SECT. I. CENT of Navarre. To escape the impending storm, he XVI, retired to Basil, where he published his Christian institutions; and prefixed to them that famous dedication to FRANCIS I. which has attracted universally the admiration of succeeding ages, and which was designed to soften the unrelenting fury of that prince, against the protestants [b]. of Europe. And in the XXXV. The instances of an opposition to the ather states doctrine and discipline of Rome in the other European states, were few in number, before the diet of Augsburg, and were too faint, imperfect, and ambiguous to make much noise in the world. It however, appears from the most authentic testimonies, that, even before that period, the doctrine of LUTHER had made a considerable, though perhaps a secret, progress in Spain, Hungary, Bohemia, Britain, Poland, and the Netherlands, and had, in all these countries, many friends, of whom several repaired to Wittemberg, to improve their knowledge and enlarge their views under such an eminent master. Some of these countries openly broke asunder the chains of superstition, and withdrew themselves, in a public and constitutional manner, from the jurisdiction of the Roman pontif. In others, a prodigious number of families received the light of the blessed Reformation, rejected the doctrines and authority of Rome; and, notwithstanding the calamities and persecutions they have suffered, on account of their sentiments, under the sceptre of bigotry and superstition, [b]This paragraph relating to Calvin, is added to Dr Mosheim's text by the translator, who was surprised to find, in a History of the Reformation, such late mention made of one of its most distinguished and remarkable instruments; a man whose extensive genius, flowing eloquence, immense learning, extraordinary penetration, indefatigable industry, and fervent piety, placed him at the head of the Reformers; all of whom he surpassed, at least, in learning and parts, as he also did the most of them in obstinacy, asperity, and turbulence. XVI. SECT. I. superstition, continue still in the profession ofC ENT. the pure doctrine of Christianity; while in other, still more unhappy, lands, the most barbarous tortures, the most infernal spirit of cruelty, toge ther with penal laws adapted to strike terror into the firmest minds, have extinguished, almost totally, the light of religious truth. It is, indeed, certain, and the Roman catholics themselves acknowledge it without hesitation, that the papal doctrines, jurisdiction, and authority, would have fallen into ruin in all parts of the world, had not the force of the secular arm been employed to support this tottering edifice, and fire and sword been let loose upon those who were assailing it only with reason and argument. CHAP. III. The History of the Reformation, from the time that. the confession of Augsburg was presented to the emperor, until the commencement of the war which succeeded the league of Smalcald. I. CH V. NHARLES V. arrived at Augsburg the 15th The conof June 1530, and on the 20th day of fession of Augsburg the same month, the diet was opened. As it was presented unanimously agreed, that the affairs of religion to Charles should be brought upon the carpet before the deliberations relating to the intended war with the Turks, the protestant members of this great assembly received from the emperor a formal permission to present to the diet, on the 25th of June, an account of their religious principles and tenets. In consequence of this, CHRISTIAN BAYER, chancellor of Saxony, read, in the German language, in presence of the emperor and the assembled princes, the famous confession, which has been since CENT.since distinguished by the denomination of the SECT. I. Confession of Augsburg. The princes heard it with XVI. The nature tents of the burg. the deepest attention and recollection of mind; it confirmed some in the principles they had embraced, surprised others, and many, who, before this time, had little or no idea of the religious sentiments of LUTHER, were now not only convinced of their innocence, but were, moreover, delighted with their purity and simplicity. The copies of this confession, which, after being read, were delivered to the emperor, were signed and subscribed by JOHN, elector of Saxony, by four princes of the empire, GEORGE, marquis of Brandenburg, ERNEST, duke of Lunenburg, PHILIP, landgrave of Hesse, WOLFGANG, prince of Anhalt, and by the imperial cities of Nuremburg and Reutlingen, who all thereby solemnly declared their assent to the doctrines contained in it [c]. II. The tenor and contents of the confession of and con- Augsburg are well known; at least, by all who confession have the smallest acquaintance with ecclesiastical of Augs history; since that confession was adopted by the whole body of the protestants as the rule of their faith. The style that reigns in it is plain, elegant, grave, and perspicuous, such as becomes