II E F 



(See Colour.) Hence it appears, that the diftcrentiy co- 

 loured rays differ in degree of reflexibility. 



From the other experiments it appears, that thofe rays 

 which are mod rcHcxible, are alio moft refrangible. See 

 Refuanoibilitv. 



REFLEXION. See Rkilection. 



REFLEX IT Y, a term employed by Mr. Brougham to 

 denote a property of light, which cauics the different rays 

 to be aaed upon by bodies, and to hegm to be refraaed, re- 

 fieaed, infleaed, anddefleaed, at different dillances. Ihis 

 property obferves the fame law with the other optical pro- 

 perties of li^ht ; the red ray having moft reflexity, and the 

 violet the leift. (See Phil. Tranf. for 1797, p. 360.) Mr. 

 Brougham has cxpreffed this property by the three words, 

 «' refrangity," " reflexity," and " flexity ;" but the power 

 being the fame, if fuch a property exift, different names 

 feem to be unncceffary. 



REFLUX of the Sea, the ebbing of the water ; or its 

 return from the Ibore. It is thus called, as being the oppo- 

 fite motion to the flood, or flux. See Tide. 



REFORM, a re-eftabli(hment, or revival of former 

 negkaed difciphne ; or acorreaion of fome reigning abufes 



in It. • r r r ■L A ■ 



The term is much ufed in a monaftic fenfe, for the reducing 

 an order or congregation of religious to the ancient feverity 

 of the rule from which it had gradually fwerved ; or even 

 for the improving on the ancient rule and inftitution itfelf, 

 and voluntarily making it more fevere. 



In this fenfe the order of St. Bernard is faid to be only a 

 reform of that of St. Benedia. 



To Reform, in a Military Senfi; is, after fome evolution 

 or manoeuvre, to bring a line to its natural order, by aligning 

 it on fome given point. See Battalion. 



To Reform, is alfo to reduce a company, regiment, or 

 other body of men, either by dilbanding the whole, or only 

 breaking a part, and retaining the reft ; or fometimes by in- 

 corporatir-g them with other regiments. Hence, 



REFORMADO, or Reformed officer, one whofe troop 

 or company is fuppreffed in a reform, whilft he is continued 

 either in whole or haU'-pay, doing duty in the fegiment. A 

 reformed captain of foot follows the company, and affifts 

 the ftanding officer as a fecond ; but he ftill maintains his 

 degree and precedence. 



REFORMATION, Reformatio, the aa of reform- 

 ing, or correaing an error, or abufe, in religion, difciphne, 



or the like. 



The reformation of religion, called, by way of eminence, 

 the Reformatton, was begun by the ekaor of Saxony, at the 

 folicitation of Luther, about the beginning of the fixteenth 

 century. See Luther and Lutheranism. 



There were many circumftances which concurred at this 

 time to bring about that happy reformation in religion, which 

 refcued one part of Europe from the papal yoke, mitigated 

 its ri<TOur in the other, and produced a revolution in the fen- 

 timents of mankind, the greateft as well as the moft beneficial 

 that has happened fince the publication of Chriftianity. 

 How far the fale of indulgences, publiihed by Leo X., con- 

 tributed to this event, we have already fhewn under the 

 article Luther. We iliall here obferve, that the fame cor- 

 ruptions in the church of Rome which Luther condemned, 

 had been attacked long before his appearance, and the fame 

 opinions which he propagated had been publiihed in different 

 places, and fupported by the fame arguments. Waldus in 

 the i2thcentury, Wickliffeinthe 14th, and Hufs in the 15th, 

 had inveighed againil the errors of Popery with great bold- 

 uefs, and confuted them with more ingenuity and learning 

 than could have been expefted in thofe illiterate ages in which 



R E F 



they fiourifhcd. But all thefe premature attempts toward* 

 a reformation proved abortive. Many powerful caufes con- 

 tributed to facilitate Luther's progrefs, which either did not 

 exift, or did not operate witli lull force in their days : the 

 principal of thefe we (hall here enumerate. The long and 

 fcandalous fchifm which divided the church, during the latter 

 part of the 141!), and the beginning of the I5tli centuries, 

 had a great effea in diminiftiing the veneration with which 

 the world had been accuftomed to view the papal dignity. 

 The proceedings of the councils of Conftance and Baill 

 fpiead this difrefpea for the Romifh fee iliil wider, and by 

 their bold exertion of authority in depofing and ekaing 

 popes, taught the world that there was in the church a ju- 

 rifdiaion fuperior even to the papal power, which they had 

 long beheved to be fupreme. The wound given on that oc- 

 cafion to the papal authority was fcarccly healed, when the 

 pontificates of Alexander VI. and Julius 1 1, both able princes, 

 but deteftable ecclefiaftics, raifed new fcandal in Chriftendom. 

 Befides, many of the dignified clergy, kcular as well as 

 regular, negkaed the duties of their office, and indulged 

 themfelvcs, without referve, in all the vices to which great 

 wealth and idknefs naturally give birth ; and grofs ignorance 

 and low debauchery rendered the inferior clergy as con- 

 temptible as the others were odious. So that we find, long 

 before the i6th century, that many authors of reputation 

 give fuch defcription of the diflblute morals of the clergy, 

 as feems almoft incredible in the prefent age. The fcandal 

 of thofe crimes, which very generally prevailed, was greatly 

 increafed by the facility with which iuch as committed them 

 obtained pardon. The exorbitant wealth of the church, 

 the vaft perfonal immunities of ecclefiaftics, and their en- 

 croachments on the juriidiaion of the laity, and their 

 various devices to fecure their ufurpations, created much 

 diflatisfaaion among the people, and difpofed them to pay 

 particular attention to the inveaives of Luther. Befides 

 thefe caufes of his rapid progrefs, we may alfo reckon the 

 invention of the art of printing, about half a century before 

 his time, the revival of learning at the fame period, and the 

 bold fpirit of inquiry which it excited in Europe ; fo that 

 many were prepared to embrace his doarines, who did not 

 really wifh fuccefs to his undertaking. In the writings of 

 Reuchhn, Hutten, and the other revivers of learning in 

 Germany, the corruptions of the church of Rome are cen- 

 fured with an acrimony of ftyle little inferior to that of Lu- 

 ther himfelf. The raillery and oblique cenfures of Erafmiis 

 in particular, upon the errors of the church, as well as 

 upon the ignorance and vices of the clergy, prepared the 

 way for Luther's inveaives and more direa attacks. To 

 all which we may add, that the theological doarines cf 

 Popery were fo repugnant to the fpirit of Chriftianity, and 

 fo deftitute of any foundation in reafon, in the word of God, 

 or in the praaice of the church, that this circumftance com- 

 bined in favouring the progrefs of Luther's opinions, and in 

 weakening the refiftance of his adverfaries. 



The rife of the reformation in Switzerland was at leaft as 

 early as in Germany ; for Ulric Zuingle had, in the year 

 1516, begun to explain the fcriptures to the people, and to 

 cenlure, though with great prudence and moderation, the 

 errors of a corrupt church. He had very noble and ex- 

 tenfive ideas of a general reformation, at the time when 

 Luther retained almoft the whole fyftem of Popery, indul- 

 gences excepted ; and he had aaually called in queftion the 

 authority and fupremacy of the pope, before the name of 

 Luther was known m that country. In the year 1524, Nu- 

 remberg, Francfort, Hamburgh, and feveral other cities in 

 Germany, of the firft rank, openly embraced the reformed 

 religion, and by the authority of their magiftrates abolifhed 



the 



