicles in the Suburbs where first they met together in the night-time and made certain songs and responsories in favour of their own Heresies and in disgrace of the Catholicks and at last they grew so bold that they went about the streets every morning especially on the first and last days of the Week singing them as they went John Chysostom suspecting least some of his people might be seduced by these means stirred them up to the like practice whereupon the Hereticks being enraged fell upon the Orthodox so that some of both sides were slain which so incensed the Emperour against them that he forbad all the Conventicles of the Arians by which means the people were more in love with John both for his Prudence and profitable Preaching Yet many of the Great Rich men and of the Clergy hated him because he was so free and impartial in his reproofs for as oft as any of his Clergy offended he punished them and such as abused their Riches to Pride Luxury and dishonest Pleasures he laboured by all means to reduce them to Virtue Some of the Clergy joyning with some Monks reproached him as a cholerick and implacable man and endeavoured to alienate the affections of the people from him by suggesting that he was unsociable never inviting any man to his Table nor going to any Feast when he was invited whereas the reason of it was because of his great temperance and by reason of his hard studies he was troubled with Rhumes and Head-ach which made him shun such meetings About this time there arose a great contention amongst the Monks in Egypt whilest some of the more ignorant and illiterate held God to have a body like unto man others denyed it Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria held with and favoured the former laying snares to entrap some of the latter who thereupon went to Constantinople to complain of him to the
to have her taken away from him saying That he had rather endure the hand of God then to be cured by the power of the Devil And God had respect to the zeal of the boy for presently after he was freed from his pain What money was given him whilst he was thus young he privately gave it away to the Poor When he was grown to be a young man his Mother having seen him to exceed her expectation falling sick quietly resigned up her spirit unto God And Bernard began now to grow famous for his strict course of life elegancy of feature sweet manners sharp wit and eloquent tongue so that many opportunities were put into his hand whereby he might have attained to great dignity in the World Hereupon the Devil who watcheth all opportunities to do mischief laid his snares for him seeking to draw him to uncleanness and presenting an object whilst Bernard for a time fixed his eyes too firmly upon her he began to feel the burnings of his youthly lusts to stir in him but quickly coming to himself he blushed for shame and purposing revenge he presently ran into a Pool the weather being cold up to the neck where he continued till he was almost starved thereby quenching that inward flame which before scorched him and withall studying how to avoid such snares and temptations for the time to come he resolved to enter into a Monastery of the Cistercians which was the strictest Order of Friers perswading himself that there he might live retired from the World and enjoy the freer Communion with God But this purpose of his coming to the Ears of his Brethren and Friends they laboured by all means to disswade him exhorting him rather to continue in his studies of Humane Learning which might bring him to preferment in the World This tentation had almost prevailed with him till the remembrance of his Mothers purpose and care to set him apart for the service of God came into his minde and then retiring into a private place he poured out his Prayers well watered with tears unto God seeking unto him for direction and counsel and from that day forward he was confirmed in his resolution and could by no means be removed from the same Yea his zeal was such that he rested not till he had perswaded four of his Brethren to leave the world and all their worldly preferments and to join with him in the same course of life And when they had taken their leave of their Father and were going towards the Monastery they saw their youngest Brother Nivard a boy playing amongst boys to whom Guido the elder Brother said Farewel Brother Nivard behold we leave to you all our Earthly possessions But he presently answered You will take Heaven and leave me the Earth this is no equal division And so going home to his Father after a while he resolved to leave all and to enter into the same course of life with his Brethren which he did accordingly These Brethren being thus entred into the Monastery lived under the government of one Steven who was their Abbot which was Anno Christi 1113. and in the 22 year of Bernards age When Bernard entred into this course of life he intended wholly to sequester himself from the World but God intended otherwise who had prepared him to be a Vessel of honour for his own glory This Bernard knew not and therefore lived privately in his Cell spending his time in Study Meditation and Prayer often saying to himself Bernard Bernard Remember for what end thou camest hither He allowed himself very little time for sleep often complaining that all that time was lost and indeed in so sparing a dyet as he used there was need of the less sleep for he never indulged himself in either neither eating nor sleeping to saciety Yea by his rigid abstinence he so weakned his stomach that he was scarce able to retain food when he had eaten it and that little which he did retain served rather to retard death then to prolong his life yet all this while be remitted nothing of his studies and labors Insomuch as he equalled the other Monks in digging of the ground felling of wood and carrying it home upon his shoulders and when his strength failed he busied himself about meaner services and whensoever he had any intermission he spent his time in Prayer and reading the Sacred Scriptures which afterwards in the midst of his bodily labors he meditated over again He read also the best Expositors yet took far more delight in the Fountain then in these streams whereby he became very mighty in the Scriptures which stood him in great use when afterwards he became a Preacher Shortly after Steven sent forth some of these Brethren to build the Monastery of Claraeval appointing Bernard to be their Abbot The place was in the Territory of the Lingones not far from the River Alba where they lived in penury hunger thirst cold watchings and prayer and Bernard understanding that the Ministry of the Word was much wanting in that Country burning with a zeal to save souls resolved to set upon that work and seeking one by whom he might be ordained Minister he pitched upon the Bishop of Catalonia to whom when he came and had conversed a while with him there grew a very strict bond of friendship betwixt them After his Ordination he was very frequent and fervent in Preaching the Word of God wheresoever he came whereby he grew very famous Yet Otho Bishop shop of Frising who was his contemporary blameth him for three things 1. For his jealousie which carryed him away with wrong conceits 2. For credulity or lightness of belief giving Ear to tale-bearers and lyars with too much facility which made him so earnest against the Gospellers who were better men then himslef 3. For prejudice especially against Learned men who by the help of Art soared alost like Eagles beyond the pitch of his capacity For though himslef had an excellent natural wit yet he was little studied in the Arts and Sciences and whosoever went not in the rode way of Learning submitting his reason to the Dictates and Pharses of the Roman Church him would Bernard suspectior an Heretick Anno Christi 1153. he fell sick and wrote this Letter to Arnold Abbot of Boneval who desired to know how he did in his sickness We received your love in love faith he and not in pleasure For what pleasure can there be where pain and bitterness challengeth all unto it self Only it s a little delightful to me to eat nothing Sleep hath departed from me that sorrow and pain may never depart from me by the benefit of my senses lulled asleep The want of a stomach is almost all that I suffer only it requireth often both day and night to be comforted With a very little liquor What soever it be But if at any time I admit of
