this he, also, holds the Calvinists responsible. From them (he says) the Socinians learnt two things: (1) to explain away what they could not understand: (2) to make light of Church antiquity. The rest of their bad lesson they learnt from the Romanists: (1) the assurance that Holy Scripture alone cannot prove the doctrine of the Trinity: (2) a sanction for calling on one who is not truly God. "What more," he asks, "did they want to establish their heresy ?" The Ramists too have encouraged the same contempt for antiquity. "As the youth learnt (from them) in philosophical matters, to despise the experience of all ages, and to indulge in novelties, so in theology they learnt the like; limiting all the questions of religious controversy to the range of their own intelligence, and that of their own (modern) doctors °.

His discernment fixes the same sort of charge upon the Romanists. In form, but not in fact, do they honour the ancient Church. That Church which, with its martyrs, is greater than the Church of any other age; even the latest of all. In regard to this last, he states his belief that the authors of the Reformation were permitted in some points to err; "lest posterity should be led to esteem them too highly."

Thus ends his share of the official proceedings. But the presence of old friends involved other engagements, and we find in a letter to the Duke, of this date, a little touch of homeliness which shews how simple were his ways. Modestly apologizing for delay in writing, he explains that he had been occupied not only with the Act, (looking over the Exercises, and preparing his speech,) but also with festivities on the occasion, at

• Orat. Select., p. 109; in Henke, ii. 187, note 3.

his house. "A considerable entertainment so upset my home,-unaccustomed as it is to such-like matters,that I could not immediately recover myself, or return to the usual tenor of my studies P."

In the summer he became (for the third time) ProRector, and the address which he delivered on assuming his office, gives a melancholy picture as well of morals as learning. Literature had degenerated almost into a trade. “And I see not," he says, concerning such as so followed it," why they ought to be preferred before a prosperous tradesman 9." The morals of the University were equally low. For above and beyond the common faults of young men,-subsisting, as it seems, in all their coarseness, there existed that odious system of wrong which has been spoken of already, more than once, as Pennalism. In this regard the students had moved steadily downwards. "When I first became a member," he says, "of the University, forty-eight years ago, the juniors, as is reasonable, gave place, always, to the seniors; and treated them with due respect. But they were not worried by the seniors; nor insulted, nor injured. They were not plundered of their money, nor compelled to spend it. I can solemnly avow that though I was but a boy of sixteen years, no one (on that account) gave me annoyance, or any one of my countrymen who came with me, or followed me. I never (at that time) even heard of such things as I have heard of since; and am hearing now "." It seems that the evil had infected the juniors, and that they, also, amongst themselves, practised the same kind of wrong. In September there was promulgated the following notice on the subject:

a Orat. Select., p. 84; in Ibid., p. 90; in Henke, i. 106, note 1.

P Epist. ad Aug. Ducem, pp. 11, 12. Henke, ii. 198, note 1.

"By the Rector and Senate of the Julian University: "Universities ought to be not only schools of erudition, but also of piety, virtue and modesty. Unless they be so, the vices which the students have learnt in them, flow over into the Church and commonwealth. Nay more, the Universities provoke the wrath of God against themselves in proportion to the unseemliness of their becoming schools of vice. We need not, therefore, wonder that we see them everywhere, throughout Germany, depressed and desolate, if we remember how wickedness has reigned in most of them. Not to speak of other things, there has been this bad practice: those who have lately come, have been persecuted by those who have been longer in residence. They have been treated contemptuously and mulcted of their money. An arrogant wilfulness has dared to dictate to the new comers an entire year for the endurance of these injuries. We rejoice, however, that the larger part of our own students, (who have lived for any sufficient time in the University,) have had juster views, and more self-respect than to allow themselves to be contaminated by wrongs done against the juniors; or by the wantonness of a levity and base behaviour which is disgraceful. But see! whilst the evil is laid to sleep on the one side, on the other a different rises up unexpectedly; and this almost worse than the former. The juniors themselves, and amongst themselves, (those a little senior against those a little junior,) annoy and insult and make jests upon them; and that too in a sacred place, in the church; where putting aside the thought of worldly things, (much more wanton things,) God is to be praised and worshipped, and His Word to be heard and pondered. Some of us saw this, with our own eyes last week, though by reason of the distance

we could not distinguish the offenders. But for the future there shall be some so placed as to have a nearer view. We need say no more. Those who are so insolent or so wicked, must prepare for punishment; and that, most severe; for the worse the deed, the more severely will it be visited. In this view, we have given this public notice of what, indeed, no one can or ought to be ignorant of; lest any one when he has brought this evil upon himself should say that he was not sufficiently warned. Sept. 2nd, 1643"."

A sad sample this, of the workings of war; and its ever-deepening current of demoralization and coarse

ness.

s Commerc. Lit., pp. 42-44.

CHAPTER XXVI.

The King of Poland and the Conference of
Thorn. The "Great Elector."

THE year 1644 brought a serious accession of care to Calixtus, in the dangers which threatened his home in Schleswig. The Swedes under Torstenson were overrunning the country; and the Professor had to grieve for personal losses, as well as for the misery of the land he loved a.

But matters were at hand of even yet more interest; and if they did not wholly dissipate the anxiety which harassed him, they supplied a counter-irritant the most complete and effective. While Germany was torn by a ruthless war, the kingdom of Poland had remained at peace; and (not to go deeper into foregone history b) there were reasons which might not only account for this exemption, but also give hope to its becoming, to its neighbours, a pattern of religious, as of secular contentment. This was (at any rate) the belief of its Sovereign; and in this view Wladislaus IV. was now exerting himself to originate a religious

b When Henry of Valois was elected King of Poland, he was made to pledge himself to even-handedness and toleration. "WE will maintain quietness and peace between the different Confessions; WE give our hand that no one shall be oppressed on account of religion; and WE will never suffer this to be done in Our kingdom by any authority whatsoever; least of all by Our own."-De Thou.