Zanchi/Zanchius, Jerom (Girolami)  1516-1590

Girolamo Zanchi (Latin "Hieronymus Zanchius," thus Anglicized to "Jerome Zanchi/Zanchius") (February 2, 1516 – November 19, 1590) was an Italian Protestant Reformation clergyman and educator.

He was born the son of a noble lawyer and historian, in Alzano Lombardo near Bergamo. His father died in the plague of 1528 and his mother died only three years later. At age 15 he entered the monastery of the Augustinian Order of Regular Canons, where he studied Aristotle, languages and divinity. After completing his studies, he went to Lucca, and there under the influence of Peter Martyr Vermigli he opted for a theological career, being especially impressed by Vermigli's lectures on Romans. In addition to works of the Fathers, he became aware of Martin Bucer and Philipp Melanchthon, also read Martin Luther's writings and the Swiss reformers. John Calvin, however, had the greatest influence on him.

Even after Vermigli’s forced flight in 1542, Zanchi remained as a teacher at the monastery school. In 1551, however, he also was forced into exile. After a brief stay in Geneva, he wanted to go to England, but was called to Strasbourg and worked there as a professor of the Old Testament at the college of St. Thomas. His style is legalistic, and he interpreted with meticulous accuracy. In his overall theological orientation, he tacked neither directly along a Lutheran or a Calvinist line, although he was reckoned a Calvinist. He was one of the most learned theologians of the second half of the 16th Century, if he is not considered to be an especially original thinker. He was regarded an excellent teacher.

The demand for Strasbourg faculty and pastors to commit themselves to the Augsburg Confession created difficulties for him. He had previously declined offers to move to Geneva and Lausanne because he was committed to Strasbourg. However, he could not remain after the controversy with the Lutheran superintendent Johann Marbach. Zanchi had described the differences in the doctrine of the Eucharist between the Lutheran and Reformed as being relatively minor and also taught a strict Calvinist doctrine of predestination. After receiving many consultations from theologians outside of Strasbourg, the disputing parties were able to reach an agreement in constructing a formula of unity (The Strasbourg Consensus) signed by all the city's preachers and professors.

When Calvin chided him for his equivocation, Zanchi went public with his views again causing the controversy to erupt anew. He consequently left from Strasbourg to become the pastor of the Italian Protestant congregation in the Graubünden in Chiavenna. In 1568 he received a call to the University of Heidelberg, where he took over the chair of Dogmatics formerly occupied by Zacharias Ursinus. Here he wrote important works which tend to bear either an apologetic or polemical character. His method of presentation is quite scholastic. After the Palatinate returned to Lutheranism during the reign of Elector Ludwig VI, Zanchi moved with many other Reformed professors to the Casmirianum, a Reformed academy in Neustadt in the dominions of Count Palatine Johann Casimir. He died during a return visit to Heidelberg and was buried in the University Church.

Zanchius was a voluminous writer whose works include, Confession of the Christian Religion and Observation on the Divine Attributes. He is perhaps best known for his book The Doctrine of Absolute Predestination, which is still in publication today.

The following is a translation of the inscription on the headstone of Zanchius' grave:

'Here Zanchius rests, whom love of truth constrained
to quit his own and seek a foreign land.
How good and great he was, how formed to shine,
How fraught with science human and divine;
Sufficient proof his numerous writings give,
And those who heard him teach and saw him live.
Earth still enjoys him, though his soul has fled:
His name is deathless, though his dust is dead.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girolamo_Zanchi

Below is from "A Biographical Historical and Chronological dictionary: Containing a Faithful Account of the Lives, Characters, and Actions of The Most Eminent Persons of All Ages and All Countries; including also The Revolutions of States, and the Succession of Sovereign Princes" (2nd Edition) - 1806 - By John Watkins, LL.D.

On Doctrine web site

The doctrine of absolute predestination stated and asserted : translated, in great measure, from the Latin of Jerom Zanchius ; with some account of his life prefixed ; and an appendix concerning the fate of the ancients ; also a caveat against unsound doctrines (1793)

 
The doctrine of absolute predestination stated and asserted: (1811)
 
The Doctrine of Absolute Predestination: AUDIO from Still Waters Revival Books
 
THE DOCTRINE OF ABSOLUTE PREDESTINATION (1930) 
From ON DOCTRINE web site

OBSERVATIONS ON THE DIVINE ATTRIBUTES
Neccesary To Be Premised
In Order To Our Better Understanding
THE DOCTRINE OF PREDESTINATION
From ON DOCTRINE web site

Confession of the Christian Religion (Download e-Sword Module)

Confession of the Christian Religion (Download TWM - GBK TWM Module)
By Jerome Zanchius
Zanchius is a very old author (from the 1500s). This is the style of old Doctrines Books, they are a series of discussions on general topics without being very “systematized”. Scriptures, God, the divine person, and divine properties, predestination, omnipotence, creation, angels, man’s fall, redemption, the law, Christ the Redeemer, dispensations, the Gospel and the Law, Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, Faith-Hope-Charity, Repentance, Justification, regeneration, good works, oaths and vows, the church, magistrates or civil law, the state of souls after death, the resurrection of the dead, eternal life,

Contents
Dedicatory Epistle To Ulysses Martinengus, Earl of Barchen
Chapter 1: Of the Holy Scriptures: the foundation of all Christian religion
Chapter 2: Of God and the divine person and properties
Chapter 3: Of the foreknowledge and predestination of God
Chapter 4: Of the omnipotence and will of God
Chapter 5: Of the creation of the world, angels and of man’s first estate
Chapter 6: Of the providence and government of the world
Chapter 7: Of man’s fall and of original sin and the fruites thereof
Chapter 8: Of man’s freewill after his fall
Chapter 9: Of the promise of redemption and salvation by Christ
Chapter 10: Of the Law
Chapter 11: Of Christ the redeemer
Chapter 12: Of the true dispensation of redemption, the salvation and life which is laid up in Christ alone, and therefore of the necessary uniting and participation with Christ
Chapter 13: Of the Gospel, and of the abrogation of the Law by the Gospel
Chapter 14: Of the Sacraments of the New Testament
Chapter 15: Of Baptism
Chapter 16: Of the Lord’s Supper
Chapter 17: Of Faith, Hope and Charity
Chapter 18: Of Repentance
Chapter 19: Of Justification
Chapter 20: Of the regenerate man’s free choice and power to do good
Chapter 21: Of good works
Chapter 22: Of invocation and on oaths
Chapter 23: Of Christ’s church in general
Chapter 24: Of the militant church
Chapter 25: Of the governament of the militant church and of the ecclesiastical ministry
Chapter 26: Of a magistrate
Chapter 27: Of perpetual remission of sins in the church of Christ
Chapter 28: Of the state of souls after death and of the resurrection of the dead
Chapter 29: Of the glorious coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to Judge the quick and the dead
Chapter 30: Of eternal life
Appendices
I: Observations of the same Zanchius upon his own Confessions
II: An appendix to the eleventh chapter of Christ the redeemer or of the person of Christ
III: Certain positions of the same Zanchius

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