PETER MARTYR: OR PETER MARTYR VERMILIUS. THIS HIS excellent man was born in the city of Florence, the metropolis of the dukedom of Tuscany in Italy, on the eighth of September, 1500. His father was Stephen Vermilius, who gave him such a liberal education, that, at sixteen years of age, he became a canon regular of the order of St Augustine in the college at Fiscoli, about a mile from Florence. It is said, that he received the first rudiments of literature from his mother, who was a very ingenious lady, and used to read Terence and the other Latin classics to him in the original. He spent three years at this college, and was then sent to Padua, to enlarge his learning in that university, which was in a flourishing condition. He settled there in the monastery of St John de Verdera of the same order of Augustines, where he continued eight years studying philosophy, and the other liberal arts: But he more particularly applied himself to the study of the Greek tongue, and poets, which he completely mastered. He began to preach in 1526; and the first time he performed that office was in the church of St Afra in Brescia, or Brixia, a city belonging to the republic of Venice. He afterwards preached in the most considerable cities of Italy: But all the time that he could obtain from his function was devoted to sacred learning, philosophy, and in acquir ing the Hebrew tongue. He became such a celebrated scholar, that he was made abbot of Spoletto, in the duchy of Umbria, subject to the pope, where he continued three years. From thence he was translated to the city of Naples, where he became abbot of the monastery of his order called St Peter ad Aram, which was much more considerable than that of Spoletto. At Bononia he applied himself to the study of the Hebrew tongue, and pursued at the same time his studies in divinity. It was at Naples that Martyr first read the works of Bucer and Zuinglius, which opened his eyes to the verity of of the gospel: But he did not embrace the protestant re ligion till the year 1542. One Valdes, a Spanish lawyer and learned protestant, was the means of establishing him in the knowledge and love of the truth; so that, it is said, he even ventured to preach it privately at Rome itself, to some persons of quality, and proceeded so far as to attack the doctrine of purgatory openly; but was soon silenced. He fell into a dangerous sickness after he had been three years at Naples; but the strength of his constitution overcame it, and his physicians advised him to take better air than what Naples afforded. The fathers therefore chose him general visitor of their order, that he might be absent from his cure with convenience: and he was soon after elected prior of St Fridian in the city of Lucca in Tuscany, where he enjoyed his native air. Here he lived with Zanchius and Tremellius, whom he is said to have been the instrument of converting to the knowledge and profession of the gospel, with many others, who were afterwards obliged to abandon their native country upon that account. This priory was a place of great dignity, and had episcopal jurisdiction in the middle part of the city. He instituted a most admirable method of studies for the young students at Lucca: But his opinion concerning a Reformation of the church was discovered, and snares were laid for him by the monks, which prevented him from declaring his sentiments. He therefore committed the best part of his library to the custody of one of his friends, gave another part to the college, and departed from Lucca to Pisa, a city eight miles distant from the other. He wrote from Fisa to cardinal Pole, and shewed him the reasons of his departure. Afterwards he went into Switzerland with Bernardinus Ochinus, who was also lately converted from the Romish superstitions, after having been one of the most popular preachers in Italy, and continued some time at Zurick; from whence he went to Strasburgh, by means of Bucer, where he read and taught divinity about five years. While he was at Strasburgh, he followed the example of Luther and Bucer, by taking a wife, who had lately been a nun, and whose name was Catharine Dampmartin. This caused his enemies to say, that he left his order and monastic vows for the sake of a woman. She lived with him eight years, went with him to England, and died at Oxford. Bucer endeavoured to persuade Peter Martyr to follow his example about the eucharist. Martyr conformed himself for some time to Bucer's language, and afterwards left it, when he saw the dangerous consequences of it; which were, were, that the Lutherans were not fully satisfied; while it gave offence to the weak and perplexed, and embarrassed them in such a manner, that they could not tell what to believe on that point. However, Bucer was convinced of Martyr's orthodoxy; and they continued their friendship. Bucer and Fagius were invited to England in the reign of Edward VI. Peter Martyr was also invited there in that reign, to assist in the Reformation: Though Naudaus erroneously says, he fled thither for refuge. In 1547, Edward Seymour, lord protector, and archbi shop Cranmer, invited Peter Martyr to England, that his assistance might be used to carry on a Reformation in the church.' He arrived in December the same year, in this kingdom, with Bernardinus Ochinus, another Italian. They were kindly received by archbishop Cranmer, at Lambeth, and entertained there for some time. The stipends, allowed them, were handsome for the time; though indeed no stipends could deserve any consideration, which might draw over and subsist men of such eminence and learning. We were but just emerged from barbarism in this country; and the introduction of learned foreigners afforded both a polish to our manners, and an improvement to our minds. True knowledge beat down the outworks of superstition, and the gospel of truth invested the capital. Bucer was made professor of divinity at Cambridge; and, in 1548, Martyr was admitted doctor of divinity at Oxford as he had stood at Padua. The government, at that time, had a watchful eye over both the universities, where Bucer, Martyr, and the other learned foreigners, were hard pressed in disputes with popish English divines. Oglethorpe, the president of Magdalen-college in Oxford, was particularly obnoxious, as being backward in the work of Reformation, and there was some talk of prosecuting him before the council: But he prevented this, by sending a letter to Cranmer, setting forth his own conduct in the most favourable light, wherein he declared his dislike to transubstantiation; yet he thought that Christ was present in the sacrament in some inconceivable manner; on which account, he was of opinion, that it ought to be administered with great devotion and caution. We shall find that doctor Oglethorpe was afterwards made bishop of Carlisle; and that it was he who crowned queen Elizabeth in 1559, notwithstanding the other bishops refused to assist at the solemnity; because that princess had sufficiently declared herself against the church of Rome. Doctor Smith, another eminent professor in Oxford, had been remarkably inconstant in matters of religion, and was was therefore removed from his public professorship of divinity, to make way for Peter Martyr, notwithstanding he was more addicted to the Zuinglian than to the Lutheran doctrines in point of the sacrament. The same year, Martyr was appointed by the king to read a public lecture to the academians in the divinity school, and to have an annuity of forty marks for his reward. He maintained public disputations with the Romanists, who behaved to him more like personal enemies than religious adversaries. It is necessary to observe, that the main spring which actuated all measures, was religion. The young king, and the duke of Somerset, were sincerely and virtuously disposed towards a Reformation; and their measures were directed by the cool and politic head of archbishop Cranmer, who made an admirable use of that knowledge of mankind, which he had acquired by his long experience. He could not, indeed, prevent many, who assisted in the work of Reformation, from profiting themselves by the spoils of the church: But he took care, that what she lost in her property, she should make up in her establishment. The spirit of Reformation seems to have been quickened by the arrival of the foreign divines from Germany and other places. They were in general against the imparity of church government: But, in other respects, their opinions were not much repugnant to those now received by the church of England. The calling in those foreigners had this happy effect, that their authority, which was great in England on account of their reputation abroad, proved an useful counterpoise at the universities, to the influence of the papists and popish professors, who continued still* numerous there. The privy-council were informed of the tumult at Oxford, and appointed some delegates to hear and preside in the disputation which the professor had undertaken. Martyr accordingly maintained, against three opponents, that in the sacrament of thanksgiving there is no transubstantiation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ: That his body or blood is not carnally or corporally in the bread and wine, nor under them: But that his body and blood are united to the bread and wine sacramentally. His adversaries, finding no advantage could be gained by argument, had recourse to more forcible measures. They stirred up the multitude against him so successfully, that he was obliged to retire to London, till the tumult was suppressed. |