CHAP. II. REVIEW OF THE STATE AND CORRUPTIONS OF THE CATHOLIC II. It was amid this general emotion and restlessness CHAP. of society, that in the sixteenth century, its moral and intellectual movements converged into that great result, which we call The Reformation; a conventional term, by which we generalize and abbreviate those numerous and extensive changes and improvements, which, in civil as well as in religious affairs, began then to interest the public thought, and to pervade human life. The mutation was the more interesting, because it was neither a random nor an useless perturbation. The Virgilian expression of the Mens agitat molem,' by which Anchises in his Elysium accounted to his illustrious son for the primeval production of all things,' may be reasonably applied to elucidate the pregnant incidents of the sixteenth century, and will most correctly designate their origin. A new spirit had descended upon Europe; while the rest of the globe, with one exception in Asia,2 and a petty but lasting Principio cœlum, ac terras, camposque liquentes, Spiritus intus alit, totamque infusa per artus One of the most important incidents in the Asiatic world at this period, was the foundation of the empire of the Great Moguls in 1498, by Mohammed Baber who has so picturesquely described himself in his interesting Memoirs. BOOK II. 3 one in Africa, was subsiding into that stationary inertness in some parts, that retrogradation in others, and that subordinate inferiority in all, which makes modern history so great a contrast with that of Oriental antiquity. The change was the more striking to the imagination, from the comparative darkness and destitution of the middle ages which had preceded. These, however, were not intervals of torpid inutility, but that embryo state of new formations of the human character, which, as at many former periods, suspended its previous activity, in order to evolve from it greater strength and beauty, and richer produce. While the future giant is forming, the appearance is incoherent, confused and obscure; but from the fall of the Roman empire to the era of the Reformation, amid the absence of all literary splendor, and of the graces of civilization, a mightier and nobler Mind than human nature had ever known before, was brooding in the seeming confusion, and was secretly moulding and arranging the broken members and dilapidations of former ages, and the subsequent accessions, into figures and powers of an intellectual vigor and grandeur, which have never since diminished; and which are rapidly surpassing in their continued achievements, The kingdom of Algiers under the active Barbarossa, was awhile distinguished by his exploits and by the expeditions of Charles V. against it, and has ever since been notorious for bearding all Europe by its piracies under the Dey, without any check, till lord Exmouth attacked it with equal intrepidity and good fortune. The recollections of antient Assyria, Troy, Egypt, Babylon, Lydia, Phenicia, the Medes and Persians, Ethiopia, India, Carthage, Parthia and Arabia, compared with the present state and subjection of these countries, seem more like the dreams of one's youth, than the realities of former things. whatever anterior Time has recorded, or can be believed to have experienced. 5 The intellectual state of England, from the death of Henry VIII. to the end of his last child's reign, continued to exhibit these impressive features of general talent, never abating, with an occasional emerging of individual genius that soared above the general level, and advanced every art and science to a further progress. But in pursuing our course of English history, we need not dwell further upon a subject so comprehensive in its extent and so multifarious in its details, as would open before us, if we attempted to delineate the other social improvements which marked the Sixteenth century. It is sufficient to keep the amplitude of the prospect in our recollection, to avoid erroneous conclusions and narrowminded misconceptions. One branch only of this great theme is immediately connected with the reigns of Edward VI. Mary and Elizabeth; and to this our attention must now be circumscribed. The downfal of the papal supremacy, and of its great monastic wings and lordly power in England, has been already noticed, as far as this event was prosecuted by its royal antagonist and undismayed assailant. The next portion of our subject will exhibit the nature and causes of our great ecclesiastical change the continuation of the contest--the establishment of the new principles and institutions Erasmus has shewn us how highly he estimated the intellectual merit of England at this time, when he remarked, 'I do not think there is any region, I speak from my soul, which abounds more with men signally skilled in every sort of literature, altho but few publish their lucubrations.' Op. T. 