minicans. But, be that as it may, he wrote and preached against indulgencies. His writings were read with avidity, and his discourses listened to with admiration.

He appealed to reason and scripture, for the truth of his arguments, not to the decisions of councils or of popes. A corner of the veil was now opened. The people, ever fond of judging for themselves, (and in matters which concern themselves only, they have an undoubted right) flattered by this appeal, began to call in question that authority which they had formerly reveren-. ced, which they had blindly adored; and Luther, emboldened by success, extended his views, and ventured to declaim against other abuses. From abuses he proceeded to usurpations; from usurpations to errors; and from one error to another, till the whole fabric of the Romish church began tó totter.

Leo, in the mean time, alarmed at the progress of this daring innovator, had summoned him to answer for his doctrines at Rome. But that citation was remitted at the intercession of Frederic, surnamed the Wise, Elector of Saxony, who had hitherto protected Luther; and his cause was ordered to be tried in Germany, by cardinal Cajetan, a Dominican, eminent for scholastic learning, and the pope's legate at the Imperial court. For this end, among others, Cajetan attended the diet at Augsburg; and thither Lu. ther repaired without hesitation, after having obtained the emperor's safe-conduct, though he had good reason to decline a judge, chosen from among his avowed enemies.

The cardinal received him with decent respect, and endeavored, at first, to gain him by gentle treatment. But finding him firm in his principles, and thinking it beneath the dignity of his station to enter into any formal dispute, he required him, by virtue of the apostolic powers, with which he was vested, to retract his errors, without shewing that they were such, and to abstain for the future from the publication of new and dangerous opinions.

Luther, who had flattered himself with a hearing, and hoped to distinguish himself in a dispute with a prelate of such eminent abilities, was much mortified at this arbitrary mode of proceeding. His native intrepidity of mind, however, did not forsake him. He boldly replied, that he could not, with a safe conscience, renounce opinions which he believed to be true; but offered to submit the whole controversy to the judgment of the learned, naming certain universities.

This offer was rejected by Cajetan, who still insisted on a simple recantation; and Luther by the advice of his friends, after appealing to a general council, secretly withdrew from Augs burg, and returned to his own country.

The dispute was now carried on by writing on either side. Luther, though opposed by the pope, the conclave, and all the clergy, supported his cause singly, and with success. As the controversy was new, his ignorance of many parts of the subjects was not greater than theirs; and ill as he wrote, they answered still worse. Opinions are implanted upon the minds of man

kind, rather by confidence and perseverance, than by strength of reasoning, or beauty of diction; and no man had more confidence or more perseverance than he. In vain did the pope issue out his bulls against him; in vain did the Dominican friars procure his writings to be burnt; he boldly abused the Dominicans, and burnt the pope's bull in the streets of Wittemburg.

CHAP. L.

Of Henry the Eighth.

HENRY VIII. was born at Greenwich on the twenty ninth of June, 1491, and succeeded his father Henry VII. on the twenty-second of April, 1509, in the eighteenth year of his age.

Soon after his succession, he passed over into France, and took Tournay and some other places. In the mean time king James of Scotland invaded England, but was defeated at the famous battle of Floddenfield, when king James, many nobles, and 9000 common soldiers were slain.

Henry, having received the education of a scholar, was consequently instructed in schooldivinity, which was then the principal object of learned enquiry. Being, therefore, willing to convince the world of his abilities in that science, he obtained the pope's permission to read the works of Luther, which had been forbidden under pain of excommunication. In consequence

of this, the king defended the seven sacraments, out of St. Thomas Aquinas; and shewed some dexterity in this science, though it is thought that Wolsey had the chief hand in directing him. A book being thus finished in haste, it was sent to Rome for the pope's approbation, which it is natural to suppose would not be withheld. The pontiff, ravished with its eloquence and depth, compared it to the labors of St. Jerome, or St. Augustine; and rewarded the author with the title of "Defender of the Faith ;" little imagining that Henry was soon to be one of the most terrible enemies that ever the church of Rome had to contend with.

About the year 1527, Henry began to have some scruples with regard to the validity of his marriage with his brother's widow, which perhaps, was excited by a motive much more powerful than the tacit suggestions of his conscience. It happened among the maids of honor, then attending the queen, there was one Anna Bullen, the daughter of Sir Thomas Bullen, a gentleman of distinction, and related to most of the nobility. He had been employed by the king in several embassies, and was married to the daughter of the duke of Norfolk. The beauty of Anna surpassed whatever had hitherto appeared at this voluptuous court; and her education, which had been at Paris, tended to set off her personal charms. Her features were regular, mild and attractive, her stature elegant, though below the middle size, while her wit and vivacity exceeded even her other allurements.

Henry, who had never learnt the art of restraining any passion, which he desired to gratify, saw and loved her. But after several efforts to induce her to comply with his criminal desires, he found, that without marriage, he could have no chance of succeeding. This obstacle, therefore, he hardily undertook to remove; and as his own queen was now become hateful to him, in order to procure a divorce, he alledged that his conscience rebuked him, for having lived so long in incest with the wife of his brother. It is pretty evident, however, that on this occasion he was influenced by the charms of Anna Bullen, whom he married, before he had obtained from Rome the proper bulls of divorce from the pope.

Queen Anna Bullen lived with the king only till she had borne the princess Elizabeth. Soon after which she was cruelly beheaded, with some of her relations, on a charge of incontinence; of which there is the greatest reason to believe her innocent. Henry then married Jane Seymour, who died in child-bed of prince Edward; when it being impossible to save both, he was asked which should be spared, the mother or the child : he replied, "That he could easily procure another wife, but was not sure that he should have another son." He next married Anne of Cleves, whom he soon divorced, but suffered her to reside in England on a pension of 3000 pounds a year. His fifth wife, Catharine Howard, was like Anna Bullen, beheaded for anti-nuptial adultery. But Catharine Parr, his last wife, who was a widow when he married her, survived him.