adore the good providence and powerful grace of Almighty God, who at this period deigned to look down upon and visit his languishing and almost expiring church, and to raise up even a host of champions, "valiant for the truth," to assail the reigning corruptions, to restore the lost light of the gospel, to illustrate their profession by a holy and devoted life; and thus to effect a great and blessed "deliverance in the earth." "The Lord gave the word, and great was the company of them that published it;” and glorious the success of their labours. With him also is still "the residue of the Spirit:" and we trust that he is again in some more copious measure pouring it upon his church. It is easy for him to call forth those "men of God by whom Jacob shall arise," and his church, even in its most decayed parts be revived and restored to primitive purity and beauty, not only in the ancient scenes of the reformation, but even in places which the reformation never reached, or where it was almost instantly extinguished. "Ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence, give him no rest, until he establish, and till he make" his church " a praise in the earth."

One thing with which we cannot fail to be struck, in these heroes of the reformation, is the high character which most of them possessed for talent and learning. A great proportion of them had flattering prospects opening before them, on account of their celebrity of this kind—all which they willingly sacrificed, and “counted loss for Christ." But we see that their acquirements told, with the most powerful effect, in the great work which God had excited them to undertake. These gave a weight to their character, and an authority to their decisions, which could not otherwise have been attained: they enabled them to bring the scriptures to light, to render them, by translation, accessible to the people, and to restore the true interpretation of them; to beat down their

enemies in argument, and to refute them in their favourite appeal to antiquity; in short, to recover the ancient faith of the church of Christ, uncorrupted by novelties and extravagances, whether their own or those of other teachers. Without their high literary attainments, humanly speaking, they could never have been qualified for the work which they performed. Let sound learning never be undervalued. Let it never be surmised that it is not conducive to the service of God. The pride of learning, and the abuse of learning, are fatal evils; and without the possession of it, no doubt, the man of devoted piety, with merely the vernacular scriptures in his hand, may be even eminently useful; but there are higher and more extensive spheres of service for which he is clearly not qualified. Learning, when employed not for ostentation, but for use; not to set up human wisdom in opposition to divine revelation; but humbly, patiently, and laboriously to trace out, to exhibit, to assert, and to defend the revealed truth of God, and to apply it to all the varied purposes for which it was made known; is of the highest value. And let every younger student remember, that he knows not to what scene of service he is destined: let it be his humble aim, depending upon and seeking the divine blessing, to become as well qualified as possible for whatever station it shall please God to open before him. And, in this view, let him duly consider the diligent study, the indefatigable labour and the patient zeal of these great and good menwho, devoted to learning as they ever were, yet did not pursue it for its own sake, or lose themselves in a contemplative life, but denied themselves, and studied, and prayed without ceasing, in order that they might act with wisdom and success, to the glory of God, and the highest good of their fellow men. Therefore" their memory is blessed."

Finally, it is delightful to observe the cordial union which subsisted among these good men. This has

been noticed as a peculiarly gratifying feature of the Swiss reformation. These eminent persons were all firm and faithful friends even unto death; and not a discordant note is heard among them. They acted in unison, and were ever ready to counsel, to admonish, to encourage, and to help one another. “A good and pleasant thing it is for brethren" thus "to dwell together in unity." It makes the church secure as a city that is at concord within itself," and fitted, as an army with banners," to subdue the world, by spiritual weapons to "the obedience of faith." Happy had it been if the same cordiality had subsisted between the two great branches of the reformation, as between the several members of this, and indeed we might say of either branch, separately considered, among themselves.

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CHAPTER II.

Mercenary warfare-Opposition to the Reformation— Writings of Zwingle—Progress of the Reformation.

THE Swiss, since the time they shook off the Austrian yoke, and formed their general confederation, have scarcely been engaged, as principals, in war with any foreign power; but, as furnishing troops to other belligerents, they have borne a part in a great proportion of the wars of Europe. Their plan has been, with the exception, since the reformation, of the protestant cantons, to accept pensions from various foreign states, and in consideration of them, when called upon, to furnish those states with certain contingents of troops. Besides this, individuals have been allowed to receive similar payments, for enlisting soldiers in their country to recruit the armies of their paymasters. The consequence of this last regulation has been, that numerous volunteers of the same country have been seen marching against one another in opposite armies. The acceptance of these pensions is a lamentable derogation from the boasted independence of the Swiss: and though various political considerations are urged to shew the expediency of the plan, the morality of it seems but too well summed up in the description, "engaging for money to cut the throats of men with whom they had no quarrel," personal or public. Against this crying evil, the national sin of his country, as he and other

good men esteemed it, and one which was productive of the worst moral effects among the people, Zwingle had long before lifted up his voice. But the circumstances of the times now enabled him to make a more solemn and effective protest against it: and Zuric, influenced by his spirited remonstrances, refused its concurrence in the resolution of the other cantons to assist, in this way, the king of France against the emperor and the pope; and even exacted an oath from the citizens that they would accept no largesses from any foreign power. This dissent of Zuric from the general vote of the cantons, and implied condemnation of their conduct, with certain consequences which followed, produced, in some of the other states, a deeply-seated and lasting resentment against that canton. It excited also much secret disaffection in the minds of many of the citizens of Zuric, who felt that a fruitful source of their private gains was cut off. Some months after, the war with France being on the point of breaking out, the pope demanded troops from the cantons, but was met by a refusal: and with such lasting effects were the exertions of Zwingle and his associates in other cantons followed upon this subject, that till the year 1777" none of the protestant states received any pensions from France;" and then only “the protestants of Glaris and Appenzel, and the town of Bienne.”1

Zwingle about this time received an additional testimony of the esteem in which he was held at Zuric, in his election to a canonry in the cathedral, vacant by the resignation of Henry Engelhardt, a person of eminence, and a favourer of the reformation, who was also pastor of the Abbey Church. Zwingle's appointment was announced to him by a letter from the authorities of the city, bearing an honourable testimony to his character and services. Those more elevated situations however, which we

1 Coxe, Let. 21.