Epistle 197, which breathes the spirit of primitive Christianity, both in the exhortations to St. Ambrose and the remarks upon St. Dionysius. It is worth reading as illus trating the loving reverence shown to the memory of martyrs before the Church was entangled in the sophistries by which their worship was defended.

Ep. 197.-To Ambrose, Bishop of Milan.

by meeting together, Since then, we know

"Great always and many are the gifts of our Master; nor can their greatness be measured, nor their number counted. And to those who receive benefits with good understanding one of the greatest gifts is this present one, that we who are separated by distance of place can be joined to one another by the converse of letters. A double A double way of knowledge is granted to us, the one the other by intercourse of letters. thee by what thou hast said-and we know, not by impressing the bodily character upon our memories, but by learning through the variety of discourse the beauty of the inner man-we glorify our God, who has chosen from every race those who are well-pleasing to Him. Who formerly indeed raised up a ruler for His people from the flocks of sheep, and exalted Amos from a goat herd to be a prophet, making him mighty through the Spirit; and now He has drawn to the care of the flock of Christ a man from the royal city, entrusted with the government of a whole nation, lofty in mind, in illustrious descent, in splendor or life, in power of discourse, observed of all as to the life. Who casting off all the advantages of the life, and counting them loss that he may win Christ, has turned to receive the helm of the great and renowned ship, the Church of Christ, for the faith in God. Come, then, O, man of God, since not from man hast thou received or been taught the

These occasional tautologies are in the original, and cannot be avoided in translating.

Gospel of Christ, but the Lord himself has translated thee from among the judges of the earth to the chair of the Apostles, fight the good fight, correct (if the Arian madness has touched any one) the weaknesses of the people; renew the ancient footsteps of the fathers. And haste to build upon the foundations which thou hast laid of love toward us by frequently communicating with us. So shall we be able to be near each other in spirit, though far apart in earthly habitations.

But thy reverent haste concerning the most blessed Dionysius, the bishop, bears witness to all thy love to the Lord, to thy respect for those who are gone before, to thy earnestness in the faith. For the mind disposed towards the faithful fellow servants is lifted up to the Lord, and he who honors those that contended for the faith manifests that he has equal zeal for the faith; so that this one deed gives evidence of much goodness. And we make known to your love in Christ, that the most earnest brethren who were honored by your piety with the ministry of this good work first indeed earned praise from the whole clergy by the graciousness of their manners; for by their innate modesty they made known the common gravity of all. Then, using all care and diligence, they braved the impassable winter; then, with all constancy, they persuaded the faithful guardians of the blessed body to yield to them that which was the protection (Ta Þvλautypa) of their own life. And know that no rulers nor powers of men would have availed to compel them, had not the earnestness of these brethren moved them to the concession. And the presence of our dearest and most religious brother Therasius the fellow presbyter helped very much to accomplish what was desired; who, of his own motion undertaking the labor of the journey, allayed the vehement impulse of the people there, and, persuading with discourse those who opposed, assisted the brethren in recovering the remains, taking them up with befitting piety in the presence of the presbyters and deacons, and of many of those who fear the

Lord. Which do ye receive with as much joy as was the grief with which the guardians sent them away. Let no one doubt; let no one question; this is that unconquered athlete. The Lord knoweth that these are the bones which bore the contest in union with that blessed soul. These with it shall be crowned in the righteous day of His retribution, according as it is written: we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive according to that which he hath done in the body. One chest contained that honored body; there was no one lying near him; the tomb was inscribed; the honor was that of a martyr. Christians who showed him hospitality, and who then laid him down with their own hands, now took him up. These wept, indeed, as bereft of a father and patron; but they sent him away, preferring your joy to their own consolation. Pious, then, are they who gave him up, diligent they who received him. In no way is there falsehood, in no way is there guile; we bear the witness; let the truth be without gainsaying among you."

JOHN H. EGAR.

(TO BE CONTINUED.)

