The Marrow of Ecclesiastical History, Conrad Pellican
The Life of Conrade Pellican., who died Ano Christi 1555.
COnrade Pellican was born of godly and honest parents,His birth and education. at Rubeac a Towne of Suevia, neer the Hyrcinian wood, Anno Christi 1478, and being carefully educated by his parents, anno Christi, 1484 was by them set to school to Steven Kleger of Zurick, who using him gently, brought him in love with learning. At thirteen years of age he went to Heidleberg, And after sixteen months study there, returned home, and his parents being poor he became an Usher in the Grammer school, Many times going to a neighbour Monastery to borrow some books, the Fryers solicited him to become one of their Fraternity, and when he was but 16. years old he assented to it, his parents not opposing, because they had not wherewithall to maintain him. So that anno Christi 1493, he took upon him the habit of the Frier-Minors,He enters into a Monastery. to the great joy of all that society, who used him very kindly, and brought him up in all the ceremonies belonging to their worship.
His Unkle Jodicus Gallus coming from Heidleberg to Rubeac, was much troubled that his Nephew was become a Fryer, and therefore perswaded him if he did not like that course of life, to leave it whilst he was a novice; but our Conrade thinking that it would be a great disgrace to him to fall from his purpose, refused, saying, That he would serve God in that course of life, wherein he thought he should please God, Recovers of the plague.and whereby he hoped to attain eternall life. At the end of the year he fell sick of the Plague, but being …et blood, it pleased God beyond all expectation to restore him to health.
Anno 1496.He goes to Tubing. he went to Tubing, where he studied the liberall Arts, and was much admired in that University for his quick wit. He studied also School-Divinity and Cosmography, wherein he profited exceedingly; And meeting with a converted Jew, he borrowed of him an Hebrew book of the Prophets, and by his extraordinary pains, found out first the letters,He studies the Hebrew. then the reading and signification of them, and being a little assisted by …nio, the Judge of the impetiall Chamber at Wormes, he grew very perfect in it: and hearing that there was a certain Priest at Ulme which had bought some Hebrew books of a poor Jew, he went to him, and amongst them met with part of a Grammer, about the Coniugations of Verbs, and transmutation of the Letters, which he wrote out, and it proved a great help to him, for he had spoken before with many Jews at Worms, Frankefurt, Ratisbone, &c. and none of them could ever resolve him in any one question of Grammer. It fell out by Gods providence, that the year the Book-seller of Tubing had bought an Hebrew Bible compleat,He buyes an hebrew Bible. of a very small print, which therefore none cared for. This Pellican hearing of, intreated him to let him look into it, for some few dayes: The Bookseller was content, telling him that for a Florence and a halfe he might buy it: Pellican much rejoyced to hear this, intreating his father Guardian to be his surety, and so having obtained it, he thought himselfe a richer man then ever was Croesus, and presently wrote to his Unkle at Spires, beseeching him to bestow two Florences upon him, which he much needed for the buying of a certain book. This his Unkle sent him, wherupon he fel close to reading of the Bible, and as he went along made a Concordance, gathering the roots, and setting downe all those words which were seldome found: And thus he went over the whole Bible from the midst of July, to the end of October: Then carrying to Capnio a Specimen of his works,His industry. he was ama…d at so much worke in so short a time.
Anno Christi 1501.He ordained a Presbyter. being twenty three years old, he was ordained a Presbyter, and the same year the plague waxing hot at Rubeac, his father and brother …ed of it, leaving none but this our Conrade and his sister: Therefore to solace himself in his sorrows, he wrote out the seven Penetentiall Psalmes, in Hebrew, Greek and Latine, adding some prayers to be used upon that occasion.
Anno Christi 1502. he was made Divinity-Reader in the Convent at Basil. About the same time John Amerback began to print Saint Augustines workes,He is preferred at Basil. wherein Pellican was very helpfull to him, for which cause Amerbach, and John Froben were ever after his great friends, and would never suffer him to want any good book. Then at the instance of Cardinal Raymund the Popes Legate, he was made first Licentiat,He goes towards Rome. then D of Divinity, and afterwards the Popes Legat took him with him towards Rome, being affected with his learning, but falling sick of a Fever by the way, he returned to Basil. Whilst he thus continued a Frier, hee was of great esteem amongst them, because of his learning and integrity. But it pleased God at last, that by reading Luthers Bookes, and conference with learned and godly men, hee began to dis-rellish the Popish errors,His conve…sion and so far to declare his dislike of them, that he was much hated, and persecuted for a Lutheran. He is chosen Lecturer at Basill.But about the same time the Senate of Basil chose him Lecturer in Divinity in that City, together with Oecolampadius; where he began to read first upon Genesis, then on Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes.
Anno Christi 1526. he was by the means of Zuinglius sent for to Zurick, He is sent for to Zurick.and being come, was most courteously entertained by him. There he laid downe his Monks Coul, and married a wife,He marrieth a wife. by whom he had a Son, which he named Samuel, being then preaching upon the History of Samuel. That wife dying he married again,His second marriage. but had no children by his second wife. He was present at the Disputation at Bern about Religion. After Zuinglius his death, there were chosen into his room Henry Bullinger for Pastor, and Theodore Bibliander for Divinity-Reader, who was an excellent Linguist, and began to read upon Isaie, to the great astonishment of his hearers, for that he was not above 23 years old. Pellican at the earnest request of learned men,Annotations on the Bible. Printed all his Lectures and Annotations, which were upon the whole Bible, excepting …nely the Revelations, which portion of Scripture he not intending to write upon, caused the Commentary of Sebastian Meyer upon it, to be bound with his, to make the work complete.His works. He translated many books out of Hebrew, which were printed by Robert Stevens, as also the Chaldee Bible he translated into Latine. He wrote also an exposition in Dutch upon the …eutateuch, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings, Isay, and Jeremy, to convice the Jews; for which end also he translated the learned disputation of Ludovicus Vives with the Jewes into Dutch; As also many books of Aristotle, and Tully; that so ingenious persons might learne Philosophy in their own language, as the Grecians and Romans in former times were wont to doe. He judged it also necessary to learne the Turkish language, who were now growne their neer neighbours, that by the helpe thereof he might be the better able to bring them to the Christian Faith. Then with extraordinary labour hee made Indexes to divers books. He also compared the Bible of Munster printed at Zurick, and that other of Leo Judae, and Bibliander, with the Hebrew text word by word, lest any thing should be omitted. And thus having been Hebrew Professor at Zurick for the space of thirty years, wherein he was most acceptable to all, not onelyonly in regard of his excellent learning, and indefatigable pains, but also in regard of his sweet, and holy Conversation: At last falling into the pain of the stone,His death. and other diseases, he departed this life upon the day of Christs Resurrection, Anno Christi 1556, and of his Age 78.
Lavater saith, that he heard this Conrade Pellican often say, that when he first beganne to study the Tongues, there was not one Greek Testament to be gotten in all Germany, and that the first which hee saw was brought out of Italy; and that though a man would have given a great sum of gold for a Coppy of it,His Character. it could not be obtained. How happy are we in these latter Ages, that have them at so easie rates! He was a candid, sincere, and upright man, free from falshood, and ostentation.