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 A. 
 
PORTRAITS*** 5 ** 
 
 OF THE 
 
 PRINCIPAL REFORMERS 
 
 OP THE 
 
 SIXTEENTH CENTURY, 
 
 WITH A NARRATIVE OF THE 
 
 REFORMATION OF RELIGION. 
 
 " Through faith, they subdued kingdoms ; wrought righteousness ; and 
 obtained promises."— Paul 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 VAN NOSTRAND & DWIGHT, 
 
 NO. 146 NASSAU STREET. 
 (American Tract Society's House. ) 
 
 1835. 
 
^ 
 
 *> 
 
 Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the yeaT 1835, 
 
 BY D. VAN NOSTRAND, 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern District of 
 New-York. 
 
 J2^ j.a 
 
 STEREOTYPED BY F. F. RIPLEY. 
 NEW-YORK. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The ensuing volume comprises a rapid survey of 
 the reformation of religion which was accomplished 
 in the sixteenth century ; with a biographical notice 
 of twenty-four of the principal christian heroes, who 
 were instrumental in carrying on the warfare with 
 the Papal hierarchy, until they achieved their won- 
 drous triumph. A concise review of the beneficial 
 effects which have resulted from their labours closes 
 the narrative. 
 
 No biographical records, except those in the sa- 
 cred oracles, are so interesting as the lives of the 
 chief Reformers : and this volume contains a small 
 gallery of medallion portraits, drawn by Mr. Ormsby's 
 pentographer, which are intended as a memorial of 
 those glorious champions of evangelical truth and 
 freedom, "of whom the world was not worthy." 
 They are excellent likenesses of the immortal men 
 whose names they bear. On the reverse of the ori- 
 ginal medals was a brief inscription in Latin, in the 
 form of an epitaph for a tablet. Those lines have 
 been translated into English, and are placed at 
 the end of the memoir which is given of each Re- 
 former. 
 
4 PREFACE. 
 
 The frontispiece represents Virtue resounding the 
 unfading honours of those men who by their toils and 
 sufferings, and learning and piety promoted the wel- 
 fare of the human family — Christian Benefactors ; 
 the memory of whose philanthropy shall never die. 
 The encircling motto may aptly be condensed into 
 the words of the Apostle respecting the sacrifice of 
 Abel — By them being dead they yet speak. 
 
 The two engravings prefixed to the essay on the 
 Reformation, represents Martin Luther affixing his 
 famous ninety-five propositions against indulgen- 
 ces on the door of the church at Wittemberg, on 
 the thirty-first of October 1517: and a figurative de- 
 lineation of his increasing the light of divine truth, 
 by snuffing the candle which had become so dim as 
 to be useless. 
 
 The portraits and biographical sketches of the 
 Reformers are arranged chronologically, according 
 to the periods of their departure to receive the gift 
 of God, eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 To those glorified worthies, evangelical sensibility 
 ever recurs with the fondest retrospect : and modern 
 believers in Jesus exultingly indulge the hallowed 
 prelibation of enjoying celestial communion with 
 the triumphant hosts of the sixteenth century, 
 among "the spirits of just men made perfect." 
 
 These biographies of the Reformers have been 
 compiled from various authentic sources ; and not 
 only the details, but also the language of the previous 
 writers in many instances has been adopted. This 
 general acknowledgment is made that the Editor 
 may not be charged with plagiarism. The volume 
 
PREFACE. D 
 
 is issued from a solicitude, under the Divine blessing, 
 to promote an acquaintance among young Christians, 
 Bible classes, and Sabbath schools, with the most 
 exemplary characters, and the most edifying topics 
 of instruction in modern ages ; and thus to stimu- 
 late them to more elaborate and extensive researches 
 into the history of the Christian church, and the 
 mysterious dispensations of Jehovah in reference to 
 the establishment, predominance and overthrow of 
 that mystical Babylon, which is " noted in the Scrip- 
 ture of truth," by the prophet Daniel, and the Apos- 
 tles Paul and John. 
 
 These portraits of the Reformers are therefore pre- 
 sented to American youth as a constellation of ex- 
 amples for their imitation; that junior Protestants 
 may be emulous through divine grace to fulfil the 
 admonition of the Apostle, Hebrews 6 : 12 ; "Be not 
 slothful, but followers of them who through faith 
 and patience inherit the promises." 
 
 New-York y Uh May, 1835. 
 
ENGRAVINGS, 
 
 PLATE I.— p. 37. 
 
 JOHN WICLIF, JEROM OF PRAGUE, 
 
 JOHN HUSS, PATRICK HAMILTON. 
 
 PLATE II.-p. 56. 
 ULRIC ZUINGLE, BERTHOLD HALLER, 
 
 JOHN ffiCOLAMPADIUS, SIMON GRYNJEUS. 
 
 PLATE III.— p. 72. 
 
 MARTIN LUTHER, MARTIN BUCER, 
 
 PAUL FAGIUS, HUGH LATIMER. 
 
 PLATE IV.-p. 97. 
 
 NICHOLAS RIDLEY, JOHN LASCO, 
 
 THOMAS CRANMER, PHILIP MELANCTHON. 
 
 PLATE V.-p. 119. 
 
 PETER MARTYR, JOHN CALVIN, 
 
 WOLFGANG MUSCULUS, WILLIAM FAREL. 
 
 PLATE VI.— p. 134. 
 
 PETER VIRET, HENRY BULLINGER, 
 
 JOHN KNOX, THEODORE BEZA. 
 
flHHHHnHHHSF';^ 
 
 
 
 • 
 
THE REFORMATION. 
 
 Connected with the establishment, progress, and final 
 overthrow of the apostate Hierarchy, contrived by the 
 " Man of Sin ;" the Apostle John, in Patmos, beheld the 
 characteristic features of the witnesses, who should com- 
 mence their opposition to the Papal perversions of evan- 
 gelic truth, almost simultaneously with the evolution of 
 that appalling despotism. The prediction recorded in the 
 Apocalypse, 11: 1 — 14, is a condensed narrative of the 
 successive testimony, which in all ages has been promul- 
 ged against the enemies of the unadulterated gospel of 
 Jesus. The mystical number 666 can be applied to no- 
 thing but the Latin church. Irenaeus, the disciple of Poly- 
 carp, nearly 500 years prior to the development of that 
 congeries of abominations, avowed that Rome would be 
 the seat of the Beast. He also affirmed, that such was 
 the decision of them who saw and conversed with the be- 
 loved Apostle. Consequently it is most probable, that 
 John was permitted to communicate that interpretation on 
 his infallible authority, that the fulfilment of the prophecy, 
 in subsequent ages, might render the facts connected with 
 it more remarkable. The Papal ordinance, that all the 
 services of the church should be in the Latin tongue, 
 which was authoritatively promulged in the year 666, 
 
8 THE REFORMATION. 
 
 seems to determine with undeniable accuracy the applica- 
 tion of the mystery. 
 
 The appearance of a regular dissent from the exactions 
 and mandates of the Roman ecclesiastical tyranny, cannot 
 be traced to a more distant period, than the era, when the 
 worship of God, through the universal banishment of the 
 vernacular languages, became a mixture of unmeaning 
 gibberish, and of ceremonial mummery. To illustrate 
 the nature of that prophecy which the witnesses pronounc- 
 ed against Babylon the Great ; and to mark the different 
 periods of their manifestation — they may be divided into 
 two classes ; individuals, and societies. 
 
 I. Individuals. The controversy respecting Images pro- 
 duced a vast protest against the Romish idolatrous bulls. 
 Emperors, Councils^ and a large number of Prelates dis- 
 persed in their various dioceses, endeavoured to resist the 
 introduction of that Pagan corruption; but the Dragon and 
 the Beast eventually triumphed. Clement and Samson,. 
 two Culdees in Scotland, were excommunicated for their 
 aversion to the Pope's supremacy, Image worship, Masses, 
 and the Celibacy of the Priests. Bede in England dis- 
 played the Romish corruptions with great boldness and 
 animation. Alcuin in France, in consequence of his 
 detestation of Idolatry and his resolute irrefutable argu- 
 ments against that monstrous fiction, Tran substantiation, 
 was arraigned several years after his death, and branded 
 as a Heretic. Agobard also steadfastly resisted the intro- 
 duction of the Images into France, and his writings were 
 condemned to the flames. Claudius, in Italy, vehemently 
 defended the truth against the Pagan Christians ; and, 
 through the divine benediction, so successful were his 
 labours, it is probable that the seed which he strewed after- 
 wards sprung up among the valleys of Piedmont, and pro- 
 duced that abundant harvest of Christians, the immortal 
 Waldenses. 
 
THE REFORMATION. 9 
 
 In the ninth century, John Scotus, for his acute resist- 
 ance to the introduction of the Papal corruptions, was 
 murdered in England by his own Students when instruct- 
 lug them at Oxford. Bertram in France, and Maurus in 
 Germany, fearlessly, but without success, also wielded 
 " the sword of the spirit which is the word of God" against 
 " the son of perdition." Haymo an Anglo-Saxon, Fortu- 
 natus and Hulderic Germans, Lupus and Remigius Ita- 
 lians, and especially Hincmar openly defied the Pope, and 
 trampled with scorn upon his bulls and decretals. 
 
 Of the tenth century, scarcely a vestige remains. The 
 Papal advocates describe that period, "as the most de- 
 bauched and wicked, the most illiterate and ignorant since 
 the coming of Christ. The Popes during 150 years were 
 more like Apostates than Apostles. Christ then appeared 
 to be in a very deep slumber when the ship was covered 
 with waves; and disciples were wanting, who by their 
 cries might awaken him, being themselves all fast asleep." 
 However, some few, like lights shining in a dark place, 
 remonstrated against the prevalent degeneracy and su- 
 perstition. Smaragdus a Saxon confuted many of the 
 Popish errors. Alfric in England was very zealous against 
 the corporeal presence. Bernet in Scotland resisted the 
 attempt to legalize celibacy. At Oxford many persons 
 pronounced the Papacy to be Antichrist. 
 
 Notwithstanding that the following age was ingulfed 
 in a darkness equally gross with that which enshrouded 
 the prior century, yet much effect accompanied the ener- 
 getic writings and exertions of a few renowned individu- 
 als. Berengarius in France so effectually counteracted 
 the doctrine of Transubstantiation, that immense multi- 
 tudes rejected that cardinal dogma of modern Popery. 
 Bruno likewise strenuously engaged in the conflict. 
 Damcasius in Italy pointed his spiritual weapons against 
 the Beast himself in his pride and majesty. Fulbert and 
 
10 THE REFORMATION. 
 
 Ido in France, and Anselm in England, co-operated in 
 the same warfare, by promulging a considerable propor- 
 tion of evangelic truth. 
 
 Then began to move the almost impenetrable gloom of 
 the " obscure, iron and leaden age ;" for during the twelfth 
 century, the morning's dawn upon the ten kingdoms is 
 perceptible. The number of the witnesses indefinitely 
 multiplied. Fluentius in Italy was menaced with the 
 utmost terror, for preaching, that " Antichrist had entered 
 the world." Bernard, with all his bigotry, loudly vocifer- 
 ated against the prevalent corruptions, and most eloquent- 
 ly demonstrated that the Apocalyptical Beast is the 
 Latin Pope. Arnold of Brescia for the resistless force 
 with which he combated the monkish heresies, was burnt 
 at Rome, and his ashes were committed to the river Tiber, 
 to prevent the people's veneration of his character and 
 virtues. Peter de Bruis and Henry, in consequence of 
 their doctrines so offensive and inimical to the Papacy, 
 were martyred ; the former by fire, the latter by imprison- 
 ment for life. Joachim of Calabria fervently taught, 
 that the then Pope was that Antichrist " who is exalted 
 above all that is called God, and worshipped." 
 
 Almaric, in the next century, suffered death for deny- 
 ing Transubstantiation and Image-worship ; and because 
 he had declared himself against the Hierarchy, his bones 
 were burnt after his martyrdom. Grosthead of Lincoln was 
 so inveterate an opponent of the Papacy, that he was de- 
 nominated " the Maul of the Romans ;" and when " he was 
 excommunicated by the Pontiff," he defied him and his 
 anathema. The testimony of Matthew Paris and John 
 Scotus against the frauds, pomp, tyranny, follies and 
 superstition of the Apostate Hierarchy, hastened the 
 progress and expanded the influence of the light and the 
 truth. But those men, great and valuable as were their 
 labours, were obscured by the brighter irradiations of 
 
THE REFORMATION. 11 
 
 Wiclif, "the morning star of the Reformation." In 
 him, every Christian hails a Brother ; every good citizen 
 a distinguished Philanthrophist, and all who are engaged 
 in the promulgation of the gospel, one of their earliest 
 Coadjutors. Notwithstanding all the important effects 
 produced by his writings and preaching; his strongest 
 assault upon the citadel of papal delusion was displayed 
 in his translation of the holy Bible into the English 
 language. He remained safe amid every storm, and 
 finally died in peace ; but about forty years subsequent to 
 his death, his bones, or those of some other person, were 
 burnt by order of the council of Constance. From that 
 period, until the thunders of Luther and his Brethren 
 reverberated, the opponents of the Beast augmented 
 in number, diligence and hardihood. Sawtre a preacher, 
 and Cobham a peer, were burnt in England for the sake 
 of the truth. Jerom Savonarola experienced the same 
 martyrdom at Florence, because he urged a reformation 
 in the church; and the murderous arm of persecution 
 was raised to extirpate every individual who dared 
 to dissent from the predominant authority. Many in 
 Bohemia, France, Germany, and England, both by their 
 preaching and writings, assailed with ceaseless and unin- 
 termitting vigour, the traditions and practice of the pope- 
 dom ; and vast numbers of persons were called to seal the 
 truth with their blood. But of all the single personages 
 whose talents, influence and virtues attracted the most 
 distinctive attention at that era, John Huss and Jerom 
 are the chiefs. 
 
 John Huss, from his decided superiority of genius and 
 intelligence, had been appointed rector of the university 
 of Prague; and from the influence of that elevated 
 station, his fulminations against the various abuses and 
 impostures of the Romish church attracted unbounded 
 attention and commanded general credence. In con- 
 
12 THE REFORMATION. 
 
 sequence of his denunciations against the Hierarchy, he 
 was excommunicated at Rome, and having been precluded 
 from preaching, he could only instruct by his written 
 works. The infamous council of Constance enjoined his 
 attendance before them, to declare his faith. Having 
 been provided with an imperial passport, guarantying his 
 personal safety, and accompanied by John de Chlum and 
 other pious grandees, he obeyed the summons. He was 
 speedily accused, arrested and imprisoned. The imperial 
 authority was violated, the Emperor's promise annulled, 
 and after every perversion of decency, and every mockery 
 of justice, he was consumed in the flames. Jerom had 
 gone to Constance to defend and support his friend Huss ; 
 but perceiving that no benefit could result from his inter- 
 position, he escaped. Prior however to his arrival at 
 Prague, he was seized and conducted back in chains to 
 Constance ; where he experienced every possible indignity. 
 Bound to a post, with his hands chained to his neck, he 
 remained ten days supported only with bread and water. 
 After some time he was introduced to the council, and by 
 menaces and promises was induced to retract his sen- 
 timents ; but being through divine grace reinstated in his 
 christian fortitude, he boldly declared his repentance for 
 his former dereliction; and was condemned to follow 
 his friend Huss in the chariot of fire, to that glorious 
 region, where " neither shall the sun light on them, nor 
 any heat." 
 
 II. Societies. The origin of those associated Christians 
 who combined to resist the papal usurpations, is lost in 
 the gloom of that midnight which enveloped the church 
 after the elevation of " the Man of Sin, " until the twilight 
 of intelligence re-appeared, about 250 years prior to the 
 Reformation. 
 
 ( The earliest protestants seem to have been a branch of 
 the eastern Paulicians ; and were primarily denominated 
 
THE REFORMATION, 13 
 
 the Cathari or Puritans, because they were "not con- 
 formed to the world." Afterwards being condemned by 
 a council at Albigia they were called Albigenses ; and as 
 their principal residence was near Lyons in France, they 
 were designated as Leonists. Of them the following re- 
 markable testimonial is recorded by Reinerius Saccho, a 
 Dominican Inquisitor general. " Among all the sects, 
 which still are or have been, there is not any more per- 
 nicious to the church, than the Leonists. First, because 
 it is older ; for some say it has endured from the time of 
 Sylvester ; others from the Apostles — second, because it is 
 more general ; for there is scarcely any country where 
 this sect is not — third, because they have a great show of 
 piety, live justly before men, and believe all things rightly 
 concerning God, only they blaspheme the church of Rome 
 and the clergy." But their history, during five hundred 
 years after the commencement of the witnesses prophesy- 
 ing in sackcloth, is yet buried in almost total oblivion. 
 From that period, they appear in more prominent features; 
 and their principles, doctrines, character and sufferings 
 constitute a very interesting portion of ecclesiastical 
 annals. 
 
 The Waldenses enjoy the pre-eminence. They were 
 much invigorated and their unity cemented, by the 
 acquisition of Peter Waldo, probably the first of the 
 reformed propagators of the Bible. He was a merchant, 
 by whose labours and zeal about the year 1170, the Gospels 
 and other parts of the Scripture, with other pure writings 
 of antiquity, were translated and dispersed in the French 
 language. 
 
 In all the predominant and essential articles of Christian 
 faith, they believed like the modern Protestants. Of their 
 Christian attainments and practice, the following facts 
 afford convincing evidence. During a fiery persecution 
 in Merindol and Provence, a Monk was despatched to con* 
 
 2 
 
14 THE REFORMATION. 
 
 vince the heretics, as they were calumniously named, of 
 their errors, that the authorized barbarities might cease. 
 The preaching Friar speedily fled from his mission in 
 disgrace ; candidly acknowledging that during his whole 
 life, he had not known so much of the scriptures as he had 
 been taught in a few days by his conferences with the 
 heretics. Another Papal missionary avowed that he had 
 imbibed more of the doctrine of salvation from the replies 
 of the Waldensian children in their catechisms, than from 
 all the instructions of the Sorbonne university at Paris. 
 Lewis XII. king of France, overcome by the clamorous 
 importunity of the Dominicans, commanded two dignified 
 persons to investigate the character and lives of those 
 anathematized Christians. After their research, they 
 reported that " in visiting all their parishes and temples, 
 they discovered neither images nor Roman ceremonies, 
 but that they could not perceive the smallest trace of the 
 crimes with which they were charged, that the Sabbath 
 was most strictly and devoutly observed, and that their 
 children were baptized according to the rules of the 
 primitive church, and instructed in the articles of christian 
 faith and the commandments of God." Lewis having 
 received this testimony, affirmed with a great oath, " they 
 are better than myself or my people." 
 
 The miseries which they endured for the sake of the 
 Lord Jesus were of the most acute nature. It is improper 
 to describe the barbarous indecencies with which they 
 were agonized ; and too painful to unfold the perfidious 
 hypocrisy and malignant baseness, which accompanied 
 the scenes of carnage and desolation that invariably 
 attended the march of three hundred thousand armed 
 men, instigated by avarice and superstition ; and of the 
 moveable dungeons, in which Dominic and his myrmi- 
 dons incarcerated their victims, prior to their ascent to 
 Paradise in the chariot of fire. One fact delineates the 
 
 N 
 
THE REFORMATION. 15 
 
 extent of their woes, and the unutterable folly of persecu- 
 tion. During the first 20 years after the establishment of 
 the Inquisition, the direful havoc among the followers of 
 the Lamb had been so boundless, that at that era, some of 
 the more considerate French Bishops requested the in- 
 quisitorial Monks to postpone their arrests and imprison- 
 ment of the people, until their Grand Master in iniquity, 
 the Pope had been informed of the numbers who then 
 were apprehended ; for whom they declared it was im- 
 possible for them either to provide ample subsistence, or 
 to procure stone and mortar sufficient for the erection of 
 prisons to confine them. " The blood of the martyrs is the 
 seed of the church." Notwithstanding from that period 
 until 1530, three hundred years after, the incessant op- 
 pressions and persecutions of Antichrist worried those 
 sheep with unrelenting tortures, which they sustained with 
 admirable constancy, patience and fortitude ; yet at the 
 commencement of the reformation, nearly one million of 
 persons professed the religion of the primitive Waldenses. 
 " Here is the patience of the saints. Here are they who 
 keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. 
 Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord,, that they may 
 rest from their labours, and their works do follow them." 
 In consequence of the unceasing deprivations and 
 dangers to which the Waldenses were exposed, those who 
 could fly, escaped into other regions ; where in secrecy, 
 they might worship God according to their own conscien- 
 tious dictates and the word of truth. The Bohemians 
 and Moravians formed themselves into a compact body ; 
 and after the murder of Huss and Jerom, under the 
 command of John Ziska, a man of most inflexible resolu- 
 tion and undaunted courage, resolved to defend them- 
 selves against persecution, and if they were molested, to 
 maintain their rights by force. After a long contest, in 
 which every act of horrid cruelty was perpetrated, the 
 
16 THE REFORMATION. 
 
 Roman policy prevailed. Part of the warriors were 
 cajoled into submission to the Pontiff of Rome. The 
 remainder became the prey of imperial armies and the 
 inquisitors' chains. Yet they survived the tornado. Im- 
 mense multitudes united with Luther and Zuinglius and 
 Calvin ; and a few who retained their predilections for 
 the customs and economy of their ancestors, have more 
 recently emerged from obscurity, as those pioneers of the 
 Missionary cause, the Moravians or United Brethren. 
 
 In England, those old Protestants were originally re- 
 proached by the epithet Lollards ; and in a later period, 
 as Wiclifites. It is not a little remarkable, that the 
 family-likeness among the pilgrims scattered in Piedmont, 
 Bohemia and England, should have been so uniform j for 
 in all the prime qualities, and in all the distinctive 
 features of the children in " the household of faith," they 
 were identical. They abjured the Papacy, despised human 
 traditions, adhered solely to the oracles of God. rejected 
 all the superstitions which had been incorporated with the 
 christian system, exemplified the devotion, meekness and 
 purity of the followers of the Lamb, and knowing in whom 
 they had believed, and that he was able to keep that which 
 they had committed to him against that day; patiently 
 submitted to every excruciation, which hell inspired 
 ingenuity could invent and raging malignity inflict. 
 
 Truth is uniform. To it, with some exceptions and 
 additions, the opponents of the Papacy generally bowed. 
 The experience of christians is very much assimilated in 
 all its grand peculiarities; in that point they were but one. 
 Their testimony, although it was almost coeval with the 
 exaltation of " the Man of Sin," to whom the dragon 
 gave " his power, and his seat, and great authority," was 
 nearly identical; although affected by the continual 
 mutations of 850 years. Our modern arguments against 
 the Papal Hierarchy, are nothing more than repetitions a 
 
THE REFORMATION. 17 
 
 little varied, of the original resonations of the everlasting 
 gospel, which the angel whom John saw flying in the 
 midst of heaven, " preached unto them that dwell on the 
 earth f thereby verifying with indubitable certainty, that 
 those individual and associated witnesses are " the two 
 olive-trees and the two candlesticks standing before the 
 God of the earth." 
 
 This view of that glorious army of confessors, who in 
 every age contested the usurpations of Antichrist, ne- 
 cessarily involves the question. What were the more 
 immediate visible causes which effected the partial de- 
 molition of the sway of the beast, who " had two horns 
 like a lamb, and spake as a dragon 1" 
 
 1. The great schism in the popedom, by the divine su- 
 perintendence, manifestly enfeebled the energies of the 
 Apostate Hierarchy. It commenced in the arrogance of 
 the then haughty Pope, and the boldness of Philip king 
 of France. Boniface informed Philip, that he, as well as> 
 all other princes, was obliged, by a divine command, in 
 all political, civil and religious affairs, to submit to the 
 papal authority. With the utmost contempt, Philip re- 
 torted on the pontiff in this style ; "we give your fool's 
 head to know, that in temporals we are subject to no 
 person." The Pope immediately declared that Jesus 
 Christ had subjected the whole human family to his au- 
 thority; and that every man who disbelieved that dogma 
 was excluded from all possibility of salvation. In reply, 
 the French king employed Nogaret, a most intrepid and 
 inveterate enemy to the Popes, to publish a catalogue of 
 accusations against Boniface, including a frightful mass 
 of crime, and demanded a council to dethrone the spiritual 
 tyrant. A sentence of excommunication against the king 
 and his adherents followed ; upon which Nogaret with a 
 small force surprised and made prisoner the unwary 
 Pope, and during the short period of his capture^ dis- 
 
 2* 
 
18 THE REFORMATION. 
 
 played to him the most marked and insulting indignity. 
 He was rescued, and speedily after his return to Rome 
 died of rage and anguish at his disgrace and disappoint- 
 ment. His successor reversed the anathema against the 
 French king; but having filled the papal chair during a 
 short period only, an adherent of Philip was elected Pope, 
 who removed the seat of the papacy from Rome to Avignon 
 in France, where it remained during 70 years. At that 
 period began the grand separation ; for after the election 
 of Urban to the papacy, many of the Cardinals offended 
 by his arrogance withdrew from Rome, and elected 
 another Pope, Clement who resided at Avignon. From 
 that era, 1308, until the council of Constance annulled the 
 authority and prerogatives of all the Popes, by the elec- 
 tion of Martin, the Hierarchy was involved in a dissen- 
 sion which filled all Europe with distress, calamity and 
 dismay. Two or three Popes, supported by some of the 
 horns of the Beast, maintained one ceaseless contention ; 
 and each agitated the world with his thundering anathe- 
 mas against the other and his associates. Notwithstand- 
 ing the general extinction of all sense of religion, and the 
 most scandalous universal profligacy which even pre- 
 tended not to concealment, the authority of the Popes re- 
 ceived a blow incurable ; and multitudes believed that the 
 Gospel of Christ required not such a temporal and abhor- 
 rent supreme head. Those, after that "deadly wound 
 was healed," furnished much of the materials for the fiery 
 martyrdom. 
 
 2. The degeneracy of the ecclesiastical orders constituted 
 another prominent reason of that excitement which filled 
 all Europe with commotion, when Luther enkindled the 
 torch of truth to irradiate the gloomy recesses and arcana 
 of the Monkish system. " That word, Reformation" said 
 Martin, "is more hated at Rome, than thunderbolts^ from 
 heaven, or the last -day of judgment." 
 
TH* reformation. 19 
 
 In the re-action of human affairs, it is not a little mar- 
 vellous, that those same vices and enormities which 
 introduced, aggrandized and established, also eventually 
 obstructed, diminished and undermined the Papacy. 
 Cruelty and slaughter gave energy to the popedom ; and 
 their ravages enkindled that enmity and opposition which 
 have assailed it with forceful and incessant success. — 
 Avarice and ambition impelled the Monster in his ascent, 
 and secured the acquisition of the triple crown. The 
 inordinacy of both which was subsequently developed, 
 taught men to feel, then to think, and finally to rebel 
 against a jurisdiction which robbed all the comforts, and 
 palsied all the efforts of civil society ; and which rendered 
 Christianity a burden instead of rest ; and the anticipa- 
 tions of that " life and immortality brought to light by the 
 Gospel," a source of never-failing gloom and anguish. 
 
 Men will submit to the yoke to a certain degree ; but 
 when their chains are too heavy, they become furious and 
 break them. Many persons anticipated a moral con- 
 cussion. One of the Cardinals addressing the Pope re- 
 specting the mission, of a legate to England, to demand 
 money to supply his magnificent voluptuousness, said, — 
 " Holy Father, we treat Christian kingdoms as Balaam 
 used his ass. I am afraid they will imitate her. By the 
 severity of his blows, she brayed most horribly, and so 
 will they." The prediction has been fulfilled. If to 
 those evils are subjoined the shameless impurity, the no- 
 toriously immeasurable perfidy, their puerile supersti- 
 tions, and their traditional absurdities, we feel no sur- 
 prise, that combined with other causes which even the 
 Pope in all the boundless plenitude of his power was totally 
 unable to control, the progress of the light and the truth 
 should have received an impetus lasting and irresistible. 
 
