to Athens Act. 17. and espying an Altar there with this inscription Ignoto Deo took occasion from thence to Preach of the true God of the Resurrection and Judgement to come whereupon by the great Philosophers of that City he was accounted a wicked and sacrilegious person for which he was carryed by them to Mars his hill where the Court of the Areopagites sat which was the chiefest Judicatory in that City But before those Judges he preached with such Divine eloquence and forcible arguments that through Gods mercy he converted this Dionysius the chief President of the Judges with Damaris his wife who used Paul very courteously and were instructed by him in the knowledg of our Lord Jesus Christ. At which the whole City was much amazed for all men accounted Dionysius a very wise and judicious man But now he was not ashamed of a Master to become a Scholar so that within 3 years space he became an admirable instrument to propagate the Gospel of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Then was he by Paul ordained Pastor of the Church at Athens where for a good while he preached the Word of God with great wisdom zeal and diligence and as a wife Harvest-man brought in many Sheaves of Corn into Gods Barn Afterwards he went to Ephesus to visit S. John and S. Paul by whose perswasion leaving one Publius to look to his flock at Athens he went to Rome at which time Clemens governed that Church And having conversed a while with Clemens he intreated him to go into France to preach the Gospel there and to give knowledge of Salvation to that Nation This he willingly undertook and judging Paris to be the fittest place to reside in he so laboured amongst them that in a short space through Gods blessing he brought many Sheep into the fold of Christ and that not only of the meaner sort but many Rich Noble and Great Persons who overthrowing the Temples of their false gods erected new places for the service of the true God But this progress of the Gospel being envied by Satan the enemie of Christs Church he stirred up the Idolatrous Priests who suborned many to dispatch Dionysius but there was such a gracious lustre and radiancy in his countenance that when they beheld him some of their hearts failed them others were so affrighted that they fled away Shortly after Sisinius the Praefect gave command that Dionysius with his fellows should be apprehended and when he was brought before him he sharply reproved him for that he had preached against the Worship of their gods who by reason of his Sermons had lost their former honour and esteem He therefore required him to confess his error and to stop up that breach which he had made leaving off those novelties and unheard of Doctrines that by his recantation the people might see how vainly they had been seduced and so return to their antient Rites and Customs again To this Dionysius with great zeal wisdom and eloquence answered That they were no gods whom they worshipped but Idols and the works of mens hands and that it was through meer Ignorance Folly and Idolatry that they adored them Adding that there was but one true God according as he had preached At which words Sisinius was exceedingly incensed commanding him to be laid upon an hurdle and a gentle fire to be made under him to roast him Some others relate that he was thrown to hungry wild Beasts which yet would not tear him Then that he was put into an hot Oven which would not burn him Whereupon he was the second time brought before Sisinius who caused him publikely to be beaten with many and cruel blows by his Officers and when this prevailed not he standing up said Seeing thou hast contemned our gods derided the Emperors Edicts and by Magick hast wrought many Miracles to delude the people whereby thou hast seduced them from the obedience of the Emperor I will therefore that thou shalt be forthwith beheaded Dionysius nothing terrified herewith told him that he worshipped such gods as would perish like dung upon the Earth but as for my self said he Come life come death I will worship none but the God of Heaven and Earth This so enraged the Praefect that he commanded him presently to be executed whereupon he was haled out of the City to the top of an high Mountain and delivered to the Officers to be tormented which was accomplished with all the cruelty that could be Then lifting up his eyes and hands to heaven he said O Lord God Almighty thou only begotten Son and Holy Spirit O sacred Trinty which art without beginning and in whom is no division Receive the soul of thy servant in peace who is put to death for thâ— Cause and Gospel Which Prayer being ended he was beheaded with a sword which was made dull on purpose that his pain might be the greater He suffered Martyrdom in the reign of Hadrianus Anno Christi 96. and of his own Age 110. He used to say that he desired these two things of God first that be might know the truth himself Secondly that he might preach it as he ought unto others He wrote sundry Epistles as some affirm and some other works all which Scultetus for very good reasons rendred by him judgeth to be spurious JVSTIN MARTYR The Life of Justin Martyr who dyed Anno Christi 139. IVstin Martyr was born at Neapolis in the Country of Palestine His father was Priscus Bachius by whom in his youth he was set to schole where he profited so much that in time he became a famous Philosopher For being exceedingly inflamed with a desire of knowledge he would not be satisfied in his minde till he had gotten Instructors singularly seen in all kinds of Philosophy First he applyed himself to be a Scholar to a certain Stoick but finding that by his help he nothing profited in Divine knowledge after a time he left him and went to one of the Sect of the Peripateticks with whom after he had been a while he demanded of him a stipend for his teaching whereupon Justin accounting him no Philosopher left him and departed And being not yet satisfied in minde but desirous to hear of further learning he adjoined himself to one that professed the Pythagorean Sect a man of great â—ame and one that highly esteemed of himself whom after he had followed a time his Master asked him whether he had any skill in Musick Astronomy and Geometry without the knowledge whereof he said he could not be apt to receive the knowledge of virtue and felicity for that his minde must be drawn from the knowledge of sensible matters to the contemplation of things intelligible He spake much in commendation of these Sciences how profitable and necessary they were and because Justin declared himself to have no skill therein he turned him away which much grieved Justin who
Theodosius he was so grievously incensed against the Citizens of Thessalonica that he sent an Army against them and slew seven thousand of them even the innocent amongst the guilty without ever examining the fact and proceeding judicially against the nocent And presently after he went into the West against the Tyrant Maximus whereof you may read the story in my second Part of the Marrow of Ecclesiastical History in the life of Theod. senior And having obtained a wonderful victory he went to Millain but as he was about to enter into the Church Ambrose met him at the door and said unto him It s very likely O Emperour that you know not the greatness of that murther that was committed by you neither after your anger was appeased did you by reason weigh the greatness of your crime For it may be the greatness of your Imperial Dignity would not suffer you to acknowledge your sin but your Power blindes your Reason For you ought to consider the weakness and frailty of our Humane Nature and to bend your Eyes upon our Mother Earth from which you had your Original and into which you must return neither ought you by reason of the splendor of your Purple garments to be ignorant of the weakness of that body which is shrowded in them Consider further that you rule over those who are partakers of the same Nature with you and therefore are your fellow-servants For God the Creator of the Universe is Lord and King of all men With what eyes then can you behold his Temple who is Lord of all With what feet can you tread in his Courts How dare you I pray you stretch forth before him those hands which are defiled with murther and unjust bloodshed and with the same receive the Holy Sacrament of Christs Body Or how dare you put his Holy Blood into your mouth which being inflamed with anger commanded unjustly the spilling of so much blood Depart therefore and do not increase your former sin by adding a new one to it but embrace that bond which the Lord of all doth from Heaven impose upon you which bond truly hath force to cure you of the disease of your Soul and of restoring you to health The godly Emperour willingly submitted to him for having been religiously trained up he knew full well what was the duty of Gods Ministers and what was proper for Kings to do in such cases and accordingly returned to his Palace full of sighs and tears And about eight moneths after the Feast of Christs Nativity being to be celebrated the Emperour sate still in his Palace giving himself to lamentations and pouring out abundance of tears which Ruffinus the Master of his Hall taking notice of being very dear unto the Emperour went to him and asked him the cause of his weeping Then the Emperour mourning more bitterly and pouring out more abundance of tears said Surely Ruffinus thou dost but mock me or knowest not with how great misery I am afflicted For I sigh and bewail my calamity whilst I consider in my minde how open the Church is to my servants yea to beggars who have free leave to pour out their Prayers before God But not only that place but even Heaven it self is shut up against me For that saying of our Saviour comes into my minde Whose sins you bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven To this Ruffinus answered therefore if it please you I will run to the Bishop I will intreat beseech and perswade him to free you from this bond But I fear said the Emperour that he will not hearken to you For I know that Ambrose's sentence is so just and equal that he will not violate the Law of God for fear of the Imperial Power But when Ruffin was not yet satisfied promising that he would prevail with Ambrose the Emperour bade him run quickly and himself hoping that Ruffin might prevail immediately followed him But as soon as Ambrose saw Ruffin he said unto him Thou seemest unto me Ruffin to imitate the impudency of dogs For although by thy perswasion that cruel slaughter was committed yet thou hast so steeled thy Face that thou art not ashamed neither art thou grieved that by so great madness thou ragedst against the Image of God But when Ruffin had earnestly entreated him to be pacified and