blessed Luther, and to follow his Doctrine, and
way of Living, most of them all were indeed
affected with a great desire of, and love to their
Religion, but yet retained, through great Igno∣rance
and intollerable superstition, the observance
of some Rites and Ceremonies, and which in ve∣ry
deed had little or nothing in common, with
some Religion, Piety and Holiness, and this was
not so abstruse, but that it was apparent to all, so
as that they might behold it with their Eyes, and
handle it with their Hands; yea, and the same
was now consined, and, as it were, ••ealed by ex∣amples
and manners, some Godly Men, zealous
towards God, and for the good of Men, and
such as were also▪ both Learned and Experienced,
bethought themselves, that it was every ones du∣ty,
with the utmost care and Diligence, to heal,
or cut off this Malady, or Pestilence in the
Church, which crept dayly more and more into
Men's Lives and Conversations.
Among these, in the Year sixty one, one Theo∣philus
Brosgeband, a Deacon of the Lutheran Church,
in the City of Rostock, in the Duchy ef M••chelen∣burg,
sets up in Opposition to these Practices, and,
so in a book written by him in the German
Tongue, sets forth, and notes the various Errors
that the Lutherans were conscious of; and at the
same time speaks moderately and gently concern∣ing
the Controversies that were between the Lu∣therans
and other Reformed, concerning the
Lord's Supper, and sets down his own Opinion in
the matter, with his Reasons for the same. He was
indeed a man that studied, and was a lover of
Concord and Peace between Friends, who held the
same Faith, which is very good, and the very name
delectable: but he got little Praise and Thanks for
his Pains; nay, this his labour and endeavour went
scarce unpunished; for there were many Persons
that forthwith fell at variance with him hereupon,
reviled him, were very bitter against, and trouble∣some
to him, which he by his long-suffering and