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Chap. 9. Baptists Faustus Socinus.

417

than his predecessors. By the gentleness, piety, unwearied diligence, and powerful preaching of Menno, (who had been formerly a popish priest,) this sect obtained a reputation unknown and unpossessed before. Under the just and benign government of William, prince of Orange, they gained a quiet settlement, and had opportunity to spread their sentiments: the most distinguished of which were, adult baptism, to the exelusion of infants--the millennium-the unlawfulness of war and of oaths-and the equality of all characters in their communion.

But the anabaptists were not all agreed in the leading points of their faith; one party embraced the doctrines of Calvin, while the other declared for the Pelagian scheme. To the present day the Baptists are thus divided, the former denominated particular, the latter, general Baptists. A few of this seet, observing the Jewish sabbath, are called Seventh Day Baptists.

That flood of light which broke in upon the world at the reformation, proved too strong for some eyes; they were dazzled, and saw nothing clearly. Some carried their objections to the superstitions and absurdities of popery so far as to deny the divinity of revelation altogether. Others reduced the sacred volume to the standard of human reason, declaring, that, "whatever surpasses the limits of human comprehension, is to be excluded from the Christian profession. This is the prineiple upon which Faustus Socinus erected those societies bearing his name. About the middle of this century, during the heat of those contests, into which the refor mers were plunged, some doctors and philosophers conceived the establishment of a more rational Christianity than what had as yet prevailed. Among these philosophical reformers stood forth Michael Servetus a Span

418.

Racovian Catechism.

Cent. 16.

ish physician, Lælius Socinus and Faustus Socinus, nephew of Lælius. These men derivéd principally their tenets from the old system of Origen, Sabellius, and Arius; but professed to be the disciples of no man, only the followers of science. This sect was exposed, like all others who protested against Roman tyranny, to persecution and were in consequence driven about to seek asylum and rest wherever it might be found. A number of them fled into Poland where they flourished very considerably under the protection and patronage of J. Siemcenius palatine of Podolia who built, chiefly for their use, the city of Racow. Here the Socinians almost assumed the consequence of a legal and exclusive establishment: here they erected an academy and composed and published a formulary of doctrine, known by the name of the Racovian Catechism. From Poland the doctrines of this party made their way into Transylvania about 1563, and were much indebted for their success to the address and industry of George Blandratus, physician to Sigismund the reigning prince. Francis David was superintendant of the churches in this region, but he professed a farther departure from the orthodox faith than Socinus, for which he was persecuted by his superiors in the same church. These Socinian churches, both in Poland and in Transylvania, eontinued to maintain an existence through the century, but owing to persecution, and to the lifeless materials of which they were composed, they dwindled away, or left only some memorials which characterise them as a sect of philosophers, rather than as a part of the Christian communion. Thus stood the reformed or protestant churches at the conclusion of the sixteenth century.

CHAPTER X.

REVIEW OF THE REFORMATION.

SINCE the introduction of the gospel to mankind, sixteen hundred years have elapsed, a small proportion of which exhibits Christianity in its native simplicity and glory. The accession of Constantine in the fourth century, though it delivered the church from her pagan persecutors, contributed little to her real advantage. That mystery of iniquity which had been working from the apostolic age, and had been slowly gathering strength, soon matured under the smiles of a civil establishment. From the time of papal usurpation to the reformation, was a long and gloomy period-a night of a thousand years, from which we have emerged during the century now under review.

The evils arising from papal domination were, in their moral and political character, of the worst kind that could possibly befall the human race: all civil government was prostrate before the chair of St. Peter. The wealth of nations could not be legally possessed by its right owners, but as a large proportion was thrown into the coffers of the church. A vast part of the population in every Christian country, instead of being employed in useful avocations, were leading an idle and disorderly life in caves and convents, or wandering all the world over, circulating the most abomible falsehoods, and committing the worst of crimes. Nonsense and superstition were the summit of learning; and the glory of man consisted in his living and dy

422

Review of the Reformation.

Cent. 16.

were engaged, and in the political measures they were constrained to adopt.

The spirit of the reformation in England differed in same degree from that which marked the reformation on the continent. In Germany, it began with an ecclesiastic: neither politics nor the caprice of a prince had any hand in its commencement; the question was between the pope and one of his clergy on the subject of indulgences; the monarchs afterward took up the quar rel; but this was chiefly in the way of defence, and the PROTEST they entered was rather for religious liberty, than for any civil or political purpose. In England it was otherwise: Henry broke with the pope upon a principle, characteristic of a base and vile passion. Whether his holiness had a right to constrain him on the subject of his marriage with Queen Catharine, is not the question: but it is certain that he separated from the catholic communion not upon any reformation principle; his object was to repudiate his wife and to marry another, and by casting off the papal yoke he accomplished his end. Hence the reformation in England, in its progress and establishment, differed exceedingly from that on the other side of the water.-While Luther and his associates conducted the cause in Germany upon principles purely ecclesiastical, Henry in Britain consulted chiefly his own appetite and ambition, and the reformers under him dared to advance no farther than his tyrannical caprice gave consent. This eircumstance proved a great bar to reformation in England, and encumbered the protestant religion with a load of formalities, which proved, in after ages, a source of contention and trouble. This, Cranmer, in a preface to one of the service-books laments, adding, "That they had gone as far as they could in reform

Chap. 10. Review of the Reformation.

421

tion. Luther taught men otherwise, and presently tried the experiment. The kingdoms and states asserted their civil birthright, and the people rose to the defence of their liberties; and it was soon found that it was no sin against heaven to rebel against the pope, provided holy father had it not in his power to chastise. The deity and supremacy of the pope being disproved, he sunk down to a level with his fellow creatures, and was obliged to content himself with just as much authority, as the friendly monarchs were disposed to grant him.

Hence, a new tone was given to public opinion: it fed like wild-fire through the world. Men found it to their interest to believe in the new doctrines, and when once such a persuasion prevailed, it was no easy thing to bring opinion back again to its former standard.

The reformation gave an opportunity to men of real piety to come forward and assert the grand and peculiar doctrines of Christianity. That there were some few even in the Roman communion who loved and feared God cannot be doubted; these waited for the consolation of Israel, and as soon as the time of refreshing was come, some of these warmly espoused the glorious cause, and were led on, step by step, into all the great and glorious truths of that gospel which before they had seen only in part. The persecuted, also, lifted up their head; the Waldenses, Albigenses, and many of the followers of Wickliff, of Jerome, and of Huss, were indueed to leave their hiding places and to join the reformers. And it is to be believed, that the greatest share of vital godliness was found among these recluse and persecuted people; for, with the first protestants, such as Luther and his immediate colleagues, much of the benign and true spirit of the gospel was lost or obscured, by the vehement controversies in which they

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