told him that the Emperour would presently be there Ambrose being kindled with an holy zeal said I profess Ruffin that I will forbid him entrance into the Church and if he will turn his Power into Tyranny I am willing to be slain by him Ruffin hearing these things presently sent a messenger to the Emperour intreating him to stay in his Palace The Emperour meeting with this message in the Market place said Yet I will go that I may undergo his just reproofs which are due to me And when he came to the Church door he entred not but went to the Bishop desiring him to absolve him from his Excommunication But Ambrose told him that his coming was Tyrannical and that he was enraged against God and trampled his Laws under his Feet To whom the Emperour answered I do not oppose those Laws with an obstinate minde neither do I desire wickedly to enter into the Church but I intreat thee to absolve me and to set before thine eyes the clemency of him who is Lord of all things neither shut thou those doors against me which he opens to all that truly repent of their sins To which Ambrose answered What repentance dost thou shew after so grievous a sin committed What medicines hast thou applyed for the healing of such great wounds It is thy part said the Emperour to prepare the medicine to apply it and when the wound is cured to remove it It 's my part to follow thy directions Then said Ambrose Because thou gavest way to thy anger and didst not temper it with reason but pronouncedst sentence with an inflamed minde I desire that thou make a Law that all sentences pronounced in anger shall be void and that in all causes which concern death or confiscation of goods thirty days intervene between the sentence and execution that so if there be just cause the sentence may be revoked and that at the end of the thirty days they which writ thy sentence shew it thee that so laying aside all anger thou mayst weigh the cause with judgement and so either establish it or make it void The Emperour judging this most prudent counsel willingly imbraced it and presently commanded a Law to be Enacted which he confirmed by his subscription which being done Ambrose absolved him and the Emperour presently entring the Church sell prostrate pronouncing that verse of the Psalm My soul cleaveth to the dust quicken me according to the Word and then with many tears and testimonies of sorrow he begged pardon and afterwards was made partaker of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Upon a time a certain Witch
much affected with it and by writing admonishing and exhorting both at home and abroad endeavoured to assist with his counsell whom he could not by his presence Also Anno Christi 1568 that war waxing hot many out of sundry parts of France fled to Geneva as to a safe harbour amongst whom was Nicolas Beza Praefect of Vezelia brother to Beza by the Fathers side who living a while in Beza's house shortly after dyed of the Plague And not long after Beza's wife fell sick of it yet it pleased God to restore her to health again The same year in the midst of many troubles he wrote his books of Polygamie and Divorces against Bernard Ochin who a little before had published his Dialogues upon these subjects stuffed with errors He wrote also against Flacius Illiricus Anno Christi 1571 peace being setled he was sent for by the Queen of Navar the Admiral and the general vote of the Churches of France to Rochell to a Synod where he was made the Moderator and at which the Confession of Faith of the French-Churches was confirmed and subscribed by the Queen of Navar her sonne afterwards King Henry the 4th and the Prince of Conde And the year after he was sent for to Namures to another Synod where the book of the French Church-Discipline was established Anno Christi 1572 after that bloody Massacre at Paris many of the godly that escaped fled to Geneva amongst whom were the Pastors of fiftie Churches that were wholly dispersed These being stript of all and in great want Beza by his Letters into Germany and England procured such reliefe for them that for three years space in which they lived there they were plentifully and comfortably provided for In that Massacre God was pleased wonderfully to preserve Hen. of Burbon son to the great Lodwick Prince of Conde who thereupon retired into Germany for shelter and staying a while at Strasborough he sent for Beza and employed him to Prince Cassimire the Administrator of the Palatinate And afterwards as this Prince returned into France hee went by Geneva where he conferred with Beza about many weighty matters Beza went on indefatigably in his publick employments revised his Translation and Annotations upon the New Testament and enlarged them wrote against Pappus about the Hypostaticall Union against the railings of Holderus against the calumnies of Andreas Made his Harmony of the Law out the Books of Moses He wrote also of the Notes and Authority of the Catholick Church c. Shortly after the Plague breaking forth in Geneva Beza was much afflicted for the sad condition of the Common-wealth yet he cheared up himself much with the hearty and sincere love and societie which he had with all the Pastors thereof whose unity and unanimity was a great means under God to preserve the happiness of Geneva About the same time five Anabaptists Mechanicks began privately to sow the seed of their errors in Geneva whereupon Beza John Pinaldus Charles Perrot and Anthony Faius were chosen to confer with them and after confutation of their errors they recanted and reformed onely â—ne of them left the City and was heard of no more Anno Christi 1586 there was a Disputation appointed at Mombelgard between the German and Helvetian Divines about the difference betwixt them in some points unto which Beza was sent for and the whole Dispute was betwixt Dr. Andreas and him but in conclusion nothing was effected by it yet they parted lovingly without bitternesse This was after published by Beza The year after his wife dyed with whom hee had lived with much comfort forty years which was a great griefe to him yet afterwards by the advice of his friends he married another one Katharine Plania a godly Matron who was a great comfort to him all his life after About the same time he was called to a Synod held at Bern wherein divers controversies were debated and the errors of Alberius who said That we are justified at Gods Tribunal by inherent righteousness also of Huberus about Predestination and eternall Election were condemned Shortly after he wrote about the Sacraments against Hoffman Published in French his Sermons about the Passion of Christ also on the Canticles which he turned into Lyrick verse answered Genebrards calumnies and revised his translation of the New Testament Anno Christi 1589 France being full of bâ—oils Geneva also was molested by the same whereupon publick prayers were appointed twice a week extraordinary which burthen Beza willingly took upon himself whereupon the other Pastors freed him from his daily Sermonâ— which he used to preach before only he preached once on Sabbath mornings betwixt eight and nine a clock Not long after he began to be troubled with a dissiness in his head insomuch as being to preach on Whitsonday Anno Christi 1597 before the Sacrament as soon as he had made Confession of Sins after their usuall manner he was fain to give over and come out of the Pulpit whose place Faius presently supplyed The like happened to him the week following also whereupon he gave over publick preaching only now and then praying publickly yet would he not bee idle but went on teaching daily in the Schooles yet at last because of his dulness of hearing he abstained from the publick Disputations and Consistorial meetings And to satisfie some Noblemen Germans Bohemians and Polonians who would needs hear him read some Lectures he began a briefe Analysis upon the Epistle to the Romans but after he had done it twice he was fain to leave off Yet did he not wholly desist from preaching till the year 1600 when he preached his last Sermon in January being eighty one years old upon the third Petition of the Lords Prayer Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven He had often in his mouth that saying of Vespafian Imperatorem decet stantem mort Not long after being present at a Consistory he invited all his brethren to supper but they at first refused because there was to be a publick Fast that week and the Magistrates had forbidden all Feasting but he told them that he would get leave of the Magistrates and that he intended not a Feast but a frugal supper rather to feast their minds with their mutual love and society then their bodies with dainties Then they all assented and were entertained by him with all the expressions of brotherly love that could be Many Noblemen and others that came from other countries to study at Geneva would alwaies desire to sojourne with him that they might enjoy his societie That year there was a rumor spread abroad all over Europe by the Jesuits that Beza was dead and that he turned Papist before his death which lye the Pastors of Geneva and himself also by publick writings confuted And discoursing with his friends of it he said That the Jesuits
