Romish Church with a safe conscience. The king is said to have taken this resignation in good part, but, understanding his desire of literary travel, to have granted him, of his own accord, letters of recommendation to various nobles and princes. In 1537 he visited Mentz, with his friend Hardenberg, who took his doctor's degree; and two years after, being at Louvain with the same learned and pious individual, he gave further proof of his antipopish character by entering into the marriage state. "He had," says Clark," a very great love to Christ and his people; a great hatred of popery and superstition, and a great contempt of the world; so that, whereas he might have been preferred to great honour in his own 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 than to live in worldly honour and peace amongst his friends." His primary undertaking in his new character was to arrange, with the Countess Anne of Oldenburgh, certain regulations for the government of the church of Emden, where in 1540 he assisted that widowed princess with his counsel, without sustaining any public charge. His zeal and ability were much appreciated by those who desired the improvement of the existing state of religion and letters, of which an interesting testimony is given in an epistle sent him from Louvain, in May in the following year, by Francis Enzinas, otherwise called Dryander, a Spaniard, who subsequently was imprisoned at Brussels, for translating Luther's version of the Scriptures into the Castilian tongue. This foreigner had heard so much in favour of our reformer from their mutual friend Hardenberg, and had been so much gratified by the report, that he ardently desired an interview with him. Un derstanding that his wife Barbara was at Louvain he waited on her, and recognised Lasco's features, whom he had seen some time before, in the countenance of his infant daughter, but was grieved to hear that the climate of Emden was injurious to his health. He requested him to give him letters of recommendation to Luther and Melancthon, whom he wished to visit at Wittenberg, as well to avoid persecution in the Netherlands as to gain instruction in theology; and concluded in this respectful and affectionate manner : "I obtained, some months ago, from a Spanish nobleman, a sword, which he highly prized for its antiquity and material: and although I feel that it is a trifling present, and unworthy your acceptance, yet I send it you. For I desire that you should possess some pledge of the regard I entertain for you. I would have you measure the gift not by its intrinsic value, but by the sentiments of the donor. You will say, 'What have I to do with swords?' I confess indeed that you are armed with another weapon, far more excellent than this, and sharper than any doubleedged, even the word of God. But I merely send this to assure you how much I esteem both your corporeal and mental worth, or rather the gifts of God in you: on one hand, your illustrious and even royal descent; on the other, your sincere profession of religion, rare learning, and most striking example of integrity and piety. Wherefore, I pray you, condescend to receive kindly the expression of my goodwill, though you may despise the present itself. Farewell, most excellent sir, and believe the name of your Francis worthy to be inscribed in the catalogue of those who are most devoted to you." Though the general strain of the epistle is too laudatory for the more correct feeling of modern times, yet such documents are valuable, as evincing the Christian love and esteem which men of spirituality and cultivation felt for each other,, at a season when, as sheep of Christ, they were worried by the wolves of superstition in every quarter. The inclemency of the climate of Emden, and the declining state of health of his brother Jerome, seem to have determined Lasco, in 1542, to return to Poland, where he attended the death-bed of his relative. He was called back to Emden before the end of the year, to take charge of the church, and proceed with the Countess Anne, her brother Christopher, and others in authority, to a systematic reform of religious worship in East Friesland. He endeavoured to excuse himself from this task in the first instance, pleading the difficulty of the undertaking, his own infirmity, and unskilfulness in the language of the country; but when he was seriously admonished of his obligation to promote the cause of Christ, he assented, with this condition, that "if upon experiment it should be found that the glory of God was promoted by this call from the church and the prince, then he would remain in his office, otherwise he should beg to be discharged by them both." "When the die was thus cast," observes Gerdesius, "it cannot be told with what prudence, diligence, moderation, and constancy, he applied to the work of reforming doctrine and ecclesiastical' discipline; which it would be tedious to detail, and had therefore better be summed up in three words: The last stroke in the Emden Reformation was wanting; many relics of the former superstition remained; on account of the affair of the sacrament various disturbances had been by some rigid maintainers of the carnal presence of Christ in the holy supper; and there had been no rule of discipline observed, but all regulation had become rather matter of suspicion, as affording refuge for every kind of sectarianism: in a word, va rious schisms had divided the minds of professors, not yet sufficiently freed from popish leaven. In his endeavour to heal these mischiefs, with resolution, tempered by prudence, it might be expected that many difficulties would arise, one while from the strict disciples of Luther, at another from the sect of Memmo and David George, and again from some counsellors of dissolute habits, who were more ready to complain of the divisions occasioned by religion, than to establish an unity of faith. Mean time, by continued and wise application, he carried his point so far, that images were removed from the churches; vain and superstitious observances, exorcisms, and the like, were