whole worlde shoulde be thereat offended Christ in the scripture is named a stumbling stone which thing doth appertaine to all those that preach the gospell He saide that hee refused not to obey the lawes and the magistrate like as he protested that hee had alwayes taught the people to doe and as his kooks did witnesse howe greatly he estéemed the dignitie of lawes but that it was otherwise of decrées and statutes ecclesiasticall He aunswered also that he refused not to submit his bookes to the iudgement of the Emperour or to the estates of the Empire and to the iudgement of other men so that they woulde iudge by conduct of the worde of God the which hee saide was best that if they coulde not reproue him of errour hee coulde not chaunge his opinion For S. Paul commaundeth vs that we shall not beléeue an Angell comming from heauen if he bring any other Doctrine And to be shorte he was solicited menaced and assaulted on all sortes yea euen of all other Realmes countries and prouinces The kinge of Englande Henrie the eight wrot against him and chiefly reproued his iudgement concerning indulgences and other pointes Luther answered him Pope Leo thundered against him a long proces and condemned him as an heretike To conclude he suffered and abode with paine and trauaile the moste bitter and terrible assaults and combates that any man of his time did saying alwayes in the ende that he was readie rather to loose his life then to forsake the worde of GOD which is so manifest wherevppon he grounded his reasons which he vttered foorth That if any coulde shewe the contrarie all that he shoulde finde not conformable and agréeing to the trueth he woulde be readie to reuoke in any parte aswell of his writinges as Preachinges Therfore those do falsely accuse him that say he was led with ambition fantastical opinion wherby he might winne praise and please the princes of Germaine so as afterwarde he might chaunge also the estate politik But is this an ambition a presumption is this to séeke to be in great dignitie and exalted to honour and to liue more delicately then within a cloyster when a man knoweth that hee must willingly go into a most dangerous were into to terrible and cruel tormentes of death as this holy personage might well enough knowe by the people and others good and faithfull personages who had come thereto Others saide that he was possessed with a serpentine madnesse that he might inuenim the world with deadly poyson But I will not say any more to aunswere such sclaunderers and backbiters who doe gaine say them who they do manifestly perceiue haue sought the true doctrine of the word of GOD the which they haue preached and written which haue had the grace of GOD for to liue and die constantly for the mainteinance thereof But those men think in thēselues being inuenimed with the serpentine poyson of the deuilish spirite as by their fruites and workes stuffed with impietie vilanie and infection may easilie bee knowen and that which is contrarie to the honour of God and to the truth of his holy word to disgorge their stincking vomit yea all the mischief that they can deuise by any subtill meane like as the diuell putteth into their heades so that what is it that they dare not doe A prayer that Luther vsed to say dayly Confirme in vs O God that which thou haste wrought and finish the worke which thou hast begonne in vs to thy glorie Amen I wil not recite any more of this holy personage He departed out of this life in the yeare of our Lord 1546. hauing commended his soule into the handes of God and was buried honourably at Wittenberge Hee that wil see further of his life and deeds let him reade the booke of Martyrs also Sleidan and Melancthon haue described his life and gestes Huldrike Zuinglius was borne about the yere 1427. and when hee had trauailed a long time as well in the liberall artes as in the studie of Philosophie He imployed his studie to the schoole of dyuinitie he perceiued that that was but losse of time and that thorough worldly wisdome God and Philosophie were brued together so that of such pratling barbarousnes vaine glorie and other like thinges were risen and did grow and no hope of sound doctrine coulde be hoped for thereby He abode there notwithstanding as one that had espied the campe of his enimies vntill the people of Glaris chose him for their minister before that he entred orders which hee gat afterwarde for then he had not knowledg of the trueth Hauing entred into the ministerie he gaue himselfe wholly to studie especially of the holy scriptures for he then estéemed not humaine wrytings but so as they might stand with the holy scriptures and for preachings He was purposed for to learne Valerius Maximus without book because of memorable examples that be therein He sawe that these be thinges required of a minister that hee hath charge to