The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-11-08
FATHER OF PROT sTANTlSM.
What Protestants, Agnostics and Inf
dels Have to Say Of Luther and
His Followers. 81
REFoRMERs IN NAME Al. / ONLY,

REF0RMERS TN NAM ONLY.
The Reformation Reformed Nothing,
Neither Religion, Nor Morals,
Nor Politics.
Let us first see what Hallam, the Eng
lish historian, man by no means an
adherent or even al admirer of Rome,
says of Luther. Speaking Of the re-
formers writings be SAYS: : Theirsin-
temperance. their scurilitY. their wild
paradoxes that menace the foundation
of religious morality: are not compen-
stated, so far, at least, as my slight ac-
auaintance with them extends. by much
strength or acuteness, and still less bv
any impressive eloqueDce. His eDistle
to Erasmus, pre6xed to the treatise,
sDa Servo Arbitrio,' is bitterly insolent
in terms as civil as be could use. But
the clear and comprehensive line of
argument, which enlig ghtens the readers
understanding and resolves his difficult.
les, is always wanting. An unbounded
dogmatism resting on an absolute con-
fdence iii the infallibility. practically
speaking, Of his own Judgment, per
vades his writings; no indulgence is
shown, no pause is allowed to the hes
itating; whatever stands in the way OF
his decisions. the fathers Of the church,
the schoolmen and phllos0ph the
canons and councils, are swept away
in current Of impetuous defamation.
and as everything in the Scripture, &C.
cording to Luther, is easy tU be under
stood, and can only be understood in
his sense, every deviation from his
doctrine lncurs the ansthema OF perdi-
ton When such a criticism comes
from a man who would be glad TO find
in this "godlya reformer all the wonder
fpl gifts ct mind ard soul attributed to
Luther by Protestants generally, it's
very easY to believe that one who could
commit to paper ldeas so teemlng with
intolerance and egotisn1, must ia his
speech and manners have b6en nothing
more than an inaammable revolution-
a1v, which indeed Luther was. He did
not possess one single traitof a reformer.
for reformers do not tear down, they
build up. Some abuses may haye crept
into the church. but Luther was not the
man to reform them. Errors had as
sailed her gates, but vainly Pelagian-
ism, Nestorianism, Socinianisn had
dashed themselves TO pieces on the rock
OF Peter, as Prot antlsm is dong to-
day, but the rock has not moved. This
fact is the greatest proof Of the church's
divine mission that she is able to with
stand all these and remain one and
unchanged IN doctrine and dogma,
Does she not Fill Christ's prophecy, s'the
gates OF hell shall not prevail against
it''? She has been hunted like q wild.
beast into the very heart OF the earth
she has been drenched IN her own blood
and torn by sehisms; yet lock at her.
Stronger than ever, more beautiful, be-
cause better understood, she stands the
greatest phenomenon Of endurance the
world has ever seen, the living proof
OF that promise made her, nineteen
hundred wears ago by her Spouse: : Be-
hold, / am with You all days, even: to the
consummat alton Of the world l'' :. w hat
is Protestantism ?'' asks arecent tagnos-
tic writer, and answers himself in these
words: sf.A food Of unbelievers in each
other.'' What is Protestant tism tend
Ing 10? is another pertinent uestion OF
thiswriter, and the answer is: s PTotest-s
antism is nothing but q bridge between
Catholicism and infdelitY. These
among Protestants who bY nature are.
of orthodox aud conservatiy dispos osition
will gradually drop of and 81 back .to
Rome; tile rest, in d6s time, tired Of
perpetual neRation as q creed. will en-
brace InfdelitY and aRnOst1c 1cism. Z, z
Surely. here is food fforSIt honghI. and no,
matter how uanch the fanatics may
gnash their teeth ith rare, ir is amin
:controvertible fact that yeryWheieI
stares them In the face, TrnlY. nothing
else could come off such SaIn
anating. IS lit did. ffre,ils d such corrupt
sources; founded npoeil human s1eak
3ness, and built s,l rons thInes.i
si ook at lts tconpde der Lla1ithers a lnansof
iunb d1ed y !. hsd rsspestI