principal creed of the sect, when they please and as far as they please. The rationalistic Lutheran theologians of Germany, many of whom are the most learned men of the age, assert that they carry out the great principle of the Reformation that of private judgment in religious matters to its full and legitimate extent; and thus each one of them has a creed of his own. There are a few German Lutheran Churches in this country who belong to this wing of the sect, some of whom are Unitarians, and others as good as Infidels and Rationalists. But with these heretics the main body of the Lutheran Church hold no communication whatever, regarding their sentiments with horror and condemnation.

GERMAN REFORMED CHURCH.

The German Reformed Church, as it exists both in Europe and in this country, is historically descended from the Swiss churches which were established in the sixteenth century, through the instrumentality of the distinguished reformer, Ulric Zwingli. The original seat of the sect was in Switzerland; but many of these churches exist in the various Protestant States of Germany, as well as in this country.

Zwingli was the contemporary of Luther. He commenced his reforming zeal nearly at the same time, and was led to the adoption of his Protestant sentiments by a process somewhat similar to that used by Luther. He was born at Wildhaus, in the canton of Schweitz, in January, 1484. At an early age he exhibited proofs of superior intelligence; and his parents, who were poor, made every effort to give him the benefit of a learned education. He was intended for the priesthood, as the best avenue which could then be found for the display of talent and the gratification of ambition. In due time he was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest, after having completed his studies at the University of Basle. In 1506 he became the parish priest of Glaris, a village near his native Wildhaus, and here he

commenced to study and examine the Scriptures with apecial reference to the absurdities which were committed by the pilgrims who at that time traveled to the venerable shrine at Einsidlen, which, by some imposture or other, had at that time acquired a widely-spread notoriety. By opposing this local superstition, he invited and incurred the condemnation of his ecclesiastical superiors; while at the same time he acquired great popularity among the multitude as a young man who was able and determined to exercise some freedom of thought. His growing fame at length procured for him the post of preacher in the cathedral church of Zurich. This event occurred in December, 1518. He was an eloquent speaker; and though while at Glaris his morals had not been any better than they should be, this defect was overlooked and gradually overshadowed by his superior abilities as an orator.

Meanwhile Luther was carrying forward the Reformation of Wittenberg, and the new doctrines which he propounded and defended found a ready and an able advocate in Zwingli. The latter preached one novelty after another as fast as he became convinced, by a careful examination of its Scriptural authority, until he had gone over the whole ground of Protestant theology. During the progress of these labors many of the Swiss cantons became the partizans of the Protestant cause; and the centre of the new faith remained at Zurich, of which city Zwingli was the leading and most powerful intellect. In some respects, and on several important points, Zwingli differed from Luther, especially in regard to the nature of the Lord's Supper. For the purpose of comparing their views, and, if possible, of forming an ecclesiastical and religious union, they held several conferences together; but in both cases the rude and resolute manner in which the Saxon Reformer insisted on his own peculiar and unmodified opinions as being the only and the immutable truth, and his determination not to depart a single jot from his previously expressed sentiments, rendered all prospect of accommodation utterly hopeless, and sadly disappointed the

charitable hopes which Zwingli had reasonably entertained on the subject.

Zwingli, therefore, proceeded to carry on his reforms in Switzerland in entire independence of the movements of Luther. One canton after another declared in favor of the Reformation, until all, save five of them, ranged themselves on that side of the dispute. The names of those which refused to do so were Uri, Lucerne, Schweitz, Unterhalten, and Zug. It is probable that, had the Reformer lived longer, he might have been able to extend his doctrines among the inhabitants of these cantons also; but in October, 1531, a religious war was declared between the cantons of opposite faith, and Zwingli went forth as chief chaplain in the army of his confederates. He was slain at the battle of Cappel, and thus prematurely terminated a career which might have ultimately led to very important and permanent results. Zwingli was an inferior man to Luther in every sense. He was his inferior in native genius, in learning, in boldness, in eloquence, in the extent and grandeur of the arena on which he labored, in the results which he produced, in the fame which he acquired, and in the completeness and duration of his public career. Notwithstanding these disadvantages, Zwingli ccupies a very honorable place in history, as the founder of the German Reformed Church.

