History of the Reformation of the Sixteenth Century, Volume 3

Fresh Reforms--Gabriel Zwilling on the Mass--The University-- Melancthon's Propositions--The Elector--Monastic Institutions attacked--Emancipation of the Monks--Disturbances--Ch...

Departure from the Wartburg--New Position--Luther and Primitive Catholicism--Meeting at the Black Bear--Luther's Letter to the Elector--Return to Wittemberg--Sermon at Wittember...

Opposition--Henry VIII.--Wolsey--The Queen--Fisher--Thomas More--Luther's Books burnt--Henry's Attack on Luther-- Presented to the Pope--Its Effect on Luther--Energy and Violenc...

The New Pope, Clement VII.--The Legate Campeggio--Diet of Nuremberg--Demand of the Legate--Reply of the Diet--A Secular Council projected--Alarm and Exertions of the Pope--Bavar...

The Disputation of October--Zwingle on the Church--The Church--Commencement of Presbyterianism--Discussion on the Mass--Enthusiasts--The Language of Discretion--Victory-- A Char...

Erasmus and Luther--Vacillations of Erasmus--Luther to Erasmus--Erasmus's Treatise against Luther on Free Will-- Three Opinions--Effect upon Luther--Luther on Free Will-- The Ja...

The Three Adversaries--Source of Truth--Grebel--the fanatics and Zwingle--Constitution of the Church--Prison--The Prophet Blaurock--Fanaticism at Saint Gall--Schucker and Family...

The Oligarchs--Bernese Mandate of 1526 in Favour of the Papacy--Discussion at Baden--Regulations of the Discussion-- Riches and Poverty--Eck and Œcolampadius--Discussion-- Zwing...

Louis XII. and the Assembly of Tours--Francis and Margaret-- Learned Men--Lefevre--His Courses at the University--Meeting between Lefevre and Farel--Farel's Hesitation and Resea...

Character of Francis I.--Commencement of Modern Times-- Liberty and Obedience--Margaret of Valois--The Court-- Briçonnet, Count of Montbrun--Lefevre commends him to the Bible--F...

Enemies of the Reformation--Louisa--Duprat--Concordat of Bologna--Opposition of the Parliament and the University-- The Sorbonne--Beda--His Character--His Tyranny--Berquin, the...

Beginning of the Church at Meaux--The Scriptures in French-- The Artisans and the Bishop--Evangelical Harvest--The Epistles of St. Paul sent to the King--Lefevre and Roma--The M...

Lefevre and Farel persecuted--Difference between the Lutheran and Reformed Churches--Leclerc posts up his Placards--Leclerc branded--Berquin's Zeal--Berquin before the Parliamen...

Francis made Prisoner at Pavia--Reaction against the Reformation--Margaret's Anxiety for her Brother--Louisa consults the Sorbonne--Commission against the Heretics-- Briçonnet b...

A Student of Noyon--Character of young Calvin--Early Education--Consecrated to Theology--The Bishop gives him the Tonsure--He leaves Noyon on Account of the Plague--The two Calv...

For four years an old doctrine had been again proclaimed in the Church. The great tidings of _salvation by grace_, published in earlier times in Asia, Greece, and Italy, by Paul...

Meantime the Knight George, for by that name Luther was called in the Wartburg, lived solitary and unknown. "If you were to see me," wrote he to Melancthon, "you would take me f...

While the doctor of Wittemberg, thus dead to the world, was seeking relaxation in these sports in the neighbourhood of the Wartburg, the work was going on as if of itself: the R...

While Luther was thus preparing the way for one of the greatest revolutions that were destined to be effected in the Church, and the Reformation was beginning to enter powerfull...

While Luther was thus struggling against error, as if he were still in the midst of the battle, he was also labouring in his retirement of the Wartburg, as if he had no concern...

Fresh Reforms--Gabriel Zwilling on the Mass--The University--Melancthon's Propositions--The Elector--Monastic Institutions attacked--Emancipation of the Monks--Disturbances--Cha...

