originated in chagrin and hatred, and have been kept alive by bigotry and superstition. The infidel writers, who usually affect extraordinary moderation in every thing but religious concerns, have rashly followed the Papists in questioning the purity of the Reformer's motives. Nobody is surprised at this; but it may well seem a wonderful, as it is truly an affecting circumstance, that, in our enlightened times, many should be found, who though they have not only never renounced Christianity, but even profess themselves sincere friends of the reformation,-yet appear to understand very little of the real dispositions of Luther. Some of his natural qualities have been the subject of much observation, but the ruling principles of the man, those principles which were eminently spiritual and Christian, are almost buried in silence.

There would be little room left for controversy respecting this extraordinary personage, if men would turn their attention to the investigation of his private conduct and secret motives, and would accustom themselves to estimate characters by scriptural rules. Happily, the authentic documents for this purpose, though by no means so plentiful, in some of the earlier years of his life," as might be wished, -are yet, in the main, sufficiently clear and numerous. They establish, beyond dispute, the singular purity and disinterested integrity of Luther; and one

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may

may venture to affirm, that if the refined, philosophical taste of our historians, as well as of the age in which they live,. would have allowed them to produce and digest the unexceptionable evidence which actually exists, much juster notions, concerning the Saxon Reformer and his proceedings would have been entertained by Students of history than they can now possibly deduce from reading several of our best writers. The defects of their performances have not arisen from the want of ability, or of industry, or of learning. Such an insinuation would argue the highest degree of presumption in the Editor. It is his sincere belief that several historical productions of modern times might challenge, almost in any point of comparison, the most celebrated pieces of antiquity. It is to the neglect of observing, investigating, and illustrating the operations of the genuine principles of the GOSPEL, that the deficiencies here spoken of are perhaps entirely to be ascribed. The Editor deprecates the charge of censorious criticism, and submits to the judgment of impartial and intelligent readers for a candid construction of his meaning, while, with much grief, he suggests to their consideration,-Whether some of our ablest historians have not discovered much more anxiety to enumerate the various political and subordinate causes of the Reformation, than to trace diligently, and mark distinctly, the powerful energy of the essen

tial

tial doctrines of Christianity, as, through the gracious assistance of the Holy Spirit of God, they efficaciously influenced the conduct of the first Reformers? Should this question be answered in the affirmative, it may then be worth while to inquire further,-Whether this UNPHILOSOPHICAL, as well as unchristian neglect of the operation of Gospel-principles on the minds of men who have been distinguished as the chief instruments of Providence in bringing about important ecclesiastical revolutions, does not arise from an acquiescence at least in the irreligious taste of the times, if not from the actual contagion of modern scepticism and infidelity. For, in seasons of great departure from sound doctrine, when men are apt to be ashamed of the "Son of Man and his words," it requires much courage and piety to be an open and faithful defender of the truth. Also, when the Gospel itself is perpetually assailed under the specious pretence of modest doubt and inquiry, the very best. disposed persons have need to be constantly watchful, lest their own minds should imperceptibly be infected with the hostile insinuations of artful enemies of Revelation.

It should seem that no writers are in this respect more dangerous than those learned and able historians of a philosophical stamp, with whom FAME is avowedly the motive and the reward of their labours*.

But

*Fame is the motive, it is the reward of our labours;GIBBON, Miscell. Vol. II.

But it will be said, that the niceties of controversial divinity, are not the proper province either of the polite or of the profound historian. Be it so: Yet surely it must be granted, that the investigation of men's GENERAL principles of conduct, must be of singular service towards discovering their real motives in particular transactions. If, for example, in the case of Martin Luther, it be an undoubted fact, that during all the important scenes in which he was so providentially called to be a principal actor, the peculiar truths of the Gospel were powerfully, and practically influential on his mind, then it will follow, that the MOTIVES of that great Reformer cannot be explained or comprehended without specially adverting to those truths, and diligently weighing their effects in the production of human actions, according to the direction of the Holy Scriptures, "By their fruits ye shall know them. -A due attention to these things surely ought not to be confounded with an improper or an objectionable regard to theological niceties.

Indeed if the writers of Ecclesiastical histories have not themselves also some practical, experimental knowledge of the nature of pure Christianity, as well as theoretical and speculative notions concerning it, they must for ever be embarrassed in contemplating the conduct of good men; and the more they aspire to what is called the philosophy of history, that is, the more they affect to develop

develop general principles, to form abstract systems, and to unfold the secret motives of men's hearts, the worse guides will they be come to their unbiassed, unsuspecting rea-r ders, and the more likely to mislead and prejudice their minds.

The histories of Luther and of Lutheranism are so intimately mixed with secular politics, and so pregnant with revolutions of the greatest consequence to kingdoms and empires, that however little disposed the modern historians may have been to trace the existence of the true Church of Christ, or record the effects of the operation of pure Christian principles, they have found it impossible not to give considerable attention to the transactions of the Saxon Reformer and his associates. In fact, the civil and religious liberties of mankind have been found to be closely connected together in practice; and it is this circumstance, which, in a great measure, has contributed to the celebrity of Luther and other German theologians.

No person could have a greater esteem for Luther than the Author of this History. The present volume will shew how well versed he was in his writings, and with how much care he had studied his character. He loved him as a man of plain dealing and unfeigned piety: he admired him as a champion of truth: he revered him as an instrument of God, highly honoured, and expressly chosen for the purpose of defending and pro

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