News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1913-11-19
PROTESTANT CULTURE
What the Christian Church owes to the Man
Who Created a New Eia for the World
(By a Stowe Pastor.)

of the milestone in the history of the
Reformation. For it was Oct. 81, 1917,
that Martin Luther nailed his ninety. f, e
thesis, directed against the abuse OF
papal indulgences, on the doors of the
Castle church at Wittenburg in Saxony.
Christian Hum nists had made an at
tempt at renovation. Colet and Erasmus,
had divulged ecclesiastical wrong doing I;
had scorned the debased religious life Of
the times, and had denounced its Pagan
ism. But they had never been able to
awaken new religious life. There has
never been revival of moral living apai t
from some new or fresh religious impulse.
And its only stimuous has come throug h
leaders who have been in communion
with God. Teachers are plenty, but may
it please God to raise up prophet such
as Dwight l.. Moody, and many another
down along the line of christian histor' &,
to emancipate the people from CONNIE =
clalism and the god of pleasure, both Of
which, are firing volley of desecration
against ii strong pillar of ur civilization,
w, the Holy Sabbath Day. Does not
the heai of Christian civiliz alton begin
to throb in pathetic appeals for relief
from this insane devotion to things which
have DeveI nodrished the higher life OF
any man?
We do need the soul and mind of AL
bertDurer to cry out to some devout soul,
as he did to Erasmus in the defense of
righteousness, -"Hear thou knight of
Christ: Ride forth by the side of the Lord
Chris: Defend the truth, and gain the
martyrs crown. Spend thy remaining
| years, pray, to the profit of the gospel
If the true christian faith; and believe
me, the gates of hell shall not prevail
against thee"
Who will be the prophet to give a new
impulse to religious life? Luther struck
the key note of the reformation in his
ninety five thesis. This was the begin
ming OF the Reformation and restoration
of the degenerated church, and the begin
niog of p new err of spiritual and tenn
poIal advancement. In the course of
time the church had fallen into corrup-
t'on and Immediately before Luthers
awakening was in deplorabe state and
condition. For long period there had
been strong and earnest striving for Il
thorough reformation of the corrupted
church. Many devoutly pious and strong
men had raised their voices against the
existing evils, and endeavored to restore
the church to its former purity, but in
vain. Among these were Arnold. Peter
Waldo, founder of the Waldenses, who
Still exist in Piedmont and Savoy; John |
WickIiffe, John Huss of Prague, and Saw
onarola. the great italian. Many. of these
were promptly put to death in the most |
cruel manner.
The bitter persecution of evangelical |
Christianity by the ruling hierarchy of |
the church is one of the blacklist pages in
the worlds history.
Luther was the product of the strife
and aspirations of all the centuries of de-
basement thorugh which the church had
passed, and he was the man chosen to ac-
complish the work in which so mapy be-
fore him had failed.
In this here of Gods calling, we find
man of intrepid spirit, a master of
though, the maker of the German tongue
the magnetic teacher, the creator of prot
e slant culture, the preacher of burning
the CO npOser of mighty meO-
dies, and the gre It champion of freedom,
faith and life. Tle Reformation of the
sixteenth century was the raaffrmation
of the authority OF the Scriptures over
and against all human authority for the
regulation of the faith and tie conduct
of christians.
Luther's was not depar ure, nor sep
aration from the christian church and
gospel. But restoration of the good
things of the past, the cleansing from re
of priest. craft, and a return
to the teachings of Christ, and the holy
apostles.
The material principal of the Reforma-
ion was the justification of sinner by
grace through faith in the m erits of the
Redeemer. Around this clusters the
whole system of redemptive truth. Sure
V if we had to be saved through our own
righteousness. or merit, not one of us
could ever attain to what God requires,
1ut we have through Jesus, our Savior,
IN imputed righteousness, to every one
who believes in bis heart unto righteous
less. and with whose tongue confession
S made unto salvation.
The Reformation brought to the world
emancipation of thought and the liberty
If conscience. 1t obtained for us separa-
ion of church and state, political and {
eligious freedom and Christian culture. .
Ii Luther had not been victorious, his I
ory would read very different from what .
t does today, and absolutism in the
hurch and state would have crushed
ruth and justice beneath its iron heel.
L. ID.
Still another British lord is to mar
" a beautiful and clever actress. IL