Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-11-09
LuTmER's FOURTH CENTENNIAL.


church in the United States at It's session il
Saratoga in May last and the Nationa
council of the Congregational churches Of th
United States at their late meeting in Con
cord in view of the approaching four hun
drcdth anniversary Of the birth Of Mar
tin Luther, Nov. 10, recommended thei
respective churches to engage in sucl
services at this time rs shall most at
tingly express "our grateful remem
brance of the name and work o
the great reformation leader" The Ma
tional council recommended that the Ill
of November be observed for this purpos
and THAT the pastors of the churche
take this occasion to direct tn
thoughts of their congregations t.
the reformation Effected" and 'cs
pccially TO the great doctrines OF iustihca
ton by faith only; of the supreme authorit,
OF the Word of God of the priesthood o
every believer of the right of private judg
ment; to the fruitfulness of these principlesi
the promotion of civil and religious liberty
and TO the significance of Luther's personal re
liglous experience and the divine conduct o
his life, as an evidence of the power and pur
pose of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, t,
carry forward the work of human redemp
ton to the predestined consummation 10 hi
own blessed and eternal reign"
Luther is indeed as PGzer, in his prefac,
to Luther's life 1886 says "a phenomenon
in history at the side of which nothing cal
be placed. There is no antitypc to him ii
history. Spiritual conflicts, such as wer,
fought out by him. were reserved to moderr
times. But no other nation OF modern time.
has one like him. and Germany itself has NJ
second. True there were besides, before anc
after him, many learned, pious men. cour
agcous unto death, pervaded by the insigh
OF what was necessary to be done but nc
one was all this at once in the same degree
as Luther" [Quotcd in Bibiotheca Sacra
July, 1850, p. coll There is perhaps" sayl
the writer in the Bibliotheca Sacra, mo namt
in history so fresh, efter these (four) centuries
as his is, especially in Protestant Germany
The colors are unfading. 1t is o household
word, imbedded 10 the hearts Of millions,
and which parents unconsciously, as it were,
hand down to their children and their chill.
dren's children" Tho author of the article,
Luther in the Schulz Herzog encyclope.
dia, holds that there lis constant danger
thar the Germans will deity Luther"
The Germans love and reverence Luther't
works and words hardly less than his per.
son, For his catcchism no words can express
their estimate. Few books have called GU,
such enthusiastic praise and have even te
this day such grateful admirers as Luther't
smaller catechism among the German.speak
ing race. The great as well as the small and
the learned no less than the common peoplt
admire it. "The catechism published by
Luther in 1929" says Ranke, 'of which
Luther himself says that he used it as a pray
or, is as childlike as it is profound, as com.
prehensive as it is unfathomable, simple, and
sublime. Happy he whose soul was fed by
it, who cllngs to it. He possesses at oil
times an imperishable consolation" 1t ex-
hibi's his almost apostolic gift of OK.
pressing the deepest things in the
plainest language Of the common peo.
pie. at is strong food for a man, and
yet as simple as child" ore DR.. Schaff's
words in his "Creeds of Christendom. "
Luther's own practical estimate of the cate
chism is no less qualified. ~ am also a
doctor and preacher" he says in the preface
to his larger catcchsm, endowed with no
less learning and experience than those who
presume so much on their abilities, yet am
like child who is taught the catechism, and
l read and rccite word by word In the morn
ing and when l have leisure, the Ten Com
mandments, the articles Of the Creed, the
Lords Prayer, the psalms, etc., and must
remain and do cheerfully remain a child and
pupil OF the catcchism." [Crccds of Chris.
tendon, Vol. l. p. $50 This cate
chism soon after its publication was
introduced into families, churches and public
schools. ut became by common consent. I"
writes DIR. Schaff, "a symbolcal book and
sort Of lay Bible for the German people. II
marks an epoch in religious instruction"
Luther's catechism is by no means confined
to Germany. The smaller catechism has
been translated from the German into Latin
and many other languages, even the Greek,
Hebrew and Syriac. Lutheran writer's
claim that no book, except the Bible, has had
a wider circulation.
The national council has done well in call.
ing attention not only to the man Martin
Luther, who wrought 80 nightly, but to the
truth and doctrine which he brought out and
lifted into the light so that all could see them.
especially the supreme authority of the word
of God, the priesthood Of every believer, the
right of private judgment and justification
by faith only. 1t was on these vital truths
put with words SO clear and quick as to stick
In the heart and memory that the Reforma.
ton of the sixteenth century tuned. D'Au-
bignc's most popular and instructive work,
History of the Reformation, stands on this as.
sumption and brings it out in a mastery
manner.
But the history of four centuries only tells
us what Luther was and did protestant.
ism is his indestructible monument. And
his Professionalism, what is 1t? Pass through
Germany, France, the Netherlands, Scan
iinavia, England, Scotland and North Amer.
Ca, and there you will find everywhere its
expression in the religious and political in
,tltutons, IN the moral character of these
nations, in their science and art, In their
.es,less activity, in their uninterrupted
truggle for advancement, nay, even in CON-
nerce and manufactures, in railways and
steamboats,, and in that scarce visible mes
epser OF the air, which, to crown all,