 In addition to the flood of human literature, the tide of 
 which continued to swell and accelerate its progress — the 
 
SO THE REFORMATION. 
 
 warring witnesses, who fought " the good fight of faith"— 
 the silent but inextinguishable impulse given by the partial 
 glimmerings of illumination imbibed by those who return- 
 ed from the croisades — the melioration of their tastes re- 
 specting terrestrial comforts — a comparative tone of inde- 
 pendence of character, resulting from their long enjoyed 
 semi-freedom, connected with their unrestrained, licen- 
 tious, undisciplined mode of life, while on their pilgrim- 
 ages, and during their residence in the Holy land — and the 
 opposition exhibited by successive princes, especially after 
 the daring defiance of Philip to Boniface, and the high 
 prerogatives assumed by the civil potentates at the coun- 
 cil of Constance — three other events in their combination, 
 decidedly introduced a new era in the history of the world ; 
 and in a very lucid degree, developed the wisdom of Je- 
 hovah in his providential government, and the mercy of 
 Immanuel in the direction of that " church of God, which 
 he hath purchased with his own blood." 
 
 3. Typography. — That art was discovered about the 
 year 1440, and its universal adoption has revolutionized 
 mankind. Now it has become in the plastic hands of 
 fervid Christians, a machine, which like the miraculous 
 tongues of the Apostles, proclaims to all people in their 
 own language " the wonderful works of God." The first 
 purely evangelical Reformer, a printed Bible, appeared in 
 1450. 
 
 4. The overthroio of the Constantinopolitan Empire. — 
 When the Turks had captured the imperial city Con- 
 stantinople, they speedily conquered all the European 
 possessions belonging to the Greek Emperors. To avoid 
 the calamities which they saw impending over their native 
 land, multitudes of the most learned Greeks fled into Italy 
 and Germany, and transported with them the intellectual 
 treasures which had so long been immured in the mo- 
 nasteries and other depositories of learning. Through "the 
 
THE REFORMATION. 21 
 
 establishment of the press, those writings were quickly 
 g disseminated in all countries, and excited an unquench- 
 able thirst after knowledge ; so that the ancient Latin 
 and Greek languages became the objects of general study, 
 and none of the higher orders were contented without the 
 perfect acquisition of those tongues which then formed 
 the chief avenue to all intelligence." 
 
 5. The discovery of America. — That event filled Europe 
 with universal enterprise. All the nobler qualities of the 
 heart, and all the dignified capacities of the mind, in their 
 combined refinement and energy, which had so long con- 
 tinued dormant under the iron yoke of Antichrist, then 
 found ample room for display. It was impossible, after 
 marine voyages so long protracted at such great dis- 
 tances, with novel books as their only resource for amuse- 
 ment, and where the Pope's name had never been heard, 
 that men should not realize some feelings of that supe- 
 riority, the consequence of their being so long uncon- 
 troled, which would take advantage of the first concur- 
 rence of things, and escape from the shackles in which 
 their own superstitions no longer confined them. 
 
 Antichrist, in conformity with his audacious claim, 
 having exercised his prerogative in partitioning the East 
 Indies, and the Columbian continent between Portugal 
 and Spain ; and having by persecution reduced to tem- 
 porary silence the clamours of those who detested his 
 Hierarchy ; all the kingdoms of the Beast appeared willing 
 supinely to acquiesce in the enormous mass of Popish ab- 
 surdities, and to submit without a murmur to every exac- 
 tion which a mandate from the Vatican inculcated. Neither 
 the corruption of the inferior clergy, nor the restoration 
 of literature, nor the avarice, the ferocity, even the besti- 
 ality of the Popes, Alexander, Julius and Leo, nor the 
 inexpressible abominations of the Monks and Nuns, nor 
 the depraved and miserable condition of the nations, im- 
 
22 THE REFORMATION. 
 
 poverished and vitiated by the ecclesiastic adherents of 
 those papal monsters, produced at the commencement of 
 the sixteenth century a solitary complaint so loud as to 
 be heard, or sufficiently energetic to be regarded. 
 
 That death-like repose, and it is scarcely possible to 
 say which of its characters is most astonishing, the Pon- 
 tifical temerity in exercising its usurpations, or the slavish 
 infatuated submission of the people, was suddenly inter- 
 rupted by the inflexibility, the intelligence, and the virtue 
 of a monk of Wittemberg, who like David, commenced 
 the battle against the Goliah of the uncircumcised Phi- 
 listines. 
 
 In 1517, Tetzel a Dominican monk travelled through 
 Germany, for the purpose of selling indulgences granted 
 by the Atheistic Leo, which proffered to the purchaser, 
 the remission of all sins past, present and future, however 
 enormous, innumerable and aggravated. The impudent 
 Friar in the course of his journey arrived at Wittemberg, 
 where Luther at that period was professor of Theology. 
 There, with boundless insolence of manners and astonish- 
 ing indecency, he detracted from the power and merits of 
 Jesus as the Redeemer of mankind; and iniquitously 
 boasted that " he had saved more souls from hell by those 
 indulgences, than Peter had converted." The deceptions 
 which he propagated exhibit the shameless and bold 
 frauds that he practised upon the fears of his audience ; 
 11 the moment the money tinkles in the chest," said Tetzel, 
 "your father's soul mounts up out of Purgatory." 
 
 The intrepid Martin roused to the just standard of 
 christian indignation, on the thirtieth day of October 
 1517, published ninety-five propositions ; in which he 
 pronounced the indulgences delusive, and declared the 
 Pope a participant of the guilt. The press aided the 
 cause. Within fifteen days, Germany was filled with that 
 publication, in which commenced the rupture that has 
 
THE REFORMATION. 23 
 
 despoiled the triple crown of its dignity, and obliged "the 
 Man of Sin" to surrender a large portion of his predomi- 
 nance. 
 
 Those propositions which simply investigated the extent 
 of the Papal power, concerning the remission of sin, ex- 
 cited the utmost rage of Tetzel, who replied ; and was 
 supported by a number of other Dominicans, who re- 
 sented that attack upon their order. Against all those 
 adversaries, Luther maintained his sentiments. " The 
 common people heard him gladly :" and his success was 
 so great, that even the indifference and contempt of the 
 voluptuous Leo were electrified. He commanded Luther 
 to appear before Cardinal Cajetan, "either to retract or 
 to suffer punishment." Luther refused the former and 
 escaped from their menaced condemnation. Several 
 attempts were made to cajole the Reformer into sub- 
 mission : and so circumscribed were his views, that had 
 not the Lord permitted his enemies to proceed to the most 
 outrageous opposition, the truth would have been retarded 
 in its progress, if not altogether concealed. Public dis- 
 putations, at which vast numbers of the most learned 
 men were present, continually recurred and tended to the 
 dissemination of the truth. In 1519, a famous contro- 
 versy was held at Leipsic, and in the course of the debate 
 Luther's arguments demolished the "authority and supre- 
 macy of the Roman Pontiff;" and added to the holy con- 
 test, a renowned fellow combatant, Philip Melancthon. 
 
 During the following year, the religious dissensions 
 having continually and rapidly increased ; Leo the Pope 
 consented to the importunate demands of the Dominicans, 
 and issued his bull against Luther, condemning his wri- 
 tings to be burnt, and commanding him to retract his er- 
 rors within 60 days, upon the menace of excommunication. 
 That Papal arrogance decided the Reformer. Without 
 delay, he performed the most splendid action in fortitude 
 
24 THE REFORMATION. 
 
 and daring which is recorded in the annals of the world. 
 He appealed from the Pope to a general council, and 
 stigmatized the Atheistical sensualist Leo, " as a rash, 
 iniquitous tyrannical judge, a hardened heretic and 
 apostate; as Antichrist, the enemy and opposer of the 
 sacred scriptures ; and a proud and blasphemous despiser 
 of the Church of God." He directed a large fire to be 
 kindled, into which, in the presence of the University of 
 Wittemberg and immense multitudes of spectators, he 
 contemptuously cast the bull of excommunication, the 
 Papal decretals, and the whole canon law; thus declaring 
 his resolution to defend himself against all the attempts of 
 his enemies. To justify that noble and extraordinary 
 measure, he selected thirty of the most blasphemous 
 positions respecting the Pope's authority, and with the 
 addition of some comments, printed and universally dis- 
 persed them. As a consequence of the light which they 
 diffused, and the spirit of resistance to the ignominious 
 vassalage, under which the people had so long groaned ; 
 notwithstanding a continual succession of Papal fulmi- 
 nations against Luther, no person would execute the 
 Pope's command for his seizure and death. 
 
 In the year 1521, was held the diet of Worms. Before 
 which assembly, consisiing of all the Princes, Nobles and 
 Ecclesiastical dignitaries of the Empire, Luther was 
 summoned to appear. Frederic the elector of Saxony 
 procured from Charles the Emperor and other Princes, a 
 full protection ; and every possible precaution was used to 
 guard the Reformer's life. Accompanied by several of 
 his friends, he proceeded towards Worms ; at a short dis- 
 tance from which, Spalatinus the Elector's Secretary 
 wrote to him, advising his return. In that situation ; 
 with the Pope's condemnation, the Imperial mandate to 
 seize his writings, the utter malignity of every Romish 
 adherent, and the fact that even the public faith could not 
 
THE REFORMATION. 25 
 
 i^iiver John Huss and Jerom from the voracious cruelty 
 of the Inquisitors, continually forcing themselves upon 
 his notice — the all transcendent magnanimity and fear- 
 lessness of the mighty champion for the gospel was de- 
 veloped, when he uttered the wondrous declaration. " I 
 am lawfully called to appear in that city; and thither I 
 will go in the name of the Lord ; though I shall be obliged 
 to encounter at Worms, as many devils as there are tiles 
 upon the houses of that city. Fear is only a suggestion 
 of Satan, who apprehends the approaching ruin of his 
 kingdom, by the confession of the truth, and who wishes 
 to avoid a public defeat before so grand an assembly, as 
 the diet of Worms." 
 
 The highest personal vanity might have been satiated 
 by the homage paid to Luther during his residence at 
 Worms. His habitation was continually crowded with 
 princely visitors ; and his dignity and fortitude con- 
 spicuously appeared when he was introduced to the Diet. 
 Two inquiries were propounded to him by Eckius in the 
 name of the Emperor, whether he acknowledged the pub- 
 lications issued in his name 1 and whether he would de- 
 fend or retract their contents'? On the following day, 
 the Reformer admitted that the books were his writing; 
 and with christian animation, energetically maintained 
 the doctrines which they promulged. Eckius, after Luther 
 had spoken during two hours with the visible approbation 
 of a large proportion of the numerous assembly, passion- 
 ately exclaimed, that he was not summoned to state his 
 doctrines which already had been condemned by former 
 councils, whose authority was unquestionable ; he was 
 only required openly to say whether he would or would 
 not retract his opinions. Luther's memorable retort to 
 that authoritative insolence decided the reformation. — 
 "My answer," said that invincible champion of truth, 
 " shall be direct and plain. I am not bound to believe 
 
 3 
 
96 THE REFORMATION. 
 
 either the Pope or his councils ; for they have often erred, 
 and often contradicted themselves. Therefore, unless I 
 am convinced by the word of God or reason, my belief is 
 so confirmed by the scriptures which I have produced, 
 and my conscience is so determined to abide by the 
 Gospel, that I neither can nor will retract any thing ; for 
 it is neither safe nor innocent to act against a man's con- 
 science." Closing with the intrepidity, resolution, and 
 confidence of a servant of Jesus, who like Moses "endured, 
 seeing him who is invisible." " Ich stehe hier ; Ich kann 
 nicht anders ; Gott hilf mir. Here I stand ; I cannot act 
 otherwise ; God help me ! Amen." 
 
 After that public exhibition of the Reformer's inflex- 
 ibility and learning, he remained at Worms a short 
 period ; during which, incredible exertions were made by 
 all the secular and ecclesiastical grandees of the Empire, 
 to induce him to recant. With the combination of 
 superior intelligence and evangelical humility, he thanked 
 them for their attentions; but his constant unalterable 
 declaration was, that " he was ready to do any thing, ex- 
 cept to deny the plain word of God." 
 
 When he was pronounced by the bigoted devotees of 
 the man of sin " incorrigible and a contumacious heretic ;" 
 it was proposed to Charles to imitate the example of the 
 council of Constance, and by a violation of his imperial 
 guaranty of safety to Luther, to exterminate the author 
 of the pestilence, as they denominated the progress of 
 the light and the truth. Charles refused, stating, " 1 
 should not choose to blush with Sigismund:" for John 
 Huss, when he closed his defence before that infamous 
 council assembled at Constance, fixing his eyes on Sigis- 
 mund the Emperor, said, " I came voluntarily to this 
 council, under the public faith of the Emperor now 
 present;" while the guilty deceiver incompetent to resist 
 
THE REFORMATION. 27 
 
 so forcible an exhibition of his crime, " blushed i and bore 
 the countenance of a traitor." 
 
 A decree was immediately adopted by the Diet in the 
 Emperor's name. It denounced Luther as an obstinate, 
 excommunicated criminal, deprived him of all civic pri- 
 vileges, prohibited any person from protecting him, and 
 commanded all the people to seize him, as soon as the 21 
 days allowed him to return to Wittemberg should have 
 expired. " He who sitteth in the heavens laughed, the 
 Lord had them in derision." Frederic concealed the Re- 
 former from the fury of the tempest. On his return home, 
 he was seized by several masked friends, and transferred 
 to the castle of Wartburg as a place of security. That 
 scheme, in a most remarkable degree, aided the progress 
 and establishment of the Reformation. His time in that 
 Patmos, as Luther designated it, was busily occupied in 
 writing consolatory letters to his friends ; in publishing 
 confutations of his adversaries ; and especially in trans- 
 lating the New Testament into the German language. — 
 Thus the Lord overruled the mysterious exile of the chief 
 captain of the Protestant cause, and rendered it the means 
 by which the Gospel was diffused in the vernacular 
 tongue; long ere it could otherwise have been completed, 
 from the want of leisure and the immensity of labor in 
 which those indefatigable servants of Jesus were con- 
 tinually engaged. 
 
 The measures which were then adopted gradually 
 proceeded from surrounding events. No plan had been 
 systematized, and as the illumination increased, so the 
 demolition of the Papal superstitions followed. During 
 Luther's absence, Carolstadt, one of the Professors in the 
 University, attempted to abolish the mass ; to remove the 
 idol images ; to destroy auricular confession, and the in- 
 vocation of saints ; and had persuaded the Monks to depart 
 from their monasteries and to marry ; thus completely 
 
28 THE REFORMATION. 
 
 changing all the Romish doctrines and discipline. At the 
 same period, Henry VIII., wrote a volume in defence of 
 Popery against Luther. In his answer Luther exhibited 
 the most profound contempt for his kingship ; with great 
 asperity ridiculed his unlovely person • and displayed the 
 wretchedness of his arguments with biting sarcasm. — 
 Henry complained of the insult ; but the Reformer only 
 menaced him with an additional public exposure of his 
 ignorance and silliness if he would not continue silent. — 
 How short sighted is man ! Little did the haughty mo- 
 narch suppose, less did the humble Preacher anticipate, 
 that within the lapse of ten years, that same Defender of 
 the Romish Faith would exterminate the Papal supremacy 
 throughout England and Ireland. In 152*2, the German 
 New Testament was disseminated, and edicts were imme- 
 diately issued against its diffusion. That opposition 
 roused the dormant lion ; for Martin instantly attacked 
 the Princes who published those decrees against the 
 Gospel, and pronounced them impious tyrants. The 
 University of Paris also condemned Luther's doctrines ; 
 but the Boanerges of the Reformation animadverted upon 
 their decision with as much acrimony and scorn as if he 
 had been trampling upon the meanest sciolist. Controver- 
 sies with kings and Universities naturally excited uni- 
 versal attention, and added to Luther's fame and influ- 
 ence ; while multitudes in various parts of Europe rejected 
 the shackles of the antichristian hierarchy. 
 
 Several Imperial diets were successively held ; one at 
 Nuremberg; and two at Spire ; in which all the attempts 
 of the Papists to crush the accelerating progress of the 
 truth were providentially counteracted. In the second 
 diet at Spire in 1529, four of the German Princes and 
 fourteen cities protested against one of the decrees of that 
 body; and hence originated the general designation of all 
 those who renounce the superstitious communion of Rome, 
 
THE REFORMATION. 29 
 
 and reject the papal supremacy, as Protestants. At Augs- 
 burg in a subsequent diet, the famous Lutheran con- 
 fession was presented and produced astonishing effects. It 
 convinced the ignorant; decided those who wavered; 
 confuted all opponents, and reanimated the friends of 
 evangelical truth. The disputations between the parties 
 increased, until it was deemed advisable to form a con- 
 federacy at Smalcald, to resist all attempts to coerce the 
 protestants by military power. 
 
 'A peace was concluded favourable to the protestants in 
 1531 ; but the adherents of the different principles were so 
 decidedly opposed, that every scheme effectually to ac- 
 commodate was fruitless. The proposition to summon 
 the council of Trent having received the decided rejection 
 of the protestants, Charles the Emperor determined upon 
 war, to subdue them to his will and the Pope's spiritual 
 authority. After much commotion and many severe trials 
 to the protestant champions the elector of Saxony sur- 
 prised the emperor, and reduced him to the inevitable ne- 
 cessity of terminating the deplorable calamities which had 
 so long afflicted the empire, by a treaty of peace enacted 
 at Augsburg, in 1555 ; which unchangeably established 
 the glorious Reformation. By that compact, it was au- 
 thoritatively and irrevocably determined — " The pro- 
 testants shall be entirely free from the Roman pontiff's 
 jurisdiction ; and are permitted to conduct their own 
 ecclesiastical affairs without control. All the inhabitants 
 of the empire shall judge for themselves on religion, and 
 unite with either church according to the dictates of their 
 consciences ; and all persecutors upon a religious pretext 
 shall be legally tried as enemies of the empire, invaders 
 of its freedom, and disturbers of its peace and harmony." 
 
 In Switzerland, rather earlier than Martin Luther 
 commenced his opposition to Tetzel's abominations, Ulric 
 Zuingle had expounded the scriptures in truth, and cen- 
 
 3* 
 
30 THE REFORMATION. 
 
 sured the errors of the Apostacy. The authority and su- 
 premacy of the Pope he rejected, with almost all the other 
 antichristian farrago, anterior to the period of Luther's 
 liberation from the minor trammels of the papacy. The 
 Swiss reformer was a man of most enlarged intelligence, 
 and possessed of vast penetration and sagacity ; accom- 
 panied with a resolute spirit of gospel heroism which 
 knew no dread, and through the exercise of which, 
 at once he disentangled himself from educational pre- 
 judices and the absurdities with which he had been 
 deluded. His noble qualities were called into ample ex- 
 ercise by the same cause which excited Luther's opposi- 
 tion to the Pope. A most abandoned Monk from Italy, 
 named Samson, was selling his indulgences to sin in 
 Switzerland in 1519, with the same impudent effrontery 
 that Tetzel had displayed at Wittemberg. Zuingle 
 opposed him with strenuous exertions and correspondent 
 success. Aided by the independent state of the cantons, 
 their views of civil freedom, the impossibility of impeding 
 his cause except by exterior force which the convulsed 
 state of Europe precluded, and by a host of teachers who 
 promulged his pure tenets of truth to a people already 
 prepared to receive them with inconceivable avidity ; in a 
 few years, the Pope's supremacy and the stupid credulity 
 of the people, through the blessing of the Holy Ghost upon 
 their instructions and writings, w T ere banished from many 
 parts of Switzerland. 
 
 In 1521, the light of the resuscitated Gospel shone upon 
 Denmark. Christiern II., a furious tyrant, was solicitous 
 to exterminate the Romish superstitions from among his 
 subjects; the Lord thus directed his ambition to burst the 
 barriers of spiritual vassalage for his people. After his 
 exile, for his cruelties raised a conspiracy against him, 
 and forced him to leave his dominions, Frederic his 
 successor, issued an edict, declaring every Dane at 
 
 
THE REFORMATION. 31 
 
 liberty, either to adhere to the Roman tenets, or to 
 profess the doctrine of the Protestants without mo- 
 lestation ; and permitted the marriage of the clergy.—. 
 Thus stimulated, the Reformers zealously and suc- 
 cessfully promulged their opinions ; and Christiern III., 
 having suppressed the odious hierarchical authority; 
 having despoiled the ecclesiastical voluptuaries of their 
 enormous wealth; having returned to their original 
 owners the property of which they had been divested by 
 every species of artifice and stratagem; and having or- 
 ganized a platform of religious doctrine, discipline and 
 worship, after the model established atWittemberg, con- 
 voked a general assembly of all orders in the state, who 
 solemnly sanctioned the royal measures, and thus within 
 twenty years, with little commotion, the dragon's beast 
 with all his authority and jurisdiction was dethroned in 
 the kingdom of Denmark. 
 
 During the civil dissatisfactions excited by the cruelties 
 of Christiern the Danish king ; the Swedes having refused 
 longer subjection to the Danes, elevated to the royal 
 office, Gustavus Vasa ; who had imbibed the doctrines of 
 the Reformation, and who perceived their importance to 
 the people of his dominions. Every measure which that 
 patriot adopted was equally wise and successful. In him 
 the Bible Societies hail a powerful cot djutor. He primarily 
 commanded that a Swedish translation of the Scriptures 
 should be universally diffused. When the minds of his 
 people had become in some measure illuminated, by the 
 perusal and exposition of the oracles of truth ; he appointed 
 a public disputation at Upsal in 1526, in which Olaus Petri 
 the Protestant champion obtained a splendid triumph over 
 the cavils and follies of his opponent. The publication of 
 that renowned debate confirmed the minds of all who 
 were attached to Luther's cause, and with astonishing 
 rapidity multiplied the converts to the truth. 
 
32 THE REFORMATION, 
 
 Nothing was necessary, but some trifling occurrence 
 which the bishops were ever ready to seize, to transform 
 the kingdom into one universal Aceldama, where between 
 the Protestant attachments and the Popish bigotry, the 
 ancient hierarchy might be enabled to infix themselves 
 more firmly in their terrific sway. At that crisis, in 1527, 
 Gustavus summoned a general convocation of the senators, 
 bishops, nobles, clergy and the commons j in which he 
 proposed by the chancellor the reformation of the church. 
 The bishops having previously entered into a solemn 
 compact to defend their craft, with one voice rejected the 
 royal proposal. Immediately after their clamour had 
 subsided, Gustavus entered the assembly, and avowed his 
 determination to resign the government and migrate from 
 his country, rather than rule a people enslaved by the 
 Pope. This decided the commons, whose love for Gus- 
 tavus in consequence of his having liberated them from 
 Danish bondage, knew no bounds; for they instantly 
 menaced the refractory bishops and their vassals with the 
 popular vengeance, if they did not without delay, submit 
 to their sovereign ; and thus the Beast's " power and great 
 authority" in Sweden were completely and irrevocably 
 exterminated. 
 
 The crooked policy of Francis I. king of France, im- 
 peded the influence o¥ the Protestant cause in that nation. 
 Persecution and toleration continually succeeded each 
 other, until during a number of years that vast country 
 resembled a charnel house. One benefit however followed 
 even the terrors of the French king's murderous edicts, 
 it transferred Calvin to a place of security, where he em- 
 ployed all his mighty genius in sending abroad the light 
 and the truth. 
 
 Had not the secular power supported the tottering 
 edifice, the Papal doctrines and authority would have been 
 demolished. Even in the Netherlands, such prodigious 
 
THE REFORMATION. 33 
 
 numbers of Protestant Christians arose, that persecution 
 at last induced the seven united provinces to revolt, and 
 become independent of the Imperial and Papal juris- 
 diction. 
 
 In Italy, the progress of truth was arrested by the In- 
 quisitors, who perpetrated so many murders, that the Re- 
 formed exiled themselves into the regions where the Gos- 
 pel and its professors were unmolested ; although that 
 engine of anguish could never enter the kingdom of 
 Naples. By the same process, the influence of the refor- 
 mation was not experienced in Spain; for the "Lords of 
 the Holy office" there reigned triumphant, and every spark 
 of the Gospel was extinguished. From that period to the 
 present day, the history of Spain in connection with 
 Christianity is like Ezekiel's vision, " a roll of a book 
 written within and without, with lamentation and mourn- 
 ing and wo." 
 
 Notwithstanding all the attempts to eradicate the seed 
 sown by Wiclif and his successors in England, the pure 
 truth was tacitly admitted by many of the Lollards, all of 
 whom avowed their attachment to Luther's opinions as 
 soon as they were promulged in the island. The success 
 with which Luther combated the weak arguments of 
 Henry, aided also to inspire a great veneration for the 
 man who trampled with equal scorn, upon a Pope's dread 
 anathema, a King's authoritative volume, and a Uni- 
 versity's solemn decretal. Henry appealed to the Pope to 
 annul his matrimonial conenant with Catharine his 
 wife. The Pope was afraid to comply with Henry's re- 
 quest, lest he should affront Charles V., who was Catha- 
 rine's nephew, and equally dreaded a refusal, on account 
 of the king's wrath. Henry was long tantalized with 
 hope that the Pontiff would accede to his wishes ; but having 
 at length obtained an almost unanimous decision, that the 
 marriage of his brother's widow was unlawful, and the 
 
34 
 
 THE REFORMATION. 
 
 Pope having forbidden him to marry Anne, he de- 
 fied the papal excommunication, banished the Pontifical 
 legate, rejected the Pope as head of the church, and by 
 elevating Cranmer to the Archbishoprick of Canterbury, 
 encouraged the reformation. Many Festivals were im- 
 mediately abolished. Images, relics and pilgrimages were 
 destroyed. Abbeys and monasteries were desolated. The 
 orders of Friars, Monks and Nuns were suppressed,- and 
 the Bible was translated and partially dispersed. But 
 the progress of the Reformation in England was very 
 small during Henry's reign ; for he enacted by law the 
 most contradictory tenets, so that Papists and Protestants 
 were consumed in the same fire ; the former for denying 
 Henry's supremacy over the church; and the latter for 
 not believing transubstantiation. The grand object attain- 
 ed at that period was the cessation of the Pope's autho- 
 rity ; and although in the doctrines, little alteration was 
 perceptible, yet in the forms of worship an obvious differ- 
 ence existed. Much of the exterior idolatry was re- 
 moved ; and the most strenuous partizans of the hierarchy, 
 the Monks and Nuns, being divested of their revenues 
 and habitations, lost that influence among the ignorant 
 multitudes, by which the Romish superstition and corrup- 
 tion had been sustained. 
 
 By the death of Henry, his son Edward was exalted to 
 the English throne, who became the brightest ornament, 
 and the most effectual support of the Protestant cause. — 
 He encouraged literature ; maintained Cranmer, Ridley, 
 Hooper, Latimer and their brethren in their exertions ; 
 opposed with all mildness, but energy, his power to the 
 ancient superstitions; dispersed the scriptures, and es- 
 tablished a regular missionary system through the island. 
 After a reign of six years he died, and was succeeded by 
 Mary, a merciless bigot ; who restored, as far as practica- 
 ble, the whole papal corruption; and whose whole reign 
 
THE REFORMATION. 35 
 
 during five years was an incessant exhibition of every re- 
 volting quality. Elizabeth her sister reinstated the eccle- 
 siastical polity as it was when Edward departed to glory. 
 
 The progress of the truth in Ireland was similar to that 
 of England, and attended by the same revolutions and 
 vicissitudes. Archbishop Brown, after Henry's rejection 
 of the Pope, exerted himself with indescribable diligence 
 and vigour to eradicate the idolatrous superstitions. He 
 overthrew the images, burnt the relics, abrogated the 
 absurd ceremonies, and procured a general denial of the 
 Pope's jurisdiction in that island. 
 
