The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-10
Life and work of the Reformer.


vember, 1883, at Esleben, small town in
Saxony, noted at that time for its copper
mines. Luther's father came to this neigh
borhood for the purpose of engaging in min
ing and in the undertaking he appears to
have been successful; for he eventually be-
came the owner of a share in one of the
mines, and the sole proprietor of foundry.
Luther always spoke of himself and his an
cestors as belonging to the peasantry. Pm a
PEASANTS son, My father, my grandfather
and my forefathers were ali true peasants
My parents, in the beginning, were right
poor. My father was a poor mine digger,
and my mother did carry her wood on her
shoulders, and after this and out did they
support u.s. their children. They had a
sharp, bitter experience of it, Nc one
would do likewise now" But Luther's faith
er was a man of great energy, hard work
er, somewhat stern in bringing up his chill
dren, little inclined to be
great decision of character Before
his death he owned his own house, two fur
naces and had about thousand dollars in
money. He was very much respected by the
community, and at one time was made
member of the town council. He was de-
q
Luther, writing about him. says: HE we'll
knew the wicked cunning of the monks"
Luther's mother was noted for her religious
character and her strict attention to all the
requirements OF the church. She was dill
gent in prayer, inclined to be superstitious
and so severe in her devotional discipline
that her says it was through her carriage
toward him that he was afterward led to be-
come monk. The parents were very strict
i'm the bringing up OF young Martin, so much
so that the boy did not feel very happy or
Joyous IN their presence Once he was hogged
till the blood came for stealing a NUT and
another time he was whipped so soundly
that he ran away from home, remaining alb
sent for a short time, until he was coaxed
back. SchOol-teachers and clergymen were
frequent visitors at the house, and the father
was often heard praying at the bedside of his
son that God would bless him and make him
useful.
LUTHER AT SCHOOL.
At about the age of seven he was sent to
school in the town of Mansfield, a short
distance from the place where he was born,
and whittier his parents had removed when
he was a young infant His school days
must have been anything but pleasant, for
the discipline in the modest institution of
learning he attended was even harsher than
at home. The schoolmasters of that time
seemed to believe in the pounding process"
as the great educational force. Luther says
the boys were treated more like convicts
than scholars calls the schools purgatories,
the teachers tyrants and taskmasters, and al
ludes incidentally to having been flogged
fifteen times in one loren oon. In this school
was taught little Latin, the music ordina-
rily sung at church and the elements of
arithmetic. The schools were under the
charge of the church, and very often the
clerical teachers would hire some cheap sub
stitute to perform their duties. Luther says
"the monk and canon divided the pay with
the poor schoolmaSter, as the beggar did who
promised to share equally with the church
the half of what he received, and gave the
outward half of nuts and the inner half of
dates for pieus purposes, and consumed the
residue himself" The greater part of the
school session was given to religious instruc-
ton, and the amount of secular instruction
impaired was very small indeed. The
teachers we're often young students who led
vagabond kind of life, travelling from place
to place. earning begging stealing their
living as the case might be- and teaching
their young charles to beg for them. The
bows slept on the floor in the cold weather
and on the grass in the church-yard when
the thermometer permitted. A scholar of
that time says there was not much studying
but plenty to eat and speaks of going out in
the evenings to buy beer, of which inspiring
beverage he and his companions would often
drink so much that they were unable to find
their way back to their institution of learn
ing. The students had no printed books,
but took down the lessons as they were die
tated by the teacher. According to the tes-
Smony of Luther, not d single branch of
study was properly taught at that time; the
teachers were lot OF stupid asses who only
taught their pupils how to become asses like
IL han 4 hA.v n~,,l1 -
vent their spleen on their ow-instructors,
poured il out upon the scholars who had the
misfortune to be poor. In later years he ex-
pressed sorrow that he could not have read
the poets and historians, and that his mind
had, with great labor been filled with what,
with equal labor, he was striving to unlearn.
In religion Luther was of course educated
in the Roman Catholic faith. The spiritual
state of the people of Germany at that time
was deeper than that OF the inhabitants OF
Italy, They were inclined to be serious,
devout, and from the Protestant point OF
view, superstitious. The Papal Church had
been founded in the country by st. Boniface
and other apostles from the British Islands,
in the eighth century. A large closter, the
chief seminary of learning, was here, and two
miles from the town of Mansfield was 6
cloister where it was devoutly believed by
the people, ST. Elizabeth continually wrought
miracles Monks were almost daily relating
visions and dreams they had had. INC
monk" says Luther dreamed anything bu
it must needs come into the pulpit and be
made a matter of divine service"
Belief in witchcraft was common at this
time. A book called 1.-THE Manual fol
Witches" taught priests and magistrate!
what rules to observe in their proceeding
against witches Mention is made by Luther
of witch that used to trouble his mother
of one who in the guise of the devil, triee
to separate husband and wife, and of anothe
who, taking the actual shape and form o.