teache the flocke of Christ that he be adorned with knowledge of manie things and aboue all with diuine knowledge then with the grace of speaking wel for to expound all things fitlie according as may serue for the vtilitie and capacitie of euery bodie For discharge of his dutie he was dayly expounding the olde and newe Testament shewing the proprieties of the text applying them according as he sawe profitable for them of that countrie Hee applyed himselfe to the knowledge of languages and learning at Saint Peter that the holy scripture is not vnderstoode by one particuler interpretation he lifted vp his eyes on hygh crauing for the holy ghost to be his teacher and praying dayly that he might obtaine the grace that he might be able to haue true vnderstanding by sence of the holy spirite Hee iudged of the Catholike Doctours as they iudged of themselues that they must be reade with iudgment and be examined by the canonicall scriptures as by the touchstone that otherwise by mingling with them Philosophie and humaine reasons they were commonly so corrupted that there is no meane how to make them agrée with the authority of the holy scripture Then he put his knowledge in practise so that hee interprised the battle against the greatest wickednesse Thereof came hatred raylings clamors ambushmentes of the children of this worlde against the holy seruant of God Zuinglius Hee went thence and afterwarde was sent for from Zurich to Suissa to be the Pastour being placed hee immediately after vttered forth in the chapter of the Chanons that which he had determined to teach the people to wit the historie of our Lorde Iesus Christ after S. Matthew to the intent that the vertue of him whose title ought to bee aduanced shoulde not lye buried to the detriment of the glorie of God and to the saluation of soules He protested that he did not expounde it by humane sence nor yet being bounde to the methode of any interpretour but by
of the supper the accidents be not without the subiect that is to say that the whitenesse and roundnesse of the breade be not without the bread to wit that contrary to transubstantion which the priests haue forged the breade abideth bread and the wine contynueth in the proper substance Moreouer the conclusions proposed by him at the towne of Lambeth be these If that any Princes or Lordes or any others haue made any donations vnto the mynisters of the Church there is therin a secreate condition to wit that God shoulde be honoured and that the faithfull should be edified And if this condition ceasse then they may take away from wicked pastours that which they had giuen them any excommunication or other whatsoeuer to the contrary notwithstanding That if these dealinges of men were let alone the cleargie which were of couetous persons will bring all the world into their hands Also that the Pope may lawfully be reproued by those whom he kéepeth in obedience vnder him and that for the vtilitie of the Church he may be accused both of the clearks and lay people That the Pope as great a Lord as he reporteth himselfe to be must thinke that he is a brother vnto others and that if he sinne he ought to be brotherly corrected and heare corrections brotherly And when as by the holy scripture his heresie or errour is shewed him he ought not to be obstinate And by many other conclusions he shewed euidently the abuse of the Pope and of the cleargy and how that their possessions of so great reuenewes be vniust To conclude he was assaulted by many and amongest others the begging monkes who rose against him by greate flockes But the Lorde gaue him for a protectour the Kinge Edwarde vnder whose raigne he had some lybertie to speake the truth Richarde the successour of the said Edwarde persecuted and banished him Within a while after he was called again from banishment and returned vnto the parrishe of whiche he was pastour and there like a lustie champion of the Lorde he aboade alwayes constant euen vntill the death he died in the yeare of our Lorde 1388. fortie and one yeares after his death he was digged vp againe by the commandement of the Pope and his bones were burned and the ashes thereof cast into the water but Iesus Christ dieth not in his faithful ones vse the tyrants what cruelty they can He composed many bookes the which were burned in the citie of Oxenford in the yere 1410. there be certaine notwithstanding reserued still for to declare that God hath alwayes some faithfull seruantes who doe resist the errours of the world Amongest his writinges there is an Epistle which he sent to Pope Vrbane He that woulde sée more at large of him and of his historie let him looke in the booke of Martyrs 134 In the persecution raysed vp against Wiclief and in the yere 1400. Sautree a priest imbraced with zeale of true pure religion craued and requested in the ful Parliament the