end I my Explication of Genesis God grant that others may more rightly expound it then I have done I cannot proceed further my strength faileth pray for me that I may have a quiet and comfortable departure out of this life This year in Italy was spread a most impudent lye about Luthers death which they called Horrendum inâ—ud tum miraculum quod in aeternum laudandus Dâ—us in foedamâ—te Mart. Lutheri corpore anima damnati exhibuit in gloriam Jesu Christi atque in emendationem consolationem piorum The substance of it was this That when he saw he must die he requested that his body should be set upon the Altar and worshipped with Divine Worship but when his body was laid in the grave suddainly so great a stir and terror arose as if the foundations of the Earth were shaken together whereupon all that were present trembling and astonished lift up their Eyes and saw the sacred Host appear in the Air whereupon they placed that upon the Altar But the night following a loud noise and ratling shriller then the former was heard about Luthers sepulchre which terrified all the City and almost killed them with astonishment in the morning when they opened the sepulchre they found neither bodie bones nor clothes but a sulphureous stink came out thereof which almost overcame the standers by c. This Lye coming printed into Germany Luther subscribed with his own hand I Martin Luther do profess and witness under my own hand that receiving this figment full of anger and fury concerning my death I read it with a joyful mind and cheerful countenance And but that I detest the blasphemy which ascribeth an impudent lye to the Divine Majesty for the other passages I cannot but laugh at Satans the Popes and their complices hatred against me God turn their hearts from their Diabolical malice but if he Decree not to hear my Prayer for their sin unto death then God grant that they may fill up the measure of their sins and solace themselves with their libels full fraught with such like lyes Anno Christi 1546. Luther taking Melancthon and some others along with him went into his own country and returned in safety to Wittenberg again And not long after he was sent for back by the Counts of Mansfield to compose a difference amongst them about the borders of their Countries and their inheritances Luther did not use to meddle with such businesses having all his life been accustomed only to deal in Ecclesiastical affairs yet because he was born in that Country he would not be wanting to promote the peace of it And therefore having preached his last Sermon at Wittenberg January the 17. upon the 23. day he began his journey and at Hall in Saxony he lodged at Justus Jonas his house and passing over the River with Jonas and his own three sons they were in danger of drowning whereupon he said to Justus Jonas Think you not that it would rejoyce the Devil very much if I and you and my three sons should be drowned He was honorably entertained by the Earl of Mansfield who sent an hundred Horse that conveyed him to Isleben being very weak whereupon he said that he never undertook any great business but he was attended with such sickness yet after the use of some Fomentations he was pretily well and attended the business about which he came from the 29. of Ianuary to the 17. of February During which time he preached some times in the Church and twice administred the Lords Supper and Ordained two to the work of the Ministry At his Table he used holy conference and was dayly very fervent in his Prayers The day before his death he dined and supped with his friends discoursing of divers matters and amongst the rest gave his opinion that in heaven we shall know one another because Adam knew Eve at first sight c. After supper his pain in his breast increasing he went aside and prayed then went to bed and slept but about midnight being awakened with the pain and perceiving that his life was at an end he said I pray God to preserve the Doctrine of his Gospel amongst us For the Pope and the Council of Trent have grievous things in hand After which he thus prayed O heavenly Father my gracious God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ thou God of all consolation I give thee hearty thanks that thou hast revealed unto me thy Son Iesus Christ whom I believe whom I profess whom I love whom I glorifie whom the Pope and the rout of the wicked persecute and dishonour I beseech thee Lord Iesus Christ receive my soul O my heavenly Father though I be taken out of this life and must lay down this frail body yet I certainly know that I shall live with thee eternally and that I cannot be taken out of thy hands God so loved the world c. Lord I render up my spirit into thy hands and come to thee And again Lord into thy hands I commend my spirit thou O God of Truth hast redeemed me and so as one falling asleep and without any bodily pain that could be discerned he departed this life February 18. Anno 1546. and in the great Climaâ—terial year of his life This was the Will which he made concerning his Wife with childe and his young son O Lord God I thank thee that thou wouldst have me live a poor and indigent person upon Earth I have neither house nor Land nor possessions nor money to leave Thou Lord hast given me wife and children them Lord I give back to thee nourish instruct and keep them O thou the Father of Orphans and Iudge of the Widow as thou hast done to me so do to them When he was ready to dye Iustus Ionas and Caelius said to him O Reverend Father do you dye in the constant confession of that Doctrine of Christ which you have hitherto preached To which he answered Yea which was the last word that he spake He was ever constant in the known Truth from the confession whereof he could never be removed neither by promises nor threats In the dismal Wars which followed when Wittenberg was yeilded to the Emperour Charles and he came to see Luthers Tomb some of his Spaniards perswaded him that the body of Luther should be taken up and burned the Emperour said Suffer him to rest till the day of the Resurrection and Iudgement of all men When he was fitting himself for his journey to Isleben he confessed to Melancthon that he had gone too far in the Sacramentary Controversie hereupon Melancthon perswaded him to explicate his minde by publishing some Book but he answered hereby I shall bring a suspition upon all my Doctrine as faulty but when I am dead you may do as you see cause He was full of affections towards his children gave them liberal education
