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and everything, accordingly, was given up to the most. unlimited caprice. Returning from this its extremest point of developement, (though in an erroneous way), Protestantism passed into a formal system of visions. And this was effected by the instrumentality of Count Swedenborg, who believed himself elected by God, to hold a real intercourse with, and receive real instruction from, celestial spirits, who appeared to him in outward, locally determined forms, to enable him to oppose to vague, mere inward inspirations, and to subjective feelings, a fixed, outward, objective standard, and to prevent the complete dissolution and evaporation of all Christianity. In Swedenborg's system, accordingly, the one-sided mysticism became plastic, and false spiritualism took an outward, bodily shape, whereby the fantastic spirit of the Protestant sects was pushed to its farthest extreme; as subjectivity, striving after objectivity, became to itself an outward thing, in order to replace the external, visible Church founded by Christ. In other words, the mere impressions and feelings of the other Protestant sects, receive, through the plastic phantasy of Swedenborg, visible forms; about the same. as if a man were to take for realities the images of his dreams!

The false spiritualism of these Protestant sects, to which every thing imparted from without appeared like death and petrifaction itself, directed its assaults more particularly against ecclesiastical institutions. And a distinct order of sacred ministry, even in the Lutheran and Calvinistic guise, it considered as an abomination, whereby the spirit was fettered; and the forms of outward worship, even the few which the Reformers had retained or new-modelled, it looked upon as heathenish idolatry. Thus grew up the conviction of the necessity

of reforming the Reformation itself, or rather of consummating it; for this had not yet delivered the spirit from all outward works, nor brought it back to itself, to its own inmost sanctuary.

However, in more than one respect, these newsprung sects approximated to the Catholic Church, from which they appeared to be still further removed, than even the Lutheran and the Calvinistic communities. It was almost always in the doctrine of justification, which, though they made use of unwonted forms. of expression, they mostly conceived in the spirit of Christ's Church, this approximation was perceptible. They represented the inward, new life obtained by fellowship with Christ, as a true and real renovation of the whole man, as a true deliverance from sin, and not merely from the debt of sin; and their feelings revolted at the doctrine of a mere imputed righteousness. Even in the Pietism of Spener, which receded the least from the formularies of the orthodox Protestantism, this tendency is manifest. There is no difficulty in discovering the connexion of this phenomenon with the ruling, fundamental principle of these sects. The stronger the sway of the Divine Spirit over the human heart, as asserted by them; the less could they understand, how its cleansing fire would not consume and destroy all the dross of sin; and hence, in the harshest terms, they often censured the Lutheran and Calvinistic doctrine of justification by faith alone, which they depicted as a carnal, nay, diabolic principle. This hostility appears most violent in Swedenborgianism, whose author, in conformity with the mode, in which he believed he arrived at the knowledge of all his doctrinal peculiarities, sees Calvin descend into hell, and finds Melanchthon totally incapable of rising up to heaven;

as in the proper place, we shall have occasion to recount this vision in connexion with his whole system. Hence, in fine, the very rigid ecclesiastical discipline, and the seriousness of life, which mostly characterize these sects; hence, too, the maxim that even the visible Church should consist only of the pure and the holy; a maxim, which connects them with the ancient Montanists, Novatians, and Donatists. With the ecstatic Montanists, especially, they have great affinity.

CHAPTER I.

THE ANABAPTISTS OR MENNONITES.

FIRST PERIOD OF THE ANABAPTISTS.

§ LV. Fundamental principle of the Anabaptists.

THE Reformation had scarcely boasted an existence of five years, when, from the midst of its adherents, men arose, who declared it to be insufficient. Luther was

at the castle of Wartburg, when from Zwickau, Nicholas Stork, Mark Thomas, Mark Stubner, Thomas Müncer, Martin Cellarius, and others, came to Wittenberg, to enter into a friendly conference with the theologians of that city. They spoke of revelations which had been imparted to them, without, however, at first exciting attention, by any singularity of opinion, save the rejection of infant baptism. Writers have occasionally expressed their astonishment, how the above-named men, (two only of whom possessed any tincture of learning, the rest belonging to the class of workmen) were able to bestow reflection upon the subject adverted to, which had not then been agitated. This phenomenon, however, can only then afford matter for surprise, when we would call in question the active intercourse between these men and the Reformers of Wittenberg-an intercourse which it is vain to deny; for when Melanchthon conversed with them about their faith, he found it in exact conformity with that of the new Saxon school. And why should Luther's maxims and writings not have reached their ears, more especially as the leading

preacher at Zwickau, was among the number of his confidants? If such be the case, then nothing is easier than to account for their rejection of infant baptism. Luther having, as we observed in a former place, connected the efficacy of the sacraments with faith only, it is not possible to understand why infants should be baptized and from the Reformers' point of view, it was not difficult for any one to discover the utter want of an adequate ground for this ecclesiastical rite. From Melanchthon's inclination to recognize the gospellers of Zwickau, as well as from the embarrassment Luther experienced in refuting their arguments, without totally abandoning his theory, respecting the mode of sacramental efficacy, men might long ago have inferred the close affinity between the Anabaptists and the Saxon Reformers, and should utterly have disregarded the pretence of any extraction from the Vaudois.

Undeniable as is the original affinity, between the Anabaptists and the Lutherans, yet, this affinity soon. changed into a mutual opposition the most decided. An indescribable confusion prevailed in the minds of the new sectaries, and a fearful fanaticism drove them on to every species of extravagance and violence; and as they had the inmost conviction of doing all things by the impulse of the Divine Spirit, all hope of opposing their errors by rational instruction was utterly fruitless.* Müncer was deeply implicated in the war of the peasants; and the very tragic history of Münster, must have, at last, opened the eyes of the most indulgent

* Melanchthon's History of Thomas Müncer. (In German.) Luther's works, ed. Wittenberg, part ii. p. 473. "Hereby he imparted to these doctrines an illusive appearance ;--he pretended he had received a revelation from heaven, and taught nothing else, commanded nothing else, but what God had approved."

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