audience might be granted him for the cōmon profit of all the Realme Then albeit that his request was honest and ciuill and that he gaue to vnderstande that he coulde bring great profite yet he was not hearde for the bishops perceiuing that he came caused him to be attached of heresie and for the seauen articles condemned disgraded and burned him Looke Fabius in his Chronicles and Iohn Crespin in the booke of martyrs William Thorpe an Englishman was also a valiant martyre of our Lorde Iesus Christ He sustayned great assaultes of many prelats of of the Church of Rome without forsaking his vocation which was to instruct the people according to the pure word of God And therefore he woulde not agrée to preach the superstitions and humaine inuentions which he declared to be contrarie to the institution of the holy scriptures he was condemned hauing yeelded a testimonie of his faith Nowe of many pointes well worth the noting vpon the interrogations propounded to him I will recite for to auoyde great prolixitie one onely that is that he being demaunded of the Archbishop of Canterburie primate of Englande and Chauncelour of the whole Realme what the Church did signifie he answered that it is Iesus Christe and the companie of saincts Which thing the said Archbishop confessed to be true in respect of heauen but he demaunded further what the Church was here below on earth It is deuided into two partes answered the said Williā Thorp the one of the two parts which is the better hath obtained victorie ouer the enemies and triumpheth nowe with Christe in great ioy the other part fighteth here still on earth by the sworde of faith against the continuall bulwarkes of Sathan of the fleshe and of the worlde There is no strength so violent no pompe so proud no fire of afflictions and persecutions so burning no tyrannie so cruel no reasons of Doctours so discording nor opinions so diuerse which can withdrawe them from the right rule of faith and of the holy scriptures For they be fortyfied by the worde of God in Christ and firmely stablished as vppon a sure rocke that can not be remoued Looke Iohn Crespin in his booke of martyrs Within a while after the death of Iohn Wiclief there arose greate persecution in Englande against the faithfull for the truth of the Gospell which then began to take déepe rooting The worthiest men in the Realme were not then spared the lord Cobham a knight of the order one of the peeres of England was there apprehended but he was executed after these that we nowe speake off And therefore according to the order of time we will hereafter speake of him more at large for he was an excellent martyr of our Lorde Iesus Christ King Henrie then by publike ordinaunce made an edicte and set foorth through the persuasions of the bishoppes and prelates terrible punishmentes for all them that should follow the doctrine of Wicliefe vsing so great seueritie against them that he helde them not onely for heretikes but also as guiltie of treason And for this cause it was ordeined that they should be punished with two sortes of punishmentes that is that they should be both hanged and burned and there was neither fréedome nor any priuiledge whereby they coulde enioye profite so maliciously were they bente againste the faithfull séeking all meanes againste them and in that time they called al them Wicleffians who read the scriptures in the vulgar tongue and which made their assemblies in secrete places in the darke preaching in woodes and bushes Then the Bishops being armed with this edicte of the king exercised great tyrannie against manie good people and many poore innocentes and amongest other against Roger Acton a knight of the order and a true nobleman adorned with great vertues he abhorred the wicked traditions of the Pope had his affections withdrawen from him and from all his assistants For that cause it is reported that he was hated amongest the
although that the deuill in his enchantmentes hath at all times found out a rage more then horrible against the Church and faithfull doctours like as here is manifested by Abel who was slaine by Caine being moued thereto by a deuilish enuie by the persecution and oppression of the people of Israel by the high priestes who were slaine by Saule by Isay and Ieremie who were put to death by the captiuitie of the people when they were carried away into Babylon likewise by Iohn Baptist by our Lord Iesus Christ and by the Apostles who haue beene cruelly slayne and by so many millions of Martyrs yet notwithstāding the Church hath continued through out all ages and there haue beene alwayes doctours diuinely raysed vp in the places of others for to set vp agayne and to conserue the light of the doctrine to make it shine in the middest of those peoples and Realmes that God woulde haue it It hath then been alwayes conserued and defended