he was set to the study of the Law wherein he shewed such industry that he was quickly acquainted with the principles of it and being of a generous nature he loved the Truth and hated Evils often using that Proverbe of Solomon that Lying lips become not a Prince Amongst all Law-books he was most versed in Panormitan Having thus prepared his Wit by these Studies An. Chr. 1522 he was by Cardinal Albert Elector of Mentz and Bishop of Magdeburg chosen to be one of his Counsellors whereby he was versed in the weighty Affairs of State finding the use and benefit of his knowledge of the Law therein and being Eloquent by nature the Cardinal often made use of him to open his mind to others so that his judgement was encreased and confirmed by his industry and employments But the Controversies about Religion waxing hot at this time and Luther's books coming abroad he fell to reading of them especially De discrimine Legis Evangelii De vera paenitentia De gratia De fide De vera invocatione De usu Sacramentorum De discrimine legum divinarum humanarum De discrimine Ministerii Evangelici Politicae potestatis Yet withall suspecting his own injudiciousness he would often pray with teares to God to incline his heart to the Truth saying Deal with thy servant according to thy mercy and instruct me in thy right eousnesse He was frequent in reading the Scriptures Ecclesiastical Histories Augustine Hierom and Lombard having George Forcheme both for an helper and copartner with him in those studies He studied also Greek and Hebrew and was so perfect in the Hebrew that few excelled him He discoursed with Learned men about the Controversies and so at length having long weighed the Opinions of all he concluded that the Confession of the Reformed Churches did agree with the ancient Catholick Church of God instructed by the writingâ— of the Prophets and Apostles And though he knew what hatred and danger he exposed himself to yet he made a publique profession of the Truth giving over to joyn with the Papists in their Counsels and Idolatrous Services giving himself wholly to Prayer and reading the Scriptures and other good books assisting his Brethren with whom he lived in perfect Peace and Love exceedingly in their Governments And first of all by their joint consents he reformed the Churches in his own Country setting fit Pastors over them commanding them to teach the Word of Truth to their people He abolished the Popish Ceremonies erected Schooles allowed competent stipends to the Ministers so that all things were Reformed without any dissention or tumult and many were drawn to embrace the Truth others were confirmed therein by the judgements and examples of their pious Princes And then he was very profitable to his Country by the faithful administration of Justice to them an Christi 1545 he was called to the Government of the Churches in the Diocesse of Mersburg and for that end he sent for Phil. Melancthon and divers other godly Ministers who ordained him by the Imposition of hands and gave him a Testimonial thereof August the third 1545. Concerning which Melancthon thus writeth Nos convocati quia certe sciebamus hunc illustrissimum rincipem Georgium rectè intelligere constanter amplecti puram Evangelii Doctrinam quam Ecclesiae harum regionum â—navoce uno spiritâ— cum Catholica Ecclesia Dei profitentur eximiam ejus esse virtutem sanctitatem Testimonium nostrum de eo ritu Apostolico impositione manuum declaravimus c. He lived very continently in a single life without any defilement His Chamber was a Temple Academy and a Court for he used daily in the same to pray read write and deliberate about Government He never wronged any man willingly He did good both privately and publickly to many He was a great promoter of Peace among Princes He ended many Controversies He abhorred all seditious and turbulent counsels He was far from ambition No anger hatred or desire of revenge could ever draw him to goe against the Rules of Justice or to act any thing against the common good Many and great injuries he bore with a great minde and pardoned them for the publick peace sake And with the same moderation of minde he bore other griefs so that it might easily appeare that he was supported by Prayer to and resting himself upon God and as a learned man he knâ—w the difference between divine and humane consolations and often repeated this saying Subditus esto Deo ora eum c. Submit thy self to God and pray unto him for he is near to those that are of a contrite heart and will save the humble in spirit He employed his time so wel so that he left none for pleasures and used to say That nothing refreshed him more in his sorrows then conference with learned and godly men About all controversies in Law he used to conferre with the excellentest Lawyers who were wise and virtuous men About the nature of mans body the causes and remedies of diseases with the most skilful Physitians About the Doctrine of the Church and Ecclesiastical Affairs with Luther Justus Jonas John Bugenhag c. and many of their Disputations ful of Learning and Piety were heard to the profit of many He conferred with Joachim Camerarius about the Histories of all Ages the mutation of Empires their period and the causes thereof about the Motions of the Heavens and the effects of the Stars The last act of this Princes life shewed his Piety and Gods presence with him For falling sick of a most troublesome disease he was frequent in holy prayer for himself for all the Princes of that Family for his Country and for Germany He had some portions of holy Scripture daily read to him He made his Will wherein he set downe the Confession of his Faith and commended the defense of his Churches to his Brother He added something to the stipends of all the godly Ministers under his charge He often ruminated upon those Texts God so loved the world that he gave c. No man shal take my sheep out of my hand Come unto me all yee that are weary c. and so in holy meditations and prayer he resigned up his spirit unto God Anno Christi 1553 and of his Age 47. Amongst other parts of his Ecclesiastical Administrations every year he held two Synods wherein all the Pastors of his Diocesse met together where they had very profitable Sermons preached He was made Superintendent of those Churches of Mersburg by Augustus Duke of Saxony brother to Maurice Anno Christi 1544. His Works which he left behind him were these A Consolatory Sermon upon that speech of our Saviour None can take my sheep out of my hand A Nuptial Sermon preached at Toâ—gau at the Mariage of the Duke of Saxony to Anne the King of Denmarks Daughter Four Sermons about the Sacrament A
against the Masse-Priest and privily removing the Images out of the Church some of which he cast into prison and caused others to fly away insomuch as Bugenhagius also being not safe and desiâ—ous to be acquainted and to confer with Luther the rather being invited thereto by Letters from Peter Suavenius a man excellently learned who signified to him that his converse with Luther would be exceeding profitable to him he left â—repta and went to Wittenberg Anno Christi 1521 and of his Age 36 and came there a little before Luther's going to the Diet at Worms with whom he had presently some converse and began to make himself known by reading the Psalter privately in the Schooles In Luthers absence Berthoâ—mew Bernhard Pastor of Kemberg married a Wife whereupon much controversie arose whether the Marriage of Ministers was forbidden onely by the Popes Law and how farre the Monks vows of Chastity did binde Luther hereupon being sent to for his judgement easily cut insunder the snares of those Laws and of the impious vows as Alexander did the Gordian knot with his sword At this time Suavenius and Bugenhag sojouâ—ned with Melancthon whereupon when those Propositions oâ— Luther were sent to him Bugenhag read them with much diligence and afterwards having seriously thought of them â—e said This businesse will cause a great mutation in the publick state of things About the same â— time also Carolastadiusâ—aiâ—ed â—aiâ—ed a controversieâ— about bringing in the Judicials of Moses into the Civill State and removing Images out of the Churches Against these Bugenhag with some others opposed themselves declaring that the overthrowing of Images was sâ—ditious and