orders, to Aleander the pope's legate, who urged the commitment of Luther to safe custody. Thus he was introduced to the great question of the reformation at a critical period, and he ever afterwards continued a fast friend to the cause. At the diet of Worms he held frequent communications with Mercurinus Gattinara, the emperor's chief minister; which, it may be concluded, would confirm the latter in the moderate and tolerant counsels which he suggested. Of his conduct at the diet of Augsburg, nothing more need here be stated, except that, as much was then attributed to the exitia, the mildness, of Melancthon, so much also was ascribed to the prooyla, the happy eloquence, of Pontanus. He was ever favourable to pacific measures; and, when the Smalkaldic war was likely to break out, he declared that he would always share the fortune of the protestant

Above, pp, 18, 19. Beausobre, (Hist. de la Ref. iv, 231-239,) gives us from Celestine a speech addressed by Gattinara, in the emperor's name, to the pope in council, at Bologna, which does him high honour, for its manly exposure of the evils under which the church groaned, of the necessity of pacific measures, and of a reformation, according to the holy scriptures, in doctrine, as well as in manners and discipline. The pope replied in such an evasive manner, and with such assertions of his own supreme authority, as might be expected from one in his station. When Gattinara would have spoken further, the pope refused to hear him: on, which the emperor took up the subject in person, in such a style as it might have been well for himself and the world had he subsequently adhered to. Beausobre, ib. 239-251.-Archdeacon Coxe (House of Austria, i. 485, 4to,) in a summary manner pronounces these speeches to be fabrications. They are to be found, however, in Melancthon's posthumous Orations, v. 87 &c. and in his Consilia, ii. 346 &c; whence they have been adopted by Celestine, Chytræus, Seckendorf; (ii. 143;) and the substance of them is thought to be authentic by Hane, Hist. Ref. ii. 204-206, and by Gerdes, i. 37. Gattinara was made a cardinal in his latter days; the pope hoping by that means to gain the emperor.

princes, but would never instigate them to fight. He enjoyed the uninterrupted favour of those princes, as well as the friendship of most of the learned men of his time. His latter days were much employed in devotion, in which he daily commended the church and his own family to the divine grace and blessing. He died in peace at Jena, February 20, 1557, having attained the age of seventy years. He was well versed in the holy scriptures, and in the history and the controversies of the church: he studied religion, however, mainly for practical purposes. His eloquence is much celebrated, and it was aided by a fine and powerful voice, a comely presence, and a dignified deportment. He firmly advocated what he thought right, even though it might not be agreeable to his superiors; yet he knew how to yield a ready concurrence, when advice was suggested which approved itself to his judgment, though his previous impressions might have been different. He was greatly superior to the love of money; nor did he use his influence in the courts of princes to subserve the purposes of private ambition. He had obtained a noble command over his passions, particularly anger, to which he was naturally prone. The elector Frederic, he said, had been his first preceptor in this art: but he had frequently in his mouth the words of the Saviour, "Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart;" and he observed, that he deprecated being hindered in prayer, and other necessary duties, by the influence of angry or resentful feelings.

I subjoin the substance of his reply to the His speech elector of Brandenburg, referred to in the at Augs. history.

"The sentiments of the elector of Saxony

burg.

536

towards our most gracious emperor have been before this sufficiently manifested; and it appears that no one of the protestant princes has been wanting to his duty, whether in resisting the Turks, in suppressing the insurgents in Germany, or in any other service. They declare themselves to be ever mindful of the rule, Render to Cesar the things which are Cesar's, and to God the things which are God's. It is not from private interest, from idle caprice, from delusion, or any blind impulse of passion, that these princes have embraced the doctrine now explained in their Confession: but having, after long consideration, and careful examination of the sacred scriptures, and of the testimonies of antiquity, been convinced of its truth, they could not reject it, lest they should incur the awful sentence denounced on those who sin against the Holy Ghost. For the divine glory, therefore, for the salvation of their own souls, and for the sake of others well affected towards religion, (whose number is not small,) they will, by the help of God still confess this doctrine, and cause it to be taught in their churches. And since, on account of the manifest audacity of the papal advocates, who deny that any errors and corruptions can be proved against them, all pious persons throughout Europe demand, even with sighs and tears, that a reformation should be made by a lawful council, these princes demand the same; and assure themselves that our most gracious emperor, who is sensible that reformation is necessary, will not, after the hopes that he has held out, take up arms in order to gratify the impiety and cruelty of other people, to establish the errors and corruptions of the papacy, and to suppress the truth which sets forth the glory

of the Son of God, and sets forward the salvation of the souls of men.-Most respectfully, therefore, do the princes commend both themselves and the whole church to the gracious condescension of the emperor, beseeching him to consider with what dire confusions we are threatened, which (as the history of the late Bohemian wars demonstrates,) may better be prevented by lenient and healing measures, than by repeated victories. The truth itself can never be crushed, let who may fall in its defence: no, it will still rise up again, and the gates of hell can never prevail against it."

This address produced a strong, and not in all present a very agreeable sensation: but the elector of Mentz observed, "It was not to be wondered at, that the severe speech of his brother should meet with a somewhat harsh reply:" and the emperor prevented any further altercation, by ordering it to be declared, "That he would do what became a Christian emperor." -Melch. Adam. in Pontano.

II.

DIET OF AUGSBURG.

(Page 94.)

BEING aware that the "Histoire de la Reformation" of Beausobre did not extend beyond the year 1530, (with which I commence,) and also having learned from Dr. Milner not to expect much assistance from that work, it was not till after my own chapter on the Diet and Confession of Augsburg was both written and printed,

1 Milner, v. 212, 234, 238. (795, 819, 824.)

A Letter

Melanc

thon:

that I read that portion of Beausobre's history, which relates to the same subject. Having since had occasion to examine it, I am gratified with the confirmation which it affords to my own narative. There is one point, however, which I feel myself called to notice. He gives us from Celestine1 the substance of a letter, or ascribed to part of a letter, dated July 6, 1530, and purporting to have been written by Melancthon to the cardinal legate Campeggio, which it must be confessed exhibits sentiments very different from what the preceding history will have led my readers to expect; very different also, I must add, from what I have elsewhere met with from the pen of that highly gifted and excellent man. He is here made to say, "That he and his party were ready to receive peace on any terms; that they had no dogma which differed from the church of Rome, and that, if they disputed with her, it was only on some articles which might more properly be referred to the schools; that the reformers had repressed those who sought to spread pernicious doctrines; that they were ready to obey the church of Rome, on condition that she would treat them with that clemency which she uniformly shewed to all, and connive or relax on some points of little importance, which it was no longer in the power of the protestants to alter; that they honoured with profound respect the authority of the Roman pontiff, and all the ecclesiastical hierarchy; that all the favour asked by them was, that the pope would have the goodness not to reject them; that nothing had made them so odious in Germany as the constancy with which they defended some of the doctrines of the Romish

Cœlest. iii. 18.