XVI. and men in power for the advancement of true CENT. religion, which, it must be acknowledged, was sECT. III. much greater in this century, than it is in the PART II. times in which we live. Hence the original confederacy that had been formed among the German princes for the maintenance of Lutheranism, and of which the elector of Saxony was the chief, gained new strength from day to day, and foreign sovereigns, particularly those of Sweden and Denmark, were invited to enter into this grand alliauce. And as it was universally agreed, that the stability and lustre of the rising church depended much on the learning of its ministers, and the progress of the sciences among those in general who professed its doctrines, so the greatest part of the confederate princes promote 1, with the greatest zeal, the culture of letters, and banished, wherever their salutary influence could extend, that baneful ignorance that is the mother of superstition. The academies founded by the Lutherans at Jena, Helmstadt, and Altorf, and by the Calvinists at Franeker, Leyden, and other places; the ancient universities reformed and accommodated to the constitution and exigences of a purer church than that under whose influence they had been at first established; the great number of schools that were opened in every city; the ample rewards, together with the distinguished honours, and privileges that were bestowed on men of learning and genius; all these circumstances bear honourable testimony to the generous zeal of the German princes for the advancement of useful knowledge, These noble establishments were undoubtedly expensive, and required large funds for their support. These were principally drawn from the revenues and possessions, which the piety or superstition of ancient times had consecrated to the multiplication of convents, the erection or embel U 4 CEN T. embellishment of churches, and other religious XVL SECT. III. PART II. languages uses. IX. These generous and zealous efforts in the cause of learning were attended with remarkable The study of Belle success. Almost all the liberal arts and sciences Lettres and were cultivated with emulation, and brought to promoted. greater degrees of perfection. All those, whose views were turned to the service of the church, were obliged to apply themselves, with diligence and assiduity, to the study of Greek, Hebrew, and Latin literature, in order to qualify them for forming with dignity and success, the duties of the sacred function; and it is well known, that in these branches of erudition several Lutheran doctors excelled in such a manner, as to acquire a deathless name in the republic of letters. Melancthon, Cario, Chytræus, Reineccius, and others, were eminent for their knowledge of history. More particularly Flacius, one of the authors of the Centuria Magdeburgenses* (that immortal work, which restored to the light of evidence and truth the facts relating to the rise and progress of the Christian church, which had been covered with thick darkness, and corrupted by innumerable fables), may be deservedly considered as the parent of ecclesiastical history. Nor fhould we omit mentioning the learned Martin Chemnitz, to whose Examination of the Decrees of the Council of Trent, the history of religion is more indebted, than many, at this day, are apt to imagine. While so many branches of learning were cultivated with zeal, some, it must be confessed, were too The joint authors of this famous work (besides Flacius Illyricus) were Nicolaus Gallus, Johannes Wigandus, and Matthias Judex, all ministers of Magdeburg; and they were assisted by Caspar Nidpruckius an Imperial counsellor, Johannes Baptista Heincelius an Augustinian, Basil Faber and others. XVI. too little pursued. Among these we may place the CENT. history of literature and philosophy; the important SECT. III. science of criticism; the study of antiquities; and PART. II. other objects of erudition that stand in connexionwith them. It is, however, to be observed that notwithstanding the neglect with which these branches of science seemed, too generally, to have been treated, the foundations of their culture and improvement in future ages were really laid in this century. On the other hand, it is remarkable that Latin eloquence and poetry were carried to a very high degree of improvement, and exhibited orators and poets of the first order; from which circumstance alone it may be fairly concluded, that, if all the branches of literature and philosophy were not brought to that pitch of perfection of which they were susceptible, this was not owing to the want of industry or genius, but rather to the restraints laid upon genius by the infelicity of the times. All the votaries of science, whom a noble emulation excited to the pursuit of literary fame, were greatly animated by the example, the influence, and the