10, p. 1486. His exception is less applicable now than the introductory encomium. CHAP. II. II. BOOK which were substituted for what was abolished-and the final defeat of the papal agents and conspiracies, that were put in action to prevent or extinguish the national improvement. It was the resolution and perseverance of the English government and people, which encouraged and enabled the Northern hemisphere of Europe to throw off the yoke of Rome, and to complete its religious independence; and it is this result which gives a lasting importance to the reigns of those princes of the Tudor line, by whom the difficult victory was achieved, and to whom this continuation of our history is devoted. It has been repeatedly the destiny of England, that her councils and conduct should operate powerfully, and for the most part profitably, on the rest of mankind. No country has less planned, or wished, to throw others into agitation; but, from the talents of the nation, from its political wealth, its emulous population, their continual improvements, their social importance and their relative position, it has seldom been possible even for its own forbearance to diminish the effects of its prosperous existence. If any one part of its history displays its influence on the state of other countries, more impressively and more serviceably than another, the completion of its religious emancipation may be selected as the most distinguishing transaction. It is this result which has prevented sacerdotal despotism and debilitating superstitions from debasing the British people, and a large portion of the continent, to that depression of mind and loss of all former greatness, power and celebrity, which Italy, Spain and Portugal, have so largely and so long ex II. perienced. If England's efforts had failed to main- CHAP. tain the liberation which it had commenced within itself and promoted elsewhere, the European world would have been subjected, with unpitying rigor, to that reign and inquisitorial tyranny of a jealous papacy and its vindictive hierarchy and to that compulsory retention and veneration of puerile The principles on which M. Frayssinous, the bishop of Hermopolis, a member of M.Villele's late cabinet, and one of the ablest and most enlightened of the French church, of the Jesuit party, vindicates in 1825, the Inquisition, evince from what government mankind have been rescued by the Protestant reformation: We cannot deny to the two powers, the ecclesiastical and the civil, the right of taking measures and of concerting together to oppose themselves to the fatal novelties which never compromise the repose of the church, without altering that of the state. In civil societies there are not only tribunals of justice to punish committed crimes, but also others of safety, of surveillance to anticipate crimes; to prevent des ecarts et des complots which might trouble the public tranquillity. Pontiffs and magistrates should be allowed to think that bad doctrines conduct to bad actions; that no one has a right to be seditious under pretext of liberty of opinions, and that in general violence may be repelled by violence.' Defense du Christ. v. 3. p. 131. Ed. Paris, 1825. What persecutor would desire a larger latitude, or a more excusing apology? He quotes with visible satisfaction, if the citation with the distinction of Italics in the printing may be thought to indicate such a feeling, these two passages from another congenial mind, in defence of the Spanish Inquisition: Our legislators saw Europe smoking, in the sixteenth century, and to save themselves from the general conflagration, they employed the Inquisition, which is the political means they used to maintain religious unity, and to prevent religious wars.--- During the three last ages, there has been, in virtue of the Inquisition, more peace and happiness in Spain than in the other countries of Europe.' Ib. p. 135 This is extracted from Letters to a Russian Gentleman, which seem to have been written to persuade Russia to adopt the Inquisition. There is a peace of desolation, of a desert, of a dungeon, and of the tomb, as well as a peace of virtue, reason and piety. What sort of a peace the Inquisition produced in Spain, we may judge from a short sentence of Zopf: "The Inquisition was introduced into Spain in 1478. Scarcely had this horrible tribunal been established, when 2000 persons were burnt by order of the Grand Inquisitor, Jon de Torquemada.' Precis Hist. 2. p. 624. The distinction which M. Frayssinous takes against Montesquieu, on the Jews who were burnt by it, is also very refined: Montesquieu supposes that the Jews were punished for the simple fact of their religion; this is not exact: the Inquisition sought only after Jews, who, after having professed Christianity, publicly apostatized to become Jews again.' Ib. p. 137. This distinction is certainly logically correct. |