Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-03-25

college, spent two years in
Union Theological seminary, heard lee.
lures at Yale college, studied in Germany,
terrain church at Armenia, N. Y.,and became
Rev. George H. Hepworth's successor at
the Church of the Unity in Boston. He
secured leave of absence from the Church
of the Unity by advice of his physicians,
travelled in Europe, and subsequently ten
dered his resignation. He was afterward
pastor of the First Unitarian church in
Buffalo, and has preached since in Hart
ford and Newport. He is thirty eight
years of age. His travels in Europe and
his residence in Germany, among the deep,
mystic, deistic and atheistic thinkers
of that country, whose realistic and meta
physical philosophy ''leads to bewiider and
dazzles to blind" doubtless unsettles the
former beliefs of this new Unitarian
pastor, and recast him into his present
mold of universal enlargement. If any
thing in church formation can be more
sweeping and all-embracing than this new
departure, surely it has not been discovered
or invented.
The 400th anniversary of the birth
day of Martin Luther, the great reformer,
occurs this year. Doubtless the occasion
will be observed with more or less cere-
mony in many places, and religious jour
mails will vehemently, and con GDlore, sound
his praise. To one particular phase only,
- IL oI,o 1f
of the reformation, we propose now
to refer, and that is to his musical
talent and accomplishments. When lad,
he sang songs in the streets, with wonder
full power and effect. He was a charity
student and as such had to aid in the mu-
which he was educated. He never was
ashamed of, or tried to conceal this portion
of his history, and in his writings he re-
fers with satisfaction to his having sung in
the streets when he was young. He never
lost enjoyment for music, or ceased to cul-
tivate it, When the great work of his life
opened before him, he still found time to
pursue the study of music, and
to perfect himself in it, and earnestly en-
deavored in every way possible to increase
his own theoretical and practical knowledge
of the art. He became a skillful player
both upon the flute and the lutte, and thus
was enabled to solace himself and delight
others in the midst of his great and ex-
hau5ting labors. Lather produced Ger
man hymn book, which spread rapidly
over Germany and was immensely popular
He was the successful composer of many
tunes. He fully recognized the
power and influence of mu-
sic, aud consulted with the Saxon
chapel masters as TO the best means of
providing good music for the people, and
he, himself, received instruction from
these musicians in his musical studies and
attainments. It is believed that Luther
thus laid the foundation for the presen
musical growth of Germany. Says a
writer: whether we agree with Luther in
his theological views or not, every Ger
man musician will, or ought to, call him
blessed for his devotion to the art" He
wrote several essays and a poem on music.
In one of his essays he places the value
of song next to the word of God itself, for,
says he, song-the human VOICES the
mistress of the human heart. 1t makes
sad people more joytul,it makes the faint
hearted more courageous, and the haughty
more meek-minded. 1t is his opinion that
there is nothing so we'll calculated to
check and to rule the emotions of man as
music. Il has been suggested that min
listers of the present day are quite too de-
relict in their attention to, and culture Of
music. Says writer: ''How many among
the clergy of the present day are qualified
to advance positive ideas about music as 6
part of divine worship? 1t is but natural
consequence of the state OF
things, that the church at large
has allowed its music to be largely an arti
Gle of traffic, and that the trade has more
to sayas to what should be sung in churches
andSunday schools than the churches them
selves. If Luther in his busy life coul'
find time to study music, if he with all hi
learning deemed it necessary that he shoul'
study it; if he found it to be solace and
thing of Joy in the hours of sorrow; if ht
found the art of service to him as preach
er and reformer, would not the ministry
to-day be in like manner benefited b.
making itself acquainted with the power
the mission and character of the divin
art?''
Remember This.