On the Restraint of the First Electors of Saxony in Adopting and Establishing Luther's Doctrine, Volume 2

let the many translations—coming forth in so short a time into the Italian language, into English, into Dutch, and, if I am not mistaken, five times into his own—speak for themselves. And so, what more is to be desired than that the Author of the praised book, bearing the sign of Phidias, had moderated his manner of criticizing? For with a stinging oration he attacks the House of Austria, he lashes the reigns of William of England and of Frederick, the first King of Prussia, with harsher words, and he mocks the customs of the ancient Germans too much, to pass over other things in silence, the judgment of which belongs to scholars of civil affairs. Above all, however, he chose to consume all the strength of his own genius in this: that he thinks far differently about the origin and progress of the divinely purified religion than those who are studious of the truth, from the writers of these times who are eminent in faith, have known and ascertained. Indeed, readers will by no means expect in this book a copious instruction on religion. But if they would listen to him, he brings forward political causes as to why this topic is not to be passed over by him.

"A new religion, which appears all of a sudden in the world, which divides Europe, changes the order of possessions, and gives rise to new political combinations, deserves that we give some attention to its progress, and above all that we examine by what virtue it produced the sudden conversions of the greatest States. b)"

b) p. 26, 27, of the most recent edition, which appeared in the year 1751, with figures at The Hague and Berlin.