Britain. The plan is judicious and satisfactory; and we trust he will lose no time in preparing for the execution of his purpose.

The present volume embraces a period of sixteen years; from the diet of Augsburg in 1530, to the death of Luther and the eve of the war of religion in 1546; a period which, though not so interesting in some respects as the first years of the Reformation, is yet replete with important instruction. It comprehends that eventful time when the Emperor Charles V., restrained by political considerations, allowed the cause of religion to gather strength by delay and compromise; when diet after diet was convened to crush, by force, the rising principles of reform, and was defeated in its object by quarrels between the papal advocates, by the invasion of Hungary by the Turks, by the war with France, and the mighty sway which truth gradually acquired over the minds of the princes and electors of Germany. It was during these sixteen years that we find the diets of Augsburg, of Nuremberg, of Frankfort, and of Ratisbon, ultimately conducing to the furtherance of Lutheranism, and the storm of war, so long threatening, not allowed actually to burst forth till the great leader of the Reformation had been removed to his heavenly rest, and the seeds of truth had taken such deep root as to be able to flourish without the care of the hand that planted them.

The history of this great struggle fills the present volume. The narrative is richly interspersed with selections from the writings of the reformers, with details of the effects of the evangelical doctrine in the states of Europe, with accounts of the various disorders and contrivances which tarnished and impeded the Reformation, and with reports of the dying testimonies of many of the leading characters of the time. The view also which is presented of the almost incredible corruptions of the Church of Rome, and the base

arts by which she uniformly attempted to overthrow the blessed labours of Luther and his associates, is highly instructive.

We shall not enter further into the general history, for the particulars of which we refer to the volume itself, but proceed to give some specimens of the execution of the work under such heads as appear to us to be most likely to interest our readers, and convey a just impression of the character of the whole narrative.

One of the first things which occurs to a considerate mind, in reflecting upon the contents of this publication, is, the admirable providence of Almighty God, in guarding and conducting the Reformation. The extraordinary infatuation of the papal advocates in almost every step they took, conspired, with the almost incredible corruption of morals which the leading ecclesiastics scarcely troubled themelves to conceal, to enlighten the minds of men in the most effectual manner, as to the enormous evils of the popedom, and to loosen the prejudices of education and habit. The gradual process by which Luther was himself led on, quite contrary to his first intentions, to discover the whole antichristian character of Popery, and to break entirely with the Church of Rome, conduced, with the conduct of the papal prélates, and the illumination of men's minds, to produce the desired result and marked the finger of Providence. To the same effect tended all those defeats of a hollow and dangerous reconciliation which, for twenty years or more, the reformers in their sincerity would gladly have accepted from their crafty adversaries. Again, the timely support raised up for Luther, was exactly adapted to bring about the same end; a support suddenly and mysteriously springing up in the very moments of exigency, and yet not beyond the occasions that called for it, or of a kind to provoke open. hostility; but only such as baffled

the immediate designs of his enemies, and gave time for the Reformation to take root and spread. The permission likewise of the chief evils and dissensions, which have since disturbed the reformed churches, to arise in its first and most vigorous and spiritual period, as well as the chastisement of those evils by national judgments, are further provisions of a Divine Providence, for our warning and direction to the present day. In short, innumerable are the proofs, both in smaller and more momentous points, of the hand of that God which first vouchsafed to us Christianity, being stretched forth to protect the revival of the Divine doctrine. We select, as specimens on this topic, three passages; the first illustrating the providential care of God in a less considerable matter; the second, in a highly important and vital point; and the third offering some reflections of our author, on the unexpected proceedings of the Divine governance.

The first relates to the forbidding of the Protestant divines to preach during the diet of Augsburg.

"On another subject, some degree of contention had commenced even before

the emperor's arrival at Augsburg. It has been observed, that the Protestant princes brought with them some of their principal divines. These ministers, both in the places they passed through, and after they arrived at Augsburg, preached frequently in the churches: and, though they abstained as much as might be from controversy, and applied themselves directly to the edification of the people, the proceeding proceeding naturally gave umbrage to their enemies. The emperor, accordingly, before he moved from Inspruck, signified his pleasure that the practice should cease... Notwithstanding the emperor's letters, the preaching was not discontinued till some days after his own arrival; and not even then by an absolute surrender, but only by compromise-the emperor engaging to impose silence on the divines of the Popish as well as of the Protestant party, and to appoint such preachers, exclusively, as all might hear without offence to their consciences. Though the sermons, therefore, which were preached, were very vapid and barren of scriptural truth, yet Seckendorf thinks the Protestants were rather gainers than losers by the arrangement, as the minds of the persons assembled from all parts of Germany were prevented from beCHRIST. OBSERV. No. 301.

ing poisoned by the invectives of such preachers as Faber and Cochlæus."

