diction. Professing to entertain some scruples on the subject of his marriage with Catharine of Arragon, aunt to Charles V. and being really enamoured of an illustrious virgin whose name was Anna Boleyn, he earnestly sought a divorce from the former, in order to render legitimate his passion for the latter. With this view he applied to Clement VII. alledging conscientious scruples as the ground of his wish to obtain a divorce. Clement, perplexed between the fear of offending the emperor by conforming to Henry's wishes, and the dread of incurring that monarch's displeasure by refusing to comply with them, had recourse to procrastinating evasions, as the only method of conduct which he could pursue with safety. Tired with the tardy measures of the Roman pontiff, Henry had recourse to a measure suggested by the famous Thomas Cranmer, a secret friend of Luther and his cause, who was afterwards raised to the see of Canterbury. The advice of Cranmer, was to demand the opinions of the most learned universities in Europe, on the subject of Henry's scruples. The greatest part of the universities declared the marriage with a a brother's widow unlawful. Catharine was divorced, and Anna conducted to the royal bed. Henry, renouncing the jurisdiction of the court of Rome, was declared by the parliament and people supreme head, on earth, of the church

of England; and the power and authority of the pope were completely overturned. It deserves, however, to be carefully considered, that while Henry withdrew himself from the tyranny of Rome, he considered the title of Head of the English church, as vesting virtually in himself the enormous power which had been previously exercised by the Roman pontiffs. Hence, during the reign of this despot, the face of religion was ever changing, in conformity to the caprice of its new chief. The influence of Cranmer, the favourite of Henry, served, however, to counteract the vehemence of this inconstant monarch, and to dispel the mists of ignorance.

On the death of Henry, which took place in the year 1547, he was succeeded by Edward VI. a prince of elevated genius and exemplary piety. Deeply interested in the prosperity of the Reformation, he addressed a particular invitation to Martin Bucer, and to Paul Fagius, that, under the auspices of their learning and piety, his subjects might be confirmed in the pure truths of christianity. His reign was, however, too short to accomplish his generous purposes. In the year 1553, he was removed from his affectionate subjects, and succeeded by his sister Mary, a furious abettor of the papacy. Among other victims, the learned and pious

Cranmer was sacrificed to her cruelty. A stop was, however, put to these dreadful cruelties by her death, in the year 1558; and being succeeded by Elizabeth, the protestant cause revived and flourished. During her reign, that form of religious doctrine, and ecclesiastical discipline which still subsists in England, was established as the national religion.

In Scotland the seeds of the Reformation were early sown by several noblemen of that nation, who had resided in Germany during Luther's disputes with the court of Rome. But the most distinguished opposer of the papal jurisdiction, was John Knox, a disciple of Calvin, whose talents and fortitude qualified him eminently for the labours and dangers of a reformer. This determined character quitted Geneva for Scotland, in the year 1559, and by means of preaching and private exhortations, imbued the minds of his countrymen with so entire a disgust for the superstitions of Rome, as to induce them to aim at nothing less than the extirpation of popery in all its forms. The form of worship and discipline which had been established at Geneva, by the ministry of Calvin, was universally adopted, and continues to the present day, notwithstanding many efforts to introduce into that kingdom the episcopal hierarchy of the church of England.

In Ireland the cause of the Reformation was greatly promoted by George Brown, a native of England, and a monk of the Augustin order, who was created Archbishop of Dublin, in the year 1535. Encouraged by the conduct of Henry VIII. he purged the churches of his diocese from various superstitions, and by his influence, caused the king's supremacy to be acknowledged in that nation.

In the Belgic provinces the yoke of Rome was shaken off with an impetuosity that was perhaps rather excessive. To the heroic conduct of William of Nassau, seconded by the exertions of England and France, this state ewed its deliverance from the Spanish yoke.

The eyes of several persons in Spain were opened to the truth, not merely by the controversies between Luther and the court of Rome; but by means also of those very divines who had been selected by Charles V. to combat the sentiments of the reformers. These Spanish doctors instead of refuting, having imbibed the opinions of Luther, propagated them on their return home.

The spirit and conduct of the reformers having been censured by an elegant historian, as tinctured with enthusiasm; the judicious

translator of Mosheim has been at the pains to repel the accusation in an appendix, in which he triumphantly proves that the reformers possessed precisely that spirit which was necessary to the successful prosecution of their object; while it was at the same time at the farthest possible remove from enthusiasm. Having instanced in the person of several of the reformers the truth of his assertion, he concludes by a description of the manner in which Calvin promoted the noble cause which he had espoused.

"As to Calvin, every one," observes this writer, "who has any acquaintance with history, knows how he set out in promoting the Reformation. It was by a work composed with a classic elegance of style, and which, though tinctured with the scholastic theology of the times, breathes an uncommon spirit of good sense and moderation. This work was the Institutes of the Christian Religion, in which the learned writer shews, that the doctrine of the reformers was founded in scripture and reason. Nay, one of the designs of this book was to shew, that the reformers ought not to be confounded with certain fanatics, who, about the time of the Reformation, sprung from the bosom of the church of Rome, and excited tumults and commotions in several places. The