instructions of Melancthon, who was deservedly considered as the great and leading doctor of the Lutheran church, and whose sentiments, relating both to sacred and profane erudition, were so universally respected, that scarcely any had the courage to oppose them. In the next rank to this eminent reformer may be mentioned Joachim Camerarius of Leipsic, a shining ornament to the republic of letters in this century, who, by his zeal and application contributed much to promote the cause of universal learning, and more especially the study of elegant literature. X. The revolutions of philosophy among Lutheran doctors were many and various. ther and Melancthon seemed to set out a resolution to banish every species of The various the fate of philosophy aLu- mong the with Lutherans. philo- CENT.sophy [p] from the church; and though it is imSECT. II. possible to justify entirely this part of their conduct, PART II yet they are less to be blamed than those scholastic XVI. doctors, whose barbarous method of teaching philosophy was expressively disgusting, and who, by a miserable abuse of the subtile precepts of Aristotle, had perverted the dictates of common sense, and introduced the greatest obscurity and confusion both in philosophy and religion. But though these abuses led the two great men now mentioned too far, and were carrying them into the opposite extreme; yet their own recollection suspended their precipitation, and they both perceived, before it was too late, that true philosophy was necessary to restrain the licentious flights of mere genius and fancy, and to guard the sanctuary of religion against the inroads of superstition and enthusiasm [9]. It was in consequence of this persuasion that Melancthon composed, in a plain and familiar style, abridgments of almost all the various branches of philosophy, which, during many years, were explained publicly to the studious youth in all the Lutheran academies and schools of learning. This celebrated reformer may not improperly be considered as an eclectic; for though in many points he followed Aristotle, and retained some degree of propensity [p] See Christ. Aug. Heumanni Acta philosophor. art. ii. part X. p. 579.-Jo. Herm. ab Elswich, Dissertat, de varia Aristotelis fortuna in Scholis Protestantium, which Launoy has prefixed to his book De fortuna Aristotelis in Academia Parisiensi, sect. viii. p. 15. sect. xiii. p. 36. [9] Some writers, either through malignity, or for want of better information, have pretended that Luther rejected the seholastic philosophy through a total ignorance of its nature and precepts. Those that have ventured upon such an assertion must have been themselves grossly ignorant of the history of literature in general, as well as of the industry and erudition of Luther in particular. For a demonstrative proof of this, see Bruckeri Historia Critica Philosophie, tom. iv. part I. p. 94, 95, 96, &c. XVI. propensity to the ancient poilosophy of the schools, C EN T. yet he drew many things from the fecundity of his SECT. III. own genius, and had often recourse also to the doc- PART II trines of the Platonics and Stoics. Aristote lians XI. This method of teaching philosophy, how- Philosophi ever recommendable on account of its simplicity cal sectand perspicuity, did not long enjoy alone and jaus and unrivalled, the great credit and authority it had Ramaans obtained. Certain acute and subtile doctors, having perceived that Melancthon, in composing his Abridgments, had discovered a peculiar and predominant attachment to the philosophy of Aristotle, thought it was better to go to the source, than to drink at the stream; and therefore read and explained to their disciples the works of the Stagirite. On the other hand, it was observed, that the Jesuits, and other votaries of Rome, artfully made use of the ambiguous terms and the intricate sophistry of the ancient schoolmen, in order to puzzle the protestants, and to reduce them to silence, when they wanted such arguments as were adapted to produce conviction, And, therefore, many protestant doctors, though it might be advantageous to their cause to have the studious youth instructed in the mysteries of the Aristotelian philosophy, as it was taught in the schools, that thus they might be qualified to defend themselves with the same weapons with which they were attacked. Hence there arose, towards the conclusion of this century, three philosophical sects, the Melacthonian, the Aristotelian, and the Scholastic. The first declined gradually, and soon disappeared; while the other two imperceptibly grew into one, and acquired new vigour by this coalition, increased daily in reputation and influence, and were adopted in all the schools of learning. It is true, the followers of Ramus made violent inroads, in several places, upon the territories of these combined sects, and sometimes |