The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-04
DIR. CRGMER ON LUTHER.
An Address Refore the Young People and
Congregation of Ebenezer Lutheran
Church In Columbis.

DR.. Geo. B. Cromer on Sunday de-
an address before the young
and congregation of Ebenezer
Lutheran church in Columbia. Speaking
of this address, The State of yesterday
says:
DIR. Cromer talked of Martin Luther,
and the address was not only a literary
and historical treat, but it was calcu-
lated to inspire the young men Of the
church who are preparing to organize
themselves into a society.
DR.. Cromer's address was analytical
as welas eulogistic. He stated that
the great man must come at the oppor-
tune time and the time is o%pportune
when the world demands it.
Luther was a contemporary of Co
lumbus and his explorations, of Gutten-
berg and his creation of the art of
printing, and of the invention of gun
powder, the great leveller of classes
which put the humber man on the
same footing with the chevalier.
At that time the horizon of the hu-
man mind was being broadened and the
world was ready for the work Of Lu-
Their.
He pictured Luther the quiet but de-
termined monk in his work of translat-
ing the Testaments into German,
spending weeks on single passages in
order that no n might be misled. His
transalations are said to have estab-
lished the literature of the present Ger
man empire.
Luther was ordered to Worms there
to answe to the pope, the greatest
ecclesiastical power in the world, and
70 the king of the greatest nation. He
acknowledged that he wrote the works
which bore his name on the title page,
and declined to recant when given the
opportunity.
Luther was all the time a monk. His
purpose was"not to destroy, but to re-
form. He did not care to establish a
new church, he was loyal to Catholi-
cism, but sought to reform and to root
out evil and error. He sought to tear
away the human frailties built up
around the true gospel. He had up to
this time believed Rome to be a holy
city, but he found it to be corrupt. It
was not until he was expelled from the
church of Rome thatshe foreswore his
allegiance to that church.
Then followed a character delinea-
ton. DR.. Cromer declared that Luther
to be courageous must have had faith,
and faith is. worth little without knowl-
edge. One of the uses of heroes is to
furnish examples for future genera
lions. We do not think Of the great
centres of commerce which have passed
into history, but we remember the
lives of their great men.
Luther's life was me of integrity and
love of truth. DR.. Cromer declared that
his heart was made glad a few months
ago by the great outpouring- of people
to do honor to the memory of a great
man. The life of Wade Hampton will
be remembered as a noble example. It
is said of him that Hampton in his
youth learned ito ride, to shoot and to
tell the truth, Hampton always loved
the truth. eve need a truth loving
and a truth telling people," said Dr..
Cromer.
Then we come to the gentler, the
more sentimental side of Euther's ma
ture. He was fond of Emusic. 1t is told
of him that once after having van
quished in debate n of the proudest
monarchs in Europe he went direct to
his home to enjoy tho pleasures Of
romping with his children.
DR.. Cromer echoed Carlyle's state
ment that Luther's work of reforma-
ton had been the beginning of a new
era in the world. What can one mar
do? What did this N monk do? This
man of the people? The answer is
found in the lives of the French Hugue-
nots, in Christian America, in Holland,
in England and in the German empire.
In conclusion Dr. Cromer summed up
the characteristics of Luther, elements
of simplicity in a combination of great
ness.