The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-11-10
Mr.. 4. p. whipple's Lecture ON Martin
Luther.

Mr.. Z. p. Whipple's Lecture on Martin
Luther.
The course of lectures at the Brooklyn Institute
for the present season WAS commenced last evening"
by one from the above named talented and de-
servedy popular lecturer, the life and character
of the great reforner The attendance was doubt
less much curtaled by the unfavorsble STATE Of the
weather, the spphitheatre not being more than
half filed, and the number present something less
than two hundred
Previous to the introduction Of Mr.. Whipple, 1t
was announced that Mr. N. II Hudson, the we'll
discourse on the works of that poet on Tuesday next
Mr.. Whipple was then received with much APP
plause. He said that Sir James Mcintosh had OBJ
served that there stood prominent in modern history
three men who had given modern society its present
tone and positions: Columbus, Luther, and Bacon
the great navigator, Ieformer, and philosopher
The one to whom he was about particularly TO call
their attention, Martin Luther, was the grandest
specimen OF the robust mind He was not about to
go into any analysis of his creed; but to sketch the
character and the bold plain perfectons OF the man
In doing so he would have occasion to allut to the
Catholic church, and the conduct of her affairs at
the period; but he disclaimed any intention IN
such remarks TO reflect upon the persons OF those
protesting that faith, for as he knew there might
be Protestants who did not uphold the doctrines
of Bishop Laud, so he supposed there might be
Catholics who would not maintain those OF the deist
Leo, or approve the m0untepaDk Tetzel. The
leading and peculiar characteristics of Luthers
great nature were that his mind ever impassion-
ed and alive-his indomtable individuality--the
force Of his speech, thought and action, and
the terrible intensity and concentration OF all
those powers which rendered them overwhelm
ing as the thundcr-whioh. separated into single
tones. was but lullaby for children, whom
combined in one peal shook the heavens.
Mall .s..kA
cleaned in the distance, and discover the celestial
Truth which other men could not feei, and which,
uttered like electricity from his lips it was ipossi-
BILE for principalties to disregard We perceived IN
the education OF Luther that truth and never
appeared to him mere abstract propositions, to be
tacitly assented to or petulently denied 1t was
from this cause that the great powers OF ri, mind
were first directed to the supersitions OF his re-
gion. Born in 1883, in Sax0ny. of humble parents,
his father being miner his wilfulness appeared to
call for gre force to curb and discipline 1t, and his
father freely used the rod and his mother ad minis tered
cha tiseme also His teachers very severe
and it was related that in the schools, which he
called purgatories, he received one day fifteen fog
s;Tss from :hese Learned professors Of the birch
But all this appeared rather to embitter than break
his spirit. So severe were they, that he related
himself that one day his father logged him, and
be fed away from home, and on anothtr, that his
mother beat him till the blood came His religious
training was nothing but the discipline Of fsnorse,
and nothing was allowed for the senstiyeness OF us
nature. His ardent mind gave reality to tho
grotesque mummeries and besotted superstitions Of
bis TIME; and he expressed it, he had idea Of
Christ bat Of his sitting on rainbow, and as
rigorous judge. And his religion and knowledge
OF the future conveyed him other notion than
that Of a hot bath of agony and sweat, in which
his soul was bathed He was, during his
school days, doomed to the most hopeless
poverty, insomuch thst he went begging through
the streets. crying 8 Ponem woater Denm,"
Dread for the sake of God as poor scholars were
prr ha sail na fplt
ashamed, for be supposed that God made men beg
gars as he made others rich-boih out of nothing;
and his maxim was, send our son TO school, and
out of the boy God may construct great aud
glorious being In 1905, when aged eighteen, he
was sent to The university Of Erford AT this time
Lis father had attained The position Of free citizen
and enabled 10 provide for his support. wished him
10 study the law, fit him fer some civil Office But
beneath the cbeerfulness Of bis college life there
always lay much morbid sensibilty and restless
ness, and in 1915 two circumstance occurred which
had great effect on him One of his friends aud
fellow STUD ents very mysteriousy assassina'ed
ard few days after while returning home from his
fathers, and probably thinking on his friends sad
fate, he was suddenly and xpecedly oyertaken
by thunder storm. on the plain. and stunned by a
holt OF lightning HIS brst impulse was to give an
sgonized cry to st Anne for oeiive-ance, end made
n vow, if spared, to become a monk Much 70
the ehagrin of his father, he did become an AagSs
tine monk sacrificing ms views OF ambition. The
simplicity and observation-disclosures with which he
,area this was undoubted. dis own language, was
"oh, thought !, if only enter cloister, aud
serve God Win a cowl ard q shorn crown, he will
reward me" He therefore became, ut this time,
fanatic, aud spoke Of Huss az ian accursed here
TIC he held the Pope in such awful reverence,
that he deemed the slightest deviation from his di
rctions as utter damnation, and his hopes rested
iass and humiliation Of spirit and he surprised the
monks ss much by the fervor of his zeal MS by the
superiority Of his accomplishing They, pious
souls took Tbs life easily and felt not the CHASTITY
fears that rent tho soul Of Luther He himself said
that they had three ieasts for fast and that at
the evening meal there was little pitcher of wine
given out, when they ate salted bread 10 quicken
their sppetites These devotees of comfort could
rot understand and much less console, the fears of
their fervid novice and they took malicious pleasure
IN sing his humiiatious But this wasnl insult
fcient 10 subdue Luther IF ever. said he, monk
get to heaven by monkish practices, ! was deter
miIed TO get there but agonizlrg fears sssailed
him after bis greatest modification and horrible
faces and derious shapes danced before his racked
brain. In years time his sufsrings produced a
great change in his external features: hi round
face became thin and attenuated and his full black
eye became dull and sunken. But his mind con.
tiLued TO grapple with the enemy, and to get in.
creased force He continued to observe strictly his
monasic VOWS and received the monastic baptism
which he afterwards described "a pin Of internal
poison, sugared the outside y Shortly after
wards his peculiar sanctity and manner attracted
the attention of the Vicar General Of the Order,
who was cheerful and pous man, who then began
to believe in faith alone and be sought to encourage
the young student, and, in a conversation, used the
expression, "the only repentance is that which
has its beginning in the love Of righteousness and
OF God" This sunk like arrow into his
mind, and the first dawn Of the doctrine Of re-
redemption by faith, and which led him to
revolt against Rome and become ieformer In
1907, still believing himself good Catholic, he be-
came q priest, and in 1910 was sent TO Rome and
with devotion and faith he departed for the city
sacred 10 religion On drawing near and behold
ing the towers Of that city, he knelt down and
cried ; " oh hail to thee, thou holy Romep' But
he returned shocked and amazed at the dissolute-
meas and irelgon he found there In Catholic
Rome be found few Catholics-re religion was there
either political machine or u fine art The Pope
was tie arrogant, hot tempered and ambitious war
rior, julian III ard his court was composed of
Machiavean politicians, characterized by craft,
vordlress, profanity, and licentiousness, while the
inferior priests he found to be gluton and atheists
and among the higher ones, the athiestcal
laugh, blasphemy, and satanic badinsge sparkled
forth from the wine cup And Luther related
heanpg one say, in Latin, during the most