sins, of faith, and of true comfort in times of adversity. His doctrine was generally approved by the learned, who conceived high pleasure to behold Jesus Christ, the prophets, and apostles, to emerge into the light out of darkness, whereby they began to understand the difference between the law and the gospel, between spiritual righteousness and civil things; which certainly could not have been found in Aquinas, Scotus, and other schoolmen. Erasmus revived learning while Luther was teaching divinity at Wittenberg. The former brought the monk's barbarous and sophistical doctrine into contempt by his elegant work: Which induced Luther to study the Greek and Hebrew languages, that, by drawing the doctrine from the very fountains, he might pass his judgment with more authority.

We come now to turbulent and tempestuous times between the Reformed and the Romanists. The monks loudly complained of Erasmus, whose bold and free censures of their pious grimaces and superstitious devotions, had opened the way for Luther. Erasmus, as they used to say, Laid the egg, and Luther hatched it.' The ridiculous Maimbourg tells us, that the catholic church enjoyed a sweet peace in the sixteenth century, and held the popes in profound veneration, till Luther raised commotions: A story which was only fit to be told to boys and girls at Paris. It is hard to name two persons, who were more generally, and more deservedly abhorred, than Alexander VI. and Julius II: And as to Leo X. all the world knows, that he sat very loose to religion and morality.

The year 1517, was the 356th from the Reformation of religion in France by the Waldenses: The 146th from the first confutation of popish errors in England by John Wickliffe: The 116th from the ministry of John Huss, who opposed the errors of popery in Bohemia: And the 36th year from the condemnation of John de Wesaliâ, who taught at Worms.

The papal power was re-established, and carried farther than ever: All the western world, except the Waldenses in France, and a few Hussites in Bohemia, having embraced

He

The rife of the Waldenfes was from Waldus or Valdo, a man of eminence and property at Lyons in France, about the year 1260. was brought to seriousness by the sudden death of one of his friends; and, having some learning, he read the fcriptures, probably in the algate tranflation, which he rendered into French, and expounded to

others,

embraced the communion, and submitted to the authority of Rome: When all of a sudden, and from a most incons siderable accident, as it might seem, a strange discontent arose, which ended in the revolt of a great part of Europe; and the pope, who might, just before, have been considered in all the meridian of his glory, was in danger of losing all. The divine providence delights to accomplish the greatest purposes by the smallest means, that the hand of God might appear rather than the hand of man, and the great Governor of the universe have all the glory.

Leo X. succeeded Julius II. in 1513. He was of the rich and powerful family of the Medici of Florence, naturally proud and lofty. But it is also said, that he was of a courteous disposition, very generous to men of learning and integrity: And would, if he had been tolerably well skilled in divinity, or shewn any regard to piety, although but feigned, have passed for a very good pope. The magnificent church of St Peter was begun by Julius II. and required very large sums to finish: But Leo was desirous of having it completed, notwithstanding he had contracted many debts before his pontificate, and the treasure of the apostolic chamber was exhausted. To bear the great expence of finishing that superb edifice, Leo found himself obliged to have recourse to some extraor

dinary

ethers. This alarmed the clergy, who threatened him with excommunication if he perfifted; but he, perfuaded of the truth and utility of what he had done, regarded not men, but God. He was, therefore, driven out of the city, with his friends and followers, who were ftripped of their property, for which reafon they were called not only Waldenfes, but the poor of lyons, having nothing but the fcanty fubfiftence which they could pick up on the mountains of Saxony, where they remained for feveral ages. They were joined by fome men of learning, who hated the clergy, and maintained, that the bishop of Rome, and the priests, had corrupted the holy fcriptures by their tenets and gloffes. They paid no tithes, made no offerings, obferved no feftivals, and celebrated no fafts: They believed, that prayers for the dead were useless and fuperftitious; they denied the authority of priests, and defpifed confeffion. They led pure and holy lives, and afferted, that they only were the true church; and that the church of Rome was a prostitute, which taught an infinite number of errors. The Romifa priests called the Waldenfes heretics; and their priests, who were called Barbes, were perfecuted: But their pofterity now inhabit the vallies of Piedmont, called the Vaudois. Peter Gilles, minister of the reformed church of La Tour, in the vale of Lucerne, compofed by order of his fuperiors, an ecclesiastical history of the churches of the Vaudois, and published it at Geneva, in 1644: And Claudius Seyffelius, archbishop of Turin, wrote a treatise against the Vaudois, with the hopes of converting them to popery.

dinary means for raising money; which he was advised, by cardinal Pucci, to do by selling indulgences; as the court of Rome, upon several occasions, had formerly experienced to her advantage in raising troops and money against the Turks. Leo, therefore, in 1517, published general indulgences throughout all Europe, in favour of those who would contribute any sum to the building of St Peter's.

Some say, that these indulgences were published under the pretence of making war upon the Turks; and that the pope sent a Jubilee, with his pardons, through all Christian realms, whereby he collected an immense trea

sure.

Several persons were sent into different countries, to preach up these indulgences, and to receive money for them. The collectors persuaded the people, that those who gave to the value of about ten shillings sterling, should at their pleasure deliver one soul from the pains of purgatory: But, if the sum was less, they preached, that it would profit them nothing.

