as he was upon the other, a statement of the doctrine of justification by faith without works might have been originated in the fifth century, that by the blessing of God would have prevented the Papacy, and precluded those ten centuries of voluntary humility,' worshipping of saints, and justification by works." For that apostasy came in, as the church well knows, through the dogma, that the efforts of men to become holy may do something to expiate the sin from which they are toiling for release; that is, that sanctification, which is a blended divine and human work, in part saves us, instead of Christ alone. "A keener vision, that could see the distinction between the guilt of sin and its pollution, would not have confounded the work of the Sanctifier with that of the Atoner."

ARTICLE II.

THE PIETISTS OF GERMANY.'

THE Reformation of the sixteenth century was one of those great and surprising events, which attract the notice of succeeding generations, and mark the periods in which they occur as epochs in the history of the world. It sundered the chains of debasing ignorance, and inveterate superstition. It broke the yoke of the most grinding moral and spiritual despotism. It unlocked the long sealed fountains of knowledge, and gave the Bible to the nations. In the course of a few years, it enlightened and emancipated half Europe.

In accomplishing this great work, human instrumentalities were, of course, employed; earnest, appropriate instrumentalities; but the power was of God. So it was felt to be, by those most deeply engaged in it. So it has been acknowledged to be, by succeeding generations. The reformation from Popery was no other than a great and general revival of true religion.

1 The materials for the following sketch of the History of Pietism are chiefly taken from a work entitled Pietas Hallensis, prepared by the celebrated Prof. Francke of Halle, and published in London in 1705.

The Spirit of God accompanied the preaching of Luther and his associates; followed the reading of the Bible, and other good books; and hundreds and thousands were brought to the knowledge of the truth.

But this great revival, like most others which have been enjoyed on earth, was followed by declension. It was perverted to some extent by fanatical leaders; the reformers fell to disputing among themselves; the devil gained an advantage over them; and the Holy Spirit was grieved away.

The internal state of the Lutheran church was for the most part peaceful, so long as the great Reformer lived. His authority was sufficient to overcome opposition, and those who were unwilling to bow to it, had no alternative but to retire. But after the death of Luther, which took place about the middle of the sixteenth century, the peace of the church was much disturbed. Melancthon, though more than equal to Luther in point of learning, had not his firmness and strength of character, or his influence over the popular mind. For the sake of peace, he was disposed to yield certain points, both to the Catholics and Calvinists, which Luther would have preserved inviolate. Hence arose a bitter controversy between what may be called the strict and the moderate Lutherans, which detracted much from the spiritual life of the church. In the language of a cotemporary, "strifes and contentions, disputes and wranglings, grew to an excessive height, but the plain practice of piety fell to decay.”

Then the thirty years' war in Germany produced, through the whole Lutheran church, a great degeneracy of morals, and a general prostration of discipline and order. Good preachers were not to be obtained, and the people were obliged to accept of such as were incompetent and worthless. Many of them were destitute of learning and piety; while those who had learning preached metaphysics and school divinity, rather than the pure Gospel of Christ. Their discourses were filled up with technical terms, distinctions, and subtleties, which the people could not understand, and in which, of course, they felt no interest. They combatted heresies, the very names of which were unknown to their hearers, but said little or nothing to arouse them from the sleep of sin, and bring them to newness of life

and new obedience. Many of the clergy, perhaps the most of them, were confessedly unconverted men; and not only so, they insisted that conversion in the proper sense of the term, was not necessary for a minister of Christ.

It is not to be wondered at, therefore, that in the first part of the seventeenth century, the state of religion among the Lutherans was very low. The lamp of spiritual life, which had burned so brightly a hundred years before, seemed likely to go out in darkness.

Nevertheless, it was not entirely extinguished. There were those who sighed and cried over existing desolations, and who were moved to "lift up their voice like a trumpet, and show to the people their transgressions, and to the house of Jacob their sins." Foremost among these was the Rev. John Arndt, an eminent minister of Christ, and general superintendent of the churches of Luneburg. He was first a physician; but being visited with a dangerous sickness, he made a vow to change his profession to that of divinity, in case he should be restored to health. He wrote many books, the most remarkable of which was his treatise on True Christianity, which has been often translated, and has been the means of salvation to many souls.' Its influence in Germany, when first published, was not unlike that of Wilberforce's Practical View in England. It presented Christianity in a new light; not as a mere profession, a form, but as a great and solemn reality, which must be felt in the soul, and exhibited in the life, if men would be saved. the one hand, it aroused multitudes from the sleep of sin, and put them upon a course of new obedience; while on the other, it excited a torrent of opposition, with the intent, though a vain one, to sweep both the book and its author away.' The excellent Dr. Worthington of England calls Arndt another Salvian,

On

1 This work consists of four books. The first, Arndt calls the book of Scripture; the second, the book of Life; the third, the book of Conscience; and the fourth, the book of Nature. The first two books are the most esteemed, and were published, separate from the others, in Boston, in 1809.

