mands Timothy, Give thyself to reading.

We are not to tempt God, as if he were to be expected to instruct us, as he did the apostles, miraculously, without study on our part. We do not, however, exhort them to superfluous, philosophical, secular studies: the Old and New Testaments will find them employment enough. -Further it does not seem agreeable to the intention of the apostles, that you should remove your ministers every three years. There is a difference between apostles (or missionaries) and pastors. The former are sent forth; but bishops and pastors should remain with their flocks: although they may advantageously be appointed visitors for the others.-Nor do we approve the injunction of celibacy.... It is not marriage that spoils priests, but sloth, selfindulgence, and the fear of the cross.... In like manner of monastic vows.-Finally, though among Christian ministers titles and degrees may safely be dispensed with, which too much savour of popish pomp and pride, yet let there be those who preside, and those who are subordinate; let there be inspectors or bishops; let there be preachers; and let there be those who are yet in training.

"Concerning the mode of instructing the people, it is not for us to prescribe. Only let those things be taught which conduce to faith and love, and let them be adorned by humility and endurance of the cross. Let things unrevealed (apocrypha, secret things)1 be avoided, with contentious and curious questions, which gender pride, and strife, and hatred. Let the one object be, to set forth the glory of Christ, to produce a holy life, and to banish vice, hy

1 Deut. xxix. 29.

A. D. 1530.

CHAP. pocrisy, and spiritual pride, the source of heresies, and of perdition to numbers."

II.

He then enumerates the canonical books of scripture, as we have them, except that Esther is omitted. The books of the Apocrypha, he says, "we do not despise, but we do not allow them divine authority like the others." In the New Testament, he states, "We do not place the Apocalypse, the epistles of James and Jude, the second of Peter, and the second and third of John, on the same footing with the rest." "Allegories, founded on scripture, agreeable to the analogy of faith, and not lowering the dignity of the sacred writings, we admit: but they are not to be invented according to the dreams of every one."

"All that doctrine which magnifies the grace of Christ we willingly embrace. Free will, as far as it derogates from grace, we do not approve. Yet we do not by this introduce a necessity of sinning: for they who sin do it voluntary, and of their own accord. Original sin has its own proper province (suam rationem). Our virtue is not the greater because of many commands being delivered to us: but great is the power of the Spirit, by which we perform the will of God: great also our backwardness, on account of which we are adjudged unworthy. There is such a thing as fate, or necessity, (fati ratio) with God, which is immutable, though all things appear to you uncertain. But you are not called to attend to the secret things of God, but to his word, which we ought to believe, and by which we shall (then) be saved. -We cannot deny predestination: and that it cannot fail is most certain: but what then? is God unjust is he untrue? Let us humble ourselves before his majesty, which abases the

proud, while his mercy encourages the contrite in heart, who seek help from him alone, and not from the flesh and their own will; that in all things the praise may be God's.What have we to do with the contentions of Erasmus and Luther?-Our perdition is from ourselves; our salvation only from the Lord our God.1

"Therefore, my brethren, since you have received from the Lord so precious a talent, go on and look not back: give glory to God by living righteously, soberly, and piously. Let not the flesh prevail, to your destruction, but let it be subdued, to his glory. For, if we lose our life here for Christ, we shall find it in the resurrection of the just to eternal life :—which, may it be granted to us all by the grace of Christ!

"I entreat you not to despise this brotherly admonition: for I would not speak or write any thing which I thought Christ would disapprove. Our beloved and much to be respected brother in Christ, George Maurel, will relate to you other things by word of mouth.

1 I cannot here refrain from expressing my admiration of the wisdom of this great man in treating with these plain people on such abstruse subjects. He simply asserts what is clearly scriptural on both sides: "We cannot deny predestination: but what then? is God unjust," in holding us accountable? or "is he untrue," in the declarations and promises of his word? He calls them off from curious questions, and prying into things "too high" for them, and probably for any man in the present state of existence: "You are not called to attend to the secret things of God, but to his" revealed "word, which we ought to believe" implicitly, and by believing which "we shall be saved." And, finally, he wraps up the whole in the pious and practical position, which involves all that the profoundest minds have been able to attain to upon these points" that our perdition is from ourselves; our salvation only from the Lord our God."

A. D.

1530.

CHAP.

II.

Intreat God on behalf of us and our church: and we also will be mindful of you in the Lord. -Basle 13 October, 1530."

Ecolampadius wrote four days after to Bucer, concerning his visitors, who were proceeding to Strasburg: "You will be visited by the Waldenses, exceedingly pious men, who wish to hear your sentiments on certain points. They will shew you the answer I have given them. That you may not waste your time, read what I have written, and either give them better counsel, or sanction mine; that so they may depart in peace, and commence their reformation. You will receive them with the kindness which belongs to you: but, if through the pressure of business you cannot enter into the subject, desire Capito to undertake it." 2

The result of these communications appears to have been highly gratifying, except as it was connected with further sufferings on the part of this persecuted people of God.-Latomus was seized, on his way home, at Dijon, and thrown into prison. Maurel reached Merindol (in Provence) in safety, with the books and papers which he had brought from the German churches. 3 He informed the people of all that had passed, and publicly declared "the many errors into which they had fallen." In consequence, so earnest a zeal for reforming their church was excited, that they sent for some of

1 Scultet. 163-166. ex Epist. Ecolam. tom. i. Gerdesius, Hist. Ref. ii. 401-418, has copied these interesting papers from Scultetus. 2 Scultet. 166.

:

3 Ruchat makes both the deputies to reach their home in safety but many of the Waldenses are stated to have been imprisoned on this occasion, and Martin Goninus, who had been sent to Farel, a reformed minister at Neufchatel, to have been drowned in a sack at Grenoble, the capital of Dauphiny. Gerdes. ii. 417.

their older and more experienced brethren froin Calabria and Apulia, (the south of Italy,) to consult with them on the subject: but, this coming to be known, the governor of the province, the bishops, priests, and monks raised fresh persecution, against them,1 which was carried on with great cruelty, "notwithstanding the more favourable intentions of Francis I. towards them,” till the death of that monarch. 2

A. D. 1531.

We will now close the present chapter with Writings of some notice of the writings of Luther about Luther. this period.

In the year 1531, he published nothing of consequence in addition to the works which have been already mentioned. He was much occupied in preaching at Wittemberg, in the absence of Bugenhagius Pomeranus, who had gone, by invitation, to Lubeck, to establish a reformed ministry in that place. 3 The next year he printed various expositions, sermons, and other minor pieces, which would be very

1 Scultet. 166.-Perrin mentions a meeting held in the valley of Agrogno, in Piemont, September 12, 1535, at which the ministers and heads of families from "all their valleys," assembled, and in which, after considering the communications of Ecolampadius, Bucer, and others, they agreed to certain. articles, to be received and observed of the whole people. It appears to have been included among these articles, that they - should administer the two (only) sacraments among themselves. The first consequences of this meeting are said to have been, that the popish priests, despairing of reclaiming the people, silently withdrew from the valleys, and that the Vaudois proceeded, the following year, to print, in Switzerland, a translation of the whole Bible into the French language the first that had ever been printed.-Persecutions, however, soon followed.-Luther's Forerunners, Lond. 1624, ii.57-62, where the substance of the Vaudois articles is given. 2 Jones. 3 Seck. iii. 16, 17.