After the death of Zwingli, his place as the head of this church was assumed by a much greater man than himself -by John Calvin-who resided at Geneva, and rendered that city the head and centre of Swiss Protestantism. Calvin differed from Zwingli on several points; especially on the nature of the Lord's Supper, and on the proper nature of church government. Zwingli regarded the Eucharist merely as a commemorative symbol of Christ's death; while Calvin taught that the worthy communicant received, in the bread and wine, the actual body, blood, and bones of Christ. As to church government, Zwingli was in favor of subjecting the church to the civil authority, so far as her temporal and secular affairs were concerned;

while Calvin contended that in all things, both temporal and spiritual, the church ought to be wholly free and separate from the civil power. Calvin never succeeded in persuading the Swiss, much less any German community, to receive and adopt his views of church government, though they were doubtless founded in truth and justice.

The German Reformed Church in the United States took its rise about the year 1720, when the first immigrants who belonged to that sect came to this country. These settled in Eastern Pennsylvania; but other churches were gradually formed in various portions of this State, and subsequently in Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, and the Carolinas. In this country their church government is essentially Presbyterian. Some of the congregations of this sect are in a flourishing condition; though they never have had any very large churches, nor have they had any eminent or distinguished persons among their membership. In this respect, as well as regards numbers, wealth, and social influence, they have always been inferior to the Lutheran and Dutch Reformed churches.

The creed of this sect is set forth in the Heidelberg catechism. Their doctrines are regarded as orthodox, believing as they do in the Trinity, the vicarious atonement, and other fundamental points of Protestant theology. The Heidelberg Catechism was drawn up in 1563, and adopted at the city of that name. Its purpose was to effect a compromise between the Reformed Churches of Switzerland and Germany; and it was composed by several eminent and learned men who represented several different parties. These were Dr. Zacharias Ursinus, who was a disciple of Melanchthon, Dr. Casper Olevianus, a follower of Calvin; and the Elector Frederic III., sovereign of the Palatinate, of which Heidelberg is the capital, who was a disciple of Zwingli. This catechism says nothing about the cardinal doctrine of the imputation of Adam's sin to his posterity; the atonement is regarded as general, in opposition to Calvin's opinion; and the theories of Calvin and Zwingli about the Lord's Supper are so mingled, that

a compound of the two is made. It also teaches that mankind cannot repent without the assistance of the Spirit of God; yet it admits that when the Spirit impels and urges men to repent, they have the power to resist that impulse and act as free agents.

MONOPHYSITES are properly the followers of a monk of the sixteenth century, Severus, but the term is applied to all the Eastern churches who believe in the one nature of Christ, holding that the divine nature was so united to and mingled with the human that they formed but a single nature. The churches that hold to this faith at present are the Syrian, the Jacobite, the Coptic, including the Abyssinian, the Chaldean, the Arminian, and the Indo-Syriac. These churches all hold this one article of faith in common, though their creeds differ widely.

MONOTHELITES, a sect which was suppressed in the latter part of the seventh century. They claimed that as Christ had two natures he must have two wills, but that the human will was so overpowered by the divine that it became entirely subordinated to it, and consequently there could be but one free will in the same person. This practical denial of the perfection of Christ's human nature raised the opposition of other Christians, and they were condemned in General Council.

MONTANISTS, followers of Montanus, who, in the second century, claimed that the Spirit, the Paraclete, dwelt in him, and through him would give a more perfect system of religion than that expounded by the apostles. He was aided by two women whom he had won over to faith in him and his pretensions. They allowed women to teach, forbade second marriages, and allowed divorce. Persons guilty of great crimes were never after to be admitted to communion, they denying the authority of the bishops to restore them.