greatly spare his own brethren of the reformation, if they departed from his sentiments. He accounted matrimony to be not only lawful, but a duty incumbent upon all who were capable of entering into that state.

Bellarmin, and the Abbé Richard, have accused Luther of Arianism. Their accusation hath no better foundation than this, that Luther declared his dislike of the word consubstantial; and said, that the Arians, though otherwise in the wrong, were in the right to reject unscriptural terms, introduced by men, who thought they could speak better upon the subject, than the Spirit of God: but it appears from Luther's works, that he was not at all in the sentiments of the Arians.

Luther was an enemy to the allegorical and mystical way of expounding the scriptures, as being precarious and dangerous, tending to fanaticism, and exposing religion to the scoffs of infidels. He also blamed those, who pretended to interpret the Apocalypse to the people. He abhorred the schoolmen, and called them sophistical locusts, caterpillars, frogs, and lice. He declared himself against persecution, compulsion, and violence, in matters of religion.

Luther said, "When my first positions concerning indulgences were brought before the Pope, he said, a drunken German wrote them; when he hath slept out his sleep, and is sober again, he will be of another mind." But Luther often apologised for his roughness. "I am accused," says he, "of rudeness and immodesty, particularly by adversaries who have not a grain of candour or good manners. If, as they say, I am saucy and impudent, I am, however, simple, open, and sincere, without any of their guile, dissimulation, or treachery."

The Pope and the emperor were equally concerned that Luther was allowed to propagate his opinions in Saxony, where the great number of his followers, and the resolution with which he defended his opinions, made it evident, that it would become troublesome both to the church and empire, if a stop was not put to his proceedings. Luther defended his propositions by reason and scripture against Tetzelius, who had recourse to the authority of the Pope and church. This made it necessary for Luther to examine upon what foundation one was founded, and in what state the other remained. In the course of this inquiry, monstrous errors and abuses were discovered; the cheats and scandalous lives of monks and priests were brought to light; and Luther, for securing to himself the assistance of temporal princes, took care to explain the nature and extensiveness of civil power.

Temporal government is founded on the highest reason, as well as on divine institution; for, without it, men would be constantly exposed to rapine and confusion: but it has never yet been proved, that a spiritual monarchy is either necessary or serviceable to Christianity. It is an artificial fabric, which

must be supported by arts; and the views of Popes will always be different from temporal princes. If the Pope's partisans say, his authority is founded on the positive command of God; that should be proved clearly from scripture. If they say it is derived from St. Peter, it ought to be proved, not only that such an authority was vested in him, but that he was bishop of Rome, exercised it there, conveyed it down to his successors, and that that succession has not been interrupted. Instead of proving these things, the popish doctors declined meddling with them, and filled the heads of their people with things foreign to the main point. They talked of a long succession of Popes; of the great antiquity and universality of the church; and laid great stress upon the promise, that "the gates of hell shall never prevail against it." Fathers, councils, and miracles, were also appealed to; and if any one was still dissatisfied, he was: branded with the name of heretic, without so much as hearing his reasons; and he had good luck if he escaped burning.

The papal constitution was admirably contrived upon the foundation of a singular kind of monarchy. Princes have formerly strengthened their authority by giving out that they were descended from the gods, or that their government was founded by their express command; and if success attended them, which was looked upon as a mark of divine favour, they were after death reckoned among the deities. But the Pope calls himself the lieutenant of Jesus Christ; arrogates to himself, while living, all power in heaven and earth, and would have it believed that such as refuse to acknowledge his authority cannot be saved. If these points are well settled, the whole business is done for what is more proper to draw the veneration of men, than the notion that the majesty of God resides: in him? Or, what stronger motive can there be to the most. absolute submission, than the fear of damnation?

The Pope does not, like other sovereigns, bind himself to any terms, on his entering upon the government; and, indeed, it would be absurd for him, who is said to be guided by the Holy Ghost, to be laid under any restriction. The subjects of this monarchy may be divided into clergy and laity. The first, which comprehends all ecclesiastics, may be considered as his standing army. The second, which takes in all else of the Roman communion, are no better than slaves, on whom large contributions are raised for the support of the others. clergy are not allowed to marry, under a pretence that worldly cares would prevent a faithful discharge of their duty; but the true reason is, that they may be free from the ties of paternali or conjugal affection, and be ready on all occasions to promote the interest of the church.

The

Pope Paul IV. boasted of having 288,000 parishes,, and 44,000 monasteries, under his jurisdiction. What a prodigious number of ecclesiastics were then under the papal power? As

a blind submission of the laity to the clergy was absolutely necessary for supporting this spiritual tyranny, they were forbid to read the scriptures; for if these had been well understood, it would have been obvious that no one was authorised to lord it over the conscience of another; and, by keeping these among the clergy, they had an opportunity of mixing something with every doctrine they taught, that might promote the interest or power of the Pope and themselves. In order to make way for tradition, the holy scripture was represented as imperfect; and whatever could serve the cause of Rome was imposed upon the poor deluded people under that name.

As the first decay and ruin of the church began through ignorance and want of knowledge in teachers; so, to restore the church again by doctrine and learning, it pleased God to open to man the art of printing, shortly after the burning of John Huss and Jerome. The art of printing being found, the grace of God immediately followed, which stirred up men of better parts to receive the light of knowledge and of judgment; whereby darkness began to be espied, and ignorance to be detected; truth to be discerned from error, and religion from superstition. The first push and assault against the Romish church, about this period at least, was given by Picus Mirandula, Valla Petrarch, Wesalia, Revelinus, Grocin, Colet, Rhenanus, and Erasmus, whose learned writings opened a window of light to the world, and made a way more ready for others to come after. Immediately, according to God's gracious appointment, followed Martin Luther, with others after him, by whose ministry it pleased the Lord to work a more full reformation of his church. The Lord ordained and appointed Luther to be the principal organ and minister under him, to reform religion, and subvert the popish see.

