The Dead Yet Speaking, Biography 14 – Biography 16
The Life and Death of CARALOSTADIUS Who died Anno Christi 1541.
ANdreas Bodenstein Caralostadius was borne in France, in a towne called Caralostadium, by which he received h…s name: he was brought up at Schoole there, where afterwards he went to Rome, and having spent sometime in the study of Divinity, he went thence to Wittenberg, where he commensed Doctor in Divinity, and was a publicke Professor Anno Christi 1512. afterwards he became an earnest as…ertor of Luthe… 's doctrine, and a defendor of it against Ecc…us, both by disputation and writing: at the time of Luther's being in his Pathmos, Caralostadius obtained of the Elector the abolishing of private Masse, Auricular confession, Images, &c. at Wittenberg; which Luther being offended at, returned presently thither, and Peeached eagerly against that alteration, whereupon Caralostadius wrote in justification of it, which was the first beginning of greater differences betwixt them about the Sacrament; whereupon he left Wittenberg 1524. and went to Orlamund, being called to a Pastorall charge there: but after a while he was called back to his place in Wittenberg; yet before he went, Luther being sent by the Elector of Iene, and Orlamund, in a Sermon where …aralostadius was present, he enveighed bitterly against the Anabaptists, and said withall, That the same spirit reignd in the Image-haters, and Sacramentaries; whereupon Caralostadius, being much offended, went to his lodging to confer with him about it: afterwards Lu…her coming to Orlamund went not to salute Caralostadius, but in his Sermon quarrelled with their abolishing of Idols: and shortly after he procured the Elector to banish Caralostadius; whereof Caralostadius afterwards complained in a letter to his people in Wittenberg, that unheard and unconvicted he was banished by Luther's procurement: from th…nce he went to Basil, where h… printed some book… that he had written about the Lord's Supper, for which the Magistrates (being offended with the novelty of the Doctrine) cast the Printers into prison, and the Senate of Tigurine for bad th…ir people to read those books: but Zuinglius in his Sermon exhorted them first to read, aad then to passe judgement on them, saying, That Caralostadius knew the truth, but had not well expressed it: afterwards Caralostadiu… wandring up and downe in upper Germany, when the sedition of the boorish Anabaptists brake out, (unto which they were stirred up by Muncer, and for which many of them were brought to punishment) Caralostadius also escaped very narrowly, being let downe in a basket over the wall… of Rottenberg: & being in great streights he wrote to Luther, and purged himselfe from having any hand in those uproars, entreating him to print his book, and undertake his defence, which also Luther did, desiring the Magistrates that he might be brought to his just triall, before he wa… condemned: Caralostadius wrote againe to him a Letter, wherein he said, That for his opinion about the Sacrament, he rather proposed it for disputation sake, then that he positively affirmed any thing, wch many imputed to him for levity: but Luther thereupon procured his return into Saxonie: yet he finding little content there, went to Tigurine, and taught in that place till the death of Zuinglius, and then he went to Basil, where he taught ten yeers, and An. 1541. he died there of the plague, and was very honorably buried.
This grave Divine ceas'd not from taking paines
More for the Churches good, then his owne gaines;
Yet were his gaines as great as his desire,
He that obtaines true vertue need require
No greater profit, he that studies how
To live here-after, must not set his brow
On Earths loe things: the pleasure of the Earth
Prov'd this grave Fathers sorrow, not his mirth;
His thoughts were all divine, he could not hide
Within his Season'd breast, the flames of pride;
He was an Image-hater, and would not
Let them be worshipp'd and his God forgot;
'Twas not a Prison could his heart apale,
He that has virtue, needs no other baile.
The life and death of CAPITO, Who died Anno Christi 1541.
