V.

BOOK catechifm, and the German hymns, which he compofed, might be made ufe of by the fimpleft man, to inftruct and edify both himself and family.

To this may be added, that in every thing which Luther wrote or undertook, he was actuated by no interested motive. On the contrary, it must be evident to every one, that the whole Papal fyftem of Hierarchy, both in its fource at Rome, as well as with respect to all who undertook its defence, refted on fuch fupports, that the only objects of the high and low, and of all who were at all interested in it, were wealth, honour, and convenience; while Luther could only expect the reverfe. For this reafon it was foon difcovered in his writings, that it was not hypocrify, when he afferted, that the work he undertook was a duty which he owed both to God and truth; and that nothing but the idea, that he ought in fuch cafes to be obedient to God rather than to man, had infpired him with courage and firmnefs.

From thefe confiderations we may eafily conceive, that the writings of Luther, and his verbal difcourfes, as well as thofe of his difciples and followers, foon met with fo general a reception, that there was fcarcely a country, a town, or even a village of any confequence, to be found in Germany, after the year 1521, where the people were not eager to fee or hear him. There was certainly no neceffity for any order from the government, or encouragement either for the common people, or even for the learned,

and

· II.

and people of rank, to read Luther's writings, or CHAP. hear difcourfes which were delivered according to his doctrine. Nothing but coercive means were able to deter the people from them. Where the magiftracy left the fubjects to their own conviction, the general voice was foon unanimously in favour of Luther. Moft of the magiftrates, either through fear of the Emperor or the Pope, or from other motives, could fcarcely be perfuaded to leave their fubjects to themfelves. Some were not only entirely prohibited from reading Luther's writings, but even met with oppofition when they requested toleration for the preachers of his doctrines; and in feveral inftances, the Government had even recourfe to violent methods of compulfion.

On the other fide, many were perfuaded that this was a cafe in which every one ought to be guided by his own confcience; and that in a matter of importance, which concerned the relation between God and man, God was certainly to be more attended to than man. In many towns, the inhabitants reforted to places in the neighbourhood, to hear the word of God, as they called it, preached in its genuine purity. Many governments were under the neceffity of allowing their fubjects to have fuch preachers. So far was it from the truth, that this great revolution in the Church, which now continually became more and more important, owed its origin to the German Princes, who, it was pretended, only changed the government of the Church in their countries in

order

BOOK order to profit from the fuppreffed convents, and

V.

procure greater authority in ecclefiaftical affairs. Ac-
cording to the true courfe of the hiftory, the re-
formation which was now actually produced, after
fo many fruitless Councils, was not the arbitrary
act of a fovereign, or of any particular government,
but the earnest defire, and at the inftigation of the
fubje&s themselves. It did not therefore originate
among the higher clafs of people, and defcend to
the lower; but amongst the loweft orders, and fpread
its influence till it comprehended the Sovereigns
themselves. The reprefentation therefore which many
have made, that the Elector of Saxony, the Land-
grave of Heffe, and others who followed their ex-
ample, were only guided by their intereft, and found
their advantage in adopting the doctrines of Luther,
and introducing them in their dominions, and that
the Catholic Sovereigns of Proteftant countries had
equally a right to introduce the Catholic religion
again, and that the fame right is ftill exifting, is
totally falfe.-No! It was neither fovereigns nor
governments which took the lead in the revolution
in the Church, or who established it by any acts
of authority: it was the fubjects alone, whofe views
were changed, and who wished, according to the
fentiments they then entertained, to be fet at liberty
from the yoke which had fo long oppreffed them,
and to have their religious worship regulated ac-
cording to their own conviction.
Where the go-
vernments and fovereigns of the country gratified the
wifhes of the people, matters were presently settled;

and

and obftacles only arofe, where the governments CHAP. would not comply.

The fermons and writings certainly did not now continue merely to contain theoretical or problematical queftions of divinity, but fuch a difference difcovered itself in the most effential doctrines, and at the fame time in the whole conftitution of the Church, between what had hitherto prevailed, and what was now adopted, that it was impoffible for both parties to continue any longer in the fame communion.

Luther advanced, almoft in the very words of the Bible, particularly of the Apostle Paul, that it was not our own righteousness, but the all-prevailing merits of Chrift, which could justify and fave us before God; that the real ground of our falvation was to be fought for, therefore, not by our own righteoufnefs, but by faith in the merits of Chrift. He did not mean, that it was fufficient to have merely an historical faith, or such as that of the devils, who believe and tremble; or to profess to believe with the mouth, without proving it by works; but to have a lively and active faith, fhowing itfelf by the love and genuine practice of virtue. But this was a doctrine which deviated fo effentially from the common doctrine of the Catholic Church, that a man could not rely upon his own good works for juftification before God, nor claim eternal falvation for any merit of

II.

BOOK his own. Much less were they now convinced, that

V.

after death fuch a middle state, between falvation and perdition, which was reprefented under the name of Burgatory, could be proved from the Bible, or that any prayers, or facrifice of the living, could avail for the good of departed fouls. Neither was it a part of their creed now, that the invocation of the aid and fupport, or the interceffion of either faints or angels, could be of any fervice to reconcile a finner to God, to whom alone adoration was due.

Thefe alone were already effential articles of religion, which had fuch influence on the conduct of every human being, that thofe who differed in opinion, could not poffibly fubfcribe to the fame confeffion of faith any longer. Many other things likewife ftood in connexion with thefe, which muft have appeared of the utmost importance to every Chriftian who reflected on the fubje&t; fince it could not be denied that all the confequences of alıns, pious inflitutions, pilgrimages, ecclefiaftical penance, letters of indulgence, maffes for fouls, &c. which were the refult of the above-mentioned doctrines, expofed in their true nakednefs every thing that had hitherto ferved as the greateft fupport of the predominant weight of the Ecclefiaftical Eftate, and promoted its intereft, as well as the intereft of all the Papal Hierarchy,

Another thing which began now to be confidered in a different light, was the Mafs, as it had been hitherto