14-16.

pp.

But this was not all; for Luther

remarks as follows, on the public reading of the Augsburg Confes

sion :

6

"He thus writes to the elector the very day on which he had received his highness's letters: Our adversaries think they have succeeded to admiration, in procuring the preaching to be stopped by an imperial prohibition; but, poor men! they do not perceive, that, by the exhibition of a written confession to the emperor, more is done to make known and propagate our doctrine, than perhaps ten preachers could have effected. Islebius, it is true, and the other divines are silenced; but forth come the elector of Saxony and the other princes and lords, with a written confession of faith in their hands, and preach, with all sible freedom, before his imperial majesty posand the whole empire, in the view of all the world, so that they are forced to hear, and can say nothing against it! Truly Christ is not silent in the diet! Thus is that accomplished which is written, "The word of God is not bound!" No if it is prohibited in pulpits, it shall be heard in the palaces of kings.' p. 23.

:

The second relates to the manner in which the iniquitous decrees of the diet of Augsburg were virtually annulled; decrees which, had they been acted upon, the Reformation, so far as man can judge, would have at once expired, together with its first movers. But in what way did a merciful Providence violence of this recess of the diet, defeat them? The injustice and induced the Protestant princes and cities to join in a defensive alliance. Seven princes and twenty-four cities formed the league of Smalkald. The emperor therefore could not enforce the decrees, without the imminent risk of civil commotions. In this state of things, let us read the following narrative.

"But it pleased Providence for the present to relieve the Frotestants from their apprehensions in an unexpected manner. The emperor was by no means prepared to engage in a civil war. That with the Turks was of itself sufficiently urgent. They had again invaded Hungary with an immense army, and for the avowed purpose of dethroning Ferdinand, and advancing another person in his place: and the Protestants, before the late diet separated, had declared, that they could neither furnish any aid against the Turks, unless F

they were themselves protected, and peace secured within the empire, nor contribute to the expenses of the imperial chamber, unless they were placed on the same footing as the other states, with respect to that court. Contrary also to their solemn protestations, as well as to those of some of the Catholic princes, Charles had lately procured his brother to be elected king of

the Romans, and his successor in the empire; which was considered as a step towards establishing hereditary and absolute authority, repugnant to the constitution, and subversive of the liberties of Germany. On all these grounds he was desirous of conciliation, and readily listened to the proposals of the archbishop of Mentz, and Lewis, elector palatine, who offered to mediate between him and the Protestants. By this means, after many difficulties and protracted conferences, a pacific arrangement was at length effected, on terms highly advantageous to the Protestants. This pacification, called, from the place where it was agreed upon, the pacification of Nuremberg, was settled in that city in the month of July, 1532, and solemuly ratified the month following, in the imperial diet held at Ratisbon.

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"In this treaty it was stipulated, That universal peace be established in Germany, until the meeting of a general council,the convocation of which within six months the emperor shall endeavour to procure; that no person shall be molested on account of religion; that a stop shall be put to all processes begun by the imperial chamber against Protestants, and the sentences already passed to their detriment shall be declared void. On their part, the Protestants engaged to assist the emperor with all their forces in resisting the invasion of the Turks. Thus,' says the historian whose words I am here using, by their firmness in adhering to their principles, by the unanimity with which they urged all their claims, and by their dexterity in availing themselves of the emperor's situation, the Protestants obtained terms which amounted almost to a toleration of their religion: all the concessions were made by Charles, none by them; even the favourite point of their approving his brother's election was not mentioned; and the Protestants of Germany, who had hitherto been viewed only as a religious sect, came henceforth to be considered as a political body of no small consequence.' PP. 109-111.