that Christian Commonwealths ought not to be governed by the Jewish Judicials Whereupon at Luthers returne out of his Pathmos by the Suffrages both of the University and Senate Bugenhag was chosen Pastor of the Church of Wittenberg which he taught and governed with much â—elicity and in many changes of Affaires for the pâ—ce of thirty six years never leaving his station neither for war nor pestilence and when he was proffered riches and preferment both in Denmark by the good King and in Pomeren by the good Prince yet he would never leave his charge though he lived but poorly in it Anno Christi 1522 he was sent for to Hamburg where hee prescribed to them a form both of Doctrine Ceremonies and Calling of Ministers where he erected a School also in the Monastery of St. John which afterwards grew very famous And Anno Christi 1530 being sent for to Lubec hee prescribed to them also an order both for Preaching and Discipline and set up a School in the Monastery of St Katheâ—â—ne Anno Christi 1537 he was sent for by Christian King of Denmark and Duke of Holsatia to reform Religion in his Dominions and to erect Schooles at which time he set forth a book about the Ordination of Ministers formerly agreed upon by Luther and his Colleagues to which he added some Prayers and a Form or Directory for holy Administrations And about fourteen daies after the Coronation of King Christian Bugenhag instead of the seven Bishops of Denmark ordained seven Superintendents who for the time to come should supply the office of the Bishops and should take care of all Ecclesiastical affaires These he ordained in the presence of the King and his Councill in the chief Church of Hafnia He also prescribed what Lectures should be read in the Hafnian Academy He appointed Ministers in the Kingdomes of Denmark and Norway to the number of four and twenty thousand Anno Christi 1540 Henry Duke of Brunswick being expelled his Country by the Elector of Saxony and the confederate Princes imployed Bugenhag Anthony Corvinus and Martin Gorlicius adding some of the Nobility to them to visit the Churches and Monasteries in that Dukedome and to see them reformed At which time they set forth a Form of Ordination for the Country The year following the Senate of Hildesia sent for him to Reformâ— their Churches where he with Corvinus and Henrie Winckle wrote them a Form of Ordination and placed Pastors and Ministers in their six Churches the oversight of whom was committed to Iodicus Iferman and the Church of the Canons was shut up Anno Christi 1533 he proceeded Doctor at the instigation of John Friderik Elector of Saxonie himself with his Counsellors being present to hear the publick disputations of Luther Cruciger Bugenhag and Aepine The questions were De Justitia De Ecclesia De discrimine Ministerii Evangelici Potestatis Politicae and Bugenhag making an Oration about the last of these the Prince was exceedingly well pleased with it Thus far we have the happier part of Bugenhags life but shortly after followed many confusions and warres both of the Princes and Divines in which the Princes were taken prisoners Wittenberg was besieged and other miseries and mischiefs of war brought exceeding much grief to this good old man as the death of that godly King Josiah did to the Prophet Jeremiah yet did he not give way to despondencie so as either to fly or change his mind but he kept up his spirits by fervent and frequent prayer to God which yeelded him great consolation the rather considering that in so great tempests the poor Ship of Christ's Church was not swallowed up and devoured For Prince Maurice who was made Elector of Saxony changed nothing in Religion as soâ—e feared and others hoped that hee would but sending fâ—â— Melancthon Bugenhag and Crucigir from Wittenberg to Lâ—â—sâ—â—h he desired them to take care of the Church and Univâ—rsity and so gratifying them bountifully dismissed them The Controversies and Quarrels which sprung up in â—â—e Church by Flacius Illericus were the greatest grief to hâ—m For it was well known that he neither in the time of War nor afterwards altered any thing either in the Doctrine 〈◊〉 Discipline of the Church often urging that Text Giâ—â— to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods He was alwaies very averse to seditious Counsels and most constant in retaining the true Doctrine of Christ and though many aspersions were cast abroad of him yet would he never omit the necessary labours belonging to his Office The last act of his life through Gods goodness was quiet and peaceable for when his strength was so wasted that hee could no longer preach yet he resorted daily to Church where he poured forth fervent praiers both for himself and the afflicted condition of the Church of God at that time Afterwards fallâ—ng sick though without much pain he continued instant in prayer and holy conference with his friends and drawing near to his end he often repeated This is life eternall to know thee the onely true God and him whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ and so quietly dâ—parted in the Lord Anno Christ 1558 and of his Age 73. He was a faithfull Pâ—stor just mercifulâ—
for once upon a publick hearing there was such a tumult raised that they were very neare imbruing their hands each in others blood which sedition Calvin with his Colleagues hearing of interposed themselves though it was with the perill of his life the faction of the wicked being most against him and stopped it Yet these men proceeding in their wickednesse hated him the more for it So that Mr. Calvin sharply reproved them for it in his Sermons and Gods judgements threatned by him proved not in vain For one of them writing an infamous Libel and affixing it to his pulpit wherein were contained many railings against the sacred Ministery and particularly against Mr. Calvin that he deserved to be thrown into the River of Rhodanus This man being apprehended and convicted of these and many other horrid blasphemies had hiâ— head cut off And after his death there was another Libell found written by his owne hand containing blaspemies against Moses and Christ himself with which impiety there was no doubt but that he had infected others At this very very time and in the middest of these troubles Mr. Calvin wrote his Antidote against the seven Sessions of the Councell of Trent He also sending Letters to the Church of Christ in Roan confirmed them against the fraud of a certain Fâ—anciscan Fryer who had spread the poysonsom Doctrines of the Libertines and Carpocratians amongst them The year following which was 1548 the evill of the aforenamed faction in eneva brake forth againe The Devill which is almost incredible abusing those persons to be instruments thereof who indeed were the greatest enemies to it viz. Farel and Viret These men comming to Geneva made o grave Oration in the Senate about composing their differences Mr. Calvin requiring nothing but that those men should mend their manners and Perrinus with his associates proâ—siâ—ng any thing so he might be restored to his former place For Perrinus being restored to his place he and his wicked companions grew so impudent that they cut their cloathes crosse on their breasts that they might know each other others of them called their dogs by the name of Calvin Others instead of Calvin called him Cain others out of an hatred to Mr. Calvin professed that they would not come to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper All which Mr. Calvin and his Colleagues did boldly and faithfully reprove and when they were called before the Senate the innocency of the good men easily carried away the victory So that the Amnestie or forgetfulnesse of wrongs was solemnly sworn to Decemb. 