of the Reformation in England and Switzerland, I shall not enter on that part of the subject now.

The wars in which Charles was engaged, prevented his being able to check as he could have wished, the progress Luther was making: the history of this period abounds in interest, but it is not the history of the emulation, the ambition or pride of the monarchs of this world I am to relate, but the history of that religion which they either neglected, or endeavoured to use as the instrument of advancing their own political schemes.

One circumstance connected with the wars of this period, I must mention; not that it has any thing to do with the history of pure religion, but that I cannot entirely pass over so remarkable a circumstance in ecclesiastical history. At the

siege of Pampeluna, an officer named Ignatius Loyola was dangerously wounded, and being prevented from an attendance on military duties for a considerable time, found no other source of amusement but that of perusing the lives of the Saints. And being of an enthusiastic and ambitious turn of mind, he conceived the idea of rivalling these worthies, whom the Roman Church had canonized; and, proceeding from one step to another, he embarked in the most extravagant adventures, and pursued the wildest projects of saintly renown, until at length he instituted the far-famed and powerful order of the Jesuits: From which,' says Dr. Robertson, mankind have derived more

6

advantage, and received greater injury, than from any other religious fraternity.'

During his concealment in the castle of Wartburg, Luther had gained many converts to his doctrines, not only in Germany, but also in England, France, and other places. At last, hearing of the improper zeal of one of these, named Carlostadius, an eminent person of those days, who on some occasions forgot both the prudence and meekness of true religion, he left his retreat, A. D. 1522, and hastened to Wittemberg to restore order, and to prevent the tumults which the indiscreet zeal of Carlostadius, in attacking Roman Catholic images and altars, was exciting.

The same year Leo X. died,-of joy, say the French writers, at the successes of Charles, with whom he was in alliance. In the annals of the church and of the world, his name has been, and will be, remembered: he reached the pinnacle of his glory, and returned to his kindred dust.'

As I think I shall have another long story to tell you of the Reformation in Germany, I shall end the present one here, having extended it as far as seemed proper or desirable.

CENTURY XVI.

CONTINUED.

PROGRESS OF THE REFORMATION IN GERMANY.

POPE Adrian VI. who had been very unexpectedly called to fill the place of Leo, was of a character not only totally unlike his predecessor, but one seemingly unsuited to the exigency of the times; which called for an experienced and able prelate, instead of one who was a stranger to Rome, and destitute of those abilities which seemed necessary to meet the attacks now making from various quarters upon the Roman Church.

Adrian knew and candidly owned the corrupted state of that Church. Many abominable things, he said, had been practised in St. Peter's chair, and every thing was changed for the worse; yet he did not appear more inclined to favour those who fought against those very corruptions. His Nuncio, at the Diet of Nuremberg, represented the paramount necessity of suppressing Luther's

heresy by every possible means; and declared that Luther himself must be cut off from among the faithful, as Dathan and Abiram had been from the congregation of Israel. But the members of the diet, instead of acting with, complained against the Papal See; and the Nuncio, finding his labours to destroy Luther and his heresy equally unavailing, was obliged to return unsuccessful.

The Reformers, thus mildly treated, were allowed to continue preaching and propagating the truth; and Adrian, seeing the growth of Lutheranism, and feeling his church tottering before its prevalence, regretted the day when he was seated in the falling chair of St. Peter: he died, however, very shortly, A. D. 1523; and his successor, Clement VII. was as much superior to him in abilities, as he was inferior in goodness of disposition.

Clement sent Campeggio, as his Legate, into Germany, to transact the business of another diet, which was again assembled at Nuremberg. But this ended, like the preceding one, without any thing effectual being done. The errors that had crept into the church were acknowledged, but not rectified; and the reformers were not proceeded against with any increase of severity.

In the year 1526, a revolt broke out at Ulm, in Suabia, from whence it spread through the provinces of Germany, and occasioned great disorders. It began in provinces where the Reformation

had not reached, but afterwards found adherents among some fanatics, who, I fear, "have caused the way of truth to be evil spoken of." Thomas Munzer, a violent fanatic, instigated the peasants of Saxony to the most outrageous acts; and Matthias and Brecold, leaders of a sect called Anabaptists, because they did not allow infants to be baptised, were wicked and violent men, who wished, like the Mahometans, to teach their faith by the sword.

But all this time the Reformation advanced; people daily left the forms and superstitions of the Romish Church, and even in convents and monasteries, Luther gained many converts. Monks and nuns, convinced that they could serve their God as well in the discharge of the duties of life, as in the seclusion of a convent, left their retreats, and mixed again in the world. One of these nuns, named Catharine a Boria, was afterwards married to Luther!-a singular instance of a monk and nun becoming man and wife.

This year, Frederic, Elector of Saxony, died, and his brother John succeeded;-an open and zealous patron of the Reformation, willing not only, like his brother, to protect its leader, but to honour and encourage all its adherents. He wished to establish it universally; and requested Luther and his friend Melancthon to draw up a form of worship and of church government, such as they would approve of. You may be sure they joyfully complied; and thus the mass was