History of Three Renowned Reformers, History 3
¶ The hiſtory of the death of Iohn Ecolampadius, ſetforth by Simon … (⸫)
¶ Simon Grineus wyſheth long health, to his friend Wolfangus Fa…er Capito.
I Vnderſtand by your letters, that many as well in Fraunce, as in otherScla…nde of yt death of Ecolanpadius. places, hauehave wryttē vntounto you ye horrible brute flowen in to foreyn Coū tries of the departure of oure good friend Iohn Ecolampadius a man of much innocency, as though he had deſtroyed hym ſelfe or his friendes ſecretly made him away, and that thys rumour is aucthoriſed by certayne bookes publiſhed, ſo that many farre diſtant hence, perſwade thys to be no fable. And therupon you earneſtly require me (yea truly me) that hauehave … preſent in al theſe affaires, obſerued the ſequele therof more circu… ſp…t…y then other, vpſucked hys laſt ſighes, & cloſed my friendes eyes: in conſideracion of our mutuall acquayntaunce long tyme confirmed, I would grately the deceaſed wyth relacion of the truth, remouyng al ſuſpiciō from the vertuous & godly, & confoundyng the ſycophancye and ſclaunder of the peruerſe and malicious rable, in ſorte, that the vtility which the wiſe & …earn… hauehave reaped of his monumentes, continually mai encreaſe in the, & his excellent workes be purged of the ſacrilegious accuſacions of the malignaunt. Al be it (deare friend Capito) thankes be giuen to God, I neuer yetThe inſatiable malice of the wycked aga… the …ſte & godly. reſted to defend trouth wyth a ſinguler zeale, and to confute theſe monſtrous lies, which euermore troubled my mynde: yet for that & ſee ordinarely this euil accident to the godly, that in theyr lyfe tyme they be diſdained of euil perſons, & after theyr deceaſe de…o…ed to the diuels: I thought it good to paſſe in ſilence the clamour of the aduerſaries, fearing ſome would conceiue this were done of brauerye and vaine o…tentacion, rather then of any im…elling nede, if we truſted our ſei…s ſo ſclederly in ye defence of ye good renowme of a mā exquiſite & abſolute in many notable a…es. But althings depe…y perpēded, I could neuer be induced to write any thing of the life or death of him, whom we know wel to hauehave lyued & dyed moſt holily. Albeit certain vrged me to this attempt, the which in my iudgemet is notorious inough by his bookes, vnles the venemous tonges of curr… detractors in moſt deteſtable maner, had cōpelled me to do ye ſame. And what ſhal I ſay (my deare friende Capito) what thys meaneth, or how it happeneth, that a thing deliberatly & with leiſure done in a famous & large citie, in the face & audience of a great …ōber, can breede any doubt, much leſſe be taken in contrary part … his aduerſaries, ſo as he who finiſhed his mortal life moſt bleſſedly, & was lamented of al good perſons, ſhould be defan…ed to hauehave bene murdered (a horrible matter) & that he which was al his life tyme of a m…ke & gentle nature, ſhould be reported … ye informacion of impudent Aſſes, … cruel and bloudy hand to hauehave pulled cut the wretched and miſerable ghoſt Can there be any ſo ſenceles, ſo infamous, ſo maleuolent to empayre the good renowme of an other, or wyth violent irruption to inuade a ſyllye dead carcas▪ But ſuch is the order of deſteny & courſe of humayne affaires. Certaynly the clere ſunne of ryghteouſnes, neuer riſeth charged wt darke cloudes, but a ſo…yn tempeſt, ſtorme and hurle winde folow, menacing the members of Chriſt a thouſande calamities and deathes: furious wrathe & cancred malice ſpreade theyr force & impudent ſclaunders raigne in eueryevery place. But as it is our part to endure and deſpiſe theſe euils, wyth an inuincible courage, and harte prepared to the croſſe of Chriſt, and diſpoſed to pacience, ſo it behoueth vsus not to diſſimule a lye agaynſte the honour of God, nor quayle to cleare the truth. We therefore that were preſent in theſe affayres, aunſwer compendiouſly and faythfully the truth, touchyng the departure of thys godlye man, as wel to refute the detractacion of the Sicophantes, as to ſatiſfy the deſires of the honeſt, and beare witnes of his innocency, as reaſon moueth vsus.
