New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-12
THE LUTHER CELEBRATION
EULoGIEs FROM A SCORE OF PULPIrs.

,ts CITY and Rrooklvn the sermons upon the thee
OF Luther and his works. his relation to the 'nlcs N
which he lived and to the progress MADE III suoSoe
oces In some Of the English churches The pate
90 tho Reformation was part OF the musical service
Tn the churches where German was spoken inc
service Of every Sunday contains many rol,i"uoi'
Of Luther the Scriptures read In his anslauoh' Id
from his pen and in the benediction which Is usually III
his very words churches the service was maze
espec,ay commemorative Of the Reformer by inc seec
. ~ hoso HYMNS which he liked best and by addresses
~ which he was The theme. Thus his name was made
the centre of thought for the day The congregations
were as rule not much larger than those OF other sun
days but this probably due TO the weather more
than TO any other The special services az hours
when meetings are not customary were largely attended
HOW RoMANIsM HAS BEEN MODIFIED.
The Rev. DR.. John Hall took as his theme the
passage In Cd Chronicles, xxxiv. IS
Germany rightly looks upon Martin Luther one of the
greatest in her history and PrOtestdns
where unite with her in celebrating this anniversary.
Even the Roman Catholic Church might tngly join with
the remainder of tho world for he did much for her.
striking similarity exists between the historical passage
in which the text found and what read Of the cond
ton Of world in the time of Luther Philosophers who
study mans life first at the home. Luthers ances
tors were peasants his father satecuttor who ac-
oured sufficient wealth to give his liberal education
He hoped that brilliant student might become brilliant
lawyer Martin deeply religious, and wore himself
to shadow by modification of the flesh He entered
monastery contrary the wish Of his father and was
sent on mission to Rome That visit part II the
preparation for his work No one can , say
That he spoke of that which he knew
which he saw Italy had not spread all the world
and testified TO the good wherever found just as
manism is interchangeable Thisis true in IT is
travesty that is unchanged But 1t has changed again
this Bibles be snatched from the hands OF the
people and burned IN other lands bui not IN thls LEI US
| ! 4
Mexico"
THE DEFECTS OF THE REFORMATION.
The Rev. DR.. c. II. Parkhurst, of the Madison Square
Presbyterian Church. said "There is a sense in which
all events are Old before they take place Luther
did not create the sixteenth century it truly be
said that tho sixteenth century created him. The Re
formation though not begOten In the interests OF re-
gion could not proceed far until that became the leading
question One popularity was that 1t was sporadic It's
beginning was marked like the approach Of spring. by
patch green here and another there Lnther did not
naugrate rather gave direction TO influences already
active He was much less opposed to the doctrines
of the Church than to the assumption OF the Church In
the Interpretation of those doctrines There was and Is
enough truth in that religion to any soul that
cepts it In the simplicity Of childhood Professionalism
eliminates the priesy idea Whatever Church says and
| means priest is Roman; whatever Church says and
means minister is Protestant. Luthers most effective
work was the translation of the Bible into the German
tongue the establishment OF schools which are the
most powc III allies OF liberty good school is stand
ing menace the Church Of Rome. which 10 built upon
| popular ignorance
| "Tbe Reformation however great, was not complete
There was an intellectual and moral defect. Luther
denied 10 others that freedom Of thought which he
claimed for himself He accepted the Bible in Its en-
trety he understood It, He could scarcely realize That
his Interpretation OF Scripture not an integral part OF
the Scripture itself He expected men to think according
70 prescribed lines He ruled the epistle of James
heir ~ a lett and having
| about it, because he believed only III JUSTIN
! cation by faith And yet that grand old epistle
| Of James, teaching Justification by works, IA
what the Protestant world stands most III need OF
! to-day. While Luther baptized by that Divine
truth of justification by faith could live holy life, the
next man could grasp that doctrine in the same de-
gree. Over the same territory that the Reformauon
covered there followed such tide OF moral corru
ton that suspected the last day to be at hand
justification by faith has become mere intellectual
concept remote from their daily lives"
LUTHER's OPPORTUNITY AND QUALIFICATIONS
awe do not celebrate the actions of great and good
men," said the Rev Dr. sOrrs, to bring glory to them
they have passed away but to how God has oper
ated through them and learn some lessons thererOm. We
are apt say that the opportunity before Luther was
bright one, it but apt TO make II greater
than it seemed to him. True the nations rife for
action Such things the corruption Of the mOnasterics
and RIGHTEOUSNESS Of the monks the worldly character
Pope Y the sale Of indulgences, all had their effect
But remember that the Roman hierarchy then
the greatest power Of the world Its power was almost
/
Lutner's common sense vast. He had wonderful
sagacty in reading political conditions He had poetic
spirit which wrought itself out in actions rather than
words; also power OF rugged elOquence and an i'm
varied and extended learning IN Hebrew, Greek Laln
| and German, He was a man OF the people, humorous
fond OF music and affectiOnae, and without the least
sanctimOnOusness, fond Of gardening fond OF games
Associated with this was devouness Of spirit and great
| courage He typical German; he loved the COM
mon people. All his personality went into his work He
never could write preach 70 well as when he was
|
liberty in Germany widening in France and extending
over all the world"
THE SANITY TRAITS OF LUTHER.
"Our St. Martin " the subject Of the Rev. Robert
Coyers discourse at the Church Of the Messiah he
said part These the three great things love to
find in my good Saint Martin Luther. First There was
80 much pure manhood In him that he could be in his
life a vast and believer and deep and dire douber
gentle as mother with her little children, and angry as
Michael with the sword able to fast until you could
count all his bones and the threads Of life began TO snap
able to feast royalty when that the order Of the
day. still to be and not less than saint In his
feastng Second, He held brave a soul TINS world
ever had I'm a towards body, something very like 1t
body that would shake and trenblc in the presence OF
the shadow OF DEATH but burst not give way and follow
the white feather in clear sight of the rack and the flame
Third With the instincts Of bgOt uppermost now and
| then not always able to stand free and walk
| free in the way of truth, at the innermost
centre of his heart ne was free thinker and free
and would have follow Luther but only God and
his Christ would not let the Bible even, become an OBJ
ec of blind idoatry but would have all men bring their
minds TO its study and distinguish between tue wheat
and the straw There Is still another quality love III my
good Saint Martin-Iny saint OF the new tenor and the
new life Those of the old tenor and the old life, IN Civ
ing up this world and all its beauty all its grace and all
its wealth OF worth to those who 1t wisely lost them
selves utterly as rule, ia what George Eliot calls
other wordlness and so smtten with desire OF
Heaven that there place in them for loving what
soever things are and lovely and Of good report ON
this earth so did my good saint lose ms way He
found IT, after lie had lost il in monks cell, back into
the world again. and TO noble and whOlehearted recOg
milton of the worlds claim any whOe-heared man.
He began by taking his oath all the sacTamens that ne
would marry nor have home OF his own ana emil
drcn The day came when he saw that he had
lied AGAINST his own nature and his soul IN doing this,
found woman who had also taken this oath and found
She had fore herself married that woman and they
made home and had children born 10 them And with
am his dnuhfs and fears mlsbeefs and nnbelef have