pagating Calvinism in France, and a great agent in fomenting the seditions and combustions it occasioned in that country; in like manner Knox, another disciple of Calvin, carried the same doctrine into Scotland, where he planted it by sedition and rebellion, by fire and sword. He, Buchanan, Goodman, and other associates, having consulted together, agreed to reform the church of Scotland, according to the standard of Geneva.

When a sufficient party was formed, they began their work of reformation by murdering cardinal Beaton, in 1549, the principal supporter of the Catholic religion, and was at that time archbishop of St. Andrews. Knox harangued the people, declaimed against the ancient faith and clergy, and inflamed the multitude to that degree of rage, that they immediately ran to the churches, overturned the altars, defaced the pictures, broke to pieces the statues, carried off the ornaments, and then proceeded against the monasteries, which they almost laid level with the ground.

This sort of work Knox carried on in different parts of Scotland; at Perth and Couper. The like following on his preaching at St. Andrews also. The religious houses being pulled down, as well as the images, and laid so flat, that there was nothing left in form of a building. Inflamed by the same fire-brand, they burned down the rich monastery of Scone, and ruined that of Cambuskenneth, demolished all the altars, images, and convents of religious persons in Stirling, Lithgow, Glasgow,

Edinburgh, making themselves masters of the last, and put their own preachers into all the pulpits of that city, not suffering the queen regent to have the use of one church only, for her own devotion. In a little time these fanatics, who were styled Presbyterians, finding themselves growing numerous, rose up, in rebellion against the queen regent, and bringing armies into the field, committed horrible disorders. They were supported by queen Elizabeth of England; and having convoked a general assembly of the party, they concluded, conformably to the opinion of Knox, who declared it lawful, to depose the queen mother from her

regency.

After her death, which happened in the year 1569, queen Mary being then in France, they enacted a law, by the instigation of Knox, prohibiting the exercise of the Catholic religion in Scotland. They got this law afterwards confirmed by a Parliament, in 1567, and they excluded the queen from all government. The succeeding calamities which this unfortunate queen and her kingdom sustained from that seditious set of people, who were grown too strong to be controlled, are too well known to need any relation.

It is equally notorious, that the spirit of Presbyterianism, at first confined to the north, insinuated itself by degrees into the neighbouring kingdom of England, where it soon created divisions among the people, and raised such commotions, as in the end overturned the state, and brought a king to the block. The

world has too much experienced that kings, queens, bishops and priests, could never be allowed a share in their friendship.

Lutheranism having insinuated itself into the Netherlands, several states of that country confederated together at Utrecht, in 1578, and agreed to twenty articles, as the foundation of their union, the first of which was, "to support one another against all force that should be exercised upon them, in the king's name, or for religion." This league was confirmed at the Hague, under the auspices of the prince of Orange, in 1581. The scheme was, to renounce all obedience to their liege lord, the king of Spain, and to withdraw themselves entirely from his power, which they did by a public edict. Pursuant to this, they proceeded to break the king's seals, to pull down his arms, to take possession of lands and rents, and to coin money in their own names. the same usurped authority, they seized the church livings, and abolished the Catholic religion. Such were the steps taken under the standard of Lutheranism, but when the Calvinistical doctrine got footing, the flame spread with the utmost violence.

With

The people, regardless of all laws by which they were bound to their sovereign, take up arms, and mutiny every where against his magistrates. The churches are plundered, the religious men and women are expelled by force from their monasteries, which are rifled and pulled down. To quell these rebellious insurrections, and to put a stop to these disorders,

Philip, king of Spain, to whom the Low Countries belonged, sent a body of Spanish forces under the command of the duke of Alva. A bloody war ensued, in which the prince of Orange was the chief director of the affairs of the confederates. The duke reduced ten of the revolted provinces to their former obedience and subjection to the king of Spain; but seven others, since styled the "United Provinces," found means to maintain their ground against the Spanish efforts.

In England, Denmark and Sweden, the Reformation was introduced by the kings themselves, who compelled their subjects to receive it. Thus ushered in by the supreme temporal power, it stood in need of fewer insurrections and tumults among the people, to gain admittance; the sword and authority of the prince performed the whole function. Those individuals who dared to continue in the practice of the ancient religion, were declared traitors to their sovereign, and rebels to the state. That the new invented religions were of bad tendency, the effects soon proved. Instead of a reformation, they produced a general licentiousness. This appeared in the seditions, insurrections, and violences committed on all sides. Complaints were also heard from all quarters, of excessive looseness of manners,

The Lutheran magistrates of several imperial cities in Germany, petitioned the emperor, Charles V. to re-establish by his authority, auricular confession, as a check upon the then prevailing libertinism. And indeed it was

highly probable, that from the pretended Christian liberty" which was then preached, a deluge of vice would have diffused itself, had not the civil power stept in to stem it. The reformers themselves were so ashamed of the progress of immorality among their proselytes, that they could not help complaining against it.

Thus spoke Luther himself of the fruits of the Reformation. "We see," says he, "that by the devil's malice men are at present more covetous, more cruel, more addicted to vice, more insolent and far worse than they were under the Papacy." Sermone in Dom. Adv. Edit. Argent. Fol. 5. Robenstock, in his book entitled Colloquia D. Lutheri, tom. 1, p. 37, recites his words as follows: "Men are become so extravagant by the gospel we have preached to them, that they think every thing lawful that flatters their passions, and have lost all fear of hell fire. There is but one peasant in the district of Wittemburg, who endeavours to instruct his family according to the word of God; all the rest go straight to the devil."

Jacobus Andreas, in a sermon upon the 21st chapter of St. Luke, makes the same bitter complaint of the scandalous lives of their converts from Popery: "to make it plain," says he, "to all the world that they are not Papists, and place no confidence in good works, they take care to practice none; instead of fasting, they spend their time in sotting and drinking; when they ought to relieve the poor, they fleece and oppress them; oaths, blasphemies and im