Our third quotation will save us the necessity of a single additional remark on the course of God's wise and holy providence. It relates to the consequences of the diet of Ratisbon in 1546, when the meanness, the deceit, and even treachery of the emperor's conduct, might

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Nothing could have been more agreeable to our feelings, than to have seen Charles, after all his artifice and contrivance, taken unprepared, and defeated at the head of the troops which he had got together, and the forces of his prompter, the pope, cut off before they could reach the scene of action; all which had well nigh taken place, and, humanly speaking, might easily have been effected. Thus the liberty of Germany might have been established, and the Protestant religion placed in security. This would have exactly met our wishes: but to that higher wisdom which controls all occurrences, and watches with an eye of special regard over the affairs of the church, it seemed good to permit a widely different course of events. It pleased Him, indeed, ultimately to establish the cause of the German Protestants in safety; but, according to the anticipations which we have repeatedly seen the leading reformers entertaining, their church was to be previously humbled and purified. It was his good pleasure also to bring down the pride, and to disappoint the ambition, of Charles V. as effectually, and in as mortifying a by the elector and the landgrave; but manner, as if it had been accomplished it was to be by the hand of a man of far less principle than either of them, whom the emperor himself was, with the most unsuspecting confidence, nourishing up to execute both these great designs of Providence. Here then we are strikingly taught to commit our ways to God, to leave all with him, and in faith and patience to wait the unfolding of His dispensations, who will infallibly bring about the events most to be desired, in the time and by the means which are the best to be chosen." pp. 438, 439.

The second topic to which the mind of an attentive reader of this volume would probably be directed is, the large effusion of the grace of the Holy Spirit, together with the wide spread of the reformed dectrines which it exhibits. It is quite delightful, when we close the volume, to reflect on the evident proofs it contains, of that peculiar gift of the grace of the Holy Ghost which prepared the minds of men for the reception of truth; which excited,

inquiry and insinuated doubts as to the existing superstitions in almost every mind in every part of Europe; which pushed the tide of the heavenly doctrine into every creek and recess, as it were, of the popedom; which proclaimed the truths of Christ with a voice that demanded and obtained a hearing in the audience of kings and electors and princes and prelates; and which turned innumerable souls from darkness to light, and from the power of satan unto God. The principal phenomena which accompanied the first propagation of the Gospel were, in fact, renewed, after a lapse of fifteen centuries, in the awakening of the lethargic souls of men, in the rapid promulgation of the healing doctrine of a crucified Saviour, in the spiritual simplicity and decision of the new converts, and in the holy love, consistent deportment, and patient sufferings even unto death, of the evangelical churches. In a few brief years, by the irresistible force of truth, by the New Testament circulated widely for the first time after ten or eleven centuries, by the preaching and writings of Luther and his intrepid associates, the systematic prejudices of ages were almost obliterated from the minds of multitudes, and a new era of light and grace was introduced, We attribute this mighty effect to the effusion of the Holy Spirit, because the main tenets perpetually enforced by the reformers, were not those subordinate and incidental points on which many modern divines often exclusively dwell, but the grand peculiarities of the Christian revelation-the fall and ruin and spiritual impotency of man, the justification of the sinner by faith only in the merits and sacrifice of Christ, the sanctification of all the faculties of the soul by the power of the Holy Ghost, and the supreme authority of holy Scripture in matters of faith and practice. Such incorruptible seed produced its blessed fruits by the influences of the same

Spirit who scattered it for this very end.

Let our readers peruse, for the illustration of this topic, the following brief description of the effects of the Gospel in Saxony, in a letter of Luther to his prince, during the agitations of his residence in Augsburg in 1530.

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Truly,' he says, there are more numerous and more excellent pastors and teachers in your highness's dominions, than in any other country in the world. Our youth of both sexes grow up so well instructed in the holy Scriptures and the Catechism, that it affords me the most sensible pleasure to see children learn more, and enabled to believe and avow more, concerning God and Christ, than all the papal colleges, monasteries, and schools heretofore knew, or even yet know. These tender plants form a most pleasant paradise, planted by God himself, in your highness's territories, which has not its like in all the world beside. The children of God are protected and daily fed with the bread of life in your dominions: the very reverse of which is the case in those of the popish princes. In those countries, however, there are many who look to the sacred land, under your highness's sway, with ardent affection and fervent prayer." pp. 65, 66.

Next, let the following address to Luther, by the nobles of Austria, be considered. We quote it as a specimen of the diffusion of grace in a country whence Protestant doctrines have, in our day, been systematically excluded.

