"Latin, saying that Latin was the Roman tongue : But "the wonderful GOD inspired the holy apostles with "the knowledge of all languages, that they might teach "all people in their proper tongue and language; which "caused our wise K. Henry, before his death, to have "the holy scriptures transcribed into the English tongue, "for the good of his subjects, that their eyes may be opened "to behold the wondrous things out of the law of the Lord. "But there are false prophets at this instant, and will be "to the end of the world, that shall deceive you with "false doctrines, expounding this text, or that, purposely "to confound your understandings, and to lead you cap"tive into a wilderness of confusion, whom you shall "take as your friends, but they shall be your greatest "enemies, speaking against the tenets of Rome, and yet "be set on by Rome; these shall be a rigid people, full "of fury and envy.

"But, to prevent these things that are to come, ob"serve Christ and his apostles: Let all things be done with "decency, with mildness, and in order: fervently crying "unto GOD, Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold the "wondrous things out of thy law; then should you rightly keep the law and the prophets. It is the part of a "prince to be wise, for he hath a great charge to rule and govern a nation. Your late king, foreseeing Rome "and her pope's intentions, how that he intended to en"slave his subjects, and to keep them in a state of ig"norance, consulted with the learned of his realm, know"ing that youth might quickly be wrought on; there"fore he prepared, before his death, a wise and learn"ed sort of counsellors for his son's overseers; not "trusting to one or two, but to several, that he might "the better rule his people; whose eyes the Lord GOD "Almighty had opened betimes, to behold his wondrous

"works.

"Though the words of my text be plainly thus (Open "thou mine eyes) the meanest of you that hear me have eyes; but the true meaning of the words is, Endue us "with understanding; for a fool hath eyes, and sees men, "women, beasts, birds, and other things, but yet wants "understanding: So, when we say, Open thou our eyes, we desire the Lord GOD to instruct and teach us the "knowledge of his laws.

"When you were lately led in blindness, your eyes "beheld the images that then stood in several of the mo"nastries and churches, until they were removed; yet

"all

all this while were your understandings blinded; be"cause ye believed in them, and placed your trust in "them.

"Suppose an artist or workman make an image either "of man or woman, and at last a clergyman of Rome << gave it such a name, calling it St Peter or St Paul, "or St Mary, or St Anne, must not that man, though "he behold his own handy-work, and knows in his heart "that it was his own work, be blind, and void of reason "and understanding of the law of GOD, and of the "wondrous things that are contained in the law of the Lord? "Yes, surely, he must be blind, and void of reason, and "of the true faith, that would worship the same.

"The workman carved the eyes, but these eyes see "not; he likewise carved the ears, but they hear not; "the nose, and it smells not; the mouth, and it neither "breathes nor speaks; the hands, they feel not; the "feet, but they stand stock still.

"How therefore can your prayers be acceptable unto "this image, that sees you not approaching towards it, "that hears you not when you pray to it, that smells not "the sweet smells, be they of myrrh or frankincense "burning before it? How can it absolve you, when the "mouth is not able to say; Thy sins are forgiven thee? "And if you place a certain sum of money in the palm "of the hand of that image; come you again to-morrow, "the money, it is true, shall find a customer, but the "image never the wiser, who took it; and, if you desire "to have it come unto you, it cannot without help; "therefore the workman, that made this image, is as "blind, as deaf, as dumb, and as void of sense as the "image itself; and so be ye all, that put your trust in "them.

"Therefore of late new artificers by springs have made "artificial ones, which for a certain time shall move, " and ye shall believe it to be real and certain: But be"ware, good people, for they be but lying wonders, "purposely that ye may break the law of GOD. And

thus hath the devil devised a lying wonder, that ye "may be deluded to break the law of the Lord, which

is, Thou shalt not make unto thyself any graven image. "O Lord, open thou our eyes, our ears, and our understand"ing, that we may behold the wondrous things that are in "thy law. The law of GOD is an undefiled law. Oh! why should we be so wicked then as to defile that law, "which the Almighty GOD hath made so pure without " blemish !

"blemish! Jesus came to fulfil the law, and not to abolish "the law. But there is a new fraternity of late sprung "up, who call themselves Jesuits, which will deceive 66 many, who are much after the Scribes and Pharisees "manner? Amongst the Jews they shall strive to abolish "the truth, and shall come very near to do it; for these "sorts will turn themselves into several forms, with the "heathen, an heathenist; with atheists, an atheist; with "the Jews, a Jew; and with the Reformers, a Reform"ade; purposely to know your intentions, your minds, "your hearts, and your inclinations, and thereby bring

"

you at last to be like the fool that said in his heart there " is no GOD. These shall spread over the whole world, "shall be admitted into the councils of princes, and they "never the wiser; charming of them, yea, making your "princes reveal their hearts, and the secrets therein, “unto them, and yet they not perceive it; which will happen from falling from the law of GOD, by neg"lect of fulfilling of the law of GOD, and by winking "at their sins; yet in the end, GOD, to justify his "law, shall suddenly cut off this society even by the "hands of those who have most succoured them, and "made use of them; so that at the end, they shall become odious to all nations: They shall be worse than "Jews, having no resting-place upon earth, and then "shall a Jew have more favour than a Jesuit. Now, to "arm you all good Christians against these things that

are to come, lest ye be led into temptation: Cry un"to the Lord your GOD, and heartily pray that he "would be so merciful unto you as to open the eyes of your "understanding, that you may behold the wonders and plea

"santness that is in his law. Which GOD of his infi"nite mercy grant that we may all do."

