Simler, Josias

, a learned divine of the sixteenth century, who co-operated in the reformation, was born Nov. 6, 1530, at Cappell, a village near Zurich in Swisserland. His father, Peter Simler, after having been for many years a member of, and afterwards prior of the L onastery there, embraced the reformed religion, became a preacher of it, and died in 1557. After being educated for some time in his father’s monastery, he went to Zurich in 1544, and studied for two years under the direction of the celebrated Bullinger, who was his god-father. He removed thence to Basil, where he studied rhetoric and mathematics, and afterwards to Strasburgh, where Sturmius, Martyr, Bucer, and others of the reformers resided; but as he had no thoughts at this time of divinity as a profession, he improved himself chiefly in other branches of learning. He continued here about two years, and passed three more in visiting various universities, and hearing the lectures of the most eminent professors. In 1549, he returned home, and with such visible improvement in learning, that Gesner often employed him to lecture to his scholars, both in geometry and astronomy. In 1552 he was appointed to expound in public the New Testament, which he did with so much ability as to be greatly admired by the learned of Zurich, as wt 11 as by the English who had taken refuge there from the Marian persecution. In 1557 he was made deacon; and when Bibliander, on account of his advanced age, was declared emeritus^ Simler was appointed to teach in his place, and was likewise colleague with Peter Martyr, who had a high opinion of him, and on his death in 1563, Simler succeeded him as professor of divinity. He filled this office with great reputation until his | constitution became impaired by a hereditary gout, which in his latter years interrupted his studies, and shortened his useful life. He was only forty-five when he died, July 2, 1576. He is represented as a man of a meek, placid, and affectionate temper, and although never rich, always liberal, charitable, and hospitable.

His works are very numerous, some on subjects of divinity, commentaries on the scriptures, c. and some on the controversies most agitated in his time. He wrote also the lives of Peter Martyr, Gesner, and Bullinger, each in a thin 4io volume; published an epitome of Gesner’s “Bibliotheca,* 5 155-), fol. and was editor of some of the works of Martyr and Bullinger. To those we may add, 1.” Je­thici costtiographta, Antonini Itinerarimn, Rutiliani Numantiani hinerarium, et alia varia,“basil', 1575, 12mo, with valuable scholia. 2.” Helvetiorum Respublica,“often reprinted, and esteemed one of the best of that collection of little books called” Republics.“3.” Vallesise descriptionis libri duo, et de Alpibus commentarius,“1574, 8vo. 4.” Vocabularia rei nummarise ponderum et mensurarum, Gr. Lat. Heb Arab, ex diversis autoribus collecta," Tignri, 1584, 8vo, &c. &C. ¹