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POLITICAL CONSEQUENCESeven in these countries they had by no means wholly losttheir politicalinfluence. The Reformation being in its fundamental character a doctrinal revolution, and the first question, in the half political,half theological, disputesto whichit gave rise, being as to the admission or rejection of particular articles of belief, the divines became indispensableto theprinces, and were frequently adopted as their counsellors,and even ministers, althoughwith no direct title as such.It requiresbut a slight acquaintancewith the history of thesixteenth and seventeenth centuries, to be aware of the pernicious consequences which resulted, in many instances,from the blind enthusiasm of these zealots, who were toofrequently wont to consult their passionsin the counselswhich they gave. Still, however, an impartial judge willnot deny that, on the whole, the clergy were brought nearerto their proper character of teachers of the people, by theReformation ;and even in Catholic states it can hardly nowbe doubted, that by the expulsion of the spiritual orders,especially of that of the mendicant-friars, a very considerableevil was removed.It is true that another order took the place of these immediately on their destruction, which, like the growth of theivy upon the oak, gradually wound itself round almost everybranch of the European system, and was even powerfulenough to bend many of them to its purpose the ; societyof the Jesuits^ however, althoughitmight not have arisenhad the Reformation not taken place, yet owed its firstprogressto the missions in which it was concerned. Any attempt to point out the advantage which it afterwards derivedfiroHi these, would be as vain as the expectation of those whobelieve that with the restoration of the order its former influence would be restored. The great law of the materialworld that " bodies once moved do not return to the sameplace under the same conditions" is equally binding uponthe political. But, besides these, there were other effects ofthe Reformation upon society, which although more distantwere also far more important ; their visible connexion withreligion being, however, slight,it must be judged of only bythe results.As it was the Reformation which first breathed a spiritof activity into men's minds, it was natural that this should