been bound; the authority that sanctioned the evils under which they groaned began to be called in ques

year

sequences which must flow from a fair translation of the Bible in the German language. Nothing would so effectually shake the pillars of ecclesiastical despotism; nothing was so likely to spread the knowledge of pure Christianity. Accordingly, he rejoiced in the design of expediting the work, while his adversaries deprecated the execution of it, more than any heresy of which the greatest enemy of the church could be guilty." It was in the 1522, that he published his version of the New Testament, and his translation of the whole Scriptures was completed and given to his country in the year 1530. "The whole performance," says his historian, "was a monument of that astonishing industry which marked the character of the Reformer." The effects of this labour were soon felt in Germany; immense numbers now read in their own language the precious word of God, and saw with their own eyes the just foundations of the Lutheran doctrine. A more acceptable present could scarcely have been conferred on men who were emerging out of darkness; and the example being followed soon after by reformers of other nations, the real knowledge of Scripture was facilitated to a surprising degree.” Than all this, nothing could have been more fatal, and therefore more an object of deprecation, to the court of Rome.. The papacy,' continues the same excellent writer, 66 saw all this, and sighed indignant. Emser, a doctor of Leipsic, was employed to depreciate the credit of Luther's version; and the popish princes, within the bounds of their respective dominions, ordered the work to be burnt. Nor was their resentment appeased by the advice which Luther openly gave to their subjects, patiently to bear their sufferings without resisting their governors, but not to come forward and deliver up their German Bibles, or to do any act which might testify an approbation of the requisitions of their superiors on the occasion. Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria, issued a severe edict to prevent the publication of Luther's translation of the Bible, which had soon gone through several editions; and he forbade all the subjects of his imperial majesty to have any copies either

tion-men dared to think, to reason, to examine; and that glorious peculiarity of Protestantism, the

of that or any of Luther's books. In Flanders, the persecution appears to have been extreme. Many, on account of their adherence to Lutheranism, were put to death, or deprived of their property, by the most summary and tyrannical proceedings."

In manifesting such keen opposition to this benevolent undertaking of the German Reformer, the papal court acted in precisely the same spirit with that which it had displayed in reference to the translation of the Bible, which, two hundred years before, the Primitive Reformer of England, Wickliffe, had accomplished into his native tongue. It was one of the first great works in which that illustrious man engaged, to enable his poor ignorant countrymen to read in their own tongue the wonderful works of God. The Bible, he affirmed, is the will of God; and it long gave him great offence, and was deemed by him one of the capital errors of Popery, that it should be locked up from the people. But his publication in the English language of the records of divine truth, brought down upon him a storm of dreadful persecution. "Christ entrusted his gospel," said the ecclesiastics of his time, "to the clergy and doctors of the church, to minister it to the laity, and weaker sort, according to their exigencies and several occasions. But this Master John Wickliffe, by translating it, has made it vulgar; and has laid it more open to the laity, and even to women, who can read, than it was wont to be to the most learned of the clergy, and those of the best understanding: and thus, the gospel jewel, the evangelical pearl, is thrown about and trodden under feet of swine." In order to stay the progress of this growing evil, attempts were made to suppress, by public authority, the reading of the English Scriptures; and the instances were not few, in which the poor people, for whose souls no man cared, had to expiate the crime of reading them at the stake,—in which case, it was a common practice to fasten round the neck of the condemned heretic the parts of the scriptures which were found in his possession, that they with him might be consigned to the same fate.

right of private judgment, was established on an immoveable basis.

The cause of the Reformation was embraced and advocated by the most enlightened and eloquent men of the age. Melancthon in Germany, Zuinglius in Switzerland, Calvin in France, and Knox in Scotland, with a host of other eminently pious and talented men,

Nor is it unworthy of remark, that it was not only in the ages of darkness that hostility to the publication of the Holy Scriptures in the languages of Europe was manifested by the pontiffs and the court of Rome. In succeeding ages, and in our own time, has this dismal feature in the character of the papal church been strikingly displayed. In vain have her insidious friends affirmed, and her too credulous opponents believed the affirmation—that her illiberal spirit is departed, and that the superstition and bigotry which distinguished her in days of old have given place to better, more enlightened, and more rational sentiments. Only a few years have elapsed since two solemn bulls were issued from the pontifical court in relation to this very subject, distinguished by all the bigotry and intolerance of the dark ages. One of these precious monuments of the improved state of Catholic sentiment in the nineteenth century, the reader will find in the Appendix, No. II.; and, as he peruses it, he will find the melancholy conviction forced upon him, that the character of the papal church is really unchanged,-that all the disastrous visitations of Divine Providence which its head and members have recently experienced, have had no effect in meliorating its relentless spirit,that the same inveterate hostility to the reading of the Bible, and the same shrinking from the light of sacred truth, which were its characteristics in the days of darkness, distinguish it still,—that, in short, the poor abused disciples of the Roman church, are as really and entirely excluded as ever they were from tasting those blessed waters, which, flowing from beneath the throne of God and of the Lamb, have been made to pour their healing and gladdening streams among the desolate heritages of this fallen world!

devoted themselves to its interest, and laboured for its advancement; nor had many years gone past from the period of its commencement, till, in every part of Christendom, multitudes had withdrawn from the communion, and rejected the authority of the Roman church; while in not a few of the states of Europe, the papal supremacy was formally and publicly disclaimed.

Now, it is true that the revolution, at the outlines of whose initiatory history we have just glanced, did, in the first place, operate on religion; and the effect which it produced on the religious state of Europe was of immense importance. To have rescued the one-half of Europe entirely, and the other partially, from the spiritual jurisdiction of the Roman Pontiffs, was a great achievement-an achievement to which may be traced all the triumphs that genuine religion has since obtained throughout the world. But the Reformation did more. It annihilated throughout Europe the secular power of the Roman See; and, when we mention this, we record a triumph which the progress of literature never could have gained. Only in one point was the system vulnerable; and upon that point literature was not calculated to bear. The foundation of the great fabric was laid deep in those religious opinions which, even from infancy, were assiduously instilled into the popular mind; and there any impression which was intended to be effectual and permanent behoved to be made. There, accordingly, the Reformation did make an impression, and that impression was both effectual and permanent. Long

had mystical Babylon, proud as her predecessor of the ancient world, sitten secure in her own greatness, and scornfully smiled at all her foes. The winds and the tempests of many generations had

assailed her in vain;

she seemed to gain strength from opposition, and to outbrave even the vengeance of heaven: but the time of retribution was come; touched by that word which is the breath" of the Most High, as if lightning from the skies had undermined her base, she fell, and left to the view of posterity the melancholy wrecks of the grandeur which, in preceding ages, astonished and awed the kingdoms of the earth.

Ut

The endurance which the pontifical domination had experienced, during so many hundreds of years, was owing, as has been already remarked, to the influence of religious belief on the credulous minds of the superstitious multitude. The right of the Pontiffs to sovereign power was acknowledged generally throughout Christendom, and, regarded as the gift of heaven, was held inviolable. But the light of reformation that was made to burst forth upon the world, put to flight the darkness and delusions of a thousand years. terly at variance with the will of heaven as the existing ecclesiastical supremacy was found to be, still more monstrous, if possible, seemed that secular dominion, wherewith it had been long associated. On the latter, therefore, descended the vengeance that visited the former. England, Scotland, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, the half of Germany, and more than the half of Switzerland, disclaiming the authority of the Pontifical Court, withdrew the tribute which had