 In Scotland, the effects of the light diffused by the Re- 
 formers were long imperceptible ; but about ten years 
 after Luther's first public opposition, the number, zeal and 
 talents of the Protestants had become so formidable to the 
 papal hierarchy, that a considerable persecution accom- 
 panied with inquisitorial powers commenced : but the na- 
 tional discord and confusion were favourable to the 
 progress of the Gospel. The first Legislative act against 
 the papacy permitted the people to read the scriptures in 
 the vulgar language, yet that law was soon counteracted 
 by the ascendency of Beaton, the Romish Cardinal. — 
 Regal and hierarchical tyranny having excited universal 
 dissatisfaction, the Protestants increased their exertions 
 and courage. Then arose the immortal Knox, whose 
 labours never ceased until he was banished. No withstand- 
 ing every obstruction, the protestant cause proceeded, until 
 the year 1557, when the first covenant was signed by vast 
 multitudes of persons, with some of the most distinguish- 
 ed dignitaries of the kingdom at their head ; the feudal 
 system which then existed in Scotland powerfully aug- 
 menting their unity and force. By that compact all the 
 idolatry of the anti christian system was denied, and the 
 influence and wealth, and mortal existence of the co- 
 venanters were pledged in support of the word of God. 
 
36 THE REFORMATION. 
 
 They were denominated the Congregation of Christ; to 
 distinguish them from the Papists, whom they very 
 scripturally denounced as the Congregation of Satan. In 
 that situation, neither party daring to commence the war- 
 like attack, the contest remained until the death of Wal- 
 ter Mill, the last martyr by the papacy in Scotland. From 
 the period of his death, the Reformation extended its 
 flight with the utmost velocity to all quarters of the land. 
 Irresistible was its force and universal its progress. The 
 Reformation in Scotland finally involved a national con- 
 test, which through the divine benediction was closed in 
 the shouts of triumph by Knox and his victor companions. 
 In no portion of the ten horns of the Beast was the pre- 
 dominance of popery so completely overthrown as in 
 Scotland. Every particle of the whole abomination which 
 could be discovered, from the image of the Virgin and 
 the crucifix exalted in a cathedral, to a forged decretal 
 immured in a Monk's cloister; from a Cardinal's pom- 
 pous benediction before the Court, to a Friar's blasphe- 
 mous absolution in his own cell, with equal evangelical 
 avidity were sought, and with similar christian indigna- 
 tion were obliterated. 
 
r Lite. 3. 
 
 LUF 
 
 ":^riCJ^§ JJE3ROM 
 
 TEL-. *«*& 
 
THE REFORMERS. 
 
 JOHN WICLIF. 
 
 The first of the modern glorious company who 
 boldly preached against the mockery and deceits of 
 Romanism, and the tyranny of the Pope, was that 
 pioneer of the Reformation, John Wiclif, who was 
 born in the year 1324. At the time of his first 
 public appearance, about 1360, "gross darkness 
 covered the people." All the doctrines, experience 
 and practice, in which true Christianity consists, 
 were totally unknown, or altogether disregarded. 
 Scriptural theology was converted into traditional 
 sophistry. Instead of Peter and Paul, men studied 
 only Aquinas and Scotus; and having obliterated 
 God's word, were blinded by human traditions and 
 unmeaning ceremonies ; so that idolatry and vice 
 were universal. By diligently studying the scrip- 
 tures, Wiclif was convinced that the pure gospel of 
 Christ was buried beneath the errors and deceits 
 which the corruption, the pride and ignorance of 
 the Pope and the Romish priests had introduced. 
 Desirous that others should share in the light 
 imparted to himself, he protested against the errors 
 of the times, and directed the people to Jesus Christ 
 as the only Saviour. 
 
 4 
 
38 JOHN WICLIF. 
 
 Wiclif discarded the power of the Pope; de- 
 nounced the Roman Pontiff as Antichrist; and de- 
 nied that the bread and wine in the Sacrament 
 were turned into the real body and blood of Christ. 
 He declared that the gospel is a sufficient rule of 
 life for every man ; and taught, that if a man be 
 truly penitent towards God, it is sufficient without 
 making confession to the priests ; that Friars are 
 bound to get their living by the labour of their 
 hands, and not by begging ; that greatness among 
 Christ's disciples does not consist in worldly dignity 
 or honours, but in the exact imitation of their Sa- 
 viour; and that Christ never meant that his truth 
 should be locked up in a learned language which 
 the poor cannot understand. 
 
 Those doctrines Wiclif preached at Oxford with 
 apostolic boldness. Many rapidly embraced them j 
 and the Prelates, Monks and Priests became pro- 
 digiously alarmed. A violent outcry was raised 
 against Wiclif; and the Inquisitors cited him to ap- 
 pear before them in synod, to answer for his con- 
 duct. Wiclif, accompanied by the Duke of Lan- 
 caster and Percy the Earl Marshal, attended. 
 Just as the trial was commencing a high altercation 
 arose between the Duke of Lancaster and the 
 Popish prelates, whether Wiclif should be allowed 
 to sit. The Duke so threatened the Inquisitors 
 with punishment, that the synod was dissolved in 
 great confusion. 
 
 The Pope, however, becoming alarmed at the 
 progress of the evangelical doctrines which Wiclif 
 
OHN WICLIF. 39 
 
 and his disciples proclaimed in every direction; 
 for they travelled constantly about England preach- 
 ing the gospel ; sent a bull to the university of 
 Oxford sharply rebuking them for not having de- 
 stroyed Wiclif s errors ; and also commanded the 
 prelates to have Wiclif apprehended and impri- 
 soned. At the second meeting of the prelates, 
 Wiclif boldly avowed his sentiments in contradic- 
 tion to the papistical tenets ; but so many persons 
 were converted to his opinions, and he was so 
 powerfully protected ; that his persecutors were 
 afraid to proceed ; and like the Jewish Sanhedrim 
 with the apostles Peter and John, they " straitly 
 threatened him, and commanded him not to speak 
 at all nor preach in the name of Jesus." 
 
 Wiclif, paying less regard to the injunctions of 
 the bishops than to his duty to God, continued to 
 promulgate his doctrines, and gradually to unveil 
 the truth to the eyes of men. He translated the 
 Bible into English, which was as the sun breaking 
 forth in a dark night. To the Bible he prefixed a 
 bold preface, and reflected on the immoralities of 
 the clergy, and condemned the worship of saints, 
 images, and the corporal presence of Christ in the 
 sacrament. But the greatest offence to the priests 
 was, his exhorting all people to read the scriptures. 
 
 Some time after, the enemies of Wiclif prevailed, 
 and a law was passed to imprison him and his fol- 
 lowers. That was the beginning of a furious per- 
 secution, which was carried on against him without 
 mercy. 
 
40 JOHN WICLIF. 
 
 Wiclif was appointed rector of Canterbury col- 
 lege; but notwithstanding his unbounded popu- 
 larity, and the universal approbation with which 
 he executed the duties of his office, he was dis- 
 placed by order of the Pope. He then became 
 minister at Lutterworth. During his residence 
 there, he was obliged, for a short period, to conceal 
 himself from the fury of his priestly persecutors. 
 But by the providence of God, the storm passed 
 away, and he returned to his pastoral charge at 
 Lutterworth. There he remained unmolested until 
 his death; enjoying his latter days in external 
 quietude, with christian serenity and peace. 
 
 Forty-one years after Wiclif had slept in Jesus, 
 his bones were disinterred and publicly burnt ; and 
 the ashes cast into the river by order of the Coun- 
 cil of Constance. 
 
 Wiclif s doctrines did not die with him. All the 
 efforts of his enemies could not crush his followers 
 in England. Some they burnt, others they impri- 
 soned or barbarously tortured, yet still they boldly 
 bore testimony to the truth, and with such success, 
 that " two men could not be found together, and one 
 not a Lollard or Wiclifite." 
 
 But not only in England were Wiclif s doctrines 
 spread abroad. Many of his treatises were dis- 
 persed in Germany and Bohemia, where they were 
 read eagerly ; which prepared the minds of men 
 for that great and glorious reformation of Religion 
 that was afterwards effected by the instrumentality 
 of Martin Luther. 
 
JOHN WICLIF. 41 
 
 In the year 1406, the University of Oxford pub- 
 lished a testimony concerning the great learning 
 and holy life of Wiclif, in which it is declared : 
 " From his youth upwards unto the time of his 
 death, his conversation was so praiseworthy and 
 honest, that never at any time was there any spot 
 of suspicion noised of him. In his answering, 
 reading and preaching, he behaved himself laud- 
 ably ; and as a stout and valiant champion of the 
 faith. By the force of the scriptures he vanquished 
 all those who blasphemed and slandered Christ's 
 religion. 
 
 John Wiclif exchanged the conflicts of the church 
 militant for the triumphs of the "crown of glory 
 that fadeth not away," on the thirty-first day of 
 December, 1384. 
 
 John Wiclif, 
 
 An English Theologian ; 
 
 Became renowned about the year 1360. 
 
 He died 31 December, 1384, 
 
 His bones were burnt 
 
 At Oxford, 
 
 In the year 1420. 
 
42 JOHN HUSS. 
 
 JOHN HUSS 
 
 John Huss was born in the village of Hussinetz, 
 Bohemia, in 1373 ; and when twenty years of age 
 was appointed Professor in the University of 
 Prague; and in the year 1400 was the stationed 
 preacher of the principal congregations in that 
 city. He was equally distinguished for his erudi- 
 tion, zeal, eloquence, and holiness ; universally be- 
 loved by the people ; and perfectly execrated by 
 the Roman Ecclesiastics. 
 
 Peter Payne of Oxford having been obliged to 
 fly from England for his opposition to the Friars, 
 the mass, pilgrimages, the worship of images and 
 relics, and the other papal heresies, took refuge in 
 Prague. He carried with him a large number of 
 Wiclif's writings, whose doctrines were received 
 by Huss; and in 1407, he began openly to denounce 
 the antichristian corruptions then universally pre- 
 dominant. The Archbishop of Prague seized and 
 burnt two hundred splendid volumes of Wiclif's 
 works, which occasioned a dispute between that 
 prelate and Huss, who complained that the Arch- 
 bishop's procedure was an infringement of their 
 collegiate privileges, and appealed from that Hie- 
 rarchy mandate to Pope Gregory XII. The affair 
 was finally transferred to Pope John XXIII. ; who 
 pronounced him contumacious, and excommuni- 
 cated him. Notwithstanding that sentence, having 
 retired from Prague to Hussinetz, he continued to 
 
JOHN HUSS. 43 
 
 expose the Romish corruptions with dauntless for- 
 titude and unquenchable zeal. 
 
 At that period, three conflicting Popes, with their 
 intrigues and wickedness, were permitted to afflict 
 the European kingdoms. To extirpate the intole- 
 rable evils resulting from their despotism, wars, 
 and profligacy, the Emperor Sigismund convened 
 the council of Constance. That grotesque assem- 
 bly, consisting of "three hundred and forty-six 
 archbishops and prelates ; and five hundred and 
 sixty-four abbots and doctors, with sixteen thousand 
 princes, dukes, earls, knights and squires ; six hun- 
 dred barbers ; three hundred musicians and jesters ; 
 and four thousand prostitutes," as their attendants ; 
 assembled on the sixteenth of November, 1414, to 
 remove the disorders from the Popedom. They 
 instantly cited John Huss to appear before them to 
 answer for his preaching and books. The Empe- 
 ror Sigismund encouraged Huss to obey the sum- 
 mons ; and that he might comply with the man- 
 date, sent him a passport, granting him permission 
 to attend the council with a safe conduct, or impe- 
 rial guaranty for his personal safety on his jour- 
 ney, during his visit to Constance, and for his 
 return to Bohemia. Among the words of the Em- 
 peror's passport were these: "with your friends, 
 every impediment being removed, you shall travel, 
 stop, remain, and return without constraint." Re- 
 lying upon the imperial power and honor, Huss 
 complied with the order of the council, and ap- 
 peared at Constance to justify his doctrines. No 
 
44 JOHN HUSS. 
 
 sooner had that intrepid champion of the truth ar- 
 rived within the Pope's jurisdiction, than he was 
 apprehended. By a most scandalous violation of 
 the public faith, he was committed to prison in the 
 most rigid confinement. In vain was the imperial 
 passport pleaded. The Pope affirmed that he had 
 not promised him any safe conduct ; and that he 
 was not bound by that of the Emperor. 
 
 The council of Constance, at the instigation of 
 the Pope, having determined that " no faith should 
 be kept with heretics," proceeded to arraign Huss 
 as a " detestable heretic:" and in obedience to the 
 decree of those assembled hierarchs, he was burnt 
 alive, the victim of Papal blood-thirstiness com- 
 bined with royal treachery. That renowned mar- 
 tyr of Jesus passed through the fiery trial with 
 Christian resignation and triumphant magnanimity. 
 
 The last letter which he addressed to his Bohe- 
 mian brethren, written on the day prior to his 
 martyrdom, is not only a gratifying display of his 
 own fortitude and peace, but also of his philan- 
 thropy and meetness for the " rest that remaineth 
 to the people of God." 
 
 " My Friends ! I take this last opportunity to 
 exhort you to trust in nothing here. Give your- 
 selves up entirely to the service of God. Well 
 am I authorized to warn you not to confide in 
 princes, nor in any of the children of men ; for 
 there is no help in them. God alone remaineth 
 stedfast. Whatever he promises he will undoubt- 
 edly perform. For myself, on his gracious word 
 
JOHN HUSS. 45 
 
 I rely. Having laboured as his faithful servant, I 
 am not afraid of being deserted by him. * Where 
 I am,' says the gracious Redeemer, * there shall 
 my servant be.' May the God of heaven preserve 
 you ! This is probably the last letter I shall be 
 enabled to write, having reason to think I shall 
 to-morrow be called upon to answer with my life. 
 Sigismund the Emperor hath acted deceitfully in 
 all things. I pray God to forgive him !" 
 
 John Huss was sacrificed to the Papal Moloch, 
 and passed in the chariot of fire to the New Jeru- 
 salem, on the seventh day of July, 1415. 
 
 John Huss, 
 
 A Bohemian Divine ; 
 
 Was burnt alive, 
 
 In violation of the Public Faith, 
 
 At Constance, 
 
 In the year 1415. 
 
 JEROM. 
 
 Jerom of Prague, was the intimate friend and 
 companion of John Huss. He was rather younger, 
 but in many endowments superior to the Theolo- 
 gian ; and a scholar pre-eminent in talents, learning, 
 elocution and virtue. Although neither an Eccle- 
 siastic nor a Professor in the University, yet by ex- 
 
46 JEROM. 
 
 tensive travelling he widely diffused the light of 
 the Gospel, and as his eloquence attracted large 
 auditories, he turned many from darkness to light. 
 Having distinguished himself by an active co-ope- 
 ration with Huss, in all his opposition to the Romish 
 " mystery of iniquity," the Papal Priests marked 
 him as a dangerous man, and an enemy of the craft 
 by which they had their wealth. They therefore 
 cited him also to appear before the council of Con- 
 stance. Having arrived near that city, and learn- 
 ing the treachery which his friend had realized, he 
 retired to Iberlingen, and thence wrote to the Em- 
 peror Sigismund for a safe conduct. As that se- 
 curity was not granted, he commenced his return 
 to Bohemia ; but he was seized at Hirschaw and 
 conveyed a prisoner to Constance. Upon his ex- 
 amination before that treacherous body, from the 
 dread of suffering and the intimidations of the In- 
 quisitors, he showed a disposition to concede to the 
 opinions of his wily Popish interrogators. They 
 perceiving symptoms of a compliant temper in him, 
 craftily availed themselves of it ; and by procrasti- 
 nating his trial from month to month, they hoped 
 ultimately to conquer his attachment to the Gospel. 
 His mind however soon recovered its wonted vi- 
 gor ; and at his final appearance before the coun- 
 cil, on the twenty-third day of May, 1416, he con- 
 demned his former recantation and pusillanimity in 
 this manner — " I am not ashamed here publicly to 
 confess my weakness. With horror I acknowledge 
 my base cowardice. It was only the dread of the 
 
JEROM. 47 
 
 punishment by fire which drew my consent against 
 my conscience, to the condemnation of the doctrines 
 taught by Wiclif and Huss." 
 
 Poggio Bracciolini, Secretary of Florence, who 
 attended the council, thus narrates the circum- 
 stances of Jerom's mock trial and glorious mar- 
 tyrdom. 
 
 " Since my return to Constance, my attention has 
 been wholly engaged by Jerom, denominated the 
 Bohemian heretic. The eloquence and learning 
 which that person employed in his own defence are 
 so extraordinary, that I cannot forbear from giving 
 you a short account of him. 
 
 " I never knew the art of speaking carried so 
 near the model of ancient eloquence. It was amaz- 
 ing to hear with what force of expression, with 
 what fluency of language, and with what excellent 
 reasoning, he answered his adversaries : nor was 
 I less struck with the gracefulness of his manner, 
 the dignity of his action, and the firmness and con- 
 stancy of his whole behaviour. 
 
 " After many articles had been proved against 
 him, leave was at length given him to answer each 
 in its order. But Jerom long refused, strenuously 
 contending that he had many things to say pre- 
 viously in his defence ; and that he ought first to 
 be heard in general, before he descended to par- 
 ticulars. When this was overruled, ' Here,' said 
 he, standing in the midst of the assembly, ' here is 
 justice — here is equity ! Beset by my enemies, I 
 am already pronounced a heretic ; I am condemned 
 
48 JEROM. 
 
 before I am examined. Were you gods omnis- 
 cient, instead of an assembly of fallible men, you 
 could not act with more sufficiency. Error is the 
 lot of mortals ; and you, exalted as you are, are sub- 
 ject to it. But consider, that the higher you are 
 exalted, of the more dangerous consequence are 
 your errors. As for me, I know I am below 
 your notice: but at least consider, that an unjust 
 action, in such an assembly, will be of dangerous 
 example.' 
 
 " This, and much more he spoke with great ele- 
 gance of language, in the midst of a very unruly 
 and indecent assembly : and thus far, at least, he 
 prevailed ; the council ordered that he should first 
 answer objections, and promised that he should 
 then have liberty to speak. Accordingly all the 
 articles alleged against him were publicly read, 
 and then proved ; after which he was asked, whe- 
 ther he had ought to object ? It is incredible with 
 what acuteness he answered ; and with what amaz- 
 ing dexterity he warded off every stroke of his 
 adversaries. Nothing escaped him ; his whole be- 
 haviour was truly great and pious. If he were the 
 man his defence spoke him, he was so far from 
 meriting death, that in my judgment he was not in 
 any degree culpable. In a word, he endeavoured 
 to prove, that the greater part of the charges were 
 purely the invention of his adversaries. Among 
 other things, being accused of hating and defaming 
 the holy see, the pope, the cardinals, the prelates, 
 and the whole estate of the clergy, he stretched out 
 
JEROM. 49 
 
 his hands, and said, in a most moving accent: I On 
 which side shall I turn me for redress? whom 
 shall I implore ? whose assistance can I expect ? 
 which of you hath not this malicious charge en- 
 tirely alienated from me % which of you hath it not 
 changed & m a judge into an inveterate enemy? 
 It was artfully alleged indeed! Though other 
 parts of their charge were of less moment, my 
 accusers might well imagine, that if this were 
 fastened on me, it could not fail of drawing upon 
 me the united indignation of my judges.' 
 
 " On the third day of this memorable trial, what 
 had passed was recapitulated : when Jerom, having 
 obtained leave though with some difficulty to 
 speak, began his oration with a prayer to God ; 
 whose assistance he pathetically implored. He 
 then observed, that many excellent men in the an- 
 nals of histoty had been oppressed by false wit- 
 nesses and condemned by unjust judges. Begin- 
 ning with profane history, he instanced the death 
 of Socrates, the captivity of Plato, the banishment 
 of Anaxagoras, and the unjust sufferings of many 
 others : he then instanced the many worthies of 
 the Old Testament, in the same circumstances — • 
 Moses, Joshua, Daniel, and almost all the prophets ; 
 and lastly, those of the New — John the Baptist, 
 Stephen, and others, who were condemned as se- 
 ditious, profane, or immoral men. An unjust judg- 
 ment, he said, proceeding from a laic, is bad; 
 from a priest, worse ; still worse from a college 
 of priests ; and from a general council, superla- 
 
 5 
 
50 JEROM. 
 
 lively bad. These things he spoke with such 
 force and emphasis, as kept every one's attention 
 awake. j 
 
 " As the merits of the cause rested entirely upon 
 the credit of witnesses, he took great pains to show, 
 that very little was due to those produced against 
 him. He had many objections to them, particularly 
 their avowed hatred to him ; the sources of which 
 he so palpably laid open, that he made a strong 
 impression upon the minds of his hearers, and not 
 a little shook the credit of the witnesses. The 
 whole council was moved, and greatly inclined to 
 pity, if not to favour him. He added, that he came 
 uncompelled to the council ; and that neither his 
 life nor doctrine had been such, as gave him great 
 reason to dread an appearance before them. Dif- 
 ference of opinion, he said, in matters of faith, had 
 ever arisen among learned men, and was always 
 esteemed productive of truth, rather than of error, 
 where bigotry was laid aside. Such, he said, \Vas 
 the difference between Austin and Jerom ; and 
 though their opinions were not only different, but 
 contradictory, yet the imputation of heresy was 
 never fixed on either, 
 
 11 Every one expected, that he would now either 
 retract his errors, or at least apologize for them ; 
 but nothing of the kind was heard from him ; he 
 declared plainly that he had nothing to retract. He 
 launched out into a high encomium of Huss, call- 
 ing him a holy man, and lamenting his cruel and 
 unjust death. He had armed himself, he said, 
 
JEROM. 51 
 
 with a full resolution to follow the steps of that 
 blessed martyr, and to suffer with constancy what- 
 ever the malice of his enemies could inflict. ' The 
 perjured witnesses,' said he, 'who have appeared 
 against me, have won their cause ; but let them re- 
 member, they have their evidence once more to 
 give, before a tribunal where falsehood can be no 
 disguise.' 
 
 " It was impossible to hear this pathetic speaker 
 without emotion. Every ear was captivated, and 
 every heart touched. But wishes in his favour 
 were vain ; he threw himself beyond a possibility 
 of mercy. Braving death, he even provoked the 
 vengeance which was hanging over him. ' If that 
 holy martyr,' said he, speaking of Huss, ' used the 
 clergy with disrespect, his censures were not le- 
 velled at them as priests, but as wicked men. He 
 saw with indignation those revenues, which had 
 been designed for charitable ends, expended upon 
 pageantry and riot.' 
 
 " Through this whole oration he showed a 
 most amazing strength of memory. He had been 
 confined almost a year in a dungeon : the severity 
 of which usage he complained of, but in the lan- 
 guage of a great and good man. In that horrid 
 place he was deprived of books and paper. Yet 
 he was at no more loss for proper authorities and 
 quotations, than if he had spent the intermediate 
 time at leisure in his study. 
 
 " His voice was sweet, distinct, and full ; his ac- 
 tion every way the most proper, either to express 
 
52 JEROM. 
 
 indignation, or to raise pity ; though he made no 
 affected application to the passions of his audience. 
 Firm and intrepid, he stood before the council, col- 
 lected in himself; and not only contemning, but 
 seeming even desirous of death. The greatest 
 character in ancient story could not possibly go be- 
 yond him. If there is any justice in history, this 
 man will be admired by all posterity. 
 
 " Two days were allowed him for reflection ; 
 during which time many persons of consequence, 
 and particularly the cardinal of Florence, endea- 
 voured to bring him to a better mind. But persist- 
 ing obstinately, he was condemned as a heretic. 
 
 "With a cheerful countenance, and more than 
 stoical constancy, he met his fate ; fearing neither 
 death itself, nor the horrible form in which it ap- 
 peared. When he came to the place, he pulled off 
 his upper garment, and made a short prayer at the 
 stake; to which he was soon after bound, with wet 
 cords and an iron chain, and inclosed as high as 
 his breast in faggots. 
 
 " Observing the executioner about to set fire to 
 the wood behind his back, he cried out, ' Bring thy 
 torch hither. Perform thy office before my face. 
 Had I feared death, I might have avoided it/ 
 
 " As the wood began to blaze, he sang a hymn, 
 which the violence of the flame scarce interrupted. 
 
 " Thus died this prodigious man. I was myself 
 an eyewitness of his whole behaviour. His death, 
 without doubt, is a noble lesson of philosophy." 
 
JEROM. 53 
 
 Jerom joined "the noble army of martyrs" on 
 the thirtieth day of May, 1416. 
 
 Jerom, 
 
 A Theologian, 
 
 Of Prague, Bohemia, 
 
 Was burnt alive, 
 
 At Constance, 
 
 In the year 1416. 
 
 PATRICK HAMILTON. 
 
 Patrick Hamilton was related to the most 
 dignified families in Scotland j and was educated 
 for the Roman Priesthood. At the close of his 
 monastic studies, he visited Germany, and resided 
 for some time in the University of Marpurg, where 
 he soon was distinguished for his zeal, assiduity, 
 and attainments, especially in understanding the 
 Holy Scriptures, to which object he made all other 
 things subservient. He also became acquainted 
 with Luther and Melancthon; and having been 
 convinced from his own researches, that their doc- 
 trines were " the truth as it is in Jesus," he re- 
 solved to impart the light of the gospel, and to 
 develop the errors and corruptions of Popery to 
 his own ignorant countrymen. With that august 
 design he speedily after returned to Scotland. 
 
 After preaching some time, and unveiling the 
 
54 PATRICK HAMILTON. 
 
 truth before the deluded priest-ridden people, he 
 was invited to a conference upon the disputed 
 points at St. Andrews, But as the Papists could 
 neither bear the light, nor defend themselves by 
 argument and the Bible, they resolved to revenge 
 themselves for their defeat, and cast Hamilton into 
 prison. Articles were exhibited against him, 
 which alleged, that he " maintained the doctrine 
 of justification by faith, and that the graces of faith, 
 hope and love are so united that one cannot exist 
 without the others." 
 
 As Hamilton refused to abjure those infallible 
 and precious truths, Cardinal Beaton and four other 
 prelates, with five Abbots, condemned him as an 
 obstinate heretic, and ordered that he should be 
 burnt that same day ; for they were afraid that the 
 Confessor's powerful friends would so effectually 
 have interceded with the king of Scotland that he 
 would have been liberated from their grasp. 
 
 . The views and opinions of the glorious martyr, 
 Patrick Hamilton, even now excite the highest ad- 
 miration of sincere believers. They are express- 
 ed with such brevity, clearness, vigour and beauty, 
 that as a concise summary of the gospel they afford- 
 ed complete instruction to all who heard him teach 
 "the doctrine which is according to godliness." 
 
 When he was chained to the stake, he express- 
 ed great joy in his sufferings, since by them he 
 should enter into everlasting life. A train of gun- 
 powder was set on fire, but as it did not kindle the 
 fuel, a delay occurred until another quantity could 
 
PATRICK HAMILTON. 55 
 
 be obtained. During the interval, the Roman 
 Priests continually urged him to recant, and pray- 
 to the Virgin Mary, with the " Salve Regina — - 
 O Queen save me ! ri Among them was a Friar 
 named Campbel, who had been often with him in 
 his prison, and was very officious. Hamilton an- 
 swered him, that Campbel knew that he was not 
 a heretic, and had acknowledged it to him in pri- 
 vate ; and charged him to answer for his deceitful- 
 ness and cruelty at the throne of Almighty God. 
 A short time afterwards Campbel became mad, 
 and died within a year of Hamilton's martyrdom. 
 When the gunpowder was brought and the fire 
 kindled, Hamilton effused his last mortal sensibili- 
 ties in these characteristic words — " Lord Jesus ! 
 receive my spirit ! How long, O Lord ? how long 
 shall darkness overwhelm this kingdom? How 
 long wilt thou suffer the tyranny of those men V* 
 
 The force of the truths which Hamilton preach- 
 ed; his triumphant death ; and the singular catas- 
 trophe of Campbel the Friar, made strong im- 
 pressions on the people, " and believers were the 
 more added to the Lord." 
 
 Patrick Hamilton chanted the song of victory 
 over death and the grave, on the first day of March, 
 1527. 
 
 Patrick Hamilton, 
 
 A Scotch Divine ; 
 
 Was ennobled 
 
 By the crown of Martyrdom ; 
 
 In the year 1527. 
 
