doctrine of justification by faith only;1 ordained that married priests should be ejected from their livings, which should immediately be given to others; but that such as should forsake their wives, and return to their former state, might be restored by their bishops, with the consent of the pope or his legate the rest were to have " no refuge or sanctuary, but to be banished or otherwise condignly punished." It declared null and void "all unreasonable compacts which the priests had any where been forced to make, and all unjust alienations of church property:" that "nothing should be changed in those things which concerned the faith and worship of God; and that they who acted otherwise should forfeit life and goods :" that" monasteries and religious houses, which had been destroyed, should be rebuilt; and such persons within the territories of the protestants, as followed the ancient faith, should be taken under the protection of the empire: that application should be made to the pope for a general council, to be summoned within six months, and to meet within twelve months afterwards that no appeal or protest against

Milner's ample review of his controversy with Erasmus on that subject. Church Hist. v. 263–367. (850—959.)

It may be almost superfluous to entreat the reader to distinguish between being justified by faith only, and being justified by a faith which is alone in the mind, and, "being alone," that is separated from repentance, love, and obedience, "is dead." James ii. 17. See Hooker of Justification, § 31. -On the term "faith only" or "faith alone," Melancthon in his Defence of the Confession says, "If the exclusive term, only, is disliked, let them erase the apostle's corresponding terms, freely, not of works, it is a free gift, &c : for these also are exclusive." Vide plura, Seck. ii. 206 (d). -In an epistle to Camerarius, dated Aug. 31, 1530, he says, I even compelled Eckius to confess, that justification is by faith." Mel. Epist. iv. 104.

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the enactments of this decree should have force: and that, to the end that the decree might be observed and put in execution, as far as it concerned faith and religion, all men should be obliged to employ whatever fortune God had been pleased to bestow upon them, and their blood and lives beside; and that no man should be admitted into the judicature in the Imperial Chamber," (the supreme court of the empire, supported at the common charge, for determining all questions that arose among the different states and members,) "unless he sanctioned this decree made about religion; and that they who refused to do so should be turned out."

Seckendorf observes, that the draught read to the protestants, on the twenty-second of September, corresponded verbatim with the decree, as eventually published, up to a certain point; namely to that part in which the restoration of the monks was enjoined; but that that article and those which followed were either not then writen, or were concealed. At that time, however, it was proposed to allow the elector and his associates till the fifteenth of April following, to determine whether they would acquiesce in the decree or not; an indulgence which they declined, as their minds were already made up.3

Such was the treatment which the pope, the emperor, and the great majority of the princes

1 Robertson understands this of "acting as judges or appearing as parties." Charles V, iii. 50. It would seem, however, that the meaning was, that no protestant should act as judge, advocate, or proctor, or even hold any inferior office in the court. See Seck. ii. 209 (1). iii. 421 (7).

2 Sleid. 139, 140. Maimb. in Seck. ii. 199. Du Pin. vi. 123. 3 Seck. ii. 200.

and states of Germany thought proper for men, to whom, after all allowances, we may apply the language of the apostle, and say concerning them, "Of whom the world was not worthy." Such was the "infamous "1 decree of the diet of Augsburg. We cannot scruple to apply this epithet to it, whether we contemplate its particular clauses concerning the married priests; -holding out favour and reward to those who would "forsake their wives," but depriving of "all refuge and sanctuary," as the most atrocious of criminals, those who should retain them; concerning the restoration of all the exposed and exploded superstitions and idolatries; and concerning the obligations of all men to employ their blood and treasure in giving effect to these enactments :-or whether we consider its general tenor and design. It openly trampled under foot all the sacred rights of conscience, and breathed a determination to suppress by force and bloodshed, and at the risk of kindling the flames of civil war throughout Germany, the light which had lately broken in, and the reformation which was in progress. But this is only what Christians were from the beginning taught to expect. "Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. -Ye shall be brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake: yea the time cometh, when whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service."-One of the many important lessons which we are to learn from the review of such histories is, the duty of gratitude for the exemption which we enjoy from evils of this kind, and for the blessed changes which

1 Milner.

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have taken place since the commencement of the sixteenth century. Unbounded gratitude, indeed, do we owe to Almighty God for the favourable circumstances in which we are placed; and to the illustrious men also who were his instruments in bringing about so blessed a revolution. At the same time we must not too confidently rely on the continuance of such a state of repose and prosperity. Still the spirit of the world is hostile to that which is of God; and it may again shew itself to be so beyond our expectations. It behoves us "while we have the light to walk in the light, that we may be the children of the light-lest darkness come upon us" and still to remember, that, " if we love father, or mother, or our own lives more than Christ," we are not and "cannot be his disciples."

The principles which were advanced in the interviews between the protestants and the more dignified of their opponents, particularly the emperor himself, may also deserve our remark. They were such as are still urged, though now generally in a more covert manner, against those who exhibit the singularity' which ever belongs, more or less, to "the power of godliness," in this fallen world. "The protestants were few in number-an inconsiderable party: -they ought to submit to the majority, and follow the same religion with the emperor and the rest of the princes.-Their's was a novel doctrine :-they introduced a singular kind of religion, disagreeing with the practice of all the kings of the earth. If they were right, all others were wrong-and even their own ancestors all heretics! Their assurance could not be sufficiently wondered at.-The emperor had regard to conscience as well as they, and would

maintain the ancient religion." It is somewhat amusing to hear the gravity with which these arguments are urged; while all appeals to the authority of scripture are considered as superseded by them. Luther subsequently made remarks on some of them, which may deserve here to be transcribed.

In his lectures on Isaiah, on xix. 11, How say ye, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings? he says: "This was the first argument of the ungodly against the righteous, and it will be the last: Would you, standing alone, condemn so ancient a church? Are you alone possessed of wisdom? and were our ancestors blind?' With these two things, the reputation of wisdom and the boast of antiquity, their minds are inflated. The Diatribe of Erasmus, for instance, amounts to nothing but what is here written-I am the son of the ancient."Again, on xxviii. 21, 22—the rejection of the Jews: "They assail us with this argument, 'Do you think that you, so few in number, are the church, in preference to us, who are numerous, powerful, and possessed of official right!' We simply answer as Paul did to the Jews, However many and great ye be, if ye believe not in Christ, and place not your trust in his righteousness, we regard you not. You are not the church by virtue of your filling ecclesiastical offices. It is written that the abomination may stand in the holy place, and that antichrist shall sit in the temple of God. The church is known by faith in Christ, and not by office and numbers." 1

Finally, It is probably to be regarded as a matter of congratulation, that all the attempts to

1 Seck, iii. 81.

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