shall be rigorously observed, as far as is possible; since it seems the most adapted to lead us to an accurate knowledge of the nature, progress, and tenets of every Christian society, that arose in these times of discord.

the Refor

V. The most momentous event that distin- History of guished the church after the fifteenth century, and mation. .we may add, the most glorious of all the Revolutions that happened in the state of Christianity since the time of its divine and immortal Founder, was that happy change introduced into religion, which is known by the title of the Blessed Reformation. This grand revolution, which arose in Saxony from small beginnings, not only spread itself with the utmost rapidity through all the European provinces, but also extended its efficacy more or less to the most distant parts of the globe, and may be justly considered as the main and principal spring which has moved the nations from that illustrious period, and occasioned the greatest part both of those civil and religious revolutions that fill the annals of history down to our times. The face of Europe was, in a more especial manner, changed by this great event. The present age feels yet, in a sensible manner, and ages to come will continue to perceive, the inestimable advantages it produced, and the inconveniences of which it has been the innocent occasion. The history therefore of such an important revolution, from whence so many others have derived their origin, and whose relations and connexions are so extensive and universal, demands undoubtedly a peculiar degree of attention, and has an unquestionable right to the principal place in such a work as this. We therefore now proceed to give a compendious view of the modern history of the Christian church, according to the plan and method already laid down.

B 3

THE

SIXTEENTH CENTURY.

SECTION I.

THE HISTORY OF THE REFORMATION,

CENTI. THE History of the Reformation is too

XVI.

SECT. I.

The divi

Tample and extensive to be comprehended

without a certain degree of confusion, in the unsion of the interrupted narration of one Section; we shall therefore divide it into Four Parts.

first fac

tion.

The FIRST will contain An Account of the State of Christianity before the Commencement of the Reformation.

The SECOND, The History of the Reformation, from its first Beginnings until the date of the Confession drawn up at Augsburg.

The THIRD will exhibit A View of the same History, from this latter period to the Commencement of the war of Smalcald. And,

This division is

The FOURTH will carry it down to The Peace that was entered into with the Abettors of the Re-. formation in the year 1555 [a]. natural; it arises spontaneously themelves.

from the events

CHAP.

[a] The writers of the History of the Reformation, of every rank and order, are enumerated by the very learned PHILIP FRID. HANE (who himself deserves a most eminent rank in this class), in his Historia Sacrorum a Luthero Emendatorum, part I. cap. i. p. 1. and by Jo. ALB. FABRICIUS, in his Centifolium Lutheranum, part II. cap. clxxxvii. p. 863.-The greatest part, or at least the most eminent, of this list of authors must be consulted by such as desire a farther confirmation or

illustration

CHAPTER I.

Concerning the state of the Christian Church before

1.

A

the Reformation.

XVI.

ning of

BOUT the commencement of this cen- CENT. tury the Roman pontifs lived in the ut-scr. I. most tranquillity; nor had they, as things ap-Things are peared to be situated, the least reason to appre-in 2 quiet hend any opposition to their pretensions, or re-state ar the begin bellion against their authority; since those dreadful commotions, which had been excited in the this centu. preceding ages by the Waldenses, Albigenses," and Beghards, and lately by the Bohemians, were entirely suppressed, and had yielded to the united powers of counsel and the sword. Such of the Waldenses as yet remained, lived contented under the difficulties of extreme poverty in the vallies of Piedmont, and proposed to themselves no higher earthly felicity, than that of leaving to their descendants that wretched and obscure corner of Europe, which separates the Alps from the Pyrenean mountains; while the handful of Bohemians, that survived the ruin of their faction, and still persevered in their opposition to the Roman yoke, had neither strength nor knowledge adequate to any new attempt, and therefore, instead of inspiring terror, became objects of contempt.

a

II. We must not, however, conclude from this The com apparent tranquillity and security of the pontifsinst the and their adherents, that their measures were ap- pes and plauded, or their chains worn without reluctance.

illustration of the matters which I propose to relate briefly in the course of this history. The illustrious names of SLEIDAN and SECKENDORFF, and others, who have distinguished themselves in this kind of erudition, are too well known to render it necessary to recommend their works to the perusal of the curious reader.

clergy inef

XVI.

CENT. This was far from being the case. Not only priSECT. I. Vate persons, but also the most powerful princes

and sovereign states, exclaimed loudly against the despotic dominion of the pontifs, the fraud, violence, avarice, and injustice that prevailed in their counsels, the arrogance, tyranny, and extortion of their legates, the unbridled licentiousness and enormous crimes of the clergy and monks of all denominations, the unrighteous severity and partiality of the Roman laws, and demanded publicly, as their ancestors had done before them, a Reformation of the church, in its head and in its members, and a general council to accomplish that necessary and happy purpose [b]. But these complaints and demands were not carried so far as to produce any good effect; since they came from persons who never presumed to entertain the least doubt about the supreme authority of the Pope in religious matters, and who, of consequence, instead of attempting, themselves, to bring about that reformation that was so ardently desired, remained entirely unactive, and looked for redress to the court of Rome, or to a general council. As long as the authority of the Roman pontif was held sacred, and his jurisdiction supreme, there could be no reason to expect any considerable reformation either of the corruptions of the church or of the manners of the clergy.

III. If

[b] These complaints and accusations have been largely enumerated by several writers. See, among many others, VAL, ERN. LOESCHERUS, in Actis et documentis Reformationis, tom. i. cap. v. p. 105.-cap. ix. p. 181. & ERN. SALOM, CYPRIAN. Præfat.ad Wilk. Ern. Tenzeli Historiam Reformat. published at Leipsic in 8vo, in the year 1717.-The grievances complained of by the Germans in particular, are amply mentioned by J. F. GEORGIUS, in his Gravamina Imperator, et nationis Orrman. adversus sedem Roman, cap. vii. p. 261. Nor do the wiser and more learned among the modern Romanists pretend to deny that the church and clergy, before the time of LUTHER, were corrupted in a very high degree.

XVI.

III. If any thing seemed proper to destroy the CENT. gloomy empire of superstition, and to alarm the SECT. I. security of the lordly pontifs, it was the restora- The resto tion of learning in Europe, and the number of men ration of of genius that arose, of a sudden, under the be-learning. nign influence of that auspicious revolution. But even this new scene of things was insufficient to terrify the lords of the church, or to make them apprehend the decline of their power. It is true, indeed, this happy revolution in the republic of letters dispelled the gloom of ignorance, and kindled in the minds of many the love of truth and sacred liberty. Nay, it is also certain that many of these great men, such as ERASMUS and others, pointed the delicacy of their wit, or levelled the fury of their indignation, at the superstitions of the times, the corruptions of the priesthood, the abuses that reigned in the court of Rome, and the brutish manner of the Monastic Orders. But this was not sufficient, since none had the courage to strike at the root of the evil, to attack the papal jurisdiction and statutes, which were absurdly, yet artfully, sanctified by the title of canon-law, or to call in question that ancient and most pernicious opinion, that Christ had established a vicegerent at Rome, cloathed with his supreme and unlimited authority. Entrenched, therefore, within these strong-holds, the pontifs looked upon their own authority and the peace of the church as beyond the reach of danger, and treated with indifference the threats and invectives of their enemies. Armed, moreover, with power to punish, and abundantly furnished with the means of rewarding in the most alluring manner, they were ready, on every commotion, to crush the obstinate, and to gain over the mercenary to their cause; and this indeed could not but contribute considerably to the stability of their doninion.

IV. Hence