the nature of the subject, and such as might be expected from the admirable pen of MELANCTHON. The matter was, undoubtedly, supplied by LUTHER, who, during the diet, resided at Coburg, a town in [c] There is a very voluminous History of this diet, which was published in the year 1577, in folio, at Frankfort on Oder, by the laborious George Celestine. The History of The Confession of Augsburg, was composed in Latin by David Chytræus, and more recently in German, by Ern. Solcm. Cyprian and Christopher. Aug. Salig. The performance of the latter is rather, indeed, a history of the Reformation in general, than of the Confession of Augsburg in particular. That of Cyprian is more concise and elegant, and is confirmed by original pieces, which are equally authentic and curious. XVI. SECT. I. in the neighbourhood of Augsburg; and, even the C ENT. form it received from the eloquent pen of his colleague, was authorised in consequence of his approbation and advice. This confession contains twenty-eight chapters, of which the greatest part [d] are employed in representing, with perspicu ity and truth, the religious opinions of the protestants, and the rest in pointing out the errors and abuses that occasioned their separation from the church of Rome [e]. confession III. The creatures of the Roman pontif, who The Rowere present at this diet, employed JOHN FABER,tempt afterwards bishop of Vienna, together with ECK-a refutaIus, and another doctor named CHLEUS, to draw tion of the up a refutation of this famor confession. This of Aloepretended refutation having been read publicly burg. in the assembly, demanded of the protestant members that they would acquiesce in it, and put an end to their religious debates by an unlimited submission to the doctrines and opinions contained in this answer. But this demand was far [d] Twenty-one chapters were so employed; the other seten contained a detail of the errors and superstitions of the church of Rome. [e] It is proper to observe here, that, while the Lutherans presented their confession to the diet, another excellent remonstrance of the same nature was addressed to this august assembly by the cities of Strasburg, Constance, Memingen, and Lindaw, which had rejected the errors and jurisdiction of Rome, but did not enter into the Lutheran league, because they adopted the opinions of Zuinglé in relation to the eucharist. The declaration of these four towns (which was called the Tetrapoli tan Confession, on account of their number) was drawn up by the excellent Martin Bucer, and was considered as a masterpiece of reasoning and eloquence, not only by the protestants, but even by several of the Roman catholics; and among others by Mr Dupin. Zuingle also sent to this diet a private confession of his religious opinions. It is, however, remarkable, that though Bucer composed a separate remonstrance, yet his name appears among the subscribers at Smalcald, in the year 1537, to the confession of Augsburg, and to Melancton's defence of it. CEN T. far from being complied with. The protestants SECT. I. declared, on the contrary, that they were by no XVI. Deliberations con cerning the means satisfied with the reply of their adversaries, and earnestly desired a copy of it, that they might demonstrate more fully its extreme insufficiency and weakness. This reasonable request was refused by the emperor, who, on this occasion, as well as on several others, shewed more regard to the importunity of the pope's legate and his party, than to the demands of equity, candour, and justice. He even interposed his supreme authority to suspend any further proceeding in this matter, and solemnly prohibited the publication of any new writings or declarations that might contribute to lengthen out these religious debates. This, however, did not reduce the protestants to silence. The divines of that communion, who had been present at the diet, endeavoured to recollect the arguments and objections employed by FABER, and had again recourse to the pen of MELANCTHON, Wwho refuted them, in an ample and satisfactory manner, in a learned piece that was presented to the emperor on the 22d of September, but which that prince refused to receive. This answer was afterwards enlarged by MELANCTHON, when he had obtained a copy of FABER'S reply, and was published in the year 1531, with the other pieces that related to the doctrine and discipline of the Lutheran church, under the title of A defence of the Confession of Augsburg. IV. There were only three ways left of bringing to a conclusion these religious differences, method to Which, it was, in reality, most difficult to reconbe used in cile. The first and the most rational method was, terminating these reli- to grant to those who refused to submit to the gious dis- doctrine and jurisdiction of Rome, the liberty of following their private judgment in matters of a religious nature, the privilege of serving God sensions. according |