The Marrow of Ecclesiastical History, John James Grynaeus – Robert Abbot
The Life of John James Grynaeus, who died Ano Christi 1617.
JOhn James Grynaeus was born at Berne in Helvetia Anno Christi 1540.His Birth, Parentage and Education. His Father was first a Professor in Basil, and afterwards removed to a Pastoral charge at Raetela, who died of the Plague Anno Christi 1564. His mother was Adelheida Stuberina, both of them godly persons. His father took the care of his first learning, educating him under his own wings; and afterwards Anno Christi 1547, hee was sent to School to Basil under Thomas Plater, an excellent Schoolmaster, with whom he profited so much, that Anno Christi 1551, upon examination he was admitted into the University under Boniface Amerbachius, & the very next year the Plague being hot in Basil, Gods Providence.he fell sick of the plague, but it pleased God to restore him again, and he followed his study hard.
He heard his own Father reading Greek and Latine, Huld. Coccius reading Logick, and John Nisaeus reading Poetry and Rhetorick.
Anno Christi 1556, his Father was called to a Pastoral charge at Raetela, but our James stayed still at Basil, joyning the study of Divinity with that of Philosophy.
One of the Professors of Divinity at that time was Simon Sulcerus, who being an Ubiquitarian misled our Grynaeus into the same error, as himself confesseth; adding that he continued in it for ten years, and misled others likewise, till at length, through Gods mercy, he was brought into the way of truth.
Anno Christi 1559 he began to preach,He is ordained Deacon. and was ordained Deacon by Sulcerus, who was the Superintendent of those Churches; which office he supplyed till the year 1563, at which time by the advice of his father and friends he went to Tubing for the further improvement of his learning, though himself had rather have gone to Wittenberg, where Charlet Marquess of Baden having heard him preach, and being taken with him, had profered him an exhibition of an hundred Florens per annum.
When he came to Tubing he delivered his Letters of commendation to Doctor Andreas, His remove to Tubing.and so was admitted into that University, where he heard Andreas, Heerbrand, Snepfius, and Brentius for Divinity, Samuel Hailand for Philosophy, and others for the other Arts; and it pleased God that he met with William Stuckius of Zurich, whom he had formerly known, and who now became a partner in his studies, and remained his intimate friend ever after.
Anno 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 b…ffled by Stuckius, that he was almost non-plust, and was driven to doubt of that opinion.He doubts of the Ubiquity. 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,He is chosen Pastor of Raetela. 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,His marriage. 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 denies the Ubiquity. 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,He is sent for to Basil. 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.His remove to Basil. 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 labo… 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, His friends.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, He removes 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:The Lutherans removed. 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,His return to Basil. and thereupon Anno Christi 1586 he removed to Basil, and was entertained with the great …pplause of the whole Church, and having preached twice, …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, His grea…ainsall 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.His imployments abroad.
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.He grow… weak. 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,His patienc… 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,His sicknesses. hee fell sick of a Feaver, which alm…st took away his senses, but hee betook himself wholly to Prayer,Prayer. Death desired. 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,His death. 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;His speech to Meier. 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, coelum que 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,His sayings. Pontifici Romano Erasmum plus nocuisse jocando, quàm 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.His diligence and Indus…y. 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,His Character. 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.His Works. Enarrationes aliquot Psalmorum, & Prophetarum, ut Haggai, Jonae, Habacuc, Obadiae, Malachiae, Danielis 5 priorum cap. Explanationem Mat. Exeg. Epistolae a… Romanos, Col. Heb. Joh. Historiam Ecclesiasticam. Chron. Historiae Evangelicae.
R. ABBAT
The Life of Robert Abbat, who died Ano Christi 1618.
RObert Abbat was born at Guilford in the Countie of Surrey Anno Christi 1560,His birth and education. 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,His degrees. 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, His works.& 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,His patience. 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,His sicknesse. 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 hauehave 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,His Death. and of his age 58.