abrogated; a form of discipline and ecclesiastical order was signed; and the profession of purer doctrine was reduced to system. The followers of David George, and all supporters of his wild anabaptistical errors, were expelled East Friesland; while Lasco himself began a regular visitation of the churches, and a purer confession of the sacrament, which had been abolished by a certain Luneburg formulary forced on Emden ten years before, was restored, and a consistory founded, which became respected through the whole of reformed Christendom *." In 1544 he was invited by Albert, duke of Prussia, to regulate the reform in his dominion; but as he deemed it expedient to send that prince a declaration of his sentiments on the subject of the communion, which accorded with those of Zuinglius, the negociation was broken, through the attachment of Albert to the Lutheran views. In 1548 he obtained leave of the Countess Anne to sail to England, on a request from Edward VI. to whom he had been recommended by Archbishop Cranmer, Peter Martyr, professor of divinity in Oxford, and Turner, a physician, as a person qualified by his experience * Hist. Evang. Renov. t. iii. p. 148. to manage affairs relative to a settlement of Protestant refugees in London. A considerable number of individuals of this description, chiefly Dutch, were accustomed to assemble for Divine worship in private dwellings; and their case, as sufferers on account of religion, exciting a natural sympathy in the breasts of English Reformers, they were not without hope of obtaining, in their favour, some privileges from the Government. This hope was realized, when the pious and amiable young sovereign granted them a charter in due form, and the use of a church in Austin Friars. During his stay in England, Lasco rendered them essential service by his counsel; and though he returned to the continent, yet he soon rejoined them, in consequence of the troubles occasioned by the publication of the Interim, when the whole affair was settled, by his own nomination as superintendant over four other ministers, named Walter Delany, Martin Micronius, Francis Rivers, and Richard Gall. The revenues which had belonged to the monastic foundation were appropriated for the subsistence of these pastors, and the corporation of London charged to protect them in the enjoyment of their rights. At the same time three hundred and eighty of them were naturalized*. This is one of the most interest ing facts connected with the English Reformation, as affording a specimen of the tolerant character of persons in authority at that early period. John Uttenhove, another minister, and particular friend of Lasco, frequently assisted in this congregation, which flourished till its members amounted to three or four thousand. Lasco maintained a good understanding with Bucer at Cambridge, and Martyr at Oxford, and edited a publication of Bullinger on the sacrament, as well as another of his own, on the true meaning of the words of institution; while Ut *Burnet's Hist. of Reform. tenhove translated the Psalms into Dutch verse, setting them to tunes adapted for public worship. This tranquillity, however, was of short duration; for the succession of the Prin cess Mary, a staunch Romanist, on the death of Edward, in July 1553, led to a change of measures unfavourable to the Reformed profession. The minds of the foreigners were then turned towards Denmark, on account of the enlightened character of Christian III. and two Danish vessels lying in the Thames, Lasco, with three hundred and fifty of his poor flock, consisting chiefly of Dutch and French, with some English and Scotch who chose to share in their lot, and his colleagues, except Francis Rivers, who remained some time longer engaged in ministration with Peter, son of Walter Delany, embarked on the 17th of September. The wind was at first prosperous; but in a short time such a tempest arose that they were in much peril for seven weeks, when, after great suffering, they arrived off the coast of Denmark. But here it pleased God that fresh trouble awaited them. Lasco and his friends being well known to maintain the Zuinglian view of the sacrament, Paul Noviomagus, one of the king's chaplains, with a bitterness reflecting lasting disgrace on his name, took that opportunity to denounce them as dangerous intruders; though Palladius, the superintendant of Zealand, and professor of divinity at Copenhagen, declared that he was ready to give them the right hand of fellowship. As this unseasonable attack provoked a defence from Lasco, the king was persuaded to forbid them from wintering in his dominions in the most peremptory manner. They then attempted in vain to gain admission at Rostock, Wismar, Lubec, and Hamburg, and after experiencing a variety of hardships in wanderings on the ocean, protracted till the following March, they sailed for East Friesland, and were hospitably towns, under the kind patronage of the Countess dowager of Oldenburg. Some migrated to Frankfort, some to Dantzick, some to Wessel, and others to Strasburg; while their dispersion tended, as in an earlier period of the church, to the wider diffusion of evangelical truth. entertained at Emden and other the instrument of establishing at Frankfort, in their sermons, writings, meetings, and private discourses, declaring that they differed very blameably from the Augsburg Confession, he thought it his duty, at the commencement of the following year, to edit an Apology for that Church, in which he observed; "That their doctrine was not opposed to the Augsburg Confession concerning the presence of Christ in the Supper; but that, if it did, they ought not therefore to be condemned, if they could warrant their dissent from that Confession by the word of God." Westphalus proceeded to the greatest length in his reviling, and accused the Senate of Frankfort of admitting the enemies of the empire within their walls; observing" that those who had suffered in defence of such sentiments as were held by these. settlers, in England, Holland, France, and elsewhere, were the devil's