A yeare before hys deceaſe, he was more afflicted with ſickenes, then all hys lyfe tyme paſt, and notwithſtandyng he was neuer empeſched wyth weightier affaires then at y• inſtant, for the bot…h which a litle before was ſtopped, then began to breake out, & ouerronning in wardlye his whole body, marueilouſly weakened his forces e…tenuated & exhauſted wt watching. This whyle he was moued wyth an incredible ſollicitude, not onelyonly to ſe the Goſpel (whych now began to floryſhe) proſper vnderunder hym: but alſo in the broyle of ciuill warre, then …yrye hote▪ and among, ſectes buddyng and ſpringing one from another, laboriouſly to do hys duty, and ſerue his cal Wherefore hauyng no reſpect to theEcolampdius trauayles. troublous ſeaſon, he watched & trauailed much more thē euer he dyd, going on foote throughe the whole circuite of hys Churche, exhortinge hys own flocke as wel as hys enemyes, & often times greuouſly and ſharply rebuking them, not wythout great peryl of hys lyfe, to reduce them to the ryght way. Briefly he employed hymſelfe in al thinges moſt faythfully diligently & with an ardent zeale. Furthermore among ſo many publicke & particular affaires, among hys ordinary Sermons, he began the Byble, whych he was accuſtomed to reade, when hys turne was wyth an other profeſſour of Diuinity, & proſecuting dayly the expoſicion of the ſame, as a true & ſyngular Byſhop of Chriſt, he made an excellent woorke, brynging to light new & old matters, faithfully & learnedly, through hys great know ledge of holy ſcriptures, & the Greke and Hebrue tonges. This man alone ſuſtayned manye burdens one whole yeare together, marueilous paciently wyth hys tedious ſickenes, when the ſame in wardly flowed in hys mēbers wyth no leſſe payn, thē when it brake out. Beſides this he enterpriſed y• interpretacion of two ſtraunge tonges: I nede not to wryte with what dexterity. For diuers woorkes of Theophi lactus, Cyrillus, & Chriſoſtomus in that behalfe beare luculēt teſtimony, although it is apparent they wer haſtened to tymely to y• Printers preſſe. He added hereunto the expoſitions of thoſe places whych are moſt difficile, and remoued from cōmon ſence in the ſacred ſcripture, as hys large & learned Cōmentaries vpō Eſai, Ieremy, Hagge, Zachary, Malachy, Daniel, Iob, Ezechiel, the Epiſtle to the Romaines, and the Hebrues, the Goſpel of S. Iohn, and hys Canonical Epiſtle, the whych he atchieued not long before, euidently declare. And thys whyle he ceaſed not to preach. I willinglye paſſe ouer hys particular affayres, and an infinite nomber of anſwers he gaue dayly to the Churches I hauehave wondred at hys intollerable trauayles, and priuelye ſtealyng on hym, I would gently rebuke hym, ſaying he coulde not lyue long, and perſwaded hym to repoſe and ſpare hym ſelfe, tyl tyme of neceſſity. But his fatal day at hand, he haſtened aud perfected all, as one that certainly knew hys dying date was not farre of. Euen at this preſent Suicerland broyledSuyces warre. with ciuill and lamētable warre, Zuinglius the valiaunt Champion, and deliuerer of Papiſtical thraldom among hys, and diligent reformer of the Euangelical purity, was cruelly ſlayne in battayle.
There was alſo a treatye of peace made to the great diſcomfort and hea uines of ſuche as vnfame…ye feared God. Theſe doleful & miſerable myſhaps, abaſed the courages of al men, when either throughe pe…lent ayre, wherwyth the Citye & his houſe was infected, or through the ſcabbe which corrupted & putrified his inward partes, there appeared a b…tch vponupon hys huckle bone, where all the bones aſſemble, and immediatlye after enflamed hys body wyth a moſt vehement heate, no doubt it was a Carbuncle. Hys colour was pale and earthy, and as hote as fyre, and notwithſtanding al theſe commō and priuate diſeaſes, he omitted not to preache, wryte and reade Lectures: but as a worthy ſoldior hardened and pacient in his paines, abandoned not hys ſtandyng, vntyl the violence of hys malady enforces hym to kepe home, and reit on his bed, ſettyng all buſynes aſyde. We that were his friendes reaſoned and conferred wyth the Phiſicion, then after wyth the Chirurgian, as well of the nature as regiment of hys ſyckenes, and euen the the Phiſicion gaue vsus faynt hope of hys recouery, partly conſidering the nature of hys diſeaſe, & partly the weaknes of his body, but when he he had conſidered althings, he wronght the beſt & redieſt help for his redres. A day or. 2. after, his heate began