56 ULRIC ZUINGLE. 
 
 ULRIC ZUINGLE. 
 
 Ulric Zuingle entered the world in the 
 Swiss valley of Tockenburg, on the first day of 
 January, 1484. Having studied at Basil, Berne, 
 and Vienna, according to the meager ecclesiastical 
 course then appointed, he was chosen by the 
 burghers of Glaris to be their pastor. From that 
 epoch commenced his religious knowledge. In 
 order worthily to acquit himself of the ministry 
 intrusted to him, Zuingle thought that he stood in 
 need of deeper and more extensive learning than he 
 already possessed. He accordingly resolved to 
 recommence his theological studies after a plan 
 which was very different from that followed in the 
 universities. An assiduous perusal of the New 
 Testament preceded his researches. In order to 
 render himself more familiar with Paul's epistles, 
 he copied the Greek text with his own hand, add- 
 ing in the margin a multitude of notes extracted 
 from the fathers of the church, as well as his own 
 observations, and that interesting manuscript still 
 exists in the public library of Zurich. 
 
 Without directly attacking the abuses authorized 
 by the Romish church, he confined himself in his 
 sermons to the doctrines which he found clearly 
 laid down in the scriptures, and to the moral pre- 
 cepts to be deduced from them. He took every op- 
 portunity of repeating to his audience, that in mat- 
 ters of faith, we ought to refer ourselves to the word 
 

 " 
 
ULRIC ZTJINGLE. 57 
 
 of God contained in the scriptures, to regard as 
 superfluous all that was unknown ; and as false, 
 all that was contrary to them. The time was not 
 yet come for unfolding the consequences of this 
 maxim. It was necessary to prepare the minds of 
 men to receive the new light, and Zuingle thought 
 that it could not be done better than by insisting 
 upon the practice of all the Christian virtues, while 
 most of the preachers of his time recommended 
 nothing to their flocks but the external exercises of 
 superstition. Thus by the plain preaching of the 
 essential doctrines of divine revelation, he gradually 
 softened the repugnance, and purified the corrup- 
 tion of the public mind. 
 
 After having continued in that course during ten 
 years, he was called to the office of preacher in the 
 convent of Ginsiedlen. Among those monks were 
 some active and zealous men, whose names are still 
 distinguished. The Abbot was a high-spirited 
 Baron, named Theobald Geroldseck, who had the 
 manliness to encourage inquiries after truth, the 
 sincerity to follow it, and the singular intrepidity 
 to comply with its requirements. Over the principal 
 gate of the abbey had always been exhibited this 
 inscription — " Here plenary remission of all sins 
 can be obtained." Zuingle had no sooner proved 
 that it was unscriptural to believe in the pardon of 
 sins for money, than Geroldseck ordered the in- 
 inscription to be effaced. When Zuingle evinced 
 that the worship of relics was idolatry, the Abbot 
 directed that the relics should be removed from the 
 
58 ULRIC ZUINGLE. 
 
 altar and buried. The Nuns in the convents around 
 Ginsiedlen had read only the Romish liturgy; 
 Geroldseck enjoined that they should study the 
 New Testament. The vows of the Nuns had 
 always been deemed irrevocable ; the Abbot per- 
 mitted the nans to leave their convent and to marry. 
 Thus Zuingle enlightened the minds of his asso- 
 ciates, and having disclosed the pure truths of God, 
 he left his auditors themselves to condemn the hu- 
 miliating customs, erroneous doctrines, and tyran- 
 nical assumptions of Rome. 
 
 The history of the convent of Ginsiedlen was a 
 striking compound of the monkish fantastic legends 
 of the dark ages. A monk buried himself in " The 
 Gloomy Forest." After residing there twenty-six 
 years, he was murdered by some robbers. A series 
 of miracles were reported to have been performed 
 upon the spot; and wealth from the barons, the 
 spoils of their pillage, was poured into the convent 
 in an overflowing stream, as a commutation for their 
 licentiousness, robbery and murders. An image of 
 the Virgin Mary was discovered, it was said, of 
 heavenly origin ; w T hich wrought more wonders 
 than any other, and was more productive of offer- 
 ings to the Abbot's treasury. The glory of that 
 wooden goddess, which, it was universally believed, 
 healed all diseases, beamed with undiminished ra- 
 diance during nearly six centuries ; and the original 
 consecration of her idolatrous temple was celebrated 
 every seven years with the utmost pomp. That 
 festival had been established by Pope Leo VIIL ; 
 
ULRIC ZUINGLE. 59 
 
 who, in his bull detailing the first opening of that 
 edifice for the worship of the Virgin Mary, declares 
 that the chapel had been hallowed " according to 
 the Romish ritual. The Saviour himself officiated 
 in the ceremony, with the necessary number of 
 Angels, Evangelists, Martyrs and Fathers," which 
 fact was verified, says that Pope, because " our Sa- 
 viour concluded the ceremony by sticking the 
 ringers of his right hand into a stone at the chapel 
 door." 
 
 On the commemoration festival of that " Conse- 
 cration of the Angels," Zuingle, believing that the 
 minds of his auditors were prepared for the attempt, 
 struck the first public and decisive blow at the 
 reigning delusions. An immense crowd was as- 
 sembled from all parts of Switzerland to hear the 
 panegyric of the " mighty Mother of God," and the 
 "Host of Glory" who had descended on that fa- 
 voured spot. But a mightier strength, which was 
 to break the power of the idol, was present. Zuin- 
 gle ascended the pulpit and thundered on them. 
 
 " Blind are ye," exclaimed the Swiss Boanerges, 
 " in seeking thus to please the God of earth and 
 heaven. Cease to believe that God resides in this 
 temple more than in every other place. Whatever 
 region of the earth you may inhabit, he is near you, 
 he surrounds you, he grants your prayers, if they 
 deserve to be granted ; but it is not by useless 
 vows, by long pilgrimages, offerings destined to 
 adorn senseless images, that you can obtain the di- 
 vine favour : resist temptations, repress guilty de- 
 
60 TJLRIC ZUINGLE. 
 
 sires, shun all injustice, relieve the unfortunate, 
 console the afflicted : these are the works pleasing 
 to the Lord 
 
 " Did the chosen of God enter into heaven by re- 
 lying on the merit of another ? No, it was by walk- 
 ing in the path of the law, fulfilling the will of the 
 Most High, by facing death that they might remain 
 faithful to their Redeemer. Imitate the holiness of 
 their lives, walk in their footsteps, suffer yourselves 
 to be turned aside neither by dangers nor seduc- 
 tions. Put your trust in none but God, who created 
 the heavens and the earth with a word ; at the ap- 
 proach of death invoke only Christ Jesus, who has 
 bought you with his blood, and is the sole Mediator 
 between God and man." 
 
 His discourse shook all the pillars of popery — 
 absolution of sins for money — pilgrimages — inter- 
 cession of the Saints — and the worship of the Vir- 
 gin Mary. It was listened to with mingled asto- 
 nishment, wrath and admiration. In many instances 
 the triumph of the cross was complete. Pilgrims 
 refused to join in the impiety, and carried home 
 their offerings. The great majority were so 
 awakened, that they were prepared to abjure the 
 crimes and superstitions of the Papacy. Many 
 heard and acknowledged that it was the voice and 
 light from heaven ; and none felt the living power 
 and transforming effects more than the preacher. 
 From that morning, Zuingle was no longer the 
 same man ; and his subsequent energy, intrepidity 
 and defiance to the popular prejudices and the ty- 
 
ULRIC ZUINGLE. 61 
 
 ranny of the Popedom, have raised him to the 
 highest rank, as one of " the first three mighty 
 men" among the champions of the gospel. 
 
 Having resided three years at Ginsiedlen, he 
 was chosen preacher in the cathedral at Zurich, 
 in December 1518; one year after Luther's first 
 public denunciations of Indulgences. On the 
 first day of January 1518, his birthday, he com- 
 menced his entire exposition of the sacred scrip- 
 tures. At first, he was fiercely threatened for his 
 doctrines, and reviled as a furious fanatic and mad 
 enthusiast; but his sincerity, fortitude and zeal 
 vanquished all opposition ; and within a short pe- 
 riod, every enlightened and good citizen joined 
 him as the fearless instructor of truth and holiness. 
 
 Speedily, subsequent, the controversy arose with 
 a most profligate indulgence merchant, named 
 Samson ; who taught the people that every sinner 
 of all grades would become a partaker of divine 
 grace, and an heir of glory, " the moment his 
 money rattled in the Friar's box." That soul-de- 
 stroying delusion, Zuingle resolutely opposed, and 
 declared that the traffic was a crime. The next 
 movement was the rooting up of auricular confes- 
 sion. Then followed the overthrow of image wor- 
 ship; and in 1525, the extirpation of the idolatrous 
 Mass was succeeded by the evangelical administra- 
 tion of the Lord's Supper. That celebration was 
 attended with very influential consequences, and 
 constitutes an impressive scene of Zuingle's mi- 
 nistry. 
 
62 TJLRIC ZUINGLE. 
 
 On Easter Sunday, 1525, a table covered with a 
 white cloth, unleavened bread and cups filled with 
 wine, recalled the remembrance of the last repast 
 of our Redeemer with his disciples. Zuingle an- 
 nounced to the faithful, that the religious act which 
 they were about to celebrate would become to each 
 of them the pledge of salvation, or the cause of per- 
 dition, according to the dispositions they might 
 bring to it ; and he endeavoured by a fervent prayer, 
 to excite in all their hearts repentance for past 
 faults, and a resolution to live a new life. After 
 prayer, Zuingle and the two ministers who assisted 
 him, presented mutually to each other the bread 
 and the cup, pronouncing at the same time the 
 words uttered by Jesus Christ at the institution of 
 the last supper. They afterwards distributed the 
 symbols of the body and blood of the Redeemer to 
 all the Christians present. A second prayer, and 
 hymns full of the expression of love and gratitude, 
 towards him who had voluntarily endured a cruel 
 and ignominious death to save repentant sinners, 
 terminated that solemn and affecting ceremony. 
 
 Zuingle was of opinion, that to celebrate the 
 Lord's Supper in this manner, was to bring it back 
 to its ancient simplicity, and to unite all that could 
 render it useful. The event proved that he was 
 not mistaken ; the churches could scarcely contain 
 the immense crowd that came to participate in that 
 religious solemnity, and the good works and nu- 
 merous reconciliations which followed it, proved the 
 sincerity of the devotion with which it was attended. 
 
ULRIC ZUINGLE. 63 
 
 Having abolished the Mass, the monastic corrup- 
 tions, the idolatry, and the tyranny of Romanism, 
 Zuingle next proceeded to establish a system of 
 public instruction, elementary and academical ; that 
 the ancient superstitions and darkness might re- 
 main, forever banished from the cantons of Switzer- 
 land. 
 
 In unremitting labors, both in the pulpit and by 
 publications from the press, Zuingle continued to 
 promote the hallowed cause of the Redeemer, until 
 the Roman priests, exasperated beyond measure 
 at the progress of the reformation and the conse- 
 quent demolition of their craft, excited a civil war 
 among the Swiss cantons. Zuingle was appointed 
 Chaplain of the Protestant army. The defensive 
 military operations were unskilfully conducted j 
 and, against his opinion, he accompanied a small 
 body of troops from Zurich to assist their brethren 
 at Cappel, whom the Romanists attacked with a 
 very superior force. Zuingle left Zurich not only 
 with a consciousness of danger, but with a pre-sen- 
 timent that he should be sacrificed. As they ap- 
 proached the field of battle, they were almost sur- 
 rounded by the Papists, and became involved in a 
 most unequal conflict. At the beginning of the 
 skirmish, while the Reformer was encouraging the 
 troops by his exhortations, he received a mortal 
 wound. He remained undistinguished among the 
 dead while the Romanists were pursuing their vic- 
 tory. After the tumult had subsided, he raised 
 himself from the ground, crossed his arms upon 
 
64 ULRIC ZUINGLE. 
 
 his breast, and lifted his dying eyes to heaven. — 
 Some of the Popish soldiers found him in that at- 
 titude, and not knowing him, asked him if he 
 would have a confessor. He could not speak ; but 
 by the motion of his head he refused. They then 
 exhorted him to commend his soul to the Virgin 
 Mary. His repeated objections enraged the san- 
 guinary adherents of the Popedom. " Die then, 
 obstinate heretic ! " cried one of them, and with his 
 sword pierced him to the heart. 
 
 His body was not recognized until the next day, 
 and was then exposed to the view of the Romish 
 army, as the most splendid and consummate trophy 
 of their victory. Among those whom curiosity 
 attracted several had known him ; and although 
 they had not imbibed his religious doctrines, yet 
 they honored him for the uprightness of his inten- 
 tions ; and were unable to view his features which 
 death had not changed, without mingled emotions 
 of admiration and sorrow. A former colleague of 
 Zuingle, who had left Zurich on account of the 
 reformation, was among the crowd. He gazed 
 upon him for a long time, and at length vented his 
 sensibilities in a striking eulogy — " Whatever may 
 have been thy faith, 1 am sure that thou wast al- 
 ways sincere, and that thou lovedst thy country. — 
 May God take thy soul to his mercy ! M 
 
 That and similar expressions of veneration for 
 the magnanimous philanthropist, excited in the base 
 multitude a spirit of savage revenge. In the midst 
 of shouts over the mortal remains of that champion 
 
ULRIC ZUINGLE. 65 
 
 of the gospel, a clamor arose — " Bum the heretic !" 
 Some of the leaders opposed the attempt, but the 
 fury of the crowd, instigated by their priests and 
 the friars, could not be restrained. They dragged 
 the corpse to a pile ; held a mock trial over it ; con- 
 demned it for an " accursed heretic ; 5} burnt all that 
 was perishable of the immortal Swiss ; and in sport 
 scattered to the winds the ashes of his funereal pyre. 
 Thus terminated, in 1531, the earthly career of Ul- 
 ric Zuingle ; a christian hero of the highest rank, at 
 the age of forty-seven ; and when he had become 
 matured for the most vigorous and amplified labors 
 and usefulness. But he had fought the good fight. 
 He had kept the faith. By his instrumentality the 
 seeds of piety were widely sown among a people 
 whose hearts had previously been barren as the 
 loftiest rocky peaks of their own Alps. He had ef- 
 fused a flood of light on a land of darkness ; and 
 his immortal legacy to his country was fortitude, 
 wisdom, freedom, and religion ! Thus he finished 
 his course to hear his divine Lord's plaudit — " Well 
 done, good and faithful servant." 
 
 Ulric Zuingle, 
 
 A Swiss Divine; 
 
 Pastor of the Church at Zurich. 
 
 He was slain and his corpse burned; 
 
 In the year 1531. 
 
 Aged 47. 
 
66 JOHN (EC0LAMPADIUS, 
 
 JOHN (ECOLAMPADIUS. 
 
 John QEcolampadius was born in 1482 at 
 Weinsberg in Franconia ; and when about forty 
 years of age, he was converted from popery by the 
 perusal of Luther's works. Soon after his avowal 
 of the Protestant principles, he was called to preach 
 at Basil. In June 1525, he attained high eminence 
 by the learning and eloquence that he displayed at 
 a public disputation appointed by the Swiss Can- 
 tons which was held at Baden. Eckius the Papal 
 legate undertook to defend the Mass, the worship 
 of the Virgin Mary, the intercession of saints, the 
 idolatry then offered to images, and purgatory. 
 QEcolampadius was the chief respondent ; and the 
 effects of his oratory were so great, that a general 
 toleration of Protestantism was allowed to all who 
 had previously been persecuted for adopting the 
 opinions of Luther and Zuingle. From that pe- 
 riod, (Ecolampadius very essentially promoted the 
 Reformation, both by his preaching and treatises 
 against the most gross and intolerable of the Papal 
 corruptions. 
 
 On the seventh day of January 1528, commenced 
 a memorable discussion at Berne, which continued 
 during nineteen days; at which Zuingle, (Eco- 
 lampadius, Bucer, and others were present. The 
 result of which debate was, that the whole system 
 of Popish idolatry was authoritatively extirpated. 
 At Strasburg, by the labors of the Swiss Reformers, 
 
JOHN (ECOLAMPADIUS. 67 
 
 a decree was passed on the twentieth of February, 
 1529, to suspend the Roman ceremonies and cus- 
 toms, until the Popish priests could prove that the 
 Mass was appointed by God ! Of course, the city 
 of Strasburg became Protestant. 
 
 The unceasing and effectual labors of GEcolam- 
 padius diffused so much light, that the collision be- 
 tween the Reformed and the Papists at Basil al- 
 most produced a civil war. But on the eighth day 
 of February, 1529, the Protestants so urgently de- 
 manded the removal of the Papist Senators, that it 
 was found impossible longer to resist the popular 
 will. The Popish Senators, however, persuaded 
 the Protestants in the Senate to procrastinate, until 
 they could have obtained external help. In the 
 excitement which prevailed, while the people were 
 waiting for the action of their rulers ; an insult 
 offered to one of the images produced a tumult in 
 the high church between the Roman priests and 
 the Protestants. Some of the Senators instantly 
 appeared to quell the disturbance ; but the people 
 finally told them, that as the Senate had been de- 
 bating for three years whether it were preferable to 
 abolish idolatry, they would now decide the question 
 in one hour, so that there should be no more conten- 
 tion. Upon which they instantly proceeded to destroy 
 all the idolatrous symbols, of Popery throughout 
 the city ; and within three days the whole Canton 
 was delivered from the Pope's tyrannical grasp. 
 From that period, (Ecolampadius was constantly 
 and most actively employed in carrying on the 
 
68 JOHN (ECOLAMPADIUS, 
 
 great work of the Reformation, and through the 
 divine blessing with abundant success. In conse- 
 quence however of his unintermitting labors, he 
 had become partially enfeebled ; which debility, it 
 is supposed, was increased by the grief that he felt 
 for the premature decease of his friend Zuingle. 
 
 CEcolampadius survived the pioneer of the Re- 
 formation in Switzerland but a short time. He en- 
 tered upon "the recompense of reward," in the 
 month of November, 1531 ; a few months after the 
 death of his Christian compatriot. His commen- 
 taries on the Scriptures, and other memorials of 
 that erudition, zeal and piety, which rendered him, 
 when living, so eminent among the Reformers, still 
 exist, and by them " he being dead yet speaketh. ,} 
 
 John CEcolampadius, 
 
 A German Divine. 
 
 He died at Basil, 
 
 In the year 153L 
 
 Aged 49. 
 
BERTIIOLD HALLER. 69 
 
 BERTHOLD HALLER. 
 
 Berthold Haller was born in the canton of 
 Berne, Switzerland, in the year 1492, about the pe- 
 riod when Columbus discovered America. He 
 was among the first of his countrymen who re- 
 ceived the reformed doctrines, and immediately be- 
 gan to proclaim them at Berne. His ministerial 
 labors, in connection with Francis Colbus, were 
 greatly blessed, until in January 1528, commenced 
 the famous disputation which was appointed by the 
 Senate of Berne, and which continued during nine- 
 teen days. 
 
 The Senate proposed the following ten themes 
 for discussion between Haller, Z-uingle, (Ecolampa- 
 dius, Bucer, Capito, Coblus, and Blaurer, and any 
 Roman priest who chose to attend. " 1. The true 
 church, of which Christ is the head, riseth out of 
 God's word. 2. The true church makes no laws 
 without the word of God. 3. Traditions of the 
 church do not bind, except they be consonant to 
 God's word. 4. Christ only hath made satisfac- 
 tion for the sins of the world, and if any man say 
 otherwise he denieth Christ. 5. The body and 
 blood of Christ cannot be received really and cor- 
 porally. 6. The mass is against the scripture and 
 contumacious to the sacrifice of Christ. 7. Christ 
 only is to be invocated as mediator and advocate of 
 mankind to God the Father. 8. Purgatory is not 
 in the scripture, therefore all prayers, dirges, obits, 
 
70 BERTHOLD HALLER. 
 
 lamps, tapers, and ceremonies for the dead are vain. 
 9. To set up pictures or images to be worshipped 
 is contrary to scripture, and they ought to be taken 
 away from churches. 10. Matrimony is command- 
 ed to all men by the word of God; as all uncleanness 
 is prohibited by the scripture, therefore the single 
 unchaste life of priests ought not to be permitted." 
 
 Haller acquired great influence by the victory 
 which he and his brethren obtained at that debate. 
 The system of Popery was almost immediately af- 
 ter banished from Berne. From that period, Hal- 
 ler continued with equal zeal and success to carry 
 on the glorious work, which he had commenced, 
 until he rested from his labors and took his flight to 
 Paradise. He was called from his ministry encir- 
 cled with the affections and lamentations of all the 
 citizens of Berne. 
 
 Berthold Haller, 
 
 A Swiss Theologian; 
 
 The first restorer of the 
 
 Church at Berne. 
 
 Having triumphed over Popery, 
 
 He died at Berne, 
 
 In the year 1536, 
 
 Aged 44. 
 
SIMON GRYN(EUS. 71 
 
 SIMON GRYNCEUS. 
 
 Simon Gryngeus, the son of a German peas- 
 ant, was born in 1493, at Veringen in Suabia. — - 
 His talents and avidity for learning speedily eleva- 
 ted him above his native obscurity ; and his pro- 
 gress was so rapid, that in 1523, he was appointed 
 professor of Greek literature at Heidelberg. There 
 he imbibed the doctrines of the Gospel ; and be- 
 came the intimate friend of Luther, Melancthon, 
 and Erasmus. At that period, he visited England, 
 and through Erasmus, was cordially welcomed by 
 the Chancellor Thomas More. After the death of 
 OEcolampadius he was invited to Basil ; the univer- 
 sity of which attained great fame, in consequence of 
 the labors of Grynoeus as professor of the Greek 
 language and also of Christian theology. He was 
 an indefatigable student and of great erudition. — 
 To him the republic of letters is indebted for the 
 first edition of the Almagest of Ptolemy in Greek, 
 and the last five books of Livy. His labors and 
 learning equally promoted the enlargement of 
 knowledge, and the beneficial influences of the 
 glorious Reformation among the Swiss cantons. — 
 He departed from this vale of tears in the midst of 
 increasing usefulness and success; highly esteemed 
 by his coadjutors and countrymen who deeply re- 
 gretted his early dissolution. 
 
72 martin luther. 
 
 Simon Grynceus, 
 
 A German; 
 
 Professor of Greek Literature, 
 
 And 
 
 Christian Theology, 
 
 At Basil. 
 
 He died at Basil, 
 
 In the year 1541. 
 
 Aged 48. 
 
 MARTIN LUTHER. 
 
 Martin Luther, " the plague of Popery," son 
 of a miner at Eisleben, Saxony, was born in 1483. 
 He received a learned education at Eisenach and 
 Erfurt, and during his course of studies exhibited 
 continual indications of uncommon genius, acute- 
 ness and energy. As his mind was naturally sus- 
 ceptible of serious impresssions, he entered an Au- 
 gustinian convent ; where he acquired great repu- 
 tation, not only for piety, but for love of knowledge 
 and unwearied application to study. The cause of 
 his retirement is said to have been, that he was 
 once struck by lightning, and his companion killed 
 by his side by the same flash, He had been taught 
 the scholastic philosophy which was in vogue in 
 those days, and made considerable progress in it; 
 but happening to find a copy of the bible which lay 
 
FlateS 
 
 ■ 
 
 MART 
 
 jgius 
 
 h latimer 
 
 
MARTIN LUTHER. 73 
 
 neglected in the library of his monastery, he ap- 
 plied himself to the study of it with eagerness and 
 assiduity ; and increased his reputation for sanctity 
 so much, that he was chosen professor first of phi- 
 losophy, and afterwards of theology, in Wittemberg 
 on the Elbe, where Frederic elector of Saxony had 
 founded a university. 
 
 Luther's doubts respecting the scriptural charac- 
 ter of the Popedom originated in the atrocious 
 wickedness which he witnessed while on a mission 
 at Rome, to procure some additional immunities 
 for his convent. His impressions were strengthend 
 by his study of the Bible, and the writings of John 
 Huss; and about the year 1515, he began partially 
 to disseminate his newly adopted principles at Wit- 
 temberg. 
 
 While Luther continued to enjoy the highest re- 
 putation for sanctity and learning, Tetzel, a Domi- 
 nican friar, visited Wittemberg in order to publish 
 indulgences. Luther beheld his success with great 
 concern ; and having first inveighed against indul- 
 gences from the pulpit, he afterwards published 
 ninety-five theses, not as points fully established, but 
 as subjects of inquiry and disputation. He ap- 
 pointed a day on which the learned were invited to 
 impugn them. No opponent appeared. The 
 theses spread over Germany with astonishing ra- 
 pidity, and were read with the greatest eagerness. 
 
 Luther met with no opposition for some little 
 time after he began to publish his new doctrines, 
 but it was not long before many zealous champions 
 
 7 
 
74 MARTIN LUTHER. 
 
 arose to defend those opinions with which the 
 wealth and power of the Romish priests were so 
 strictly connected. The court of Rome at first de- 
 spised these disputes ; but the attention of the Pope 
 being raised by the great success of the reformer, 
 and the complaints of his adversaries, Luther was 
 summoned, in July, 15 18, to appear at Rome within 
 sixty days. One of Luther's adversaries, named 
 Prierias, who had written against him, was ap- 
 pointed to examine and to decide upon his doc- 
 trines. The Pope wrote at the same time to the 
 elector of Saxony, beseeching him not to protect a 
 man whose heretical and profane tenets were so 
 shocking; and enjoined the provincial of the Au- 
 gustinians by his authority to check the rashness 
 of an arrogant monk, which brought disgrace up- 
 on their order, and gave offence and disturbance to 
 the whole church. 
 
 From those letters and the appointment of his 
 open enemy Prierias to be his judge, Luther easily 
 saw what sentence he might expect at Rome ; and 
 therefore discovered the utmost solicitude to have 
 his cause tried in Germany, before a less suspected 
 tribunal. He wrote a submissive letter to the 
 Pope, in which he promised an unreserved obe- 
 dience to his will, for he then entertained no doubt 
 of the divine original of the Pope's authority. Ca- 
 jetan the Pope's legate in Germany was appointed 
 to hear and determine the cause. Luther appeared 
 before him without hesitation. Cajetan thought it 
 below his dignity to dispute the point with a person 
 
MARTIN LUTHER. 75 
 
 so much his inferior in rank, lie therefore re- 
 quired him, by virtue of the power with which he 
 was clothed, to retract the errors which he had ut- 
 tered with regard to indulgences and the nature of 
 faith, to abstain for the future from the publication 
 of new and dangerous opinions ; and forbad him to 
 enter his presence, unless he complied with what 
 had been required of him. 
 
 That haughty and violent manner of proceeding, 
 with some other circumstances, gave Luther's 
 friends such strong reasons to suspect that even the 
 imperial safe-conduct would not be able to protect 
 him from the legate's power and resentment, that 
 they prevailed on him secretly to withdraw from 
 Augsburg, where he had attended the legate, and 
 to return to his own country. Cajetan, enraged at 
 Luther's abrupt retreat, wrote to the elector of Sax- 
 ony, requiring him, as he regarded the peace of the 
 church or the authority of its head, either to send 
 that seditious monk a prisoner to Rome, or to ban- 
 ish him out of his territories. Frederic, from po- 
 litical motives, had protected Luther, thinking he 
 might be of use in checking the enormous power 
 of the see of Rome ; but though all Germany re- 
 sounded with his fame, the elector had never ad- 
 mitted him into his presence. That demand made 
 by the cardinal rendered it necessary to throw off 
 his former reserve. He had been at great expense 
 and bestowed much attention on founding a new 
 university ; and foreseeing how fatal a blow the 
 removal of Luther would be to its reputation, he 
 
76 MARTIN LUTHER. 
 
 not only declined complying with either of the 
 Pope's requests, but openly discovered great con- 
 cern for Luther's safety. 
 