for God is the protector and gardein thereof who maketh it to withstande all such assaultes And for this cause Sathan in his illusions of these times hath suggested and put in practyce the moste cruell tormentes that coulde be deuised but all in vaine There haue beene kindled fires great and small There haue beene set vp also for the true Christians Scaffoldes c. some haue beene caste into the bottomes of ponds and riuers and to conclude Sathan hath by sword and force vsed all sortes of most cruel violences for to cause that the holy seruice of God might be altogether extinct and buried but he neuer coulde neither euer shall be able to doe it Wee muste then consider and vnderstande that true religion hath of GOD an efficacie and vertue more great and wonderfull then any thinge that can bee or euer hath bene seeing that so mightie an enemie as sathā the prince of the children of this world hath so often and strongly besieged it and yet coulde neuer hinder but that alwayes thorough the goodnes of God it shoulde be set vp Now to speak of other religions which haue beene and be what continuance haue they had what stedfastnesse and assurance of the trueth haue beene founde in them what number amongst so many as were professours of the same haue euer beene so steedfast in their religions that they would euer suffer most cruell tortures therfore like as haue done an infinite multitude for the assurance and steedfastnesse that they had in the trueth which no man is able to number by whome God woulde be glorified So many and such manner of religions as haue ben haue they had euer such order such a doctrine which hath plainly shewed vnto them the truth of the being of the first originall of things that haue bene since the beginning of the world and of thinges that haue come to passe and that bee daily accomplished as God hath made his to vnderstande from time to time first by visions and oracles and since euen vntill this present time by his Prophetes and Apostles Such and so manie religions which haue beene howe coulde it euer be found in them as may be founde in the true Church by the holy scriptures howe that the supernaturall he who is euerlastingly that is the Lorde Iehova who of himselfe hath his being and not of any others and of him all thinges their beinges hath by his eternall worde and spirite created all thinges made and fashioned them and by him not by our owne force and vertue wee haue such dignitie and excellencie aboue all creatures of the earth that we were made according to his owne image which excellencie and our first perfection was lost by our ingratitude in our first parentes and that since that time we be and shall bee restored thereto againe in a more large perfection by the onely meanes of his onely sonne by which he hath made vs and that for the manifestation of his inestimable goodnesse and glorie by the which he teacheth vs in his holy scriptures and assureth vs by his spirite that wee shall be euerlastingly taken vp to his glorie forasmuch as he is able to doe so and will doe it So many and such sundrie sortes of religion as haue bene had they euer yet since the beginning of the world so continuall an order of good and faithfull doctors who being inspired with the spirit of god haue constantly taught and mainteined against all the rage of the worlde the trueth of his holy doctrine as hath the right religion of the protestants which is the verie Christianitie done Doth not GOD thereby and by sundrie other meanes sufficiently declare the vertue and efficacie of the ministerie of his holy worde and true religion which he from time to time hath approued for asmuch as therein hee hath placed and set the true and pure infallible veritie for to instructe and guide man euen vnto him who is the authour and creatour of all thinges Nowe seeing that we haue such a founder of our religion who giueth vs also grace to follow the same let Sathan inuent as many meanes as he will for to ouerthrow and extinguish it Let him breath as many illusions and inchantmentes into the mindes of men as he can for to perswade them that this true religion which wee hold began but of late and that it shal soone decay againe c. It is notwithstanding most euident that it hath bene euer since the beginning of the worlde and that wee haue testimonie of him who hath established the same and may surely repose our confidence in him that like as hee hath ordeined that whilest the sunne Moone shall giue light to the earth he will neuer faile to helpe and asiste his and that finally we shall bee with our heade and Lorde Iesus Christ And hereof we doe assure our selues and doe feele of the same in our selues a certaintie proceeding of the spirite of God that so it shall come to passe at the time which God hath ordained neither is this religion that we holde false or wicked as some yet