The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-09
THE CHARACTER OF LUTHER
Father O'Donaghue's Opinion of the
Great Reformer.
Luther Reviewed from Roman Catholic
Stand Point-The Motives Actuating the
Work He Accomplished.

"The four hundredth annive rsary of the birth
of Martin Luther is not likely to receive any
great notice In your church," said q Journal re-
porter to Father Denis O'Donaghue yesterday.
1t was not in the form of a question but the
priest accepted it as challenge.
"Its q curious thing that Luther's friends ig-
more his extravaganza life and attribute nothing
to him except his life as a refOrmer," retorted
the father. "Take his table talk which no one
will say is spurious, but all acknowledge as au-
thentc; it is not fit for society to hear. AS his
friends do not, can not deny the obscenty and
vulgarity of his table talk do not see how
they can admis it, end hold him to be moral
man To show his defect of character, that he
was not man of principle, look at the case of
the Landgrave of Hesse, his friend, whom he
allowed to have two wives at the same time.
But the Landgrave was prince and promised
and gave Luther help. To show Luther's un-
steadiness, in the beginning he meditated no
rupture with the Catholic Church at all. He
didn't even denounce the doctrine of indul-
gences in its entirety, but only some abuses then
practiced in Germany. The secret of Luther's
starting the rupture that he did, was jealousy
of another order, the Dominicans, he being an
Augustinian. He raised storm he couldn't
control, and which eventually controlled him.
Luther was a demagogue. He pretended to
stand on the side of the common people as
against the princes, but when the war of the
peasants in Germany, in which q number of
them were slain broke out, Luther, after hest
tating and seeing that the higher classes would
win the fight, took their side and told the princes
and upper classes to stab and strangle the re-
bellious PEASANTS"
"But he translated the Bible" interposed the
reporter.
"He translated the Bible to fit doctrines he
himself had mapped out, throwing out parts of
the book that did not suit him. He threw out
the Lpistle of st. James, which he called IAN
epistle of straw because it recommended good
works and said faith without good works is
dead. His doctrine is grounded on the princi-
pies of justification by faith only and leaves
wide open the door to every crime. His very
m AKIN was 'Creda fortiter ct pecca fortius,'
that is believe strongly and sin more strongly
Now that's nice maxim. Another thing, we
find in Luther's writings that it is not the doc
trne of those who hold to his name to-day.
think if he rose out of his grave he wouldn't
recognize his followers. believe their teach
i iS now are great deal deal better unr
calling itself Christian could adopt or follow
the maxims of Luther. Luther's 'Wer liebt NIGHT
Vein, Webb und Gesang, bleibt Elm MARI sel1
Lebenlang, cWho loves not woman, vein and
song remains a fool life-long9, is q delicate,
clearly motto for reformer, opening the door
to license, and making religion sport and a
crime TIE Sunday desecrator, the rOysterer
and the libertine accept Luther's motto.
"a belief is current of Luther that he never
saw the Scriptures until he was grown up man,
and that he discovered the ground work of his re-
ligion in the Bible as soon as be found one. The
falsiGy of this is shown by the fact that In his
character of a Catholic priest he had co read
portions of Scriptures every day, and in course
OF year he would necessarily have almost
read it through. The legend of Luther finding
Bible is pure myth. He did not have TO trans
late it in order that those who did not under
stand Latin could read it, In Luthers time the
Bible already translated into all the
principal languages of Europe. There's a
legend, harped upon a great deal,
chained book and that he set it free This
grew out of the fact that the Bible was pre-
served in the churches. and as copies were
scarce, it was sometimes fastened to the pulpit,
that it might not be carried away The same
practice Is in vogue in regard to dippers at a
public fOunt.
cts a curious thing with the Catholic Church
and it's authorities, popes and bishops, as bad as
he says they were that he remained Catholic
priest for of the best of his life. In the
beginning of Luther's outbreak he didn't con-
template marriage, either for himself or the
clergy that followed him. The wit Erasmus
said it would all wind up in marriage, and
Luther verified it by marrying Catherine Bora,
who nun, bound by as solemn vows as he
himself He WAS man of great force and
ability. but un goyerna BILE, temper, and put no re-
straints on his passions. He quarreled with his
followers several times, and threatened il they
didn't come to his views that he would go back
to the Catholic Church."