Finding himself better qualified by the addition of the languages, he returned to his native place, and chearfully laboured in his pastoral office; preaching Christ so powerfully to them, that he was greatly admired of his auditors; nor did he shine only in sound doctrine, but also in a corresponding life and conversation; setting a good example before those to whom he preached; and always associating with such as were famous for religion or learning, especially Wolfgang Capito, with whom he was acquainted at Heidelberg: their friendship being here renewed, it continued till death. During the discharge of his holy calling in the place of his nativity, Wolfgang Capito was called to Basil, to be their public lecturer; which advancement did not cause him at all to forget his old friend Oecolampadius, but rather put him upon thinking, how he might be of service in promoting him to some more eminent place; shewing great concern, that so bright a lamp of piety should be shut up in so narrow and unregarded a part of the country; wherefore he used all means to persuade the inhabitants of Basil, signifying his worth, to invite him to that city, and to confer that dignity upon him, which should correspond with his merit. Capito herein succeeded according to his wishes, for they readily agreed, and sent Oecolampadius a call to the pas toral office in that city, in 1515. Where, after he had preached, with great applause, for about a twelvemonth, he was honoured, in the same academy, with the title of doctor in divinity. About the same time Erasmus came to Basil, to publish his Annotations on the New Testa ment; for the perfecting of which, he used the assistance of Oecolampadius, on account of the eminency of his parts. When Erasmus's work was finished, Oecolampadius left Basil and went to Augsburg, being called by the commons of the cathedral church to preach in that place to the people: but he remained not long here; partly because of the humble opinion he had of his own abilities, thinking himself insufficient for so important and eminent a station; and, partly because of a degree of melancholy which predominated in his constitution, that disposed him to retirement and solitude. He therefore departed, and entered into the monastery of St. Bridget, situated without the city of Augsburg; but used such caution in making his covenant with the monks, as that he was to have li

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berty to study, and to believe what he would, and to depart from them when he pleased; for, said he," Although

should bind myself by innumerable oaths, I shall not by any means be able to keep them, if at any time I shall perceive that any profit will accrue to the church by my ministry." The monks, sensible of their acquisition, received him into their society, bestowing all things on him that he desired, and particularly acquainted him with all their privileges. After a few months he was so well pleased, that he purposed to spend the rest of his days in this lazy manner of life: but it pleased God to call him out again, and for that end stirred up his friends, and especially Capito, who seriously persuaded and earnestly exhorted him to give over that monastical life; to whose entreaties he yielded, and purposed to betake himself again to the labours of his calling; but, by way of preparation to his leaving the monastery, he first prepared and published a book of confession, in which, in many particulars he opposed the doctrine of the church of Rome, and thereby rendered his life in danger. The monks also were greatly afraid, lest any inconvenience should happen to them on account of his proceedings, and therefore endeavoured to free their monastery of him. In the mean time, he sharply reprehended them for their errors, persuading them to embrace the truth, which so exceedingly incensed them against him, that they laboured privately with his friends to be more earnest with him to leave the monastery.

Oecolampadius, in 1517, wrote a letter to Erasmus, informing him, of his own occupations at that time; for he was collating the Vulgate with the Hebrew; and of his connections with Melancthon. In 1518, Erasmus wrote a friendly letter to Oecolampadius, in which he highly commends Melancthon; though, at that time, he was displeased with him, for having spoken slightly of his New Testament.

Oecolampadius had acquired a great reputation for his skill in the learned languages, and was held in great esteem for his preaching. He was so far from admitting any change in religion, that he wrote a book against Lu ther to prove that the mass might be called a sacrifice. It was in 1520, when he was thirty-eight years old, that he withdrew himself from the world, and became a monk

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of the order of St. Bridget, in the monastery of St. Laurence, near Augsburg. "I hear, says Erasmus, that Oecolampadius is turned monk: I wish he had thought better upon it."

In 1521, Oecolampadius began to go over to the reformers, and left his monastery in 1922. He retired to gs Basil, in Switzerland, where he was made curate, and preacher of the church of St. Martin; and he soon introduced the doctrine of Luther. Here he was again advanced by the senate to a pastoral office, with a yearly stipend, which he performed with great zeal and constancy to the glory of God and the good of his church; here he boldly discovered to his auditors those errors, which by continuance had got firm footing, in the church; he opened up to them the perfection and sufficiency of the merits of Christ-he declared to them the true doctrine of charity; insomuch that they began to waver in their minds about the authority of the Popish religion. Whilst he was thus zealously occupied in these things, there were some who laboured to draw him again to the Pseudo-Catholic religion.

