A key to the Revelation of St. John

dity, and without reserve. He had to expose

enormities, which could neither be concealed, nor denied, even "spiritual wickedness in high places:" and therefore, armed with an undaunted bravery, partly the effect of natural constitution, and partly inspired by religion, he denounced aloud the errors of the times, and proclaimed the necessity for an immediate reform.

And as "the roaring of a lion," during the night, is an object of terror' to the beasts of the forest; so were the Bishop and Church of Rome smitten with such apprehension and dismay, by the hearing of his voice and doctrine, that they endeavoured, by all possible means, to get him into their power, that they might either silence or destroy him. The narratives of his remarkable life sufficiently declare, how many attempts they made for this purpose; with what intrepidity he met their designs; how providentially he was extricated from them.

But while such were the effects he produced upon the adversaries of his holy cause, those wrought upon others, who sincerely lamented the abominations that prevailed, and duly weighed the peculiar circumstances of the case, were directly opposite. They were quickly responsive to the

b So early as the year 1524, "Nuremburg, Francfort, Ham“burgh, and several other cities in Germany of the first rank,

openly embraced the reformed religion; and, by the authority "of their magistrates, abolished the mass, and the other super"stitious rites of Popery. The Elector of Brandenburgh, the

sacred message he had to deliver; " and when he 66 cried, the seven thunders uttered their voices."

As a cloud is the emblem of a people, or nation, under its own particular government, so a thunder, which is the sound arising from the disruption of a cloud, will well represent the voice, or public sense, of a people, in a state of revolution, whether that revolution be of a civil or ecclesiastical nature . As therefore there were seven of such thunders, which "uttered their voices,"―so, emboldened by the firmness, bravery, and success, of the symbolical Angel who had set them the example, there were also six different states, under their respective princes, exclusive of fourteen of the imperial cities, which acknowledge only the emperor for their head,all in the very heart of the Western Papal empire, -which now began loudly to remonstrate against the corruptions of the Church of Rome, and to withdraw themselves, as far as possible, from all further connexion with her. These States were Saxony, Hesse, Brandenburgh, Brunswick, Lunenburgh, Anhalt, and the fourteen free imperial cities just alluded to. This mode of proceeding,

"Dukes of Brunswick and Lunenburgh, and Prince of Anholt, "became avowed patrons of Luther's opinions, and counte"nanced the preaching of them among their subjects."-Robertson's Charles V. Vol. II. p. 295.

c Introduction, Sect. V. v. page 55.

d The representatives of these states and free cities, were the first PROTESTANTS. Having protested against an obnoxious dereec of

however, was soon followed by others. And it may be, that the number seven, in this instance, is used partly in a symbolical and comprehensive sense, to denote the great unanimity, with which all those states of Germany, which would thus embrace the Reformed Religion, previously to the dissolution of the Smalcaldic league, would concur, in deserting the communion of the Church of Rome.

"The severity of the decree," made at the Diet of Augsburg on the 19th of November, 1530, "which was considered as a prelude to the most "violent persecutions, alarmed the Protestants, "and convinced them, that the emperor had re"solved on their destruction. The dread of those "calamities, which were ready to fall on the Church, oppressed the feeble spirit of MELANCTHON; and, as if the cause had already been desperate, he gave himself up to melancholy

the Diet of Spires, on the 19th of April 1529, they acquired that appellation; which, indeed, has honourably distinguished all those ever since, who have conscientiously avoided the communion of the Church of Rome.

They afterwards, December 22d, 1530, entered into a defensive league at Smalkalde. Ulric, Duke of Wurtemburg, established the reformed religion, to which he was pre-disposed, and joined this Protestant confederacy, in the year 1535; that is, as soon as he was restored to his hereditary dominions, and before the renewal of the treaty of Smalkalde, in December of the same year, for ten years longer. Consult Robertson's Charles V. Vol. III. p. 43-92.

e Introduction, Sect. V. viii. pages 76. 80.

"and lamentation. But LUTHER, who, during "the meeting of the Diet, had endeavoured to "confirm and animate his party by several Trea"tises which he addressed to them, was not dis"concerted or dismayed at this new danger. He "comforted MELANCTHON and his other desponding disciples; and exhorted the Princes not to "abandon those truths, which they had lately "asserted with such laudable boldness. His ex"hortations made the deeper impression upon them, as they were greatly alarmed at that time, by the account of a combination, among the Popish Princes of the empire, for the maintenance of the established Religion, to which "CHARLES himself had acceded. This convinced

ઠંડ

them, that it was necessary to stand on their

guard; and that their own safety, as well as the "success of their cause, depended on union. "Filled with this dread of the adverse party, and "with these sentiments of the conduct proper for "themselves, they assembled at SMALKALDE. There

σε

they concluded a league of mutual defence

against all aggressors, by which they formed "the Protestant States of the Empire into ONE REGULAR BODY; and beginning already to con"sider themselves as such, they resolved to apply "to the kings of France and England; and to implore them to patronize and assist their new "confederacy f."

f Robertson's Charles V. Vol. III. p. 53-55.

In the treaty entered into with CHARLES the following year, "by their firmness in adhering to "their principles, by the unanimity with which they urged their claims, and by their dexterity "in availing themselves of the Emperor's situation, the PROTESTANTS obtained terms, which "amounted almost to a toleration of their religion; all the concessions were made by CHARLES; "and the PROTESTANTS of Germany, who had "hitherto been viewed only as a religious Sect, came henceforth to be considered as a political Body of no small consequence "."

And in this light they are actually represented in this very prophecy; as will almost immediately appear.

II. But, though this is the case; and though when the league of Smalkalde was renewed a second time", it was concluded between eleven

& Robertson's Charles V. Vol. III. p. 61.

h On the 12th of December, 1535; but it was not extended or signed in form till the September following.

The Princes, and Representatives of Imperial cities, who acceded to it, were as follow:-John, Elector of Saxony; Ernest, Duke of Brunswick; Philip, Landgrave of Hesse; Ulric, Duke of Wurtemburg; Barnim, and Philip, Dukes of Pomerania; John, George, and Joachim, Princes of Anholt; Gebhard, and Albert, Counts of Mansfield; and William, Count of Nassau.

The Representatives of the cities were those of Strasburg, Nuremburg, Constance, Ulm, Magdeburg, Bremen, Reutlingen, Hailbron, Memmengen, Lindaw, Campen, Isna, Bibrac, Windsheim, Augsburg, Frankfort, Esling, Brunswick, Goslar, Hanover, Gottingen, Eimbeck, Hamburgh, Minden. Ibid. p. 95.

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