THE

CHURCH OF CHRIST.

VOLUME THE FIFTH:

CONTAINING

A CONTINUATION OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.

EDITED ON THE PLAN AND IN PART FROM THE MSS.

OF THE LATE

REV? JOSEPH MILNER, A. M.

BY THE

REVD ISAAC MILNER, D.D. F. R. S.

DEAN OF CARLISLE,

AND PRESIDENT OF QUEEN'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE.

A NEW EDITION:

WITH A COPIOUS INDEX TO THE FIVE VOLUMES.

London:

Printed by Luke Hansard & Sons,

FOR T. CADELL, IN THE STRAND.

PREFACE.

A FULL conviction, that in our times the principles and motives of LUTHER are not well understood, induced me to bring forward, in the preceding Volume, a number of authentic documents, which have been either entirely omitted, or imperfectly stated, by Historians. The approbation with which my endeavours to elucidate this part of Ecclesiastical history have been received, has encouraged me to spare no pains in attempting to place in its true light the character of the Saxon Reformer; and though the Reader may at first be surprised that a Volume of so many pages should bring down this History of the Church of Christ only to the Diet of Augsburg in 1530, I have no fear that, when he has perused the work, he will think either the writer prolix, or the matter unimportant.

A mere cursory inspection of the Volume will convince him, that every Chapter contains materials which distinguish this History from all others.

In order to communicate a full and faithful exhibition of facts, the Author has availed himself of all the means of information within his reach; and particularly of the curious and instructive contents of three quarto volumes of the Private Letters of Luther; two of which he in vain sought after, for several years, both in these Dominions and on the Continent.

The learned Dr. Mosheim, in his Compendium, refers to a long list of eminent Authors, who, he says, are to be consulted, in confirmation of his brief statements*. Now such an intimation appears to me, to have the effect of at once overwhelming the courage and resolution of any ordinary student of Ecclesiastical history.

The Historian of the CHURCH of CHRIST, in several instances of difficult and important inquiry, cannot exactly follow any one of the numerous Authors who have handled the points in question; and to have always detailed his reasons for dissent, would have swelled the Volume too much. He constantly, however, refers to the very pages where the best opinions and the original records are to be found; and then leaves it to his Reader to judge how far he has made legitimate use of the collective evidence. And though this may not be the best way of sheltering himself from the detection of erroneous judgment, or of mis-statement

Laur. Mosh, Historia Reform. p. 646.

of facts, it certainly contributes to the discovery of truth, by rendering future examination and criticism more easy and agreeable.

Add, that a strict and continued attention to the opinions of contemporary writers, and, whenever they can be procured, to original documents, requires great labour and perseverance; as any one may soon convince himself, who will take the trouble, only in one or two cases, to turn to the numerous passages referred to in this Volume. The writer has no scruple to affirm that he could have finished the Volume in one-fourth of the time, had he contented himself with less accurate investigations; had he ventured to give general and bold representations of things, and guarded these afterwards (as is often done) by sceptical concessions and plausible conjectures, which, while they save the time and trouble of patient research; serve rather to perplex than to unfold the truth; and all this under great appearances of candour and impartiality.

TRUE candour consists in forming just decisions upon evidences collected with diligence and judgment. It never tempts a man to descant, with specious parade, on liberality and moderation, to depress or dilute virtues, to lessen or palliate vices, and to say and unsay, till all manly and worthy sentiments are utterly lost in a confusion of opposite or incongruous assertions.

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