The Marrow of Ecclesiastical History, John Alasco
JO: ALASCO
The Life of Iohn Lascus, who died Ano Christi 1558.
JOhn Lascus was borne of a Noble family in Poland, His birth and education.and brought up in learning: Afterwards travelling to Zurick in Helvetiad he was by Zuinglius perswaded to betake himself to the study of Divinity,He comes to Zurick. and having thereby imbraced that Religion, which hath its foundation upon the word of God, he was very desirous to increase in holiness. He had a very great love to Christ, and his people; A great hatred to Popery and Superstition, and a great contempt of the world: so that whereas he might have been preferred to great honour in his own Countrey,His conversion such was his, love to Christ and his Church, and such his hatred to Popery, that he chose with Moses to suffer affliction with the people of God,Christ best of all. rather then to live in worldly honour and peace amongst his friends.
Coming into Frisland, Anno Christi 1542. he was called to be a Pastor at Embden, where he fed, and ruled his flock with great diligence.Chosen Pastor at Embden. The year after, he was sent for by Anne, the widow of Count Oldenburg to reform the Churches in East-Frisland; and the next year after by Albert Duke of Prussia, Reformation in East Frisland.but when he agreed not with him in judgement about the Lords Supper, the work remained unperfected. He remained in Frisland about ten years, at the end whereof the Emperor persecuting the Protestants) he was sent for by King Edwa…d the sixth (upon Crammer's motion) into England, He is sent for into England.where he gathered, preached unto, and governed the Dutch-Church, which remains to this day. In the dayes of Queen Mary, Anno Christi 1553. he obtained leave to return beyond S…a, and went with a good part of his Congregation into Denmark, He goes into Denmark.to the Royal City of Coppenhagew: But Noviomagus the Court Preacher and a Lutheran, took occasion in a Sermon to impugne the error (as he called it) of the Sacramentaries: Hereupon Lascus set forth a writing wherein he asserted the truth,He is driven …. and confuted the error of Consubstantia i…n: This occasioned a conference between Noviomagus and him, where Lascus and his Church did not dissemble their opinion: but asserted the truth; which the K. of Denmark [Christian] being informed of, made a decree that they should not stay in his Kingdom, except they would follow the Doctrine of Luther, and use the Ceremonies ordained by him. Lascus and his Church refused this, yet intreated that the … might be d…ferred, which the King would be no means permit, but commanded them presently to depart his Kingdom. By this means they were forced in a most cold winter season, with their wives great with child, & their children to depart out of Denmark & the Hanse-towns refused to receive them:His afflictions. The Churches of Saxony also rejected them, not suffering them to live amongst them upon like reason: At length that poor Congregation found entertainment in Frisland under the Lady Ann Oldenburg, and setled at Embden.
Anno Christi 1555,He removes to Frankford. he went thence to Francford upon Main, where: with the consent of the Senate, he gathered a Church of strangers, especially out of Belgia. From thence the year after he wrote a Letter to the King of Poland, and his Council,He vindicates himselfe. vindicating his Doctrine from some aspersions cast upon it by Westphalus, Timan, and Pomeran, shewing that their Doctrine about Consubstantiation was contrary to the sense of the Scripture, to the analogie of faith, and to the generall judgement of the Churches of Christ, and that it could not be retained without contumely to Christ: He complained also that his Doctrine about the Sacrament was onelyonly condemned by reason of prejudice: That his adversaries dealt with him after the manner of the Papists, who carry their business not by Scripture and arguments, but by force; accusing all for Hereticks which close not with them in all things. About the same time many enemies rose up against him, and his Congregation, for differing from them about Christ's presence in the Sacrament, especially one Westphalus, who wrote bitterly against them, calling them Zuinglians, Lutheran censoriousness.and affirming that all those which had suffered about that point in Belgia, England, or France were the Divels Martyrs. At last Lascus returned into his owne Country, from which he had been absent twenty years: There he found Gods harvest to be great, and the labourers to be very …ew. His coming was very unwelcom to the Popish Clergy, who sought by all means to destroy him, or to get him banished,Popish malice. and therefore they accused him to the King for an Heretick, beseeching him not to suffer him to stay in the Kingdom; To whom the King answered, That though they pronounced him an Heretick, yet the States of the Kingdom did not so esteem him, and that he was ready to clear himselfe from those aspersions. When they thus prevailed not, they cast abroad reproaches, and all manner of lies, as if hee would stir up a civil war in the Kingdom: But it pleased God when he had spent a little time in instructing his friends, that he sickned and dyed,His death. An Chr. 1560. He was of an excellent wit and judgement, and tooke much paines to have composed that difference in the Churches about Christ's presence in the Sacrament, though it succeeded not. The King of Poland had him in such esteeme, that hee made use of his advice, and help in many great and difficult businesses.
His Works are these. Liber de Coena Domini.His Works. Epistola continens summam controversiae de Coena Domini breviter explicatam, Confessio de nostra cum Christo communione, & corporis sui in Coena exhibitione Epistola ad Bremensis Ecclesiae Ministros. …ontra Mennonem, Catabaptistarum Principem. De recta Ecclesiarum instituendarum ratione Epistolae tres. Epistolae ad Sigismundum Regem Poloniae, Purgatio Ministrorum in Ecclesus peregrinis Francofurti. Forma, & ratio totius Ecclesiastici Ministerii Edvardi sexti in peregrinorum, maxime Germanorum Ecclesia.