EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.

CHAPTER I.

STATE OF THE ROMAN AND GREEK HIERARCHIES.

BRIEF must be our statement of those events which form the history of these churches; churches scarcely forming any part of the Christian body, being alienated from the life of God, and become the sink of error and superstition. The Roman pontiff, in his attempts last century to recover lost territory, succeeded but poorly a name once lost is not easily regained. The kings of the earth had found, that dreadful and sudden destruction was not the absolute consequence of disobeying the papal mandates, and therefore monarchy dared to lift up its head, and ventured to dispute with holy father. Those measures attended with the greatest success, were such as jesuitical craft adopted and carried on out of sight; but even these were eventually so exceedingly hateful to the princes, that this order of papal ministers was abolished, and all their deep-laid schemes brought to an end. All attempts to regain the Lutheran and reformed states proving of little advantage, the pontiff endeavoured to render himself easy in the prospect of proselyting the several countries of both Indies, together with China, and the coasts of the American and African continents. It was not very difficult to maintain a popish mission in these countries subject

542

Quesnel's Book.

Cent. 18.

to catholic princes, as was the case in the western colonies: but in China, these measures were watched with a jealous eye; and notwithstanding the promising appearances which attended the labours of the missionaries here for a while, they, at length, by their disputes and by their wickedness, rendered themselves obnoxious to the ruling power, and the consequence was, they were expelled, and all their establishments rased to the ground. But to hold fast, and to render permanently secure, home territory, were objects more within the reach of Rome, and of the last importance to, the pontiffs. Accordingly a striet watch was set over all the steps taken by the protestant heretics; and in France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Sardinia, things were kept in tolerable order: but even in these countries, all that blind and implicit obedience to Rome which had marked former years, could by no means be restored.

About the year 1713, a book, written and published by Quesnel, a catholic priest, made a great stir. This production was a French translation of the New Testament, accompanied with ingenious annotations. Such was the style and strain of this work, that it was read with avidity, and procured the author a high reputation; even the pope himself spoke much in its favour, and expressed a strong desire to introduce Quesnel to the immediate patronage of the Roman court. But the jesuits were greatly alarmed at the effects of this popular publication, and were resolved it should be condemned the cry of heresy was raised, and the pope was compelled to re-peruse this volume of annotations, with the jesuits standing by to point out its heretical pravity. The consequence was, a hundred and one propositions were selected, strongly characteristic of doctrines inimical to the interests of the Roman church; and the

CHAPTER II.

THE CONTINENT OF EURope.

The Lutheran Church-The Moravian Church and

Discipline.

RELIGION is a divine reality—the life of God in the soul of man if it be not taken up and experienced in this way, nothing can ensure its success: the orthodoxy of its creed, the outward decency of its ritual, and the literary character of its ministers, may be maintained; but unless all this absolutely connect with spirituality of heart and devotedness of life, all will be but a dead letter, a body without a soul; and such, in a very great degree, was the state of the Lutheran church at the commencement of the eighteenth century. The doctrine of that great reformer was the established confession in all the branches of the Lutheran interest; and what those doctrines were may be gathered not only from their formularies, but they appear largely illustrated in Luther's writings, especially in his Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians. But these doctrines, though subscribed by the clergy on ordination, were, by the greater part, entirely left out in their public instructions, and even by some, treated with great asperity and contempt

Some additions to the Lutheran church mark this period. About the year 1730, a great number of the inhabitants of Saltzburg abandoned their territory, in order to embrace the Lutheran confession, and to escape the persecuting fury of the Bavarians, they fled to

546

Moravian Church.

Cent. 18.

Holland, Prussia, and British America, where they severally propagated the faith they had espoused, and established the Lutheran name in countries remote. As this great body, newly allied to the Lutheran church, were a persecuted people, I should hope they were a people of a peculiar character, and redeemed from among men.

The pietists, noticed in a former chapter, continued to maintain their name and character for some years after the commencement of the century. The seminary at Halle, with professor Franck at the head, furnished the church, for a while, with men of a devotional east, but after a lapse of years these promising appearances wore away, and left this department of the protestant interest in a cold and declining condition. In proportion as genuine godliness declined, formality and mere. pharisaism succeeded; this was speedily attended with a philosophical and sceptical spirit, till at length men began openly to scoff at the principles of divine revelation, and treat the most important subjects with a contemptuous sneer, or with proud disdain. Sad as the general state of things appeared in the Lutheran church at this period, God preserved a seed to serve him, who maintained the life of religion, and through their instrumentality, the next century will furnish some individuals, whose character and exertion will entitle them to an association with the greatest and best men of the age.

THE MORAVIAN CHURCH.

The history of this sect, especially that part of it which belongs to their grand association under one common cauon, is attended with difficulty. Enemies have detailed evil things, and malice has dictated what, from

CHAPTER II.

THE CONTINENT OF EUROPE.

The Lutheran Church-The Moravian Church and Discipline.

RELIGION is a divine reality-the life of God in the soul of man: if it be not taken up and experienced in this way, nothing can ensure its success: the orthodoxy of its creed, the outward decency of its ritual, and the literary character of its ministers, may be maintained; but unless all this absolutely connect with spirituality of heart and devotedness of life, all will be but a dead letter, a body without a soul; and such, in a very great degree, was the state of the Lutheran church at the commencement of the eighteenth century. The doctrine of that great reformer was the established confession in all the branches of the Lutheran interest; and what those doctrines were may be gathered not only from their formularies, but they appear largely illustrated in Luther's writings, especially in his Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians. But these doetrines, though subscribed by the clergy on ordination, were, by the greater part, entirely left out in their publie instructions, and even by some, treated with great asperity and contempt

Some additions to the Lutheran church mark this period. About the year 1730, a great number of the inhabitants of Saltzburg abandoned their territory, in order to embrace the Lutheran confession, and to escape the persecuting fury of the Bavarians, they fled to