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VII.

CHAP. things that Christ had commanded: for that he had found, with great pain, that just notions of repentance scarcely existed among them; and that they were so ill informed as to seek the divine favour through the medium of images, relics, and ceremonies which they did not understand, while faith in Christ (with which contrition for sin, charity, and good works were inseparably connected,) was utterly disregarded. The sacraments, moreover, which ought to be administered and received with that just understanding of their nature and design, with that faith and devotion, that men might by means of them be really united to Christ, and strengthened in faith more and more, were irreverently and shamefully abused; while the basest simony and grasping at gain were every where practised. In other rites and ceremonies of the church also, in the singing and the prayers, which ought all to be conducted to the instruction and edification of the people, the clergy themselves did not understand what they sang or read all was gone through without the heart being engaged in it, and without improvement either to themselves or others. All this was highly offensive to God, and condemned by the inspired writers. The lives of the clergy also were shamefully corrupt. By these, and other weighty causes, he said, he had been induced, in virtue of his office, to make some commencement of reformation, by the pure preaching of the word of God, and the administration of the sacraments according to their original appointment, in some parts of his territories; and he now trusted that he should have the support of his states in carrying the same into effect generally. He doubted not that he should be able to justify his proceedings to the emperor. But,

if he were disappointed in these hopes, and should have to encounter the same sort of difficulties as had fallen to the lot of prophets, apostles, and the servants of God in all ages, his states would remember the answer made to the Jewish council, We ought to obey God rather than men: and it would be much more tolerable for him to draw down upon himself the displeasure of men than the anger of God. In all civil matters, however, he would ever be ready to perform due service to the emperor, as he had hitherto done."

The proposals, thus piously and forcibly urged, met the approbation of all the orders except the clergy; who still expressed their determination to adhere to the emperor's directions. They would not, however, they said, now enter into dispute with their bishop; but they trusted they should still be left in possession of the cathedral church, to conduct the service and ceremonies there according to their own sentiments. The bishop replied, "That neither would he move disputes with them; that with pious and benevolent intentions he aimed at the reformation of abuses; that he should employ no force against those who declined to comply with his wishes; but neither would he depart from his purpose of introducing reformation, and the preaching of the true gospel of Christ."

Such is the account furnished to the landgrave of Hesse by the bishop's chancellor, Nicholas Meyer; who adds, that the great majority of the senate of Munster were very desirous of seeing his master's designs carried into execution, and that almost all the other towns would hail the introduction of the protestant doctrine with great delight. Faithful ministers, however, were wanting; and in that

A. D. 1544.

CHAP.
VII.

to Rome;

respect he, in his master's name, solicits assistance from the landgrave, and proposes to make similar applications to Marpurg and Wittemberg.

These were the bright prospects of the province in the year 1544. Soon after that, the pope succeeded in stirring up the emperor to take more decisive measures against the reformation: the Smalkaldic war followed, and the good designs of the bishop of Munster were frustrated. In the year 1547 he was cited to He is cited Rome by the pope, to answer the charge of defection from the catholic faith: but the canons on this occasion interposed their good offices on his behalf, urging particularly the services he had formerly rendered in the suppression of the anabaptists. Hence he is supposed to have yielded improperly to the prevailing torrent, after Charles's triumph over the protestant powers. If so, we may trust that he was "chastened of the Lord, that he might not be condemned with the world:" for he afterwards suffered in the conflicts which arose among his neighbours, and the more severely for his former close alliance with the landgrave: he was plundered of his wealth, and even lost his bishoprics; and was reduced to live as an exile in his own city of Munster, dependent on the liberality of the citizens. He died July 15, 1553. Chytræus commends him as a prince of high character, distinguished for piety, wisdom, justice, and clemency.-Munster, however, is to be added to the list of those places in which the light of the reformation was extinguished again, ere it had well dawned upon the people.1

and loses his bishopric.

Reforma

In other places, however, happier success tion of still attended the efforts made to diffuse the

1 Chytr. lib. xviii and xii. Seck. iii. 513, 514.

A. D.

1544.

Ruthen,

knowledge of divine truth, and to correct the abuses which prevailed. The town and adjoining district of Ruthen in Voightland,1 the city and district of Rotenburg, and the principality of Henneberg, both in Franconia, are particularly mentioned. In the second of these Rotenburg, places the reformation was almost universally embraced by the votaries in religious houses, as well as by other classes of the people; so that in the year 1546 no more than one monk and two aged nuns were found remaining. The zeal also of the inhabitants, and their eagerness to hear the word of God, are represented as very striking. Numbers fell on their knees in the churches, and with tears of joy thanked God for their deliverance from the superstition in which they had lived. 2

neberg.

But the account of Henneberg is attended and Henwith the most interesting and remarkable particulars. William prince of that territory had William, been a zealous devotee in the cause of Romish superstition; the institutor of associations and observances designed to perpetuate it; and a persecutor of those who revolted from it: and, as was to be expected, he trained up his sons, three of whom he dedicated to the sacred office, in the same principles. His eldest son and successor, however, George Ernest, attended George the landgrave of Hesse to the diet of Augsburg in the year 1530: and there it pleased God that he should receive the seeds of divine truth, which gradually sprung up, and were afterwards cherished by the piety of his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Eric duke of Brunswick and of Elizabeth of Brandenburg, before mentioned.3 Poppo also, another son of William's, and a and Poppo,

1 Seck. iii. 458. 2 Ib. 514,515.

3 Above, pp. 258, 259.

Ernest,

CHAP.
VII.

canon of Wurtzburg, disgusted with the lives of the higher popish clergy, (of which his situaprinces of tion had given him sufficient experience,) and Hanneberg. impressed with the piety of his brother, became equally inclined with him to the cause of reformation: and, little as such an event might have been anticipated, they prevailed upon their father, whose mind we must suppose to have undergone a gradual but great change, not only to yield to their wishes, but heartily to concur with them. The assistance of John Forster, a pious divine of Wittemberg, was solicited and obtained; and the protestant faith was in the year 1544 publicly professed. William, as he was a late, so he proved a zealous and persevering labourer in the cause. Aided by his sons, he settled the ecclesiastical affairs of his principality in an excellent order: and so determined a spirit did he shew, that, when the protestant confederation was broken and crushed, and all men were trembling before the power of the emperor, he resolutely refused the Interim (a corrupt mixture of popery and protestantism,) prescribed by that potentate in the year 1548. He even wrote to him early in the year following, to this effect: "That he had the fullest conviction, that nothing was taught in the churches of his principality which was not clearly contained in the holy scriptures, commanded to be taught by our only Saviour Jesus Christ, and received in the primitive and apostolic church. That these things he and those connected with him embraced, and would confess in the face of the whole world, at the risque of their fortunes and their lives. That, in all other respects, he had no more anxious desire than to discharge his duty to the emperor; and that the same was earnestly incul

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