and the Hattemists, who perverted the doctrine of divine decrees to fatal necessity.

The Cartesian philosophy gave place to the Newtonian, and with it gradually died many of these contentions. Few new subjects of controversy engrossed the attention of the Dutch or Swiss churches in the eighteenth century. The Dutch enjoyed for some time after the revocation of the edict of Nantez, the labours of many able French divines. But these churches gradually declined, became lukewarm, and suffered with the rest of continental Europe exceedingly, from French infidelity, and the horrid wars of revolutionary France. There is in them, however, now much of the life and power of religion.

Many of the Calvinistic churches in Germany have fallen a prey to Liberalism; though some few remain steadfast, and Storr and others have so nobly vindicated their faith that their prospects are brightening. In some of the Swiss cantons a precious seed has remained to serve the Lord, but long since the Genevan churches degenerated from Calvinism to Arminianism, and through the poisonous infection of Rousseau and Voltaire have now descended to the lowest degrees of Socinianism. Recent attempts to preach the doctrines of Calvin have met there with bitter persecution. The efforts of the British and Foreign Bible Society have been felt throughout Switzerland and Germany. In Prussia the prospect is great that not a child will hereafter grow up in ignorance of the scriptures. The Catholics are active to regain their former possessions, and their activity has compelled the Reformed and Lutherans to union. The age of frivolity and arrogant philosophy seems fast passing away. The public mind is turning rapidly, in the middle and north of Europe to serious subjects-to something which will satisfy conscience and bring peace and consolation to ruined

man.

The Protestants which have remained in France, since the revocation of the edict of Nantez have lived in great seclusion. Their worship was interdicted by Lewis XIV; their marriages were declared illegal, and oppression in every form laid them in the dust. From his death to the revolution they met with milder treatment. Then every man was left to his own religion. They now number about a million and a half. For the last four years they have been rapidly increasing, especially in the south of France. Near Lyons a number of villages have become Protestant, and some hundreds have professed to be the subjects of renewing grace. The constitution of the Reformed

church is presbyterian. It is divided into 89 consistories. The Lutherans are chiefly in the north of France.

Where there is a population of a thousand, the pastors are supported by government: 295 Calvinistic and 220 Lutheran pastors are now thus partially paid. Many others there are, who receive no pay from this source, because the population is insufficient. A handsome sum has recently been granted by government for their colleges and the repair of churches: 6000 members form a consistorial church.

A warm missionary spirit, has lately been excited among them. The monthly concert is extensively observed, and Sabbath schools have been established. A Bible, Tract and Missionary society, have been formed at Paris. The Count Ver Huel, a peer of France, and Vice Admiral, is their patron. A remnant of the Waldenses, is to be found in the vallies of Piedmont. They remain truly Protestant, but they are exceedingly oppressed by the Catholics, being excluded from the military and civil employments, and the learned professions, and compelled to observe the festivals of the papists, and to abstain from work on the festival days. They number 13 parishes, comprising 13 pastors, and a population of 18,000. Among them are not more than 1480 Catholics.

It is remarkable and favourable, that, though the majority of the teachers and people in the reformed churches have departed far from their original standards of faith, yet those standards-the Helvetic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, the decisions of the Synod of Dort, and the thirty-nine articles, remain unaltered as their professed creeds.

The Calvinists have held the first rank in sacred literature. The Genevan Academy, sent out a large number of able theologians. The greatness of Calvin has ever been felt and acknowledged by all his foes. Beza, as a scholar, was not much his inferior. Others who associated with them and succeeded them, shone with distinguished brightness-Oecolampadius, Bullinger, Farel, Viret, Hospinion, in the sixteenth, and the two Buxtorfs and Turretin, in Switzerland; Gomer, Cocceius, Voet, Spanheim, De Maestricht, in Holland; Du Moullin, Daille, Claude, Basnage, Saurin, in France, in the seventeenth century; besides those in England, Scotland and America, who will pass before us in the history of those

churches.

In holiness, spirituality, purity of morals, zeal in the cause of Christ and salvation of men, the Calvinists have been surpassed by none.

ARMINIANS.

The Arminians were distinguished by their peculiar views of the five points of Calvinism. In relation to these, they believed,

I. That God, from eternity, determined to bestow salvation on those who, he foresaw, would persevere unto the end, and to inflict everlasting punishment on those who should continue in their unbelief, and resist his divine succours; so that election and reprobation are conditional.

II. That Jesus Christ, by his sufferings and death, made an atonement for the sins of all mankind, and of every individual in particular; that, however, none but those who believe in him, can be partakers of his benefits.

III. That mankind are not totally depraved, and that depravity does not come upon them, by virtue of Adam's being their federal head.

IV. That the grace of God, which converts men, is not irresistible.

V. That those who are united to Christ by faith, may fall from a state of grace, and finally perish.

Arminius was a pupil of Calvin, and for many years preached his sentiments. He did not avow this creed until he had attained to the professorship of divinity at Leyden. He died in 1609, before it had much engaged the attention of the Christian world;-leaving a great reputation among his followers for candour, penetration and piety.

