The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1914-01-16


In reply to the second feature Of Mr..
Mcspedden's criticism. let me first quote
the Language which fused of Jeanne's
abjuration-a moment Of weakness be-
fore her final triumph--we have moth
ing to say. Other persons older and
more experienced than this girl have
done the same thing remember
Martin Luther at the Diet Of Worms. "
Mr.. McSpedden says: Either Mr.. Nay
Ior's syntax or my Interpretation needs
improving. / have no hesitation in
saying that my syntax is very faulty
here. OF course Martin Luther did not
recaut. He was too big man, and was
too overwhelmed by the importance Of
the stand he had taken to completely
abjure all his former efforts. But he
DID have moment Of weakness before
his final triumph, and it was to this that
/ referred. On the day before Luther
made the courageous statement which
Mr.. McSpedden quotes in bis criticism,
two questions were put to him. A pile
of his Latin and German works, were
pointed out to him and be was asked II
they were really his, and, il so, whether
he revoked what he had said in them.
To the first question he replied without
hesitation that he had written these and
more. When the second question was
asked the great man hesitated; but
finally, in very low voice, he said
Itch will mich bedenken. T" The papal
legates Immediately insisted that Luther
gave his answer on the spot, and the
Emperor himself said that he saw no
need Of granting any time for the con-
sideration Of an answer to such pointed
and plain-spoken question. Luther,
however, only answered: Itch will
mich bedenken." After a prolonged
debate the members finally agreed to
allow Luther until four o'clock the next
day to consider what answer he would
give. The following day, in Latin
address which he repeated in German,
he admitted that he had been over-vio-
lent in his attacks upon his opponents;
but he said that no one could deny that,
through the Pope's decree, the con-
sciences Of all faithful Christians had
been miserably ensnared and torment
ed, and their goods and possessions, es-
pecially in Germany, devoured. Should
be recant those things which he had said
against the Pope's conduct he would
only strengthen the papal tyranny and
give an opportunity for new usurpa-
tions. If, however, adequate arguments
against his position could be found in
the Scriptures, he would gladly and will
lingly recant. He could not, however,
accept the decision either Of Pope or Of
the council, since both, he believed,
had made mistakes and contradicted
themselves. =
Luther's arguments that the Scrip
lures sustained him in his revolt could
not be considered by the Diet and he
was pressed for decisive answer. Then
it was that he gave his final answer as
quoted by Mr.. McSpedden. He did not
want to give such an answer, for, if he
had chosen to do so, he would not have
the long explanatory address.
The great mans enemies asserted that
when he replied to the second question
which the Diet propounded he did so
with the greatest reluctance and hes
itated and stumbled in making his an
swer But we who have learned to love
the memory OF this man try TO con-
slider the position he was in, the great
men aud the august body before which
he appeared, the great struggles which
be had already undergone and those
which he was yet to pass. And
when we consider these things we come
10 the conclusion that we would have
long before Martin Luther's
least sign OF weakness or hesitation.
| am glad that Martin Lather hes
itated before taking that great step. /
am glad Jesus Christ prayed for strength
before His crucifxion. In the former
instance we can see that Martin Luther
was man and not demi-god, per-
son like ourselves, in whose steps we
can follow II we will only have the faith
that he had; and in the latter instance
we see the humanity in Jesus Christ,
aud come TO realize that He IS our per-
sonal Savior and not an absentee God
who merely stands off from the world
and watches it go.
| am sorry that the grammatical con-
struction Of my sentence obscured my
real meaning, and l thank Mr.. McSped-
den for calling my attention to It. Mar
tin Luther is one OF my own heroes,
..... l...s.,S. a1,.,sroa and rovnrnc