in　penance　and　self…expiation　and　other　modes　of　propitiating　the
  Deity；　like　soofists　and　fakirs　and　Braminical　devotees。　　In
  defiance　of　the　most　sacred　of　the　institutions　of　the　Middle　Ages；
  he　openly　marries　Catherine　Bora　and　sets　up　a　hilarious　household；
  and　yet　a　household　of　prayer　and　singing。　　He　abolishes　the　old
  Gregorian　service；　and　for　Mediaeval　chants；　monotonous　and　gloomy；
  he　prepares　hymns　and　songs；not　for　boys　and　priests　to　intone　in
  the　distant　choir；　but　for　the　whole　congregation　to　sing；　inspired
  by　the　melodies　of　David　and　the　exulting　praises　of　a　Saviour　who
  redeems　from　darkness　into　light。　　How　grand　that　hymn　of　his；
  〃A　mighty　fortress　is　our　God；
  A　bulwark　never　failing。〃
  He　makes　worship　more　heartfelt；　and　revives　apostolic　usages：
  preaching　and　exhortation　and　instruction　from　the　pulpit；a
  forgotten　power。　　He　appeals　to　reason　rather　than　sense；　denounces
  superstitions；　while　he　rebukes　sins；　and　kindles　a　profound
  fervor；　based　on　the　recognition　of　new　truths。　　He　is　not　fully
  emancipated　from　the　traditions　of　the　past；　for　he　retains　the
  doctrine　of　transubstantiation；　and　keeps　up　the　holidays　of　the
  Church；　and　allows　recreation　on　the　Sabbath。　　But　what　he　thinks
  the　most　of　is　the　circulation　of　the　Scriptures　among　plain
  people。　　So　he　translates　them　into　German。　　And　this；　not　the
  first　but　the　best　translation；　is　done　so　well　that　it　becomes　the
  standard　of　the　German　language；　as　the　Bible　of　Tindale　helped　to
  form　the　English　tongue；　and　not　only　so；　but　it　has　remained　the
  common　version　in　use　throughout　Germany；　even　as　the　authorized
  King　James　version；　made　nearly　a　century　later　by　the　labor　of
  many　scholars　and　divines；　has　remained　the　standard　English　Bible。
  Moreover；　he　finds　time　to　make　liturgies　and　creeds　and　hymns；　and
  to　write　letters　to　all　parts　of　Christendom；a　Jerome；　a
  Chrysostom；　and　an　Augustine　united；　a　kind　of　Protestant　pope；　to
  whom　everybody　looks　for　advice　and　consolation。　　What　a　wonderful
  man！　　No　wonder　the　Germans　are　so　fond　of　him　and　so　proud　of
  him；a　Briareus　with　a　hundred　arms；　a　marvel；　a　wonder；　a　prodigy
  of　nature；　the　most　gifted；　versatile；　hard…working　man　of　his
  century　or　nation！
  At　last；　this　great　theologian；　this　daring　innovator；　is　summoned
  by　imperial；　not　papal；　authority　before　the　Diet　of　the　empire　at
  Worms；　where　the　Emperor；　the　great　Charles　V。；　presides；　amid
  bishops；　princes；　cardinals；　legates；　generals；　and　dignitaries。
  Thither　Luther　must　go；yet　under　imperial　safe　conduct；and
  consummate　his　protests；　and　perhaps　offer　up　his　life。　　Painters；
  poets；　historians；　have　made　that　scene　familiar；the　most
  memorable　in　the　life　of　Luther；　as　well　as　one　of　the　grandest
  spectacles　of　the　age。　　I　need　not　dwell　on　that　exciting　scene；
  where；　in　the　presence　of　all　that　was　illustrious　and　powerful　in
  Germany；　this　defenceless　doctor　dares　to　say　to　supremest　temporal
  and　spiritual　authority；　〃Unless　you　confute　me　by　arguments　drawn
  from　Scripture；　I　cannot　and　will　not　recant　anything　。　。　。　　Here　I
  stand；　I　cannot　otherwise：　God　help　me！　　Amen。〃　　How　superior　to
  Galileo　and　other　scientific　martyrs！　　He　is　not　afraid　of　those
  who　can　kill　only　the　body；　he　is　afraid　only　of　Him　who　hath　power
  to　cast　both　soul　and　body　into　hell。　　So　he　stands　as　firm　as　the
  eternal　pillars　of　justice；　and　his　cause　is　gained。　　What　if　he
  did　not　live　long　enough　to　accomplish　all　he　designed！　　What　if　he
  made　mistakes；　and　showed　in　his　career　many　of　the　infirmities　of
  human　nature！　　What　if　he　cared　very　little　for　pictures　and
  statues；the　revived　arts　of　Greece　and　Rome；　the　Pagan
  Renaissance　in　which　he　only　sees　infidelity；　levities；　and
  luxuries；　and　other　abominations　which　excited　his　disgust　and
  abhorrence　when　he　visited　Italy！　　HE　seeks；　not　to　amuse　and　adorn
  the　Papal　empire；　but　to　reform　it；　as　Paul　before　him　sought　to
  plant　new　sentiments　and　ideas　in　the　Roman　world；　indifferent　to
  the　arts　of　Greece；　and　even　the　beauties　of　nature；　in　his
  absorbing　desire　to　convert　men　to　Christ。　　And　who；　since　Paul；
  has　rendered　greater　service　to　humanity　than　Luther？　　The　whole
  race　should　be　proud　that　such　a　man　has　lived。
  We　will　not　follow　the　great　reformer　to　the　decline　of　his　years；
  we　will　not　dwell　on　his　subsequent　struggles　and　dangers；　his
  marvellous　preservation；　his　personal　habits；　his　friendships　and