In consequence of the decision of the synod of Dort and the violent opposition of Maurice, prince of Holland, the Arminians were treated with great severity. Barneveldt, their most distinguished civilian, was beheaded on a scaffold. Grotius, one of the most learned men in Europe, who advocated their system, was condemned to perpetual imprisonment; but he fled and found refuge in France. Many retired to Antwerp. A colony accepted an invitation of Frederic, duke of Holstein and settled in his dominions and built a town which they called Fredericstadt. Political artifice was at the basis of all this religious persecution.

After the death of prince Maurice, in 1625, the Arminians were recalled from exile, and treated with great lenity and kindness. They erected churches, and founded a College at Amsterdam. Episcopius, their chief advocate, was appointed their first theological professor. They soon numbered in the United Provinces, 34 congregations, and 84 pastors. The church

of England embraced their sentiments, through the influence of archbishop Laud, so that they number in their train some of her most distinguished prelates. The Wesleyan Methodists also have received their system, and many divines in the congregational churches in New England. On the continent of Europe they have been very numerous. They have every where given themselves much liberty as to doctrinal belief; have been satisfied with a confession of faith in the Scriptures as the word of God, and a moral life; many of them have viewed regeneration as a progressive work-instantaneous conversion, and revivals as fanatical, and the supper as a converting ordinance to which all are to be admitted, who possess a good moral character.

Some of their principal writers have been Arminius, Episcopius, Vorstius, Grotius, Limborch, Le Clerc, Wetstein, Whitby, Taylor, Fletcher. Le Clerc wrote a commentary on the Bible -Wetstein on the New Testament.

CHAPTER XVII.

Imperfect character of the Reformation in England. Cranmer made Archbishop of Canterbury. Bible translated and given to the people. Monasteries suppressed. Relics ridiculed. Catholic Rebellion. Henry VIII. excommunicated. His death. Excellent reign of Edward VI. Liturgy and Articles introduced. Reign of Mury. Popish persecution. Martyrdom of John Rodgers, Saunders, Hooper, Taylor, Bradford, Ridley and Latimer. Cranmer. Darkness and distress of the period. Death of Mary and accession of Elizabeth. Restoration of the Protestants. Establishment of the English Church.

The reformation in England, being little besides a transfer of supreme power from the pope to the King, left the nation still groaning under the monstrous corruptions of popery; so that the history of this church presents a long and hard struggle between such as wished for a thorough reform, and the friends of the Papacy. Henry VIII. was a monarch of violent passions. He had broken from the pope; but he was determined to be pope in his own dominions, and, whether right or wrong, would be obeyed. Fortunately, for the cause of truth, he elevated to the See of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer; a man of great learning and sound judgment, of a calm temper and an honest heart;

whose mind rapidly opened to the doctrines of the Bible, and which, for many years, he most ably defended.

The language of Wickliff's version of the New Testament, which had been made one hundred and fifty years antecedent to this period had become obsolete; and it was moreover a prohibited book, so that the nation were really without the Scriptures. But one William Tyndall, impressed with the immense importance of a free circulation of the Bible, in the language of the day. retired, for security, to the continent, where he translated the New Testament into English. An edition was printed at Antwerp, with short comments, and sent to England, for distribution, in 1526.* But its circulation was violently opposed by the Papists, and prohibited by the bishops as infected with heresy; and Tonstel bishop of London, had the edition privately purchased and publicly burnt at Cheapside. This event was far from being unfavourable; for with the money for which Tyndall sold his books, he was enabled to print in 1534 a more correct version; and the very act of conflagration, excited great displeasure and a spirit for reading the Scriptures, which nothing could suppress. Many who dispersed this hated book, and many who preached and avowed its doctrines, were brought before the bishop's courts and condemned to the flames. Tyndall himself was villanously betrayed at Brussels; and first strangled at the stake and then burnt. He expired, praying Lord, open the King of England's eyes."

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Cranmer, assisted by the new queen, Ann Boleyn, endeavoured to stop the persecutions in England; but the king had written in defence of the Romish faith, and had too much pride to renounce his opinions, and was violently pressed to what he still believed to be duty, by the Duke of Norfolk, Gardiner bishop of Winchester, and the greater part of the Clergy.

Convinced that there could be no reformation without the Scriptures, Cranmer prevailed upon the king, in 1534, to order a translation of the Bible by some learned men, which should be printed and put into the hands of the people. It was a great

"Car

*This was the first time the Scriptures were ever printed in English. dinal Wolsey declaimed against the art of printing as that which would take down the honour and profit of the priesthood by making the people as wise as they."-Baxter.

When the Greek and Hebrew originals were first printed, the monks declared from the pulpits (such was the gross ignorance of the age,) "that there was a new language discovered, called Greek, of which people should beware, since it produced all heresies, that in this language was come forth a book called the New-Testament, which was now in every body's hands, and which was full of thorns and briers. And there had also now another language started up, which they called Hebrew, and that they who learned it were termed, Hebrews."