menaces let all such know that the Church of the Lord will oppose them and that the Tents of Christ will prove immovable and not to be conquered by them His fidelity will notably appear by his Epistles wherein he excellently comforts the afflicted recalls such as were faln or commends the care of them to other Bishops of the Church vigorously opposeth the Hereticks and Schismaticks Neither was he only a Spectator of the Martyrdom of others but suffered himself to be proscribed yea chose death rather then to betray the truth of the Gospel or to approve of the least defection to the impious worship of the Gentiles By these means his fame increased so exceedingly that he was not so much the Bishop of Carthage as of all Africk yea of Spain the East West and Northern Churches Yea he was judged the Father of all Christians And to the further setting forth to the praise of Gods grace of his glorious vertues wherewith he was endued appearing as well in his own works as described by other worthy Writers he was courteous and gentle loving and full of patience and therewithal severe and impartial in his Office Furthermore he was most affable and kinde towards his Brethren and took much pains in helping and releiving the Martyrs Yea he wrote Letters to the Elders and Deacons of his Bishopwrick that with all study and endeavour they should gently entertain and do all the Offices of love that possibly they could to the Martyrs in his absence He was very prudent and circumspect Of a marvellous liberal disposition towards the Brethren that fled for refuge from other Countries and so often as he had cause of absence he committed the care of those poor men to his fellow Officers writing to them that of their own proper goods they should help their banished Brethren to that which was necessary for them He had also great skill in the fore-knowledge of future events He was of so communicative a disposition that he concealed nothing which he knew but with meekness and willingness uttered it to others He maintained Ecclesiastical Peace and Concord with those that differed from him in smaller matters Lastly he neither circumvented nor did prejudice to any man but did that which always seemed good in his judgement He much addicted himself to reading and would let no day pass wherein he read not some part of Tertullians Works and when he called for him he used to say Da Magistrum Give me my Master He chiefly studied to keep his body continent and clean from fleshly lusts saying That then his heart would be truly sit to attain to the full capacity and understanding of the Truth if once he could trample down Concupiscence A great Persecution being raised against the Church of Christ by Aemilianus President of Egypt Paternus and Galerius Maximus Proconsuls of Africk Cyprian sheweth the true causes thereof in his fourth Book Epist the fourth in these words We saith he must acknowledge and confess that this turbulent oppression and calamity which hath wasted for the most part all our Church and doth dayly more and more consume it ariseth chiefly from our own wickedness and sins whilst we walk not in the way of the Lord nor observe his Precepts left unto us for our instruction Our Lord Christ observed the will of his Father in all points but we observe not the will of the Lord having all our minde and study set upon lucre and possessions we are given to pride full of emulation and dissention void of simplicity and faithful dealing renouncing this World in word only but not in deed every man pleasing himself and displeasing all others and therefore are we thus scourged and that worthily for what stripes and scourges do we not deserve when as the Confessors themselves who formerly enaured the trial of their Faith and ought to be an example to the rest in well doing do now observe no Discipline And therefore for their sakes who proudly brag with swelling words of their former Confession and Sufferings these torments come even such as do not easily send us to the Crown except by the mercy of God some being taken away by a quick death do prevent the tediousnes of punishment These things do we suffer for our sins and deserts as by the Lords threatning we have been forewarned where he saith If they shall forsake my Law and will not walk in my Judgements If they shall prophane my Institutions and will not observe my Precepts I will visit their iniquities with the rod and their transgressions with scourges These rods and scourges we justly feel who neither please God with our good deeds nor repent of the evil wherefore saith he let us pray from the bottom of our hearts and with our whole minde and let us intreat his mercy who promiseth that his loving kindness shall not be wholly taken away Let us ask and we shall obtain and though we be delayed yet seeing we have grievously offended let us continue knocking for he hath promised that to them that knock it shall be opened therefore with our Prayers sighs and tears let us still knock and we shall be sure to speed c. And in another part of his Epistle he shews what vices were principally reigning amongst the Christians viz. grievous divisions and dissentions amongst the Brethren For when these words were spoken to them in a Vision Petite impetrabitis Pray and ye shall obtain afterwards when it was required of the Congregation to direct their Prayers unto God in the behalf of certain persons assigned to them by name they could not agree about the persons that were to be prayed for but disagreed in their Petitions which thing did greatly displease God that spake unto them Pray and ye shall obtain because they were not uniform in voice and heart neither was there one joint consent amongst the Brethren Upon which occasion Cyprian moveth them to Prayer with mutual agreement For saith he if it be promised in the Gospel that whatsoever two or three shall agree upon to ask upon Earth it shall be granted in Heaven what shall then be done when the whole Church agree together Or what if this Unanimity were amongst the whole Fraternity which Unanimity if it had been amongst the Brethren Non venissent fratribus haec mala si in unum fraternitas fuisset animata i. e. These evils had not befaln the Brethren if they had joined together in brotherly Unanimity Cyprian having thus described the causes of this Persecution sets down a Vision wherein was shewed unto him by the Lord before the Presecution came what should happen The Vision saith he was this There was a certain aged Father sitting at whose right hand sat a young man very sad and pensive as one that with indignation is sorrowful with his hand upon his breast and an heavie countenance On the other hand sat a person having a Net in
the Famine out of the Villages to seek relief in the City And thus he continued till the Famine being ceased he returned into his retired house again and not long after he quietly slept in the Lord Anno Christi 404. He was a great opposer of Sabellius Arius Apollinarius and other Hereticks so chaste that he repelled the shameless behaviour of a lewd woman which being instigated by the Devil thought to have enticed him to lust but with his grave Exhortations Admonitions and Divine speeches he caught and overcame the tempter so that by his Fatherly advice she proved a grave modest and religious Matron In his Will he commanded that they should sing no verses in his commendation bury him in no fine linnens nor with ointments raise no monuments for him for saich he I am a stranger and so journey c. He was very merciful to the poor as in part we have heard before and having not of his own to give by his sweet and attractive Sermons he stirred up the hearts of others to relieve them He used to say That the resolute Traveller knows that his journey is long and the may dirty yet goes on in hope to come to his house so let a Christian though the way to Heaven be narrow though it be set With troubles and persecutions yet let him go on till be bath finished his course With Joy for Heaven is his home And again He that feasts his body and starves his soul is like him that feasts his slave and starves his wife He dyed under Valence His Works are contained in three Tomes upon several Subjects BASIL The Life of Basil who flourished An. Chr. 370. BAsil was born in Pontus of noble and religious Parents his Grand-Father and great Grand-Father suffered Martyrdom under Galerius Maximus He was called Basilius Magnus for as one saith of him he was great in wit great in eloquence great in wisdom great in defending great in propagating Gods glory great in convincing Hereticks c. When he was grown up to years of discretion he went to Caesarea of Cappadocia which was then the most famous City of Asia for learning In which place in a short time he made such a proficiency in his studies that he excelled all his equals in all sorts of Learning From thence he went to Constantinople where having studyed a while he went to Athens where he heard those famous Rhetoricians Hymerius and Proaeresius at which place also he fell into acquaintance with Gregory Nazianzen and joining studies together they continued in firm amity all their life after He was of an excellent constitution but by much watching praying fasting reading and spare dyet he much weakned his body Afterwards he went to Antioch in Syria where he frequented the School of Libanius and became an excellent Orator So that he was thought worthy to deliver to the World the Precepts of Philosophy and was much solicited thereunto by many excellent men Others perswaded him to become an Orator but neither of these imployments suted with his purpose wherefore having sufficiently profited in Philosophy under Libanius he provided for himself the Commentaries of Origen who then was famous throughout the World and learned out of them to interpret and expound the Sacred Scriptures Then did he valiantly encounter with the Arians and when as they alleadged Origens Books for the confirmation of their Heretical opinions he refuted their ignorance and shewed by plain demonstrations that they understood not the minde and meaning of Origen Yea Eunomius a favourer of that Sect and as many Arians as were of greatest reputation and accounted the profoundest Scholars when they disputed with him and Gregory Nazianzen proved themselves fools and unlearned persons He was at first Ordained Deacon by Aliletius Bishop of Antioch afterwards Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia where he was born after which he gave himself wholly to benefit and profit the Church And when he greatly feared that the new device of Arius his brain would creep throughout the Province of Pontus in all haste he gat him into those parts instructing the ignorant and confirming the wavering minds of weaklings in the Faith A little before some difference arose betwixt Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea and Basil about their different opinions which Valence the Arian Emperour hearing of hasted thitherward and when he came into Cappadocia according to his usual manner he grievously afflicted the Orthodox thrusting them out of their Churches and placing Arians in their rooms and he hoped easily to do the like when he came to Caesarea because of the enmity that was betwixt Eusebius and Basil But it fell out far otherwaies for Basil in Pontus hearing of the Emperours proceedings in Cappadocia hasted to Caesarea and presently was reconciled to Eusebius and by his Ministry seasonably strengthen the Church So that when Valence came thither finding his hopes frustrated he returned without effecting what he came about Not long after Eusebius dyed and Basil was chosen and ordained Bishop in his room where he performed the Office of a worthy Shepheard to his flock as well by duly and truly feeding them with the sincere milk of Gods Word as by driving away all Hereticks that like Wolves sought to devour his Sheep At last came back the Emperour Valence into Cappadocia fully purposing to drive Basil out of Caesarea but the Lord prevented him by this means The very night after he attempted this wickedness his Wife was grievously troubled with dreadful dreams about him and his only Son Gallates fell sick of a sharp and violent Feaver so that the physitians despairing of his recovery gave him up for dead His Wife also told him of those ugly shapes and fearful visions of Devils and wicked Spirits which she had seen in her sleep adding that their childe also was visited with that sickness because of the evil and mischief which he had purposed against Basil. The Emperour marking diligently the words of his Wife and musing with himself cast in his minde what to do and at length resolved to send for Basil and when he came spake thus unto him If thy Faith and Opinion be true pray that my Son dye not of this disease To whom Basil answered If thou wilt promise me to believe as I do and if thou wilt bring the Church into unity and concord thy childe no doubt shall live But the Emperour would by no means agree unto this Then said Basil Let the Lord deal with the childe as pleaseth him and so departed and immediately after the childe dyed He was very charitable insomuch as in a great Famine he sold his lands and all his other goods to relieve the Poor and stirred up other rich Merchants by Scripture and sweet speeches to contribute to their necessities He was also careful to see the sick provided for and caused publick places to be erected for their maintenance and would often not only