JOHN BUGENHAGIUS.

MEEKNESS and humility were the characteristics of this great divine, who was born at Julin, near Stetin in Pomerania, in the year 1485. His parents being of some rank in the state, gave him a very liberal education; instructing him with great care, in the principles

of

of religion: And, finding that he made great progress in his learning, they sent him early to the university of Grypswald, where he profited so much in the study of the liberal arts and the languages, that, at twenty years of age, he taught school at Treptow, and by his learning and diligence raised the school to a considerable degree of reputation. He read every day, to his numerous scholars, some portion of scripture, and prayed with them; till one day meeting with Erasmus's Lucubrations, which treat of the histrionical carriage of the friars, and the idolatry of the times;' he received so much light in the true understanding of the scriptures, that he began to instruct others by lecturing in his school on the gospel by St Matthew, Paul's epistles to Timothy, and the Psalms. To these he added catechising, an exposition of the Creed, and the Ten Commandments. Many in the city, of various descriptions, resorted to these exercises.

He was called from the school to preach in the church, and was admitted into the college of Presbyters; where many people of all ranks attended his preaching. As learning was not very frequent in the popish divines of those days, and as Bugenhagius was endowed with a considerable variety of knowledge, both in ecclesiastical, theological, and even political concerns; he soon became of great estimation. Prince Bogislaus engaged him to write a history of Pomerania, furnishing him with money, books and records; and he completed it in two years, with much judgment and integrity.

His prince had employed him about these temporal affairs; but it pleased GOD soon to call off his attention to better things. For in the year 1520, one Otho Slutovius of Treptow, having Luther's book on the Babylonish Captivity' sent him, gave it to Bugenhagius as he sat at dinner with his colleagues. Bugenhagius looked over a few leaves of it, and told them, that "many heretics "had disquieted the peace of the church since Christ's "time, but that there never was a more pestilent heretic "than the author of that book;" shewing at the same time, how, in many particulars, Luther dissented from the received doctrine of the church. But in a few days after, having read it with great diligence and attention, GOD was pleased to work such an effect upon him, that he made this public recantation before them all: "What "shall I say of Luther? All the world hath been blind "and in Cimmerian darkness; only this one man hath found out the truth." And further reasoning with.

them

them on the contents of Luther's book, most of his colleagues were brought to form the same judgment of them with himself; and the abbot, two aged pastors of the church, and some other of the friars, began to discover the deceits of Popery, and to preach against the superstitions and abuses of human traditions, persuing their auditors wholly to rely upon the merits of Christ.

Bugenhagius after this applied himself diligently to the reading of Luther's other works, in which he was taught to see the nature of the law and the gospel, justification by faith, &c. perceiving the agreement there was, in opinion of these doctrines, between Augustine and Luther, and how wide of the mark, upon these points, were the writings of Origen and Thomas Aquinas. These truths of scripture he preached and taught with such success, at the same time opening to the people the idle comments and delusions of the monks, that Erasmus Mandwell, bishop of Cammin, enraged to a high degree began to persecute many priests, scholars, and citizens of Treptow, who were the professors or hearers of these doctrines. He grounded the occasion of it upon the images being removed out of the church in the night, and the injury that the popish priests received by the people's leaving the mass. Moved with envy and rage, he raised a persecution against all that believed and professed them. Some he cast into prison, while others fled abroad: And Bugenhagius, not thinking himself safe, and being desirous of an interview and an acquaintance with Luther, went to Wittenberg in the year 1521, which was a little before Luther went to the diet of Worms. About this time, Bartholomew Bernhard Feldkirch, pastor of Kemberg, was the first priest who led the way, since the absolute interdiction of marriage by the see of Rome, by taking a wife. This gave rise to the disputes on the Obligation of Vows made in Monkery. In Luther's absence, Bugenhagius engaged in a controversy with Carolostadius, who would have brought the law of Moses into the civil state, and removed images out of the church. On Luther's return from his Patmos, by the suffrages of the university and senate, Bugenhagius was chosen pastor of the church at Wittenberg, in which he laboured in word and doctrine with much inward consolation, in many changes of affairs, for thirty years, never leaving the flock over which the Holy Ghost had made him overseer, neither because of the dangers of war, nor for the pestilence that wasteth at noon-day; but preferred very homely fair with the people, among whom he had been made useful, to the

profered