say inasmuch as it is grounded vpon that pure word of God according to the which we labour and are willing to serue God without mingling therewith any thing imagined by our owne braine like as we be slaundered to do for to make a religion of our owne deuising And therefore let such vnderstande that this our religion had not the first beginning at Luther or Iohn Hus and that it was neuer hearde of before as some falsely say and that it shall not therefore long abide For notwithstanding that thorough the great vngodlinesse and euill that hath beene and yet is amongst some men of the Church and thorough the outrage of carnall affections with carelesnesse and not regarding the glorie of God or his trueth yea through the verie contempt and falling away from God and all trueth the doctrin which he had published set forth before by his Prophetes and Apostles and by his
due alone vnto him whom al the saintes must honour and reuerence and do put their trust in them which ought to be transserred to God onely and more ouer séeing they are so affectioned towards those images that they like better of and be more deuoute to one them then to another mine opinion is said he the of such do commit Idolatry and a deadly sinne against God vnto whom doth belong all honour glorie and praise Lastly hee saide that hee was thus perswaded that there dwelled none here below vpon earth but was in a pilgrimage either to goe vnto life or els to tende vnto torments That whoso doth so order his life that hee transgresseth the commaundements ordinances of God whither that he knoweth them not or will not knowe them hee must not hope for saluation albeit that hee raunge abroade to all the corners of ths worlde Contrariwise hee that shall kéepe the holy ordinances of God cannot perishe although hee neuer make voyage nor pilgrimage in his life vnto any place whither disordered men haue vsed to goe on pilgrimage There be also founde of his other principall articles as of the two natures in Christ diuine humaine and that like as his diuinitie was here béelowe on earth hidden and couered vnder humanity so in the sacrament of the Eucharistie there is bread and the bodie giuen vs to wit the breade which we sée and the bodie of Christ which wee sée not thus expressed hee his Faith touching the Sacrament c. Also that it is not necessarie for the obtayning of saluation to confesse his sinnes to his owne Curate or any other priest whilest he liueth Also hee denyed not onely the worshipping of Images but also that which we call the holy Crosse Furthermore he saide concerning the power of the keyes and touching the Pope Archbishoppes Bishops and other Prelates that the Pope is very Antichrist and that these Archbishops Bishops and other Prelates be his members and the fryers the tayle of Antichrist like as the Pope is the heade to whome no man ought to obey that is to say to the Pope Archbishops Bishoppes and other Prelats except they be followers of Christ and Peter in life and manners and in conuersation and that hee which is the best lyuer most pure in conuersation is the successour of Peter not otherwise It is reported moreouer that the saide Lorde Oldcastel saide with a loude voyce stretching his handes abroade and perswading those that were present These who iudge and woulde condemneme will beguile you all and leade both you themselues into hell and therefore beware of them To make short sentence of death was pronounced against him not withstanding he forbode a while after as it were banished and was sent away by a wile And at the last hee being taken againe and remayning constant without denying the trueth which he saw conteined in the holy scriptures was condemned to be burned And thus this valiant Doctour and Martyr fynished the course of his life and recommending his soule vnto God and praying for his ennimies after that hee had exhorted the people to applie themselues vnto the true faith and pure religion yelded vp his spirite vnto the Lord. He that woulde sée of him more at large let him read the booke of Martyrs 139 In the same time also that is 1418. 19. 20. and so consequently the Lord shewed sufficiently that the bloude of Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prague and of other good doctours and Martyrs of the Church fell not to the grounde for to be swallowed vp and come to nothing as some pretended but it did greatly fructifie with an incredible commoditie not onely in Englande and in Bohemia but also in Germanie and Fraunce and generally in other realmes countries and prouinces For God hath much more since that time shewed a clearer chaunge of thinges causing tongue to be renewed as messengers and arts to bee as forerunners to Dame veritie who immediately came forth with the brightnesse of the most cleare sunne that is the preaching of the Gospell wherein many times they