The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-11-20 00:00:00

TRH M. T. HILTS ON " HUT'S L7THII LIM THS

igroutAno“.

The Rev. T. Naves said the Reformation wee so
memorable, and go momentous • period in the history
of the world, and aspect dly in the history of
Christendom, and had been fraught with such untold
and inestimable benefits to man, that he wee ear no
apology whatever wee required from that meeting for
oommismorating the 400th anniversary of the birth of
one of its most Illustrious heroes and figures, Martin
Luther. On the contrary, if they failed as Meads of
Protestant troth, and of the Reformetioa, to moguls'
this event and the import .nos of it, it would be very
much to their discredit, and DO was quite sure, also,
very much to their religious loss. He wee deeply
thankful that that event had riled forth so very much
Interest, not only oa the part of Protestants In this
country, but of Protestants all over tha world; and
he could only express his very earnest end very sincere
prayer that that interesting and very creditable
audience of the town of Dorchester would unite with
him in the prayer that God would be pleased very
abundantly to biro the truths which should be
spoken, and which already had been spoken, in call-
ing to nmarobranoe an meat ad memorable sad
so momentous in the history of the world. But
it was no part of his purpoiv,
_nor he presumed of
the purpose of those who Mould noosed him, to
glorify simply the name of Martin Luther, grateful
as they wen to On great Haul of the Church, the
Author of every good and every perfect gift, for
furnishing such • tto the Church and the world an
Martin Luther. e thought it would be in acoordimois
with the oft-repeated feelings of Luther himself if they
endeavoured to forget him, and to glorify 04 who
raised him up. He would also venture to say that they
did not wish to or that opportunity for oontroverdel
and b• hoped would be said by any
ollirCrthat might be regarded by those who might
differ from them as taking the areal= of mob an
an meet as that to Banat the Protestant flag in the
faces of those who differed from them (Hear,!,•:.i..l
But he would also say they did not wish to 0
the Wesel of their Protestant convictions, nor the
supreme faith which they had in the priaoiples of the
Protestant Reformation -neither did they wish to
emceed their convkition that those principles were
bard, in the main at least, on the Holy Scriptures of
God, and that they believed these principles to Ue at
the base of all true religious progress, and were
the basis of all true civil well-being and progress also.
(Applause.) His =Neck which was of • very exten-
sive character. was " Martin Luther and the
R 'formation, and the benefi•e which it t. tarred
upon the world." There were two views which were
to he taken of the Reformation Itself and the benefits
which It oonferred, and is looking at the life of the
man and his work there were two aspects in which
they must be viewed. In the first place he might
mord It from what might be nailed its destructive
side. In which they saw the Reformer as battling
against the system of the Papacy, rad than they ought to
look at it from It. constructive side—which he sub-
mitted was its nobler rid.- -in which he sae privileged
by the grace of GI gi to re-establiah the pore doctAns
and worship of Almighty God. Looking at the question
In relation to its destructive aspect, their thoughts
were very naturally recalled to thirsts of the Church
In Lather's times, and it would be exceedingly difficult
to convey soy adequate conception of the sad
degeneracy, corruption, and apoitacy into which the
Church bad fallen then; • great testimony to which
was that even the friends of the Church of Rome
themselves, and the severest enemies of the Reforma-
tion, were loud in their demands tb ,t the abuses of
the Church should be reformed—but not her doctrines
touched. They would then see the depth of iniquity
into which the Church had fallen, and how necessary
it was the God should raise up each agents and
instruments r Martin Luther and his co-patriots.
Such was Has etre of things which Luther moon tired
when, by the grace of God, and the marvellous courage,
the wonderful unoarraptness of the man himself, and
his undying fidelity to the troth and the Word of the
living God, be, almost alone, in defiance of the whole
combined power of the Emperor, as well as the enor-
mous power of the Pope, smote it r with the light.
bbig of God, and shook the system to its very found*.
tin.. (Loud applause.) The first note of battle that
resounded far sad long throughout the Empire was in
cminicition with the infamous traffic in indulgences
by John 14114 A At this time Luther was still
se ardent Papist, and he fought at this time,
not against the Pope, but against Tezel and thole like
him, who were clothing the Pope and ths Churoblre
Lather thought, with infamy and disgrace, The
• vof these times formed • history more stirring
perhaps than any history save perhaps that
d Jesus Christ himself. When he nailed his
Shwa to the church door at Wittemberg, he virtually
alma tbs first note of • battle which uldmately ended
lls a glorious victory. It was impossible for the Pep,
Ito be silent under such an attack as Luther now ma&,
fOr these theses, simnel.) roach, r•p4dly found their
way tbrougboal Gersiteny and elsewhere, and within
000 math found their way to the Papa gee
Ikea. The age was indeed reedy for Luther, and
Luther was ready for the age. (Applause.) The two
thins_ were prepared marvellously in ibis providence
of God. This, had been reformers before, it was
true ; there ware Haas, of Bohemia, and W cuffs.
wite lambi against Mimes, but tbsi °sly cd
the loam. sad knot to dram itt the root. woo