for accumulating wealth, when adopted by Leo X. in order to carry on that stupendous undertaking, the erection of St. Peter's, led to an event which undermined the foundations of the church of Rome. Disgusted at the bold impiety with which Tetzel the dominician pursued the traffic in Leo X.'s indulgences,— which, whilst they encouraged future crimes, derogated from the Redeemer's merits,-Luther arose as a champion,* and with a voice that neither flattery nor menaces could silence, awakened Europe from the slumber of ages, and released religion from her long confinement in the cloister; so that at length a Reformation took place, that has been ever friendly to literature and to liberty; equally promotive of the welfare of states, and the happiness of the world; inculcating obedience to sovereigns, and accumulating benefits upon their subjects; a rational piety having succeeded the long reign of superstition; and desolating crusades being exchanged for the arts of industry at home, and that which formed the glory of the apòstolic age-missions for the propagation of the gospel in Mahomedan and heathen countries.

* For a vindication of Luther's motives, in answer to the insinuations of Roman catholic authors, and of Mr. Hume, in his Hist. of Hen. VIII.-See note in p. 31, vol. iv. of Mosheim's Eccl. Hist.

P. 272. "Une longue suite d'hommes aussi dépravés et aussi corrompus que ceux qu'on avait vus dans le clergé Romain.”—When the course of argument against the errors of the church of Rome, required that the ambition, cruelty, avarice, and other bad qualities of the popes and the prelates of the church of Rome, should be exposed, extracts have been introduced to confirm the statement; but it will not be expected that the editor should, as if with malicious delight, furnish a long and appalling list of the many unprincipled and abandoned popes, who succeeded the early and holy martyr-bishops of the church of Rome. Can it be necessary after the testimonies of Roman catholic writers in this volume ?*

Ambition, hatred, covetousness, and other evils, will be found in every country, and in every church; but the serious charge against the church of Rome, is that she is the depositary of doctrines, maxims, and institutions, not only that will not bear the light and the test of scripture, but that are inimical to the interests of morality.†

If the church of Rome has exhibited such monsters of impiety, and enemies of mankind, as her Gregory VII., IX., her Julius II., III.,

pp. 279-281, 325-327.

† pp. 328-830, 386-388.

and other pontiffs, and a host of inferiors in their train; it is more pleasing to the writer to point to the estimable, however defective, characters of a Gregory I. and a Pius VII.; and it is the part of truth and candour to record, that notwithstanding all her errors, that church has furnished models of benevolence, pastoral vigilance, and other virtues, in her François de Sales, her Carlo Borromeo, her Massillon, her Fenelon, her Vincent de Paul, and many other worthies, which even the bishops of protestant churches, and the rectors of protestant parishes, may study with advantage; and which comparatively few will, perhaps, be ready to imitate,scarcely any can be expected to equal,

P. 279." Ad Jesum."-Joshua is meant, as by St. Paul in the use of the word, Heb. iv. 8.

P. 280. "Apotactici." The followers of Tatian, who combined the oriental philosophy with the christian doctrine, pleaded for celibacy, fastings, &c. and were therefore called Apotactites, or Renouncers.

P. 281. M. Peyran refers also to other authorities, namely, St. Bernard, Ep. 219, 178, ad Innocent. 166, 290, 42, ad Henric. archiep. Senon. Id. in Serm. de convers. B. Pauli. Id. in Cantic. Serm. xxxiii. p. 91. in cant. 77. Ep. ad Eugenium de considerat. 1. f.

P. 285." Les Donatistes."-During a va

cancy of the see of Carthage, A. D. 311, Cæcilian and Majorinus were rival candidates. Cæcilian was elected bishop, though it would appear too hastily; but when the dispute was explained to the emperor Constantine, the election received his sanction. The Numidian bishops, however, to the number of seventy, protested against the legality of Cæcilian's election, consecrated Majorinus, and, upon his death, Donatus; from whom, or from another bishop of the same name, the body of separatists derived their appellation.

The sect of the Donatists became so numerous, as to be under the guidance of 400 bishops, and a primate; co-existing with other christians in all the cities of Africa; and they were particularly numerous in Numidia. Although they coincided with others in faith and worship, such was the austerity of their manners that the Donatists re-baptized christians, and reordained bishops and priests, requiring public penance also, before they received them into their communion. One class of the Donatists,— the rude peasants of the Numidian and Mauri tanian villages,-when the emperor Constans adopted violent measures against them to enforce unity in the church, formed themselves into bands of ruffians; and, known by the name

of Circumcelliones, committed many outrages in the villages, till overpowered by the regular troops. The emperor Honorius afterwards inflicted rigorous punishments on the Donatists, when efforts to reclaim them proved unavailing; proscribing and banishing 300 bishops, and some thousands of the inferior clergy, and instituting very heavy penalties upon those who practised the rites of religion in their conventicles. These measures of severity accelerated the loss of Africa to the Roman empire; for when Genseric and his Vandals attempted the conquest of that province, the Donatists, irritated by previous intolerance, withdrew their allegiance to the emperor, and became Genseric's allies. This schism continued for 300 years, that is, until the greater calamity of the invasion of the Saracens, became a scourge to the uncharitable and contentious christians of Africa, when the Donatists became gradually an extinct sect.

Such, in brief, is the history of that deplorable division which took place in a church which had but just emerged from a series of pagan persecutions; and whose deliverance should have produced in its members new proofs of gratitude to God, affection towards each other, and zeal for the dissemination of