meanly to aſwage by arte & order of the Phiſicion, & the botch being rypened, miniſtred eaſe for the vehement heate to reſpire, ſo that now we began to hope of hys health. And albe it he tooke in good part the trauayle and ſeruice of his friendes: yet he praied them not to take ſo great paynes, for that he was aſſured he ſhould not eſcape thys ſicknes. And thys whyleBrotherly & friendly viſitacion of Ecolampadius. hys friendes of al eſtates, & the godly and graue Counſellours of the Citye viſited hym, offering to gratefye, and declared theyr faythfull and louyng hartes towardes him. It was alſo by decre of the Senate ordeined that the Phiſiciōs ſhould employ their whole knowledge and endeuour to entreate hym well. You ſhould hauehave ſene ſuch conflewence of brethren, and deuout perſons to viſite, comfort and watche wyth him, that wher many before frequented hys houſe, nowe a whole world ſemed to occupy the ſame. Hys malady ſtil continued at one ſtay, the eyght daye paſſed, the Phiſicions agreed not in theyr conſultacions, although alyke they did theyr duties as friendes in all diligence and fidelity. They aſſayed all remedyes, but thys ragyng ſicknes ouercame al theyr medecines, notwythſtandyng that the chiefe ordinary Phiſicion of the City confeſſed that the ſycknes ſo long rooted & grounded in hym, ouercame not ſo much as the weakenes of hys body whych of long tyme had loſt al ſtrengthe. For the botche ran not as it was wont, but retired inward…ye, and yet hys ſycknes decreaſed nothyng (all be it hys heate was temperate) but augmented in hys bowels, with greuous payne of hys head. Then the Phiſicion that had ſpecial charge of hym, reſyſted wyth al force & new medecynes hys ſycknes, and concealed no part of hys induſtry & cunnyng towards hys Pacient. Furthwyth hys ſtrength began to returne, & we almoſt perſwaded of hys recouerye, for it appeared viſibly that nature wared ſtrōger in hym. And ſodaynly beſydes al expectacion, ye paya raunged along hys right ſyde, & apoſtumed wyth great quantity of fleume, gathered in his bowels, & flowing in abundaūce, but as it appeared ſynce, it was ye laſt conflyct nature had, for by & by hys harte began to tremble, hys eyes to ſeitle in hys head, hys members to fayle by force & violence of hys ſicknes. Then ye Phiſicion began to dout, & we deſpaire of hys recouery, but he ye long paſt was prepared to thys banket, & with depe ſyghes groned for y• ſame, forced not for our conſolacions, but wt an inuincible courage bad vsus be of good cōfort Then calling to him the Miniſters of the Goſpell, hys companions in profeſſion, wyth the pryncipall of the Church, he made the thys Oration.
Ye ſee brethren in what ſtate mineEcolampadius laſt exhortacion. affaires reſt, the Lord approcheth to cal me hence, I am therefore deſirous to confirme & eſtabliſh my ſoule with the perfect ioy of our Lord, & conſolacion of you my deare friendes. What ſhal we the ſeruauntes of God ſay in thys fatal farewel, ye ioyntly be coupled together in lyke louelove towards the Lord, like ſtudy, lyke care, & like doctrine? Saluacion is procured for vsus, ye faythful hope of Gods kyngdome by Chriſt is cōquered for vsus, his doctrine is true, his light ſhyneth euen at our fete, wherefore abandon al ſorow, al dread of death, all errour & all doubt. What reſteth then but conſtantly & faythfully to folow Ieſus Chriſt, as we long ſith hauehave begun: Firſt in purity of doctrine, ſecondly in lyfe conformable to the lyuely word of God. Chriſt puiſſaunt inough, wyll of hys infinite mercy geue order for the reſt and preſerue hys Church. Endeuour then wyth all alacrity of mynde, my deare brethren, to make your lyghtThe waye to ouerthrow Sathan. ſhine, ſo as God the Father maye be glorified, and the name of Chriſt reſplendiſh and hauehave light by the brightnes and integrity of your conuerſacion. LoueLove one another vnfainedly, hauing god euer more before your eyes. Men preach the truth in vain, and litle preuaile wordes, for if we wil ſubdue Sathan, if we determine to ſhape this world after Chriſt, this ſpecially that now is we had neede of a cleare and holy lyfe, of a heauenly courage and mynde. See ye not what cloudes appeare, what tēpeſt begins to noiſe, what alienacion of myndes, what impiety raigne, yet ye muſt be conſtāt and couragious, aſſured the Lord wil diſpoſe al in iuſt order. O ye I myght be with you in your tribulacions, and expoſe thys my lyfe for the truth, but it may be