haue excelled being fortified with all necessaries against darknesse Many haue dealt verie valiantly and haue not onely brought againe diuinitie to his naturall and first puritie but haue also endured martyrdome for a more ample witnessing thereof Amongst others one named Grunfelder a priest called to the order of Iesus Christ was burned in the citie of Rinsbourg in the yeare of our Lorde 1420. William Tayler an Englishe man a master in artes was also martyred The princial cause of the furie raysed vp against him was because hee had composed a booke against calling vpon or praying to saincts For that cause hee was burned in the citie of London in the yeare 1422. hee abode the fire verie constantly Henry Radtgeber of the order of Popish priests first did valyantly fight and endured a cruell death for the profession of the Gospel in the foresaide citie of Rinsbourg this was in the yeare 1423. Iohn Drandorfe of a noble house in the countrey of Misne was executed at Wormes in the yere following 1424. Peter Toraw was afterwarde martyred in the Citie of Spira anno 1426. Iohn Bale an English writer speaketh hereof in his booke of the famous men of England 140 In the yeare 1425. there was a Priest called William Wight an English man who hauing vsed to reade the sermons of Wicliefe chaunged his life wholly and acknowledging the filthinesse of his former life he forsooke his benefice whereby he had receiued large reuenewes After that hee following the holy ordinaunce of God tooke a wife Being maryed he applied himselfe to studie and teaching either publikely or priuately labouring to profite all men At the laste hee was taken in the citie of Norwich and there they layed against him thirtie articles for the which hee was cruelly burned by the procuring of the Bishop and this was in the yeare 1428. His wife following the example of her husband ceassed not according to her facultie for to instructe euery bodie and for this cause she was very hardly intreated by the saide Bishop Also in the yeare 1430. Richarde Houenden an English man and a Citizen of London could by no meanes bee withdrawen from the trueth for any perswasions that coulde bée alleaged and therefore he was condemned to be burned néere vnto the tower of London 141 Many good personages of dyuers Realmes haue greatly beene afflicted and persecuted in the yeares following because they spake and mainteined the pure trueth and haue spilte euen the vttermost drop of their bloude God notwithstanding assisted them the they might make the aduersaries of the puritie of his holy and diuine seruice the more ashamed In the Realme of Bohemia Paul Crau in the yeare 1431. was deliuered to the seculer power by a Bishoppe for to bee burned and that because hee blodly withstoode the wicked opinions of the people touching the Eucharistie inuocation of sainctes auricular confession and
conference and a diligent collection of the holy scriptures and by vnderstanding of the spirite the which he hoped to obtaine by praying hartely vnto God Moreouer it is reported of him that hee kept a very good order in preaching and that the simple might as well profite thereby as the best learned so as the hearer coulde hardely goe away but being more wise and enriched with knowledg of the Lord then he had afore And like as hee taught the trueth openly with great diligence so was he hardie and earnest to reproue vices crying against the oppressions of the poore against idle persons dronkards gluttons and others liuing in pleasures and vaine delights and superfluities Shortly after was sent thither from the Pope a preacher of pardons named Sampsō Millanois for to bribe and poll against whom Zuinglius stoode stoutly proued him a deceiuer naughtie fellow Zuinglius was menaced and the ill will of the enemies of the trueth inuenimed dayly more and more that many as wel in the citie as in the countrie in their sermons diffamed his doctrine as being wicked and not catholike And amongst others the Iacobins were the chiefe Zuinglius contrariwise mainteined it conformed to the holy scripturs and went about to set it forth And therefore the Senate of Zurich sent about the yeare 1523. to all the ministers of the Churches within the iurisdiction to appeare at the saide cytie the 29. of Ianuarie for to accorde of certeine dissentions about religion promising the euery man should be heard so much and so long as should be requisite Also the saide Senate did friendly intreat by letters the bishoppe of Constance to come thither or els to sende some of his people After that a great multitude of people were gathered together at the day appointed and also Iohn Faber the Bishops great Vicar come The Consull carued vp the matter saying that the assemblie had bene cyted because of the great dissention of doctrin that was raysed vp to the intent that if any bodie woulde