 The situation of Luther became daily more 
 alarming. He knew well the motives which in- 
 duced the elector to afford him protection, and that 
 he could by no means depend on a continuance of 
 his friendship. If he should be obliged to quit 
 Saxony, he had no other asylum, and must stand 
 exposed to whatever punishment the rage or bi- 
 gotry of his enemies could inflict ; and so ready 
 were his adversaries to condemn him, that he had 
 been declared a heretic at Rome before the expira- 
 tion of the sixty days allowed him in the citation for 
 making his appearance. Notwithstanding, he dis- 
 covered no symptoms of timidity or remissness ; but 
 continued to vindicate his own conduct and opi- 
 nions, and to inveigh against those of his adversa- 
 ries with more vehemence. Being convinced, there 
 fore, that the Pope would soon proceed to the most 
 violent measures against him, he appealed to a ge- 
 neral council ; which he affirmed to be the repre- 
 sentative of the Catholic church, and superior in 
 power to the Pope, who being a fallible man, might 
 err, as Peter had done. 
 
 The court of Rome were assiduous to crush the 
 author of the doctrines which gave them so much 
 uneasiness. A bull was issued by the Pope prior 
 to Luther's appeal ; in which he magnified the 
 virtue of indulgences, and subjected to the heaviest 
 ecclesiastical censures all who presumed to teach 
 
MARTIN LUTHER, 77 
 
 a contrary doctrine. Such a clear decision of the 
 sovereign pontiff against him might have been fatal 
 to Luther's cause, but for the death of the emperor 
 Maximilian, on January 17, 1519. Both the prin- 
 ciples and interest of Maximilian had prompted him 
 to support the authority of Rome ; but in conse- 
 quence of his death, the vicariate of that part of 
 Germany which is governed by the Saxon laws 
 devolved to the elector of Saxony. Under the shel- 
 ter of his friendly administration, Luther enjoyed 
 tranquillity ; and his opinions took such root in dif- 
 ferent places, that they could never afterwards be 
 eradicated. As the election of an emperor was a 
 point more interesting to Pope Leo X. than a theo- 
 logical controversy which he did not understand, 
 and of which he could not foresee the conse- 
 quences ; he was extremely solicitous not to irritate 
 a prince of such considerable influence in the elec- 
 toral college as Frederic, and discovered a great 
 unwillingness to pronounce the sentence of excom- 
 munication against Luther, which his adversaries 
 continually demanded with the most clamorous 
 importunity. 
 
 A suspension of proceeding against Luther took 
 place for eighteen months, though perpetual nego- 
 tiations were carried on during the interval, to 
 bring the matter to an amicable issue* The man- 
 ner in which they were conducted having given 
 the reformer many opportunities of observing the 
 corruptions of the court of Rome, its obstinacy in 
 adhering to established errors, and its indifference 
 
 7* 
 
78 MARTIN LUTHER. 
 
 about truth, however clearly proposed or strongly- 
 proved, he began in 1520, to utter doubts with re- 
 gard to the divine original of the papal authority, 
 which he publicly disputed with Eckius, his most 
 learned and formidable antagonist. 
 
 The papal authority being once suspected, Lu- 
 ther proceeded in his inquiries and attacks from 
 one doctrine to another, till at last he began to 
 shake the firmest foundations on which the wealth 
 and power of the church were established. Leo 
 then perceived that there were no hopes of re- 
 claiming such " an incorrigible heretic ;" and 
 therefore prepared to denounce the sentence of ex- 
 communication against him. The college of car- 
 dinals was often assembled to prepare the sentence 
 with due deliberation ; and the ablest canonists were 
 consulted how it might be expressed with unexcep- 
 tionable formality. At last it was issued on the 
 fifteenth of June, 1520. Forty-one propositions, ex- 
 tracted out of Luther's works, were therein con- 
 demned as heretical, scandalous, and offensive to 
 pious ears ; all persons were forbidden to read his 
 writings, upon pain of excommunication ; such as 
 had any of them in their custody were commanded 
 to commit them to the flames ; he himself, if with- 
 in sixty days he did not publicly recant his errors 
 and burn his books, was pronounced an obstinate 
 heretic, excommunicated, and delivered to Satan. 
 All secular princes were required, under pain of 
 incurring the same censure, to seize his person, 
 that he might be punished as his crimes deserved. 
 
MARTIN LUTHER. 79 
 
 Luther was not in the least disconcerted. He 
 renewed his appeal to a general council ; declared 
 the Pope to be that antichrist or man of sin, whose 
 appearance is foretold in the New Testament ; de- 
 claimed against his tyranny with still greater ve- 
 hemence i and at last, by way of retaliation, having 
 assembled all the professors and students in the 
 university of Wittemberg, with great pomp, and in 
 the presence of a vast multitude of spectators, he 
 cast the volumes of the canon law with the bull of 
 excommunication into the flames. The manner in 
 which that action was justified gave still more of- 
 fence than the action itself. Having collected from 
 the canon law some of the most extravagant pro- 
 positions with regard to the plenitude and omnipo- 
 tence of the Pope's power, as well as the subordi- 
 nation of all secular jurisdiction to his authority, 
 he published them with a commentary, pointing 
 out the impiety of such tenets, and their evident 
 tendency to subvert all civil government. 
 
 On the accession of Charles V. to the empire, 
 Luther was in a very dangerous situation. To se- 
 cure the Pope's friendship, Charles determined to 
 treat him with great severity. His eagerness to 
 gain his point rendered him not averse to gratify 
 the Papal legate in Germany ; who insisted, that 
 without any delay or formal deliberation, the diet 
 then sitting at Worms ought to condemn a man 
 whom the Pope had already excommunicated as 
 an incorrigible heretic. Such an abrupt manner 
 of proceeding however being deemed unprece- 
 
80 MARTIN LUTHER. 
 
 dented and unjust by the members of the diet, they 
 required Luther to appear in person, and declare 
 whether he adhered to those opinions which had 
 drawn upon him the censures of the church. Not 
 only the emperor, but all the princes through whose 
 territories he had to pass, granted him a safe- 
 conduct ; and Charles wrote to him, requiring his 
 immediate attendance on the diet, and renewing his 
 promises of protection from any injury or violence. 
 Luther did not hesitate one moment about yielding 
 obedience; and set out for Worms, attended by the 
 herald who had brought the emperor's letter and 
 safe-conduct While on his journey, many of his 
 friends, remembering the fate of Huss under simi- 
 lar circumstances, and notwithstanding the same 
 security of an imperial safe-conduct, advised and 
 entreated him not to rush wantonly into the midst 
 of danger. But Luther, superior to such terrors, 
 silenced them with this reply, " I am lawfully call- 
 ed to appear in that city ; and thither I will go in 
 the name of the Lord, though as many devils as 
 there are tiles on the houses are there combined 
 against me." 
 
 The reception which he met with at Worms, 
 might have been reckoned a full reward of all his 
 labours, if vanity and the love of applause had been 
 the principles by which he was influenced. Great- 
 er crowds assembled to behold him than had ap- 
 peared at the emperor's public entry; his apart- 
 ments were daily filled with princes and personages 
 of the highest rank ; and he was treated with a 
 
MARTIN LUTHER. 81 
 
 homage more sincere, as well as more flattering-, 
 than any which pre-eminence in birth or condition 
 can command. At his appearance before the diet, 
 he behaved with great decency, and with equal 
 firmness. He readily acknowledged an excess of 
 acrimony, and vehemence in his controversial wri- 
 tings ; but refused to retract his opinions unless he 
 were convinced of their falsehood, or to consent to 
 their being tried by any other rule than the word of 
 God. When neither threats nor entreaties could 
 prevail on him to depart from his resolution, some 
 of the ecclesiastics proposed to imitate the example 
 of the council of Constance, and by punishing the 
 " pestilent heretic" who was in their power, to de- 
 liver the church at once from such an evil. But 
 the members of the diet refusing to expose the Ger- 
 man integrity to fresh reproach, by a second viola- 
 tion of public faith, and Charles being no less un- 
 willing to bring a stain upon the beginning of his 
 administration by such an ignominious action, Lu- 
 ther was permitted to depart in safety. A few days 
 after he left the city, he was denounced as an obsti- 
 nate and excommunicated criminal, and deprived 
 of all the privileges which he enjoyed as a subject 
 of the empire. Every prince was required to seize 
 his person, as soon as the term specified in his pro- 
 tection should be expired. 
 
 As Luther, oh his return from Worms, was pass- 
 ing near Altenstrain in Thuringia, a number of 
 horsemen in masks rushed suddenly out of a wood, 
 where the elector had appointed them to lie in wait 
 
 8* 
 
82 MARTIN LUTHER. 
 
 for him, and carried him to the Castle of Wart- 
 burg. 
 
 Weary at length of his retirement, Luther again 
 appeared publicly at Wittemberg, upon the sixth of 
 March 1522; and made open war upon the Pope 
 and his prelates. 
 
 The same year 1522, he wrote a letter to the as- 
 sembly of the states of Bohemia ; in which he as- 
 sured them that he was labouring to establish their 
 doctrine in Germany, and exhorted them not to re- 
 turn to the communion of the church of Rome ; and 
 he also published a translation of the New Testa- 
 ment in the German tongue, Avhich was afterwards 
 corrected by himself and Melancthon. That trans- 
 lation having been printed several times, and being 
 in every body's hands, Ferdinand archduke of Aus- 
 tria, the emperor's brother, issued a very severe 
 edict, to hinder the farther publication of it; and for- 
 bade all the subjects of his imperial majesty to have 
 any copies of it, or of Luther's other books. Other 
 princes followed his example ; upon which Luther 
 wrote a treatise, Of the secular power, in which 
 he accused them of tyranny and impiety. 
 
 In the year 1523, Luther wrote against vows 
 of virginity ; and soon after Catharine Bora and 
 eight other nuns eloped from the convent at Nimpt- 
 schen, and were conducted to Wittemberg. 
 
 In October 1524, Luther flung off the monastic 
 habit ; which was a very proper preparative to his 
 marriage with Catharine Bora. His conduct in 
 marrying was severely censured ; but Luther boldly 
 
MARTIN LUTHER. 83 
 
 defended his act. "I took a wife," he said, "in 
 obedience to my father's commands ; and hastened 
 the consummation, in order to prevent impediments 
 and stop the tongues of slanderers. I married of a 
 sudden, not only that I might not be obliged to hear 
 the clamours which I knew would be raised against 
 me, but to stop the mouths of those who reproached 
 me with Catharine Bora." Luther also did it 
 partly as concurring with his grand scheme of op- 
 posing the papists. 
 
 In the year 1534, the Bible translated by Luther 
 into German was first printed. In February, 1537, 
 an assembly was held at Smalkald about matters of 
 religion, to which Luther and Melancthon were 
 called. At that meeting, Luther was seized with 
 so grievous an illness, that there were no hopes of 
 his recovery. In that terrible condition he would 
 undertake to travel, notwithstanding all that his 
 friends could say or do to prevent him. As he was 
 carried along, he made his will, in which he be- 
 queathed his detestation of popery to his friends 
 and brethren ; agreeably to what he often used to 
 say : " Pestis eram vivus, moriens ero mors tua % 
 papa — I was the plague of Popery in my life, and 
 shall continue to be so in my death." 
 
 In the year 1530, the Pope and the court of 
 Rome, finding it impossible to deal with the Pro- 
 testants by force, began to have recourse to stra- 
 tagem. They affected therefore to think, that 
 though Luther had carried things on with a high 
 hand and to a violent extreme, yet what he had 
 
84 MARTIN LUTHER. 
 
 pleaded in defence of those measures was not en- 
 tirely without foundation. They talked with a 
 seeming show of moderation ; and Pius III. who 
 succeeded Clement VII. proposed a reformation, 
 and even went so far as to fix a place for a council 
 to meet at for that purpose. But Luther unmasked 
 and detected that farce immmediately ; and to ridi- 
 cule it the more strongly, caused a picture to be 
 drawn, in which was represented the Pope seated 
 upon a throne, and some cardinals about him with 
 foxes' tails. That was placed in front of the title- 
 page, to let the readers see at once the design of 
 the book ; which was, to expose that cunning and 
 artifice with which those subtle politicians affected 
 to cleanse and purify themselves from their errors 
 and superstitions. 
 
 Luther was thus employed till his death, which 
 happened in the year 1546. That year, accom- 
 panied by Melancthon, he paid a visit to his own 
 country, which he had not seen for many years. 
 Soon after he was called thither again by the Earls 
 of Mansfeldt, to compose some differences which 
 had arisen about their boundaries. Preaching his 
 last sermon therefore at Wittemberg, upon the se- 
 venteenth of January, he started on the twenty- 
 third ; and at Hall in Saxony lodged with Justus 
 Jonas, with whom he staid three days. When he 
 entered the territories of the Earls of Mansfeldt, he 
 was received in a very honourable manner ; but 
 was at the same time very ill. He died upon the 
 eighteenth of February, in the sixty-third year of 
 
MARTIN LUTHER. 85 
 
 his age. A little before he expired, he admonished 
 those that were about him to pray to God for the 
 propagation of the Gospel ; "because the council of 
 Trent and the Pope would devise strange things 
 against it." Soon after, his body was put into a 
 leaden coffin, and carried with funeral pomp to the 
 church at Eisleben, when Jonas preached a sermon 
 upon the occasion. The Earls of Mansfeldt desired 
 that his body should be interred in their territories ; 
 but the elector of Saxony insisted upon his being 
 brought back to Wittemberg ; which was accord- 
 ingly done : and there he was buried with the great- 
 est pomp that perhaps ever happened to any private 
 man. Princes, earls, nobles, and students without 
 number attended the procession. Melancthon de- 
 livered his funeral oration. 
 
 A thousand falsehoods were invented by the Pa- 
 pists about Luther's death. Some said that he died 
 suddenly; others, that he killed himself; others, 
 that the devil strangled him ; others, that his corpse 
 was so offensive, that they were forced to leave it 
 in the way, as it was carried to be interred. Fic- 
 tions were invented about his death even while he 
 was yet alive. Luther, however, to give the most 
 effectual refutation of his death, put forth an adver- 
 tisement that he was alive ; and to be even with 
 the Papists for the malice they had shown, wrote 
 a book at the same time to prove, that " the papacy 
 was founded by the devil." 
 
 Thus lived, " died in faith," and triumphed, one 
 
 of the most honored servants of Christ, and one of 
 
 8 
 
86 PAUL FAGIUS. 
 
 the most exalted benefactors of the human family 
 whose names are recorded in the annals of the 
 church and the world. 
 
 Martin Luther, 
 
 A German Theologian, 
 
 And the 
 
 Restorer of the Christian Religion 
 
 In Germany. 
 
 He was born at Eisleben ; 
 
 Lived at Wittemberg ; 
 
 And died 
 
 In the place of his Nativity ; 
 
 In the year 1546. 
 
 Aged 63, 
 
 PAUL FAGIUS. 
 
 Paul Fagius was born at Rheinzabem, Ger- 
 many, in the year 1504. He taught a school for 
 many years at Isna ; but afterwards became a zeal- 
 ous Reformed preacher, and a voluminous author. 
 In 1549, as the Papal persecution then raging 
 in Germany menaced danger to all the distin- 
 guished Protestants ; by the invitation of Cranmer, 
 Fagius and Bucer removed to England, to aid the 
 English Reformers in perfecting their translation 
 of tlie sc^p'ores ; but that great design was frus- 
 
PAUL FAGIUS. 87 
 
 trated by the sudden death of both those eminent 
 scholars. Fagius died in 1550. About seven 
 years after, an inquisitorial process for heresy was 
 commenced against his bones: which was con- 
 ducted with all the Popish canonical forms. After 
 the melancholy farce was terminated by the pro- 
 nunciation of the definitive sentence — the bones of 
 Fagius and Bucer were dug up out of their graves ; 
 the Romish ceremonies of priestly degradation 
 were regularly performed ; and with a large quan- 
 tity of their books which had been collected, their 
 remains were consumed in the same fire, at Cam- 
 bridge, on the sixth day of February, 1557. 
 
 Paul Fagius, 
 
 A German Theologian. 
 
 He died at Cambridge, 
 
 In the year 1550, 
 
 Aged 46. 
 
 His bones were burnt, 
 
 In the year 1557. 
 
88 MARTIN BUCER. 
 
 MARTIN BUCER. 
 
 Martin Bucer was born at Schlestadt in Al- 
 sace in the year 1491. At seven years of age, he 
 took the habit of the Dominican order ; but the 
 early writings of Luther produced doubts respect- 
 ing the scriptural authority of the Romish religion. 
 He held several conferences with Luther at Hei- 
 delberg in 1521 ; and was the instrument of intro- 
 ducing the knowledge of the Gospel into the city 
 of Strasburg, where he was a minister and Pro- 
 fessor of Theology during twenty years. His 
 learning and energy long were dedicated to the 
 fruitless endeavour to reconcile the followers of Lu- 
 ther and the disciples of Zuingle. In 1548, he was 
 invited to Augsburg, to sign that deceitful agree- 
 ment between the Protestants and the Papists, 
 called the interim. He was decidedly opposed to 
 that silly and destructive measure ; and became in- 
 volved in difficulty and danger. Cranmer there- 
 fore invited him to England, and he was appointed 
 Theological Professor at Cambridge. Among his 
 friends was ranked the young King Edward VI., 
 who was strongly attached to him. He filled the 
 office of Professor with great eclat during two 
 years, and died in 1551. Nearly six years after, 
 his body was disinterred with that of Fagius, and 
 burnt. His tomb also was demolished, but after- 
 wards restored by order of Elizabeth. In learning, 
 judgment, and other noble qualities, he is ranked 
 
HUGH LATIMER. 89 
 
 among the stars of the first magnitude, in the six- 
 teenth century. He was a voluminous and valu- 
 able writer ; and his printed works, with his elo- 
 quence, powerfully aided the sacred cause of the 
 Reformation. 
 
 Martin Bucer, 
 A German Theologian. 
 He died at Cambridge, 
 
 In the year 1551. 
 Aged 60. 
 His bones were burnt, 
 
 In the year 1557. 
 
 HUGH LATIMER. 
 
 Latimer was born at Thurcaston, in the year 
 1470. In his fourteenth year he entered the Uni- 
 versity of Cambridge, and was a zealous Papist, 
 opposing the progress of the Protestant faith ; so 
 that he was elected Cross-bearer to the University 
 in all their processions. 
 
 In the fifty-third year of his age, Bilney, one of 
 the martyrs of the Reformation, was the happy in- 
 strument of enlightening Latimer's mind. After 
 that event, he was exceedingly zealous in promot- 
 ing the Reformation of religion. 
 
 8* 
 
90 HUGH LATIMER. 
 
 The anger of the Popish clergy was soon kindled 
 against Latimer. At their request, the Bishop of 
 Ely silenced him ; but Barnes, Prior of a monas- 
 tery in Cambridge, which was not under the 
 Bishop's government, immediately offered him his 
 chapel. There Latimer preached boldly the doc- 
 trines of the Reformation, and great crowds heard 
 him. Henry VIII subsequently appointed him to 
 the bishopric of Worcester. 
 
 It was the custom in those times for eminent 
 men to present the King a gift on the first day of 
 the new year. Latimer's offering was a New Tes- 
 tament ; and in order to reprove the debauched con- 
 duct of Henry VIII. he marked that passage in 
 it, " Whoremongers and adulterers God will 
 judge." 
 
 Latimer preached often before the Court. On 
 those occasions, he boldly reproved the vices of the 
 age, and called upon all men to serve Christ in a 
 life of holiness. Those sermons gave very great 
 offence to the Papists. Some of the Bishops accused 
 him to the king of preaching sedition. Latimer, in 
 reply, asked his accuser what kind of sermons he 
 would have him preach before a king. Then turn- 
 ing to Henry, with an honest simplicity, which 
 clearly expressed his innocence, he said, " I never 
 conceived myself worthy, neither did I ever seek 
 the honour of preaching before your Grace, but 
 was invited to it, and would be willing to give way 
 to my superiors. There are many more worthy 
 than myself, and if it be your Grace's pleasure to 
 
HUGH LATIMER. 91 
 
 appoint them Preachers, I should be happy to bear 
 their books after them. But if your Grace con- 
 tinues me, I must discharge my conscience, and 
 suit my subject to the audience." 
 
 The Popish party, however, soon after triumphed. 
 Six articles of faith were drawn up by the imme- 
 diate direction of Henry VIIL, which all persons 
 were directed to subscribe on pain of imprisonment 
 and of death. Those articles were full of Popish 
 errors which Latimer detested. He therefore 
 voted against them in Parliament, preferring a 
 good conscience to the favour of his Prince. Herein 
 he imitated the faith of Moses, who accounted the 
 reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures 
 of Egypt. That conduct obliged him to resign his 
 Bishopric, and it is said that on going home from the 
 Parliament, he threw off his robes, and declared he 
 felt lighter than for many previous years. 
 
 Latimer retired into the country, where he spent 
 his time in doing good. But he was soon after 
 obliged to go to London, and his enemies cast him 
 into the Tower at the advanced age of seventy-one. 
 There he was treated as a criminal, left destitute, 
 and confined for six years. 
 
 When Edward acceded to the crown. Latimer 
 was set free from prison, and by the express invi- 
 tation of Cranmer, he was persuaded to reside 
 with him. There he employed his time in acts of 
 piety ; and assisted in compiling the first Book of 
 Homilies, which contains his sentiments on all the 
 great doctrines and duties of religion. 
 
93 HUGH LATIMER. 
 
 He was often called upon to preach before the 
 King. His sermons were delivered in a public gar- 
 den, which had been used for revelry and sinful 
 mirth. His preaching was marked by simplicity, 
 faithfulness, and energy. In the latter part of Ed- 
 ward's reign, he obtained leave to preach in any 
 part of the kingdom. Accordingly he went about, 
 with the zeal of an Apostle, from place to place, 
 calling upon men every where to repent, and to 
 seek the salvation of Christ. It was a favourite 
 conviction with him, that he should one day be call- 
 ed upon to lay down his life for the sake of his 
 great Master ; but none of those things moved him, 
 neither did he count his life dear unto himself, so 
 that he might finish his course with joy, by a faith- 
 ful discharge of his ministerial duties. 
 
 When the bloody Mary assumed the crown, the 
 Popish party again triumphed. Mary was a furi- 
 ous bigot, and thought she could not do God greater 
 service, than by ridding the world of such men as 
 Latimer and his friends. He might however have 
 escaped the fury of the Popish party ; but like a 
 valiant soldier of Christ, he rather chose to preach, 
 and spread the great doctrines of the Reformation. 
 That conduct soon procured him an order to appear 
 before the Council at London. He obeyed the 
 summons, though an opportunity was still left him 
 to escape. " My friend," said he to the man who 
 came for him, " you are a welcome messenger to me. 
 And be it known to you and to the whole world, that 
 I go as willingly to London at this present time, to 
 
HUGH LATIMER. 93 
 
 render an account of my doctrines as ever I did to any- 
 place in the world." Latimer immediately set off on 
 his journey, and as he passed through Smithfield the 
 place where so many holy martyrs perished in the 
 flames for Christ's sake, he observed, " Smith- 
 field hath long groaned for me." He was treated 
 by tha Council with much cruelty, and sent to the 
 Tower. His great age and increasing infirmities 
 rendered the second imprisonment worse than the 
 first. One day, when it was a hard frost, and he 
 was suffering the severity of the cold without a bit 
 of fire, he told the Lieutenant of the Tower, in a 
 smiling way, that if he were not taken better care 
 of, he should certainly escape out of his enemies' 
 hands. 
 
 After being confined for a long time in the 
 Tower, Latimer was removed on the tenth of 
 April, 1554, to Oxford, with Cranmer and Ridley, 
 his friends and fellow sufferers ; where they were 
 called upon to dispute before the University, upon 
 certain articles sent by Gardiner, Bishop of Win- 
 chester. 
 
 1. Whether the real body of Christ be corporal- 
 ly present in the sacramental bread, after the words 
 spoken by the Priest. 
 
 2. Whether after the words of consecration, 
 there is any other substance in the bread and wine 
 of the sacrament, than the real body and blood of 
 Christ. 
 
 3. Whether the Catholic mass be a propitiatory 
 sacrifice for the sins of quick and dead. 
 
94 HUGH LATIMER. 
 
 Several learned men were sent by the Universi- 
 ty of Cambridge to Oxford, to maintain those points 
 against Latimer and his friends. Cranmer and 
 Ridley denied the truth of the articles, and argued 
 most forcibly against them, showing how contrary 
 they were to the testimony of the word of God. — 
 Then Latimer was brought forward. The dispu- 
 tation went on for several days. Latimer and his 
 friends were hissed at and mocked by the court ; 
 but God gave to his faithful servants a mouth and 
 wisdom which nothing could gainsay nor resist. 
 
 After giving his reasons very forcibly for reject- 
 ing the two first articles, Latimer was questioned on 
 the third, Whether the Catholic mass be a sacrifice 
 propitiatory for the sins of quick and dead? To 
 which he replied; " Christ made one perfect sacri- 
 fice for the whole world, neither can any man offer 
 him again, neither can the Priest offer up Christ 
 again for the sins of man, which he took away by 
 offering himself once for all, as Paul saith, upon 
 the cross, neither is there any propitiation for our 
 sins, saving his cross only." 
 
 The same question being put to him a second 
 time, he replied, "Christ made one oblation and sa- 
 crifice for the sins of the whole world, and that a 
 perfect sacrifice ; neither can there be any other 
 propitiatory sacrifice." 
 
 They exhorted Latimer to abjure his errors; to 
 which he answered that he would not deny his 
 Master Christ, nor His truth. 
 
 He was taken back to prison, until the day of his 
 
HUGH LATIMER. 95 
 
 martyrdom. From his prison he wrote thus to a 
 pious woman who had paid him much kind atten- 
 tion. 
 
 " If the gift of a pot of cold water shall not be 
 in oblivion with God, how can God forget your 
 manifold and bountiful gifts, when He shall say to 
 you, * I was in prison, and ye visited me. 1 God 
 grant us all to do and suffer while we are here, ac- 
 cording to His will and pleasure." Amen. 
 
 H. LATIMER. 
 
 On the sixteenth day of October 1555, Latimer 
 and Ridley, who had lived together in the same 
 prison, and both like Christ Jesus, witnessed a good 
 confession, were brought forth upon the north side 
 of the city of Oxford, near to Baliol College, to be 
 burnt. 
 
 Latimer was dressed in a poor frieze frock, with 
 a handkerchief on his head, and a new long shroud 
 hanging over his hose down to the feet. The 
 hearts of all pitied that great man who was brought 
 to such a desperate condition. 
 
 Yet in the sight of God, who seeth not as man 
 seeth, Latimer never appeared so honourable as 
 when he went to die in the cause of Christ. Rid- 
 ley looking back saw Latimer behind him, and 
 called out, "Oh! are you there?" — "Yes," said 
 the venerable old man, " coming after you as fast 
 as I can follow." 
 
 When a faggot kindled with fire was brought 
 and put at Ridley's feet, Latimer called out, " Be 
 of good comfort, brother Ridley, and play the man. 
 
96 HUGH LATIMER. 
 
 We shall this day light such a candle, by God's 
 grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out." 
 The fire now began to rise around them. Upon 
 which, Latimer cried out with earnestness, " O Fa- 
 ther of heaven receive my soul !" He then seemed to 
 embrace the flames, and soon after breathed his last. 
 
 His dying words were wonderfully fulfilled. 
 They did light up a flame which has never gone 
 out. The friends of the Reformed religion, in- 
 stead of being daunted by his death and that of 
 his companion in the flames, gathered fresh cou- 
 rage from the example which both had set them, 
 of suffering fortitude and holy courage. Daily 
 more and more were brought over to the true faith 
 of Christ. Thus died Hugh Latimer, than whom, 
 few men are more endeared to all Protestants. 
 
 Behold what your ancestors did and suffered for 
 the cause of religion. Imitate the noble example 
 of the martyrs. Never shrink through that " fear 
 of man which bringeth a snare," from the service 
 of Christ. " Fight the good fight of faith, and lay 
 hold on eternal life." 
 
 Hugh Latimer, 
 
 Bishop of Worcester. 
 