this present evil World and I believe that God will answer my desire And indeed accordingly in the third moneth of the siege he fell sick of a Feaver which proved his last sickness neither would God defraud his servant of the fruit of his Prayers And indeed he was very powerful in Prayers so that sometimes thereby he hath cast out Devils and restored sick men to their health His Feaver proved so violent that he dyed in the same third moneth of the siege In his sickness he breathed forth most pious ejaculations He made no Will having nothing to bestow but only Books upon several Libraries He dyed Aged 76. Anno Christi 430. having been a Minister 40 years It 's written of him that after his first Conversion to the Faith he was grievously vexed with inward conflicts against his corrupt affections complaining of his inward hereditary habitual inveterate vices and after long strugling with them by purposes vows strong resolutions watching fasting self-revenge and other good means finding still his own weakness and the encreasing violence of his corruptions as he was intentively musing and meditating what to do more he heard a voice saying In te stas non stas whereupon rightly apprehending that his own strength of wit carnal reason and other powers and helps of nature could not serve the turn for the effecting of that which was the proper and peculiar work of Grace he betook himself to his Saviour by humble faithful and fervent Prayer and at last found such assistance from the Holy Spirit of Grace as strengthned him to stand and make good his resolutions with more comfort then before His usual with was that Christ when he came might finde him aut Precantem aut Praedicantem either Praying or Preaching When the Donatists upbraided him unworthily with the impiety and impurity of his former Life Look said he how much they blame my former fault by so much the more I commend and praise my Physitian He used to say Holy Marriage is better then proud Virginity And again Prayer that is pure and holy pierceth Heaven and returns not empty It 's a shelter to the Soul a sacrifice to God and a scourge to the Divel And again There is nothing that more abateth sin then the frequent meditation of Death He cannot die ill that lived well aud seldom doth he die well that lived ill A Christian at home in his house must think himself a stranger and that his Country is above where he shall be no stranger And again If men want wealth it is not to be unjustly gotten if they have it they ought by good works to lay it up in Heaven He that hath tasted the sweetness of Divine love will not care for temporal sweetness The reasonable Soul made in the likeness of God may here finde much careful distraction but no full satisfaction for it being capable of God can be satisfied with nothing but God Not to be without affliction but to overcome affliction is blessedness Love is strong as death for as death kils the body so love of eternal life kils worldly desires and affections He called Ingratitude the Devils Sponge wherewith he wipes out all the favors of the Almighty He so admired and loved the seven Penitential Psalms that he caused them to be written in great letters and hung within the curtains of his Death-bed that so he might give up the Ghost in the contemplation and meditation of them His Prayer was Lord give first what thou requirest and then require of me what thou wilt And He that prays well cannot chuse but live well His Works are printed in nine Tomes at Basil by Froben The Life of Cyril of Alexandria who flourished Anno Christi 430. THeophilus Bishop of Alexandria falling into a Lethargy shortly after dyed whereupon a great contention arose about the Election of a new Bishop some standing for Timotheus the Archdeacon and others for Cyrillus Abudatius the Captain of the Garrison laboured all that he could to prefer Timothy but the other party prevailed and so Cyril was chosen and setled in the Bishoprick About this time Nestorius the Heretick vented his blasphemous opinions against the Deitie of our Saviour Christ whom Cyril answered and confuted Upon this the Emperour Theodosius minor summoned a Council at Ephesus in which Cyril was chosen President and where with much learning and judgement he confuted Nestorius and Pelagius So that the Council after serious examination and deliberation pronounced this sentence To omit the other abominable wickednesses of Nestorius because being sent for by us he hath refused to appear neither would he receive those godly and religious Bishops whom we sent to confer with him being therefore forced by necessity we proceeded to the examniation of his wicked opinions and finding partly by the Epistles and Books that he hath written and partly by his words which in this famous City he hath lately spoken which by sufficient witness have been proved before us that he holds and publisheth Heretical opinions contrary to the Word of God and the Canons of the holy Councils we therefore not without many tears are forced to pass this severe sentence against him and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ whom he hath so grosly and grievously blasphemed doth by us Decree that Nestorious be deposed from his Rishoprick and excommunicated from the holy Assemblies of the Ministers of God Which sentence the Emperour Theodosius did also approve of and confirm and withall banished him to Oasis and God to shew the severity of his justice against blasphemers strake him with an incurable disease whereby his tongue rotted and breeding many Worms was devoured by them so that he ended his wretched life after a most miserable manner This Cyril was by birth a Grecian and as one testifies of him was Vir doctus sanctus a learned and holy man He was President in the Council at Ephesus where with much learning and judgement he confuted Nestorius and Pelagius He was admirably experienced in the holy Scriptures flourished under Theodosius junior he was so famous for piety eloquence and wit that the Grecian Bishops gat some of his Homilies by heart and recited them to their people After twenty two years labor in the Government of that Church he quietly yeelded up his spirit unto God Anno Christi 448. under Theodosius junior He used to say It 's the best way for a rich man to make the Bellies of the Poor his Barn to succour the fatherless and needy and thereby to lay up treasure in Heaven that he may be received into everlasting habitations And Where the Scripture wants a tongue of expression we need not lend an ear of attention we may safely knock at the Council door of Gods secrets but if we go further we may be more bold then welcome And again The Devil runs
with open mouth upon Gods children to devour them they manfully resist him he thinks to weaken their Faith and they by his assaults are made the stronger he fights against them but they get ground upon him and so what he intended for their destruction full sore against his will makes for their advantage He was called the Champion of the Catholick Faith His Works were printed in two Tomes at Paris Anno Christi 1605. The Life of Peter Chrysologus who flourished Anno Christi 440. PEtrus Chrysologus so called because of his golden Eloquence was born at Imola in France of honest Parents bred under Cornelius Bishop of that City whose care it was not only to instruct him in good Manners and Learning but to fit him for the Work of the Ministry that he might bring glory to God in the service of his Church And not long after he was made Archbishop of Ravenna He excelled in Learning Vertue and all prais-worthy qualities He was present at the Councils the one at Ravenna the other at Rome and sent Letters full of Learning to the Synod of Chalcedon against Eutiches the Heretick He was powerful in Eloquence especially in his Sermons to the people and very holy in Conversation by both which he won many to the Truth Always before he penned any thing he would with great ardency and humility set himself to Prayer to seek unto God for direction therein He lived long having been Bishop about 60 years flourished under Martian the Emperour and dyed Anno Christi 500. He used to say Let not thy care be to have thy hands full whilst the Poors are empty for the only way to have full Barns is to have charitable Hands And God had rather men should love him then fear him to be called Father then Master he wins by Mercy that he may not punish by Justice If thou wilt be like thy Father do likewise And Neither in the Flint alone nor in the Steel alone any fire is to be seen nor extracted but by conjunction and collision So nor by Faith alone nor by good Works alone is Salvation attained but by joining both together And As the Clouds darken Heaven so intemperate Banquetting the Minde as the violence of windes and waves sinks a Ship so drunkenness and gluttony our souls and bodies in the depth of hell And Virtues separated are annihilated Equity without goodness is severitie and Justice without Piety cruelty And some that lived commendably before they attained to dignity being set in the Candlestick of the Church turn their light into darkness It had been better for such lights still to have been hidden under a bushel c. He was a man of an Excellent Wit and by his Ministry and example won many to a love of the Truth He wrote 176. Homilies Lib. ad Eutychen Epistoles alias PROSPER The Life of Prosper who dyed Anno Christi 466. PRosper was born in Aquitane and preferred to be Bishop of Rhegium in France He was Scholar to S. Augustine famous for Learning and Piety learnedly confuted the Pelagian