ſo, for as muche as the louelove of godly men, and the band in Chriſt is indiſſoluble, and hauehave all thynges common amonge them. Suche diſcourſe hadde Ecolampadius concernyng religion, generally with vsus his brethren, and then he began to touch hym ſelfe. Where I am ſc…aundered (ſayth he) that peruerſlye I hauehave corrupted the truth. I force not, for praiſed be god, I depart to appeare before the throne of Chriſt in pure conſciēce there ſhal I truly knowe if I hauehave ſeduced the Churche, I leaue you wytneſſesHys proteſtaciō that he taughte the verity. of thys myne opinion and atteſtacion, the which I mayntayne and confirme in theſe my laſt ſighes. And when he had ſayd thys, the brethren gaue hym theyr handes, and faithfully promiſed to take care for y• church. The morow after, which was the. r… day he had layed ſycke, he commaunded his Children to be brought before hym, and fyrſt he tooke them by the hand, then he ſtroke them on the head & notwithſtanding their tender yeres could not conceiue the fathers mynde (for the eldeſt was but thre yeres old) Go to (fayth he) Euſebie, you Irena, and you Alith…a, my deare Children, i…u… ye God your father. And when theyr Mother hadde made a ſygne of graunt, …he would fulfyl his cōmaundement, he vended hys eyes towards hys wy…, hys mother in law, & other hys …, ſaying: I hauehave wyth thys my laſt reſtament bound ye that ye end… my Children be ſuch, as I ſayd euen now, and as I hauehave euer deſyred, that is, fearing God, peaceable, meeke, and true. And after all thoſe that were preſent, had geuen agayne conſent, and faythfull promiſe to obſerue hys requeſt, he cauſed hys chyldren to be re…ed from hym. Thys was the laſt nyght, and all the br…hen were wyth him, wyth whom (it ſemed hauing de… …o reſt) he conferred very ly…. A certayne friend of his came in againe that went foorth, whom he required to …l ſ…m newes, the other aunſwered he knew none. But I wyll tell thee newes ſayth Ecolampadius. EueryEvery man was ſilent to heare what thys myght be, I ſhall be ſhortlye ſayth he wyth Chriſte my Lord. Anon after one demaunded hym if the lyght hurted hym not, and laying hys hande on hys ſtomacke, aunſwered: here is lyght inough.
The daw…ing of day appeared, and the Sunne began wyth hys radiaunt beames to cleare the whole worlde, when hys fatall houre approched. Hys laſt prayer whych we could vnderſtand, and which he pronounced wyth great payne, yet caſye to be vnderſtanded: was the .li. Pſalme of Dauid, which contayneth Dauids penitent prayer for hys ſynnes, the which thys godlye man recited at large in the preſence of vsus, with ſighes drawen from hys diuine breſt.
Thys done, he pauſed a while, and as one ſodaynelye awakened, ſayde thys prayer: Ieſus Chriſt ſaue me. Thys was the laſt voyce that iſſued out of that venerable mouthe. We were ten brethren kneelyng rounde about hys bed, and lyf…ynge vp oure handes, wee made oure prayer vntounto God.
It was uowe cleare and perfect day… ▪ and the ſu…ne aſcended our horiſont, when thys holy mā rendred his ghoſt to God hys Creatour, ſo meekelye, humbly, & wt ſuch affiaunce in Chriſt hys Lord, that al good people wer no leſſe comforted wyth hys godly ende, then they had bene edefied by hys vertuous lyfe.
Thus Ecolampadius ended hys dayes, whoſe lyfe ſhied in integrity and innocencye. The cauſe recited in the beginning, moued me (yea truely me, that hauehave bene a luculent witnes wyth diuers credible perſons, of all theſe thynges wrytten) not to ſwarue from teſtification of the truthe, but faythfully to aduertiſe the ſame. And now my deare friende Capito, ſynce you hauehave exhorted me to ſet forth hys fatal end: reduce you to memorye, the order of hys lyfe. For you know what pleaſure the godly ſhall receyue, and what prouocacion thys ſhalbe for thē to imitate hys godly ſteppes. I do not in vayne require you to attempt this, for no man can more lyuely deſcriue the ſame then you▪ wt whō all hys ſyfe tyme he had great familiaritye and learned conference. Then ſeyng thys ample occaſion is offred vntounto you, to ſatiſfy the thurſtye expectacion of the godly, and gratefy the gredye deſyres of all honeſt and vertuous people. I doubt not, and the rather at the contemplation of my requeſt, you wyll publyſh to the whole world, the great abundaūce of grace, it pleaſed the Lorde to poore in thys man, who is worthy to be calendred in the Catalogue, of famous and godly pyllers of the Chriſtiā church. Farewel. ▪)