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The

Judgment of MARTIN BUCEr, concerning Divorce:

Writt❜n to EDWARD the Sixt, in his Second Book of the Kingdom of Christ:

And now Englisht.

Wherein a late Book, reftoring the Doctrine and Difcipline of Divorce, is here confirm'd and justify'd by the Authority of MARTIN Bucer.

To the Parlament of England.

John 3. 10.

Art thou a Teacher of Ifrael, and know'st not these things?

Testimonies of the high Approbation which Learned Men have given of MARTIN BUCER.

Simon Grynæus, 1533

Among all the Germans, I give the Palm to Bucer

for Excellence in the Scriptures. Melanchton in human Learning is wondrous fluent; but greater Knowledg in the Scripture I attribute to Bucer, and fpeak it unfainedly.

John Calvin, 1539.

Martin Bucer, a moft faithful Doctor of the Church of Chrift, befides his rare Learning, and copious Knowledg of many things, befides his clearnes of Wit, much Reading, and other many and various Vertues, wherein he is almost by none now living excell'd, hath few Equals, and excels moft; hath this praise peculiar to himself, that none in this Age hath us'd exacter diligence in the Expofition of Scripture.

And a little beneath.

Bucer is more large then to be read by over-bufied Men, and too high to be easily understood by unattentive Men, and of a low capacity.

Sir John Cheek, Tutor to K. Edward VI. 1551.

We have loft our Mafter, then whom the World fcarce held a greater, whether we confider his know

ledg of true Religion, or his integrity and innocence of life, or his inceffant study of holy things, or his matchless labour of promoting piety, or his authority and amplitude of teaching, or whatever els was praiseworthy and glorious in him. Script. Anglicana, pag. 864.

John Sturmius of Straßburgh.

No man can be ignorant what a great and conftant opinion and estimation of Bucer there is in Italy, France, and England. Whence the Saying of Quintilian hath oft come to my mind, that he hath well profited in Eloquence whom Cicero pleases. The fame fay I of Bucer, that he hath made no small progrefs in Divinity, whom Bucer pleases; for in his Volumes, which he wrote very many, there is the plain impreffion to be difcern'd of many great Vertues, of Diligence, of Charity, of Truth, of Acutenefs of Judgment, of Learning. Wherein he hath a certain proper kind of Writing, whereby he doth not only teach the Reader, but affects him with the sweetness of his Sentences, and with the manner of his Arguing, which is fo teaching, and fo logical, that it may be perceiv'd how learnedly he separates probable Reasons from neceffary, how forcibly he confirms what he has to prove, how futtly he refutes, not with fharpnes, but with truth.

Theodore Beza on the Portraiture of M. Bucer.

This is that count'nance of Bucer, the mirror of mildnes, temper'd with gravity; to whom the City of Strafburgh owes the Reformation of her Church. Whofe fingular Learning, and eminent Zeal, joyn'd with excellent Wisdom, both his learned Books, and public Difputations in the general Diets of the Empire, fhall witness to all Ages. Him the German Perfecution drove into England; where honourably

entertain'd by Edward the Sixt, he was for two years chief Profeffor of Divinity in Cambridge, with greateft frequency and applause of all learned and pious Men until his death, 1551. Beza Icones.

Mr. Fox Book of Martyrs, Vol. 3. p. 763.

Bucer, what by writing, but chiefly by reading and preaching openly, wherein being painful in the Word of God, he never spar'd himself, nor regarded his Health, brought all Men into fuch an admiration of him, that neither his Friends could fufficiently praise him, nor his Enemies in any point find fault with his fingular Life, and fincere Doctrine. A most certain tok'n whereof may be his fumptuous Burial at Cambridge, folemniz'd with so great an assistance of all the University, that it was not poffible to devise more to the setting out and amplifying of the fame.

Dr. Pern the Popish Vice-Chancellor of Cambridg, his Adverfary.

Cardinal Pool about the fourth year of Queen Mary, intending to reduce the University of Cambridg to Popery again, thought no way fo effectual, as to cause the Bones of Martin Bucer and Paulus Fagius, which had been four years in the Grave, to be tak'n up and burnt openly with their Books, as knowing that those two worthy Men had bin of greatest moment to the Reformation of that place from Popery, and had left fuch powerful Seeds of their Doctrine behind them, as would never die, unless the Men themselves were digg'd up, and openly condemn'd for Heretics by the University it self. This was put in execution, and Doctor Pern, Vice-Chancellor, appointed to preach against Bucer. Who, among other things, laid to his charge the Opinions which he held of the Marriage of Priests, of Divorcement, and of Ufury. But immediately after his Sermon, or fomewhat before,

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