Concerning Divorce, Title page – Testimonials
THE IVDGEMENT OF MARTIN BUCER, CONCERNING DIVORCE.
Writt'n to Edward the sixt, in his second Book of the Kingdom of Christ.
And now Englisht.
Wherin a late Book restoring the Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce, is heer confirm'd and justify'd by the authoritie of MARTIN BUCER.
To the Parlament of England.
JOHN 3. 10.
Art thou a teacher of Israel, and know'st not these things?
Publisht by Authoritie.
LONDON, Printed by Matthew Simmons, 1644.
Testimonies of the high approbation which learned men have given of Martin Bucer.
Simon Grynaeus, 1533.
AMong all the Germans, I give the palm to Bucer for excellence in the Scriptures, Melanchton in human learning is wondrous fluent; but greater knowledge in the Scripture I attribute to Bucer, and speak it unfainedly.
Iohn Calvin, 1539.
Martin Bucer a most faithfull Doctor of the Church of Christ, besides his rare learning & copious knowledge of many things, besides his cleernes of wit, much reading, and other many and various vertues, wherein he is almost by none now living excell'd, hath few equalls, and excells most, hath this praise peculiar to himself, that none in this age ha…h us'd exacter diligence in the exposition of Scripture.
And a little beneath.
Bucer is more large then to be read by over-busied men, and too high to be easily understood by unattentive men, and of a low capacitie.
Sir Iohn Cheek, Tutor to K. Edw. the sixth. 1551.
Wee have lost our Master, then whom the world scarce held a greater, whether we consider his knowledge of true Religion, or his integrity and innocence of life, or his incessant study of holy things, or his matchless labour of promoting piety, or his authority and amplitude of teaching, or whatever els was praise-worthy and glorious in him. Script. Anglicana, pag. 864.
Iohn Sturmius of Strasborrow.
No man can be ignorant what a great and constant opinion and estimation of Bucer there is in Italy, France, and England. Whence the saying of Quintilian hath oft come to my minde, that he hath well profited in Eloquence whom Cicero pleases. The same …ay I of Bucer, that he hath made no small progress in Divinitie, whom Bucer pleases; for in his Volumes, which he wrote very many, there is the plain impression to be discern'd of many great vertues, of diligence, of charitie, of truth, of acutenes, of judgment, of learning. Wherin he hath a certain prop…r kind of writing, wherby he doth not only teach the Reader, but affects him with the sweetness of his sentences, and with the manner of his arguing, which is so teaching, and so logical, that it may be perceiv'd how learnedly he separates probable reasons from necessary, how forcibly he confirms what he has to prove, how suttly he refutes, not with sharpnes, but with truth.
Theodore Beza on the portraiture of M. Bucer.
This is that countnance of Bucer, the mirror of mildnes, temper'd with gravitie; to whom the C…tie of Strasburgh owes the reformation of her Church. Whose singular learning, and eminent zeal, joyn'd with excellent wisdom, both his learned books, and public disputations in the general diets of the Empire, shall witness to all ages. Him the German persecution drove into England; where honourably entertain'd by Edward the sixt, he was for two years chief professor of Divinity in Cambridge, with greatest frequency and applause of all learned and pious men untill his death. 1551. Bezae Icones.
Mr Fox book of Martyrs, Vol. 3. p. 763.
Bucer what by writing, but chiefly by reading and preaching openly, wherin being painfull in the Word of GOD, he never spar'd himself, nor regarded his health, brought all men into such an admiration of him, that neither his friends could sufficiently praise him, nor his enemies in any point find fault with his singular life, & sincere doctrine. A most certain tok'n wherof may be his sumptuous burial at Cambridge, solemniz d with so great an assistance of all the Universitie, that it was not possible to devise more to the setting out and amplifying of the same.
Dr Pern the Popish Vicechancelour of Cambridge his adversary.
Cardinal Pool about the fourth year of Queen Mary, intending to reduce the Universitié of Cambridge to Popery again, thought no way so effectuall, as to cause the bones of Martin Bucer and Paulus Fagius, which had been foure years in the grave, to be tak'n up and burnt openly with thir Books, as knowing that those two worthy men had bin of greatest moment to the reformation of that place from Popery, and had left such powerfull seeds of thir doctrine behind them, as would never die, unless the men themselvs were diggd up, and openly condemn'd for heretics by the Universitie it self. This was put in execution, and Doctor Pern Vicechancelor appointed to preach against Bucer. Who among other things laid to his charge the opinions which he held of the marriage of Priests, of divorcement, and of usury. But immediatly after his Sermon, or somwhat before, as the Book of Martyrs sor a truth relates, Vol. 3. p. 770. The said Doctor Pern smiting himself on the breast, and in manner weeping, wisht with all his heart, that God would grant his soul might then presently depart, and remain with Bucers; for he knew his life was such, that if any mans soul were worthy of heaven, he thought Bucers in special, to be most worthy, Histor. de Combust. Buceri, & Fagii.
Acworth the Vniversitie Orator.
Soon after, that Queen Elizabeth came to the crown, this condemnation of Bucer and Fagius by the Cardinal and his Doctors, was solemnly repeal'd by the Universitie; and the memory of those two famous men celebrated in an Oration by Acworth the Universitie Orator, which is yet extant in the Book of Mattyrs, Vol. 3. p. 773. and in Latin. Scripta Anglic. p. 936.
Nicolas Carre, a learned man, Walter Haddon Maister of the Requests to Queen Elizabeth, Matthew Parker, afterwards Primate of England, with other eminent men, in their funeral Orations and Sermons expresse abundantly how great a man Martin Bucer was, what an incredible losse England sustain'd in his death; and that with him dy'd the hope of a perfet reformation for that age. Ibid.
Iacobus Verheiden of Grave, in his Elogies of famous Divines.
Though the name of Martin Luther be famous, yet thou Martin Bucer, for piety, learning, labour, care, vigilance, and writing, art not to be held inferior to Luther. Bucer was a singular instrument of God, so was Luther. By the death of this most learned and most faithfull man, the Church of Christ sustaind a heavy losse; as Calvin witnesteth; and they who are studious of Calvin, are not ignorant how much he ascribes to Bucer; for thus he writes in a Letter to Viretus: What a manifold losse be…ell the Church of God in the death o… Bucer, as oft as I call to minde, I feel my heart almost rent asunder.
Peter Martyr Epist. to Conradus Hubertus.
He is dead, who hath overcome in many battells of the Lord. God lent us for a time this our Father, and our Teacher, never enough prais'd. Death hath divided me from a most unanimous friend, one truly according to mine own heart. My minde is overprest with grief, in so much that I have not power to write more. I bid thee in Christ farewell, and wish thou maist be able to beare the losse of Bucer, better then I can beare it.
Testimonies giv'n by learned men to Paulus Fagius, who held the same opinion with Martin Bucer concerning Divorce.
Paulus Fagius born in the Palatinate, became most Bezae Icones.skilfull in the Hebrew tongue. Beeing call'd to the Ministery at Isna, he publisht many ancient and profitable Hebrew Books, being aided in the expenses by a Senator of that Citie, as Origen somtime was by a certain rich man call'd Ambrosius. At length invited to Strasburgh, he there famously discharg'd the office of a Teacher; until the same persecution drove him and Bucer into England, where he was preferr'd to a Professors place in Cambridge, and soon after died.
Melchior Adamus writes his life among the famous German Divines.
Sleidan and Thuanus mention him with honour in their History. And Verheiden in his Elogies.