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After Mr Knox's death came out his famous History of the Reformation of Religion within the Realm of Scotland, &c. probably first printed in London, 1586, 8vo; again at London in 1644, fol. and the same year at Edinburgh, in 4to, and a fourth time at Edinburgh, 1732, fol. This edition is printed from a MS. in the library of the college at Glasgow, an account of which, and of three others is given by the editor, in our Author's life prefixed to it.
Besides his printed works, there were also, in 1732,some MSS. of his in the hands of Mr Robert Woodrow, minister of Eastwood, and others are preserved in Mr David Calderwood's large history of the church of Scotland. Those in the hands of Mr Woodrow are ;
I. A volume in folio, in an old hand fairly written, and seems to have been copied by John Gray, scribe to the G. Assembly, for the use of Margaret Stewart, Mr Knox's widow, both their names being written upon it. The contents of it are, A Preparation to Prayer, four sheets. 2. The sixth Psalm of David godly expounded, ten sheets, written in 1553, when our Author was leaving England 3. The Epistle sent to several Congregations in England, shawand the Plaigs, which sall schortlie cum upon that Realm, for refusing God's Worde, and imbrassing Idolatrie, John Knox. 4. To the Faithful in London, Newcastle, and Berwick.
II. A volume in 4to, containing 518 pages. Upon the title-page is written, The Epistles of Mr John Knox, worthy to be read, &c. And in another hand are the following words : This book belonged some time to Margaret Stewart, widow to Mr Knox, afterwards married to the Knight of Fadounside, sister she was to James earl of Ar
The contents are, 1. Mr Knox's Confession before the Bishop of Durham, April 4, 1550. 2. His Declaration in a sum concerning the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. 3. A Declaration what true Prayer is, by John Knox. This is distinct from the treatise in the other volume, and consists of four sheets. 4. The Exposition upon the sixth Psalm, the same with that in the other volume. 5. John Knox to the Faithful in London, &c. ibid. 6. Knox's Admonition to the Professors in England. This is printed. 7. Certain Epistles and Letters of the Servant of GOD, John Knox, to and from divers Places to his Friends in Jesus Christ. These epistles are forty-six in number, written from the year 1553 to 1557.
THIS excellent divine was born the eighteenth of
July, 1504, at Bremgarten, a small town on the frontiers of the canton of Zurick, in Switzerland. His father was a man of considerable fortune; but brought up his children as if he had been in indigent circumstances. He sent this son, at twelve years
age, to a good school at Emmeric, in the duchy of Cleves, where he studied the classics under Mosellanus. His father only gave him a suit of clothes, when he sent him to this school, where he continued three years, and maintained himself by what he got in singing from door to door. He was put to such straits by his father, to make him one day more sensible of the prayers of the poor.
Bullinger had a mind to turn Carthusian when he went to Emmeric. Teissier says, he resolved to turn Carthusian, when he had made an end of his studies. He would have been of that order, but his elder brother dissuaded him from it.
At fifteen years of age he was sent to Cologne, where he applied himself more earnestly to classical learning, because he began to perceive the barbarous manner in which philosophy was then taught. In 1520, he even wrote five dialogues against the school-divines. The two first attacked those divines directly: The two following were an apology for Reuchlin against Pipericorne, a converted Jew : And the title of the fifth was Promorotes : But they were not printed.
Ballinger continued at Cologne till 1522, and the nature of his studies there disposed him to forsake the Romish communion, as soon as occasion offered. He is said to have been converted by the writings of Melancthon. In 1523, he passed some months at his father's house, and was invited by the abbot of Cappel to teach in his convent. It was an abbey of the Cistercian order near Zurick; and that order was founded, in 1098, by Robert, abbot of Citeaux in France. Bullinger discharged his duty with great reputation, till 1527, at this convent, when he became the chief instrument of establishing the reformation
of Zuinglius there. It does not appear that Ballinger was a clergyman in the communion of the see of Rome : And it is expressly remarked, that he performed no manner of Roman-catholic function in the abbey of La Cappel. • His religion was entirely pure ; por had he any share in « the monastic vows, or order, habit, singing, choir, or • any other popish superstition.'
Zuinglius, assisted by Oecolampadius and Bucer, had established the doctrine of evangelical truth, at Zurick, in 1523. Bullinger attended the lectures of Zuinglius at Zurick, five months, in 1527; which occasioned him to renew his study of the Greek language, and to begin that of the Hebrew. He preached publicly by a mission from the synod; and in 1528, he accompanied Zuinglius at the famous dispute that was held at Bern.
In 1529, when he was in the twenty-fifth year of his age, he was made pastor of the Reformed at Bremgarten. He was scarce quietly settled in his church, with regard to those of the Romish communion, when he was engaged in disputes with the Anabaptists : But he disputed publicly against them, and wrote several books in which he confuted their erroneous opinions. The same year, he married Anne Adlischwiler, by whom he had many children.
The victory obtained by the catholic cantons over the Reformed, in 1531, obliged Bullinger to forsake his country, together with his father, brother, and colleague. He retired to Zurick, and there had the honour to fill the place vacant by the death of Zuinglius.
Bullinger has been rudely called an apostate, and a married priest; which is false, and Simler has shewn the contrary. He edified the church of Zurick, by his preaching and writings. He was obliged to refute the boasts and impertinencies of John Faber, who had been the principal antagonist of Zuinglius: But Bullinger shewed him, that the goodness of a religion was not to be judged of by the good or bad success of a battle.
From that time, Bullinger was employed in several ecclesiastical negotiations, by which Bucer laboured to reconcile the Žuinglians and the Lutherans. Bullinger conducted himself in such a manner, that no suspicion was entertained of him; and in 1536, he shewed, that the love of concord should never bring him to promote a formulary, that was captious and contrary to sound words.
In 1538, the Magistrates of Zurick, by his persuasion, erected a new college ; and he also prevailed with them to build, in a place that had formerly been a nunnery, a new