The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-11-01

Yesterday was Reformation Sunday"
at the Lutheran churches all over the
world and the services both morning
and evening were impressive and large
ly attended In the morning the pas
tor OF the English Lutheran church,
Rev. Samuel schwarm, preached on
''Luthars Relation TO Civil and Reli-
gious Liberty" He took for his text
these words from John s:32; Eye shall
know the truth and the truth shall
make you free"
Said Mr. Schwarm:
Thoughtful students OF history are
coming into fuller and fuller recognl-
ton OF the fact not only that Luther
was one of the worlds great heroes, but
that. in the providence of God, he was
the instrument in starting forces which
have revolutonized the worlds history.
James Freeman Clarke, in his epochs
OF religious history, declares Luther TO
be "the real author OF modern liberty
of thought and action-the great foun-
der of modern civilization" while
Froude, the eminent English historian,
says: Had there been no Luther, the
English, American and German people
would be thinking differently-would be
altogether different men and women
from what they are this moment"
The primary, the controlling idea or
the reformation of the sixteenth CEN
fury was religious one but there was
also vital political principles underly-
ing the whole movement; not merely In
cidental to II, but the necessary, logical
outgrowth Of It, which can be traced In
the stream Of history, pushing and
throbbing through the centuries-at
times crushed by the iron heel OF the
tyrant, but again emerging from amid
bloody baptism into renewed life and
energy, ever widening and deepening,
and to-day constituting the principles
at the foundation of all constitutional
government,
The reformation was, consequently,
necessarily both religious and political.
"A very brief glance at the condition OF
Europe ut the beginning of the SIX
teenth century will make this evident.
The feudal system government by pow
erful families or clans or petty lords),
whatever It's weakness or vices, had for
centuries stood between the masses and
reigning soveTeigns, curbing the power
of the latter, and protecting the former
from arbitrary abuses. as In the case OF
Magma Charta, wrung from King John
by barons OF England in the thirteenth
century. 1t was now disappearing from
Europe, lingering only in Germany and
the cantons of Switzerland. In It's
stead had grown up great monarchles,
absorbing despotic power. supported by
standing armies ready to enforce the
personal will Of the sovereign. Feudai
chiefs and peasantry were alike being
brought into absolute submission to
Ia tn0.g n
The divine right OF kings" was the
accepted theory of government-that
peoples existed for their rulers, and not
rulers as servants OF the peoples. In
this rising tide of despotism. or abso-
lutism, the pleasure of the sovereign,
his ambitions, whlms and vagarles were
the sole tests of policy. Government
being for princes only, not only were
the interests and welfare Of the people
ignored but they themselves were fast
becoming a race of serfs, ground down
by rack-rents and spoilations, after
struggling on the verge OF restitution
valued only in proportion to their abll-
fly to stand enormous drains to fill up
wasting armies and deplete treasures
Everywhere the tendency was to ire
sponsible absolutism and Capitalization
OF power. wherein the word of kings had
the force of laws.
A DESPoTIC EMPIRE.
But overshadowing and dominating
this system Of absolute civil govern
ment, we find still more despotlc &C.
clesiaStlc empire. or an empire OF the
church, that claimed people and kings,
and princes as its subjects, of which
Rome was the capital, and whose head
or chief was the pope, The dream Of
Gregory, who wished to make the
church the supreme ruler, was realized.
From the time when Henry ~. Of Ger
many went to Canossa, in abJect humil-
iatlon, barefooted and bareheaded. In
winter, to sue for absolutlon from the
irnperious Pope Hildebrand, not SOW
ereiEn in Europe was deemed rlghtfully
10 wear his crown without the sanction
OF the pope or who, when he took the
oath as king. did not also, really or I'M
pliedly take an oath OF fealty to the
pope Of Rome.
Imperlous SUCCESSORS to the humble
Galileean fsherman-the apostle Peter
claimed the right, at will, to absolVe
the people for allegiance TO their rulers,
TO church and unchurch, to make ana
unmake kings. All christendOm lay I'M
der the shadow OF this gigantic despot-
ism. Europe was covered with vast
ecclesiastical network, all Of the threads
of which led to Rome. Monks and
priests with mitred abbots and lordlins
bishops, Bwarmed everywhere, holding
the geys OF heaven and hell, and WELD
the keys of heaven and hell, and WELD
and hearts OF men. They became the
confessors Of kings and princes and peo-
pie, entered the family circle. controlled
the domestic relations, regulated mar
riage and divorce. watched over the
sick and dying, and sat in Judgment on
wills. They demanded tithes and fees,
acquired largo wealth, immense estates,
extensive jurisdictions and special priv
ileges. They carried with them their
own ecclesiastical courts and laws,
claimed to be exempt from civil power
and amenable only to the church, and
also demanded that the civil powers
should execute their sentences. There
was no appeal from their wrongs and
abuses except to Rome.
There was another powerful agency
in making this dcspotsn OF the church
effective. All the schools and learning
were made tributary to the church.
Latin, the language Of the church. was
made the language Of the schools, and
This caused q wide and almost complete
separation between the people and the
learned classes, for the people did not
know Latin. Education was possible
only IN language almost entirely un'
known TO the people, who were left Il
grope In mental darkness The priests
became the learned classes, Milling the
learned professions. They sought pro-
motion In the church In order TO secure
promotion in the state, and thus be-
cprno thu ponfCggOrg and COIngOlOTA OF