Heresie He was assiduous in reading especially of the Scripture He usually had the four Evangelists in his hands He distributed his goods freely to the Poor His special care was to take away all strife and contentions from amongst his people He was a Father to all ages and sexes that were in the City He much addicted himself to Watching Fasting Prayer and Meditation He continued Bishop there twenty years flourished under Martianus Upon his death-bed speaking to many of his people that wept sore he said The Life which I have enjoyed was but given me upon condition to render it up again not grutchingly but gladly For me to have stayed longer here might seem better for you but for me it is better to be dissolved c. And so Praying and lifting up his hands to God before them all he departed Anno Christi 466. He was excellently versed in the Sacred Scriptures and no less famous in Humane Learning He was a very good Poet and an Eloquent Orator of a profound Judgement subtile Wit a nervous Writer and holy Liver His Works are all printed in Octavo at Cullen Anno Christi 1609. He used to say Thou shalt neither hate the man for his vice nor love the vice for the mans sake And Thou boastest of thy wealth honour strength beauty c. consider what thou arâ— by sin and shalt be in the grave and thy plumes will fall for every proud man forgets himself And As the Soul is the life of the Body so the life of the Soul is God when the Soul departs the Body dies and when God departs the Soul dies And Those things which God would have searched into are not to be neglected but those which God would have hidden are not to be searched into by the later we become unlawfully curious and by the neglect of the former damnably ingrateful And The envious man hath so many tortures as the envied hath praisers It s the Justice of envy to kill and torment the envious And The Life to come is blessed Eternity and Eternal blessedness there is certain security secure quietness quiet joyfulness happy Eternity eternal Felicity The Life of Fulgentius who dyed An. Chri. 529. HVnerick the Arian King of the Vandals having subdued Carthage banished all the Senators thereof into Italy amongst whom was Gordian Grandfather to Fulgentius And after the decease of Gordian Claudius his son returned unto Carthage and though his house was given to an â—rian Priest he recovered a great part of his Inheritance by some favour which he found at the Kings hands and so departing to Lepte he there setled his habitation But shortly after dying he left his son Fulgentius to the care of his Mother Mariana who was very careful to train him up in Learning causing him to be instructed in the Greek Tongue before he learned Latine that thereby he might attain to the greater perfection in that Language and as his years encreased so did he highly profit in all sorts of Learning to the great joy of his Mother who exceedingly rejoyced to see his wisdom and towardness which also much refreshed her after the loss of her dear husband yea she was so well satisfied with his Prudence that she committed to his care the government of her whole house and he so well behaved himself therein that he pleased his friends silenced his il-willers and both by direction and correction procured an awful respect from the servants He was also very careful to preserve his Patrimony By this his deportment he gat so much credit and esteem that he was made the Kings Collector and required to be rigorous in exacting the rated payments But after a while it pleased God that this multiplicity and burden of worldly businesses began to be very heavy to
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
the vain phancies of phanatick persons cleaving to the Truth without deviation He shunned in his Sermons strange and uncouth expressions by which erroneous persons oft disturb the peace of the Church He always opposed the Anabaptistical Errors and was very careful to preserve the Truth from corruptions He often contemplated the footsteps of God in Nature saying with Paul That God was so near unto us that he might almost be felt with our hands He studyed the Mathematicks in his latter time and grew so skilful therein that few excelled him He was excellent also in the Opticks but with his excessive pains and incessant studies night and day he contracted to himself a mortal disease whereby he wasted away and yet his intellectuals decayed not he lay sick for above three months all which time he gave forth clear and notable demonstrations of his Faith Patience and Piety He called up his two young daughters and caused them to repete their Prayers before him and then himself prayd with great fervency for himself the Church and those his Orphans concluding Invoco te quanquam languidâ imbecillâ fide sed fide tamen credo promissioni tuae quam sanguine tuo resurrectione obsignasti c. I call upon thee with a weak yet with a true Faith I believe thy promises which thou hast sealed to me with thy Blood and Resurrection c. In his sickness he intermitted not his studies for during the same he turned into Latine Luthers books concerning the last words of David he read he Psalms and other Authors His ordinary discourse with his friends was about the Principles of Religion the admirable government of the Church Immortality and our sweet Communion in Heaven Upon the sixth of November there was a great Chasm or opening in the Heavens and in some places fire fell to the Earth and flew up into the ayr again This Cruciger saw as he lay in his bed in the night and thereupon much bewayled the great commotions and dissipations in the Church with he forelaw by this Prodigie He spent the few days which remained in Prayer and Repentance and so quietly ended his days Nov. 16. Anno Christi 1548. and of his Age 45. Considering the mutability of all Earthly things he used often to say Omnia praetereunt praeter amare Deum Besides Gods love nothing is sure And that for ever doth endure He was a man of an excellent wit whose daily and indefatigable labors were not only very useful to the University of Wittenberg but even to forraign Nations and Churches He had a plentiful knowledge of the Celestial Doctrine which by his ardent Piety and assistance of the Holy Ghost was daily encreased in him He was so exact and ready in the Hebrew tongue that he easily excelled all others that joined with him in the translation of the Bible In his Sermons and speeches he had a sound Judgement joyned with an Eloquent Tongue He shewed the greatness of his minde by his exact knowledge and skill in the Mathematicks wherein he was deservedly accounted inferiour to none And these gifts he adorned with many other excellent vertues with gravity constancy and moderation in every condition with bounty toward strangers and hearty love to his friends He published sundry Commentaries upon the Psalms Iohn and the first Epistle of Paul to Timothy Lectures upon two Articles of the Nicene Creed He turned many of Luthers Lectures and Sermons out of Dutch into Latine and others out of Latine into Dutch The Life of Matthias Zellius who dyed Anno Christi 1548. MAtthias Zellius was born in Alsatia in a Town called Keisersberg Anno Christi 1477. and was trained up in Learning by his Parents from his childhood and afterwards set to the Publick Schools From whence he went to the University where his proficiency was very exemplary And being well grounded in the Arts he commenced Master of Arts and then applyed himself to the study of Divinity Not long after he went to Strasborough where he was Ordained a Minister and Anno Christi 1522. he was made Pastor of S. Lawrence Church At which time Luthers Doctrine spreading abroad Zellius compared it with the Doctrine of his Adversaries the Papists and upon mature deliberation and examination imbraced that of Luther whereupon he began publickly to defend it perswading the Citizens of Strasborough to entertain it Assoon as the Bishop heard hereof he cited him to appear in his Court and caused twenty four Articles to be drawn up against him amongst which these were some That he taught Iustification by Faith That be defended Luther That he Preached against the Mass Held the Marriage of Priests lawful Denyed the Primacy of the Bishop of Rome and Humane Traditions Hereupon Zellius An. Chr. 1523. published a Book wherein he answered this charge justified his Doctrine and shewed reasons why he appeared not before the Bishop From this time forward he was much hated by the Popish Clergy and went through many dangers for asserting the Truth yet through Gods mercy he with some others so far prevailed that the Magistrates of Strasborough cast our Popery and embraced the Reformed Religion Anno Christi 1529. Zellius therefore was the first Preacher of the Truth in te Church of Strasborough To whom after a good while Symphorianus an ancient Pastor of S. Martins Church adjoined himself who formerly had been very loose in his carriage and therefore the people did the more admire this great change in him yea some of his former acquaintance led by his example did shake off Popery and embraced the Truth and truly these two were rather Popular Preachers then learned Yet Zellius was a man of singular piety And not long after Anthony Firnius Minister of S. Thomas Church joined himself to them and was the first Minister in that City that marryed a wife Yea after a while there came thither Martin Bucer Capito and D. Gaspar Hedio learned and eminent men who more strongly carryed on the work of Reformation in Strasborough viz. An. Chr. 1523. Zellius continued a faithful and painful Pastor in his Church till the year 1548. and of his Age 71. at which time it pleased God to translate him from Earth to Heaven after he had been a Preacher in Strasborough about 26 years He was a man famous not for Learning only but for other Christian vertues especially Modesty Temperance and Charity He had a good wit was of an Innocent and blameless Life Preached the Truth purely and was free from pride Not only a Theoretick but a Practical Divine What he taught he first practised himself and had a special care of the Poor Being on a time invited to supper by one of his Colleagues he found much Plate set upon his Cupboard at which he was so offended that he went away without his supper and afterwards in private so far