 When more than eighty years of age, 
 
 He was burned alive 
 
 For the cause of Christ, 
 
 At Oxford, 
 
 In the year 1555. 
 
Tlaie 6 
 
 ii 
 
 
NICHOLAS RIDLEY. 97 
 
 NICHOLAS RIDLEY. 
 
 Nicholas Ridley was born in Tynedale, in the 
 year 1500. His progress in learning was rapid, 
 and the great proficiency which he made in the 
 Latin and Greek languages, and in other studies, 
 raised him to high repute in the University of Ox- 
 ford. He applied diligently to the reading of the 
 scriptures in their original languages. In a walk 
 in the orchard of Pembroke Hall, which is to this 
 day called Ridley's Walk, he learned almost all 
 the Epistles in Greek. Of that study, Ridley speaks 
 in the affecting farewell which he wrote just before 
 his death : " Though in time I did forget much of 
 them again, yet the sweet smell thereof I trust I 
 shall carry with me into heaven, and the profit 
 thereof I have felt in all my life." He was Proctor 
 of the University when the Pope's supremacy, or 
 his right of universal dominion in Church and 
 State, was examined upon the authority of Scrip- 
 ture ; and he signed the resolution which declared, 
 " That the Pope had no more authority or juris- 
 diction, derived to him from God, than any other 
 bishop." His improvement and great abilities pro- 
 cured for him the patronage of Cranmer, who made 
 him his domestic chaplain. He had not at that 
 time rejected the Popish doctrine of Transubstan- 
 tiation, which is a most dangerous superstition and 
 idolatry. A little book upon the Sacrament, writ- 
 
 9 
 
98 NICHOLAS RIDLEY. 
 
 ten seven hundred years before by Bertram, which 
 he read during his retirement on his living, was the 
 means of first opening his eyes on that most im- 
 portant point. Having searched the Scriptures and 
 the writings of the primitive Fathers, and finding 
 that the new views which he had received con- 
 cerning the Sacrament, were supported by the au- 
 thority of Scripture, he communicated his disco- 
 veries to Cranmer; and the result of their confe- 
 rence was a conviction that the Popish doctrine of 
 Transubstantiation was erroneous and dangerous. 
 After the death of Henry VIIL, he was appointed 
 Chaplain to Edward VI., who in 1550 translated 
 him to the Bishopric of London. 
 
 In all those callings and offices he so faithfully 
 preached and taught the true doctrine of Christ, that 
 he was dearly beloved by his flock: He was also 
 singularly exemplary in his life. Every Sabbath, 
 multitudes of people resorted to hear his sermons, 
 " swarming about him like bees to gather the sweet 
 flowers and wholesome juice of his doctrines." 
 
 Upon the decease of Edward, Mary began her 
 reign by making every effort to pull down the Re- 
 formation, and again to build up popery. She em- 
 ployed Gardiner and Bonner, two most bigoted 
 and blood-thirsty papists, as her instruments in the 
 destruction of the Reformed religion ; and they so 
 well executed her commission that all England was 
 in a blaze from persecuting flames. 
 
 Ridley was one of the first objects of their ven- 
 geance, and with Cranmer and Latimer, was sent 
 
NICHOLAS RIDLEY. 99 
 
 to the Tower. There they lay all the winter of 
 the year 1553 ; but it being resolved by the Papists 
 to hold a public disputation with the Protestant 
 Divines, they were removed to Oxford, and lodged 
 in a common prison. , After their first examination, 
 they were separated from each other, and Ridley 
 was kept in custody in a private house till the time 
 of his martyrdom. 
 
 In the year 1555, a commission was issued to 
 several Popish Bishops to proceed against Latimer 
 and Ridley, who were brought before the commis- 
 sioners for examination. Notwithstanding all the 
 persuasions and threats of their enemies, they con- 
 tinued steadfast in the profession of that faith which 
 they had received as the faith of Christ ; they were 
 accordingly adjudged to be obstinate heretics, sen- 
 tenced to be degraded, and delivered over to the 
 magistrate to be punished. 
 
 On the fifteenth day of October, Brooke, Bishop 
 of Gloucester, with the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford 
 and many heads of the University, went to the 
 house where Ridley was confined, for the purpose 
 of degrading him from the dignity of the priest- 
 hood. He was exhorted to return to the faith of 
 the Romish Church, and submit to the authority 
 of the Pope ; but upon his refusal, they began the 
 ceremony of taking off the cap, and putting a sur- 
 plice with all the trinkets of the mass upon him. 
 They then brought the chalice and the wafer- 
 cake and desired him to hold them in his hands, 
 but he said, " They shall not come into my hands; 
 
100 NICHOLAS RIDLEY. 
 
 if they do, they shall fall to the ground for all 
 me." 
 
 That abominable ceremony being ended, Ridley 
 said, " If you have done, give me leave to talk with 
 you a little concerning these matters." Brooke 
 answered, " We may not talk with you, you are 
 out of the church." Then Ridley said, " Since 
 you will not talk with me, nor will vouchsafe to 
 hear me, what remedy but patience? I refer 
 my cause to my heavenly Father, who will re- 
 form things that be amiss when it shall please 
 Him." 
 
 Brooke then delivered Ridley to the bailiffs, 
 charging them to keep him safely, and to bring 
 him to the place of execution when they were com- 
 manded. Then Ridley, praising God, burst out 
 in these words, and said, " God, I thank Thee, and 
 to Thy praise be it spoken, there is none of you 
 all able to lay to my charge any open or notorious 
 crime." Whereupon Brooke said he played the 
 part of a proud Pharisee, exalting and praising 
 himself. But Ridley replied, " No ; as I have said 
 before, to God's glory be it spoken. I confess my- 
 self to be a miserable wretched sinner, and have 
 great need of God's help and mercy, and do daily 
 call and cry for the same." 
 
 The night before he suffered, his brother offered 
 to watch all night with him ; but he said, " No, 
 that you shall not, for I intend, God willing, to go 
 to bed and to sleep as quietly to night as ever I did 
 in my life." His brother then departed, exhorting 
 
NICHOLAS RIDLEY. 10l 
 
 him to be of good cheer and to take his cross qui- 
 etly, for the reward was great. 
 
 The place appointed for the execution of Ridley 
 and Latimer was on the north side of the town of 
 Oxford, near Baliol College. There, on the six- 
 teenth of October 1555, the prisoners were brought. 
 Ridley walked to the stake between the Mayor 
 and an Alderman. Latimer followed. When they 
 were come to the stake, Ridley, earnestly holding 
 up both his hands, looked towards heaven. Then 
 seeing Latimer, with a cheerful look, he ran to him, 
 embraced and kissed him, saying, " Be of good 
 heart, brother, for God will either assuage the fury 
 of the flame, or else strengthen us to abide it." 
 He then went to the stake, kissed it, kneeled down 
 by it, and earnestly prayed ; behind him kneeled 
 Latimer, likewise earnestly calling upon God. 
 After hearing an abusive sermon from a Popish 
 priest, which they were not permitted to answer, 
 they were commanded to make ready. 
 
 Ridley then being in his shirt, stood upon the 
 stone by the stake, and held up his hands, and said, 
 " O heavenly Father, I give unto Thee most hearty 
 thanks, for that Thou hast called me to be a profes- 
 sor of Thee even unto death." 
 
 A smith brought a chain and bound Ridley and 
 Latimer round the middle to the stake. As he was 
 knocking in a staple, Ridley said, " Good fellow, 
 knock it in hard, for the flesh will have its course." 
 His brother brought some gunpowder in a bag, and 
 tied it about his neck. Ridley said, "I will take 
 
 9* 
 
102 NICHOLAS RIDLEY. 
 
 it to be sent of God ; have you any for my brother 
 Latimer ?" 
 
 Latimer died very soon, and appeared to suffer 
 very little pain ; but Ridley, by the ill making of 
 the fire, the faggots being green, and built too high 
 above the furze, which prevented the flame from 
 ascending, while the fire burnt fiercely beneath, 
 was put to so much exquisite pain, that he desired 
 them for God's sake to let the fire come at him. 
 His brother-in-law heard his cry, but not under- 
 standing well what he said, heaped up more fag- 
 gots upon him, intending to put an end to his suf- 
 ferings ; this however made the fire rage more 
 fiercely beneath, so that his lower parts were burned 
 before the flame had touched the upper. Yet in 
 all his torment he forgot not to call upon God, still 
 saying, " Lord have mercy upon me ; Lord receive 
 my spirit ;" mingling his cry with " Let the fire 
 come upon me — I cannot burn." In those pains 
 he labored till a passage was opened for the flame. 
 When the fire touched the gunpowder he ceased 
 to move, but burned on the other side, and fell 
 down at Latimer's feet 
 
 Such was the life and such the death of Ridley; 
 one of the leaders of that noble army of martyrs, 
 who, under God, brought about the Reformation. 
 Neither his learning, his piety, nor his benevo- 
 lence, could shield him from the malice of his 
 enemies. By their persecutions however, they 
 only procured for him a better inheritance, whilst 
 he, who was thus faithful unto death, received that 
 
THOMAS CRANMER. 103 
 
 crown of life, the glory of which shall shine as the 
 sun, for ever and ever. 
 
 Nicholas Ridley, 
 
 Bishop of London. 
 
 He was burned alive 
 
 At Oxford, 
 
 In the year 1555. 
 
 THOMAS CRANMER. 
 
 Thomas Cranmer was born at Aslacton on the 
 second day of July 1489, and at the early age of 
 fourteen years was sent to Cambridge. 
 
 At that period Cranmer was in many important 
 points of doctrine as ignorant as the darkest Papist 
 in Cambridge, yet he saw the great importance of 
 the Bible, sincerely loved it, and therefore would 
 countenance none who had not diligently studied it. 
 Some of the most excellent divines and preachers 
 afterwards referred all their knowledge of true reli- 
 gion to Cranmer' s compelling them when students 
 at Cambridge, to study the Scriptures. 
 
 Henry had long sued for a divorce from his 
 dueen, but the Pope wishing neither to offend the 
 King of England, nor the Queen's brother the Em- 
 peror of Germany, put off the decision of the di- 
 vorce so long that the patience of the King was 
 quite exhausted. Cranmer happened to utter an 
 
104 THOMAS CRANMER. 
 
 opinion that the lawfulness of the King's marriage 
 might be decided by learned men without the Pope. 
 That opinion so pleased the King, that he sent for 
 Cranmer, and employed him to write his own 
 opinion upon the question, and to obtain the views 
 of the most learned men in the kingdom. The re- 
 sult Cramner reported to the King in these words, 
 " The bishop of Rome has no authority whereby 
 he may dispense with the word of God and the 
 Scripture." " Wilt thou abide by this," said the 
 King, " before the bishop of Rome ?" " that will I 
 do by God's grace," answered Cranmer, " if your 
 Majesty send me thither." 
 
 The King then sent the Earl of Wiltshire, with 
 Cranmer and others to the Pope ; but he would not 
 hear Cranmer dispute in favour of the supreme 
 authority of the Holy Scriptures. 
 
 Upon their return to England, Cranmer was ap- 
 pointed Archbishop of Canterbury. 
 
 Cranmer held his life by a very slender thread 
 during the last days of Henry VIII., on account of 
 his zeal for the truth ; for that wicked, unreasonable 
 tyrant passed edicts so contradictory, that there was 
 scarcely a man in England but forfeited his life by 
 the one or the other. The Papists who held the 
 Pope's supremacy were punished as traitors for de- 
 nying the King to be supreme ; and the Protestants 
 by an act of Parliament which enjoined a belief of 
 some of the worst tenets of the church of Rome, 
 were judged guilty of heresy. Cranmer was 
 quite firm in his belief of the grossest error enjoined 
 
THOMAS CRANMER. 105 
 
 in that act, until Ridley convinced him of the 
 truth ; and therefore he countenanced the martyr- 
 dom of John Lambert, who was burned for denying 
 that bread and wine are the real body and blood ox 
 Christ. His integrity often brought him into jeop- 
 ardy of his life. At one time he seemed like an- 
 other Daniel delivered from the lion's den. Cran- 
 mer's enemies had obtained an order from the King 
 to commit him to the Tower, whence few who 
 went in on account of their zeal for the law of their 
 God ever came out except to mount the scaffold. — 
 But when the King heard that the Council were 
 drawing up a warrant for his commitment, his love 
 revived ; and if it had not been for Cranmer' s in- 
 terceding for his enemies, the King would have 
 sent them to occupy the dungeon which they had 
 prepared for the archbishop. 
 
 God in great mercy then placed Edward VI. 
 upon the throne, and Cranmer being encouraged 
 to do all the good which he wished, in a " short 
 time he fulfilled a long time," for the days of his 
 prosperity soon ended. Edward died at the age of 
 sixteen, and the heir to the crown was his eldest 
 sister, who is known by the well-merited title of 
 bloody Queen Mary. 
 
 Speedily after Mary's accession to the throne, 
 Cranmer was sent to Oxford, to the same farcical 
 disputation, as it Was called, in which Ridley and 
 Latimer were condemned. Cranmer, as more 
 noble game, was to be sported with and entangled 
 in their nets, and deluded with false hopes, that 
 
106 THOMAS CRANMER. 
 
 their glory in their prize might be the greater. 
 From the summer of 1553, to the twenty-first of 
 March 1556, the day of his martyrdom, he was 
 frequently brought before commissioners, to see 
 whether any signs of wavering might be perceived 
 in him. On the fourteenth of December 1555, 
 Bonner, Bishop of London, and Thirlby, Bishop 
 of Ely, proceeded to degrade him. 
 
 They arrayed the Archbishop with vestments 
 made of canvass and old clothes, and with a mitre 
 and pall of the same sort, put on him in mockery. 
 Those vestments were then taken off one by one, 
 in token that he was degraded from performing the 
 offices of which they were the proper attire. His 
 head was clipped by a barber, and his nails, which 
 at his popish ordination had been anointed with 
 oil, were scraped. While they were doing these 
 things, the archbishop said, "all this needed not, 
 for I had done w T ith this gear long ago." They 
 then delivered him to the sheriff and jailor. 
 
 Happy would it have been for Cranmer, if that 
 usage had continued to the end of his life, but his 
 enemies were so well aware of his generous dis- 
 position, that they saw severity would never bend 
 his fortitude, although perhaps kindness and pre- 
 tended love might cause him to comply with their 
 wishes. After he had been in prison nearly three 
 years, they took him to the Deanery-house in 
 Christ Church, where he enjoyed every thing 
 which might allure him to the love of life. Argu- 
 ments they had tried in vain, they now sought to 
 
THOMAS CRANMER. 107 
 
 entice him to recant by promises of his ancient dig- 
 nity, or of an honourable privacy, if he preferred 
 it. Flattery, promises, terror, and a spirit broken 
 with the continual hardships of prison, at last in- 
 duced him to listen to the proposal of his crafty 
 enemies ; and a full recantation was finally ex- 
 torted from him. 
 
 No sooner had his cruel enemies obtained their 
 purpose than they took off the mask. Cole was 
 ordered to prepare a funeral sermon for Cranmer's 
 burning. 
 
 Early in the morning of the twenty-first of 
 March 1556, Lord Williams, Thomas Bridges, 
 and others met in Oxford, and from all sides there 
 was a very great concourse of people ; the Papists 
 hoping to hear what would confirm them in their 
 errors, and the Protestants expecting something 
 from the Archbishop worthy of his former life and 
 labours. Through a great crowd of spectators Cran- 
 mer went from the prison to the church, between 
 two friars, who mumbled forth certain Psalms. At 
 the church door they began the song of Simeon* 
 which they continued till they brought him near 
 the pulpit, where Cranmer waited till Cole made 
 himself ready for his sermon. 
 
 The appearance of that good man was a sorrow- 
 ful spectacle to all Christian eyes that beheld him. 
 He who had been the most exalted official cha- 
 racter in England, was in a bare and ragged gown 
 with an old square cap, to admonish men not only 
 of his own calamity, but of their state and fortune. 
 
108 THOMAS CRANMER. 
 
 For who would not pity his case and bewail, and 
 not fear his own chance, to see such a man, after 
 so many dignities, in his old years deprived of all, 
 and adjudged to die so painful a death ? 
 
 There upon the stage he prayed toGod till Cole en- 
 tered the pulpit. The sermon consisted of an aggra- 
 vation of what were called the Archbishop's crimes, 
 except in the latter part, for then the condemned man 
 was encouraged to take his death patiently, by se- 
 veral examples of grace vouchsafed to sufferers, 
 cited from Scripture and church history ; and Cole 
 concluded, by promising in the name of all the 
 priests who were present, that dirges, masses and 
 funerals should be performed for the succour of his 
 soul, in all the churches of Oxford ? 
 
 The agitation of Cranmer's body and the altera- 
 tions of his countenance during the sermon, showed 
 the great grief of his mind ; for he was the very 
 image of perfect sorrow. More than twenty dif- 
 ferent times the tears gushed abundantly, but es- 
 pecially when he recited his prayer before the 
 people. 
 
 Cole, after he had finished his sermon, told the 
 people to stop, and exhorted Cranmer to make a 
 profession of his faith that all men might under- 
 stand that he was a Catholic. u Indeed I will do 
 it," said the Archbishop, " and that with a good 
 will," and putting off his cap he thus addressed the 
 people. 
 
 " I desire you, well beloved brethren in the Lord, 
 that you will pray to God for me to forgive me my 
 
THOMAS CRANMER. 109 
 
 sins which I have committed. But among all the 
 rest, there is one offence which most of all at this time 
 doth vex and trouble me. Then he drew forth his 
 prayer, which he recited to the people as fol- 
 lows : 
 
 "My dearly beloved brethren and sisters in 
 Christ, I beseech you most heartily to pray for me 
 to Almighty God, that He will forgive all my sins 
 and offences, which be man}?" without number, and 
 great above measure. But how great and how 
 many soever my sins be, I beseech you to pray 
 God of His mercy to pardon and forgive them all." 
 Then kneeling down, he said: 
 
 " O Father of heaven, O Son of God, Redeemer 
 of the world, O Holy Ghost, three persons and one 
 God, have mercy upon me most wretched and 
 miserable sinner. I have offended both against 
 heaven and earth, more than my tongue can ex- 
 press. Whither then may I go, or whither should 
 I fly? To heaven I may be ashamed to lift up 
 mine eyes ; and in earth I find no place of refuge 
 or succour. To Thee, therefore, O Lord, do I 
 run ; to Thee do I humble myself. O Lord my 
 God, my sins be great, but yet have mercy upon 
 me for Thy great mercy. The great mystery, 
 that God became man, was not wrought for little 
 or few offences. Thou didst not give Thy Son, O 
 heavenly Father, unto death for small sins only, 
 but for all the greatest sins of the world, so that 
 the sinner return to Thee with his whole heart, as 
 I do here at this present. Wherefore have mercy 
 
HU THOMAS CRANMER. 
 
 upon me, O God, whose property is always to have 
 mercy. Have mercy upon me,0 Lord, for Thy great 
 mercy. I crave nothing for my own merits, but for 
 Thy name's sake, that it may be hallowed thereby, 
 and for Thy dear Son Jesus Christ's sake." Then 
 rising, he made an exhortation to the people. 
 
 Afterwards he proceeded thus — "And now for- 
 asmuch as I am come to the end of my life, where* 
 upon hangeth all my life past and all my life to 
 come, either to live with my Master Christ for ever 
 in joy, or else to be in pain for ever with wicked 
 devils in hell, and I see before mine eyes either 
 heaven ready to receive me, or else hell ready to 
 swallow me up, I shall therefore declare unto you 
 my faith without any dissimulation, for now is no 
 time to dissemble, whatever I have said or written 
 in time past. 
 
 " I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker 
 of heaven and earth, &c, and I believe every word 
 written in the Old and New Testament. 
 
 " I now come to the great thing which so much 
 troubleth my conscience, more than any thing I 
 ever did or said in my life, and that is, the setting 
 forth a writing which I now here renounce and re- 
 fuse, as contrary to the truth which I thought in 
 my heart and wrote for fear of death. And because 
 my hand offended, it shall first be punished, for may 
 I come to the fire, it shall first be burned. And as 
 for the Pope, I refuse him as antichrist, with all his 
 false doctrine." 
 
 All the people were astonished ; and the Roman 
 
THOMAS CRANMER. Ill 
 
 Priests beguiled of their hopes, began to rage be- 
 cause they could now no longer threaten and hurt 
 him, for the most miserable mail in the world can 
 die but once. So when Cranmer began again to 
 speak of popery, Cole cried out, " Stop the heretic's 
 mouth, and take him away." Then was Cranmer 
 pulled down from the stage, and led to the fire, all 
 the way exhorting the people ; the friars raving at 
 him until they foamed at the mouth, especially a 
 Spanish friar, who chiefly induced him to recant, 
 and continually cried out, " Didst thou not do it ?" 
 When he came to the place where Ridley and La- 
 timer had been burnt, he prayed, and prepared for 
 death. His shirt was made long down to his feet. 
 His feet were bare. His head was bald, and his 
 countenance moved the hearts of both his friends 
 and his enemies. 
 
 An iron chain was then tied about Cranmer, and 
 they commanded the fire to be set unto him. When 
 the wood was kindled and the fire began to burn 
 near him, stretching out his arm, he put his right 
 hand into the flame, which he held immovable, 
 that all men might see that his hand burned before 
 his body was touched ; and when the fire came to 
 his body, he moved no more than the stake to 
 which he was bound ; his eyes were lifted up to 
 heaven, and oftentimes he repeated, " This hand 
 hath offended, this unworthy right hand!" and 
 using frequently the words of Stephen, "Lord 
 Jesus, receive my spirit ;" in the greatness of the 
 flames he gave up the ghost, Thus it pleased God 
 
112 JOHN LASCO. 
 
 to take him away, to the glory of his name and 
 the profit of his church. 
 
 Thomas Cranmer, 
 Archbishop of Canterbury; 
 He was burnt alive at Oxford, 
 In the year 1556. 
 
 JOHN LASCO. 
 
 John Lasco was born in Poland in the year 
 1501. His learned attainments early elevated him 
 to ecclesiastical dignity, and he was appointed 
 Bishop of Vesprim in Hungary. Having visited 
 Zurich, and become acquainted with Zuingle, he 
 boldly took part in the duties and labours of the 
 Reformation. That course was attended with per- 
 secution, and he was obliged to abdicate his station 
 as prelate. He removed to Embden where he was 
 a highly useful and beloved minister. Subsequent- 
 ly he joined the Reformers in England, and by 
 Cranmer and the other Marian martyrs was held 
 in the highest esteem ; until the accession of the 
 bloody Mary to the throne induced him to return 
 to the European continent. Sigismond, King of 
 Poland, had been highly incensed against him on 
 account of his religious principles ; but after his 
 departure from England, that monarch invited him 
 
PHILIP MELANCTHON. 113 
 
 to Poland, and became so attached to Lasco, that 
 he was employed in many important and confiden- 
 tial affairs for Sigismond. His labours were of 
 great influence in accelerating the progress of the 
 Reformation. He died on the thirteenth of Janu- 
 ary 1560. 
 
 John Lasco, 
 
 A Pole; 
 
 Promoter of the Christian religion, 
 
 Among the Poles. 
 
 He died in the year 1560. 
 
 Aged 59. 
 
 PHILIP MELANCTHON, 
 
 Philip Melancthon was born at Bretten in 
 the year 1497. His erudition at a very early age 
 had procured him great renown ; so that when twen- 
 ty-two years old, he was appointed by the Elector of 
 Saxony, Professor of Greek at Wittemberg ; and 
 his conviction by the dispute at Leipsic of the truth 
 of Luther's principles immediately transferred him 
 into the ranks of the Reformers. From that period 
 his learning and influence and numerous wri- 
 tings powerfully contributed to the progress of the 
 gospel. His reputation as collegiate professor at- 
 tracted large multitudes of students, and his audi- 
 
 10* 
 
114 PHILIP MELANCTHON. 
 
 tories frequently comprised 2500 persons. In 1527* 
 he was employed in the general visitation of the 
 electorate of Saxony ; and two years after he was 
 appointed to compose the confession of Augsburg. 
 In many points he was the exact contrast of Lu- 
 ther ; for his mildness and dislike of controversy 
 even with the Romanists would have jeoparded the 
 cause, had not Luther's fortitude and watchfulness 
 interposed, and excited him to those efforts which 
 the peculiar emergency demanded. Such was his 
 influence, that he was invited by Francis I. to visit 
 France, that if possible the tempest of controversy 
 between the Huguenots and the Papists might be 
 appeased ; and Henry VIII. King of England also 
 urged his removal to that island ; but the Elector 
 of Saxony refused permission for him to depart 
 from Wittemberg. At the various religious confer- 
 ences which took place at Spires, Frankfort, Ra- 
 tisbon, Reinspurg, and Worms, Melancthon was 
 present, and obtained high honor for his learning 
 and pacific temper. 
 
 The years of Melancthon were chiefly employed 
 in his collegiate instructions and literary avoca- 
 tions ; and his voluminous writings attest to his in- 
 defatigable diligence and astonishing labours. His 
 last personal contest with the enemies of the Gospel 
 was held at Worms in 1557. The principal topic 
 of debate was that most important inquiry respect- 
 ing the rule of judgment in religion. The 
 Papists strenuously maintained that the only suffi- 
 cient rule was the universal consent and custom of 
 
PHILIP MELANCTHON. 115 
 
 the church. On the contrary, Melancthon and his 
 coadjutors insisted that the sole legitimate and 
 authoritative rule was the Sacred Scriptures. — 
 Whatever other disputations the Reformers had 
 among themselves, that was their cardinal topic ; and 
 this position is still the foundation of religious and 
 civil liberty, and of all the improvements existing 
 in Protestant countries — " The only authority to 
 which human reason ought implicitly to submit 
 in religious concerns is the infallible word of 
 the living God. 11 
 
 As he approached the termination of his life, he 
 was gradually weaned from earth by the separation 
 from his associates. After the death of Luther ; 
 Justus Jonas, Micyllus, Menius, Bugenhagen, and 
 also his wife successively departed to heaven ; up- 
 on which he delared, that he should soon follow his 
 Catharine to the general assembly and church of 
 the first born, and to the communion of the spirits 
 of just men made perfect. Of Bugenhagen, the 
 third in the trio with Luther and Melancthon, a 
 very interesting and remarkable fact is told, equally 
 characteristic of Luther and himself. When Bu- 
 genhagen first began to read Luther's work entitled 
 " The Babylonish Captivity" he exclaimed — " the 
 author of this book is the most pestilent heretic that 
 ever infested the church of Christ :" but as he con- 
 tinued to peruse it more attentively, it produced so 
 entire a change of sentiment, that he avowed, "the 
 whole world is blind and this man alone sees the 
 truth!" 
 
116 PHILIP MELANCtHOJf. 
 
 One of Melancthon' s last acts was the expression 
 of his reasons for desiring to leave the world. As 
 it is the dying testimony and experience of that re- 
 nowned Reformer it is worthy of remembrance. — 
 If you die in Christ Jesus — " 1. You will come to 
 the light. 2. You will see God. 3. You will con- 
 template the Son of God. 4. You will understand 
 those admirable mysteries which you could not 
 comprehend in the present life. 5. You will know 
 why we were created such beings as we are. 6. 
 You will comprehend the union of the two natures 
 in Christ." He added two reasons for not regret- 
 ting a departure from the world. "1. You will sin 
 no more. 2. You will no longer be exposed to the 
 vexations of controversy, and the rage of Theolo- 
 gians." 
 
 Melancthon delivered his final lecture on the 
 twelfth day of April 1560, from those words of the 
 Prophet, Isaiah 53 : 1. His bodily strength rapid- 
 ly declined, but his mental faculties continued in all 
 their vigor to the very last breath of his mortal 
 existence. Being asked by his son-in-law if he 
 would have any thing? He answered — "Aliud ni- 
 hil ; nisi caelum : nothing else ; but heaven /" 
 and desired his friends " no more to disturb his de- 
 lightful repose." Several scriptures were then 
 read and prayer was offered ; after which Vitus 
 Winshemius asked Melancthon if he understood 
 their devotional exercises ; the Reformer answered, 
 "la " which terminated their intercourse. Twenty 
 of his compatriots and brethren in the University 
 
PHILIP MELANCTHON. 117 
 
 and the ministry were present in the chamber ; and 
 the last evidence of life which they could discern 
 was a slight motion of the countenance that was 
 peculiar to himself when he was powerfully affected 
 with " peace and joy in the Holy Ghost." 
 
