Frederic conducted the reformation with much greater prudence than his predecessor. He permitted the Pro

doctrine. Accordingly the first object || reforming the religion of his subjects, of his attention was the instruction of or rather of advancing his own power, his people in the sacred doctrines of the above that of the church, was checked, holy Scriptures; for which purpose he in the year 1523, by a conspiracy, by invited into his dominions several learn- which he was deposed and banished; ed Germans, and spread abroad through his uncle Frederic, duke of Holstein the kingdom the Swedish translation of and Sleswic, being appointed his sucthe Bible that had been made by Olaus cessor. Petri. Some time after this, in 1526, he appointed a conference at Upsal, between the reformer and Peter Gallius, a zealous defender of the ancient super-testant doctors to preach publicly the stition, in which each of the champions sentiments of Luther, but did not venwas to bring forth his arguments, that ture to change the established governit might be seen on which side the truth ment and discipline of the church. lay. In this dispute Olaus obtained a However, he contributed greatly to the. signal victory; which contributed much progress of the reformation by his sucto confirm Gustavus in his persuasion of cessful attempts in favour of religious the truth of Luther's doctrine, and to liberty in an assembly of the states held promote its progress in Sweden. The at Odensee in 1527. Here he procured following year another event gave the the publication of a famous edict, by finishing stroke to its propagation and which every subject of Denmark was success. This was the assembly of the declared free either to adhere to the testates at Westeraas, where Gustavus nets of the church of Rome, or to the recommended the doctrine of the re- doctrine of Luther. The papal tyranformers with such zeal, that after warm ny was totally destroved by his succesdebates, fomented by the clergy in ge- sor Christiern III. He began by supneral, it was unanimously resolved pressing the despotic authority of the that the reformation introduced by Lu- bishops, and restoring to their lawful ther should have place in Sweden. owners a great part of the wealth and This resolution was principally owing possessions which the church had acto the firmness and magnanimity of quired by various stratagems. This was Gustavus, who declared publicly, that followed by a plan of religious doctrine, he would lay down the sceptre, and re-worship, and discipline, laid down by tire from the kingdom, rather than rule a people enslaved by the orders and authority of the pope, and more controlled by the tyranny of their bishops than by the laws of their monarchs. From this time the papal empire in Sweden was entirely overthrown, and Gustavus de-gan to make some progress very early. clared head of the church.

Bugenhagius, whom the king had sent for from Wittemberg for that purpose; and in 1539, an assembly of the states at Odensee gave a solemn sanction to all these transactions.

In France, also, the reformation be

Margaret, queen of Navarre, sister to In Denmark, the reformation was in- Francis I. the perpetual rival of Charles troduced as early as the year 1521, in V. was a great friend to the new docconsequence of the ardent desire dis- trine; and it appears that, as early as covered by Christiern II. of having his the year 1523, there were in several of subjects instructed in the doctrines of the provinces of France great numbers Luther. This monarch, notwithstanding of people who had conceived the his cruelty, for which his name has been greatest aversion both to the doctrine rendered odious, was nevertheless desi- and tyranny of the church of Rome; rous of delivering his dominions from among whom were many of the first the tyranny of the church of Rome. For rank and dignity, and even some of the this purpose, in the year 1520, he sent ep scopal order. But as their number for Martin Reinard, one of the disciples increased daily, and troubles and comof Carlostadt, out of Saxony, and ap-motions were excited in several places pointed him professor of divinity at Hasnia, and after his death which happened in 1521, he invited Carlostadt himself to fill that important place. Carlostadt accepted of this office, indeed, but in a short time returned to Germany; upon which Christiern used his utmost endeavours to engage Luther to visit his dominions, but in vain. However, the progress of Christiern in

on account of the religious differences, the authority of the king intervened, and many persons eminent for their virtue and piety were put to death in the most barb trous manner. Indeed, Francis, who had either no religion at all, or, at best, no fixed and consistent system of religious principles, conducted himself towards the Protestants in such a manner as best answered his private

profession of the reformed religion in France at any time so safe as in most other countries of Europe.

