blot out the sun from the heavens, as to extinguish the bright light of the Catholic church on earth! Clouds may hide for a time the sun's disc from the eye of the beholder-but the sun is still there, the same as when he shone with his most brilliant light upon us: so also, the clouds of persecution and prejudice may cover for a time the fair face of the church-but the eye of faith penetrates those dark clouds, and assures us, that though partially concealed, she is still there! And when those clouds clear away, she again shines out with a more brilliant and a more cheering light than ever! He who said: "heaven and earth may pass away, but my words shall not pass away," has also pronounced that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against her."

Perhaps the most remarkable feature in modern society, is the general and manifest reaction of Catholicity throughout the world, and especially in Protestant countries. There seems to be a universal gravitation of all spirits towards Rome!* Germany, the first theatre of the reformation, led the way in this awakening. Besides the works of Voight, Hurter and Ranké, which are well known, there are also: the "Universal History" and the "Journeys of the Popes," by the great Protestant historian John Müller-the "History of the Princes of the house of Hohenstaufen," by the famous Raumur-the History of the Church," and "the History of Italy," by M. Leo-not to mention a host of other works by eminent German Protestant writers of the day-all of which evidence, by their spirit and their justice to the popes and to the old religion, this wonderful resuscitation of Catholic feeling in Protestant Germany. England, Scotland, and the United States even, have participated in this movement. We trust that De Maistre's prophetic remark that when sectarianism should have run

* See the "Introduction to Ranké's Papauté” by M. Alexandre de Saint Chéron, page xv, seqq.

through the whole circle of error, it would return again to the great Catholic centre of truth-is on the eve of its fulfilment!

What we will now proceed to prove in relation to the manifold influences of the reformation, will throw additional light upon the matter we have treated in this chapter; and may serve also greatly to explain why it was that, after a brief storm of excitement, Catholicity reacted and Protestantism declined.

14*

Part III.

INFLUENCE

OF THE

REFORMATION ON RELIGION.

CHAPTER VII.

INFLUENCE OF THE REFORMATION ON DOCTRINAL BELIEF.

"Who would ever have believed that the reformation from the beginning would have attacked morality, dogma, and faith; or that the seditious genius of a monk could have caused so much disturbance ?" Erasm. (Epist Georgio Duci).

"As long as words a different sense will bear,

And each may be his own interpreter,

Our airy faith will no foundation find,

The word's a weathercock for every wind."-Dryden.

The nature of religion-A golden chain-Question stated-Private judgment — Church authority—As many religions as heads — M. D'Aubigné's theory-Its poetic beauty-Fever of logomachy-" Sons of liberty"-The Bible dissected-A hydra-headed monster-Erasmus-Curing a lame horse-Luther puzzled-His plaint-His inconsistency-Missions and miracles-Zuingle's inconsistency-Strange fanaticism-Storck, Münger, Karlstadt, and John of Leyden-A new deluge-Retorting the argument-Discussion at the "Black Boar"Luther and the cobbler-Discussion at Marburg-Luther's avowal— Breaking necks-Melancthon's lament-The inference-Protestantism the mother of infidelity-Picture of modern Protestantism in Germany by Schlegel.

RELIGION is a divinely established system, which came down from heaven to conduct man thither. By the disobedience of Adam, man, originally created upright, fell from grace, and was, as it were, loosed from heaven to which he had been previously bound by the most sacred

ties of fellowship. Religion is a golden chain reaching down from heaven to earth, which, according to the etymological import of the term, binds man again to heaven. And to pursue the illustration a little farther, as the loss of even one link would destroy the integrity of a chain, and would render it useless as a means of binding together distant objects; so also, the removal of one link from the chain of religion, would destroy its integrity and mar its lofty purpose. These links are united together in three divisions, comprising severally the doctrines revealed by and through Jesus Christ; the moral precepts which he gave; and the sacraments and sacrifice which he instituted. All these are as essentially and as intimately connected together, as are the parts of a chain. "He that offendeth in one, is guilty of all:"* because he rebels against the authority from which the whole emanates.

In

Religion then consists of three parts: doctrines to be believed, commandments to be observed, and sacramental and sacrificial ordinances to be received and complied with. The third department partakes of the nature of the other two being partly doctrinal and partly moral. other words, the Christian religion embraces, as essential to its very nature and divine purposes, doctrines, morals, and worship and we propose briefly to examine the influence of the pretended reformation on each of these separately. Was this influence beneficial? Did it really reform religion, as it purported to do? M. D'Aubigné tells us: that "the reform saved religion, and with it society."+ We shall see hereafter what it did for society; and we will now inquire whether it "saved religion ?”

And first, what was its influence on the doctrines of Christianity? Did it teach them in greater purity, and integrity, or with greater certainty, than the Catholic church had done? Did it shed on them a clearer or more steady light? Or did it, on the contrary, give out a very † Vol. i, p. 67.

St. James ii, 10.

doubtful and uncertain light; leaving the minds of men in perplexity as to the doctrines to be believed; and permitting its disciples "to be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine,"* on the stormy sea of conflicting human opinions? We shall see. It will not, however, be necessary to our inquiry, to examine the grounds which establish the truth of the various Catholic, or the falsity of the Protestant doctrines in controversy: all that will be requisite for our purpose, will be an investigation of the facts bearing on the question.

The

The great distinctive feature of the reformation, was its rejection of church authority, and its assertion of the principle of private judgment in matters of religion. This is the key of that new system: this the proudest boast of those who affected to bring about the "emancipation of the human mind." This is the cardinal principle of "Christian liberty," as asserted by Martin Luther, in a special work on the subject: this the means of being rescued from the degrading" captivity of Babylon." Catholic religion had taught that, in matters of controversy, Christians were bound by the solemn command of Christ, "to hear the church." Church authority was the ultima ratio of controversy, the great means of attaining to certainty in what we are to believe and to rejectthe bond of union among Christians. Not that the church meant to decide on every controverted point: she only decided where she found sufficient warrant in revelation to guide her with certainty. In other matters-and they were numerous-she wisely abstained from any definition, and allowed her children a reasonable latitude of opinion, provided however they did not either directly or indirectly infringe on the principles of faith. This was hallowed and consecrated ground, which was not to be trodden by * Ephes. iv, 14.

See the two works of Luther "De Christianâ Libertate," and "De Captivitate Babylonica

Matth. xviii, 17.