The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-10

Staupitz, the head of the. order in Germany
when that official visited Erfurt, he was re
leased from these tasks and encouraged by
the Doctor TO prosecute his study of the
Scriptures.
LUTHER AS A PRIEST.
On the I'd of May, 1907, Luther was or.
dalned priest, and at that time priest was
las much above an ordinary Christian as the
morning star was above a smoking taper"
The first mass of the new priest brought a
good sum of money, The canonical hours
were observed with torchlights, and the
young priest danced with his mother if she
was living or released her from purgatory if
she were dead. Luther travelled from village
to village, said mass. begged cheese" and
laughed at the country organists who intro
| duced the wrong music into the service. 1t
IS SAID that the rite of the mass was very
much abused at this time. There were masses
offered for all sorts of offenses, both great
and small, and at prices ranging from three
cents up to five dollars. Corn and wine were
| sometimes given, for which the monks signed
formal receipts. Here is copy of one I'm
| consideration of one bushel of wheat, we, by
thls writing and contract make over to you
the peneht OF our hastings, watchings morti-
hcatlons, mass services and such like"
OF DR.. Staupitz, went to the university in
Wlttenberg to lecture on philosophy. The
university had ben in existence six years
before Luther was appointed. The people of
the town were so sensual that their convivi-
alities had to be regulated by law. At be-
! trothals the viands allowed were cake fruit,
cheese bread and beer. There were 172
6reweries in the place, and the people cared
little for church or service, or secular instruc-
! ton. 1t was about this time that he preached
his first sermon, and, like many orators, he
1elt very nervous on coming before an audi
ence. When preacher for the first time
goeth into the pulpit no one would believe
now fearful he is, he seeth so many heads be-
fore HIM. When go up into the pulpit 1
do not look upon any one. l think them to
be only SO many blocks before me- and 1
speak out the words of my God" In
1910 he made pilgrimage to Rome climbed
up the stairway of St. Peters on his knees 70
get the indulgence of a thousand years for
penance imposed, though, while he did it. a
voice seemed TO call out TO him: THE lust shall
live by faith" He was not favorably impressed
with the condition of the church and the
lives of the ecclesiastical dignitaries in the
Eternal City. He thought the Pope was sur
rounded with too much splendor; that it
did not look we'll for him to take the sacra-
ment sitting; that there was great licentous-
ness among the cardinals that the Roman
court was brothel and writes that he heard
II
there was hell, Rome was built upon it.
NDULGENcEs.
1t was in the year 1917 that Luther nailed
to the gates of the church his ninety-ive
propositions against indulgences. Just be-
fore and at this time preachers of induIgences
had been travelling through Germany Swift
zerland and France, having been sent out
from Rome for the purpose of raising money
for St. Peters Church. The most remarka-
bic of these preachers, and the one who par
ticularly excited the ire of Luther.
was Tetzel a Dominican friar He is
said to have been profigate i'll morals,
but outwardly sanctmonious. He was
naughty, spoke sonorously and impressed the
multitude. He claimed that indulgences
were the most precious and sublime of Gods
gifts" and said that he had saved more souls
with his indulgences than st. Peter had with
his sermons. There is no sin so great that
indulgence cannot remit it" said he; ''even
repentance is not necessary; indulgences save
not tho liui-~c alA~ +h~s- -l---l--1
The very moment that the money clnks
against the bottom of this chest the soul es-
capes from purgatory and flies to heaven"
According to a book called the TAX of the
Sacred Roman Chancery," in which are con-
tanned the exact sums to be levied for the
pardon of each particular sin, we find some
tion Is. 3D.; for simony, los. 3D.; for sacri-
lege, los. 3d.; for taking false oath in a
criminal case, 9s.; for robbing, 12s.; for burn
ing a neighbours house. 12s.; for defling
virgin, 9s. for lying with a mother, sister,
ETC.. Is; for numbering a layman, Is; for
keeping concubine, los. 3d.; for laying vio-
lent hands on a clergyman los. Cd.
1t may be we'll to give here definition of
the term indulgence" 1t is, IN Roman
Catholic theology, a remission by church
authority, to repentant sinner, OF the tenn
poral punishment which, in the Catholic
theory, remains due after the sin and its
eternal punishment have been RENTED.
sinner coming to priest had first to ex-
press contrition; second, make confession,
and third, give satisfaction. Then he could
receive absoution. Luther fought strongly
against the practice of granting indulgences
as it existed in his day, while his opponents,
without always saying much about the prac-
tice, defended the theory. But objections
had been made to indulgences long before
the time of Luther by Wickliffe and Huss,
and by various German professors quarter
of a century before Luther was born.
The ninety five propositions above re-
ferred to Luther posted on the doors of the
Electoral Church, an edihce where many
pilgrims were wont to resort, and where ma
ny indulgences we're granted on certain
days. They were put up on All
Saints Day, November l. and an
invitation was extended to anyone to dispute
their truth. In August, 1918 Luther was
ordered to go to Rome for trial, and soon
after he was excommunicated by Papal
bull, and his writings declared to be hereti-
cal and dangerous He had said that the
Scriptures were the only grounds of authori-
ty in religion, and that moreover. every
man had right to interpret them for him
self. In 1921 he appeared before the Diet of
Worms, body consisting OF both spiritual
and temporal dignitaries of the German en-
pire, and in his defense, while refusing to
recant his opinions uttered the famous
sentence: "Unless my errors can be dem
onstated by texts from Scripture 1 will not
and cannot recant; for it is not safe for a
man to go against his conscience. Here
stand; can do no otherwise. God help me!
Amen" great number of people became
his folloners He tran sla ted the Scri nth rns