Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-11-16
LrTHER'S Double WORK IN THE REFOR
NATION.

History" says |. q. Planck in his great
work Protestant Theology, ''is acquainted
with no enterprise where the consequences
have spread so widely in so short timc and
have continued their influence SO long as the
reformation of the prevalent system of
Christianity undertaken by Luther III the
sixteenth century, aud prosecuted with such
happy effect. In all those great revolutions
through which the human mind has ever
been compelled to pass in reaching a new
period of its development, or in attaining any
essential improvement in its conceptions, it
had always wound its way up gradually as it
were, to new stage. But here in the
most important revolutionof all, which seiz-
cd at once, not single nation, but half
Europe, the mind seemed to have forgotten
its wonted progress. Its transition in the
mos! signal period of its development,
not only took place in moment
but seemed not even to be occasioned by
any cause at all commensurate with the vast
effect" THE Biblical repository, Vol. TX.
and y. 1887, where is found
translation of the first book of
Pianck's Protestant theology. The
rapidi'y and thoroushness of the work
done are more wonderful in Plancks view
when 1t is considered that the reformation was
not for the introduction Of any new system
of belief but to purify the old and the
method was rot the Introduction of any new
current Of speculative ideas. but the restoring
of old ones, making prominent old and adj
mittcd truths, truths that had been added
to, covered up and abused. The reformation
cannot plead in explanation of its sudden
ness the power with which other new opinions
In religion beat their way and the readiness
with which the tickle multitude commonly
receive them when enthusiasm bears her
torch before either truth or error. When
whole people almost in n moment, resolve,
not indeed tobarter their whole system of
faith for new one, but to reform it, not to
exchange their conceptions for others but to
cleanse and purify them from foreign
additions when more than one people i'm
nediately adopt, without constraint, the
changes proposed by more enlightened men,
and without any thing to supply the place
give up prcjudices which had
been most intimately interviewer with all their
external constitution, and regarded for CEN
luries as sacrcd-this, for philosophers and
historians, must be most wonderful, the most
nexplicablc phenomenon.
Some have sought 10 solve this problem by
referring to the eminence Of the Divine
Providence in tho reformation. Some of
hcse have almost lost sight OF the human
agents through which the work was wrought
out. Besides or as On instrument of the |
divine sovereignty were these human agents |
Ind especially the power which Luthcr's
doctrine OF the right OF private judgment |
Ind the suflicicncy of the Scripture as the |
'ulc Of faith reused. These doctrines ap-
,ealing to the individual man multiplied and |
made the number Of workers for rcforma-
ion almost Us many as the number of |
individuals in the nations. This in
creased power made possible and effected the
'hange in Germany and France the Neither
ands, Scandinavia, England and Scotland.
This assertion OF personal and individual
light worked out at length, and in nc very
ong time, liberty in the church, in the State
nd in society, and this was Luthers work.
But the great reformer wrought out an.
Their equally great and in many respects
lore difficult task. lie curbed the power
'hich he had aroused and kept back the
lovemeut he had set agoing. He saved the
lovement from running TO complete de-
eneracy and lawless radlcalism. Luther
ID not aim to destroy the church Of the past
1t only to purify it, he did not wish to an
ii the sacraments, or bring them down
ON their divine heights to man.made cere.
onials, only N cleanse them from raw super
itions and human additions. lie did not
ish to rend the church and make its mem.
RS free to entertain reckless and arbitrary t
Mons Lut 20 restore 1t TO the divine