journey the Sheriffe of Essex perswaded him much to returne to the Popish Religion c. to whom at last he answered I well perceive now that I have been deceived my self and shall deceive many in Hadley of their exspectation When the Sheriffe desired him to explain his meaning hoping that he would recant he said I am a man of a very great carkass which I had hoped should have been buried in Hadley Churchyard but I see I am deceived and there are a great number of wormes there which should have had â—olly feeding upon this carrion but now both I and they shall be deceived of our expectation When he came within two miles of Hadley he desired to alight and being down he leap't and fet a frisk or two saying God be praised I am now almost at home and have not past two stiles to go over and I am even at my father's house At Hadley Towns-end a poore man with his five children met him crying O dear father and good shepherd God helpe and succour thee as thou hast many a time succour'd me and my poor children The streetes were ful of people weeping and bewailing their losse saying Ah good God there goes our good Shepherd from us that hath so faithfullâ— taught so fatherly cared for us and so godly governed us 〈◊〉 mercifull od what shall we poor scattâ—red lambs doe What shâ—ll bâ—come of this most wicked World Good Lord strengthen hiâ— and comfort him To whom he said I have preached to â—u God's Word and Truth and am come now to seal it with â—y blood He gave all his money to the poor for whem he wâ—s wont thus to provide formerly Once a fortnight at least 〈◊〉 used to call upon Sir Henrie Doile and other rich Cloâ—lâ—ers to go with him to the Alms-houses to see what the poor lacked in meat drink apparel bedding and other neceâ—â—ries Withall exhorting comforting and rebuking as â—ee saw occasion Comming to the place of execution he was not suffered to speak to the people who much lamented his death yet he was very cheerfull saying Thanks be to God I am even at home and when he had praied and made himself ready he went to the stake and kissed it He would seigne have spoken to the people but one thrust in a tipstaffe into his mouth another stroke him on the head and an other threw a fagot at him which broke his face that the blood ranne down To whom Doctor Tailor said O friend I have harme enough what need that When he was saying the Miserere in English Sir John Shelton stroke him on the lips saying you knave I will make thee speak Latin The fire being kindled he held up his hands calling upon God and saying Merciful father of Heaven for Jesus Christ my Saviour's sake receive my soul into thy hands and so stood still without moving till one with an halberd strook out his brains Anno Christi 1555 JOHN BRADFORD The Life of John Bradford who died A no Christi 1555. JOhn Bradford was born at Manchester in Lancashire and by his parents brought up in learning And afterwards he served Sir John Harrington a man much employed under Hen. the 8th and Edward the 6th In which place he had opportunity of much advantaging himself For his Master found him so active and fit for his imployments that above all others he made most use of his faithfull service And thus he continued with him for certain years But God intending him for better employment having given up a just account to his Master with his good approbation he went to Cambridge where by his diligence in studie he profited so much in knowlege and so pleased all by his godly and blameless conversation that after one years abâ—de in the University he was made Master of Arts and chosen Fellow into Pembroke-Hall There Master Bucer falling into acquaintance with him highly priz'd and perswaded him to enter into the Ministrie which he modestly excused for want of learning To whom Bucer said If thou have not fine Manchet yet give the peoplâ— Barlie-bread or such as thou hast Being thus perswaded to enter into the Ministrie Bishop Ridley made him a Prebend in St Pauls where he continued preaching three yeares faithfully reproving sin 〈◊〉 yet sweetly preaching Christ crucified and pithily iâ—â—â—yning Errors and Heresies and perswading to a â—odliâ— life In the beginning of Queen Marie's reign Bourn Bishop of Bath made a leditious Sermon at Paul's-Crosse which â—o moved the people to indignation that they were ready to pull him out of the Pulpit and one throw a dagger at him Whereupon Bourn requested Master Brâ—dford who was behind him to stand in his place and to quiet the people which accordingâ—y he didâ— whom when the people saw they cried Bradford Bradford 〈◊〉 save thy life Bradford Bourn not yet thinking himselfe safe requested Master Bradford to conveie him into the School-master's house which accordingly he did going at his 〈◊〉 and shelâ—ering him from the people whereupon one said to him Ah Bradford Bradford Thou savest him that will help to burn thee In the afternoon Master Bradford preached at Bow-Church and sharply reproved the people for their seditious carriage Yet within three daies after he was sent for before the Council and charged with sedition for this act and by them was sent prisoner first to the Tower Then from thence they removed him to the Kings Bench in â—outhwark and after his condemnation he was sent to theâ—â—ounter in the Poultry In which places for the time that he remained prisoner he preached twice a day unlesse sicknesse hindred and often administred the Sacrament Preaching Reading and praier was his whole life He eat but one meal a day and that a spare one too and his continual study was upon his knees In the mid'st of dinner he used to meditate with his hat in his eyes from which flowed plenty of teares dropping on his trencher He was in such credit with his Keeper in Southwark that at an Evening he would give him leave upon his bare word to go into London to visit a sick friend and he was so mindfull of his promise that he used to returne to prison again rather preventing his hour then breaking his fidelity He was of person somewhat tall and slender spare of body of a faint sanguine colour with â—n awberne beard Hee â—lept not above four hours in â—he night and till slâ—ep came his book went not out of his â—and His recreation was honest companie and Christian discourse a litte after dinner and so to praier and his book again He counted that hour ill spent wherein he did not some good either with his pen studie or exhorting others c. He was no niggard of his purse but would liberally communicate what he had to his fellow-prisoners Once a week he visited the Thieves on the
kept in the Tower for the same purpose which afterwards proved so In the beginning of Queen Maries Reign he was sent for up by a Pursuivant whereof he had notice six houres before he came to his house yet instead of flying he prepared himself for his journey And when the Pursuivant came he said to him My friend you are welcome I goe as willingly to London to give an account of my Faith as ever I went to any place in the world and I doubt not but as God hath made me worthy formerly to preach his Word before two excellent Princes so he will enable me to bear witnesse to the Truth bâ—fore the third either to her eternal comfort or discomfort The Pursuivant having delivered his Letter told him that he was commanded not to stay for him and so immediately departed His Adversaries hopine that he would have fled but Latimer hasted after to London and as he rode through Smithfield he said that Smithfield had groaned for him a long time Coming before the Council after many mocks and scornes he was â—ent to the Tower where the Lord gave him such a valiant spirit that he did not onely bear the terriblenesse of imprisonment but derided and laughed to scorn the doings of his enemies This aged Father being kept in the cold winter without a fire bade the Lieutenant's man to tell his Master That if he did not look better to him perchance he would decâ—iâ—e him The Lieutenant thinking that he intendâ—d to make an escape charged him with his words to whom he answered You think I shall burn but except you let mee have a fire I shall deceive your expectation for I am here like to starve with cold Thus he continued a long time in the Tower with as much patience as a man in his case could possibly doe and at last from thence he was carried to Oxford with Cranmer and Ridley where tâ—ey spent their time in brotherly conference fervent prayer and fruitfull writing Yea many time he continued so long in fervent prayer that he was not able to get up without help Three things be more especially prayed for 1. That as God had appointed him to be a Preacher of his Word so that he would give him grace to stand to his Doctrine that hee might give his hearts-blood for the same 2. That God of his mercy would restore his Gospel to England once againe once againe which he often inculcated in his prayer and that with so much ardour as though he had seen God before him and spoken to him face to face 3. That the Lord would preserve Queen Elizabeth and make her a comfort to this comfortleâ—s Realm of England The lord most graciously answering all those his requests At last he was condemned and with Doctor Ridley was carried to be burned When he came to the stake he lift up his eyes with an amiable and comfortable countenance saying Fidelis est Deus c God is faithfull who will not suffer us to to be tempted above that which we are able c. When the fire was brought he said to Doctor Ridley Be of good comfort Brother and play the man we shall this day light such a candle by Gods grace in England as I trust shall never be put out When hee was stripped into his shroud he seemed a very comply person to all that were present And whereas in his cloaths he appeared a withered and crooked silly old man he now stood bolt-upright as comly a Father as one might likely behold As he was burning his blood ranne out of his heart in such abundance as if all the blood in his body had been gathered thither to the great astonishment of the beholders according to his former request That he might be so happy as to shed his hearts-blood for the Truth When the fire was first kindled he cried O father of heaven receive my soul And so receiving the flame and as it were embracing it having stroaked his face with his hands and bathed them a little in the fire he soon died with very little pain or none at all Anno Christi 1555. In a Letter to King Henry the eighth he thus concludes Wherefore gracious King remember your self have pitty upon your soul and think that the day is even at hand when you shall give an account for your Office and of the blood that hath been shed with your sword In the which day that your Grace mâ—â— stand stedfast and may have your Quietus est sealed with the blood of our Saviour Christ which will onely serve at that day is my daily prayer c. The Life of John Philpot who died A no Christi 1555. JOhn Philpot was a Knight's son and born in Hampshire brought up at Schoole and sent from thence to New-Colledge in Oxford where he studied the Liberal Arts and the Tongues and afterwards the Civil-Law for six or seven years space He was of a pregnant wit and singular courage fervent in spirit zealous in Religion of nature apert