The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-22
IN LUTHER's HOME.

Where Luther Burned the Pope's Bull-The
OLD Cathedral Mt Nittenbcrg.
Rev. A. H. Carrier writes the following letter
to Mrs. w. A. Patton, who kindly permits its
publication:
ZURICH, Flurtern, Switzerland. Since Wrote
you last, Mrs. Carrier and myself have had some
deeply interesting experiences in visiting places
full of historic associations in Germany After
seeing Berlin and Dresden-the latter famous
for its works of art, the former as the rapidly
growing capital of the great German empire
we made q speciality of visiting places associated
with Luther. We had seen many battle fields
and had looked upon the Kaiser In the midst of
his loyal subjects and at the head OF his splendid
army, upon the day OF the semi annual review
of the Prussian troops, but no hero and no
battlefield have made, after all, such an impress
sion upon our minds as Luther of four hundred
years ago, and Wittenberg, where he fought
almost single handed, his battle against the
Pope and the corrpt hierarchy of that day at
Rome.
We came into Wittenberg the morning of a
lovely day, and found our way soon to the oak,
Enclosed by an iron railing, which marks the
spot where Luther burned the papal bull which
denounced him and his doctrines. 1t is just
outside the circle of buildings that were once
within the city walls. and little distance from
the Augustinian monastery, where he then had
his residence. His dwelling, inclosed within
the walls and the court of that old monastery,
profound interest upon the rooms in which
he had lived, and worked, and from
which he had sent forth large portion
of the incisive words which had stirred
Germany and ChriStendom Thence we walked
past Melanchthon's house and the walls of the
University-now changed to military barracks
where Luther taught his enthusiastic students;
and, continuing along the street past the mar
ket-place. where are bronze statues of the Re
former and Melanchthon, we reached the famous
church doors which Luther nailed the theses.
We meditated there upon the sound Of those
hammer strokes heard round the world The
church is part of a huge castle, and is called the
Schloss kirche, or Church OF the Castle. The
building, which looks very old, was undergoing
repairs, and we could not enter. But within its
walls rest the ashes of Luther and Melanchthon.
Their deeds live after them. The name of Luther
is a household word; he is the national hero or
patron saint, so to speak, of Protestant Germany.
We have found that oil places associated with
him are constantly visited-not simply by stran-
gers from abroad, but by his admiring country
men, When for instance, after visit TO
Wittenberg we went to Eisenach, where Luther,
as child, sang through the streets as school
boy and was Hospitality received by Frau Gotta,
and where, overhanging the town, is the famous
castle of the Wartburg, in which Luther trans
lated the Scriptures into the German tongue, we
found a throng of sight-seers of German tongue,
interested pilgrims like ourselves While we
were the Wartbure, after looking into the
room where Luther studied and wrote, storm
of tempestike severity from over the Thurin-
gan forest burst upon the castle AS 1t roared
around us VIC could not help recalling Luthers
stirring hymn written amidst the tempests Of his
day, Zine Feste Burg ist Unser Gott,"
mighty fortress is our God And he proved it
so. for, with the overwhelming odds of the Ro-
man hierarchy against him and of the Emperor
Charles V, he found safe stronghold for himself
until his work was done, and then quietly
breathed his last in the little town of Eiseben,
where he first saw the light. 1t was a signal in
stance of the truth of the promise ''Thou wilt
keep him In perfect peace whose mind is stayed
on Thee. because he trusted in Thee" When we
passed through Coburg we saw the stately castle
of that picturesque city in whchit is said Luther
penned the lines of that trustful and exultant
hymn.
Oh the four-hundredth anniversary of his
birth, three years since, many statues of Luther
were erected, commemorating at various points
the heroic incidents Of his lfe And Protestant
Christendom claimed him not as simply Ger
man hero, but one Of the rare men doing bat
tie for humanity.
must not weary you with description and
simply mention that we passed through Nurem-
burg, visiting it's medieval walls and towers and
looking down into the depths of its moat and up
the height of its ancient castle, and visiting its
remarkable churches, the most striking of them
Protestant and Lutheran, although In the midst
of Catholic Bavaria.
We came into Munich in the midst of the
funeral pomp of the burial of Ludwig King of
the Bavarians, whose strange suicide had startled
Europe. After few days amidst the picture
galleries and palaces of that beautiful city, we
iourneyed on to Switzerland, entering 1t across
Lake Constance, making for ourselves tempo
rary home in Zurich, place picturesque in sit.
uation, having an outlook upon the snowy Alps
On the Sd of July we looked over Switzerland
from Mount Rhigi. the finest point of obssrva-
ton in this wonderful land. A. Fl. CARRIER