martyrs." After staying about a year at Emden, he received an invitation to his own country, which he determined to accept; but first went to Frankfort, where he obtained leave of the Senate to build a church for the Réformed strangers, and particularly for those of the Low Countries. While in this city he wrote a defence of his faith and conduct as a minister, against the misrepresentations of those zealous Lutherans, Westphalus, Tillemann, and Bugenhagen, which he addressed to Sigismund king of Poland. He asserted that the doctrine inculcated by his adversaries was opposed to the sense of Scripture, the analogy of faith, and the consent of the catholie church. He complained that the true doctrine of the eucharist was condemned only through prejudice and want of examination; and that the more violent Lutherans too much resembled the Papists, not supporting their cause by legitimate weapons of Scripture and reason, but by force and authority; and calling those persons heretics, who could not agree with them in every point*. In the same year, 1556, by permission of the duke of Wirtemburgh he held a conference with Dr. Brentz on the subject of the Lord's Supper. Of this conference an account was published, which he affirmed was so false, that it contained many things which he never spoke or heard, and omitted others which ought to have been stated. As the Lutherans traduced the congregation which he had been * Melchior Adam, Vitæ Theolog. exteror. p. 11. Of his return to Poland we have an interesting account in an epistle from John Uttenhove to the celebrated Calvin. "As I am engaged in writing to my friends in general, I am unwilling to send off my letters, without giving assurance to you, my most respected Calvin, of the success which has attended the illustrious noble John a Lasco in Poland; with whom, thanks be to Almighty God, affairs have prospered as yet, although not without amazing opposition on the part of satan, who did not a little fear for himself and his dominion from one whose authority in his country is very consi derable; and therefore he has used every endeavour, and employed every mean by his hirelings, either to destroy him or force him out of the kingdom. For when, about two months since, our bishops, who were all with the king at the meeting of the States at Warsaw, suspected that he was coming hither, they convened under the Archbishop of Gnesna, together with Lipomani bishop of Verona the papal legate, without the presence of any secular witnesses. They spent the whole day in consultation how they might most conveniently dispose of him, which was a matter of great concern, as they were well persuaded he would be the ruin of them all, according to the expression of the diocesan of Cracow, and therefore a timely remedy was to be provided. The next day they waited on the king, Lipomani first, then all the prelates in a body. They stated, that they had heard John à Lasco was coming, and desired a conference with the sovereign: wherefore they besought him not to grant him an audience, because he was a very great heretic, whom none of the nations could tolerate, and so he returned to his native land, and that indeed he had been already declared such. To whom the king, who is yet rather fearful, replied, It is certainly true, that he was some time ago pronounced a heretic by you in your synods; but not also by the council or senate. John a Lasco and his friends assert and are ready to prove that they are not heretics, but catholics. I do not see therefore how I can grant your request.' The bishops then said, that the king ought by all means to do this, if it were only out of regard to the peace of the kingdom. For there was no doubt but that many disturbances would arise, if he were suffered to remain. But the king, when he found that they persisted in their remonstrances, ordered them to be silent; for that their request was unjust, and contrary to the rights of the kingdom. When they perceived that they could do nothing at this first attack, they most impudently forged a thousand lies from that day, with which they loaded my Lord of Lasco generally, and particularly before the king. Among other things asserting, that he came into Poland, to take up arms against the monarch, and to excite sedition in every direction; that he rode about the diocese of Cracow with two or three hundred horse, demolishing all things in the churches at his own pleasure, and much more of the same kind; which they so constantly repeated, and boldly affirmed, that the king began to suspect something sinister about Lasco, and to be somewhat set against him, till he spoke on the subject to a certain nobleman his relation. This person told the king, that all these reports were nothing more than mere calumnies, most audaciously hatched and contrived by his adversaries; that the king ought to be persuaded of this, and that he was ready to pledge his honour and his life to the truth of such disavowal. At these words the royal mind began to soften, and the king observed, 'You know that tumults and commotions of this sort have often led to the overthrow of great states. Wherefore tell Lord a Lasco, that you who are related to each other may manage religious matters among yourselves, and you shall shortly see, that I will have more regard to God than men.' Which that the Almighty may grant to the increase of his kingdom, we again and again fervently pray. Moreover, the sessions lately held at Warsaw have not altogether as yet succeeded to our wish; so furiously doth satan oppose himself to the spread of the kingdom of Christ the Lord. They were broken off rather suddenly, on account of the war in Livonia, for which the king is now preparing, so that the discussion relative to religion and ecclesiastical reformation was postponed to the next meeting, for which a day was not named. Meanwhile, the whole of the nobility use the greatest liberty, without being subject to episcopal scrutiny, and are allowed to provide evangelical preachers for themselves and their people. And at length it is to be hoped, that we are on the |