Tetzelius stirred up the archbishop of Magdeburg and others against Luther, who boldly answered all their writings. The emperor Maximilian, on the 5th of August, 1518, wrote to Pope Leo X. and required him to stop these dangerous disputes by his authority; assuring him that he would execute in the empire, whatever his holiness should appoint. The Pope ordered Hyeronymus de Genutiis, bishop of Ascoli, and auditor of the apostolic chamber, to cite Luther to appear at Rome within sixty days, that he might give an account of his doctrine to the auditor, and Prierias, master of the palace, to whom he had committed the judgment of the cause. The Pope, on the twenty-third of August, wrote a letter to the elector of Saxony, desiring him to give Luther no protection, but to put him into the hand of cardinal Cajetan, his egate in Germany; assuring him, that if Luther was innocent, he would send him back absolved; and if guilty, he would pardon him upon his repentance. At the same time, the Pope likewise sent a brief to cardinal Cajetan, in which he ordered him to bring Luther

before him as soon as possible; and, to hinder the princes from being any impediment to the execution of this order, he denounced the ordinary punishments of excommunication, interdiction, and privation of goods, against those that should receive Luther and give him protection; and promised a plenary indulgence to those who should assist in delivering him up.

The elector of Saxony was unwilling that Luther should appear personally at Rome; and the university of Wittenberg interceded with the Pope, who consented that the matter should be tried before cardinal Cajetan, in Germany. This prelate was a Dominican; yet Luther met him at Augsburg, in October. Cajetan asserted the authority of the Pope, and said he was above a council. Luther denied it, and alleged the authority of the university of Paris. Luther delivered Cajetan a formal protestation, in the presence of four imperial counsellors and a notary, wherein he declared, "that he had only sought after truth, and would not retract, without being convinced he was wrong: that he was satisfied, he had advanced nothing contrary to the holy scripture, the doctrine of the fathers; decretals of the Popes, and right reason: that he had advanced nothing but what was sound, true, and catholic: and that he would submit himself to the lawful determination of the church." The legate threatened Luther with the censures of the church, if he would not retract, and bring his recantation. Luther knew that Cajetan had orders to seize him, if he would not submit: and, therefore, on the sixteenth of October, he made an act of appeal, before a notary, wherein he vindicated himself, and declared that he was oppressed and injured, and obliged to appeal from the Pope; for which purpose he demanded letters of mission, and protested he would pursue his appeal. Luther told the legate, that as he had not deserved his censures, so he disregarded them; and then returned to Wittenberg, where he was safe under the protection of the elector of Saxony. Luther was powerfully supported by the university of Wittenberg, where he continued to teach the same doctrines, and sent a challenge to all the inquisitors to dispute with him there, under the sanction of a safe conduct from his prince, and the most respectable hospitality from the university.

The cardinal, mortified at Luther's escape, wrote to the elector, on the twenty-fifth of October, 1518, desiring him to give him up, to send him to Rome, or to banish him from his dominions. To this letter the elector answered, on the eighteenth of December following, and told the cardinal, that "he hoped he would have dealt with Luther in another manher, and not have insisted upon his recanting, before his cause was heard and judged; that there were several able men in his own and in other universities, who did not think Luther's doctrine either impious or heretical that if he had believed it

such, there would have been no need of admonishing him not to tolerate it; that Luther not being convicted of heresy, he could not banish him from his states, nor send him to Rome; and that, since Luther offered to submit himself to the judgment of several universities, he thought they ought to hear him, or at least, shew him the errors which he taught in his writings." While these things passed in Germany, Pope Leo attempted to put an end to these disputes about indulgences, by a decision of his own; and for that purpose, upon the ninth of November, published a brief, directed to cardinal Cajetan, in which he declared, that "the Pope, the successor of St. Peter, and vicar of Jesus Christ upon earth, hath power to pardon, by virtue of the keys, the guilt and punishment of sin; the guilt by the sacrament of penance, and the temporal punishments due for actual sins by indulgences. That these indulgences are taken from the overplus of the merits of Jesus Christ and his saints, a treasure at the pope's own disposal, as well by way of absolution as suffrage; and that the dead and the living, who properly and truly obtain these indulgences, are immediately freed from the punishment due to their actual sins, according to the divine justice, which allows these indulgences to be granted and obtained." This brief ordains, "that all the world shall hold and preach this doctrine, under the pain of excommunication reserved to the Pope; and enjoins cardinal Cajetan to send it to all the archbishops and bishops of Germany, and cause it to be put in execution by them." Luther knew very well, that after his judgment of the Pope, he could not possibly escape being proceeded against, and condemned at Rome; and, therefore, upon the twenty-eighth of the same month, published a new appeal from the Pope to a general council, in which he asserts the superior authority of the latter over the former. The Pope, foreseeing that he should not easily manage Luther, so long as the elector of Saxony continued to support and protect him, sent the elector a golden rose, such a one as he used to bless every year, and send to several princes, as marks of his particular favour to them. Miltitius, his chamberlain, whom we have before observed to have been a German, was intrusted with this commission; by whom the Pope sent also letters, dated the beginning of January, 1519, to the elector's counsellor and secretary, in which he prayed those ministers to use all possible interest with their master, that he would stop the progress of Luther's errors, and imitate therein the piety and religion of his ancestors. It appears by Seckendorf's account of Miltitius's negotiation, that Frederic had long solicited for this bauble from the Pope; and that three or four years before, when his electoral highness was a bigot to the court of Rome, it had probably been a most welcome present. But, post est occasio calva, it was now too late: Luther's contests with the see of Rome had opened the elector's eyes, and enlarged his