Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-11-14
MARTIN LUTHER.

Saturday was the 40Oth anniversary OF
the birth of Martin Luther, the great
German reformer, whose name is house
hold word in every Protestant home IN
all the world and is written high upon
the scroll of ''the few immortal names
that were not born to die" AS has been
written, "he was great man, any por-
ton of whose work visibly endures after
the lapse of 400 years.
It may be we'll to refresh our minds
with few of the principal events in the
life of this famous man.
Martin Luther was born in Eisleben, in
Prussian Saxony, Nov. 10, 1883, and
came Of sturdy stock, his father being a
man of staunch character, and his mother
devoutly religious. In his early efforts
to obtain an education, he passed through
many hardships, made possible by the
strange stern discipline of those times.
Hi parents, finding these privations were
intolerable, recalled him from the con-
vent at Madgeburg and sent him to Els
enach, where he found kind teachers, and
neglected by his relatives there, hospita-
HE home with Madam Gotta. Here he
deycloped fine musical abilities, learning
to play on the flute and the lutte, and
making marked proficiency in Latin stud
les, excelling all his fellow students. His
fathers means improving, Martin, at the
age of 10, was sent to the Cniver-
sitv of Erfurt, then the most celebrated
school in Germany. Here he distinguish
ed himself by the exercise of his superior
powers, debating with surprising skill
and eloquence, and winning golden en-.
coniums from all for his learning and
power. After four years course of study,
he received the degree Of Master of Arts,
and entered upon the office of instructor,
and lectured on logic and physics. 1t
was while here, that he saw in the Uni
yersity Library, for the first time, the en-
tire sacred scriptures, having been famil-
lar only with the dictionaries of the
church. Both by the reading of the BIZ
BILE, and by series of providential events,
as q severe illness, and the death of a
friend by stroke of lightning, he became
very serious in mind, and at the end Of a
fortnight's meditation he resolved to be-
come monk. He joined the Augustin-
ian order, and entered the convent at En-
furt in 1905. In the third year. he was
consecrated priest. During all these
wears, and for long time after, his mind
was in troubled and darkened con
dition, until the spiritual nature of reli-
gion was carefully cxpounded to him by
John Won Staupitz Vicar General of the
Augustinian order in Germany. His dis
content at the existing state of affairs in
the church, more especially after visit
to Rome, increased, until he bitterly de-
nounced the sale of indulgences by one
Tetzel. and found himself in conflict with
the Papal court. His first overt act, anG
that which caused the flames of religious
convulsion to break out fiercely on every
side, was the mailing of the celebrated
theses, SO in number, upon the door Of
the Wittenburg Church, Oct. 81, 1917
Disputations followed, in which DR.. Luther
came off victorious. On the 18th o.
April, 1921, occurred the memorable ap
pearance before the Dict at Worms
Marked as were the abilities of Luther
he could never have played the part HI
did, but from the favorable conjunction
of political events which occurred at tina
time. Hitherto for centuries, the Roman
Pontiff had ruled over Central and West
ern Europe with all the authority of .
temporal sovereign, hut just at this time
there were three aspirants for the Ger
man throne, Francis I, of Frunce, Henry
VIII, of England, and Charles Y, ane
during the controversy, the Reformation