It was

presented in the year 1541, after the calamities suffered from the

Turks. It was signed by twentyfour noblemen, and ten cities those of Stiria and Carniola. (among which was Vienna), besides

It was high time therefore, they urged, to look out for remedies; and especially that the wrath of God might be appeased, which, being provoked by the sins of men, brought such judgments upon them. They set forth the evils that prevailed; that all discipline, public and private, was at an end; but that the contempt of the word of God was the chief cause of all.' From both sacred and profane history they shewed, that God had many times severely punished the most flourishing kingdoins for false worship and the contempt of his word.' They pointed out the formidable indications which appeared of like evis coming upon themselves 3 and proceeded: Truly we know no

other remedy, most dread sovereign, than that the word of God be purely taught, and the people stirred up to amendment of life; for in the true worshipping of God all our safety consists.' Adverting to the points which had been agreed upon, and to the injunctions given at Ratisbon to the bishops to reform the abuses in their churches, they add: Wherefore we humbly beseech your majesty to give command that the Gospel be purely taught, especially that point of doctrine which relates to justification-that our sins are pardoned through Christ alone; in the next place, that men be exhorted to the practice of charity and good works, which are the fruits and evidences of faith; that they be made afraid of sin,...that those who desire it be permitted to have the Lord's supper administered to them according to the custom of the primitive church; that the bishops be required to reform abuses, and to appoint able ministers to instruct the people, and not to turn out sound preachers, as they have hitherto done.' Many churches, they stated, were now altogether destitute; whence it came to pass, that the common sort of people were with difficulty kept from wholly degenerating into paganism.' 'We therefore, they conclude, humbly pray your majesty, not to be wanting to us in so pious and necessary a cause. And let not your majesty think that we so importunately beg this, that we may thereby have greater liberty, or because we are given to change: for we acknowledge that our salvation rests only upon Christ; that the knowledge of the Gospel is to be adorned with holiness of living; and that we are bound to obey and serve your ma jesty with our lives and fortunes.' 312-314.

pp.

Upon such a document, well may our author say,

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England could not at this period have furnished a proceeding comparable to the petition of the nobles of Austria: yet what is the religious state of Austria to this day; and what has been that of Great Britain almost from that era to the present time!" p. 315.

And here we cannot refuse ourselves the mournful pleasure of quoting a passage relating to Italy itself, the very seat of the antichristian corruption: we say mournful, because, as in the case of Austria, hopeful beginnings blighted are a source of sorrow to every benevolent heart. But that the strong holds of the Papacy should have at all felt the power of Divine truth so early as the year 1533, for such is the date of the following extract, is no

mean proof of the extent and energy of that effusion of the grace of the Holy Spirit of which we are now speaking.

"The rays of evangelical truth, it appears, had also penetrated into Italy, and even to the very heart of the papal dominions; and we find at this time a remarkable address in favour of Reformation, made by some distinguished citizens of Bologna, to John Planitz, the elector's ambassador at the court of the emperor, then held in that city. The design of the address was, to entreat Planitz most seriously to urge the emperor to procure a council, which the addressers hoped might lead to some reformation in religion, an object 'most earnestly desired by many pious, learned, and honourable persons in the first cities of Italy, and even in Rome itself.' They spoke for themselves in the most unequivocal, and at the same time in the most humble, language. They congratulated the deliverance of Saxony from the tyranny of antichristian superstition, and applauded the elector's zeal for extending the like liberty of the Gospel to other countries. They trusted that, at all events, the pope might be so far prevailed upon, that it might no longer be esteemed heretical for either priests or laymen to purchase the Scriptures, or a proof of Lutheranism to quote sometimes the words of Christ or of St. Paul. This, they say, is at present the case and what is the reign of Antichrist, if this is not?' They entreat the ambassador to leave no means untried, that his mission into Italy might not prove to have been in vain, and that their hopes might not issue in disappointment. For their own part, they promise to contribute their utmost endeavours, even though they should sacrifice their fortunes and their lives in the cause of Christ." pp. 173, 174.

We are inclined to think that the next reflection arising in the mind of an intelligent reader of this volume would regard the admirable talents and characters of the chief reformers, and especially of Luther. The consideration of the providential goodness of God, and of the effusion of his Holy Spirit, leads us naturally to the character of the reformers, in which both were conspicuous,—so conspicuous that we seem to mark in

every step of their history the traces of a more than human guidance and support. Men, indeed, the reformers were, subject to like passions as we are," as we shall have occasion to notice hereafter; but, taking a view of their whole