History of the Christian Church. Vol. III., " Reformation and
Counter-Reformation." By the late Dr. Wilhelm Moeller. Edited by Dr. G. Kaweran. Translated from the German by J. H. Freese, M.A. (Swan Sonnenschein and Co. 16s.)— Professor Mueller's death left much of his work to be completed by his colleague, the present editor. It treats of a period of which the average student's knowledge is but small, excepting in some directions, as, for instance, the foundation and growth of the Jesuit Society. But it is a time of great interest. A Roman Catholic controversialist was ill-advised enough to ask the other day : " What did the Reformation reform ?" One obvious answer was : "It reformed the Roman Church." Nothing is more significant than the list of the " Popes of the Restored Catholicism." Paul IV. and Pius IV. were, indeed, of the old style. The leaven had hardly began to work. But Pius V. and Gregory XIII., Sixtus V. and Urban VIII., showed the effect. Gregory, indeed, foolishly showed his delight too openly at the Massacre of St. Bartholomew, and Urban VIII. was unfortunate enough to come into collision with science in the person of Galileo, but they differed tote cage from Alexander VI. and Leo X. The book is, we suppose, brought to an end, as we have a general index. A more valuable book of reference, and guide to the authorities and general literature of the subject, can hardly be found. Of course it is meant for students rather than for the general reader.
Previous page
