The Dead Yet Speaking, Biography 38 – Biography 40
The Life and Death of John a Lasco, who died Anno Christi 1560.
IOhn Lascus was born of a noble family in Poland, and brought up in learning: afterwards travelling to Tygure in Helvetia, he was by Zuinglius perswaded to betake himselfe to the study of Divinity: and when he might have been preferred to great honor in his owne Country, 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, rather then to live in worldly honor, 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: the yeere after, he was sent for by Ann the widdow of Count Oldenburg to reform the Churches in East-Frisland; and the next yeer after by Albert Duke of Prussia, but when he agreed not with him in judgement about the Lords Supper, the worke remained unperfected: about that time (the Emerour persecuted the Protestants) he was sent for by King Edward the sixth (upon Cranmers motion) into England, where he gathered, Preached unto, and governed the Dutch-Church, which remain's to this day. In the dayes of Queen Mary, he obtained leave to return beyond-Sea, and went with a good part of his Congregation into Denmarke: but there he found but cold entertainment, by reason of his differing from them about the Lords Supper: the Churches of Saxonie also rejected them, not suffering them to live amongst them upon the like reason: at length that poore Congregation found entertainment in Frisland, under the Lady Anne Oldenburg, and setled at Embdem: Anno Christi 1555. 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 he wrote a Letter to the King of Poland and his Council, vindicating his Doctrin from some aspersions cast upon it by his adversaries: many enemies also rose up against him and his Congregation, for differing from them about Christ's presence in the Sacrament, especially o…e Westphalus, who wrote bitterly against them, calling them Zuinglians, and affirming that all those which had suffered about that point in Belgia, England or Franc…, were the Divel's Martyrs. At last Lascus returning into his own Country, from which he had been absent twenty years: there he found God's harvest to be great, and the labourers to be very few. His coming was very unwelcome to the Popish Clergy, who sought by all meanes to destroy him, or to get him banished; and therefore they accused him to the King for an Hereticke, beseeching him not to suffer him to stay in the Kingdome: to whom the King answered, That though they pronounced him an Hereticke, yet the S…ates of the Kingdome did not so esteeme 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 lyes, as if he would stir up a civill War in the Kingdome: but it pleased God when he had spent a little time in instructing his friends, that he sickned, and dyed anno christi 1569. 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 esteem, that he made use of his advice and help in many great and difficult businesses.
Wisdome and goodnesse both conjoyn'd
To beautif…e Alascos mind:
He was laborious to fulfill
And prosecute his makers will.
His heart was proud to undertake,
To doe, or suffer for Gods sake:
Therefore no question but hée's blest,
And rests in peace and endlesse rest.
AVGVSTINVS MARLORATVS
The Life and Death of Augustine Marlorat.
AVgustine Marlorat was born in the Dukedome of Lorrain anno christi 1506. His Parents dyed whil'st he was young, and his kindred gaping after his estate, thrust him at eight years of age into a Monastery of Augustine Fryers: by which meanes (God so ordering of it) he was brought up in learning; and having studied the body of Divinity in France, came to the University of Lasanna, which is a famous Towne of the Lords and States of the Countrey of Bern, scituated hard by the Lake of Lemon, and is a place famous for Divinity, where he profited much in learned, and came to the knowledge of the Truth; and from thence he was chosen to be Pastor at Vivia; and from thence he was sent for to Rottomag, where he behaved himselfe with much piety and wisdome. Anno Christi 1561. he was present at the conference at Posiah, between the Cardinall of Lorrain and Theodore Beza; where he acquitted himselfe with much courage. The year following when the Civil Wars brak… forth in France, the City of Rotomag was besieged, and after a hard siege, was taken: where Marlorat and foure other chiefe Citizens, by the malice of Mont-Morenzie and Francis Duke of Guize, were hanged; though some of his adversaries would have saved him. This was done the thirtieth of October anno chris. 1562. and of his Age six and fifty: whose Workes being ever living Monuments, are preserved to the benefit of the Church of God, and are here set down.
1. A Catholicke and Ecclesiasticall Exposition of the new Testament. 2. An Exposition upon Genesis. 3. An Exposition on the Psalmes of David. 4. An Exposition upon the Prophecie of Jsaiah. 5. His Thesaurus, or Treasure-house of the whole Canonicall Scripture, digested into common places: Also the hard Phrases Alphabetically Printed, which usully are met withall in the Scriptures, by the care and industry of William Feugerius of Rohan, professor of Divinity; to whom Marlorat left this Worke, being not altogether perfected at the time of his Dissolution.
Renowned Marlorat did breath to give
A breath to worth, which worth shall make him live;
Uertue shall be his Heravl'd, and his name
Shall stand recorded in roules of fame:
The trumpet of his praise shall sound the bolder
Because true vertue neede crave no upholder.
The Life and Death of Amsdorfius, who died Anno Christi 1563.
NIcolas Amsdorfius was born in Misnia, of noble Parents Anno Christi 1483. and brought up in learning: From School he went to the University of Wittenberge about that time that Luther began to preach against Indulgence: in Anno Christi 1504. he Commensed Master of Arts, and aftewards Licentiary in Divinity: he embraced the Truth …hat brake forth in those times, and preached it to others: he accompanied Luther to Worms: in the time of Luthers recesse into his Pathmos; he, with Melancthon, and Iustus Ionas being sent to by the Elector of Saxonie for their judgement about the Masse, declared that it was an horrible profanation of the Lords Supper; whence ensued the abolishing of it out of all Churches in Wittenberg: he wrote also that the Pope was Antichrist. Anno Christ 1524. Luther being sent for to Magdenburg, he went thither, and having preached to them, he commended to them, and afterwards sent Amsdorfius to gather and instruct the Churches there, who faithfully laboured eighteen yeeres in that place: Anno Christi 1541. he was sent by the Elector of Saxonie to govern the Church at Naumberg in the Palatinate; where also the yeere after he was ordained Bishop by Luther, three other Pastors also imposing of their hands upon him: but six yeers after he was driven away from thence by the Emperor Charles the fifth, whence he fled to Magdenberg, and was there during the siege of it. Anno Christi 1550. and the yeere after George Major, having Published this propositio…, That good Works were necessary to Salvation; Amsdorfius in heat of contention wrote, That good Works were hurtfull and dangerous to Salvation: he died about the four score and eight yeer of his age, Anno Christi 1563.
Amsdorfius was the life of worth, his dayes
Were fil'd with trouble, yet perpetuall praise
Waited upon him; for he did oppose
The Errours of the Pope in spight of those
That were his enemies, he did maintaine
The Pope was Antichrist, the Masse prophane.
He fear'd them not, but boldly did professe
The truth and now is Crown'd with happinesse.