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THE

CHRISTIAN GUARDIAN,

AND

Church of England Magazine.

NOVEMBER 1825.

MEMOIRS OF THE REFORMERS.

PETER MARTYR.

PETER MARTYR, born at Florence on the 8th of September, 1500, was the son of Stephen Vermigli and Mary Fumantini, both of patrician descent in that republic. His peculiar name was given him in consequence of a vow, made to Peter of Milan, said to have been martyred in the early age of the church, for his opposition to the Arian heresy, to whose honour a church was dedicated near their residence. As it had pleased God to deprive his parents of all their other children, of whom there were many, in their infancy, except this son, and a daughter named Gemina Felicitas, it is probable they had a fond hope, that this sainted appellation would conciliate the Divine favour on their offspring, and that they watched his rising years with proportional interest and tenderness. Having ample resources, no expense was spared to procure him the best means of tuition which their neighbourhood afforded, while they were not wanting themselves in forwarding his improvement by the most careful discipline. His mother in particular, who was well skilled in the writers of the Augustan age, made him construe to her the comedies of Terence. He was afterwards sent to study under Marcellus Vergil, a learned man, distinguished by a translation of Dioscorides, with a commentary, NOV. 1825.

who conceived the liveliest hopes, from the quickness of conception, retentiveness of memory, ardour of application, modesty of deportment, and sweetness of temper, which he observed in his young pupil.

As he advanced towards manhood, his virtuous feeling and conscientious character were discovered by his resolution to withdraw from the temptations abounding in a rich and luxurious capital, to the seclusion of a convent: and as the order of canons regular of St. Augustine was at that time in high repute among the Italians, he made his election in its favour, entering, in his sixteenth year, one of their colleges, built on the ruins of the ancient city of Fesulæ, near Florence, with the sincerest welcome of the fellows, to whom his genius and disposition were not unknown. Drawn by the affectionate force of his example, his sister entered, at the same time, the nunnery on the foundation of St. Peter the Martyr.

Stephen Vermigli did not approve the step which his children had taken, whether as desirous of perpetuating his family, so respectable in Tuscan annals, or as feeling a disgust at the sanctimonious pretensions and superstitious observances of the recluses, which had been exposed in the popular writings of Dante and Petrarch, as well as in the sermons of Savonarola which he may be presumed to have attended. His dissatisfaction

3 F

was apparent in the testamentary disposition of his property; the bulk of which he bequeathed to a lady whom he married on the decease of their mother, leaving the remainder to a public charity, subject to the payment of an annuity to his son of fifty golden pieces.

He passed three years in this college, and applied diligently to his studies, taking advantage of a valuable library presented by the Medici, consisting not only of works from other parts of Italy, but from Greece and the East. He was assiduous in reading the Scriptures; for it was creditable to the society with which he had fraternized, that they accustomed their associates and junior members to commit to memory portions of the word of God. At the termination of this period, it was judged expedient by his colleagues to send him to Pavia for further information, in which was another convent of the order, called St. John of Verdara; where he continued about eight years under Father Albert, a respectable and liberal abbot. He shewed his natural strength of mind during his stay, by his determination to study Aristotle in the Greek, because the Latin translation in use gave the sense of the original very imperfectly, though he had no good preceptors to lend him assistance. He was known frequently to spend the whole night in the library with Benedict Cusani, a native of Vercelli, and an industrious fellow-student, where they mutually read and in-, terpreted. He was now deemed a fit subject for the office of a preacher, at that season chiefly sustained by the order of Dominicans; those of other fraternities giving only the Advent and Lent discourses, on which occasions there was generally a great concourse of hearers.

This

nomination was considered honourable, as, by a special grant of the popes to the society to which he belonged, their preachers were admitted to all the privileges of the

doctorate.

His first course of sermons was delivered in Brescia; but he afterwards lectured at Rome, Bologna, Firmio, Pisa, Venice, Mantua, Bergamo, and Monferrat Nor did he confine himself to preaching, but taught philosophy and divinity, in the schools of his order at Pavia, Ravenna, Bologna, and Vercelli; in which latter city, at the urgent request of Cusani, he commented on the poems of Homer. Having a great desire to become acquainted with the Old Testament in the original, during his continuance at Bologna, where he was appointed Vicar to the Prior, he overcame by a liberal offer the prejudice entertained, in common with those of his nation, by Isaac, a Jewish physician, against teaching him, as a Christian, the Hebrew language. He was now raised, by the general consent of the brotherhood, to the abbacy of Spoleto, where he gained universal esteem, not only by reforming the vicious conduct which had brought scandal on the Augustinians, but also by reconciling the contending factions in that republic, a mediation vainly undertaken by his predecessors. After a session of three years he was preferred, in an assembly of the principals of his order, to the government of the Neapolitan college of St. Peter, ad aram, a dignity much esteemed for pleasantness of situation and amount of revenue.