Prejudiced men might have seen nothing in the work that was going on but the effects of an empty enthusiasm. The very facts were to prove the contrary, and demonstrate that ther...

Departure from the Wartburg--New Position--Luther and Primitive Catholicism--Meeting at the Black Bear--Luther's Letter to the Elector--Return to Wittemberg--Sermon at Wittember...

Tranquillity was hardly established when the reformer turned to his dear Melancthon, and demanded his assistance in the final revision of the New Testament which he had brought...

While the "grammarian" Melancthon was contributing by these gentle strains a powerful support to Luther, men of authority, enemies to the reformer, were turning violently agains...

A great movement was going on. The Reformation, which, after the Diet of Worms, had been thought to be confined with its first teacher in the narrow chamber of a strong castle,...

If the most puny instruments inflicted such terrible blows on Rome, what was it when the voice of the monk of Wittemberg was heard? Shortly after the discomfiture of the new pro...

The Reformation, which at first had existed in the hearts of a few pious men, had entered into the worship and the life of the Church; it was natural that it would take a new st...

While these events were taking place in Spain, Rome herself appeared to be assuming a more serious character. The great patron of music, hunting, and festivities disappeared fro...

On the 23d March 1522, before Adrian had reached Rome, the diet assembled at Nuremberg. Prior to this date the Bishops of Mersburg and Misnia had asked permission of the Elector...

The torrent of fire poured forth by the humble and meek Adrian kindled a conflagration; and its flickering flames communicated an immense agitation to the whole of Christendom....

The New Pope, Clement VII.--The Legate Campeggio--Diet of Nuremberg--Demand of the Legate--Reply of the Diet--A Secular Council projected--Alarm and Exertions of the Pope--Bavar...

The Roman party was not satisfied with this. The alliance of Ratisbon was not to be a mere form; it must be sealed with blood. Ferdinand and Campeggio descended the Danube toget...

While the Roman party was everywhere drawing the sword against the Reformation, this work underwent new developments. It is not at Zurich or at Geneva, but in Wittemberg, the fo...

The Catholic League of Ratisbon and the persecutions that followed it, created a powerful reaction among the German people. They did not feel disposed to suffer themselves to be...

While the nations and their rulers were thus hastening forward to the light, the reformers were endeavouring to regenerate everything, to interpenetrate everything with the prin...

A political ferment, very different from that produced by the Gospel, had long been at work in the empire. The people, bowed down by civil and ecclesiastical oppression, bound i...

But the evil was not confined to the south and west of Germany. Munzer, after having traversed a part of Switzerland, Alsace, and Swabia, had again directed his steps towards Sa...

Meanwhile the cause of the Reformation itself appeared as if it would perish in the gulf that had swallowed up the liberties of the people. A melancholy event seemed destined to...

In the monastery of Nimptsch, near Grimma in Saxony, dwelt in the year 1523 nine nuns, who were diligent in reading the Word of God, and who had discovered the contrast that exi...

At the first glance, Luther's marriage had, in truth, seemed to add to the difficulties of the Reformation. It was still suffering from the blow inflicted on it by the revolt of...

Truth is like the light of the sun: it descends from heaven one and ever the same; and yet it assumes different colours upon earth, according to the objects on which it fails. I...

The Reformation had gained the day; it was now to accelerate its conquests. After this battle of Zurich, in which the most skilful champions of the papacy were dumb, who would b...

The Disputation of October--Zwingle on the Church--The Church--Commencement of Presbyterianism--Discussion on the Mass--Enthusiasts--The Language of Discretion--Victory--A Chara...

The adversaries were aware of what might be the consequences of these changes in Zurich. They felt that they must now decide upon striking a vigorous blow. They had been silent...

The Word of God could not thus invade extensive countries, without its triumphs exasperating the pope in his palace, the priest in his presbytery, and the Swiss magistrates in t...

It was not thought desirable to proceed to the abolition of the mass in Zurich immediately after the suppression of images; but now the proper moment seemed to have arrived.

