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had quitted Italy . A - 'Catholic historian ascribes Ocnin ' s desertion of the Ohurch of Rome to disappointed ambition . He affirms , that on the elevation of Paul the Third to the pontifical chair , when hats , mitres and crosses ' were distributed in great profusion , Ochin expected to have been
made k Cardinal , or at least a Bishop ; but that failing in this object , he turned against his Church and joined her enemies . * There is , however , nothing but the assertion of the writer to support this statement , and it is satisfactorily confuted by what is known of Ochin ' s habits and character .
Ochin , in quitting Italy , seems to have been determined in his choice of Geneva for the place of his retreat , by its already containing many Italian exiles , who had formed themselves into a separate church , but were as yet destitute of a minister . He thought
he might be able to officiate to them in this capacity ; for at this time he observes that he had no objection to the discipline and laws of that state . Among the many gross calumnies by
which it has been attempted to blacken the character of Ochin , it has been confidently asserted , that when lie left Italy he took with him a young female whom for some time he kept as his concubine , and then married . The
fact upon which this story is grounded is simply this , that he was accompanied into Switzerland by a male relation and his sister , who had relinquished Popery , and who afterwards attended him to Augsburg , f The desertion 01 Ochin to the
Reformers excited very general astonishment among the Catholics . Some of his former companions addressed to him letters of expostulation , warning him of his danger and entreating him to return . But of all his ancient
friends , the Capuchins seem to have most deeply felt the stroke , and to have had most occasion to bewail his secession . The apostacy of the general drew upon the whole fraternity
a suspicion of heresy , and caused a most rigid scrutiny to be instituted into their religious opinions . The Pope was in the highest degree incensed , and in the first ebullition of
* Lramy , ut supra , p . 232 . t Bock . Hist . Antitrin , II . 497
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his anger resolved upon the suppres - sion of the ordery frofti which purpose he is said to have been diverted by' the representation of Cardinal Severinus , that such a step would be doing too much honour to Ochin , and would only serve to raise him in the estimation of his new friends . *
Soon after his settlement at Geneva , Ochin published three small pieces , containing his reasons , and pleading his justification , for quitting the Church of Rome . These were in
the form of Letters , —the first addressed to the magistrates of his native city , Sienna ; f the second to his friend Claudio Tolomeo ; and the third to Hieron . Mutio of Capo d'Istria . —• About the same time he printed some sermons in the Italian language , for
the use of his exiled countrymen . They made their appearance in five portions , which were published at several periods in the years 1543 and 1544 . During his residence at Geneva he secured the friendship of Calvin , who on more than one occasion
speaks of him in terms of high commendation and eulogy . In 1545 Ochin went to Basle , where Castalio then resided , and after a short stay proceeded to Augsburg . Here he remained two years , preaching in Italian , with his accustomed
popularity . His discourses were chiefly directed to the explication of Paul's Epistles , and formed the ground-work of two of his publications , which were printed in this city . The first was his Exposition of the Epistle to the Romans , which he drew up in Italian , and was afterwards translated into
Latin for publication : the other was his Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians , which was printed in
German . In 1547 , the approach of the Emperor and his army obliged him to quit Augsburg , where he had been very hospitably entertained . He was apprehensive that the Emperor would use his authority to obtain possession of his person , and place him under
• La Guerre Seraphique , p . 204 . f The first edition of this little piece , which is extremely scarce , is now before me . ft is intituled , Epistola di Bernardino Ochino , alii niolto Magnifici Signori , ) i Higrtori di Baliadella Citta di Siena . Geneva , 1543 .
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660 Italian Reformation .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Nov. 2, 1822, page 660, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2518/page/4/
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