This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1901 edition. Excerpt: ...to carry them into effect. The peace which stipulated for complete religious toleration for the dignitaries of the empire had provided also for the subject, by enabling him, without interruption, to leave the country in which the exercise of his religion was prohibited But from the wrongs which the ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1901 edition. Excerpt: ...to carry them into effect. The peace which stipulated for complete religious toleration for the dignitaries of the empire had provided also for the subject, by enabling him, without interruption, to leave the country in which the exercise of his religion was prohibited But from the wrongs which the violence of a sovereign might inflict on an obnoxious subject; from the nameless oppressions by which he might harass and annoy the emigrant; from the artful snares in which subtilty combined with power might enmesh him, --from these the dead letter of the treaty could afford him no protection. The Catholic subject of Protestant princes complained loudly of violations of the religious peace--the Lutherans still more loudly of the oppression they experienced under their Romanist suzerains. The rancour and animosities of theologians infused a poison into every occurrence, however inconsiderable, and inflamed the minds of the people. Happy would it have been had this theological hatred exhausted its zeal upon the common enemy, instead of venting its 'virus on the adherents of a kindred faith! _ Unanimity amongst the Protestants might, by preserving the balance between the contending parties, have prolonged the peace; but, as if to complete the confusion, all concord was quickly broken. The doctrines which had been propagated by Zwingli in Zurich, and by Calvin in Geneva, soon spread to Germany, and divided the Protestants among themselves, with little in unison save their common hatred to popery. The Protestants of this date bore but slight resemblance to those, who, fifty years before, drew up the Confession of Augsburg; and the cause of the change is to be sought in that Confession itself. It had prescribed a positive boundary to the..
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