In the other parts of Europe the opposition to the church of Rome was but faint and ambiguous before the diet of

views. Sometimes he resolved to invite Melancthon into France, probably with a view to please his sister, the queen of Navarre, whom he loved tenderly, and who had strongly imbibed the Protestant principles. At other times he exercised the most infernal cruelty to-Augsburg. Before that period, howwards the reformed; and once made the following mad declaration, That, if he thought the blood of his arm was tainted by the Lutheran heresy, he would have it cut off; and that he would not even spare his own children, if they entertained sentiments contrary to those of the Catholic church.

ever, it appears, from undoubted testimony, that the doctine of Luther had made a considerable, though probably secret progress through Spain, Hungary, Bohemia, Britain, Poland, and the Netherlands; and nad in all these countries many friends, of whom several repaired to Wittemberg, in order to enlarge their knowledge by means of Luther's conversation. Some of these countries threw off the Romish yoke entirely, and in others a prodigious number of families embraced the principles of the reformed religion. It is certain, indeed, and the Roman Catholics themselves acknowledge it without hesitation, that the papal doctrines and authority would have fallen into ruin in all parts of the world at once, had not the force of the secular arm been employed to support the tottering edifice. In the Netherlands, particularly, the Those among the French who first most grievious persecutions took place, renounced the jurisdiction of the Ro- so that by the emperor Charles V. upmish church are commonly called Lu- | wards of 100,000 were destroyed, while therans by the writers of those early still greater cruelties were exercised times; hence it has been supposed that upon the people by his son Philip II. they had all imbibed the peculiar senti- The revolt of the United Provinces howments of Luther. But this appears by ever, and motives of real policy, at last no means to have been the case; for the put a stop to these furious proceedings; vicinity of the cities of Geneva, Lau- and though in many provinces of the sanne, &c. which had adopted the doc- Netherlands, the establishment of the trines of Calvin, produced a remarka-Popish religion was still continued, the ble effect upon the French Protestant Protestants have been long free from churches; insomuch that, about the the danger of persecution on account of middle of this century, they all entered their principles. into communion with the church of The reformation made a considerable Geneva. The French Protestants were progress in Spain and Italy soon after called Huguenots, [see HUGUENOTS,] the rupture between Luther and the by their adversaries, by way of con-Roman pontiff. In all the provinces of tempt. Their fate was very severe, Italy, but more especially in the terribeing persecuted with unparalleled fu-tories of Venice, Tuscany, and Naples, ry; and though many princes of the blood, and of the first nobility, had embraced their sentiments, yet in no part of the world did the reformers suffer so much. At last, all commotions were quelled by the fortitude and magnanimity of Henry IV. who, in the year 1598, granted all his subjects full liberty of conscience by the famous edict of Nantes, and seemed to have thoroughly established the reformation throughout his dominions. During the minority of Louis XIV. however, this edict was revoked by cardinal Mazarine, since which time the Protestants have often been cruelly persecuted: nor was the

About this time the famous Calvin hegan to draw the attention of the pub-|| lic, but more especially of the queen of Navarre. His zeal exposed him to danger; and the friends of the reformation, whom Francis was daily committing to the flames, placed him more than once in the most perilous situation, from which he was delivered by the interposition of the queen of Navarre. He therefore retired out of France to Basil, in Switzerland, where he published his Christian Institutions, and became afterwards so famous.

the superstition of Rome lost ground, and great numbers of people of all ranks expressed an aversion to the papal yoke. This occasioned violent and dangerous commotions in the kingdom of Naples in the year 1546; which, however, were at last quelled by the united efforts of Charles V. and his viceroy Don Pedro di Toledo. In several places the pope put a stop to the progress of the reformation by letting loose the inquisitors, who spread dreadful marks of their barbarity through the greatest part of Italy. Those for midable ministers of superstition put so many to death, and perpetrated such

horrid acts of cruelty and oppression, that most of the reformed consulted their safety, by a voluntary exile, while others retur ed to the religion of Rome, at least in external appearance. But the inquisiti, which frightened into the professio of popery several Protestants in other parts of Italy, could never make its way into the kingdom of Naples; nor could either the authority or entreaties of the pope engage the Neapolitans to admit even visiting inquisitors.