and far from flattery hypocrisie and dissimulation From Oxford he travelled into Italy where he was in some danger for his Religion In King Edward the sixth's dayes he returned into England again and had many conflicts with Bishop Gardiner He did much good in Hampshire being Archdeacon of Winchester all King Edward's dayes Anno Christi 1553 which was the first year of Queen Mary a Convocation was assembled wherein Doctor Weston was Prolocutor in the beginning whereof a disputation was begunne between the Papists and Protestants wherein Mr. Philpot was so earnest that Doctor VVeston commanded him to hold his peace whereto he replyed You perceive that I have stuffe enough for you whereby I am able to withstand your false positions and therefore you command me silence If you will not give place quoth the Prolocutor I will send you to prison This is not replyed Mr. Philpot according to your promise made at first in this house nor yet according to your brag made at Paul's Crosse when you said that men should be answered in this disputation to whatsoever they could say and now of a dozen arguments that I have you will not suffer me to prosecute one But I see that a sort of you here which hitherto have lurked in corners and dissembled with God and man are now gathered together to suppresse the sincere Truth of Gods V Vord and to set forth your false devices which by the sacred Scriptures you are not able to maintain But six daies after came a Mandate from the Queen to break up the disputation whereupon Doctor VVeston who all along had used many unseemly checks and taunts to the Protestants thus concluded It is not the Queens pleasure that we should spend any longer time here and ye are all well enough for you have the Word and we have the Sword And
Latine and sent beyond sea where to this day they are highly prized and much set by yea some of them are translated into French High-Dutch and Low-Dutch and his Reformed Catholick was translated into Spanish also yet no Spaniard ever since durst take up the Gantlet of Defiance cast down by this Champion He died in the forty fourth year of his age of a violent fit of the Stone Anno Christi 1602 being born the first and dying the last year of Queen Elizabeth He was of a ruddy complexion fat and corpulent Lame of his right hand yet this Ehud with a left-handed pen did stab the Romish cause as one saith Dextera quantumvis fuerat tibi manca docendi Pollebas mirâ dexteritate tamen Though nature thee of thy right hand bereft Right-well thou writest with thy hand that 's left He was buried with great solemnity at the sole charges of Christs Colledge the University and Town striving which should expresse more sorrow at his Funeral Doctor Montague Preached his Funeral Sermon upon that Text Moses my servant is dead Master Perkins his manner was to go with the Prisoners to the plaâ—â— of execution when they were condemned and what 〈◊〉 his labours were crowned with may appeare by this example A young lusty fellow going up the ladder discovered an extraordinary lumpishnesse and dejection of spirit and when he turned himselfe at the upper round to speak to the people he looked with a rueful and heavy countenance as if he had been half dead already whereupon Master Perkins laboured to chear up his spirits and finding him still in an Agony and distresse of minde he said unto him What man what is the matter with thee art thou afraid of death Ah no said the Prisoner shaking his head but of a worser thing Saist thou so said Master Perkins come down again man and thou shalt see what Gods grace will doe to strengthen thee Whereupon the prisoner coming down Master Perkins took him by the hand made him kneel down with himself at the ladder foot hand in hand when that blessed man of God made such an effectuall prayer in confession of sinnes and aggravating thereof in all circumstances with the horrible and eternal punishment due to the same by Gods justice as made the poor prisoner burst out into abundance of tears and Master Perkins finding that he had brought him low enough even to hell gates he proceeded to the second part of his prayer and therein to shew him the Lord Jesus the Saviour of all penitent and believing sinners stretching forth his blessed hand of mercy and power to save him in that distressed estate and to deliver him from all the powers of darkness which he did so sweetly press with such heavenly art and powerfull words of grace upon the soul of the poor prisoner as cheared him up again to look beyond death with the eyes of Faith to see how the black lines of all his sinnes were crossed and cancelled with the red lines of his crucified Saviours precious blood so graciously applying it to his wounded conscience as made him break out into new showres of tears for joy of the inward consolation which he found and gave such expression of it to the beholders as made them life up their hands and praise God to see such a blessed change in him who the prayer being ended rose from his knees chearfully and went up the Ladder again so comforted and tooke his death with such patience and alacrity as if he actually saw himself delivered from the hell which he feared before and heaven opened for the receiving of his soul to the great rejoycing of the beholders His works are printed in three volumes F. JVNIVS The Life of Francis Junius who died A no Christi 1602. FRancis Junius was born in France of a Noble Family An. Christi 1545. His Grandfather was William Lord of Boffardineria who for his valiant service in the wars of Navar was rewarded by King Lewis the twelfth with that honour His Father was Denis who in his youth studied Law in the most famous Universities of France His Mother was Jacoba Hugalda which bore nine children four sons and five daughters amongst which this our Francis was born in Biturg His Mother being sickly the child was very weak not likely to live one houâ— and therefore was hastily baptised And during his childhood this weakness continued which falling into his left legge caused a soare which was difficultly healed When hee was five yeares old his Father beganne to teach him to read as his leisure would permit At six yeares old he began to write and to discover his ingenuity being of a pleasant disposition very desirous of honour quickly angry and for his age of a grave judgement Hee did eat his meat eagerly was very shame-fac'd which continued with him all his life after Hee had the publick Schoolmasters for his instructers besides others that privately taught him at home At twelve years old he attended the publick Lectures and began to study the Civill Law and his Father much encouraged and assisted him therein Yet one thing much impeded him in his first studies For being put forth to School hee met with harsh and severe Masters which used to beat him in a most cruel and barbarous manner yet his love to learning made him conceal it from his friends When he had studied Law about two years he was sent to Lions to have gone with the French Ambassador to Constantinople but coming too late after the Ambassadors departure he staid and studied there turning over many bookes whereof in that place were great plenty But there he met with great temptations to evill a woman and a young mayd labouring upon every opportunity to draw him to lewdnesse This much troubled him having been brought up religiously by his parents whereupon he thought of returning home but his fathers authority who commanded his stay there altered those thoughts and so through Gods assistance he resisted that temptation But presently fell into another For as he was reading over Tully de Legibus there came a certain man to him using the words of the Epicure nihil cur are Deum nec alieni that God cares for nothing And he so pressed it with such subtile arguments that hee prevailed with him to suck in that damnable principle and so he gave up himself to vile pleasures for a year and somewhat more But the Lord suffered him not to continue longer therein For first in a tumult in Lions the Lord wonderfully delivered him from imminent death so that he was compelled to acknowledge a divine providence therein And his Father hearing the dangerous waies that his son was misled into sent for him home where he carefully and holily instructed him and caused him to read over the new Testament of wich himselfe writes thus novum Testamentum aperio exhibet se mihi
Christi 1564 when by the advice of their friends these two persons were minded to leave Tubing Doctor Andreas stayed them and put them upon a Disputation upon certain Theses about the Ubiquity Eucharist endeavouring to draw Grynaeus to his own opinion but in the disputation Grynaeus was so bâ—ffled by Stuckius that he was almost non-plust and was driven to doubt of that opinion Having in this disputation given reasonable satisfaction to the Divines of Tubing he was put upon reading Lectures upon Daniel and so a while after was made Doctor in Divinity Anno Christi 1565 his Father dyed of the Plague and he was chosen by Charles Marquess of Baden to succeed in the Pastoral charge at Raetela where besides his ordinary labours he read privately to the Deacons twice a week and God blessed his labours exceedingly Anno Christi 1569 he married a wife with whom he lived contentedly 40 years and had by her seven children About that time the form of Concord being much pressed he fel hard to the study of the Scriptures and of antient and modern Divines whereby it pleased God that light began to appear to him for hitherto he had been a Lutheran And modestly declaring his judgement about the Ubiquity of Christs body he began to be hated of many Yet during his abode there at the request of the Printers he corrected for the Press Eusebius Origen Irenaeus Erasmus his Adagies and other books Anno Christi 1575 he was sent for to Basil to be a Professor in interpreting the Old Testament and with the consent of the Marquess he removed thither with his family after he had been ten years Pastor at Raetela yet before his going the Marquess conditioned with him that he should be overseer of his Churches and that his brother should succeed him in his charge at Raetela and withall he assigned him a stipend of twenty Florences per annum When he was come to Basil he made an Oration of the difculty of the work whereunto he was called He began with the explication of Genesis but before he had gone through it at the request of his Auditors he left it and fel upon the Psalms and some of the minor Prophets He also voluntarily read some History Lectures He met with some reproaches from the Lutherans because he taught otherwise then they would have had him about the Lords Supper but the Lord saw it good thus to exercise him whose laboâ— is yet both in