WOlfgangus Fabricius Capito was borne at Hagenaw in Alsatia: his Father was of the Senatorian ranke, who bred him in learning, and sent him to Basil, where he studied Physick, and proceeded Doctor of it: aft…r hi… Father's death, he studied Divinity Anno Christi 1504; and under Zasias (a great Lawyer) he studied Law also, and proceeded Doctor of …t: He was a great lov…r and admirer of godly Ministers: at Heidleberg he grew into acquaintance with Oecolampadius, and there was a neer tye of friendship betwixt them all their lives: after with him also he studied Hebrew, and became a Preacher, first in Spire, and thenc… was c…lled to Basil: from thence he was sent for by the Elector Palatine, who made him his Preacher and Counsellor, and sent him of divers Embassies: also by Charles the fifth he was made of the order of Knights: from Mentz he followed Bucer to Argen…ine, where he was called to a Pas…oral charge: he was a very prudent and eloquent man, a good Hebrician, and studious of Peace; concerning the Sacrament he said, Mittendas esse contentiones, & cogitandum de usu ipsius coenae: & fidem nostram pane, & vino Domini, per memoriam carnis, & sanguinis illius, pascendam. Anno 1525. being called into his owne Country, he Preached and administred the Lord's Supper to his owne Citizens, and Baptized without the Popish Ceremonies; he was present and disputed at Berne against the Popish Masse, &c. He was with others chosen by the Protestants to goe the to Diet at Ratisbone for the setling of Religion; and returning home, in a great and generall infection he died to the Plague An. Christi 1541: of his Age 63.
Industrious Capito at first inclind
Himselfe to cure the body, next the minde;
Being endow'd with most excellent parts
He did (as t'were) monopolize the Art…:
He lov'd Religion and was alwayes free
T' extoll the worth of practis'd piety:
He honor'd peace; his heart was fil'd with hope
That he might live to contradict the Pope,
And so he did, he labour'd to prevent
The Ceremon…es of their Sacrament:
And to conclude, he labour'd to confute
Their babling Masse. He's blest without dispute.
The Life and Death of LEO JUDAE, who died Anno Christi 1542.
LEo Iudae was born Anno Christi 1482. brought up at Schoole, and from thence sent to Basil, where he joyned in study with Zuinglius, was an hearer of Doctor Wittenbash, by whom he was instructed in the knowledge of the Gospel: …here also he was made a Deacon, and from thence he was called into Helvetia, where he …et himselfe to the study of the Orientall Tongues, and to read the Fathers, especially Hierom, and Augustine; as also he read diligently the books of Luther, Era…mus, and Capito: at length being called to a Pastorall charge at Tigure, he opposed the Popish doctrine and Ceremonies, both in the Pulpit and Presse: th…re he continued eighteen yeeres, and spent much of it in expounding the Old Testament out of the Hebrew; wherein (being growne very skilfull) he set upon (at the importunity of his breathren of the Ministry) the translation of the Old Testament out of the Hebrew, wherein also he was much holpen by the industry of other learned men: but this worke proving very great, he was so wasted with labor, and old age that he died before he finished it Anno Christi 1542. and of his Age 60. leaving undone Iob, the forty last Psalmes, Proverbs, Ec…lesiastes, Canticles, and the eight last Chapters of Ezekiel, which he commended to Theodore Bibliander to finish, who accordingly did it: and he left all to Conradus Pellican to peruse, and put to the Presse, which he carefully performed.
Four dayes before his death, sending for the Pastors and Professors of Tigure, he made before them a Confession of his Faith concerning GOD, the Scriptures, the Person and Office of CHRIST, concluding, Huic Iesu Christo Domino, & liberatori meo, &c. To this my Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ, my hope, and my salvation, I wholly offer up my soule, and body; I cast my selfe wholly upon his mercy, and grace, &c.
Heaven was the object where he fixt his eyes,
Truth was his Marke, Religion was his Prise,
His studious heart was active to contrive
How to keepe other pining Souls alive
With heavenly Food; he never lov'd to feed
In secret Corners, and let others need;
He never us…d to sweepe away the Crums
From his poore Flock, and feed their souls with Hums
Like our new-babling Pastors, which infuse
Illiterate Words, patch'd up with flattring News.
He would not blind them with the intising charms
Of Falseties, or bid them take up Armes
Except for heaven, within whose Tent he sings
Anthems of Pleasure to the King of Kings.