Here his understanding became more enlightened on divine topics. From the scholastic theology, and the study of the Fathers, he turned more frequently to the Scriptures and modern writers. He read Bucer's commentaries on the Gospels and Annotations on the Psalms; the treatise of Zuinglius on true and false Religion, and the Providence of God, together with some productions of Erasmus; and held conversations on religion with three intelligent friends, Cusani, Flamini, and Valdez. The latter was a pious noble, who devoted his talents and

influence to the glory of God, and the benefit of his fellow-creatures. He laid the foundation of a Reformed Church at Naples, and was ably seconded by Martyr, who earnestly desired to impart to others the knowledge he had himself received; and for this purpose expounded the First Epistle to the Corinthians, not only to the friars, but to the chief clergy and laity. But when he came to that passage in ch. iii. ver. 13, 14, "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire"-which the Papists explained of purgatorial flame, to the great emolument of the priests, he displeased many of his hearers by giving a different interpretation. They consulted together, and forbad attendance on his lectures; but the expositor, feeling their injustice, appealed to the pope, and, through the interest of Cardinal Gonzaga and other acquaintance, obtained a reversal of their interdict. He was however soon after hindered from preaching, by severe illness, while his trial was increased by the loss of his friend Cusani. As it appeared that the climate of Naples did not suit his constitution, he was appointed on his recovery General Visitor of the Order. There was an integrity and consistency in his conduct, which forced even those to admire him who were adverse to the strictness of his doctrine and discipline, as he reformed many abuses, and with the approbation of Gonzaga, Protector of the Order, deprived some principal characters of their dignities for an unworthy course of life, and sent them to prison. Notwithstanding this severity, he was still so much esteemed

that at a meeting held at Mantua he was elected Priorof St. Fridian of Lucca. Some of the electors were invidious enough to hope that he would prove obnoxious to his neighbours, from the political differences existing between Lucca and Florence: but his prudence, affability, and general excellence of character secured him the good will of the inhabitants of the former commonwealth, while he pursued his plans of reform; provided adequate tutors, and daily expounded Scripture both to civilians and collegians, preaching on Sundays to the common people. The fruit of his ministry appeared afterwards in the readiness with which many of his hearers submitted to exile from their country for the sake of evangelical truth.

A party of opponents at length endeavoured to undermine his ininfluence, and endanger his person. As they could not lower him in the estimation of the Luccese nobility, they brought secret accusations against him at the court of Rome, formed cabals in their respective colleges, and contrived to assemble at Genoa all who envied his authority or desired a relaxation of his discipline. They then required his attendance; but, as he was not without some knowledge of their intrigues, after advising with his intimates, he resolved to avoid an interview, and take precautionary measures. Committing some choice books to the care of a friend to be sent after him, he left the rest of his library to the foundation; and having instructed his Vicar in matters of internal economy, privately quitted the city with three of his most attached associates.

He entertained thoughts of passing into Germany, but, wishing to pay a previous visit to his native country, took the road for Pisa, where he was comforted by partaking of the Lord's Supper with some enlightened and godly individuals, and also wrote some letters to Reginald Pole, and other friends,

at Lucca, which were to be delivered a month after his departure, containing his reasons for that measure; pointing out some grievous errors in the Romish persuasion, and particularly in the monastic life, in which he could no longer continue with a safe conscience; exposing the snares laid for him by his enemies; declaring his sincere endeavours for the good of the order, but lamenting his deficiency as a teacher; and sending back the ring which he had worn by virtue of his office, as a sign of his intention to subsist on his own scanty patrimony, and prefer no claim on the monastery for his support. At Florence he found Bernardin Ochino, who had been summoned to Rome for his opinions. After consulting with their mutual friends Ochino departed for Geneva, and in the course of two days was followed by Martyr, who passed through Bologna, Ferrara, and Verona, into the Helvetic territory. Arriving at Zurich he was kindly welcomed by Bullinger, Pellican, and Walter, with other supporters of reformed principles; but no vacancy occurring in their schools for a teacher, he passed on to Basle, and, having stayed there about a month, was invited by Bucer to Strasburg. This excellent friend negotiated with the Senate to allow Martyr a stipend as successor to Capito, in their university, where he daily interpreted Scripture, and turned the Hebrew into Latin, for the benefit of the students. He entered on his labours in November 1542, and continued them for five years, enjoying the society of the amiable Bucer, with whom he only differed on the subject of celebrating the holy communion. Bucer, in the first instance, persuaded him, that by using certain ambiguous terms he might conciliate the more pertinacious Lutherans; but Martyr, finding on experiment that such persons were still dissatisfied, and that he rather gave offence to the minds of weaker brethren, declined

the usage of these terms for a more plain and simple formulary. As soon as he was settled at Strasburg, he addressed an affecting epistle to the congregation of Lucca, in which, after giving some account of his journey, and the kindness he had experienced from Bucer, he apologized for his flight, declaring his conviction, however they might object, that he was justified from the necessity of the case.

But

He resided for some time in a private dwelling with the friends who accompanied him from Italy, and in such a frugal style that, though his income was narrow, he had a superfluity for the purposes of benevolence or charity. when he considered a state of celibacy objectionable, he united himself in marriage to Catharine Dampmartin, a religious and pleasing lady, who had come from Metz to reside at Strasburg. Maimbourg has had the audacity to assert, that "after the example of Doctor Martin Luther, he took for wife a nun whom he had seduced *." This slander is well refuted by the author of the Apology for the Reformers, the celebrated Jurieu +.

After a

Archbishop Cranmer requesting him to visit England, that he might have the benefit of his counsel and erudition in the great work of Reformation, he obtained the consent of the Senate for his departure, attended by Ochino, who had received a similar invitation. hospitable entertainment by the metropolitan, he was, by command of King Edward VI. sent to Oxford, where he began a course of divinity lectures, by expounding the First Epistle to the Corinthians, which embraced topics at that period much disputed among theologians.

Some of the popish party attended his lectures, but a great number absented themselves, and

* Hist. du Calvinisme, L. 3. ann. 1562.

+ Hist. du Calv. et celle du Papisme mises en parallele, P. 1. c. 3.

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