18 But it afterwards appeared that all this was done thorough dissimulation and that Perrin sought nothing thereby but to be chosen a Syndic that he and his might by that meanes have the more liberty to act all their wickednesse as the event declared Mr. Calvin in the midst of these broils was so farre from giving over his accustomed labours that as if nothing had molested him hee wrote learned Commentaries upon six of Pauls Epistles as also by weighty Arguments confuted the Interim which was published for the destruction of the German Churches shewing withall the right course for the restoring of those Churches He discovered also in a book the vanity and falshood of Judiciall Astrology which many beganne now to give too much heed to and being saluted by Letter from Brentius now in exile he wrote consolatory Letters to him in which friendship it had been happy if Brentius had continued Bucer also being a banished man in England at this time Calvin wrote to him to declare and open his mind more fully about the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and comforted him in a most friendly manner He also wrote Letters of advice to the Duke of Sommerset now Protector of England who afterwards suffered an unworthy death about such matters as if his counsell had been hearkened to it had been happy for England and perhaps the Church there had happily avoyded many of those storms which afterwards befell it In the midst of these contencions the Church of Geneva did wonderfully encrease which did exceedingly torment the Devill and his instruments and Mr. Calvin was very solicitous to entertain and provide for such as were banished for the name of Christ Which care of his it pleased God to bless the year following that the fury of those wicked men though it was not quite extinct yet for the present it was layd asleep And truly hee had need of such a truce being grievously afflicted with a domestick accident For at this time he lost his dear Wife a very choice woman yet did he bear this accident with such constancy that therein he gave an excellent example of fortitude to the whole Church The same year there arose a great contention in the Saxon Church about things indifferent Whereupon sending to Mr. Calvin for his judgement he freely declared his opinion to them He also admonished Melancthon of his duty whom some accused for too much softnes in this point but Master Calvin afterwards found it to be a false charge For at this time it was unknowne with what minde and spirit the whole troop of Flaccians were carried which afterwards raised such great troubles to the Church and were acted with such fury and impudence as if they had been hired by the Pope of Rome to carry on his cause But it pleased God to compensate this wound inflicted upon the Churches of Germany by a great blessing upon the Helvetians For Farel aud Calvin going to Zurick when many thought that Master Calvin did too much favour the Doctrine of Consubstantiation in a Synod of all the Helvetian and Rhetian Churches he shewed his agreement with them and indeed there was no great difficulty to bring good men and lovers of the truth into an harmonious concord This agreement of the Helvetian and Rhetians Churches was written which did more and more unite Bullinger and Calvin and the Church of Zurick with that of Geneva Master Calvin also about this time wrote two learned Epistles to Laelius Socinus the poyson of whose opinions did not appear till after his death for in his life time going through the Churches he had deceived Melancthon Calvin and Camerarius but afterwards it appeared that he had much favoured Servetus Castellio and Ochin and their mad opinions for his Commentary upon the first chapter of John coming forth shewed that he went beyond the impiety of all those Hereticks which had corrupted the most Divine portion of Scripture Anno Christi 1550 succeeding the Church of Christ enjoyed peace and then it was decreed in Geneva that the Ministers not onely in their Sermons which many neglected and others heard with small profit But from house to house at many seasons of the year should divide the City amongst them and require of every family an account of their Faith by which means its scarce credible
but an honest young man of the Citizens advised Perinus that Mr. Farell the common Father of the City might be no way wronged joyning also with himself another honest young man they gave notice to the well-affected Citizens that they should stand by Mr. Farell at the day of hearing which also they did so that his adversaries being astonished and deterred hereat of their own accord craved pardon and Mr. Farell was dismissed About this time a grievous calamity befell the Church of England by the immature death of that godly Prince King Edward the sixth which was a grievous wound to all the Reformed Churches Yet at this same time Mr. Calvin wrote his learn-Commentaries upon the Gospel of St. John Geneva as we heard before having inflicted deserved punishment upon Servetus not as upon a Sectary but as upon a monster for his horrible impieties and blasphemies by which for thirty years space he had infected the Christian world both by his teaching and writings It cannot be imagined how this stirred up the rage of Sathan such a flame arising from hence as set Poland first then Transsylvania and Hungary all on a fire which himself seemed to foretell by the spirit of Sathan when in the beginning of his book he set this sentence out of the Revelation There was a great battle in heaven Michael and his Angels fighting with the Dragon For his ashes being scarce cold a great controversie sprung up about the punishing of Hereticks Some holding that they ought to be restrained but not to be punished with death Others thinking that it could not be clearly stated out of Gods word what was Heresie thereupon said that it was lawfull to hold either part in all the Heads of Religion and that all men though holding a wrong opinion were to be left to the judgement of God This latter opinion some good men inclined to fearing that the contrary Tenet might kindle the cruelty of Tyrants against the godly The principall of these were Sebastian Castalio and Laelius Socinus therein pleading their own cause The former indeed more closely and the latter more openly as one that studyed to vindicate the clear authority of the Scripture in a certain Preface to the perverting of the holy Bible and in his Annotations upon the first Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians had endeavoured to draw men from the written Word of God as an imperfect Rule as if Paul had taught to some of his Disciples that were more perfect then the rest a certain more hidden Divinity then that which he had committed to writing Hereupon Mr. Calvin Anno Christi 1554 set forth a copious confutation of all the Doctrine of Servetus which was subscribed by all his Colleagues adding many reasons why and how farre a Magistrate might proceed in punishing such an one as was lawfully convicted of Heresie The adversaries on the contrary published a Rapsody collected partly out of the writings of the ancient Fathers which they perverted to their own ends and partly out of the writings of certain unknown Fanaticks and under the name of Martin Bellius which indeed was Castalio though afterwards he forswore it and falsifying also the name of the City in which they falsly pretended that it was published To this book swarming with many other Errors and Blasphemies Mr. Beza answered thereby to free Mr. Calvin from that labour who was now busie in writing his learned Commentaries upon Genesis and in diverting other dangers from the Church For the factious went on to innovate things in the City and though the Amnestie was again renewed before