Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-11
Some Things You Want to Know
Birthday of Luther

Catholic church the number OF men is only
a fraction Of / per cent under the number
Of women.
The Lutheran church in America dates
from 1921. when a body Of Lutherans came
to Amsterdam, now New York. They were
without a pastor. The first Lutheran
church to have a pastor was located at
Wilmington, Delaware, in 1888. 1t was q
Swedish Lutheran. It's second pastor trans
lated Luther's shorter catechism into the
language Of the Indians. and commenced
missionary work among them at about
the same time John Elliott started his
work in Massachusetts,. The church was
finally absorbed by the Protestant Episco-
pal church, and the "old Swedes' church
still stands there under Episcopal care.
The first German Luthersns settled at
New York, but the Dutch refused to allow
them to secure a pastor. Under English
rule this was changed, and they secured
their first minister, Jacob Babricius, in
1864. To the Muhlenburgs, one Of them, a
soldier-statesman Of the revolutionary
period, is due a large measure Of credit
for organizing the Lutheran church In
America. DR.. Henry Melcholr Muhlenburg
organized the first synod Of the American
church. 1t is interesting to note that the
present year is the first centennial of the
building of the first English Lutheran
church in America. 1t was many years
before others were built in which English
was exclusively used in the service.
The Lutherans now constitute the rank
ing Protestant body In Wisconsin, Mime
sofa, North Dakota, and South Dakota,
and the second most numerous Protestant
denomination In Illinois, Michigan, Iowa,
Pennsylvania and Nebraska. In each Of
these states the Catholic church is stronger
than any Protestant church. Pennsylvania,
Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois are the
leading s%trongholds Of Lutheranism so far
as communicate membership is concerned,
ranking in the order named.
When Martin Luther was a child there
was little to Indicate the vast history
affecting consequences that were destined
10 grow out of his life upon the earth. His
father was a poor miner. He says in his
photographed sketches that his faith n
often whipped him for mere trifles" until
the blood came. A glimpse Of his early
school life is given by the registered fact
that he was whipped fifteen times in a
single day by his teacher. When he was
Is Martin was sent to the University of
Erfurt to study law. He took his A. NJ,
degree at the age of 81, but he decided to
abandon the legal profession. One day
while examining the Vulgate Bible In the
University library he discovered that GER
tain Of the gospels and the epistles were
omitted from the dictionaries. This was
the turning point in his career. He shortly
thereafter withdrew to the Augustine
convent at Erfurt. Four hundred years
-. aEna A. - ~ a----- -
doctor of theology. and in this year began
the series of lectures which ended with the
Reformation accomplished. For several
years thereafter, however, he had no
thought Of leaving the Catholic church, Of
which he was a duly ordained priest. 1t
was only after he concluded that John Tet-
eel, a Dominican friar. was %corrupGy sell
ing lndulgences that he was stirred to open
rebellion against the power Of the pope
His ninety-five theses against the sale of
indulgences, nailed on the gate of the
church at wittenburg, was the beginning
of his open fight on papal doctrines. Then
followed the demands of the papal legatee
that he ~retract, the papal bull against
him, it's burning before the assembled null
titude. and Luther became the hero of the
hour in Germany.
After this the Diet of Worms was called
by Charles V, and Luther made his cele-
brated declaration, when warned not to go
to Worms, that he would go If there were
as many devils to set on him as there
were tiles on the houstops. On his return
from Worms he was kidnapped by his
friends and placed in the old castle of the
Wartburgs, where he stayed until danger
was past. He translated the Bible into his
native tongue, and by the time he left the
castle that had been his refuge, his next
duty became the checking of the excuses
of his followers. Luther stayed at Coburg
while the famous diet sat at Ausberg, and
was not present when the world famous
Ausburg Confession, the creed of the Re.
formation, was adopted.
Few men have done so much to change
the course of human events at Luther.
And no body of rellgionists has ever hon
ored the memory Of the founder of the
organization more than the Lutherans
honor Luther. Wherever a Lutheran
church lifts its spire TO heaven today the
thoughts Of its worshipers will turn to the
life of the German miners son. who stood
before kings and emperors and transformed
the religious history of the world.
by Frederic ]. Haskin:
TomorFOw-"The Canadian Tariff"