The Marrow of Ecclesiastical History, John Rainolds – John Drusius
D. RAINOLDS
The Life of John Rainolds, who dyed Ano Christi 1607.
JOhn Rainolds was born in Devonshire, His birth and education.Anno Christi 1549, and brought up in Corpus Christi Colledge in Oxford, and for his excellent learning was chosen a Fellow of that House, and afterwards Commenced Doctor in Divinity. Hee had divers brothers that were all Papists, which procured him much sorrow,His brothers are Papists. especially his elder brother [William Rainolds] who wrote seditious and pestilent books against that renowned Queen Elizabeth, and her flourishing Kingdome: He was so eminent for piety,His excellent parts. and for his knowledge in the more mysterious parts of Divinity, that one saith of him, that he was, Acad miae lumen: Europae decus: Divinae gloriae buccinator: sanctitatis eximium exemplar, & diligentissimus in Pontificios scriptor: The Light of the University: the Glory of Europe▪ the Trumpeter of Gods glory: an admirable example of holyness, and a diligent writer against the Papists. Indeed what he wrote against them is altogether unanswerable. He was withall so humble, that he would never accept of any great preferment in the Church,His humility. only (being much importuned) he took the Deanry of Lincoln, which he quickly grew weary of, and therefore passed it away to another. He was chosen President of Corpus Christi Co…ledge,His preferments. and made the Professor of Divinity, which places he discharged with admirable learning, and sedulity to the end of his life. Gods great providence in watching over him doth excellently appear by this example.
Being at London An. Christi 1602,Gods providence. he desired to refresh himself by walking abroad into the open air, and for that end, went into Finsbury fields, where many Archers were shooting with their long bows, and it so fell out that one of their arrows met him, and stroke him upon the very breast, which in all probability would have pierced through his body; but behold the admirable providence of God▪ the arrow piercing the outside, stopped against the quilted lining, and so leaped back without doing him the least hurt.His death. But the ingratefull world being unworthy of such a star, it pleased God that he fell sick, and was taken away by an immature death Anno Christi 1607, and of his Age 58.
When the Heads of the Houses in Oxford came to visit him in his last sickness, which he had contracted meerly by his exceeding great pains in his study (whereby hee brought his body to be a very Sceleton) they earnestly perswaded him …hat he would not perdere substantiam propter accidentia, lose his life for learning: He with a smile answered them with this verse of the Poet,
Nec propter vitam vivendi perdere causas.
JOS: SCALIGER
The Life of Joseph Scaliger, who died Ano Christi 1609.
JOseph Scaliger the son of Julius Caesar Scaliger was born at Aginum Anno Christi 1540,His birth and education. and at nine years old was sent by his father to School at Burdeaux; but after three years stay there, the Plague breaking forth, he returned to his Father again, who set him every day to make an Oration, whereby hee attained to such an exactness in the Latine tongue, that not long after he composed that excellent Tragedy of Oedipus, which caused his friends to admire such ripeness of wit in such tender years. At nineteen years old (his father being dead) he went to Paris to learn the Greeke tongue;He goes to Paris. where for two moneths space, he applyed himselfe to the Lectures of that learned man Adrian Turneby, but wanting other helps, he lost most of that time; which caused him to shut himself up in his study, and there by extraordinary diligence,His Industry. joyned with his naturall aptness, hee began to suck in the first rudiments of the Greek tongue; and before he had well learned all the conjugations, he gat him an Homer, and in one and twenty dayes he learned it all over; framed for himself a Greek Grammar, and never used the help of any other. He learned the other Greek Poets in four moneths more.
Having thus bestowed two years in the study of the Greek,He studies Hebrew. he grew very desirous to adde the knowledge of the Hebrew to it; and though he knew not one letter of it, yet he attained to the knowledge of it without any other help: He wrote much in verse in both those languages, but to avoid the repute of ambition,His humility. would not suffer them to be printed. Hee read over many Hebrew and Greek Authors, and spent much time in interpreting them, and clearing of them from errors.
Anno Christi 1563 he began to travel into divers countries,His travels: and made little stay any where till he was called to the University of Leiden Anno Christi 1593 to be Professor there,He is made Professor at Leiden. in which place he spent sixteen years, making the place famous both by his Lectures and Writings, and at last dyed of a Dropsie Anno Christi 1609,His Death. and of his age sixty nine. The aforementioned Turneby, who was an excellently learned man himself, called this Scaliger, Portentosi ingenii juvenem; A young man of a stupendious wit.
The Life of Amandus Polanus, who died Ano Christi 1610.
AMandus Polanus was born at Oppavia in Silesia▪ of honest parents,His birth and education. An. Chr. 1561. In his childhood he was brought up by the care of his parents in the Free-school belonging to that place, where he learned the grounds of the Liberal Arts: And from thence, Anno Christi 1577, he was sent to Uratislavia, where he spent six years, and where his ingenuity, and excellent wit quickly discovered themselves, to the great satisfaction of his Masters: and then for his farther instruction, he went to Tubing, He goes to Tubing.and reaped much benefit by the Lectures of Theod. Snepsius: But afterwards in a publick Disputation, wherein Doctor Andreas was Moderator, being invited to confer about Election, he constantly adhered to that of the Apostle Rom. 9. 11. The children being not yet born, neither having done any good, or evil, that the purpose of God according to Election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, &c. And afterwards being conferred with in private about it, adhering to his former opinion, many began to bee angry, and to withdraw themselves from him: Whereupon by the advice of a Doctor of Physick, his special friend, he left Tubing, He goes to Basil.and went to Basil, carrying Letters of commendation from that Doctor to James Grynaeus, An. Chr. 1583: where, being admitted into the University, he wholly applyed himself to the study of Divinity. And after a while he visited Geneva, and Heidleberg; and in Moravia, and some other places he was Tutor to divers young Noblemen, especially to one Zerotinius.