HISTORY OF THE CHURCH IN BOHEMIA

AND MORAVIA.

The unheard of indolence of the Emperor Rudolf induced his brother, Archduke Matthias, to act in his behalf. He made peace with the Turks, and entered into treaty with revolted Hungary. He promised to the Evangelicals in Austria and Moravia the free exercise of their religion, and so won their favor as well as that of the Hungarians. Carl von Zerotin exerted a powerful influence over Matthias. Matthias then came to Bohemia to win that country. Here the powerful evangelical nobility were anxiously awaiting deliverance. Beside Budowa stood Peter von

Rosenberg, who belonged to the Unitas and supported the evangelical cause with his great riches, while his private life but ill accorded with his religious profession.

Rudolf in his distress convoked a general diet, which he opened in person, and so gave his subjects the first opportunity of seeing him, which they had enjoyed for many years. Strange as it may appear to us, many wept for joy at the sight of their monarch! The Brethren and the Lutherans in the diet united their forces and covenanted that they would yield no point to the Emperor, until he granted their religious claims. These were the recognition of the Confession of 1575; the appointment of Defensors, to guard the cause of the Evangelicals, and their possession of the Consistorium and the University. Absolute religious freedom must be granted to every soul, high or low, in Bohemia. While Budowa read the paper, the cry was heard on every side: "Let every one, who will not sign, be flung out of the window, according to the good old Bohemian custom!"

Deputies from Matthias now appeared, and among them Carl von Zerotin, bringing proposals from their master. The Bohemian Estates, however, resolved to present their petition to the Emperor. He promised them an answer on the following day, and peace was made between him and his brother, by the terms of which the Emperor surrendered Hungary and Austria to Matthias, and also gave up Moravia to his authority as Markgraf. On the 28th of January, 1609, Rudolf convened the diet once more, to decide the question of religious freedom. Prominent among the catholic minority for their zeal and obstinacy, were the ominous names of the Chancellor von Lobkowitz, the imperial councilor Jaroslaw von Martinitz, and above all, Wilhelm Slawata von Chlum-the men who nine years later began the Thirty Years' War, which desolated Bohemia and Germany.

The Father of Slawata belonged to the Unitas; but the son while travelling became attached to the Roman Church,

and entered its pale at the time of his marriage, in spite of the remonstrances of his father. The Protestants (as the evangelical bodies were now often called), had Budowa for their leader, and his energetic mind and will harmonized all their discordant elements. As the Emperor still delayed his accession to their demands, they sent him another deputation, prominent among whom was Count Matthias von Thurn, whose misfortunes in the Thirty Years' War are well known to history. It would occupy too much space to narrate in full, the long negotiations which followed. brief summary must suffice.

The Emperor applied for advice to the Pope, and he replied, that the Brethren could not be tolerated as an organization-they must unite with the Catholics, or the Utraquists. The Lutherans now thought of severing their cause from that of the Brethren, but the power of Budowa prevented a fatal division, which must have resulted in civil war. As the Emperor still delayed his assent to their demands, Budowa on the 31st of March summoned all the Protestant forces to arms, and the diet was closed. The declaration of a Catholic official, that a Jew was more pleasing to him than fifteen heretics, increased the excitement. The Elector of Saxony sent a message to the Emperor, earnestly advising him to accede to the demands. of his loyal Bohemian Estates, who alone had saved him from the power of Matthias. At length Rudolf decided to convoke another diet, and promised amnesty to all, who had taken part in the recent commotions. But Lobkowitz, Slawata and Martinitz steadfastly refused to sign the Emperor's decree. The diet was opened on the 25th of May. When the Oberst-Burggraf, according to custom, summoned the Estates to Mass in the Cathedral, only the Catholic deputies followed him, and the Protestant members remained in the hall, where Budowa led in prayer. As the obstinate Emperor still refused to accede to their demands, the Evangelicals chose thirty directors to represent and lead them, of whom at least nineteen, and perhaps more, belonged to the Unitas Fratrum.