FREDERIC MYCONIUS. FREDERIC MYCONIUS, was born at Lichtenfeldt, in Franconia, December the twenty-sixth, in the year 1491, of religious parents, and bred up at school there, till he was thirteen years of age, and then was sent to Annaberg, where he studied till he was twenty. About that age he entered into a monastry of Franciscans, without the knowledge of his parents. To this step he was led, by the superstition of the times, not for the love of ease (says Melchior Adam) and much less for the sake of his belly or pleasures; but with a view to serve God, and to obtain, by his own righteousness, the remission both of his own sins and of others. For the monks persuaded men, That their vow was equivalent to baptism; that it was the state of perfection; that the monastic rules and ordinances [verbo DEI multis 'parasangis anteire] were very far to be preferred to the word of God; that the habit of their order was much holier than all other garments; and that whosoever should be buried in the cowl of a monk, would infallibly obtain the remission of one-third part of all his sins; with much other goodly doctrine of the same profitable kind. ' The first night after his entry, Myconius had a remarkable dream, which proved prophetical, but is too long for insertion here. In this monastry he read the schoolmen and Augustine's works. He read also, at meal-times, the bible with Lyra's notes, which he continued for seven years together, and with such exactness, that he had it almost by heart: But at length despairing of making any considerable attainments in learning, he turned himself to the mechanical arts. About which time, the arrant vagabond Tetzelius brought his indulgences into Germany, boasting of the virtue of them, and exhorting all men, as as they loved their own salvation, and the salvation of their deceased friends, that they should buy them, &c. Myconius had been taught by his father, the Lord's prayer, the creed, the decalogue, and had been admonished to pray often; that the blood of Christ only could cleanse us from sin; that if only three persons were to be saved by this blood, he should endeavour to be one of them; and that pardon of sin and eternal life could not be bought with money, &c. From this circumstance, it has been supposed, that Myconius's father had secretly embraced the doctrine of the Waldenses Myconius, however, was greatly troubled, not knowing whether to believe his father or the priests; but understanding, that there was a clause in the indulgences, that they should be freely given to the poor, he went to Tetzelius, and begged him to give him one, for that he was a poor sinner, and one that needed a free pardon of his sins, and a participation of the merits of Christ. Tetzelius wondered to hear him speak Latin so well, which was what few priests could do in those days, and he therefore consulted with his colleagues, what was best to be done, who advised him to give Myconius a pardon: But, after a long debate, Tetzelius concluded, That the pope wanted money, without which he could not part with an indulgence.' Myconius urged the above-mentioned clause in the bull; upon which Tetzelius's colleagues desired he might have one given him, pleading his learning, ingenuity, poverty, &c. and that it would be a dishonour both to God and the pope to deny him one: But still Tetzelius absolutely refused. Upon this one of them whispered to Myconius, to give a little money for one, which he refused to do: They fearing the event, and believing that he was suborned by others, offered him money to buy one with; but he would not accept of it, saying, "That, if he "chose to buy one, he could sell a book for that pur"pose, but he desired one for God's sake, which if they "denied him, he wished them to consider how they could "answer it to God," &c. But prevailing nothing, he went away rejoicing, that there was yet a God in heaven, to pardon sinners freely, &c. according to that promise, As I live, saith the Lord, I desire not the death a sinner, c. A little time after this [viz. in the year 1516.] he took orders, and read privately Luther's books with John Voit, till he made profession of the truth, which gave great offence to the other friars, who severely threatened him for it. About this period, while Luther was attacking the errors and blasphemies of the church of Rome at Wittenberg, and the light of the gospel began to shine, he received a call to be a preacher at Vinaria, which he accepted of, and where at first he mixed some popish errors with the truth; but being further enlightened by the SPIRIT's teaching in reading the scriptures and Luther's works, he at length began to preach boldly against popery, and to hold forth the truth clearly; which spread with such incredible swiftness, not only through Saxony, but through all Europe, as if,' says our biographer, the angels had been the carriers of it.' Afterwards, in the year 1524, he was called to Gotha, to teach and govern the Thuringian churches, where he lived with his colleagues twenty-two years in much peace and concord; of which he himself says, "Cucurrimus, certa-"vimus, laboravimus, pugnavimus, vicimus, vixmus "semper conjunctissimè, &c." i. e. "We ran, we strove, we fought, we conquered, and we lived together always in the greatest harmony and love." He was remarkable for the great pains he took to pacify and keep quiet the boors, or common people; and is said to have made such an oration to great numbers of them, that were