Untitled - 24grammata.com

OF THE REFORMATION. 303gaged in changing its form of government, seems to havethought that an incidental notice at the close of the discussion was sufficient for matters the consideration of whichwould formerly have been its first care ; nay, it is possiblethat they might not have been alluded to at all, had theynot been connected with other questions which still retainedtheir importance.III. Effects of the Reformation upon Commerce and theColonial System.The third point of view in which we have to consider thepolitical effects of the Reformation, is that which regards theinfluence exercised by it upon trade and the colonies. Perhaps, at first sight, thisinfluence may appear so distant, ashardly to be considered within the circle of our inquiry ;but we shall easily succeed in showing how imperfect itwould be should we pay no attention to this subject.The Reformation created the republic of the UnitedNetherlands, and 5 through the trade of it, Europe with thewhole world. But, however clear this truth is,itmay perhaps be objected to it, that commerce would have spreadwithout the assistance of the Reformation, since the passageto both Indies had been previously discovered, and bothSpain and Portugal had already set the example. But, putting aside the fact, that what might perhaps have happenedcannot enter into our estimate, thus much still appears certain, viz. that without the Reformation trade would havemade much slower progress, and might perhaps never havebeen brought to that height which it has reallyattained. Itneeded that bold and enterprising nation which sprangfrom the necessity of the circumstances in which it wasplaced, and which, regarding commerce only as the sourceof its freedom and its existence, devoted itself to the pursuitwith all the energy which it could command.After the year 1595 the Dutch speedily, and in all quarters, surpassed those who till now had governed the Indies.The prosperity of Portugal was already checked by its unfortunate union with Spain (1580 1640) ;and the narrowpolicy upon which the colonial trade of Spainitself was conducted, rendered it impossible that any general system ofcommerce should spring from it. On the other hand, howrapid was the progress of this trade in the hands of the