XI. Main and Minor Divisions. — The Reformation swept with irresistible power over all Europe. In some countries it was totally extinguished by fire and blood ; in others it maintained itself as the religion of the mi- nority ; in others still it became the predominant or the exclusive religion of the people. Fifty years after its beginning it numbered many millions of adherents. All these millions agreed in protesting against the claim of Rome to be the only true Christian Church, and in the desire to restore a purer form of Christianity. The immense majority rallied around three centres — the Lu- theran, the Reformed, the Anglican Reformation. These three main divisions, and even the principal subdivis- ions, of the 16th century have retained their identity to the present day. To the old subdivisions new ones have been added. Thus, in the 18th century, the Wes- leyan Methodists sprang from the Church of England, and, with an unparalleled rapidity of growth, soon took a front rank among the most numerous subdivisions of the Reformed churches. The subdivisions have again
been subdivided into a number of minor sects, and in many of them, at times, the old doctrinal platforms of the founders of the Reformers appeared to have been abandoned, leaving nothing but the name of the Church as a bond of connection with the Reformation of the 16th century. The very name, however, and the remaining consciousness of a live connection with the great move- ment of the 16th century have proved elements of great conservative force, and have been largely instrumental in keeping the territory which the three great branches of the Reformation conquered in the 16th century un- diminished up to the present day. While it has been the prevailing tendency in the history of the subdivis- ions to develop independent life-organisms illustrating the vitality of the principles and theories which led to their separate existence, attempts have never been want- ing to strengthen the bonds of union connecting them. Many subdivisions which had been formed in conse- quence of disagreeing views on particular points of be- lief or Church government have been reunited on the basis of the points common to all, allowing the right to disagree on points of minor importance. In modern times, attempts have even been made to find a perma- nent bond of union for all the subdivisions of the large groups of the Protestant churches. Thus, all the bish- ops of the churches in doctrinal conformity with the Church of England have twice been called to meet in Pan-Anglican councils. All the Reformed and Presby- terian churches met in 1877 for the first time in a Pan- Presbyterian Council in Edinburgh. The General Con- ference of the Methodist Episcopal Church took, in 1876, the first step towards the convocation of an CEcumenical Council of Methodism.
While the large majority of the millions which in the 16th century rose up against and separated from the Church of Rome rallied around three large centres, it was but natural that many, in the search of a pure Christianity, arrived at different results. Some of these dissenters never succeeded in forming sects ; others be- came numerous, and have, in the course of time, assumed large dimensions. To the latter class belong the Bap- tists, the Anti-Trinitarians, the Friends, and many oth- ers. All of these have long had to struggle for toler- ation, because Protestant governments united with the Catholic in persecuting and suppressing them. More recently, however, the principle of religious liberty has gradually come to be recognised in nearly all Christian countries, and enabled individuals as well as sects to carry out the great principles which lay at the bottom of the Reformation of the 16th century to the best of their understanding, and to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience. About the middle of the present century (1845), an attempt was made to unite in one association, called the Evangelical Alliance, Christians belonging to all denominations collectively called evangelical, and to represent, on a larger scale than had ever been attempted before, the unity of all these churches in the more important articles of faith, notwithstanding their separation by external organiza- tion. A list of nine articles was drawn up, to which, it was thought, all Christians wishing to be regarded as evangelical might be expected to assent. In the list of these articles are included the inspiration of the Bible, the Trinity, the utter depravity of human nature, jus- tification by faith alone, the eternal blessedness of the righteous and the eternal punishment of the wicked, the divine institution of the Christian ministry. According to this programme, it could and did become a rally- ing-point for Lutherans, Reformed, and Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Methodists, Baptists, Moravians, the evangelical or Low - Church party of the Anglican churches, and a number of minor denominations. It was objected to by the so-called high and strict Church parties among Anglicans and Lutherans, by Unitarians and Universalists, by the Friends, by the Annihilation- ists. and by all Anti-Trinitarians and Rationalists.
XII. Central and Fundamental Principles of Ike Ref-
REFORMATION'
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REFORMATION
ormatbm. — The parties which withdrew from the Church ' of Rome in the 16th century and tried to restore a purer form of Christianity took differenl roads and arrived at different results; yel there was one principle in which the) all agreed, and which may be declared to be pre- eminently the central principle ofthe Reformation this was the absolute authority ofthe Holy Scriptures. Ev- ery Reformed < Ihurch charged the » Ihurch of Rome with and usages n inch the form< t deemed anti-scriptural, and which on that ground il i The three large divisions of the Reformation were all more intent upon eliminating from the creed of Chris- tendom what could be proved to be anti-scriptural than to undertake the revisi f every article of the cried