publick and private he blessed exceedingly and made him an happy instrument of closing up and healing some breaches that had been between the Churches of Zurick and Basil. He maintained friendship with Erastus Amerbach Plater Zuinger Urstisius and others He had many Noblemen Gentlemen Citizens Doctors and other learned young men that came out of other countries to sojourn with him Anno Christi 1583 Lodwick Prince Elector Palatine dying Prince Cassimire succeeded as Administrator in the minority of the young Prince whose care was to reform the Churches of the Palatinate and the University of Heidleberg and advising with Dan. Tossanus and other godly Divines about the same he was directed by them to chuse Grynaeus for one of the Professors And accordingly Anno Christi 1584 he sent to Basil for him whereupon with the consent of the Senat he removed to Heidleberg where for two years space he read Divinity and History taking care both of the Church School and University He met with many oppositions from the Lutheran Faction had many disputations with them whereof that was the most famous which was held in the presence of the Prince An. Christi 1584 and wherein Grynaeus was Moderator the issue whereof was this That those Divines and Scholars which would not be convinced and reformed but continued to make factions and divisions in the University were gently dismissed After which the Orthodox Doctrine of the person of Christ and the Sacraments was quietly preached in the Palatinate Anno Christi 1585 Sulcer being dead by the earnest desire of the godly he was called back to Basil to undertake the Government of that Church and thereupon Anno Christi 1586 he removed to Basil and was entertained with the great â—pplause of the whole Church and having preached twice â—e went back to Heidleberg to take his leave of the Prince Church and Academy After which he was courteously dismissed by the Prince who provided for the carriage of his houshold and gave him his Effigies in Gold as a remembrance of his love He continued in the faithfull discharge of his office a Basil all the remainder of his life promoting the honour and profit of the Church School and University by his care diligence and industry In the Church he was a faithful Pastor feeding his people with the bread of life comforting the afflicted visiting the sick and diligently removing whatsoever might hinder the progress of the Gospel For which end Anno Christi 1594 he visited all the Churches in his Diocess endeavouring to preserve and nourish love amongst brethren and reforming what was amiss In the Grammar School he with some others were careful to provide fit Schoolmasters examined the proficiency of the Scholars and helpt to maintain such as were poor In the University he went through the greatest honors and labours Anno Christi 1588 he was twice sent to Mulhusen first to settle an able Ministry and then to be present in a Synod The same year he went to Bern to a conference for composing the controversies in Religion At length he began to grow weak and sickly and his eye-sight waxed very dim and in the 72 year of his age he was almost quite blind yet his intellectuals and memory continued very good He lost also most of his friends with his brothers sisters wife and children all but one daughter and his son in law Polanus whom he much desired to follow He was oft tormented with the Collick yet bore all with admirable patience and in the midst of his pains he said Ut munc triste mori est sic dulec resurgere quondam Christus ut in vita sic quoque morte lucrum est Interris labor est requies sed suavis in urna In summo venient gaudia summa die As death's sweet so to rise is sweet much more Christ as in life so he in death is store On earth are troubles sweet rest in the grave I' th last day we the lasting'st joyes shall have After that he was eased of the Collick and Stone hee fell sick of a Feaver which almâ—st took away his senses but hee betook himself wholly to Prayer and tasted the joyes of heaven in his soul continually wishing that he might be dissolved and be with Christ which desire God shortly after satisfied when he had lived seventy seven years Anno Christi 1617. The Ministers of Basil carried his corps to the grave A little
before his death he professed to Doctor Meier that he dyed in the same Faith that he had taught others that he had earnestly besought God to provide his people of an able and faithful Pastor c. concluding O praeclarum illum diem cùm ad illud animarum concilium coelumque proficiscar cùm ex hac turba colluvione discedam O happy day when I may depart out of this troublesom and sinfull world and go to Heaven to those blessed soules before departed He used to say Pontifici Romano Erasmum plus nocuisse jocando quà m Lutherum stomachando Writing to Chytraeus he said Si non amplius in his terris te visurus sum ibi tamen conveniemus ubi Luthero cum Zuinglio optimè jam convenit If we never see one another again in this world yet wee shall meet in that place where Luther and Zuinglius agree very well together He used to be up at his study Winter and Summer before sun-rising and spent all the day in Prayer Writing Reading and visiting of the sick He was so famous that many Princes Noblemen and young Gentlemen came from forreign countries to see and hear him He was very dutifull to his parents liberal to a poor brother which he had Temperate in food and apparel all his life long Courteous and affable to every man respectfull to all degrees studious of love and concord amongst the good especially Scholars as his many Epistles shew Many desired to sojourn with him whose bodies he fed with food and minds with pleasant and profitable discourses and sage Apothegmes In bearing wrongs hee was very patient never seeking reveng Scripsit Epitomen Bibliorum Charact. Christianorum Enarrationes aliquot Psalmorum Prophetarum ut Haggai Jonae Habacuc Obadiae Malachiae Danielis 5 priorum cap. Explanationem Mat. Exeg Epistolae aâ— Romanos Col. Heb. Joh. Historiam Ecclesiasticam Chron. Historiae Evangelicae R. ABBAT The Life of Robert Abbat who died A no Christi 1618. RObert Abbat was born at Guilford in the Countie of Surrey Anno Christi 1560 of honest Parents who carefully educated him in learning and when he was fit they sent him to Oxford where he was admitted into Baliol Colledge in which place he followed his studies very hard took all his degrees till he commenced Doctor in Divinity and for his excellent learning and exemplary life he was chosen first Master of the Colledge and afterwards the Regius Professor in which place he succeeded Doctor Thomas Holland and for five years space performed his office so excellently that Anno Chr. 1615 he was by King James preferred to the Bishoprick of Salisbury Whilst he was there he made that learned and solid work De gratia perseverantia Sanctorum He was also very diligent and faithful in the execution of his office But partly by reason of the burthen and care of his place partly by his sedentary life being so hard a student he had a stone bred in his kidneys which put him to intollerable pain yet hee bore the same with invincible patience Till finding his end to approach he called his Family together and began to make before them a Confession of his Faith yet with some pauses by reason of his pains and faintness whereupon some of his friends told him that he need not put himself to that trouble having so fully declared the same in his learned and Orthodox writings This counsel he approved and therefore said to them That Faith which I haue published and defended in my writings is the truth of God and therein I die and so presently after he yeelded up his soul to God Anno Christo 1618 and of his age 58. The Life of William Cowper who died A no Christi 1619. WIlliam Cowper was born in Edenborough and at eight years old was sent by his Father to Dunbar-School where in four years he learn'd the whole course of Grammar and profited above his equals and at that time did God begin to reveal himself to him Many times when he was in the School he used to â—ift up his heart unto God begging of him knowledge and understanding and alwaies as he went to Church he sent up this ejaculation to heaven Lord bow nine ear that I may hear thy word At his entry into his thirteenth year his father sent for him home to Edenburgh and presently after he went to Saint Andrews where he continued to his sixteenth year in the study of Philosophy but made no great progress therein yet the seed of grace was stil working in him inclining him to a careful hearing and penning of Sermons and other Theological Lectures During his abode at Saint Andrews Sathan working upon corrupt nature sought oft to trap him in his snares but as himself testifies the Lord in mercy forgave the vanities and ignorances of his youth and preserved him from such falls as might have made him a 〈◊〉 to the Saints and a reproach to his enemies At the Age of sixteen years he returned to his parents at Edenburgh who propos'd to him sundry courses of life but his heart was stil enclined to the study of the holy Scriptures whereupon he resolved to goe into England and the Lord provided him a place at Hoddesdon eighteen miles from London just as he had spent all his money which he brought with him out of Scotland where he was entertained by one Mr. Gutherie a Scotchman to assist him in teaching of a School There he remained three quarters of a year and then having occasion to goe to London he was unexspectedly called to the service of Master Hugh Broughton with whom he continued a year and a half and daily exercised himself in the study of Divinity At nineteen years old he returned again to Edenburgh where he lived with his elder brother then one of the Ministers in that City who much furthered him in his former studies and at last he was required to give a proof of his gifts privately which he did in the New Church before Master Robert Pont and Master Robert Rollock and somâ— others by whom he was commanded to preach in publick also Being twenty years old he was sent by the Authority of the General Assembly which then was met at Edenburgh to be the Pastor at Bothkenner in Sterlingshire but when he came thither he found in the Church besides ruinous wals neither roof nor doors nor pulpit nor seats nor windows yet it pleased God to give such a blessing to his Ministry that within half a year the Parishioners of their own accord built and adorned the Church in as good a quality as any round about it There he continued seven or eight years yet subject to great bodily infirmities by reason of the wetnesse of the soil and the moistness of the air and in that time dâ—d God begin to acquaint him
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