The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-07
vas setting strongly against p,etism-

was setting strongly against pietism-
SO easily confounded with true religion
by the unthinking. He used to say:
Don't be afraid to be happy in thou-
sand innocent WAYS. But do be afraid
vine bounty, for all these things are
religious. too. And what does this
irreligion give you? What strength?
What contentment? What peace?
What joy? Don't play the fool. The
do we all. in the ordinary affairs of
life Now. Just stop minute and
think. II you could rid yourself. rid
the world. of religion what would be
sane. sweet or fair. You would pray
to be annihilated! Then don't play the
fool: twenty. forty. eighty years still
the fool; always the fool: forever
triotism and his attractive. generous.
frank nature gave him weight with his
people. fortunately. Isn't 1t curious
that Luthers attachment to a beauti-
full woman changed the religion of the
whole North of Europe?
drove out OF England the Catholicism
Of the period. though the English
Church had ancient and independent
roots of its own, to revive. and did
Luther. Calvin, Zwingli or Melanch-
held by the reformers that 500 orators
discussed to tatters religion and all
the dogmas and disputes Of the day.
AT last Luther went to his room with
a bad headache. saying: "Dogmas are
the homes of the structure. Kindness
Is the marrow in them all. always and
forever. everywhere. Religion, there-
fore. is Just kindness. for all their
and this world was anything but a
penitentiary to him. He believed in
happiness; in helpful amusements. He
hated gloomy creed. He liked a good
lanchthon. being hard at work on a De
Tense of Religion forgot or neglected
to eat his meals, Luther snatched away
his pen. saying, Come now; serve God
BY rest and recreation" He was full
fairy tales He played the either, sang
all the joyous old German songs, play
ed with children, delighted in chess.
He was extremely hospitable and would
invite young people to his house to
aa sndas hs aim ana dsope
Johann Mathesius writes Of these gath
erlngs. Don't mount up into the
clouds and get superstitious and dizzy
mountains and nibble always at short
crops gloomily. In barren spots. like
foolish sheep. Get down into the rich
valleys; be good. do good: be brave,
happy: make Others happy--it Is no
crime The Lord bless you and give
you light" says Bjornson. the sensible.
jacobson.
One of this authors characters has
what he calls "a barrel organ mind"
He grinds away at one idea till ho
nearly distracts every one who hears
him and is himself worn out. We
have all known such people. Their
minds get no fresh air. And what q
relief 1t Is when new tune begins.
and how disappointing to find the
same old everlasting harper on one
string! Like Tennyson's brook, they
Ego on forever" about whatever in
terests them or has become a convic-
till they know about it) and men may
go"-and they do go, too, lily con-
cealing their ennui, and not daring TO
start an endless argument With some ss,I 1,a
one in each hand" and has dozens
more up his sleeve; but there is no
silencing the human barrel organ. You
can't pay him to move on,
II you want lampblack fol-, unbelief
and gloom, you can find 1t In Suder-
mann. who makes his hero say. IN The
Cats Bridge" that life Is valueless
fidelity is evidently a tree that Yields
only blasted, diseased bitter fruit
ashes. bones. seaweed, despair and, yio-
lent deaths Is all, by their own show
Ing. that they have got to offer any
body, Somebody has called It the
I'd. ID. D. r. oreed"-(the double dis
TILED de- f------ creed) and that
covers the ground perfectly, for their
first premise Is that there is no God,
but. that they are prophets. Prophets
of evil they are. and no mistake. They
dye the world as black as their.own
ink, and make of 1t u morgue, There
as nothing honest, healthy. happy, hu-
man, heavenly. to be seen in their line
of vision, The whole school OF 4pessi :
Ibsen, lola. Jacobson Sudermann.
have not grain of the gsweetness, JOY
BUSINESS, sanity of Chaucer In English
literature OF Haydn In music of the
Dutch masters In art, we are not