  his　hatreds；　his　joys　and　sorrows；　his　bitter　alienations；　his
  vexatious；　his　disappointments；　his　gloomy　anticipations　of
  approaching　strife；　his　sickened　yet　exultant　soul；　his　last　days
  of　honor　and　of　victory；　his　final　illness；　and　his　triumphant
  death　in　the　town　where　he　was　born。　　It　is　his　legacy　that　we　are
  concerned　in；　the　inheritance　he　left　to　succeeding　generations；
  the　perpetuated　ideas　of　the　Reformation；　which　he　worked　out　in
  anguish　and　in　study；　and　which　we　will　not　let　die；　but　will
  cherish　in　our　memories　and　our　hearts；　as　among　the　most　precious
  of　the　heirlooms　of　genius；　susceptible　of　boundless　application。
  And　it　is　destined　to　grow　brighter　and　richer；　in　spite　of
  counter…reformation　and　Jesuitism；　of　Pagan　levities　and　Pagan
  lies；　of　boastful　science　and　Epicurean　pleasures；　of　material
  glories；　of　dissensions　and　sects　and　parties；　as　the　might　and
  majesty　of　ages　coursing　round　the　world　regenerates　institutions
  and　nations；　and　proclaims　the　sovereignty　of　intelligence；　the
  glory　and　the　power　of　God。
  AUTHORITIES。
  Ranke's　Reformation　in　Germany；　D'Aubigne's　History　of　the
  Reformation；　Luther's　Letters；　Mosheim's　History　of　the　Church；
  Melancthon's　Life　of　Luther：　Erasmi　Epistolae；　Encyclopaedia
  Britannica。
  THOMAS　CRANMER。
  A。　D。　1489…1556。
  THE　ENGLISH　REFORMATION。
  As　the　great　interest　of　the　Middle　Ages；　in　an　historical　point　of
  view；　centres　around　the　throne　of　the　popes；　so　the　most　prominent
  subject　of　historical　interest　in　our　modern　times　is　the　revolt
  from　their　almost　unlimited　domination。　　The　Protestant
  reformation；　in　its　various　relations；　was　a　movement　of
  transcendent　importance。　　The　history　of　Christendom；　in　a　moral；　a
  political；　a　religious；　a　literary；　and　a　social　point　of　view；　for
  the　last　three　hundred　years；　cannot　be　studied　or　comprehended
  without　primary　reference　to　that　memorable　revolution。
  We　have　seen　how　that　great　insurrection　of　human　intelligence　was
  headed　in　Germany　by　Luther；　and　we　shall　shortly　consider　it　in
  Switzerland　and　France　under　Calvin。　　We　have　now　to　contemplate
  the　movement　in　England。
  The　most　striking　figure　in　it　was　doubtless　Thomas　Cranmer；
  Archbishop　of　Canterbury；　although　he　does　not　represent　the
  English　Reformation　in　all　its　phases。　　He　was　neither　so　prominent
  nor　so　great　a　man　as　Luther　or　Calvin；　or　even　Knox。　　But；　taking
  him　all　in　all；　he　was　the　most　illustrious　of　the　English
  reformers；　and　he；　more　than　any　other　man；　gave　direction　to　the
  spirit　of　reform；　which　had　been　quietly　working　ever　since　the
  time　of　Wyclif；　especially　among　the　humbler　classes。
  The　English　Reformationthe　way　to　which　had　been　long　preparing
  began　in　the　reign　of　Henry　VIII。；　and　this　unscrupulous　and
  tyrannical　monarch；　without　being　a　religious　man；　gave　the　first
  great　impulse　to　an　outbreak　the　remote　consequences　of　which　he
  did　not　anticipate；　and　with　which　he　had　no　sympathy。　　He　rebelled
  against　the　authority　of　the　Pope；　without　abjuring　the　Roman
  Catholic　religion；　either　as　to　dogmas　or　forms。　　In　fact；　the
  first　great　step　towards　reform　was　made；　not　by　Cranmer；　but　by
  Thomas　Cromwell；　Earl　of　Essex；　as　the　prime　minister　of　Henry
  VIII。；a　man　of　whom　we　really　know　the　least　of　all　the　very
  great　statesmen　of　English　history。　　It　was　he　who　demolished　the
  monasteries；　and　made　war　on　the　whole　monastic　system；　and
  undermined　the　papal　power　in　England；　and　swept　away　many　of　the
  most　glaring　of　those　abuses　which　disgraced　the　Papal　Empire。
  Armed　with　the　powers　which　Wolsey　had　wielded；　he　directed　them
  into　a　totally　different　channel；　so　far　as　the　religious　welfare
  of　the　nation　is　considered；　although　in　his　principles　of
  government　he　was　as　absolute　as　Richelieu。　　Like　the　great　French
  statesman；　he　exalted　the　throne；　but；　unlike　him；　he　promoted　the
  personal　reign　of　the　sovereign　he　served　with　remarkable　ability
  and　devotion。
  Thomas　Cromwell；　the　prime　minister　of　Henry　VIII。；　after　the　fall
  of　Wolsey；　was　born　in　humble　ranks；　and　was　in　early　life　a　common
  soldier　in　the　wars　of　Italy；　then　a　clerk　in　a　mercantile　house　in
  Antwerp；　then　a　wool　merchant　in　Middleborough；　then　a　member　of
  Parliament；　and　was　employed　by　Wolsey　in　suppressing　some　of　the
  smaller　monasteries。　　His　fidelity　to　his　patron　Wolsey；　at　the
  time　of　that　great　cardinal's　fall；　attracted　the　special　notice　of
  the　King；　wh