In the performance of his pastoral charge, an assistant was appointed him by public authority; and now he began to settle a more excellent reformation in the church, commanding the sacrament of baptism to be administered in the mother tongue, and the sacrament of the Lord's supper to be received in both kinds; he taught that the mass was not a sacrifice for the living and the dead, or for those who were tormented in their feigned purgatory; but that perfect satisfaction was made for all believers by the passion and merits of Christ. He dissuaded them from sprinkling themselves with holy water, and from the consecration of palms, and the like; declaring, that they, who attributed virtue to such things, did exceedingly detract from the glory and power of God. His preachings of the doctrines of Christ took such deep root in the hearts of his auditors, that they gave a period to many superstitious actions among them.

The foundation of future reformation was no sooner laid, than the old dragon began to play his part, and to discover his malicious envy and hatred against such things as make for the glory of God; either by hindering their proceedings, or by laying some foul aspersion on them:

for

for at that time brake forth that, yet continued, sacre m mentary dissension between Martin Luther and Huldericed a Zuinglius, pastor of the church at Zurich, concerning thera eucharist, which caused a great dissention between the23 churches of Switzerland and Saxony. Oecolampadius duri deavoured, but with little success, to heal these disserive sions by publishing a book upon the true meaning of the Ab words, "Hoc est corpus meum ;" and by many stronger arguments affirmed, that it was a tropial phrase.

This intended reformation was again hindered beg Eckius and his followers, who taught, 1. That the subu stantial body and blood of Christ was in the sacrament ge the altar. 2. That they were truly offered up in the mass m both for the living and the dead. 3. That the Virg Mary and the Saints were to be worshipped as interces sors. 4. That the images of Jesus and the Saints werend not to be abolished. 5. That after this life there wasa purgatory. These positions were vehemently opposed by e Oecolampadius at the public disputation held at Baden: the consequence or which was, that some of the Helvetians or Switzers, subscribed the arguments of Eckius, and others those of Oecolampadius; so that their dis sension still remained; nor could it be removed by any means, although attempted by many worthy instruments of Christ, who encountered many dangers, in order to accomplish an end so desirable. However Oecolampadius wrought so with the people, that liberty of conscience was granted to the citizens in matters of religion.

Luther was introducing the Reformation in Germany: while Zuinglius began to introduce it in Switzerland, by publicly preaching against the corruptions of the Roman church. Oecolampadius assisted Zuinglius. Both these persons had declared openly enough, that they followed not the sentiments of Luther in all things: yet they spoke of Luther with respect; and these differences were not concerning things essential and fundamental.

Whilst Lutheranism was settling in Germany, the doctrine of the new sect, founded in Switzerland by Zuinglius, was called, "Evangelical Truth;" and Zuinglius boldly opposed the errors of the church of Rome. Upon this foundation he continued preaching from the beginning of 1519, not only against indulgences, but also against the intercession and invocation of saints, the sacrifice of

the

he mass, the ecclesiastical vows, the celibacy of priests, nd abstinence from meats. However, he attempted no Iteration in the outward and public worship of God till 523, when he found the magistrates and citizens of Zurich disposed to cast off the Romish doctrine, and reeive the reformed.

About this time, the sect of Anabaptists sprung up in Germany, under Nicholas Stork and Thomas Muntzer, who had been followers of Luther. They taught, that he goods of all men ought to be common: that all men hould be free, and independent: that God would no. onger permit the oppressions of kings, and the injustice of magistrates: that the time was come for them to be leposed, and men of honesty and religion set up in their places. This seditious doctrine was dispersed in Germany, ind caused a rebellion among the peasants in most places. While the German princes were crushing this rebellion of the peasants, there happened great disputes in Germany and Switzerland between the Romish priests and the reformers; as also between the Lutherans, Zuinglians, and Anabaptists. Luther declared himself against the doctrine of Zuinglius concerning the Lord's Supper: but Oecolampadius concurred with Zuinglius, and taught the same doctrine at Basil. But although Oecolampadius agreed with Zuinglius in the nature of the doctrine; yet he gave a different sense of our Lord's words. Zuinglius placed the figure of these words, "This is my body," in the verb "is;" which he held to be taken for "signifies." Oecolampadius laid it upon the noun, body; and affirmed that the bread is called, the body, by a metonymy, which aldows the name of the thing signified to be given to the sign. The Lutherans, in Swabia and Bavaria, decried the doctrine of Oecolampadius in their sermons, which obliged, him to dedicate a treatise upon the words of the institution of the Lord's Supper to them, printed at Strasburgh in 1525, and afterwards in the German tongue at Basil, where it was at first forbidden. So soon as this formidable book appeared, the magistrates of Basil consulted two divines and two lawyers, to know whether the public sale of it might be permitted. The divines were Erasmus and Berus; the lawyers were Bonifacius Amerbachius: and Claudius Canzonetta. Erasmus says, that, in giving his answer upon this point, he made no invectives, against Vot. ill. No. 70. 3 P Oecolampadius;