The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-11-14
Luther's Birthday.

union service in Bethany cnurch sunday
evening. As similar exercises we're doubtless
held in many places we give below full re-
port of these services, with abstracts OF the
remarks.
After the singing Of the TIE Deum by select
choir, Rev; ]. II. Hncks read the forty,sisth
Palm and prayer WAS offered by Rev. ID. K.
Miller The duet, Love Divine, was then very
finely rendered by Mr.. W. Bancroft and
Mrs. w. A. Briggs, after which Rev. Edward
Wright spoke Of the life OF Luther. We condense
the following from his already condensed ac-
count: twas in the fulness Of time that Luther
began his career. The field was we'll prepared
Tor his work. Europe was awakening from
the slumber Of the middle ages, intelligence
was spreading, thought was quckeniDg, the
mind OF man was asserting its God-eiven
rights against ecclesiastical domination; Wick
life had lived, and Jerome of Prague and
Huss had died not in vain. Among the best Of
the fold OF the church there was great reac-
ton from the vices and unholy ambitions Of
the so-called Religions" the thuDders OF
Savonarolas denunciations OF the psganism
and wordliness of the church were vet resoupd-
ing In Italy; the recently invented printing
press was taking advantage Of the general in
PRODUCTION OF linen paper to multiply its issues.
1t WAS the age OF Columbus and his discovery
of America, ofIgnatins Loyola, and his reforma-
ton OF the church, Of Raphael and Michael
Angelo, and the triumphs OF the wondrous
genius in painting and architecture. Into this
seetbing, all-alve world came the baby
Luther, November 10, 1883 in the obscure
Eisleben not far from Leipsc, Germany. His
ancestors we're of the peasant class humble,
hard working miners. But through the ambi-
ton Of his parents, and the liberality Of 9TH
ers, Luther had the benefit of schools and a
university course. In his poverty during his
school days, he sometimes secured his food by
singing from door to door. Though destined
to the legal profession, he was shocked into de-
voting himself to an exclusively religious life
by the tragic death of dear friend, and en-
tered convent at the age OF twenty-five.
Here he was conspicuous for the rigor OF his
self-discipline. With soul i'll at ease he 4.
sought peace through the severest penances,
but in vain. When first copy of the whole
Bible came into his possession, he eagerly
searched it for instruction. The words, The
just shall live by faith" deeply impressed
him, and ultimately, as unfolded by his wise
and pious counsellor, Staupitz, they helped
him into restful state OF mind. He was APP
pointed professor of philosophy in the newly
| founded university of Wittenberg, and at the
age OF twenty-nine was made Doctor of Divin-
! ity. Shortly before this his heart was dis
tressed by the contrast which he marked be-
| tween pretense and practice when on visit to
| Rome. Later, through his experience at the
confessional, he became aroused to the demon
aliziug effects of the sale of papal indulgences,
which had come to be regarded as practically
licenses to sin, and he boldly set forth his con-
victions on the subject; still, however, as
child of the church, loyal to the pope But
when there came from Rome no disavowal or
| correction of these abuses, but, instead, diplo-
matte maneuvering, then orders to recant,
and at length communication, he arose in
the might of conscious rectitude, and with q
lofty scorn, and a boldness almost unparalleled,
| burned the Popes bull before one OF the city
| gates This was in 1920 All Germany was
aroused, great numbers siding with the excom-
muncated but undaunted monk. Ere long -
was summoned to give account of himself b
fore the emperor and all the great princes ~
the land at the Diet of Worms. In peril of his
life all the time, he yet presented himself, re-
fused to recant, disdaned to dissemble, and
was thereupon pronounced an outlaw, whom
none should harbor under the heaviest pen9N
ties. The friendship of the Elector OF Saxot9y
4 afforded him shelter in the cast Q OF Wart-
burg. Here he began that translation OF the
Bible into the vernacular OF the common peo-
pie, which has proved one Of the most durable
monuments to his memory. Called from his
retreat at Wartburg by troubles in Wittenberg,
he there plunged again into controversy, re-
CARELESS Of his personal safety Now it be-
came necessary for him to pass from the role
of radical reformer to that OF a conservative;
and to attempt to repress the fanatical excess
of many who msinterpreted his teaching. His
last years were years of Herculean struggle and
bitter disappointment, of sharp controversies
and uncharitable alterations, of sore trials and
gloomy forebodings, which found some mitiga-
ton about the hearth-stone with wife and
children, in devout communipgs with
heavenly Father, and in the soarings of
soul heavenward on the wings of social song.
He died February IS, 1896 firmly reaff rmipg
the faith which he had taught, aud trustfully
crying, " Father, into thy hands l commend
my spirit"
Mr. Wright was followed by Mr. Hiucks who
considered Luther's work as a protester against
the abuses of the religious communion from
which he came out. The name Protestant was
derived from the protest offered at the Diet Of
J Spires, April 10, 1929 by five princes and the
representatives OF fourteen free cities against
the imperial decree which restricted the right
to preach the Word Of God and to worship ac-
cording to the dictates of the conscience. This
protest was the larger echo of Luther's voice.
Luther's work was constructive. as well as de-
. structive, else it would not have endured. He
, built upon the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief
corner stone. He had, however, to first tear
down that which had been wrongly built be-
fore he could build up. His whole career was
protest against the abuses of the Pdpscy. but
his more particular work of protest fell within
the first three years of his life before the pub
lic October 81, 1917, he began by opposing to
the shameful traffic in indulgences his Ninety
. five theses in which he denied the control Of
the Pope over purgatory and the necessity OF
any other condition for forgiveness of sins ex-
cept repentance and faith in Christ. The fierce
opposition that 80 fundamental truth OF the
gospel met with from Rome opened his eyes to
the extent of the departure of the Roman
r hierarchy from the teachings Of the Script
4 ures. In 1920 in his Address to the Chris
Q tan Nobility of the German nation and in
T MS baDylOnlan captivity OF tno Cnurcn ue
: struck at the heart of the papal system,
: by exposing the baseless pretensions OF
r any system of priesthood in the Christian
' church. Having been communicated by
: Rome he made his eliminating protest against
: its authority by publicly burning the bull OF
: the Pope. Professionalism in its fully developed
form is Reputation of the claims OF priest
s hood with all the consequences that have been
= developed from such claim. Aad of this re-
pudiation Luther is the representative man
s In a larger sense he represents the protest OF
$ spirituality against formal religion of religious
0 freedom against lordship over the conscience,
of personal liberty against despotism, of educa-
Q ton against ignorance Of the civilization which
we see illustrated in the nineteenth century
against that which prevailed in the dark ages
Q of the Word Of God against the word OF man
9 of the kingdom of God against the kingdom OF
i darkness. He had in his own experience that
Q faith which can remove mountains, and there
:. fore his voice was powerful to thrust from its
Q place the weight of superstition and of despotism
n which Pdpal Christianity had laid upon medic
> val society.
Q After the singing of one Of Luthers hymns
g by the choir, Rev. f. d. Mason spoke of Luther
t as moral hero la presenting Luther in the
9 character of a moral hero we do not claim fol
o him perfection; we do not even assert that his
II moral heroism was perfect; we do not say that
d he always manifested Christian spirit we dc
- not contend that he made great advances be