2 Among the opponents of Arndt was Lucius Osiander, a divine of Tübingen, who wrote a book against him in a nost satirical style, called Theological Cogitations, of which he is said to have deeply repented, when he came to die.

"Whose business it was to convince men of their unchristian spirits and courses of life, and awaken them to the minding of true Christianity; that so they might not place the kingdom of God in meats and drinks, in mere opinions and outward observances, but might make it their great care to be a people reformed in deed and in truth, to crucify the old man in the affections of their souls, and rise to a new life, the holy and humble life of Christ."

Among the many who were savingly benefitted by the writings of Arndt, was a deacon of the church in Rostock, who, at his death in 1661, left in manuscript a tract, entitled The Watchman's Voice, which, ere long, was printed. This tract was the means of first opening the eyes of James Philip Spener, who soon became the leading spirit in this great revival movement. This eminent divine, who has been called not improperly "the Protestant Fenelon," was born in 1625, and acquired much fame as an oriental scholar. He was established in the ministry, successively, at Strasburg, Frankfort, Dresden, and Berlin. While at Frankfort, he published his Pia Desideria, Pious Desires, in which he set forth the great apostasy of the Lutheran church, with the abuses and corruptions resulting from it, and the remedies which he desired to see applied.' He also republished several excellent works of a previous age; as the Postils of Tauler, Theologia Germanica, and Thomas à Kempis on the Imitation of Christ. Later in life, he published sixty-six sermons on regeneration, and an important work on the divinity of Christ.

But it was not by his preaching and publications alone that Spener extended his salutary influence. After his removal to Frankfort, in 1666, he established, in his own house, what he called Collegia Pietatis, but which we should call meetings for conference and prayer. This was a new measure, at that time, in Germany, and it awakened a very deep interest. Multitudes flocked to these religious meetings, not only students and people in humble life, but ministers, professors, superintendents and officers of the government. More ample accommodations were provided, and other meetings were established on the same general plan. While many favored the meetings and were sav

This work was first published as a Preface to Arndt's Postils, afterwards it was printed separately, and entitled Pia Desideria.

ingly benefitted by them, others bitterly opposed and denounced them. They were said to be disorderly, fanatical, and, in many ways, of dangerous tendency. They were sanctioned, however, by some of the Universities and could not be broken up.

Spener was not contented with laboring only for the spiritual good of his fellow-men. He felt for the sufferings of the sick and the destitute, and, though opposed for a time by the magistrates, he succeeded in getting up a hospital in Frankfort for their relief.

In 1686, Spener was removed from Frankfort to Dresden, and became first court preacher to John George III., the Electoral Prince of Saxony. Here he continued the same course which had been pursued at Frankfort; and in addition to it, he commenced the work of assembling and catechising the children. For this he was censured by some of the nobility, and the University professors, who thought it unbecoming in a man of such great parts and learning, and occupying so high a station, to descend to the work of teaching children. But Spener thought differently. He regarded the youth of his flock as the hope of the church, and the most hopeful subjects of pastoral influence. "Older people," he said, "are for the most part inflexible, and unwilling to forsake their established opinions and practices. My greatest hope is from the children." The children appreciated the attentions of their pastor, and his catechetical exercises were thronged.

Spener had the misfortune, however, to be unpopular with the Prince Elector. He was a great drunkard, besides being addicted to other vices, and the plain dealing of the court preacher was offensive to him. He did not like his sermons; and still less could he endure his private visits, which were all of them of the most serious, searching nature. On one occasion, Spener addressed to him a respectful letter, reproving him for his vicious courses, and earnestly calling him to repentance, which gave great offence.

At the time of Spener's removal from Frankfort to Dresden, he had with him several theological students, among whom were Augustus Herman Francke, John Caspar Schade, and Paul Anthony, who now went to Leipsic, to pursue the study of theology there. In accordance with Spener's instructions,