The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-06
DELIGHTFUL DAY AT ACTON.
The Lecture of Rev. John Alabaster,
Yesterday, on "Martin Luther"
The Results of the Illustrious Reformers
Work-Wiliam l. Marshal's Lecture on
'The Real Switzerland Of America"

Its ent1re meteorologlc stock before the campers
| and visitors to make pick and choice, day more
| to everybody's liking could not possibly have
been selected. Rev. DR.. John Alabaster deiv-
cred his lecture on Martin Luther"-cear
| vigorous, analytical No lecture of the course
| ranks higher. He had good audience, and the
| lecture was received with the warmest NANTES
| tations of appreciation.
''The hundred years which began with the
middle of the fifteenth century and closed with
the middle of the sixteenth, DR.. Alabaster said
'was remarkable for splendor of men ard their
achievements, 1t stands in history the equal of
any century that can be carved from its records
This period was ushered in by the brilliant in
vention of Gutenberg, and the first printed
book, the Bible, was dawning upon the worlds
| civilization with day. Art, learning. re-
| lgion and science passed into period of restora
| tion while invention and discovery accomplished
| some of their most wonderful tasks. Printing
| spread throughout Europe. and the art of en-
| craving on copper was begun. Great uniyersi-
ties were founded, the study of Greek was intro
duced into Europe, the Vatican library had birth,
navi cation achieved its marvels in the voyage OF
| Diaz to the Cape of Good Hope, the subsequent
exploits of Portuguese. Spanish and British sea-
men, the circumnavig cation of the globe by
| Magellan and the splendid enterprises of Column
| bus. Capernicus caught the secret of the starry
| worlds, and the discovery of gunpowder revo-
| lutioniZed the art of war.
Most illustrious of all men in that Won
| derful age were the Reformers the Savanaroas,
| the Zwingles the knoxes, who wrought out anew
| the great problems of mans religious hope. In
| such age did Martin Luther live and labor,
| and in such century of achievement his name
stands supreme, and all other deeds of its great
| men pale before the Lutheran Reformation. In
Martin Luther is seen again that on earth there
| is nothing great but man; while in man there is
| nothing great but mind. The condition OF the
| Church of Rome, prior to the Reforma-
! tlon was one of semi paganlsm. From
| the days of Pope Gregory down to the days
| of Leo x corruption had followed corruption
| until what left of Christianity was but
meaningless form and gross caricature of that
| holy faith. The Pope swayed his scepter over
| all Europe as the vlcegerent of the Son OF God,
while IN MS glrdle he pretended to carry the
keys of Heaven This power afterward eX
ercised with great cruelty in entire contradiction
| to the spirit of Christ and his gospel. The
church invented purgatory, with all its COM
plicated machinery, by which to control her sub
| jects and gain their money. There came to be
science of relics. The garments of pious hunks
| and nuns, the bones Of saints and various arti-
| cles deposited in the affairs Of the churches,
| hung up at the portals to be kissed by the faith
| ful, or suspended on their persons as charms.
| All kinds of lying wonders were invented 30
| deceive the people and operate upon their super
stition and credulity IN the cathedral at Cologne
was shown the staff of st. Peter and the skulls
! of their Magi; at Wittenburg was shown frag-
ment of Noahs ark some SCOT from the furnace
| in which the three Hebrews were cast, piece of
| the cradle of the infant Jesus, thorn from the
crown of Christ and many other relics. At
Schaffhausen shown the breath Of St. Joseph
| that Nicodemus received on his glove Thus
| Rome deceived her votaries, enshrned these
| monstrous falsehoods in the affairs of her great
| cathedrals, and kept the people in the servltude
of superstition and ignorance, while in her most
| glorious church she allows the never ceasing
kisses of men, women and children to fall upon
| the brazen foot of image of Jupiter.
| which she declares is that of St Peter The
| popes and the Roman priests do not marry yet.
| Pope Alexander vi was the son of Pope CaliX-
| tus III, and Alexander himself became the
father of five children. The popes lei the van
| in avarlce, cruelty, lust and general sinfuness.
| 1t was apparent that great reformation was
| needed, one which should revolutionize the
| whole church"
| DR.. Alabaster then spoke of the advent of
| Martin Luther, aud portrayed the great work
! done by this dauntless reformer Luther con-
| templated no break with Rome. He expected
| that preates and scholars would rally round the
truth, and be only too glad to purify the church.
| He soon found his error, Rome herself fos
| tered the very corruptions he would cut awav
| However, he planted himself on the word of
| God, and expected all to rally to that standard
| "Luthers was one of those great rugged souls
| that God rarely sends upon this planet In him
were combined the imperial will of Caesar and
| the fervent faith of Paul; the boldness and
| courage Of a Knox and the Evangelc spirit of a
| Wesley; the fiery, prophetic power of an Ezekiel
| and the tender sympathies of a John. What
| then did Luther accomplish The results of the
| Reformation may be briefly summed up 1t gave
free access to the scriptures as the only rule of
| faith and practice; it restored the apostolic
faith and freed millions from false teach
ings, superstitious practices and spirit
| ual servtude 1t set anew the divine
seal on conscience aid set aside religious
! persecution. 1t brought to the front the
| scrptural mode of salvation by faith and res
| cued Christianity from the monopoly of the
priests; it released civil governments from papal
| tyranny and made the experiment of civil
| liberty possibility. And grander than ALL for
| it is the core of all, the Reformation defended
| and maintained mans individuality against the
| assumed claims of kings and popes
| 1T would be difficult to enumerate all the
| results of the Reformation. 1t was Luther who
| brought about congregational hymn singing
He gave the Germans the Bible in their own
| tongue 1t was Luther more than any other
| man who may be called the father of the Ger
| man language. AS there were reforms before
| the Reformation. were there reformers after
| Luther, who kindled their torches at his own.
! 1t would be but slight estimate Of Luthers
/ work to regard it as alone a relis ious reforma
| ton. 1t was that, yet far more. Fisher de-
clares the Reformation one of the forces in the
world one of the world changing events in mod
! ern history
LET US not forget that what makes liberty
possible is thought, ami what makes thought
possible is individuality. and what makes in
| dividuality possible is Christianity and that
which made electric radiance possible to Chris
| tianity the Lutheran Reformation 1t is
encomium enough upon the work of Luther that
it has reached the beginning of its fifth century.
| with the promise of indefinite perpetuity and it
yet lives because it was of God. Whatever were
the incidental causes of the Reformation, its
cause supreme was God, working through the
unclaimed Bible, and. whatever were the out
| ward consequences of that movement it was an
event within the sphere of religion What a
divine teacher, and what a divine power
in our sordid, fearful doubling world
| is such man! Kings. mobiles.
| eccesiastics military heroes, scholars, what are
| they all before such as he! You may search out
| the of those In his 6ax ha tha