Nowhere was the struggle likely to be so severe as at Berne, for there the Gospel counted both powerful friends and formidable adversaries. At the head of the reforming party we...

Thus everything announced the triumphs that the Reformation would soon obtain at Berne. Basle, a city of no less importance, and which was then the Athens of Switzerland, was al...

There was in Germany a man more formidable to Erasmus than the ill-fated Hütten: this was Luther. The moment had now arrived when these two great champions of the age were to me...

His own experience and an attentive study of the Holy Scriptures, and of St. Augustine, had convinced Luther that the natural powers of man are so inclined to evil, that he cann...

But the battle fought by the Reformation in the great day of the sixteenth century, under the standard of the Word of God, was not one and single, but manifold. The Reformation...

The human mind, freed from the yoke that had pressed upon it for so many ages, made use of its liberty; and if Roman-catholicism has to fear the shoals of despotism, Protestanti...

Thus the Reformation had struggles to maintain in every quarter, and after having contended with the rationalist philosophy of Erasmus, and the fanaticism of some of the anabapt...

The Oligarchs--Bernese Mandate of 1526 in Favour of the Papacy--Discussion at Baden--Regulations of the Discussion--Riches and Poverty--Eck and Œcolampadius--Discussion--Zwingle...

But this famous conference, owing to the zeal of the oligarchs and clergy, was destined to be fatal to both. Those who had combated for the Gospel were, on their return home, to...

Universality is one of the essential characteristics of Christianity. It is not so with human religions. They are adapted to a certain people, and to the degree of cultivation t...

Louis XII. and the Assembly of Tours--Francis and Margaret--Learned Men--Lefevre--His Courses at the University--Meeting between Lefevre and Farel--Farel's Hesitation and Resear...

Thus taught Lefevre. Farel listened, trembling with emotion; he received all, and rushed suddenly into the new path that was opening before him. There was, however, one point of...

Character of Francis I.--Commencement of Modern Times--Liberty and Obedience--Margaret of Valois--The Court--Briçonnet, Count of Montbrun--Lefevre commends him to the Bible--Fra...

Enemies of the Reformation--Louisa--Duprat--Concordat of Bologna--Opposition of the Parliament and the University--The Sorbonne--Beda--His Character--His Tyranny--Berquin, the m...

Thus Paris was beginning to rise against the Reformation, and to trace the outlines of that circumvallation which was destined for more than three centuries to bar the entrance...

Beginning of the Church at Meaux--The Scriptures in French--The Artisans and the Bishop--Evangelical Harvest--The Epistles of St. Paul sent to the King--Lefevre and Roma--The Mo...

Lefevre and Farel persecuted--Difference between the Lutheran and Reformed Churches--Leclerc posts up his Placards--Leclerc branded--Berquin's Zeal--Berquin before the Parliamen...

Thus violently did the gale of persecution blow at Meaux and at Metz. The north of France rejected the Gospel: the Gospel for a while gave way. But the Reformation only changed...

The catholicity of the Reformation is a noble feature in its character. The Germans pass into Switzerland; the French into Germany; in latter times men from England and Scotland...

God usually withdraws his servants from the field of battle, only to bring them back stronger and better armed. Farel and his friends of Meaux, Metz, Lyons, and Dauphiny, driven...

The exertions of the friends of the Gospel in France were paralyzed. The men in power were beginning to show their hostility to Christianity; Margaret was growing alarmed; terri...

The attention which Farel bestowed on France did not divert his attention from the place where he was residing. Arriving at Montbeliard about the end of July 1524, he had hardly...

Francis made Prisoner at Pavia--Reaction against the Reformation--Margaret's Anxiety for her Brother--Louisa consults the Sorbonne--Commission against the Heretics--Briçonnet br...

A Student of Noyon--Character of young Calvin--Early Education--Consecrated to Theology--The Bishop gives him the Tonsure--He leaves Noyon on Account of the Plague--The two Calv...