cil of Constance, and by othe: argumen's, that the council was superior in authority to a pontiff. The pope therefore yielded for the present, and gave his sanction to the proceedings of the council. After the council had continued its sessions for sev. eral years, and had made some progress in their reforming system, and were about to proceed to other things very ungrateful to the pontiff, Eugene determined, that this audacious and troublesome council, must either be removed to Italy, to be more under his control; or must be checked by another council in opposition to it. He, by his legates, decided that the council should be held in Italy; they continued their deliberations at Basil. He dissolved the council, and appointed another at Ferrara ; which met, A. D. 1438, and excommunicated the fathers assembled at Basil. They, on the other hand, provoked by these and other acts of Eugene, proceeded on the 25th of June, 1439, to deprive him of the pontificate; and shortly after appointed another in his room. Thus we have a new schism of the church, even worse than the old-with not only two contending popes, but also with two opposing councils.

VII. The Fratricelli, Beghards, &c., continued to be persecuted by the Inquisitors, and many of them were committed to the flames; others were imprisoned, or exiled. A religious fraternity was founded in this century, called Brethren and Clerks of the common life, living under the rule of St. Augustine. The sect was divide into the litera ry brethren, or the Clerks, and the unlearned Brethren; who lived in different houses, but in the greatest friendship. The Clerks devoted them. selves to transcribing books, the cultivation of polite learning, and the instruction of youth; and

erected schools whe ever they went. The Brett. ren laboured with their hands, and pursued various mechanic trades. Neither were under the restraint of religious vows; but they ate at a common table, and held a community of goods. The schools of these Clerks of the common life were very celebrated in this century; and in them were trained nearly all the restorers of polite learning in Germany and Holland. Among these was the great Erasmus of Rotterdam. The writers of this century constitute a host; but there are none of them that need to be particularly named.

VIII. The followers of Wickliffe, in England, who were called Lollards, continued to testify against the decisions of the pope and the conduct of the clergy; and the Waldenses, though oppressed and persecuted on all sides, ceased not to proclaim aloud from their obscure valleys, and remote hiding places, that succour must be afforded to religion and piety, now almost extinct. But in Bohemia, after the death of Huss, and Jerome of Prague, religious controversies broke out in fierce and deadly war. The friends of Huss, being persecuted and oppressed, seized upon a high and rugged mountain, which they called Tabor, where they first lived in tents, but afterwards fortified themselves, and built a regular city. Their leader was John Ziska. A very cruel and inhuman war was carried on, on both sides. But when multitudes of all sorts of persons had joined thei standard, there arose great contention among them selves; which resulted in an open schism, dividing them into two principal factions, the Calixtines, and the Tabcrites. Of these the Calixtines were much the most moderate All they required was summed up in these four things :- 1. That the word

of God might be preached in its purity and simplicity to the people:-2. That the sacred supper might be administered in both kinds :--3. That the clergy might be recalled from the pursuit of wealth and power, to a life and conduct becoming the successors of the apostles :-4. That the greater or mortal sins might be duly punished." The Taborites, on the other hand, extended their demands much further, and wished to overturn every thing; and to establish an entirely new church, and commonwealth, in which Christ himself should reign, and every thing be conducted according to divine dictation. They imbibed the most ferocious sentiments, and breathed nothing but war and blood against their enemies. Their sentiments are expressed in the following language.

"All the opposers of Christ's law, ought to perish with the seven last plagues, to inflict which the faithful are to be called forth. In this time of vengeance, Christ is not to be imitated in his mildness and pity towards those sinners, but in his zeal, and fury, and just retribution. In this time of vengeance, every believer, even a presbyter, however spiritual, is accursed, if he withhold his material sword from the blood of the adversaries of Christ's law; for he ought to wash and sanctify his hands in their blood." They afterwards, however, reformed and corrected their society; and from them descended the Bohemian Brethren, who in the time of the Reformation, entered into alliance with Luther and his associates, and whose descendants still exist in Poland and elsewhere, under the name of Moravians.

IX. Several fanatical sects arose, or revived during this century, and gave work to the vigilant Inquisitors, which they were not slow to perform

The Brethren and Sisters of the free Spirit con tinued to war: ler over the countries of Europe, and many of them were put to death.

Another sect sprung up in the Netherlands, called the Men of Understanding. Although in some things they seem to have had very correct views, and held important truths, yet with these they mingled egregious error. They pretended to be honoured with celestial visions-denied that any one could correctly understand the Holy Scriptures, without extraordinary divine illumination, and declared the approach of a new revelation, better and more perfect than the Christian. They said that the resurrection was already accomplished in the person of Jesus, and no other was to be expected; that the inward man was not defiled by the outward actions, whatever they were; that the pains of hell were to have an end; and not only all mankind, but even the devils themselves, were to return to God, and be made partakers of eternal felicity.

"In Germany, and particularly in Thuringia, and Lower Saxony, the Flagellants were still troublesome; but they were very different from those earlier Flagellants, who travelled in regular bands from province to province. These new Flagellants rejected almost all practical religion, and the external worship of God, together with the sacraments; and founded all their hopes of salvation on faith and flagellation." The leader, Con rad Schmidt, was burnt by the Inquisition, with many others, in the year 1414.

CENTURY XVI.

CHAPTER I.

CAUSES LEADING TO THE REFORMATION.

1. Corrupt state of the church.-2. Profligate lives of the p pes -3. Profligacy of the clergy.-4. Monks.-5. Inquis.tion, and ignorance of spiritual teachers.-6. Indulgences-7. Revival of learning.-8. Witnesses for the truth.

We now enter upon that important and interesting portion of Church History called the Reformation. No event, since the first promulgation of Christianity by Christ and the apostles, has been of greater importance to the world, than the Reformation from popery, effected by Luther and his coadjutors. We shall first notice the state of the church that led to this result, made such a change desirable, and prepared the minds of people for it.

I. The degenerate and corrupt state of the whole church was such as to create general disgust and complaint. Not only individuals, but the most powerful sovereigns, and even whole nations had uttered their complaints against the haughty domination of the Roman pontiffs, the frauds, the violence, the avarice, and injustice of the court of Rome; the insolence, the tyranny, and the extortion of the papal legates; the crimes, the ignorance, and the extreme profligacy of the priests of all or ders, and of the monks; and inally the un