The Irish standard., 1907-02-16
On the History Of Luther and His Work,
as Written by Father Denifle, the
Catholic Historian.
The Lecture Was an Interesting and Instruct
i've Discourse on the Character
and Work of Luther.

The Irish Standard takes pleasure
tllis week in giving to it's readers the
lecture on Martin Luther, Of Rev. Faith
er Thuente, O. F., OF Atlanta. Georgia.
delivered in this city last Sunday af-
ternoon before the Catholic Club OF the
Minnesota University. A largo and
most appreciative audience was pres
ent on the occasion. Father Thuents
spoke as follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen: Saturday a
week ago an able writer, II great mis-
sionary. a learned and sanity bishop
of the East, died in our neigllborhood.
[ mean the illustrious Eisfop Stang.
OF Fall River, who in the years OF
vigorous manhood and manifold acttv-
ity, suddenly brcatl,ed his last in st.
Mary's hospital, and passed, as we
have all reasons to hope, to his eternal
reward.
His last literary work was q, schol-
arly article, published in tho January
number Of tho Ecclesiastical Review,
entitled "Iathcr Denife and His Last
and Lasting Work. Luther and Luther
thum." In this article Bishop Stang
expresses great admiration for Father
Deni1e and shows n thorough l1nowl-
edEo OF his book. He calls Denitlc
"thc most intrepid champion of truth
in our days" 1.-The peer OF historians"
"a man Who cXcelled and who has
never perhaps been cqualed in histori-
cal inquiry and research work" or
peer Of historians" he says: at
dealt scientific professionalism a blow
from which it never can fully recover"
"Denihe appeared With his siege-gun
to batter down the walls OF prejudice
and ignorance raised 10 shelter the
false prophet Of modern times" 'The
book ut it's first appearance, produced
almost incredible CONSERVATION and
dismay among protestants."
NV intention is to givo you an idea
OF the character or Martin Luther az
described in this wonderful book. In
order to appreciate this more fully a.
few words about the author and origin
Of this book may be useful.
Father Dcnif1e Was an Austrian Do
niinican, n. deep philosopher and a.
learned tllcologan. For twenty years
he was slbarcllivist Of the Holy See.
Fully thirty years ho devoted to the
study OF the literature, documents and
manuscripts OF the fourteenth, fifteenth
and sixteenth centuries. He was =
perfect master of this period of his
tory. His atudies naturally brought
him 10 the time and works Of Martin
Luther. These ho examined and ana
lyzcd with tho experienced eye Of a.
critic, the acunen OF a philosopher, and
the learning of q master Of theology.
In these works Of Martin Luther he
found the soul, the spirit, the charac-
ter OF L,lthcr truly reflected as in a
mirror This picture OF Luther thus
discovered he gives lis in his work,
explaining and proving every trait OF
his character with abundant reliable
quotations from his works. What
Denine says, therefore, about Martin
Luther is true, irrefutable and indis-
putable.
Seeing that tic leading professors
OF protestant universities as Harnack,
Kewerau, koldc, Koehlcl, Seeberg, still
nisrepresent the life Of Luther, teach
his false and unfounded doctrines, and
rcepat his slanderous calumnies with
out scientific investigation, Deniflo at
tacks and refutes them in frank and
fearless way. The book, therefore, is
as theological as it is historical; it
deals with the twentieth century as
we'll as with the sixteenth century.
The first general impression we get
Of Martin Luther by reading Denife's
book is that during the first decade Of
his monastic life from 1906 to 1916 he
WAS q good, brilliant, jealous religious.