pope, and glance Turn we now from the pilgrim and the prospectively into the future about to follow-that we may not be strangers to its workers and their deeds." The struggle for religious unity-the unity of faithwill agitate the Christian world. The triumph Catholicism of Catholicism or that of Protestantism, will and Protesbe hope's proposition to the respective parties who will fret and strut their hour on the stage of life. Catholicism and Protestantism will tantism striv ing for the mastery. 1 In order not to encumber unnecessarily the text of this prospective glance with special references, I will state the chief authorities for its facts, premising that most of the events will subsequently demand deeper attention, when special references will be appended. Ranke, Hist. of the Popes; Browning's Huguenots; Ranken's Hist. of France, vi.; Robertson's Hist. of Amer. ; Raynal, Hist. of the Indies, iv.; Brantome, Euvres; Tallement des Réaux, Historiettes; Montaigne, Voyage, iii.; Garnier, Hist. de France, xiv.; Botta, Storia d'Italia, i. ; Capefigue, La Reforme, &c.; Thuanus, xvi.; Millot, Hist. de France, ii.; Audin, Luther; Mosheim, Eccl. Hist. ii.; Kohlrausch, Hist. of Germany; De la Place, L'Estat de la Relig.; Castelnau, Mem.; De la Planche, L'Estat de France; D' Aubigné, Mem.; De Thou, Mem.; Montluc, Mem.; Condillac, Hist. Mod.; Ligue des Nobles; and many other works; for I have laboured to arrive at right opinions, at least such as seem to me such. be roused by an impulse, a conviction or sentiment, whose uncompromising tendency will be the destruction of every obstacle which will respectively stand in the way of the former, or thwart the progress of the latter. A terror or a monster to each other, resistance on both sides will become a battle of desperation. This will be the result of the human, or, rather, inhuman passions, which will be enlisted in the strife, The stake of with the imposing banner of religion unfurled. If God will not be for all, every man will be certainly for himself all his social and political interests will be deemed at stake in the battle of religion. the battle. A key to the box of Pandora. If we examine the theoretical expositions of the parties, giving an account of the faith within them, both will seem strong in motives of resistance and destruction, it is so easy to justify conscience when the heart is possessed by desire: but this very evidence will give us the key to that box of Pandora, the human heart. The motives of human action will leap forth in succession, the history of events will become credible, and if we sigh at the discovery, we shall still be consoled-if it be always a consolationwith the possession of truth. Protestantism will have advanced, Catholicism will have suffered in the conflict. In every kingdom of Europe the unity of faith will be menaced, if not destroyed. It had seemed at first, as it Solids were the bone of contention. seems to many now, a strife of mere opinion, a conflict of words, a battle of croaking frogs. Had that been the fact, it would soon have been drowned in the marsh of oblivion. But solids were equally the bone of contention: the loaves and the fishes were never forgotten by those who feasted thereon, and laid by the fragments. testantism exasperates Protestantism struck at the root of Privilege, Monopoly, and Protection-time-honoured enjoyments of popes, monks, bishops, and priests. Indul- How Progences would no longer be craved and paid for; dispensations would be dispensed with; Catholicism. bulls, breves, anathema, and excommunication would be only parchment, calf-skin, or foolscap; and the result would be painfully inconvenient. The stream of pious benefaction and church-profit would be turned from its prescriptive gulf-so broad and deep; for it is certain that the gratitude or childish terror of mankind had, from time immemorial, more than rewarded Mother Church for her care and solicitude. A kingdom, with broad lands for the pope-vast revenues for cardinals, pets, minions, and bishops-fertile districts for comfortable monks-endowments, grants, and foundations, for mass-priests and father-confessors; in a word, the estate of the Church, in the day of her glory, attests the natural gratitude of man, if not the modesty and moderation of his teachers, and his liberal payment to his prophets, who did little or nothing without a "consideration." Now, however, things were different; thought had changed whilst matter was inert, and went as men listed. Many of the great had changed their More painful opinions in matters of faith, but not their results. natural appetites in the matter of body. Men there were who considered themselves the "Church," and therefore they had a right to church-property; and they helped themselves when they found that the Church would be the last to help them; they deemed themselves "worthy of their hire," after the old notions; and the men of Privilege, Monopoly, and Protection denounced 1 Where to seek contest. them, detested them as spoliators, robbers, and interlopers. Princes and nobles had come in for the lion's share, as a matter of course, and rioted in the fatness of the Church. Centenary charities circulated in channels irregular, though similar, and the "pious orgies" of monks were succeeded by orgies without "dispensation." Thus, those who had been rich became poor, and the poor became rich by transubstantiation of substance, as the alchemists call it; and many were dying of the gist of the that great epidemic called "want of money."2 Herein is the question broad, deep, high as heaven, low as the other place, and as universal as humanity. Anxiety about the loaves and the fishes will vastly promote the struggles for the sake of "religion,' on all sides, desperate, giving no quarter. Ambition, envy, avarice, love or lust, hatred and revenge, will be the sources of leagues and associations; religion and the benefit of the people will be the pretexts; sacrifices will be proclaimed, and the people will be the victims. The people will suffer, invariably suffer for their "betters," whose cause they will defend, with blood and bones, under the name of religion. Princes will fight in selfdefence, or for self-aggrandisement, whilst religious enthusiasm will recruit their armies, and open the treasures of their subjects. Of the multitudes who will flock to their standard, such as be not lured by the hope of plunder, will imagine that they fight for truth, whilst, in fact, they will be shedding their blood for the personal objects of their princes, kings, or governors, temporal or spiritual. 3 1 See Hazlitt, Life of Luther, for Luther's strong opinions on this subject of spoliation, p. 278. Also, Schiller, Thirty Years' War, p. 10, where he discusses the subject a leetle after the manner of Machiavel. 2 See Sat. Menip. c. 1. 3 Schiller, ubi suprà. In the midst, or the skirts of this strife-wherein enthusiasm was needed and made effectual-we shall meet the sons of Loyola. Epoch of Des Transition. Epoch of Destiny-age of Transition! Primitive monsters will begin to vacate their strongholds; but vast will be their struggle; they will inflict deadly wounds as they turn and fly reluctant, tiny-age of by Fate pursued. Stirring events will ensue. Great interests will be at stake. Human passions will inhumanly rage in strong desire. God's justice will be offended-yet men will "think they have a good conscience." Hideous selfishness will riot in the actreligion will swoon in the motive. The potentates of earth will fling ruthless swords into the conflict-the ministers of religion will lend motives to the combatants-the sons of Loyola will be there. Man, as a reasonable and moral agent, will retrograde for a time -from bad to worse-but blessed Providence will bring forth good from the evil done. Hope, humbly, then-ye who suffer. God is above. Draw the curtain and scan the crowned heads of this little world-the arbiters of man's fate-the The crowned pagan gods upon earth, if nowhere else. Heads of Charles V., a warrior, and little else besides except a monk. His hands will be too full, his mind too empty, and his heart too narrow. An army Charles V. of reckless freebooters will give him a victory or two-he will injure others without benefitting himself, which will be a consolation; he will frighten the pope, Paul III. Being deceived by his holiness, he will undertake to settle the religious bickerings of his subjects, and publish articles called the Interim, until the Great Council shall have "pronounced." Papal prerogative |