say any thing against the doctrine of Zuinglius he should willingly vtter it forth And ye must note the before this time Zuinglius had cōprehēded his doctrine in 70. seuen articles had published thē to the intent the they might al come wel fortified to this assēbly disputation The consul for cōcluding of his purpose bad them confer dispute together Then the saide Faber after that he had declared wherfore he was sent laboured to perswade them the there was no place to decide those matters but the it shuld be done in the coūcel which shuld be kept there Zuinglius on the contrary pressed them on that they should make no delaye if he had any thinge to lay against him To whom he answered the he would refute his opinions by writing And after much adoe on both sids when as none wold offer to beginne the disputations they left the assembly and then the Senat caused to be proclaymed thorough al that countrie that forsaking mans traditions they shoulde preach sincerely thegospell the old and newe testament Then were great contentions amongst the Suisses about religion hatred burned then euery day more more in such sort that the other partes sent to Zurich by ambassage giuing thē to vnderstand of their ill case The men of Zurich made answere shewing thē the inestimable benefits and graces that God did amongest other people bestowe vppon them And that séeing they had the worde of God granted them they shoulde not feare any threatenings They gaue commandement that throughout all the precincte of their iurisdiction all the images should be taken away and burned which thing was done without anie tumult the 13. day of Iune in the yeare 1524. Within a certaine while after those that be called Chanons made certaine partes or couenantes with the Senate and it was consulted howe the goods reuenewes of the chapiter should be imployed And about the 13. of Aprill in the yeare 1525. by the commaundement of the councell the masse was vtterly abolished at Zurich through all that seignieurie and in stéed thereof the Lordes supper was instituted Ceremonies also were chaunged to reading of the prophets to prayer and to the preaching of the word Whoredome and adultrie was forbidden and iudges deputed for to know she affaires of mariage The priestes and monkes c. were cast out of the dores many laboured by sundrie meanes to put Zuinglius to death his house was besette in the night time for to haue taken him He was assaulted on all sids as well by writing as otherwise He withstoode the opinions of the Anabaptistes the which in his time began to spring vp He composed many bookes and commentaries vpon the holy scripture He died in the battaile that was raysed vp because of linings betwixt the fiue smal coastes the people of Zurich For the custome of the inhabitants of Zurich is such that when they march to battaile the chiefe minister must be in the troupe Look Sleidan and Oswald Micorinis who haue written hys life and actes at large 141 Oecolampadius of Germaine being of a conuent of Monkes of the order of S. Bridgide and demaunding libertie for his studie and faith besides certaine sermons that he wrot he published also a booke of confession very christian like and therefore intollerable amongst themarchants of ceremonies For because of this booke one that was a confessour of the Emperour brought him into greate daunger when as the estates of the Empire were assembled at Wormes He departed out of that cloyster and went vnto a noble worthie man Francis de Sickingen he began to amend againe the abuse of the masse and translated certain fragments out of Chrisostom Afterward he was at Basile thinking to haue put in print that he had composed There by the wil of the Senat councel of the citie notwithstanding the clamoures of Sophisters he began to read I saie publikelie and shortly after at the requeste of the Curate of S. Martins he toke in hand the charge of a preacher in his roume not without great despyte of those that mainteined the traditions of the Pope He preached the holy Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Christ fiue yeares without wage either of Curate or preacher He had great knowledge in diuers languages as the workes of Theophilactus Cyrillus and Chrisostom vpon Genesis do witnes There happened in that time a disputation about the eucharistie and being requested to say his opinion thereof he did it modestly according to the iudgement of the Elders whom he alleadged faithfully wherevppon grewe a great debate by meane that others did not take that which he had written in such sort as he ment Faber Eclzius and others appointed a disputation against the Suisses to be holdē at Bade wheras he alone susteined the cause of the trueth against the aduersaries He made many good commentaries vpon Esay Ieremie Agge Zacharie Malachie Daniell Iob Ezechiel vpon the Epistles of