The Marrow of Ecclesiastical History, Gasper Cruciger
GASPER CRVCIGER
The Life of Cruciger, who dyed An. Chri. 1548.
GAsper Cruciger was born at Lipsich in Misnia, His birth.An. 1504. His Fathers name was George, a man who was endowed with many virtues,His fathers plety. but especially to be commended for that in those perillous times he did not onelyonly embrace the Celestial Truth himself, but brought up this his son in the knowledge and study of it to the great benefit of the Church. His Mother also was eminent for piety. This Gasper was melancholy by nature, and of a retired disposition: much in meditation, and of few words.His education. Being principled in the Latine, he learned Greek, and profited much therein, and so went to the University of Wittenberg, that having studied Divinity there, he might be the more useful to the Church:He studies Hebrew. He studied also the Hebrew tongue, and grew very exquisite therein: From thence he was called to govern the School at Magdeburg, where he taught with much profit, and applause to Anno Christi 1527. In somuch as many of riper years, yea some Clerks came to be his hearers, So that his School growing too little for his Auditory, he was removed into a larger. But after a while he was called back to Wittenberg, He is called back to Wittenberg.where he preached, and expounded the Scriptures with so much dexterity, the he was graced with the degree of a Doctor; In that University he studyed and practised Physick also, and was so much delighted therewith,His delight in simples. and he endeavoured to know the nature of Herbs and Plats, and what Diseases they were good for: whereupon he planted two Gardens with his own hands, which with singular industry he furnished with variety of Simples, and made many excellent Medicines which did much good.
By reason of his Learning,He assists in translating the Bible. and candid nature he was very dear to Luther, and was very helpful to him in his Translation of the Bible. He wrote so swiftly, that he was chosen Scribe at the Disputation at Worms, Anno Christi 1540. and yet withall suggested to Melancthon many things for answer to Eccius his subtilties, insomuch that Glanvel (who supplyed the Emperours room) said of him,His learning. That the Lutherans has a Scribe that was more learned then all the Pontificians. Hee took by characters a great part of Luthers Lectures and Sermons, which afterwards he wrote out a large, and faithfully printed them after Luthers death. He published also some Commentaries of his own upon the Psalms, His works.and the Gospel of Saint Iohn, which are of excellent use to the learned. He was a fine and smooth Orator, and always abhorred the vain phancies of phanatick persons, cleaving to the Truth without deviation.The preachers pattern. 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,He studyes the Mathematicks. 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,His last sickness. 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,Prayer of Faith. 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,His carriage in sickness. &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, A wonder.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,His death. 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,His character. 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:His works. 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.