 " In the midst of solemn vows and supplications," 
 Melancthon gently breathed his farewell to earth 
 on the evening of the nineteenth of April 1560. — 
 The earthly house of this tabernacle was dissolved ; 
 but no mental distractions, no foreboding terrors of 
 conscience accompanied the departure of Melanc- 
 thon, when he passed away to enter that building 
 of God, the " house not made with hands eternal 
 in the heavens." 
 
 The mortal remains of Martin Luther and Philip 
 Melancthon repose at the side of each other in the 
 principal church of Wittemberg, awaiting " the re- 
 surrection of the just." 
 
 Philip Melancthon; 
 
 A German Professor 
 
 of 
 
 Theology and Critical Literature. 
 
 He died at Wittemberg, 
 
 In the year 1560. 
 
 Aged 63. 
 
 The following stanzas on the death of Melanc- 
 thon may with equal propriety be adapted to almost 
 every one of the Reformers. They are here intro- 
 duced as an elegiac tribute to the memory of those 
 
118 PHILIP MELANCTHON. 
 
 Christian Heroes, "who through faith subdued 
 kingdoms, wrought righteousness, and obtained 
 promises." 
 
 ODE TO THE REFORMERS. 
 
 Oh ! who would envy those who die 
 
 Victims on Ambition's shrine ! 
 Though idiot man may rank them high. 
 And to the slain in victory 
 
 Pay honours half divine ; 
 To feel this heaving, fluttering breath, 
 Still'd by the lightest touch of death. 
 
 The happier lot be mine : 
 I would not that the murdering brand, 
 Were the last weapon in my hand. 
 
 He, of whom these pages tell, 
 
 He, a soldier too — of truth, 
 
 He, a hero from his youth; 
 How delightfully he fell ! 
 
 Not in the crash, and din, and flood, 
 
 Of execrations, groans, and blood, 
 
 Riveting fetters on the good : — 
 But happily, and well. 
 
 No song of triumph sounds his fall, 
 
 No march of death salutes his bier ; 
 But tribute sweeter far than all, 
 
 The sainted sigh, the orphan tear ! 
 Yet mourn not, ye who stand around, 
 
 Bid not time less swiftly roll ; 
 What though shade the prospect bound, 
 He a brighter world has found : 
 
 Death is the birth day of the soul ! 
 

 
 WOLl'IANC M" 
 
 
 "WILLIAM FAKEL 
 
PETER MARTYR. 119 
 
 Witness ! for ye saw him die, 
 
 Heard you complaint, or groan, or sigh? 
 
 Or if one sigh breathed o'er his breast, 
 As gentle airs, when days of summer close, 
 Breathe over wearied nature still repose, 
 
 And lull a lovely evening to rest; 
 It whispered — "All within is peace, 
 " The storm is o'er, and troubles cease." 
 
 His sun went down in cloudless skies, 
 Assured upon the morn to rise 
 
 In lovelier array ; 
 But not like Earth's declining light 
 To vanish back again to night; 
 The zenith where he now shall glow, 
 No bound, no setting beam can know ; 
 Without or cloud or shade of woe, 
 
 As that eternal day. 
 
 History will not write his name, 
 Upon the crimson roll of fame — 
 But Religion, meeker maid, 
 
 Mark him in her tablet fair ; 
 
 And when million names shall fade, 
 
 He will stand recorded there ! 
 
 PETER MARTYR. 
 
 Peter Martyr was born at Florence in the 
 year 1500. He was received as an Augustinian 
 monk at Fiesoli, and when twenty-six years of age 
 
120 PETER MARTYR. 
 
 was admitted as a preacher. His pulpit eloquence, 
 and his lectures as professor of philosophy and di- 
 vinity, at Berne, Brixia, Venice, Mantua, Lucca, 
 and other cities procured him distinguished repu- 
 tation. When nearly thirty years of age, the 
 writings of Zuingle and Bucer effectually wrought 
 upon his mind, and the impression was strength- 
 ened by his intercourse with Valdes a famous 
 Italian disciple, who extirpated the confidence of 
 Martyr in the papal infallibility, so that he began 
 privately to inculcate the Protestant doctrines. But 
 the renovation of so prominent a character as Peter 
 Martyr could not be concealed ; and it was unsafe 
 for him to continue in Italy. He therefore removed 
 to Zurich ; then he visited Basil ; and finally set- 
 tled in Strasburg, where he married a Nun who 
 like himself had escaped from the superstitions and 
 impurity of conventual life. 
 
 While residing at Strasburg, Cranmer invited 
 him to England ; and Edward VI. appointed him 
 Professor of Divinity at Oxford in 1549. The 
 Papists resolutely opposed his lectures, but his 
 zeal vanquished all opposition. The accession of 
 Mary to the throne rendering it impossible for him 
 to remain in England, he retired to Strasburg ; and 
 thence was removed to Zurich, where during seven 
 years, his labours were exceedingly popular and 
 advantageous. He was invited to Geneva; and 
 after Mary's death, Jewel earnestly solicited him to 
 return to England ; but he refused all their offers, 
 and remained at Zurich with undiminished popu- 
 
PETER MARTYR. 121 
 
 larity until he heard his Master's message calling 
 him to his reward. During his residence at Ox- 
 ford, his wife had been separated from him by- 
 death; and such was the virulence of the Papists, 
 that her bones were dug up, and buried again in 
 contempt. Martyr was renowned for his acumen 
 and skill in controversy ; and his pre-eminent quali- 
 fications as a disputant were not less dreaded by 
 the Papists than admired by all the Reformed 
 churches. He was a sincere and zealous Re- 
 former, and humble amid his greatest triumphs 
 over superstition and error. One of his most fa- 
 mous works is entitled " Defence of the Orthodox 
 doctrine of the Lord's Supper," against Gardiner. 
 It has been remarked, that Martyr was a "man who 
 should never be named without the highest re- 
 spect and honour." He continued to reside at Zu- 
 rich until his death in 1562; when he was called 
 to sing the triumphs of Immanuel, around the 
 throne of Jesus in the glory everlasting. 
 
 Peter Martyr, 
 
 A Theologian of Florence ; 
 
 Professor of sacred Literature, 
 
 In the College of Zurich. 
 
 He died at Zurich, 
 
 In the year 1562. 
 
 Aged 62. 
 11 
 
122 WOLFGANG MUSCULUS. 
 
 WOLFGANG MUSCULUS. 
 
 Wolfgang Musculus was born at Dieuze in 
 1497. His parents were so poor, that they could 
 give him no education, and his living was obtained 
 by going from house to house singing, and accept- 
 ing for his music any thing which was presented. 
 His talents however induced a convent of Monks to 
 offer him admission into their order. He accepted 
 their invitation, and was so indefatigable a student, 
 and made such rapid progress, that he was soon 
 chosen a preacher. He was one of the earliest ad- 
 herents of Luther and his principles ; for his name 
 is recorded among the zealous propagators of the 
 Gospel in the year 1518. He continued to itine- 
 rate, as persecution forced him, until 1527, when he 
 found safety at Strasburg. There he was married; 
 but as he had no regular provision for his mainte- 
 nance, his wife became a domestic servant, and he 
 worked as a weaver. Thus was exhibited the re- 
 markable fact, a Preacher of the highest order in 
 genius and erudition exerting a vast influence and 
 acquiring sterling and deathless renown by his 
 preaching on the Lord's day, and labouring like 
 Paul all the week with his own hands in the mean- 
 est employ, for the indispensable necessaries of 
 life. From Strasburg he removed to Augsburg in 
 1531, and so powerful was his eloquence, that after 
 some time all the Roman Priests and Monks were 
 
WOLFGANG MUSCULTJS. 123 
 
 expelled from that city. In 1548, Charles V. re- 
 captured Augsburg, and restored the Pope's power; 
 upon which Musculus retired to Switzerland, and 
 the citizens of Berne appointed him professor of 
 Divinity in their college. Musculus knew nothing 
 of Greek until he was thirty-two years old, and 
 nothing of Hebrew until he had arrived to his fortieth 
 year ; and yet such was his application combined 
 with aptitude and genius, that in learning he at- 
 tained the very highest rank among his contempo- 
 raries, and his skill in disputation produced the 
 most important results at the ecclesiastical con- 
 ferences which he attended. He closed his labours 
 and his life at Berne, the thirtieth day of August 
 1563. 
 
 Wolfgang Musculus, 
 
 A Divine of Lorrain, 
 
 Professor of Theology 
 
 In the College at Berne. 
 
 He died at Berne, 
 
 In the year 1563, 
 
 Aged 66. 
 
124 JOHN CALVIN. 
 
 JOHN CALVIN. 
 
 John Calvin was born at Noyon in Picardy 
 on the tenth of July 1509. When about twenty 
 years of age he resigned his ecclesiastical benefice, 
 and through his zeal in defending the Reformation 
 against the Doctors of the Sorbonne he was obliged 
 to fly from Paris, and escaped to Basil. There he 
 wrote his Institutes, and surprised the world by his 
 celebrated appeal to Francis I. on behalf of the 
 Huguenots. In 1536, by the solicitation of Farel, 
 he was appointed Minister and Professor of Divin- 
 ity at Geneva. But his pungent admonitions 
 against the vices of the persons in power drew up- 
 on him their indignation, and he was banished from 
 that city. He removed to Strasburg, and accom- 
 panied Bucer to the ecclesiastical conferences at 
 Worms and Ratisbon. He was recalled to Gene- 
 va in 1541; and from that period continued zeal- 
 ously to exercise his superior learning and exten- 
 sive talents in the propagation of divine truth and 
 the principles of the Reformed churches. No 
 higher proof of Calvin's philanthropy can be men- 
 tioned than the fact, that notwithstanding his high 
 reputation and authority at Geneva, all his property 
 at his death was only his library and 300 crowns. 
 His indefatigable diligence is demonstrated by the 
 nine ponderous volumes which he wrote. Some 
 of his works have never been surpassed, or scarce- 
 ly equalled. 
 
JOHN CALVIN. 125 
 
 Labours. — During a fortnight in each month he 
 preached every day ; gave three lectures in theolo- 
 gy every week ; assisted at all the deliberations of 
 the Consistory, and at the meetings of the pastors; 
 met the Congregation every Friday ; instructed the 
 French churches by the frequent advices they soli- 
 cited from him ; and defended the Reformation from 
 the attacks of its enemies, and particularly those of 
 the French priests. The Council of Geneva not 
 only charged him with many painful and difficult 
 commissions, for which he was obliged to under- 
 take long and frequent journeys, but consulted him 
 habitually on all important concerns. He was 
 particularly employed in framing the edicts and 
 legislative acts of the town, which were completed 
 and approved in the year 1543. By his reputa- 
 tion and his eloquence he prevented the usual 
 troubles of a rising government ; and inspired con- 
 fidence among the different bodies of the state. — 
 Montesquieu remarked — " The Genevese ought to 
 bless the moment of the birth of Calvin, and that 
 of his arrival within the walls of Geneva." 
 
 Disinterestedness. — Eckius being sent by the 
 Pope legate into France, upon his return, resolved 
 to take Geneva in his way, on purpose to see Cal- 
 vin. Within a league of Geneva, Eckius left his 
 retinue, and accompanied but with one man, went 
 to the city. Having inquired where Calvin lived ; 
 he knocked at the door, and Calvin himself came 
 to open it to him. Eckius acquainted him that he 
 was a stranger ; and having heard much of his 
 
 11* ' 
 
126 JOHN CALVIN. 
 
 fame, was come to wait upon him. Calvin invited 
 him in, and discoursing of many things concerning 
 religion, Eckius inquired why he left the Roman 
 church ; and offered some arguments to persuade 
 him to return. At last Eckius told him that he 
 would put his life in his hands ; and then said he was 
 Eckius the Pope's legate. Calvin was surprised ; 
 and begged his pardon that he had not treated him 
 with the respect due to his quality. Eckius return- 
 ed the compliment ; and told him if he would come 
 back to the Roman church, he would certainly pro- 
 cure for him a Cardinal's cap. Eckius then asked 
 him what revenue he had ; rfe told the Cardinal he 
 had that house and garden and fifty livres per an- 
 num, beside a yearly present of some wine and 
 corn, on which he lived very contentedly. Eckius 
 told him that a man of his parts deserved a greater 
 revenue ; and then renewed his invitation to come 
 over to the Romish church, promising him a better 
 stipend. Calvin, giving him thanks, assured him 
 he was well satisfied with his condition. At din- 
 ner, he entertained his guest as well as he could, 
 and paid him great respect. Eckius desired to see 
 the church. Calvin accordingly sent to the officers 
 to be ready with the keys, and desired some of the 
 syndics to be there present. As Eckius was coming 
 out of Calvin's house, he drew out a purse with 
 one hundred pistoles, and told him he gave it to 
 buy books, as well as to express his respect for hira. 
 Calvin with much regret took the purse, and then 
 proceeded to the church, where the syndics and 
 
JOHN CALVIN. 127 
 
 officers waited upon them ; at the sight of whom, 
 Eckius thought he had been betrayed, but Calvin 
 assured him of his safety. After having taken a full 
 view of every thing, Calvin calling the syndics and 
 officers together, took out the purse of gold Avhich 
 Eckius had given him, telling them that he hi i 
 received that gold from the worthy stranger, who 
 gave it to the poor ; and so put it all into the poor- 
 box. The syndics thanked the stranger, and Eck- 
 ius admired the charity and modesty of Calvin. — 
 After they left the church, Calvin walked with 
 Eckius a mile out of the territories of Geneva, 
 where they took a farewell of each other. 
 
 Will. — " I give thanks to God that taking pity 
 on me whom he hath created and placed in this 
 world, he hath delivered me out of the thick dark- 
 ness of idolatry into which I was plunged ; and 
 hath brought me into the light of his Gospel, and 
 made me a partaker of the doctrine of salvation, 
 whereof I was most unworthy. And he hath not 
 only gently and graciously borne with my faults 
 and sins, for which I deserved to be rejected of him, 
 and cast out, but hath vouchsafed to use my labours 
 in preaching and publishing the truth of the Gos- 
 pel. And I declare that it is my wish and intention 
 to continue in the same faith and religion, having 
 no other hope or refuge but in his gratuitous adop- 
 tion of me, upon which is founded all my salvation ; 
 embracing the grace which he has given me in 
 Jesus Christ, and accepting the merit of his death 
 and passion, that so all my sins may be buried ; and 
 
128 JOHN CALVIN, 
 
 beseeching Him so to wash and cleanse me in the 
 blood of that great Redeemer, which was shed for 
 all poor sinners, that in his image I may appear 
 before his face. I declare also, that, according to the 
 measure of grace bestowed upon me, I have endea- 
 voured to teach his word in its purity, as well in ser- 
 mons as in writings, and endeavoured faithfully to 
 expound the Holy Scriptures: and that in all the 
 disputes which I have had with the enemies of truth, 
 I have never used either craftiness or sophistry, but 
 have fairly maintained the truth. But alas ! my 
 zeal, if it deserve the name, has been so cold and 
 unworthy, that I feel myself highly indebted in all, 
 and through all ; and if it were not for his infinite 
 bounty, all the zeal I have discovered would appear 
 as light as smoke, and the graces which he has be- 
 stowed upon me would only render me more guilty. 
 So that my only refuge is, that He being the Father 
 of mercy, I trust he will be, and appear the Father 
 of so miserable a sinner." 
 
 On the second of February 1564, he delivered 
 his last sermon and theological lecture. His asth- 
 ma having deprived him of the use of his voice, he 
 seldom spoke, although carried to the house of wor- 
 ship. Being of a feeble temperament, and strongly 
 inclined to consumption, he slept very unsoundly. 
 During ten years he ate no dinner, taking no 
 nourishment until supper time. He was subject to 
 headache, the only remedy for which was fasting; 
 on account of which he remained sometimes thirty- 
 six hours without eating. He was frequently at- 
 
JOHN CALVIN. 129 
 
 tacked by a distressing malady, brought on partly by 
 preaching j and five years before his death he was 
 seized with a spitting of blood. He was no sooner 
 cured of the quartan ague than he was attacked by 
 the gout; he was afterwards afflicted with the cho- 
 lic and the stone. When importuned not to dictate 
 or write during his illness, "Would you" said he, 
 " that when the Lord comes he should surprise 
 me in idleness . ? " 
 
 Having received a final visit from the syndics, 
 from all the ministers of Geneva and its vicinity, 
 and from his beloved friend Farel, he seemed to 
 have closed his connection with merely earthly ob- 
 jects. From that time to the period of his death 
 he was incessantly employed in prayer to God. — 
 It was indeed in a low voice, interrupted by a short- 
 ness of breath with which he was oppressed ; but 
 his sparkling eyes, constantly directed toward 
 heaven, and the serenity of his countenance, dis- 
 covered the ardour of his petitions and his confi- 
 dence in the mercy of God. In his most violent 
 pains he frequently repeated those words of David; 
 " I was dumb, Lord, because thou didst it." And 
 sometimes those of Isaiah ; " I mourn like the 
 dove." And frequently, lifting up his heart to God, 
 he would exclaim, " Lord thou bruisest me, but I 
 suffer with patience since it is thy hand that hath 
 done it." To admit all the persons who wished to 
 express their regret at losing him, the door of the 
 chamber must have been open night and day. — 
 But as he spoke with difficulty, he requested that 
 
130 JOHN CALVIN. 
 
 his friends would be contented to pray to God for 
 him and spare themselves the trouble of visiting him. 
 On being visited by Beza, he informed him that he 
 made it a matter of conscience not to divert him in 
 the smallest degree from the duties of his charge, 
 so much had he the interest of the church and the 
 glory of God at heart. In that state he continued 
 until the nineteenth of May, exhibiting a perfect re- 
 signation and comforting his friends. On that day, 
 in token of their intimate friendship, he was anx- 
 ious that they should sup in the hall of his house; 
 and being carried thither from his chamber, on en- 
 tering he said — " I am come to see you, my breth- 
 ren, and to seat myself at the table with you for the 
 last time." He then offered up the usual prayer, 
 ate a little, and discoursed in a manner worthy of his 
 piety and of his zeal ; and when his weakness 
 obliged him to retire to his chamber, looking at the 
 company with a smile; " The wall," said he, "will 
 not prevent my being united with you in spirit." 
 
 After that night he remained confined to his bed ; 
 so thin and exhausted that breath only remained, 
 though his face was not much altered. On the day 
 of his death, the twenty-fourth of May, he appeared 
 to speak with less difficulty and more strength. — 
 But it was the last effort of nature. About eight 
 in the evening the signs of death appeared suddenly 
 in his face ; he continued speaking however with 
 great propriety until his last breath, when he ap- 
 peared rather to fall asleep than die. Thus was 
 that great light of the Protestant church extin- 
 
JOHN CALVIN. 131 
 
 guished. On the day following, the whole city was 
 plunged into inconceivable grief. The republic 
 regretted the wisest of its citizens; the church its 
 faithful pastor; the school its incomparable mas- 
 ter; and all bewailed their common father, the 
 instrument of their joy and consolation. 
 
 One of the most curiously interesting and pain- 
 ful considerations attached to the name and memory 
 of Calvin is this ; the ceaseless hatred and obloquy 
 with which so great a luminary of the Christian 
 church in every generation has been assailed. Not- 
 withstanding all their persecutions, others have re- 
 ceived their eulogium since their death ; but Calvin 
 is yet the constant source of the most noisy vitupe- 
 ration. O that the Lord may pardon the calumni- 
 ators of those worthies' who adorned the Sixteenth 
 Century ! - 
 
 'i 
 
 John Calvin, 
 
 A French Divine; 
 
 Pastor of the Church at Geneva; 
 
 Restorer of the Christian Religion 
 
 In France. 
 
 He died at Geneva, 
 
 In the year 1564, 
 
 Aged 55. 
 
132 WILLIAM FAREL. 
 
 WILLIAM FAREL. 
 
 William Farel was born at Gap in Dauphine 
 in 1489. He pursued his studies at Paris, and be- 
 came a teacher of Hebrew and Greek literature ; 
 but the persecution of the Protestants drove him 
 from France. He removed first to Strasburg, and 
 thence to Switzerland. Afterwards he was em- 
 ployed by the Duke of Wirtemberg to introduce 
 the Reformation into Montbeliard, Aigle, Morat, 
 and the adjoining districts. Thence he travelled 
 to Geneva, but the Romish priests so powerfully 
 resisted him, that he was obliged to depart, although 
 in 1534 he was recalled. Four years after he was 
 banished from Geneva with Calvin, and went to 
 Basil and Neufchatel. He was one of the most 
 resolute and ardent of all the Reformers ; and his 
 earnestness, assiduity, and pungent denunciations of 
 " the mystery of iniquity," always exposed him to 
 persecution and danger. Nothing could resist his 
 impetuous eloquence or quench his dauntless zeal. 
 He has been surrounded by drawn swords, and by 
 the influence of his preaching they were sheathed. 
 The Papists interrupted him by the ringing of 
 bells, but the noise of them was silenced by his 
 overwhelming arguments. The utmost clamour and 
 vociferation encircled him, but his evangelical 
 preaching overpowered "the strife of tongues ;" 
 and it is supposed that by his boldness and thunder- 
 ing irresistible eloquence no one of the Reformers 
 
WILLIAM FAREL, 133 
 
 was more instrumental in turning sinners from the 
 error of their ways, and saving souls from death, 
 than William Farel. His learning, acumen and 
 fervour raised him to the highest distinction ; and 
 his sagacity in seizing the most interesting and well- 
 timed themes; with his dauntless fortitude and ora- 
 torical fluency, which like an impetuous torrent 
 swept away all opposition, rendered the labours of 
 Farel as permanent in their protracted beneficial ef- 
 fects, as they were irresistible in their primary influ- 
 ence. His impassioned christian eloquence contin- 
 ued almost undiminished to the termination of his 
 earthly course. He visited his renowned fellow 
 servant Calvin at Geneva when on his death 
 bed ; and the following year, on the eighteenth day 
 of September 1565, he was "carried by the angels 
 into Abraham's bosom," there to be with the Lord. 
 
 William Farel, 
 
 A French Divine ; 
 
 Restorer of Religion 
 
 At Geneva and other cities. 
 
 He was a Minister at Geneva and NeufchateL 
 
 He died in the year 1565, 
 
 Aged 76. 
 
 12 
 
134 PETER VIRET. 
 
 PETER VIRET. 
 
 Peter Viret was born at Orbe in Switzerland 
 in the year 1511, and was united with Farel and 
 Calvin at Geneva in carrying on the Reformation. 
 The cause of Christ having triumphed in that city, 
 and Calvin having been settled at Geneva ; Viret 
 removed to Lausanne, and afterwards to Lyons. 
 His transcendent eloquence equalled his burning 
 zeal and his profound erudition ; which essentially 
 aided the extirpation of the Roman Priesthood 
 wherever he laboured. His wit and learning and 
 undaunted spirit were particularly displayed in 
 three volumes, of which the titles convey an accu- 
 rate idea of the author's character and vigorous 
 assaults upon Popery. The volumes were thus 
 designated — " Papal Physic," — " Papal Necro- 
 mancy" — " The Requiescat in pace of Purgatory." 
 Another work entitled "Disputations upon the state 
 of the Dead" is an exquisite specimen of the true 
 evangelical method to extirpate error by " the force 
 of truth." He finished his terrestrial labours at 
 Pau in 1571. 
 
 Peter Viret, 
 
 A Swiss Theologian, 
 
 Pastor of Churches at 
 
 Geneva, Lausanne, and Lyons 
 
 He died in 1571, 
 
 Aged 60. 
 
Rate 8 
 
 r OHN KNOX HENKT BD1 
 

JOHN KNOX. 135 
 
 JOHN KNOX 
 
 John Knox was born in the year 1505, at Gif- 
 ford, near Haddington. At the age of nineteen he 
 was sent to the university of St. Andrews, when 
 the famous John Major was professor of philosophy 
 and theology. During nearly twenty years he 
 lived in scholastic seclusion, and was a zealous Pa- 
 pist. But about the year 1543, he withdrew from 
 the university; as he was convinced that the opinions 
 which he began publicly to avow, in favour of the 
 Reformation, exposed him to the enmity of Cardinal 
 Beaton. Under the protection of the laird of Lan- 
 guiddrie, Knox was engaged during the three suc- 
 ceeding years in superintending the education of 
 the sons of his patron : but harassed with the ef- 
 forts continually made for his destruction, he was 
 compelled with his pupils to retire for protection to 
 the castle of St f Andrews. There Knox received 
 from some of the reformed ministers a solemn call 
 to the ministerial office. 
 
 Upon a certain day there was a sermon upon 
 the election of ministers, what power the congre- 
 gation had above any man, in time of need, in 
 whom they supposed and espied the gift of God to 
 be ; and how dangerous it was to refuse and not 
 hear the voice of such as desire to be instructed. 
 John Rough the preacher directed his words to 
 Knox, saying, " Brother, I speak unto you that 
 which I have in charge, from all these who are 
 
136 JOHN KNOX. 
 
 here present. In the name of God and of his Son 
 Jesus Christ, and in the name of these that call you 
 by my mouth, I charge you that you refuse not 
 this holy vocation ; but as you tender the glory of 
 God, the increase of Christ's kingdom, and the 
 edification of your brethren, that you take upon 
 you the public charge and office of preaching, 
 even as you look to avoid God's heavy displeasure, 
 and to multiply his graces upon you." Then he 
 said to those that were present, "Was not this your 
 charge to me, and do you not approve this voca- 
 tion?" They answered, "It is, and we approve it." 
 
 In consequence of that vocation, Knox, then in 
 the forty-fifth year of his age, immediately com- 
 menced at St. Andrews those labours for the Re- 
 formation of religion, to the prosecution of which 
 the whole of his succeeding life was devoted. An 
 unexpected event however very abruptly suspended 
 his exertions. A French fleet appeared before the 
 castle of St. Andrews. After a short siege the 
 garrison capitulated ; and Knox with many others 
 was carried to the river Loire, and was there 
 compelled during many months to labour in the 
 galleys. 
 
 In no part of his life do the energy of the Re- 
 former and his fervent desire to promote the glory 
 of God appear more conspicuously than during that 
 period. He maintained an unshaken confidence 
 that God would deliver him, and that he should be 
 preserved for greater services than any which 
 
JOHN KNOX. 137 
 
 he had already been permitted to render to the 
 cause of truth. After a confinement of nineteen 
 months, Knox was released from the galleys, and 
 immediately repaired to England ; and under the 
 patronage of Cranmer and the Privy council, he 
 preached during two years at Berwick, and was 
 appointed one of King Edward's chaplains. His 
 diligence in discharge of his ministerial duties was 
 almost unexampled. 
 
 He preached not only on Sundays but frequently 
 on every day of the week. He argued in public 
 in defence of the doctrines of the Reformation,' 
 and travelled as an itinerant minister, preaching in- 
 cessantly and with great effect in the towns and 
 villages ; and at a time when he was afflicted with 
 one of the most accute disorders to which the hu- 
 man frame is subject. The accession of Mary to 
 the throne rendered it impossible for him longer 
 to continue the exertions which he had made during 
 the five preceding years for promoting the know- 
 ledge of the truth in that kingdom ; and finding 
 that it was vain to resist the power of his ene- 
 mies, he yielded to the entreaties of his brethren, 
 who, " partly by tears, partly by admonition, com- 
 pelled him to obey, and to give place to the rage of 
 Satan for a time." In the beginning of the year 
 1554, he quitted England, and was received with 
 christian hospitality and kindness at Geneva. His 
 spirits, which were much depressed at the com- 
 mencement of his exile, recovered their natural 
 tone from the cordiality of his reception among the 
 
 12* 
 
138 
 
 JOHN KNOX. 
 
 teachers of the different Protestant congregations 
 in the Helvetic church. Few men have possessed 
 in so eminent a degree as Knox the power of sub- 
 duing present evils by the anticipation of future 
 prosperity. 
 