the Senate upon the second of February yet they daily grew worse and worse so that Master Calvin was much busied both in blaming and reproving them for their wickedness and in endeavouring to strengthen the godly against the poison of their impiety for they had proceeded to such a height of wickedness that they turned part of the sacred Scriptures into obscaene songs and used to beat strangers whom they met in the night and sometimes also to rob them They also privately used the books of Bolsecus Castalio and other corrupt men that they might renew the controversie about Predestination yea they proceeded to scatter abroad a false and scandalous libell wherein they grievously aspersed that worthy servant of Christ Master Calvin Castalio also sent another Latine Book to be privately Printed at Paris to which Master Beza answered and Master Calvin also confuted some of the fooleries of the same kind About this time the care of the English exiles lay heavy upon him some of which were come to Vesalia others to Embden and others to Franckford all sending to Master Calvin for advice and counsel Neither was he a little troubled for the andaciousness of some of the Pastors encouraged by the secret favour of others of the French-Church long since planted by him at Strasborough And in short how great pains he took this year for severall Churches may appear by the multitude of Epistles wrote by him by which he stirred up many Noble-men to imbrace the Gospel and strengthned many of the Brethren some of which were in extream danger and others already cast into bonds We spake before of the sweet Harmony that was between the Helvetian and Rhetian Churches about the Doctrine of the Sacrament This concord did exceedingly displease the spirit of error therefore he easily found out one that might easily reinkindle the fire which before was extinguished viz. Joachim Westphalus who was seconded by Heshusius then a Minister of the word but afterwards a Bishop of whom wee shall speak more afterwards Hereupon Master Calvin published an explication of that agreement which by how much it imbittered their spirits by so much the more it satisfied all good men that were lovers of the truth The year following viz. 1555. by the speciall mercy of God brought peace along with it to the Church of Geneva which was now quiet from its domestick stirs for the factious ruined themselves God discovering their horrible treason to the State by the means of one of the conspirators who in his drunken fit discovered it whereupon some of them were beheaded others of them were banished who though a while after they vexed the City yet perished shamefully in the end leaving an example of the just judgement of God upon such persons though it may be deferred for a time Thus the Commonwealth was freed from these Pests To which another mercy was added by the answer of the four Helvetian Cities to whom the question about the Discipline which we spake of before had been proposed who unanimously confirmed the Ecclesiasticall Polity as it had been before settled contrary to the expectation of the factious Yet something was not wanting whereby Mr. Calvin might be further exercised For he took great pains in constituting the Church in Polonia by the will of the King In comforting the afflicted
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
Brasen-nose Colledge because the Fellowships in that house belonged to Lancashire and Cheshire men yet for want of acquaintance he stayed long without a Fellowship which made him to languish through want but his deserts being known Dr. Bret and some others together with some small stipends he had for his Lectures in that house supported him till he gat a Fellowship about the thirtieth year of his age then also he Commenced Master of Arts and being chosen Lecturer he performed it with such exactness that he grew very famous His Disputations in the University were performed with such acuteness of wit and profound learning that he was chosen by the Vice-chancellor at King James his first coming to the University to be one of the Disputants before him and to read Natural Philosophy in the publick Schools He was also well studied in Metaphysicks Mathematicks and School Divinity yet all this while he had nothing in him for Religion he loved Stage-playes Cards Dice was a horrible swearer Sabbath-breaker and boon-companion he neither loved goodness nor good men Yet hearing the fame of Master Perkins he went to Cambridge at a CoÌ„mencement that he might hear him preach and having heard him said That he was a barren empty fellow and a passing mean Scholar but when God changed his heart he changed his tune and said That Master Perkins was as learned and godly a Divine as our Church hath in many yeares enjoyed in so young a man He had familiar acquaintance with one Master Anderton a good scholar his countriman and formerly his schoolfellow but a strong Papist yea a Priest This man knowing Mr. Bolton's good parts and outward wants took that advantage to perswade him to go over with him to the English Seminarie at Rome where he should be furnished with all necessaries and have gold enough This motion he accepted of and a day and place was appointed in Lancashire to take shipping from thence and be gone Thither Mr. Bolton repaired at the time prefixed but Anderton came not whereby escaping that snare he returned to Oxford where he fell into acquaintance with Mr. Peacock a learned and godly man whereby it pleased God to bring him to repentance but by such a way as the Lord seldom useth but upon such strong vessels as he intendeth for strong encounters and rare employments for the Lord ranne upon him as a Gian taking him by the neck and shaking him to pieces as he did â—ob beating him to the ground as he did Pâ—ul by laying before him the ugly visage of his suâ— which lay so heavy upon him that he roared for anguish of heart yea it so affrighted him that he rose somtimes out of his bed in the night for very anguish of spirit and to augment his spiritual misery hee was assaulted with foul temptations Horribili 〈◊〉 Deo teâ—ribilia de side which Luther called colaphum Satanae This continued for many moneths but God at last gave a bâ—essed issue and these grievous pangs in his New-Birth produced two admirable effects in him An invincible courage in the cause of God and a singular dexterity in comforting afflicted spirits Hereupon he resolved to enter into the Ministry and was accordingly ordained the thirty fifth year of his age and about two years after the Parsonage of Broughton in Northamptonshire falling vâ—yd Serjeant Nicols the Pâ—tron preferred him to it About the fortieth year of his age he married Mistris Anne Bois of an antient family in Kent and to her care committed the ordering of his outward estate and applied himself wholly to his studies and the work of the Ministry and for twenty years together preached twice every Lords day and catechised and on every Holyday and Friday before the Sacrament he expounded a Chapter whereby he went over most of the Historical books of the Old and New Testament and therein prepared nothing for his people but what might have seâ—ved a very learned Auditory In all his preaching next after Gods glorâ— he â—imed at the Conversion of souls and God crowned his labours by making him an instrument to beget many sons and daughters unto righteousnesse He had an excellent Art in relieving afflicted consciences so that he was sought to far and near yea divers that lived beyond sea desired his resolution in divers Cases of Conscience Though in his preaching he was a son of Thunder yet to those that mourned in spirit he was a sweet son of Consolation with a tender heart pouring the oyl of mercy into their bleeding wounds