tempt, he conceived a violent prejudice against the reformer, and even wrote against him, as we have already observed. Luther did not hesitate at writing against his majesty, overcame him in argument, and treated him with very little ceremony. The first step towards public reformation, however, was not taken till the year 1529. Great complaints had been made in England, and of a very ancient date, of the usurpations of the clergy; and, by the prevalence of the Lutheran opínions, these complaints were now become more general than before. The House of Commons, finding the occasion favourable, passed several bills, restraining the impositions of the clergy; but what threatened the ecclesiastical order with the greatest danger, were, the severe reproaches thrown out almost without opposition in the House against the dissolute lives, ambition, and

tinual encroachments on the privileges of the laity. The bills for regulating the clergy met with opposition in the House of Lords; and bishop Fisher imputed them to want of faith in the Commons, and to a formed design, proceeding from heretical and Lutheran principles, of robbing the church of her patrimony, and overturning the national religion. The Commons, however, complained to the king, by their speaker, sir Thomas Audley, of these reflections thrown out against them; and the bishop was obliged to retract his words.

In Spain, several people embraced the Protestant religion, not only from the controversies of Luther, but even from those divines whom Charles V. had brought with him into Germany in order to refute the doctrines of Luther; for these doctors imbibed the pretended heresy, instead of refuting it, and propagated it more or less on their return home. But the inquisition, which could obtain no footing in Naples, reigned tri-avarice of the priests, and their conumphant in Spain; and by the most dreadful methods frightened the people back into popery, and suppressed the desire of exchanging their superstition for a more rational plan of religion. It was, indeed, presumed that Charles himself died a Protestant; and, it seems to be certain, that, when the approach of death had dissipated those schemes of ambition and grandeur which had so long blinded him, his sentiments became much more rational and agreeable to Christianity than they had ever been. All the ecclesiastics who had attended him, as soon as he expired, were sent to the inquisition, and committed to Though Henry had not the least idea the flames, or put to death by some of rejecting any, even of the most abother method equally terrible. Such surd Romish superstitions, yet, as the was the fate of Augustine Casal, the em- oppressions of the clergy suited very peror's preacher; of Constantine Pon- ill with the violence of his own temper, tius, his confessor; of Egidius, whom he he was pleased with every opportunity had named to the bishopric of Tortosa; of lessening their power. In the parof Bartholomew de Caranza, a Domini-liament of 1531 he showed his design of can, who had been confessor to king humbling the clergy in the most efPhilip and queen Mary; with twenty fectual manner. An obsolete statute others of less note. was revived, from which it was preIn England, the principles of the re-tended that it was criminal to submit to formation began to be adopted as soon as an account of Luther's doctrines could be conveyed thither. In that kingdom there were still great remains of the sect called Lollards, whose doctrine resembled that of Luther; and among whom, of consequence, the sentiments of our reformer gained great credit. Henry VIII. king of England at that time, was a violent partisan of the church of Rome, and had a particular veneration for the writings of Thomas Aquinas. Being informed that Luther spoke of his favourite author with con

the legatine power which had been exercised by cardinal Wolsey. By this stroke the whole body of the clergy was declared guilty at once. They were too well acquainted with Henry's disposition, however, to reply, that their ruin would have been the certain consequence of their not submitting to Wolsey's commission, which had been given by royal authority. Instead of making any defence of this kind, they chose to throw themselves upon the mercy of their sovereign; which, however, it cost them 118,8407. to procure. A confession

was likewise extorted from them, that the king was protector and supreme head of the church of England; though some of them had the dexterity to get a clause inserted which invalidated the whole submission, viz. in so far as is permitted by the law of Christ.

