The Irish standard., 1907-02-16
were \ disgrace to religIcn.

What was the cause Of this change
inx and important question. Almost
AL historians answer the preaching
Of indulSsnces by Father Tetxsl, a
Dominican F'riar i'm 1911. The indul-
genoss were granted by Pope Leo Y.
to all those who. complying with the
ordinary conditions. contributed to the
building Of the great baslica of ST
Pe4ers in Rome.
Father Denifse proves clearly and
conclusively from the writings OF Mar
tin Luther that this answer is false.
The change of Luther began in 1915,
and the cause of the change was his
own heart. III the earlier and better
part Of his lie he mad told us that
a nan cannot he good and conquer his
passions without prayer and lnedita-
tion. Now he tells lis that he is kept
SO busy with teaching and preaching
and the affairs Of his convent that he
cannot find time to say his Divine
office and Mass regularly. He con-
fesses that there is 10 religious dis
opline in his convent. 4 little later
hs tells US that he is in the castle
Warthllrg sitting in 1dleress and laz
ness and negloctng his prayers"
Moreover, at thar time he began TO
drink to eXcess. Drunkenness and
Sluttony," according 10 his own words
"are the food Of all bad habits
Luther has told us that in man
,rith4r the flesh or the spirit must live
and conaner. and that f The heart is
not fsrvent the flesh must burn" Mar
tin Luther neslecting his prayers was
deprived Of Gods yraces, and being
STRONGLY tempted from, within and from
without began to despair Of himself.
Instead Of looking for help to the
'1satslsr OF Mercy and the God of Con-
ISOLATION" '"W11o." as he wrote, never
,1etdas Ills grace TO those who CO.
ks lost himself in temporal works and
feArs+, In his pride he relied ON his
Mwn strength and failed. That led him
Fto the false conclusion: the laws of
4od cannot be kept and need not be
kept: Christ kept them for us; Christ
tcovsEs our sineunsss even as The hen
su,nsrs her chickens" Faith in Christ
alone Will save U.S.. Our faith must
tbe hnn~saAy but our lives may be
iworldly." Remember this is the first
hen&ay we find in his works. ana this
one explains his whole future life
This heresy, Martin Luther expressed
In His letters, his ssrmons, and in his
unpublished commentary on the epis le
Of st. Paul to the Romans as early as
lbfb and 1916. He expressed it, not as
an opinion or in ambiguous words. but
~ = doctrine in a plain, unmistakabe
!, Language
This first error is fundamental: il
strikes the vern cornerstone of moral
1ty. II oontradiots directly the teach
tngs of Christ and the Church Christ
tells us that .He is our way and our
life" that We must he perfec, az
He is perfect" that we must learn
that we must take our cross upon
ourselves and follow Him" that we
mood not fear, that He is with us, in
US, our worry Mfe; that as the branch
II united With the stem. and receives
life from the stem thus We must
remain in Hin and receive life from
Aim, to purify our hearts to strength
en- them in the hour OF temptation. and
to hll them with virtue and the merits
.af good works. Martin Luther, on the
0onArary. pGeaolsed the law has Moth
ing to do With the Gospel" "rhe
practical life has nothing. to do with
our faith" chat faith unites us witt
Christ" that through faith Chris,
,sovsrs all our sins as the hen he,
ehiolsens."
To see how Martin Luther under.
stood this almost Incredible doctrn.
and how consistently and feariessly
he ar4pliad it TO practical life listc,
ITO what lie says. in later years. whel
speaking about matrimony. of ou
actions YOU owe to Cod only to be
lieve in Him and To- confess Him. 7,
AL other things God makes you fire,
fand independent SO That you ma,
without any fear of conscience o.
2 even without danger Of being asket
b by Him, in as far as lie, is concerned
si leave your Wife. st SO In this mat
N ter you cannot sin against God b,,
IVA, only against your noighbor Her,
NJ. Martin Luther teaches doctrines lha
bs would make our Mormons blush Will
shame.
#. This was the state of the soul o
Ss Martin Luther when, toward the en-,