 From the time of his renunciation of the errors 
 of Popery, to the last moment of his life, Knox 
 was involved in an almost continuous succession of 
 disputes and conflicts. In defence of the Martyr 
 Wishart he braved the unbounded authority of the 
 Cardinal. He openly joined at St. Andre ws the Pro- 
 testants who maintained that place against Ghatel- 
 rault the Governor. His whole life was a contest 
 against the leaders of the Roman cause in his native 
 country. Often did he oppose the measures, and 
 severely censure the faults even of his own party. 
 In public and in private, in his negociations with 
 England and in the Parliament, in the pulpit and 
 with his pen, he participated in the civil war against 
 the queen regent, and in no slight degree contri- 
 buted to the Protestant success. He was long the 
 austere monitor of Mary, and immediately after 
 Bothwell's marriage, engaged with his habitual zeal 
 in support of Murray and his adherents. 
 
 With one grand object in view, he seems to have 
 abandoned every other pursuit. His writings, his 
 sermons, his public and private correspondence, all 
 exhibit the same insatiable anxiety for the welfare 
 of the church of which God had appointed him 
 minister. He scarcely lived for any other purpose, 
 and appears to the hour of his death to have thought 
 
JOHN KNOX. 139 
 
 and written and acted for the promotion of the Re- 
 formation, with the energy of intense passion, as 
 well as with the deliberate resolution of the man 
 who steadily discharges a solemn duty. 
 
 His penetration into the designs of men, his saga- 
 city as to the results of any measures, and his cou- 
 rage were almost unrivalled. Opposition he ridi- 
 culed : and his ardent temper inconceivably strength- 
 ened by his high-toned sensibilities enabled him to 
 defeat all dangers in whatever form they assailed 
 him. His interviews with Mary the Queen ; his 
 appearance before the assembled grandees of her 
 Court ; and his lofty spirituality and vigorous 
 confidence when assembled with the Protestant 
 leaders in their deepest distresses and calamities, 
 develop a fortitude almost incredible ; and w T hich is 
 only equalled by the magnanimity and resolution 
 of his brethren Luther and Zuingle. 
 
 A short period before his death, he was very anx- 
 ious to meet once more the Session of his church, and 
 to give them his last charge and farewell. In com- 
 pliance with his wish, his colleague, the elders and 
 deacons, with David Lindsay one of the ministers 
 of Leith, assembled in his room on Monday, No- 
 vember 17, when he addressed them in the follow- 
 ing w T ords — " The day now approaches and is be- 
 fore the door, for which I have frequently and ve- 
 hemently thirsted, when I shall be released from 
 my great labours and immeasurable sorrows, and 
 shall be with Christ. And now God is my wit- 
 
140 JOHN KNOX. 
 
 ness, whom I have served in spirit in the Gospel 
 of his Son, that I have taught nothing but the true 
 and solid doctrine of the Gospel of the Son of God, 
 and have had it for my only object to instruct the 
 ignorant, to confirm the faithful, to comfort the 
 weak, the fearful and the distressed, by the pro- 
 mises of grace, and to fight against the proud and 
 rebellious by the Divine threatenings. I know that 
 many have frequently and loudly complained, and 
 do yet complain, of my too great severity ; but God 
 knows that my mind was always void of hatred to 
 the persons of those against whom I thundered the 
 severest judgments. I cannot deny but that I felt 
 the greatest abhorrence at the sins in which they 
 indulged; but I still kept this one thing in view, 
 that if possible I might gain them to the Lord. — 
 What influenced me to utter whatever the Lord put 
 into my mouth so boldly, without respect to per- 
 sons, was a reverential fear of my God who called, 
 and of his grace which appointed me to be a stew- 
 ard of the Divine mystery ; and a belief that he will 
 demand an account of my discharge of the trust 
 committed unto me when. I stand before his tribunal. 
 I profess therefore before God and before his holy 
 angels tha,t I never made merchandise of the sa- 
 cred word of God, never studied to please men, 
 never indulged my own private passions or those of 
 others, but faithfully distributed the talent intrusted 
 to me for the edification of the church over which 
 I watched. Whatever obloquy wicked men may 
 east on me respecting this point, I rejoice in the 
 
JOHN KNOX. 141 
 
 testimony of a good conscience. In the mean 
 time, my dearest brethren, do you persevere in the 
 eternal truth of the Gospel. Wait diligently on the 
 flock over which the Lord hath set you, and which 
 he redeemed with the blood of his only begotten 
 Son. And thou my brother Lawson fight the good 
 fight, and do the work of the Lord joyfully and 
 resolutely. The Lord from on high bless you and 
 the whole church of Edinburgh, against whom, 
 as long as they persevere in the word of truth 
 which they have heard of me, the gates of hell shall 
 not prevail." Perceiving that he breathed with dif- 
 ficulty, some gf his attendants asked if he felt much 
 pain. He answered that he was willing to lie 
 there for years if God so pleased, and if he con- 
 tinued to shine upon his soul through Jesus Christ. 
 At intervals he exhorted and prayed ;" Live in 
 Christ, live in Christ, and then flesh need not fear 
 death. Lord grant true pastors to thy church that 
 purity of doctrine may be retained ! Restore peace 
 again to this commonwealth and godly rulers and 
 magistrates. Lord I commend my spirit, soul, and 
 body, all into thy hands. Thou knowest, O Lord, my 
 troubles. I do not murmur against Thee." After 
 that he appeared to fall into a slumber, during 
 which he uttered heavy groans. At length he 
 awaked as if from sleep, and being asked the cause 
 of his sighing so deeply, replied : " I have for- 
 merly, during my frail life, sustained many contests 
 and many assaults of Satan ; but at present that 
 roaring lion hath assailed me most furiously, and 
 
142 JOHN KNOX. 
 
 put forth all his strength to devour and make an 
 end of me, But blessed be God, who has enabled 
 me to beat down and quench his fiery dart by sug- 
 gesting to me such passages of Scripture as these : 
 4 What hast thou that thou hast not received. By 
 the grace of God I am what I am. Not I but the 
 grace of God in me.' Wherefore I give thanks to 
 my God, through Jesus Christ, who was pleased to 
 give me the victory, and I am persuaded that the 
 tempter shall not again attack me; but within a 
 short time, I shall exchange this mortal and miser- 
 able life for a blessed immortality through Christ 
 Jesus." Dr. Preston asked him if he had heard 
 their prayers; "would to God," he said, "that you 
 and all men had heard them as I have heard them. 
 I praise God for that heavenly sound." He soon 
 gave a deep sigh, and said, "Now it is come" — 
 Richard Bannatyne then requested him to give 
 them a sign that he heard them, and died in peace. 
 Upon which he lifted up one of his hands, and ex- 
 pired without a struggle. 
 
 From the return of Knox to Scotland in 1559, till 
 his death ; his acts form a most important part of 
 the general history of that kingdom. He lived to 
 behold the full and lasting establishment of the Re* 
 formation ; to which glorious consummation he had 
 contributed with more zeal and efficacy, than any 
 other individual. He was the greatest benefactor 
 to his country who ever lived within its domains; 
 and no christian or enlightened Protestant can utter 
 the name or think of the character and labours of 
 
HENRY BULLINGER. 143 
 
 Knox without veneration and gratitude. After a 
 lingering decay, he entered Paradise on the twenty- 
 fourth day of November 1572. When his corpse 
 was deposited in the sepulchre, Morton the Regent 
 of Scotland pronounced his imperishable eulogium : 
 " Here lies lie who never feared the face of man /" 
 Not only his contemporaries, but all succeeding 
 christians for 260 years have written his epitaph — 
 M Good and faithful servant of the Lord." 
 
 John Knox, 
 
 A Scotch Theologian, 
 
 Pastor of the Church at Edinburgh. 
 
 He died at Edinburgh, 
 
 In the year 1572, 
 
 Aged 67. 
 
 HENRY BULLINGER. 
 
 Henry Bullinger was born at Bremgarten, 
 near Zurich, in 1504. When twelve years old he 
 was sent to school at Emeric, without any means of 
 support, and during three years maintained him- 
 self by singing in the streets. Thence he removed 
 to Cologne, where he applied himself ardently to 
 study ; and through the writings of Melancthon, he 
 abandoned "Romanism, and became a decided and 
 zealous adherent of the Reformation. He was pre- 
 sent at the disputations at Berne in 1528 ; and the 
 
144 HENRY BULLINGER. 
 
 year after, he was settled as Protestant minister in 
 his native town. He was both the pupil and friend 
 of Zuingle, and after the death of that renowned 
 champion of the cross, Bullinger was called to suc- 
 ceed him as minister at Zurich. In that city he 
 continued his ministry to the end of his course. 
 He defended the tenets of the Swiss churches against 
 the censures of Luther, and resisted all attempts to 
 unite the Protestants upon the subject of consub- 
 stantiation. 
 
 He was peculiarly distinguished and beloved for 
 two of his acts. A treaty was proposed by France 
 to be made with the Swiss, that a number of mer- 
 cenaries should enter the French army. Bullinger 
 contended that it was inconsistent with Christianity 
 for persons to engage in war, or to hire themselves 
 for the butchery of those who had never injured 
 them. He was also most benevolent and kind to 
 the English christians who fled from England 
 during the reign of Mary ; and as his philanthropy 
 was of the highest order, so it constitutes his lasting 
 eulogium. When the Pope's bull for "the excom- 
 munication and damnation" of Queen Elizabeth 
 and all her people was first issued, Bullinger wrote 
 a masterly confutation of that Papal folly and usur- 
 pation. His labours as minister of Zurich were 
 not less untiring than beneficial ; both for the wel- 
 fare of the poor and the instruction of the ignorant. 
 It is not. a little extraordinary, as proving the opi- 
 nions of the early Reformers respecting priestly 
 celibacy, that Bullinger, with six sons and five 
 
THEODORE BEZA. 145 
 
 daughters, after the death of his wife, when sixty 
 years of age, deemed it necessary to publish a for- 
 mal apology to the citizens of the canton of Zurich, 
 because he chose to continue a widower. Having 
 borne " the burden and heat of the day, 31 he was 
 called to receive his hire from the Master of the 
 vineyard, going "to his grave in a full age." He 
 commenced his sleep in Jesus at Zurich in 1575. 
 
 Henry Bullinger, 
 
 A Swiss Divine. 
 
 Antistes of the Church at Zurich. 
 
 He died at Zurich in 1575, 
 
 Aged 71. 
 
 THEODORE BEZA. 
 
 Theodore Beza was born at Verzelai in Bur- 
 gundy, on the twenty-fourth of June 1519. When 
 nine years of age he commenced his studies at Or- 
 leans, and afterwards was placed under the care of 
 Melchior Wolmar; w T ith whom he made great 
 progress in classical literature, and from whom he 
 imbibed the principles of Calvin. In 1539, having 
 taken his academic degree, he removed to Paris. 
 There he painfully experienced the truth of the 
 Apostle's adage— "Evil communications corrupt 
 good manners.'' A dangerous sickness however 
 
 13 
 
146 THEODORE BEZA. 
 
 awakened him to his awful condition as a sinner ; 
 and he vowed, if he should recover, to fulfil a de- 
 sign which had often secretly proposed. Al- 
 though not an ecclesiastic, yet he was in possession 
 of a valuable income derived from church benefices 
 — but he resigned them all in 1548, proceeded to 
 Geneva with a lady whom he married, publicly 
 abjured Popery, and professed his faith in the Re- 
 formed doctrines and discipline. In 1549, he was 
 appointed to the professorship of the Greek language 
 at Lausanne; where fbr ten years *he was celebrat- 
 ed as an accomplished scholar, and a lecturer up- 
 on the New Testament of the first rank. He was 
 called to Geneva in 1559, and became the colleague 
 of Calvin, in the church and in the university ; and 
 defended his opinions both by his pulpit eloquence, 
 and by his logical weapons. 
 
 When the Dukes of Guise had obtained the 
 power for a short period in France, and filled that 
 kingdom with intestine commotions and general 
 massacre ; at the solicitation of the chief Protest- 
 ants of France, Beza was sent to Nerac, to confer 
 with Henry the young King of Navarre, and to es- 
 tablish him in Protestantism. In 1561, a great and 
 important conference respecting the affairs of the 
 Huguenots was held at Poissy, and by the express 
 desire of Henry, afterwards Henry IV, of France, 
 Beza was permitted by the Senate of Geneva to be 
 present at that assembly. There his superior abili- 
 ties and learning commanded universal admiration 
 from all the congregated dignitaries. During one 
 
THEODORE BEZA. 147 
 
 of the discussions, he spoke of the doctrine of Tran- 
 substantiation and said — " The body of Jesus Christ 
 is as distant from the bread and wine, as the highest 
 heaven is from the earth." That position excited 
 loud murmurs. Some cried out- — "Blasphemavit ; 
 he has blasphemed 1" Others arose to withdraw. 
 Cardinal Tournon desired the King and Queen to 
 silence Beza, or to permit him and his attendants 
 to retire. The King and the Princes however re- 
 tained their seats, and Beza continued his argu- 
 ment until his triumph was consummated. His 
 superior abilities and prodigious acquirements 
 were never more powerfully displayed, and on no 
 occasion did he more truly exemplify that he was 
 " one of the principal pillars of the Reformation," 
 than at that eventful crisis, and amid that dignified 
 body. He remained with the Duke of Conde dur- 
 ing the civil war of France and was present at the 
 battle of Dreux. His preaching in the surburbs of 
 Paris was attended by the Queen of Navarre, the 
 Prince of Conde, Admiral Coligni, and the other 
 Huguenot chiefs. In 1563, after an absence of 
 four years, he returned to Geneva. He was chosen 
 moderator of the national reformed synod at Ro- 
 chelle in 1571 ; and was the most active and influen- 
 tial member also of the subsequent ecclesiastical 
 assemblies at Nismes, Montbelliard, and Bern. 
 Upon the decease of Calvin, Beza was nominated 
 his successor in all his offices and duties. He con- 
 tinued his course of intense studies and unintermit- 
 ting labours ; until in 1597, his public ministrations 
 
148 THEODORE BEZA. 
 
 became less frequent; and in 1600, he entirely de- 
 sisted from attempting to impart oral instruction.— 
 In the year 1597, the Jesuits promulged a report o 
 his death, and also that he had discarded Protest- 
 antism, and professed Popery. To those falsehoods 
 Beza replied in a satirical poem which excited 
 deep interest among the Reformed, and mortified 
 the Jesuits extremely by the disclosure of their 
 mendacity and corruption. He continued gradual- 
 ly to decay during the last eight years of his earthly 
 sojourn, and finally rested from his work on the 
 thirteenth of October 1605. Beza is one of those 
 righteous men who will be held in everlasting re- 
 membrance. 
 
 Theodore Beza, 
 
 A French Theologian ; 
 
 Pastor of the Church at Geneva, 
 
 He died at Geneva, 
 
 In the year 1605, 
 
 Aged 36. 
 
EFFECTS OF THE REFORMATION. 
 
 i 
 
 That " shaking of the nations," the " bright and blissfui 
 Reformation" is the most remarkable epoch in modern 
 annals ; and it produced results interesting and eventful 
 beyond our utmost conceptions. Combining a stupendous 
 moral concussion, it obviously excites deep inquiry, re- 
 specting the effects of so vast a revolution in worldly 
 affairs, which is the ostensible source of all those im- 
 provements in individual character, domestic and social 
 manners and comforts, municipal laws and international 
 intercourse, that are so evident, when contrasted with the 
 ferocity of the ages anterior to the sixteenth century. It 
 may therefore profitably be asked, what blessings have 
 followed the Reformation % The reply admits of three 
 general applications. 
 
 1. As individuals, the tribes of mankind have been be- 
 nefited by that splendid event. The degradation and 
 barbarism which are portrayed in the annals of the 
 middle ages, are in a great measure excluded from those 
 countries where the benignity of the christian religion 
 has effused its delights. Gross darkness covered the 
 people ; verily they sat in darkness, and groped in " the 
 valley of the shadow of death." Nothing could be more 
 inhuman in principle, ferocious in sensibility, and de- 
 praved in conduct, than the multitudes who were directed 
 by a Papal mandate, and menaced with a Friar's excom- 
 munication. Before that tremendous jurisdiction, every 
 energy both corporeal and mental vanished, and were 
 
 13* 
 
150 EFFECTS OF THE REFORMATION. 
 
 equally vapid and feeble ; and man became a mere tool, 
 to perpetrate atrocities too monstrous to be detailed, and 
 to promulge absurdities too contemptible even for ridicule. 
 Of his rights and duties he was profoundly ignorant ; all 
 genuine concern for his destiny was absorbed in the sen- 
 tence of pardon proclaimed by his Father Confessor ; and 
 iniquity rolled throughout the nations in an unintermitted 
 overwhelming flood. By the Reformation, an impetus 
 was given to all the moral machinery of the world. The 
 immunities with which God has inalienably invested 
 the rational creatures which he has formed, then were de- 
 veloped in all their freshness and value ; and the nations 
 who before had submitted to have the remuneration of 
 their labours unnecessarily niched from them, by the ex- 
 actions of their spiritual task-masters, now began to learn 
 and to experience the superior advantages of active life, 
 untrammelled by a Jesuit's craft, and not subject to cease- 
 less robbery by the myrmidons of the Inquisition. But it 
 is not solely as a member of civil society, that the blessings 
 of the Reformation are developed ; it is more illustrated 
 in the spiritual improvement of men. Freedom has en- 
 gendered activity, and fostered improvement ; and in 
 religion and morals it has furnished the most splendid 
 evidence of its sway and success. 
 
 By the accelerating progress of divine truth, men have 
 become more intimately acquainted with Jehovah, and 
 with his requisitions upon the human family. The dis- 
 tinctions between good and evil are much more ob- 
 vious. Idolatry has bowed before the spirituality of 
 "pure and undefiled religion," like " Dagon fallen upon 
 his face to the ground, before the ark of the Lord." — 
 Practical irreligion in all its diversified forms, as sancti- 
 fied by priestly absolution and papal indulgences, has in 
 some measure subsided. That grand doctrine, that man 
 is a responsible creature at the bar of God, has been lumin- 
 
EFFECTS OF THE REFORMATION. 151 
 
 ously exhibited in all its application and force. " The 
 nations which sat in darkness have seen the great light." 
 
 2. The principles of government among the nations have 
 been extensively reformed. Centuries elapsed, and the 
 same abominable dogma remained as infallible, that the 
 members of the human family should be transferred with 
 the soil. One example will elucidate the operation of the 
 whole malignant system. William the Norman claimed 
 a right to the kingdom of England. His demand was 
 denied and resisted. He transported an army from France 
 to England, and having been permitted by God to murder 
 the staff oi the nation, he forcibly ruled over the people 
 whom he had thus enslaved. One of the conditions sti- 
 pulated between him and his principal marauders, was 
 this, that the whole land with all its inhabitants should be 
 subdivided into districts, according to the proportionate 
 aid which each brought to complete the general conquest 
 and devastation. Accordingly, the land and its append- 
 ages were allotted to each Chieftain according to compact, 
 and all the residents upon the soil were also doomed as 
 slaves to toil for their invaders. That period in Europe 
 has passed away ; the glorious effulgence of the sacred 
 oracles has diifused a lustre with regard to personal pri- 
 vileges, which Can never more be obscured. 
 
 The other social advantage that has resulted from the 
 renovation of Europe, which commenced in the sixteenth 
 century, is discernible in the increased industry of the in- 
 habitants, and the consequent multiplication of their com- 
 forts. Ignorance of the arts and sciences, and of all me- 
 chanical philosophy, was universal and apparently incu- 
 rable; for all the reigning customs and principles of 
 society were prejudicial to the melioration and enjoyment 
 of the people. Could any greater restraint be laid upon 
 industry, or any obstacle more insurmountable be opposed 
 to it, than the idle monastic life, by which a large propor- 
 
152 EFFECTS OF THE REFORMATION. 
 
 tion of the most potent and vigorous inhabitants was 
 withdrawn from the activity of useful labour ; who also 
 consumed in the utmost prodigality the proceeds of the 
 others' employment ? Wherever the Reformation has 
 been adopted, the superfluous festivals, costly pilgrimages, 
 and all those institutions which encouraged indolence, 
 have been abolished. The activity of the inhabitants has 
 been indefinitely increased. The impoverishment of the 
 nation by the importation of indulgences from Rome 
 ceased, and prosperity has attended every species of busi- 
 ness. Thus, even in our secular national relations, the 
 change effected by the instrumentality of the primitive 
 Reformers involves all that is dignifying to individual 
 prosperous to the community, and beneficial to the world. 
 3. But within the boundaries of the church of Christ, the 
 nobler and sublime privileges of the Reformation have 
 been exhibited and enjoyed. At the commencement of 
 the sixteenth century, the temporal authorities posssessed 
 but a small degree of power in their respective dominions: 
 the highest potentates were subject to the mandates of the 
 clergy, their own inferiors. In general, the ecclesiastics 
 displayed no obedience to the civil authorities ; and if the 
 princes complied not with their insolent demands, and did 
 not profusely enrich them with magnificence and wealth, 
 every attempt was made to excite rebellion. Religion 
 always furnished them with a pretext for disaffection to 
 the government, and for their impositions upon the people. 
 Exempt from taxes and payments towards the necessities 
 of the state, they engrossed, almost in every country, more 
 than one half of the national revenues ; and for a King to 
 oppose the hierarchy thus apparently impregnable, was 
 assuming the danger of banishment from his territories, 
 and death, besides the indiscriminate slaughter of all those 
 who adhered to him. Their commands were irresistible ; 
 and through auricular confession, the secrets of all hearts 
 
I 
 
 EFFECTS OF THE REFORMATION. 153 
 
 were exposed to their investigation. Under that gall- 
 ing yoke of body and soul, the Europeans during several 
 centuries had hopelessly groaned, until at length they 
 became insensible to their own degradation. 
 
 The ecclesiastical changes which have flowed from the 
 exertions of the Reformers, comprise a large circle of ad- 
 vantage to the reformed nations. Devotion in its external 
 forms has been inconceivably purified. The mummery of 
 the Romish ritual and the pageantry which absorbed 
 every spiritual feeling have disappeared, that the more 
 simple worship of the heart might be introduced. From 
 the commencement of that period, when crucifixes, sta- 
 tues, pictures, images, cloisters, abbeys, convents and ido- 
 latrous processions were countermanded and destroyed, 
 until this day ; notwithstanding all opposition, a constant 
 progress to that perfection of " fellowship with the Father 
 and with his Son Jesus Christ," which shall so exquisite- 
 ly adorn the latter-day glory, has been demonstrated. 
 
 The influence of popery and of its head has obviously 
 declined. Although in numbers, probably the present 
 Pope can form a catalogue of nominal adherents as large 
 as his Predecessor could have framed during the fifteenth 
 century; yet the irresistible power over the people, which 
 the former pretended Vicegerents of God indubitably pos- 
 sessed, has almost entirely disappeared. Neither Govern- 
 ors nor the people regard, obey, or enforce a Papal bull. 
 The injunctions are despised, and the menaces are ridi- 
 culed. The vision of Bunyan's dream is literally fulfilled. 
 The Pope sits at the entrance of his gloomy and cruel 
 den, grinning at the Pilgrims, as they pass. He can only 
 rail, for he is now too impotent to seize and destroy. 
 
 Nothing could be more utterly at variance with com- 
 mon sense as well as with religion, than the positions, 
 that every person who does not believe as the Pope pre- 
 scribes, shall be anathema, and then burnt, the earthly 
 
154 EFFECTS OF THE REFORMATION. 
 
 symbol of the transfer to the everlasting fire, prepared for 
 the devil and his angels ; and that, with heretics thus con- 
 demned, all faith, every promise, and all covenants may 
 be infringed. Those doctrines are still believed as in- 
 fallible by all who submit to the decisions of the council 
 of Trent; and while the Dragon's Beast possessed his 
 great power and authority, the fiend of persecution ex- 
 ercised his sway without control. Modern papists 
 acknowledge, but they cannot practice their creed. — 
 Tortures and death for the sake of a good conscience in 
 this age have become so abhorrent, that although even- 
 tually they maybe resuscitated for a short period accord- 
 ing to the prediction, Revelation 11 : 7—11; nevertheless, 
 the present paralyzed condition of the Pontifical arrogant 
 usurpations justifies unfeigned rapture ; and urges with 
 overwhelming force, ceaseless and devout thanksgiving 
 to Jehovah, for the inestimable immunities which we have 
 derived instrumentally from the Fathers of the reformed 
 church. 
 
 All the other privileges which have accrued to us in 
 consequence of the contest in which our ancestors in the 
 faith and hope of the Gospel engaged and conquered, are 
 rendered incalculably more valuable by the avenues 
 which it opened for the establishment and increase of 
 literature. Of what utility to mankind comparatively 
 would have been all the literary treasures brought by the 
 Greeks into the Roman boundaries, after the capture of 
 Constantinople, had not the types so rapidly and so ex- 
 tensively diffused their partial illumination ^ And in an 
 ecclesiastical reference, even the discovery of printing 
 would have been of inferior importance to the church and 
 the world without the rejection of the Papal supremacy. 
 Revealed truth alone could remove the darkness of the 
 moral world, dissipate the mists of idolatry, and the fogs 
 of superstition ; and they wisely judged, that the grand 
 
EFFECTS OF THE REFORMATION. 155 
 
 object was to "consecrate typography to the multiplication 
 of the Bible in the vernacular languages. The more en- 
 lightened and artful dignified supporters of the antichris- 
 tian system were perfectly convinced, that the occlusion 
 of the sacred oracles was indispensable to the permanency 
 of their tremendous jurisdiction. Every species of tor- 
 ment and death was denounced against the owner and 
 reader of the word of God ; so that the volume of inspira- 
 tion was altogether unknown ; and the publication of it in 
 Hebrew, Greek and Latin, would have aided the holy 
 cause of pure religion in a very small degree. God him- 
 self doubtless imbued the original translators of the scrip- 
 tures with the hallowed desire to impart the blessing of 
 revelation to all the nations in their own tongues; which 
 has been in every age the most effectual mode by which 
 Antichrist has been enfeebled. 
 
 The vast increase of learning has been of indescribable 
 use to the church in other L respects. Wherever the 
 Protestants have been enabled to grasp the writings which 
 had been incarcerated in the monasteries, they dislodged 
 them from their dark and dreary abodes ; and thus imbo- 
 died scripture, reason and antiquity against the claims of 
 Rome. 
 
 This concise retrospect enforces one important admoni- 
 tion, improve your advantages. Remember the toil, the 
 privations, the anxieties, the opposition, the dangers, and 
 the deaths with which the Reformers whom we have 
 commemorated were constantly enveloped. Demonstrate 
 your exalted sense of their philanthropy to man, and de- 
 votedness to God, by emulating their virtues. Thereby 
 will you exhibit that gratitude to God which you should 
 ever nourish, when you contemplate the value of that 
 truth which "hath brought life and immortality to light 
 through the gospel." 
 

 INDEX. 
 
 Page. 
 
 Preface 2 
 
 Engravings 6 
 
 Reformation .7 
 
 Beza 145 
 
 Bucer 88 
 
 Bullinger 143 
 
 Calvin ....124 
 
 Cranraer 103 
 
 Fagius 86 
 
 Farel 132 
 
 Grynseus 71 
 
 Haller 69 
 
 Hamilton 53 
 
 Huss 42 
 
 Jerom 45 
 
 Knox 135 
 
 Lasco ...112 
 
 Latimer 89 
 
 Luther 72 
 
 Martyr 119 
 
 Melancthon 113 
 
 Musculus. 122 
 
 (Ecolampadius 66 
 
 Ridley 97 
 
 Viret 134 
 
 Wiclif 37 
 
 Zuingle 56 
 
 Effects of the Reformation * 149 
 
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