abound: So that in all the wars and confusions of Germany, among the states, princes, and divines, and when Wittenberg itself was besieged, he did not fly to any other place, but gave himself up to constant fervent prayer, encouraging himself much in seeing, that in the midst of. the storms and tempests of controversies and quarrels the poor ship of Christ's church was not, and could not be swallowed up and destroyed. He remained stedfast and unmoveable, both in the doctrine and discipline of the church, always averse to unquiet and seditious counsels; urging that text, Render to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's, and unto GOD the things that are GOD's. Like the emperor Severus, he minded his own business, without minding

what others said of him.' His business was the work of the gospel, about which he was to give an account to GOD, and not to man. He left those, who delighted to meddle with factions, to gather the thistles and thorns, which they would surely find in the way. He was only concerned for the distractions of the church: And it was a favourite text with him, in all the commotions he saw and felt, Commit thy way to the Lord, and hope in him: He shall bring it to pass. At length, through age and great labour, not being able to preach any longer, he went daily to the church, and in the most devout and ardent manner prayed for himself and for the afflicted church of God. Afterwards falling sick, he still continued instant in prayer and holy profitable conferences with his friends, till drawing near his end, he often repeated that important portion of scripture, This is life eternal, to know thee the only true GOD, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent; and so quietly departed in the Lord on the twentieth of April, in the year 1558, in the seventy-third year of his age.

He was a faithful pastor, compassionate to the poor, bold in reproof, a zealous defender of the truth against all error, and had learned the apostolic lesson, in every station and condition in life therewith to be content; so that the most earnest intreaties, seconded by honour, power and profit, could never prevail upon him to remove from the flock which he believed GOD had committed to his charge; but he remained with them in all their afflictions, and watched over them with the fidelity, assiduity, and pains of a faithful shepherd. In his sermons he was modest and manly, but so earnest and devout, that he would often exceed the usual time allotted for a discourse. He assisted Luther in the translation of the Bible into German, and VOL. II. F. kept

kept the day, on which it was finished, annually a festival with his friends, calling it "THE FEAST OF THE TRANS"LATION OF THE BIBLE;" and it certainly deserves a red letter more than half the saints in the Kalendar. His life was of a piece with his doctrine, altogether evangelical. Upon the article of a sinner's justification before GOD, he frequently used this simile: "As a ring set with a "precious stone is esteemed, not for the quantity of "gold which incloses the stone, but for the stone itself; "so sinners are justified by faith in and through the Son "of GOD, whom faith, as the ring does the jewel, "receives and apprehends." Luther often declared, that of all his writings none pleased him, but his Catechism, and his treatise De servo Arbitrio, or Free-will a Slave; and Bugenhagius was so much of that opinion, that he con-sidered them as some of the choicest tracts upon the Christian religion, always carried them about in his pocket himself, and carnestly recommended them to others.

His WORKS are, 1. A Commentary on the Psalms, which Luther highly commended. 2. Annotations on the Epis tles to the Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, the first and second Epistles to the Thessalonians, the first and second Epistles to Timothy, to Titus, Philemon, Hebrews. 3. Annotations on Samuel and St John. 4. The History of Christ, suffering and glorified, being an Harmony of the Gospels, with Notes. 5. Annotations upon Deuteronomy;

and some other tracts.

1506.

MARLORATUS.

THIS holy martyr and excellent minister of Christ was born in the dukedom of Lorrain, in the year His parents died when he was very young; and his relations, coveting his estate, thrust him, at eight years of age, into a monastry of Augustine friars; which, through, providence, proved the means of his obtaining a good education. He was very eager to learn the languages, and to improve in the study of divinity, which he afterwards devoted to the service of the Protestant church, of which he became an eminent ornament and support. After a time, perceiving that the idleness of monks was but ill

calculated

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calculated to encourage the ardour with which he pursued his literary objects, he left the monastry, and went and studied in France; and from thence removed to the university of Lausanne, in the canton of Bern, situated upon the borders of the lake Lemon. Here it pleased GOD to bring him to the knowledge of the truth; and here, by extraordinary diligence and application, he made a very great proficiency in learning and in the critical knowledge of the holy scriptures. Entering into orders, he was chosen to be pastor at Vivia: And from Vivia he was called to Rouen, in Normandy, where he gathered a large congregation, which he watched over and instructed with so much labour and fidelity, and conducted himself on all occasions with so much wisdom, prudence, and piety, that he baffled the opposition and malice of his adversaries.

"In

In the year 1561, he was present at the conference held at Posiah, [or Poissy] between Beza and the cardinal of Lorrain, in which he distinguished himself by his ability and zeal on the side of the Protestants against the Papists. The year following, the civil wars broke out in France, when the city of Rouen was besieged, and at last taken by storm. Montmorency, the constable of France, after much abuse of Marloratus, cast him into close prison, and coming to him the next day, with the duke of Guise, vehemently accused him of having seduced the people. To which Marloratus answered immediately, "If they are "seduced, it is GOD who hath seduced them, and not. "I; for I have preached nothing to them but divine "truths." Thou art a seditious person (replied the 'constable,) and the cause of this great city's ruin.' "answer to that charge (said Marloratus,) I appeal to all "that have heard me preach, both Papists and Protes"tants; and let them say, if they ever heard me meddle "with human politics, or matters of state: On the con"trary, I have confined myself, according to my abi"lities, to my proper sphere as a minister of that king"dom which is not of this world, laboriously instruct"ing them out of GOD's word, and guiding them in the way to life everlasting." The constable rejoined, that he and his adherents had plotted together to make the prince of Condé king, admiral Coligni duke of Normandy, and Andelot duke of Bretagne. To this Marloratus answered, professing his own and the innocence of these noble personages. But the constable turning away in a great rage, blasphemously cried out; We shall see, in a few days, whether thy GOD is able to deliver thee out of my hands, or not.'