The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-11-08

4
times on what was culpable and was
often betrayed into actions which ex
posed him to censure, \ SAYS another Of
his Protestant biographers. a His con
hdence that his own opinions were we'll
founded approached to arrogance, his
courage in asserting them to rashnass.
his 6rmness in adherlng to them to
obstinacy, and his zeal in confuting his
adversarles to rage and scurilitY. I" All
marks and signs Of the spirit that
moved him, and shat did not come from
above. Towards the end Of his life,
says his liable Talk" he grew daily
more feverish, more irascible and
more impatient Of contradictions, and
be discovered on some occasions synp-
toms Of vanity and self-app Thus,
we might 90 on quoting from the writ
ings before us, but we think enough has
been said to show that Luther, in him.
self, and as he is represented in text
books, are different pers0nages. We
will now give some Of the purifying ef-
fects Of the so called reformation, I'm
morality, drunkenness and mad fanat1c-
ism, loosed from the leashes of religious
restraint, went flying over all Europe
like harpies, poisoning ana destroying
all they came in contact with. Civil
war stalked In all its ghastliness
through the land. The soil waa soaked
with the blood Of thousands Of hearts
winch during ten years were sacriticed,
The reformers were quarrellng among
themselves as to which would be the
greater, and Ioundly ABUSING one an
other, The only real good brought
about by the reformation was that the
church was freed Of all her rebellious
children. All the bonbast about the
ignorance and darkness Of monastic
orders is easily confuted. Any person
of even ordinary Justice will see that it
is q false accusation. for the church in
every age fostered learning and the arts
and sciences. :. Y rom her sprang all the
genius that has been brightest. most
enduring, most bene6 e6eial to man in his
higher and nobler nature. What the
reformation retained of Christianitv,
says a recent writer. not a Catholic. is
a dead stuff. dry chips. rude bones. with
out life, without warmth. All that is
IDEAL sublime, eleyating, art inspiring,
spoetical, that seizes the heart, they
srudely eliminated, banished, smashed
and denounced. The reformation
reformed nothing, neither religion,
nor morals, nor politics, It n was
simply a revolution snch as history has
to record in every age. Its success was
brought about, as Frederick the Great
tersely put it, in Germany by self inter
est. in ENGLAND lust. in France love Of
novelty. Jnrlen, q bitter opponent of
Catholicity, SAYS That the reformation
was brought about bY the civil powers
Is sincontestable. &5 ~ S. d, fs
B The adherents Of the church Of Rorle.
saws Hallam, havs n ever failed to cast
two reproaches on those who left them;
one that the reform was brought about
By intemperate and calumnious abuse,
sbY Outrages OF an excited poplllace, or
sby the tyrannyof princes; the Other.
that, after stimulating the most ignor-
ant to throw off the authority OF their
church. it instantlg withdrew this
liberty of Judgment, and devoted all
who presumed tD sRerye from this line
drawn by law "a yirllent obloqny ind
sometimes to bonds and death These
reproaches, it may be q shams to us Ito
own. can be uttered and cannot be re I:
fGted. These, are a few of the many
Opinions cleaned from writers partiaI
'toE the reform at1on. rom Luther's
own ntterancessit 81 4 is plain to De infer.
rcd whatsa condi dition of things ex .sted,
ffor he bewa1ls that drum kenness and
'swinish vices prevail every where but
particnlarly at itenbera, here he
was ruling spiri which is easy to I'M.
aglne as being the d, ,ase. Philip Oh
Hesse. Luther's great protector. was A i:
EblRamist, with i Lnther's sanct Ine
EElactor Frederick ~ as q confirmed
drunkRrd. and 1auther himself & pass very,
S0f the cup: ran king it mex to HiaI
prar6 dote fpr sad
h &c that i'll
B tle lrli 5refBion al1ies
as y sort ut Siien1igo
&Ye tha test Hon to
stal HSysE inn their 1rBhS
r. Nh st1f flfa aaVafltsl