The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-11-06
ZION LUrHERANs
Celebrated the Reformation
Sunday--Rev. Harley's
Sermon.

Ine Lutheran CnurCneD nave tHe Gun
tom Of observing annually q Sunday
In commemoration Of the reformation
1t is usually the Sunday which follows
nearest the 31st day Of October. IA
that day comes exactly in the middle of
the week this year, some congregations
observed the festival on the Sunday
preceding 1t, and others on the Sunday
following. lions church was among
the latter. The chapel was tastefully
decorated, good picture of Luther in
life colors, enclosed in a frame of oak
leaves, occupied a conspicuous place
on the pillar near the pulpit. A spe-
cial service was rendered and the whole
day devoted to reformation topics. In
the morning the pastor preached on
Gods Hand In the Reformation"
In opening his discourse Rev. Harley
spoke as follows: ION the 31st day Of
October in the year of our Lord 1917
when the russet autumn leaves werd
shining in the mellow light Of the mid
day sun, an obscure Augustinian monk
left his cloister cell In Wittenberg and
wended his way towards the castle
church. A young man was he of four
and thirty-lean from long vigils and
pale from much study. But now he
was vexed In spirit. Step and face
showed 1t. There was something about
MIN that would attract attention. The
vicar general of the order had long
since discovered uncommon qualities
in this modest monk, and, like a sen.
sible man he drafted him into service,
III u H.. a.
was that all: He had q heart brimfui
Of love and faith. SO that his beautiful;
words came from his heart. went to the
neart and blossomed and fruited In
beautiful deeds. Preachers like that
were scarce in 1900. and SO the vicar
general ordered this monk to preach
and the modest monks protests were
poweriess against this mandate. He
entered upon his pastOrate besides his
other duties and preached with success.
But nevertheless his spirit was now
wounded, and churh full OF hearers
was no balm. A monk wearing another
habit had come into his neighborhoOd
and, like a public auctioneer, was vend-
-ng written pardons for sin. These
papers did not only purport to forgive
sina already committed, but actually
pretended in consideration of a price
graded according to the Nervousness OF
one meant deliberately to commit in
the future. and to make matters still
worse, these indulgeuces were by the
authority Of the pope-by him who was
regarded as the successor Of st. Peter
the yice-gerent of Christ, the Holy
Father of occidental christendom. This
is what was troubling that monk. His
Pensioners bought these indulgences,
and when he reproved their sin, they
iauntered these papers in his face
This was wicked traffic. 1t could no
be right. Our preaching friar felt that
II he would be true to God and true to
man he must oppose it. But how7 The
common custom was to get at such
things by means of debates and the
manner Of publishing Il was to post
such challenges with the propositions
one would defend in such public places
as church doors. It was the impulse
of duty that was pushing our young
monk along Wittenberg's pavements
on that memorable thirty-first day OF
October. In his hand be bore a docu-
ment containing 95 thesefi or proposi.
tions against the sale OF indulgences
with the avowai that he would debate
and defend them against all comers
Arriving at the church he posts his
theses on the great door. think see
him now in sombre gown, and with
tonsured head from which the cowl
has fallen. holding up the paper with
his left hand and with the right mailing
1t fast to the door. That monk little
knows what he is doing In the provi-
dence Of God. No man who reads these
simple propositions would dream OF
their consequences. But hear those
hammer blows. They sound through
all German dream land and echo
through all other christian lands; and
all the people Of Saxon blood wake, rub
their eyes and think. and those Of Ro-
man ancestry frown and stamp their
tered the head that wore that cowl.
IT meant q church purified OF grossest
abuse, Il meant q pure creed. It meant
freedom Of thought. it meant I new
epoch IN history Those hammer blows
Were the first blows dealt In the esnan-
oipatiQn .of humanity from the thral-
oQm g re error ana etperstition of the