The king, having thus begun to reduce the power of the clergy, kept no bounds with them afterwards. He did not, indeed, attempt any reformation in religious matters; nay, he persecuted most violently such as did attempt this in the least. Indeed, the most essential 'article of his creed seems to have been his own supremacy; for whoever denied this was sure to suffer the most severe penalties, whether Protestant or Papist.

among many other victims, the learned and pious Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury, who had been one of the most illustrious instruments of the reformation in England, fell a sacrifice to her fury. This odious scene of persecution was happily concluded in the year 1558 by the death of the queen, who left no issue; and, as soon as her successor the lady Elizabeth ascended the throne, all things assumed a new and pleasing aspect. This illustrious princess, whose sentiments, counsels, and projects, breathed a spirit superior to the natural softness and delicacy of her sex, exerted this vigorous and manly spirit in the defence of oppressed conscience and expiring liberty, broke anew the despotic voke of papal authority and supersti He died in 1547, and was succeeded tion; and, delivering her people from by his only son Edward VI. This amia-the bondage of Rome, established that ble prince, whose early youth was crown- form of religious doctrine and ecclesias ed with that wisdom, sagacity, and vir- tical government which still subsists in tue, that would have dene honour to England. This religious establishment advanced years, gave new spirit and differs in some respects from the plan vigour to the Protestant cause, and was that had been formed by those whom its brightest ornament, as well as its Edward VI. had employed for promoting most effectual support. He encouraged the cause of the reformation, and aplearned and pious men of foreign coun-proaches nearer to the rites and disci tries to settle in England, and addressed pline of former times; though it is widea particular invitation to Martin Bucer ly different, and in the most important and Paul Fagius, whose moderation points, entirely opposite to the princi added a lustre to their other virtues, ples of the Roman hierarchy. that by the ministry and labours of these The cause of the reformation undereminent men, in concert with those of went in Ireland the same vicissitudes the friends of the reformation in Eng- and revolutions that had attended it in land, he might purge his dominions from England. When Henry VIII. after the the sordid fictions of popery, and esta- abolition of the papal authority, was deblish the pure doctrines of Christianity clared supreme head upon earth of the in their place. For this purpose he is- church of England, George Brown, a sued out the wisest orders for the re-native of England, and a monk of the storation of true religion; but his reign was too short to accomplish fully such a glorious purpose. In the year 1553 he was taken from his loving and afflicted subjects, whose sorrow was inexpressible, and suited to their loss. His sister Mary, (the daughter of Catharine of Arragon, from whom Henry had been separated by the famous divorce,) a furious bigot to the church of Rome, and a princess whose natural character, like the spirit of her religion, was despotic and cruel, succeeded him on the British throne, and imposed anew the arbitrary laws and the tyrannical yoke of Rome upon the people of England. Nor were the methods which she employed in the cause of superstition better than the cause itself, or tempered by any sentiments of equity or compassion. Barbarous tortures, and death in the most shocking forms, awaited those who opposed her will, or made the least stand against the restoration of popery; and,

Augustine order, whom that monarch had created, in the year 1535, archbi shop of Dublin, began to act with the utmost vigour in consequence of this change in the hierarchy. He purged the churches of his diocese from superstition in all its various forms, pulled down images, destroyed relics, abolished absurd and idolatrous rites; and, by the influence as well as authority he had in Ireland, caused the king's supremacy to be acknowledged in that nation. Henry showed, soon after, that this su premacy was not a vain title; for he banished the monks out of that kingdom, confiscated their revenues, and destroyed their convents. In the reign of Edward VI. still further progress was made in the removal of popish supersti tions by the zealous labours of bishop Brown, and the auspicious encourage ment he granted to all who exerted themselves in the cause of the reformation. But the death of this excellent

but, staying for a wind on the waterside, news came to him that the queen was dead: and thus God preserved the Protestants of Ireland."-Queen Elizabeth was so delighted with this story, which was related to her by lord FitzWalter on his return to England, that she sent for Elizabeth Edmunds, whose husband's name was Mattershad, and || gave her a pension of 407. during her life.