Anno Christi 1590,He commenceth Doctor in Divinity. at the importunity of some Noblemen, he commenced Doctor in Divinity at Basil, and six years after he was made Professor for interpreting the Old Testament in that University,Is made Professor. which place he faithfully discharged for fourteen years space, expounding Daniel, Ezekiel, and a good part of the Psalms, besides his extraordinary Lectures which he read every Thursday and Saturday, and his publick Disputations, and other exercises. Thus Polanus was an excellent ornament to the University of Basil, adding a great lustre to it by his wit and writings. Afterwards falling sick of a Feaver, he wholly resigned up himself to the will of God, comforted himself with divers pregnant texts of Scriptures,His death. and so departed quietly in the Lord Anno 1610, and of his age 49.
There met in this man true piety and solid learning. He had both a good wit and sound judgement: Was well skilled both in the Tongues, and Ecclesiastical Antiquities. In his office he was very diligens. He twice bore the chiefest office in the University of Basil, and that to his own credit, and the profit of the Schooles. He kept correspondence with the chiefest Divines of those times, who were his special friends, as Beza, Dan. Tossanus, George Sohnius, Will Stuckius, Pareus, Pitiscus, &c. He had two Wives, the first was Mary, the daughter of James Grynaeus, who dyed in childbed; the other was Salome Wasser…unia, who died the same year with himself.
Scripsit Commentarium in Danielem contra Bellarminum.His works. Analysin Hosea, cum Orationibus Historicis, & Dialecticis. De morte Christi, pro quibus eam subierit. De quatuor Manarchiis …pud Danielem. Analysin Malachiae. Partitiones Theologicas. Syntagma Theologiae, &c.
The Life of Thomas Holland, who died Ano Christi 1612.
THomas Holland was born in Shropshire Anno Christi 1539,His birth and education. and brought up in Exceter Colledge in Oxford, where he took his degrees with much applause. Afterwards he Commenced Dr. in Divinity, was chosen Master of the Colledge, and for his excellent learning was preferred to be the Regius Professor, or Doctor of the Chair, wherein he succeeded Dr. Humphred, His preferments.and so deported himself in the same, that he gat the approbation, and admiration both of that of Oxford, and of Forreign Unive…sities also.
He was like Apollos, a man mighty in the Scriptures, and as one saith of him,His great learn…ng. Adeò cum Patribus familiaris, ac si ipse▪ Pater, & cum Scholasticis, ac si Seraphicus Doctor: i. e. He was so familiarly acquainted with the Fathers, as if himself had been one of them; and so vers'd in the Schoolmen, as if hee were the Seraphick Doctor. He was also a faithfull Preacher of the Truth, and one that adorned it by his holy life and conversation;His zeal. a zealous defender of the true Religion, and a great hater of superstition and Idolatry: Insomuch that when he went any journey, calling the Fellows of the Colledge together, he used to say to them, Commendo vos dilectioni Dei, & …dio Papatûs, & superstitionis: I commend you to the love of God, and to the hatred of Popery, and superstition. He continued Doctor of the Chair twenty years, and was every way as famous for his Religion, and holyness of life, as he was for his learning.
When in his old age he grow weak,Preparation for death. and sickly, he spent all his time in fervent prayers, and heavenly meditations, and when his end approached, he often sighed out, Come, O Come Lord Jesus, thou morning star: Come Lord Jesus, I desire to be dissolved, and to be with thee: and so he quietly departed in the Lord Anno Christi 1612,His death. and of his age 73.
I. DRVSIVS
The Life of John Drusius, who died Ano Christi 1616.
JOhn Drusius was born at Aldenard Anno Christi 1550,His birth and Education. and first brought up to School in the …ity of Gaunt, and from thence went to the University of Lovain: But whilst hee was following his study hard there, his Father was proscribed for Religion, and thereby deprived of all his estate, which caused him to fly into England, taking this his son along with him:He goes into England. When he came to London he met with Cevalerius, lately come thither, that was exceeding skilfull in the Hebrew: His Lectures therefore he attended upon both in publick and private; and when Cevalerius was sent to Cambridge to be the Professor there,He studies Hebrew & Greek. Drusius went along with him, applying himself especially to the study of Greek. Afterwards when Cevalerius was called back into France, Drusius still accompanyed him,He goes into F…ance. and fell hard to the study of the Hebrew: He also privately read the same to two young English Gent…emen.
After a while he returned to London again, and when hee was purposed to goe back into France, he h…ard of that bloody Massacre at Paris, which made him alter his minde: and having preferment profered to him, either in Oxford, or Cambridge, He is Professor in Oxford.he chose Oxford, where, for the space of four yeares, he read Hebrew, Chalde, and Syriack with great commendation. After which time he went back to Lovain; but not long enjoying peace there, he returned to London again; where he continued till the peace was concluded at Gaunt, and then went over into Flanders, and from thence into Zeland, where the States of Holland chose him to be the Professor in Hebrew, Chalde, and Syriack in the University of Leiden, He is Professor in Leiden.Anno Christi 1577. During his abode there he married a Wife, and the States of Frisland having newly erected a University at Franequer, they called him thither: In which place he continued taking great paines for the space of thirty one yeares;His marriage. and at length resigned up his spirit unto God,His death. Anno Christi 1616, and of his age sixty and six.