He had a singular skill in discovering Satans sleights and in battering down his Kingdom In all his Sermons he used to discover the filthinesse of sin and to presse hard upon the Conscience the duties of Sanctification yea he would spare none great or small in their sins yet in reproving sin he never personated any man to put him to shame His life was so blamelesse that he could not justly be taxed by any of any scandalous sin He prayed constantly six times a day twice with his family twice with his wife and twice in secret He kept many daies of private humiliation alwaies before the Sacrament and upon the occasions of the miseries of the Church at home and abroad which he performed with much ardency of spirit and being advised by Physicians for his healths sake to break off the strong intentions of his studies he rejected their counsel accounting it greater riches to enjoy Christ by those fervent intentions of his mind then to remit them for his healths sake He was of a comely presence his countenance was so mixed with gravity and austerity that it commanded respect from others He oft refused preferment that he might not be divorced from that Country where his Ministry found such entertainment and effect He was universally bountiful but especially he exceeded in those publick distresses of Germany France Bohemia c. He alwaies spent all the revenues of his living which was of good value in the maintainance of his Family Hospitality and Charity He fell sick of a Quartane Ague in September Anno Christi 1631 whereupon finding his disease to get strength and his vigor to grow weaker he revised his Will and then wholly retired himself from the world and solaced his soul with the Meditation of the joyes of heaven and having compiled a discourse De quatuor Novissimis of Death Judgment Hell and Heaven having preached over the three former he told his people that the next day he would preach of Heaven but the Saturday before he fell so sick that he never preached after Though his sicknesse was long and sharp yet he bore it with admirable patience often breathing forth these speeches Oh when will this good hour come when shall I be dissolved when shall I be with Christ Being told that it was better for the Church if God would
I pray you that yee be not pussed up with pride like pâ—ophane persons but rather give thanks to God with lowliness of mind But if adversitie shall happen unto you and death shall stand before you on every side yet trust in him that raiseth up the dead yea then especially think that ye are stirred up by God that ye may more and more trust in him alone And if ye desire that this your Commonwealth may be preserved in a firm estate see that you be not defiled with any filthiness For he is onely the highest God King of Kings and Lord of Lords he will honour those that honour him and cast down those that despise him Honour him therefore according to his own precepts and daily thinâ— of this that we are farre from doing that which is required of us I know the dispositions and conversations of every one of you and I know that you have need of exhortation There is none of those that excell most unto whom many things are not wanting therefore let every man look about him and let him ask of the Lord those things which he understands himself to stand in need of We see what vices reign in the greatest Councels in the world some are stark cold and neglect the publick taking care onely for their own private affairs Others are indulgent to their private affections Others use not the excellent gifts God hath bestowed upon them as they ought Others proudly boast of 〈◊〉 own parts and upon a certain confidence therein expect that every man should subscribe to their opinions I exhort old men that they envy not the younger whom they finde adorned with excellent gifts from God I admonish the younger that they carry themselves modestly without arrogance and let not one molest another Avoyd contentions and all that bitterness of spirit which diverts many from the right way in the government of the Commonwealth And ye shall the better avoyd these things if every man contain himself within his own spheare and all administer that part of the Commonwealth faithfully which is committed to him I pray you for Gods sake let there bee no place for favour or hatred in the judgement of civill causes Let none pervert right by subtill and cunning tricks Let no man hinder the Laws from prevailing Let no man depart from that which is just and equall If sinister affections shall beginne to arise let him resist them constantly looking upon hâ—m that hath placed him in his throne and begge of him his holy Spirit To conclude I begge of you again that you pardon mine infirmities which I acknowledge and confess before God Angels and your worshipfull selves Having thus spoken he prayed unto God to multiply his gifts and blessings upon them more and more and to governe them by his holy Spirit for the safety and good of the Commonwealth And giving his hand to every of them he dismissed them all who departed full of sorrow and heavinesse as from their Common Father with many tears April the eight and twentieth the Ministers of Geneva being come to him he spake thus unto them Brethren after my decease stand fast in this work of the Lord and be not discouâ—aged for the Lord will preserve this Church Commonwealth against the threatnings of the enemies I pray God keep you from dissentions Embrace one anoâ—her with mutuall charity Think again and again what you owe to this Church where in the Lord hath placed you and let nothing divert you from your duty Otherwise it will be easie for such as seek them to finde out â—â—â—sions but such shall finde that God cannot be deceived A soâ—n as I came to this City the Gospel indeed was preached but the affaires were very troublesome manâ— conceiting that Christianity was nothing else but to overthrow Images And there were not a few wicked persons from whom I suffered many most unworthy things But the Lord our God so confirmed and strengthened mee though by nature was not bold that I gave not place to any of their endeavours Afterwards when I returned hither from Strasborough I followed this vocation with an unwilling mind because it seemed to me that it would prove unfruitfull for I knew not what the Lord had determined and the matter was full of many and great difficulties But going on at last I found that God had much blessed my labours Stand fast therefore in this your vocation Retaine that order that is begun and doe your uttermost endeavours that the people may be kept in subjection to your wholsome Doctrine for some are wicked and stubborn Things as you see are through Gods mercy well setled and therefore ye shall be left without excuse before God if through your sâ—thfulness they be unsetled again I profess Brethren that I have lived with you conâ—oyned in true love and sincere charity and that I now so depart from you If you have found me any whit pettish in this my disease I crave pardon of you and give you very great thanks that yâ— have sustained the burthen imposed upon me during the time oâ— my sicknesse Having thus spoken he gave his hand to each of them who departed from him with much sorrow and weeping A while after Master Calvin understanding by Letters from Mr. Farel to Mr. Viret who was now an old man of eighty years old and sickly was yet determined to visit him and was now onward of his journey he wrote thus to him to stay him Farewell my best and sincerest brother and seeing God will have you to out live me in this world live mindful of our friendship which as it hath been profitable for the Church of God here so the fruit thereof tarrieth for us in heaven I would not have you weary your self for my sake I hardly draw my breath and I expect daily when it will wholly fail me It is enough that I live and die to Christ who is gaine to his both in life and death Again farewell May 11. Anno Christi 1564. Yet for all this Letter the good old man came to Geneva and having fully conferred with Mr. Calvin returned back to Neocom The rest of his dayes even till his departure Mr. Calvin spent almost in perpetuall prayer with his eyes fixed upon heaven and his voice full of sighes by reason of his short breath May the seven and twentieth being the day whereon hee departed he seemed to speak more strongly and with lesse difficulty but this was but a lightning before death In the evening about eight a clock on the sudden certain signes of present death appeared at which time Mr. Beza being newly departed from him some ran to acquaint him therewith whereupon he presently returned but found him to have yeelded up his spirit into the hands of God without the least strugling yea not so much ascending forth one groan having had his understanding memory and voice even to the last gasp being much more like to one that