In Scotland the seeds of reformation were very early sown by several noblemen who had resided in Germany dur ing the religious disputes there; but for many years it was suppressed by the power of the pope, seconded by inhuman laws and barbarous executions. The most eminent opposer of the papal jurisdiction was John Knox, a disciple of Calvin, a man of great zeal and invincible fortitude. On all occasions he raised the drooping spirits of the reformers, and encouraged them to go on with their work, notwithstanding the opposition and treachery of the queen-regent; till at last, in 1561, by the assistance of an English army sent by Elizabeth, popery was, in a manner, totally extirpated throughout the kingdom. From this period the form of doctrine, worship, and discipline, established by Calvin at Geneva, has had the ascendancy in Scotland.

prince, and the accession of queen Mary, had like to have changed the face of affairs in Ireland as much as in England; but her designs were disappointed by a very curious adventure, of which the following account has been copied from the papers of Richard earl of Cork :-"Queen Mary having dealt severely with the Protestants in England, about the latter end of her reign, signed a commission for to take the same course with them in Ireland; and, to execute the same with greater force, she nominates Dr. Cole one of the commissioners. This doctor coming with the commission to Chester on his journey, the mayor of that city, hearing that her majesty was sending a messenger into Ireland, and he being a churchman, waited on the doctor, who in discourse with the mayor taketh out of a cloke-bag a leather box, saying unto him, Here is a commission that shall lash the heretics || of Ireland, calling the Protestants by that title. The good woman of the house being well affected to the Protestant religion, and also having a brother, named John Edmunds, of the same, then a citizen in Dublin, was much troubled at the doctor's words; but, watching her convenient time while the mayor took his leave, and the doctor complimented him down the stairs, she opens the box, takes the commission out, and places in lieu thereof a sheet of paper with a pack of cards wrapt up therein, the knave of clubs being faced uppermost. The doctor coming up to his chamber, suspecting nothing of what had been done, put up the box as formerly. The next day, going to the water-side, wind and weather serving him, he sails towards Ireland, and landed on the 7th of October, 1558, at Dublin. Then coming to the castle, the lord Fitz Walter, being lord-deputy, sent for him to come before him and the For farther information on this inteprivy council; who coming in, after he resting subject we refer our readers to had made a speech relating upon what the works of Burnet and Brandt; to account he came over, he presents the Beausobre's Historie de la Reformation box unto the lord-deputy; who causing dans l' Empire, et les Etats de la Conit to be opened, that the secretary fession d'Augusbourg depuis 1517-1530, might read the commission, there was in 4 vols. 8vo. Berlin, 1785; Mosheim's nothing save a pack of cards with the Ecclesiastical History; and particularknave of clubs uppermost; which not ly the Appendix to vol. iv. p. 136, on only startled the lord-deputy and coun- the spirit of the reformers, by Dr. cil, but the doctor, who assured them he Maclaine. See also Sleidan De Statu had a commission, but knew not how it Religionis et Reipublicæ Carolo V.; was gone. Then the lord-deputy made Father Paul's Hist. of the Council of answer, Let us have another commis- || Trent; Robertson's Hist. of Charles sion, and we will shuffle the cards in the V.; Knox's and Dr. Gilbert Steward's mean while. The doctor being trou- Hist. of the Reformation in Scotland; bled in his mind, went away, and re- Enc. Brit.; An Essay on the Spirit and turned into England, and coming to the Influence of the Reformation by Luther, court, obtained another commission; by B. C. Villiers, which work obtained

On the review of this article, what reason have we to admire Infinite Wisdom, in making human events apparently fortuitous, subservient to the spread of the Gospel! What reason to adore that Divine Power which was here evidently manifested in opposition to all the powers of the world! What reason to praise that Goodness, which thus caused light and truth to break forth for the happiness and salvation of millions of the human race!