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  April 15.--[According to] D'Aubigne's "History of the Ref-
ormation," Christianity has two features which especially dis-
tinguish it from all human systems: (1) That the only mediator
between God and man is Jesus Christ. (2) That salvation is a
gift of God--a matter of grace.  .  .  . D'Aubigne constantly
affirms that, in his opinion, the Reformation was the immediate
work of the Divine hand.
  Now, it seems to me that Providence interferes no more in the
greatest affairs of men than in the smallest, and that neither indi-
viduals nor nations are any more the objects of a special interposi-
tion of the Divine Ruler than the inanimate things of the world.
The Creator gave to every creature of his hand its laws at the
time of its creation and whatever can happen in accordance with
those laws He doubtless foresaw, and it cannot be supposed that
his laws are so imperfect that special interpositions are necessary
to render them capable of fulfilling their design, nor that it is
possible for them to be violated. The Reformation like other
revolutions was agreeable to principles which have existed since
the world began.