A. D. 1544. cated upon his people by their pastors. He begs, therefore, that he may not be required to receive the Interim; but that what he has already established in his province may remain undisturbed. He adds, that the emperor ought to conclude, that a man, who for temporal considerations would surrender what he was convinced in his own conscience was the truth and will of God, was not likely to prove faithful to his earthly superior." Here again an open and manly avowal of principle proved to be the best policy. William remained undisturbed amid all the changes which took place: he lived to the year 1559, and then died, at the age of Jan. 24. eighty one, in the pious and unwavering confession of the true faith of the gospel. Though William was the father of thirteen children, (seven of them sons,) yet his family became extinct with that generation. His dominions devolved partly to the elector of Saxony, and partly to the landgrave of Hesse, so that they continued, and to this day continue protestant. 1 1 Seck. iii. 456-458. CHAPTER VIII. George prince of Anhalt. tion. FROM THE PEACE OF CRESPY TO THE DEATH OF WAR. We have now arrived at the last stage of the history proposed to be comprised in the present volume and, having here also particular accounts to offer of two eminent persons, we will place them first in order, in immediate contact with the histories of individuals which have preceded. The first of these persons is George prince of Anhalt, a name which has already repeatedly occurred in the course of our progress. This excellent man appears to have been blessed with pious and judicious parents, to whose care His educa- of his education, though they were themselves to a considerable degree involved in the prevailing darkness and superstition, and though he lost his father at the early age of eight years, he afterwards felt himself to be deeply indebted. Of his mother, in particular, who was the granddaughter of the king of Bohemia, we shall find him taking very pleasing notice. He was born in the year 1507, and being a younger son was destined for the church. After the death of his father, he was placed under the care of George Heldus, (called from the place of his birth Forcheimius,) a learned and pious instructor at Leipsic, who had also Joachim Camerarius and Caspar Cruciger for his scholars. Under his instruction, George laid the foundation of a degree of learning in those days very uncommon in persons of his rank in life. He subsequently applied to the study of jurisprudence, and at the age of twenty two was admitted into the council of the archbishop of Mentz and Magdeburg; in which capacity, in consequence of his talents and eloquence, he was employed in much important business. Five years, however, before this time, when he had attained only the age of seventeen, he had been made provost of the cathedral church of Magdeburg; and, becoming deeply interested in the theological questions which were so much agitated, he applied himself to the study of the scriptures and the fathers; still availing himself of the suggestions of his old tutor, Heldus. In order to read the sacred writings with greater advantage, he diligently cultivated the knowledge of the Greek and Hebrew languages; in the latter of which his proficiency is particularly praised. But of these his theological studies, and of the result of them, we must attend to the very interesting account which he himself has given us. It is remarkable, that he had for the guardians of his youth three of the most devoted supporters of the papal superstition, and opponents of the protestant cause, that the age produced.Albert archbishop of Mentz, Joachim I. elector of Brandenburg, (the archbishop's brother,) and George duke of Saxony. These, of course, opposed every obstacle to his approximation to the sentiments of Luther: and it is to his correspondence with the bigoted duke of Saxony, extending from the year 1533 to 1539, that we A. D. 1545. 1529. CHAP. His zeal for Catholic Faith. are indebted for the fullest account of the progress of his religious inquiries. "With good conscience," he declares," he the Roman could say with S. Paul, that from his early youth he had felt an ardent zeal for the law of his fathers; for the ceremonies, the customs, and the doctrines in which he had been brought up. Against those principles, therefore, which were opposed to them, and tended, as he conceived, to subvert every good institution, and to introduce all sorts of evil, he had cherished the most uncompromising hostility; as many who were yet living could attest. He had thrown every obstacle in his power in the way both of the success and the advancement of those, whom he considered as in this point of view suspected persons; and in accomplishing this he felt an unfeigned pleasure, as doing God service. But all the time he was acting only upon hearsay and ex parte evidence: for he avoided, with a degree of horror, the reading of books which he understood to be surcharged with poison. He began, however, to reflect, that, as a member of the church and of the ecclesiastical order, it behoved him to employ himself in a more efficient manner in opposing the dangerous efforts of those who were enemies to His study both. He determined, therefore, to lay aside for a time more amusing and more lucrative studies, and as far as his indispensable engagements would permit, (for from his youth up he had never been idle,) to apply himself to the study of the scriptures and of ancient ecclesiastical writers, whom, he was confidently persuaded, he should find interpreting the scriptures in a widely different manner from the modern innovators. Accordingly he had recourse to the doctors and the canons of the church, with of the Scriptures and the Fathers. no other view than that of triumphantly exposing the errors of the new teachers, for the conviction of some whom he esteemed, but who had been misled, and for the confirmation of others in their obedience and attachment to the catholic church. But, he exclaims, O God, what shall I say? When I examined on all sides and in all parts the writings of the approved doctors, and the ancient canons, I could no where find that interpretation, and those traditions which I sought, and of which I had boasted; nor, when I applied to persons who had the authority of the fathers constantly in their mouths, could they point out any thing of the kind to me! On the contrary I discovered, not only that numberless practical abuses, repugnant to the scriptures and the determinations of the fathers, were defended among us, but that we had departed widely indeed from the pure Christian doctrine. I saw that many articles taught by the fathers, and sanctioned by councils, were now restored and brought to light again, after a long oblivion, by those very teachers, whom we were denouncing as heretics: and that the reasonings, by which our doctors now opposed them, were precisely those of the ancient heretics upon similar questions, which the fathers of the church had refuted and rejected. However this was to be accounted for, I saw that it might be demonstrated from these writings, and especially from those of Augustine against the Pelagians, that, in the principal points now in controversy, the sentiments of our writers differed little from the dogmas of the heretics; as, for instance, on the article of justification, on the cause of salvation, on free will, human merits, the grace of God and the remission of A. D. 1545. |