pulling down some noblemen's houses, that they all went away in peace. The same year he married, and by the blessing of God, had a numerous posterity. At this early period, the sound of the gospel was happily spread over most parts of Germany; and the following illustrious persons were scattered over it and the bordering countries; Luther, Zuinglius, Melancthon, Pomeran, Amsdorf, Urbanus, Regius, Snepfius, Brentius, Vitus Theodorus, John Alpin, Herman Bon, John Huss, Ambrose Moiban, Brisman, Speratus, Poliander, P. Rhodius, Hausmann, N. Medlerus, J. Caesius, J. Langus; and many others. He accompanied the elector of Saxony in many of his journies into the Low Countries, and other places, where he preached the gospel openly and faithfully, though often at the hazard of his life. About this time, our king Henry VIII. had fallen out with the pope, for not divorcing him from his wife Catharine, aunt to Charles V. emperor of Germany, and king of Spain, because of whose greatness the pope durst not do it. The king then sent over to the German princes, especially to the duke of Saxony to confederate against the pope, and to join with him in an agreement respecting religion; upon which account My conius was sent over to England, partly about religious matters, but principally about a match between king Henry and. Anne of Cleve. Myconius upon his arriva soon discovered the king's hypocrisy respecting religion, not only by the six articles about that time established, but also by his imprisoning of Latimer, beheading lord Cromwel, burning Dr Barnes, &c. and by his seizing all the abbey-lands; all which gave him such offence that he left England. Upon his return home, he was called by Henry of Saxony to visit and reform, (in conjunction with Luther, Jonas, Cruciger, and others) the churches of Misnia. The occasion of this reformation-visit was; George duke of Saxony, laying on his death-bed, sent to his brother Henry (all his own sons being already dead) desiring him, as he was to be his successor, not to make any innovations in religion; at the same time he promised him, by his ambassadors, golden mountains if he would comply with his request. To whom Henry answered,This emba sage of your's is just like the devil's dealing with Christ, when he promised him all the world if he would fall down and worship him: But, for my own part, I am resolved not to depart from the truth which God hath revealed unto me.' But before the return of the ambassador, duke George was dead: Upon which Henry, notwithstanding all the oppositions of the papists, carried on the Reformation in the churches. This reformation-work being finished, Myconius visited all the churches in Thuringia; and, with the help of Melancthon and some others, he provided them pastors and schoolmasters, and procured stipends to be settled upon them for their maintenance. In the year 1541, he fell into a consumption, of which he wrote to Luther, "That he was sick, not to death, but unto life" Which interpretation of the text pleased Luther exceedingly: who wrote for answer, I pray Christ our Lord, our salvation, and our health, &c. that I may not live to see thee and some others of our colleagues to die, and go to heaven and leave me here amongst the devils alone. I pray God, that I may first lay down this dry, exhausted, and unprofitable tabernacle: Farewel, and God forbid, that I should hear of thy death while I live; but may God grant thee to outlive me: This is my prayer, and my wish, and may it be granted me, amen; for I ask it for the glory of God's holy name, and not for my own ease or profit. A while after, Myconius recovered according to this prayer, 3 prayer, though his disease seemed to be desperate, and outlived it six years, even till the year after Luther's death; upon which Justus Jonas remarks, in speaking of Luther, Iste vir potuit quod voluit; That man could have of God whatever he pleased. Myconius, a little before his death, wrote an excellent letter to John Frederic elector of Saxony, in which he praised God for raising up three successively in that family, namely, Frederic, John, and John Frederic, to undertake the patronage of Luther, &c. He was a man of singular piety, of solid learning, of an excellent judgment, of a burning zeal, and of an admirable candour and gravity. He died of a relapse into his former disease, on the seventh of April, in 1546, having lived fifty-five years, three months, and seventeen days. And he died as he had lived, glorifying God for all the mercies which had been received by him and by the church in the blessed Reformation. He was a dear friend to Luther; and Luther was not less so to him. In their lives, they were united; and, in their deaths, they were not long divided; for Myconius survived his magnanimous friend only seventy-seven days. Stigelius wrote the following epitaph for his tomb. Quo duce, Gotha, tibi monstrata est gratia CHRISTI; Doctrina et vitæ tibi moribus ille reliquit Exemplum: Hoc ingens, Gotha, tuere decus. He is said to have published the following works: Expositio in Evang. Marci. Enarrationes in Psalmum ci. Expositiones in Evang. secundùm Matthæum, Lucam, & Johannem. Commentaria in Esaiam, Jeremiam, & Jonam. Narratio de vitá & morte Zuinglii. Sermo de liberis rectè educandis: De crapulá; Ebrietate: De fanore & usura, &c. JOHN DIAZIU S. THIS learned, pious, and constant sufferer, in the cause of God and truth, cated in Spain, and from thence was born and eduwas sent to Paris, to |