Vita clarissimi viri D. Iosiae Simleri Tigurini, S. Theologiae in Schola Tigurina Professoris fidelissimi

But recently born, he was immediately forced to change his native soil due to the great dangers that were imminent, and was moved by his parents to the city of Zurich, which is nearly two German miles away. For it is usually the case that for illustrious men, whose work God has used most for the carrying out of his counsels and judgments, the greatest and most immediate dangers of death were intended while they were still infants and recently born, in the repelling of which the singular providence and mercy of God appeared. This is excellently attested to by sacred examples, such as Moses, Isaac, King Joash, and Christ himself, and by profane ones, such as Hercules, Romulus and Remus, Semiramis, and Cyrus (if these latter ones are not fabulous).

Furthermore, his father was Petrus Simlerus Peter Simler, a man of proven piety, doctrine, and prudence, who came forth from that monastery of Kappel to fulfill an ecclesiastical office. There existed a great familiarity and friendship between him and Bullingerus Heinrich Bullinger, the most faithful doctor and teacher of that monastery, by whom he was converted to the true religion. This was cultivated most faithfully and constantly by both of them through mutual love, services, and works, which they had handed down to each other for the propagation of the true religion. Wolfgangus Ionerus Wolfgang Joner, the abbot of that monastery, a man worthy of the highest praise, immediately from the beginning of the reformed religion, having undertaken the task of preaching, entrusted almost all the care and administration of the property belonging to that monastery to Peter Simler.

After that Capellana Kappel defeat, Petrus Simlerus saw to it that the monastery, which had been miserably plundered and spoiled, was restored with all his study, work, and labor, and above all that the school, which had been dispersed, was established. Because of this deed of his, he received truly remarkable praise from our magistrate, and was vehemently requested by the same to persevere in this purpose of his. Finally, when the management of that monastery had been entrusted to political men, the father of our Simler devoted himself entirely to the office of preaching, which he performed with singular faith, diligence, and praise until the very end of his life, and he died on the 9th day of July, 1557, in the 71st year of his life.

The paternal grandfather of our Simler was named Rodolphus Rudolph, a grave and prudent man, who held the principal office at Rinuouij Rümlang (which they call the Schultheiss there), and he fulfilled his fate in the year of our salvation 1534, in the eighty-fifth year of his age. Therefore, both his father and his grandfather were men not only of a pious and honest, but also of a very long life, and they reached extreme old age, to which it would have greatly benefited the literary republic if our Iosias could have arrived. His ancestors anciently—