he was able, to abolish the clergy, canon law, and the universities, he then proceeded to attack the emperor, and temporal princes, both by his writings and preaching. "You must know," said he, "that from the beginning of the world to this day, it has ever been a rare thing to find a wise prince; but more rare to find one that was honest: for commonly they are the greatest fools and knaves in the world." De Saeculari Protest. Again, "you must know, my good lords," said he, "that God will have it so, that your subjects neither can, nor will, nor ought any longer to endure your tyrannical governments." Contra Rusticos.

Nay, even he could not refrain from expressing the same contempt and rebellious disposition towards his own patron and protector, John Frederick, Elector of Saxony; having been slighted, as he thought, by his highness. "If it is lawful for me," said Luther, "for the sake of Christian liberty, not only to neglect, but to trample under my feet the Pope's decrees, the canons of councils, the laws and mandates of the emperor himself, and of all princes; think you, I shall value your orders so much, as to take them for laws?" Contra Ambr. Catharin.

These sorts of lessons found easy entrance into the minds of people, who had already drunk plentifully of the spirit of "evangelical liberty." Their dispositions were soured and worked up by this inflammatory doctrine of their ministers, to such a degree, that they were ready for any enterprise of sedition and

rebellion. Erasmus thus describes them: "with fierce looks, and threatening countenances," like men "that just came from hearing bloody invectives, and seditious speeches." Accordingly we find "these evangelical people always ready to rise in arms, and equally as good at fighting as at disputing."

How different is this spirit from that of the first ages of Christianity! The faithful then learned from the apostles and their successors, no other doctrine but the doctrine of patience, humility, meekness, obedience to the sovereign powers; and these lessons they invariably adhered to. They said: "Our hopes are not fixed on the present world, and therefore we make no resistance to the executioner that comes to strike us." S. Justin. Apol. 2, ad Imper. Anton pium. They said: "We adore one only God, but in all other things we cheerfully obey you," the emperors. Ibid. They said again: "We Christians pray to God, that he may grant to the emperors a long life, a peaceable reign, safety at home, victorious. arms, a faithful senate, virtuous subjects, universal peace, and every thing that a man and emperor can desire." Tertul. Apol. In fine, the heats occasioned by Luther's seditious doctrine, were so much fomented and increased by his disciples and other new reformers, that they soon kindled into a flame. The peasants in Germany rose up in arms, flocked together, and proceeded in a body, carrying devastation through the provinces of Suabia, Franconia, and Alsatia, and ransacked many of the imperial towns.

The ringleaders of this multitude, chiefly composed of Anabaptists, were Muncer and Phiffer. Muncer pretended he had received from God "the sword of Gideon," in order to depose idolatrous magistrates, and to compel the world to accept the new kingdom of Jesus Christ. These fanatic insurgents, in their progress, plundered and burned churches, monasteries, and castles; killed priests, monks, and noblemen.

The elector of Saxony, and other princes, to put a stop to those disorders and desolation, confederated together, and joining their forces, cut off and dispersed some parties of the rebels, and defeated the chief body of them at Frankhusen, with great slaughter, in 1525. Muncer and Phiffer, the chiefs, being taken, were executed a few days after.

No part of Germany was free from these tumults. The people were universally intoxica ted with the notion of reforming religion, and bent upon removing such magistrates as would not conform to their new systems. At Erford they degraded and secured all the officers of the town. At Frankfort, after having pillaged the churches, and banished the clergy, they expelled the old senators, committed the government of the city to twenty-four commoners, and made a new set of laws, composed from the doctrine of Luther.

Their brethren in Cologne, Mentz, and Triers, had also taken up arms for the same purpose, but failed in their attempts. Such was the extremes of licentiousness the people

proceeded to at this period, from their new conceived notion of "liberty," that Charles V. found it very difficult to stem the torrent, nor could he effectually compass it till many years after. These transactions may be seen more at large in Sledian, Cochlaeus, and other historians.

The Lutherans of Germany, who received the name of Protestants, from their protesting against a decree made in favour of the Catholic religion in the diet held at Spires, in 1529, drew up in opposition to it, their confession of faith, called the Augsburgh Confession, and entered into a league, offensive and defensive, at Smalstald, against the emperor and Catholic princes of Germany. Luther had sounded the trumpet of war, and set all Germany in a flame. The heads of this formidable league were, the electors of Saxony and Brandenburgh, the landgrave of Hesse, the dukes of Wittemburgh and Lunenburgh, and the prince of Anhalt.

Allured by the boundless liberty and enjoyment of the church possessions, which they acquired by the Reformation, they resolved to secure them by the point of the sword. They therefore assembled troops, and brought into the field an army of seventy thousand men, commanded by the elector of Saxony, and the landgrave of Hesse, and a hundred and twelve pieces of cannon. Some other German princes, besides the above mentioned, either joined them personally, or sent them forces. They likewise received succours from the im

perial towns of Augsburgh, Ulm, Strasburgh and Frankfort. Thus they were prepared to depose the emperor Charles V. and to extirpate from Germany the Catholic faith, which had been the established religion of the empire for many ages past. The eyes of all Europe were intent upon the issue of this war. The empe ror, with a much smaller army, marched with resolution against them, engaged them near the Elbe, and gained a complete victory, in

1547.

The two generals, the elector of Saxony, and the landgrave of Hesse, were taken prisoners. Thus was the Catholic religion secured in the empire, and Protestantism, though checked, kept its ground.

A similar scene was acted in Switzerland, where Zuinglius had introduced the Reformation, as we have already related. The reformed cantons, not content with having themselves adopted Zuinglianism, would also force it upon the other cantons that remained Catholic. This occasioned a war to ensue, and a battle was fought, in which the Protestants were defeated, and Zuinglius himself slain, in 1531.

Calvin's Reformation, at Geneva, began by ejecting the prince bishop of the place, and dispossessing him of his sovereignty and temporal dominions. Calvin, who modelled the state of Geneva, declared himself an enemy to monarchical government, and ever commended the advantages of a commonwealth. "They are," said ne, "beside their wits, quite void of sense and understanding, who desire to live