The Irish standard., 1907-02-16

tn mention relates to the Holy Sacra-
nent of Tenante- confession. Luther
attacked confession as soon and as
much as indulgences. 10 make the
confessions of the monks both odiOus
and ridiculous he asserts that they for
give sins not in the name OF Christ,
but in the name of the saints. To
prove this most serious accusation he
the absollltion. but the truo absoluton
formula, used in his time and ut all
times, used l,y him and by all priests
according to which the priest asks
Jesus Christ in his infinite mercy ia
forgive tho sinner and according to
which the priest, in The Name Of Jesus
Christ, forgives the sins Martin Luther
omits entirely.
This may suffice TO show that Mar
He asked others to toll lies and he
himself gave the example. You will
understand that such a Reformrr has
not the spirit of God; that such a
work is not tho work of God--the devil
is the father OF lies. Count George of
SaNony called Luther the most cold
blooded liar he had ever met" Pro-
lessor IIarnack the idol of protestant
Germany. admits that there are abso-
lutte contradictions in the theology Of
Luther"
Still. this Martin Luther is hailed
man of Germany. the fearless liberator
of the minds and hearts of the people
from the bondage of the popes, the
author of intellectual and religious
light and liberty. The little l have
said may help to show That he freed
not only the priests from their VOW of
calibucy, the religious from their mon
astc duties, the people from the laws
nf the church, but that lie freed hin-
self and all from the Ten Commands =
menls of God-from all moral duty and
responsibility. If such a. man is a re-
former, then satan in paradise freeing
Adam and Eve from the duty of obey
ing God was a rcformer, too.
We may here refer to his viii, and
vulgar language. Harnack calls il
unjust and barbarous." Many OF his
friends excuse il saying it was tht
custom of the times Grant ii. Does
1t not prove hat Luther. instead OF
reforming abuses, encoura ged the
abuses Of his time. The same may ht
said about his habit ui drinking, whicl
became notorious and scalldalous
About his most demoraizing doctrine
on matrmony we hope to write a few
words an another occasion.
However. you may say that a tru.
reformation followed the work o.
Luther That is true; but Luther wa!
the occasion and not the cause of tht
true reformation; he woke the sleep
ing faith and stirred UP the cold heart
"f the faithful Catholics, brought then
! together. united them, and they re-
formed the church. Luther and Luther
anisln reformed lie church in German,
even as Comics and his allies in TIL,
French parliament are reforming thu
phemolls speeches ana sacrlegiouS la "
bring together all the bishops, ant
they led by the Holy Father and as.
sisted by the priests and loyal aity
fight and finally must conquer. 1hu
il is today. thus it WAS i'll the days o
Martin T.uthcr
By speaking thus about Martin
Luther and his false immoral religion
principles we do not mean to inpl,
that the good protestuntS, today, be
| ievc them or live according to them
Consciously and still more unconscious
~ they have returned to the grea
eternal truths which God planted il
! the human heart. explained througl
| His Son Jesus Christ and still prcache
! to the whole world through His hol
infal!ihr church. "I'hc human soul,
says Father Deniflc. is by its Yer
] nature Catholic" May it help then
10 see that as the life and work q
. Martin Luther was inSinCere and hi
! doctrine false, thus also what IIuthc
said about the Catholic Church is no
| true. Many see, indeed. that l4uthe
VAS not sanity and truthful, but ia
| To see that the Catholic Church
Holy and the pillar Of truth"
OVER THE NORTHWEST