was faln asleep then dead So that that day at Sun-setting that great bright light was taken out of this world That night and the day following there was great weeping and wailing all over the City Many Citizens and Strangers desired to see him after he was dead and amongst the rest Queen Elizabeths Ambassadors who being sent into France were then there The next day after being the Sabbath his body was coffined and in the afternoon hee was carried forth the Senators Pastors and Professors of the School and almost the whole City following the corse not without abundance of tears He was buried in the common Church-yard without much pomp no Tombstone being added as himself had commanded whereupon Master Beza made these verses Romae ruentis terror ille maximus Quem moâ—tuum lugem boni horr scunt mali Ipsa à quo potuit virtutem discere virtus Cur adâ—o exiâ—â—io ignot oâ— in cespite clausus Calvinus 〈◊〉 â—ogas Calviâ—â—n assidue comitat Modestia vivum Hoc turmulo mambâ—s cendidâ— ipsa suis. Ote beatum cespitem tanto hospite O cuâ— invidere possunt cuncta Marmora He was a man of an incredible and most ready memory in the middest of almost infinite distractions and of a most exact judgement He was very regardless of means and preferment even when it was often offered He eat little meat took very little sleep was wholly compounded of sweetness and gravity Discreet and mild he was in bearing with mens infirmities yet would he severely without dissimulation reprove their vices which freedom he alwayes used from a child Such a Preacher he was that like another Or pheus he drew England Spain and Italy to him filling Geneva with strangers Such a voluminous writer that as it was said of Saint Augustine he wrote more then another can well read His writings were so eagerly received that as most rare and precious peeces they were forthwith translated into all Languages What shall I speak of his indefatigable industry even beyond the power of nature which being parallelled with our loitring I feare will exceed all creedit and may be a true object of admiration how his leane worne spent and wearyish body could possibly hold out He read every week in the year three Divinity Lectures and every other week over and above he preached every day so that as Erasmus saith of Chrysostome I doe not know whether more to admire the indefatigableness of the man or his hearers Yea some have reckoned up that his Lectures were yearâ—ly one hundred eighty six his Sermons two hundred eighty six besides every Thursday he sat in the Presbytery Every Friday when the Ministers met in conference to expound hard Texts he made as good as a Lecture Yea besides there was scarce a day wherein he spent not some part either by word or writing in answering the questions and doubts of sundry Pastors and Churches that sought unto him for advice and câ—â—â—sell Over and above which there was no year passed wherin came not forth from him some great volume or other in Folio so that in few years besides many golden Tractats and sundry exquisite answers which upon short warning he made to principall adversaries his huge explications upon the five books of Moses Joshua Job Psalms all the Prophets and upon the whole new Testament came forth into the world fuller of pithy sententious matter then of Paper These things considered what breathing time could he find for idleness or loose thoughts In his last grievous sickness procured by his intollerable labours he could scarce be compelled by his friends to pretermit his daily task of preaching and reading his Divinity Lectures and at home when he could not goe abroad he rather wearied others with continuall dictating to them then himself Nothing was more frequent in his mouth then this Of all things an idle life is most irkesome to me and when his friends used all their endeavours to perswade him to favour and respect himself Why saith he will yee have God to finde me idle at his coming Yea such conscience did he make of mispending a minute that he was loath to detaine the Ministers that came to visit him from their publick exercises What wonder then is it that he scarce attained to the age of 56. Yea rather its a wonder that he lived so long Indeed he lived but 54. years ten months and seventeen dayes the half of which time he spent in the holy Ministry of the Gospel Many slanders were cast upon him As that he was Ambitious But how could that be whereas he preferred his abode in the Common-wealth and Church of Geneva before all other places which he called the Shop of poverty Others charge him that he studied to heap up riches whereas his last Testament shews that he was a very poor man for all his goods yea and his Library being sold very dear saith Master Beza scarcely amounted to three hundred crowns And Calvin himself in his life time hearing of this impudent slander answered If I cannot perswade men whilst I am alive that I am no great monied man yet my death will shew it And the Senat at Geneva can testifie that his stipend being very small he was so far from being not contented therewith that when they offered to enlarge his pensions he utterly refused the same and by the small estate which he left at his death it appears also that either his gifts were not great or else that he spent as God sent Some reproached him for his brother A. Calvin because he was divorced from his wife who was proved an adulteresse What would these men have said if he had kept an adulteresse in his house May they not as well reproach Jacob David yea and Christ himselfe for that one of his Disciples was a Divel as himselfe told them Some said that he was given to delights and luxury His many great books easily confute this slander Some gave out impudently that he ruled in Geneva both in Church and Common-wealth so that he sometimes face upon the Tribunall But for these things neither they which knew him nor ensuing ages who may collect his manners out of his writing will give any credit to them But it s far more easie to calumniate then to imitate him Omnia Calvini opera quae diversis chartarum formis edita si uno formae genere imprimerentur justae magnitudinis Tomos 20. in Folio efficerent Most of them are mentioned particularly in his life The Life of William Farellus who died A no Christi 1555. WIlliam Farellus was borne in the Delphinate of a Noble Family Anno Christi 1589. and sent to Paris to be brought up in learning and was one of the first that made a publick Profession of the Gospel in France But when persecution arose he fled into Helvetia the better to propagate the Gospel where he grew into familiarity with Zuinglius Occolampadius