The pope employed the Dominicans in this dirty work in Germany, at which the Augustines were irritated, and pretended that the office of retailing indulgences belonged to them. As all the money, raised this way in Saxony and thereabouts, was granted to Magdalen, sister to the pope, she, to make the most of it, appointed Archimbald, a bishop, by habit and title, but as well versed in the tricking part of trade as a Genoese, to manage for her. But we are told, that Albert of Brandenburg, archbishop of Mentz and Magdeburg, who was soon after made a cardinal, had a commission for Germany: That, instead of employing the Augustine friars, who had laboured above all the religious orders to make them pass, he gave his commission to John Tetzelius, a Dominican, and to other friars of the same order; because he had lately collected great sums for the knights of the Teutonic order, who were at war against the Muscovites, by preaching up the like indulgences, which the pope had granted to these knights. Tetzelius, or Iccelius as he is called by some, boasted that He had so ample a 'commission from the pope, that though a man should have deflowered the virgin Mary, for a proper sum of money he could pardon him;' and assured the people, that He did not only give pardon for sins past, but also

for sins to come.'

John Staupitius was the vicar-general of the Augustines in Saxony; and he was greatly esteemed by the elector,

who

who was one of the most opulent and potent princes in Germany. Staupitius informed the elector of the pernicious consequences of these indulgences. On this occasion, Luther, who was of the Augustine order, and professor of divinity at Wittenberg, began to examine the doctrine of indulgences, which the Dominicans sold in the most open, and in the most infamous manner; and having found it full of errors, he refuted it publicly in 1517. It is said, he was naturally passionate, and zealous for the interest of his order, which made him declaim against the abuses of indulgences, and maintain doctrinal theses about them contrary to the common notions of divines. But it seems not to have been any spleen against the Dominicans that set Luther to work: It was only his dislike to such practices. Some say that Leo X. whose sordid traffic, to which he reduced the distribution of indulgences, gave birth to Luther's Reformation, spoke honourably of this Reformer in the beginning. Silvester Prierio, master of the sacred place, shewed Leo the doctrine which Luther had vented in his book concerning indulgences: But pope Leo answered, that friar Martin had a fine genius, and that these surmises were monkish jealousies.

Tetzelius, or Tecellius, impudently sold the pope's indulgences about the country. Luther was greatly exasperated at the blasphemous sermons of this shameless Dominican: And having his heart earnestly bent with < ardent desire to maintain true religion, published certain propositions concerning indulgences, which are to be read in the first tome of his works, and set them • openly on the temple that joineth to the castle of Wittenberg, the morrow after the feast of All-saints, in 1517. He challenged any one to oppose them, either by writing or disputation.

John Hilten, à German franciscan, of Eysenach, pretended to ground some predictions upon the book of Daniel in 1485. Melancthon, who had seen the original. of that work, says, the author foretold, that, in 1516, the power of the pope should begin to decay. We are informed, that Hilten was put into prison, for having reproved some monastical abuses; and that being very sick, he sent for the guardian, and told him, I have spoke no great matter against the monkery; but there shall come one, in 1516, who shall overturn it.' Du Plessis adds, that Luther began to preach that year; in which he was mistaken, for the æra of Lutheranism began not till 1517..

The

The first thesis published by Luther contained ninetyfive propositions, in which he plainly declared his opinion about indulgences. He maintained, "that the pope "could release no punishments, but what he inflicted; " and so indulgences could be only a relaxation of eccle"siastical penalties That Christians are to be instructed; that the purchase of a pardon is not to be compared to works of mercy; and that it is better to give "to the poor, than to buy pardons: That no confidence "should be placed in indulgences, which cannot remit "the least venial sin in respect of the guilt: That those "who believe they shall be saved by indulgences only, "shall be damned with their masters, and that it is a "matter of indifference whether men buy or not buy any "indulgences." He also condemned several propositions which he attributed to his adversaries; and reproved several abuses, of which he declared them guilty. He pronounced an anathema upon those who spoke against the truth of apostolic indulgences; but hoped for all blessing. upon those, who should be vigilant in stopping the licence and zeal of the preachers up of papal indulgences.

Luther vindicated his thesis in a letter to the archbishop of Mentz, who promoted the sale of these indulgences, and told him, "he could not keep silence, when he saw "the souls entrusted to the care of such an illustrious 66 person so ill instructed, and for which he must one day give an account;" assuring him at the same time, that what he did in opposing this monstrous traffic, was entirely from a principle of conscience and duty, and with a faithful and submissive temper of mind.

Tetzelius assembled the monks and sophistical divines of his convent, whom he commanded to write something against Luther; while he cried out from the pulpit, that Luther was a heretic, and worthy to be prosecuted with fire. In a public dispute at Francfort upon the Oder, he laid down a thesis, in which he opposed that of Luther; and he also published a piece in German against a sermon which Luther had preached on indulgences. This preaching friar, who was an inquisitor in Germany, maintained, that the ministers of the church may im'pose a punishment to be suffered after death; and that it is better to send a penitent, with a small penance into purgatory, than to send him into hell by refusing absolution: That heretics, schismatics, and wicked. 'men are excommunicated after death; and the dead are subject to the laws of the church: That the pope,

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