402 France. Cent. 16. fire and sword, by gibbets and tortures, maintained its cause triumphant. Naples discovered more of the protestant spirit than her neighbours, by firmly resisting the introduction of the inquisition. Here also the labours of Bernard Ochino, and Peter Martyr, were attended with no small success; but they were forced at length to flee for their lives, and leave the devoted country to the ravages of hungry ecclesiastics, every one seeking his gain from his quarter. FRANCE at this period was too full of protestants not to take a share in the great work of reformation. The different families which severally contended for the sovereignty of France were not only divided in their political interests, but also in their religious sentiments. Hence protestantism was sometimes favoured, and at other times persecuted. Calvin, though he had fled from his native country and settled at Geneva, had not ceased to contribute towards reformation in France. Books are subtle and successful ministers: these, the product of Calvin's pen, found their way into France in great numbers. The French protestants, called Hugonots, (a name of doubtful origin,) have been exceeded by none in zeal for liberty of conscience, though not so happy in their success. Such was the connexion between the throne of France and the court of Rome, that something more than a Henry or an Elizabeth was necessary to form a French protestant monarch. Francis I. was so under the influence of both parties, that in the same year he burnt heretics in one part of his dominions, and tolerated them in another. Under the patronage and protection of the queen of Navarre, the protestants lifted up their heads, and at one time it appeared as if they would have obtained a complete victory over their persecutors, and have established an equitable and free toleration; but Chap. 8. Bartholomew Massacre. 403 God saw fit to order it otherwise. It is difficult to say whether the great strength discovered by the hugonots in their military exploits contributed to their safety or to their destruction. Certain it is, that these poor people suffered in greater numbers in France, than in any other part of the continent. At one time, twelve hun. dred were beheaded under the imputation of rebellion; at another, fifty thousand were slain at a seige; and during three mouths the papists were allowed to murder hugonots at their pleasure, in which time two thousand fell victims to the catholic partisans. But the crowning scenes were on St. Bartholomew's day, August 24, 1572. The extreme unparalleled wickedness of this day was effected by a deep-laid scheme. Charles IX, after many fruitless attempts to extirpate heresy by force of arms, concluded a peace with the bugonots, and in order to make that negotiation appear the more flattering, a match was agreed upon between the king's sister and Henry of Navarre. The marriage was accordingly solemnized at Paris, August 18, and a great number of the protestant leaders were present. A few days after the marriage, a principal character of the protestant party was assassinated. This greatly alarmed the king of Navarre ; but Charles promising to punish the assassin, his fears were laid to rest. On the Sunday following, being St. Bartholomew's day, as the bells were ringing for morning prayers, a great number of soldiers appeared suddenly in the streets, and began to murder the hugonots, while the merciless Charles appeared at the palace window, shooting those who were attempting to escape, crying at the same time to the furious soldiery, Kill them! kill them! The massacre continued seven days, during which seven hundred houses were pillaged, and five thousand people perished. One butcher boasted to the king that 404 Papal Triumphs. Cent. 16. he had hewn down a hundred and fifty in one night. From Paris the bloody orders were sent to the surrounding provinces, where five thousand more were added to the inhuman account. The death of the king of Navarre, and of the prince of Conde, was in the design; but Charles satiated himself in sparing these, and poisoning the queen only. This sad affair, so disgraceful to the annals of France, must be laid chiefly to the charge of Rome; for the Vatican resounded with rejoicing, and the court of Spain publicly recognized the deed. It appears from authentic records, that between the years 1530 and 1580, not less than a million of French protestants lost their lives through the mad zeal and savage cruelty of blind infatuated papists. If such were the slaughters among these people, what must have been their number? It is said, that in the year 1571, they had two thousand one hundred and fifty congregations, in many of which were ten thousand members; and yet this vast body at length saw the predominance of the Roman hierarchy, and their own cause reduced to a state the most degrading and hopeless. God is a Sovereign! The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong! During the progress of the reformation, multitudes of the WALDENSES were induced to leave their retreats, and to join themselves to the different churches of the reformed. In these enterprises they escaped not the fury of their adversaries; thousands of men were inhumanly slain, or otherwise persecuted. By some of these people it was held unlawful to defend themselves, and therefore abandoning all hope of establishing their churches in civil society, they returned again to their vallies, and Piedmont continued to retain a people, whose lives and manners approached as near, perhaps, to primitive Christianity, as any in modern ages. Chap. 9. Protestant Nations. 405 "Thus stood the account at last between protestant and papist in Europe: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Brandenburg, Prussia, England, Scotland, Ireland, Hollandall protestant governments. Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium-all papal. Germany, with its vast dependencies divided, and nearly poised in interest between both, eve ry state having a mixture of its opponents; in some tol erated, in others persecuted. Switzerland divided; but the preponderating weight and greater number protest. ant and France more than once on the equilibrium, ready to change its dominant religion, and at last re turning to the house of bondage, though with millions of its inhabitants firm in the protestant faith," CHAPTER IX. LUTHERAN CHURCH. Doctrine and Discipline-Antinomianism—Form of Concord-Defection in Doc trine. REFORMED CHURCHES. John Calvin-Presbyterianism -English Episcopacy-Puritans-CongregationalMoravian Brethren-Divers Sects. SOME miscellaneous events, not absolutely connected with the true church, and yet in themselves bearing a relation to our history, shall be considered in a separate chapter at the end of the century. It will be important at present to pursue the chain of affairs, by which the establishment and progress of the reformation may ap pear in its native course and order. The spirit of the reformation, and of protestantism, consisted uniformly in the denial of papal and Romish supremacy; but the 406 Sweden and Norway. Cent. 16, protestants themselves were not all agreed on the several points of church discipline and ceremonies. It will therefore be necessary to divide our detail, according to the form and denomination these several churches adopted. The followers of Luther were called, after their forerunner, THE LUTHERAN CHURCH; while those who differed from him, and had been led by different reformers, assumed the designation of the REFORMED CHURCH. LUTHERAN CHURCH-The Lutheran doetrine is contained in the Augsburg Confession, and is considered to the present day, by the bulk of Christians, as a form of sound words. It contains the true and essential divinity of Christ, his vicarious sacrifice, and the necessity, freeness, and efficacy, of divine grace. On the subject of the sucharist, Luther departed not so far from the errors of Rome as most of his colleagues (see chap. 5;) he allowed the use of images, tapers, altars, exorcism, and aurisular confession; he retained a certain kind of episcopacy, but laid down no absolute rule of worship-hence the Lutheran churches in different countries adopted that mode of public service which appeared to them most congenial with their views and circumstances. The king, or supreme ruler of the state, according to the Lutheran code, is the head of all ecclesiastical, as well as civil authority, provided he does not proceed to alter nor to withhold the revealed word of God. In Sweden and Norway episcopacy stands strictly maintained. In Denmark the same form is nearly observed, the episcopal character bearing the appellation of superintendant. The German churches are governed by a consistory, at the head of which is a president, and the clergy are classed in a diversity of rank and privilege but without distinction of bishop, all being equal in |