The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-11-07
THE LUTHER-LEGEND.

The persistence of the Luther
legend is one Of the most curious
manifestations Of human credu-
lity. Many non-Catholic preachers
and professors deny the Divinity
Of Christ. Many Of them refuse
to regard the New Testament
account Of the life and work of
our Saviour as authentic history.
Their denial they claim to be the
only attitude that is becoming in
adherents Of modern scientific
freedom and enlightenment.
Christianity is, for them, largely
a myth, a tissue Of nnhistorical
legends, which may have some
value as sentimental poetry, but
has none as scientific objective
truth.
But there is one tissue of
legends, to which they cling with
tenacity and with superstitious
reverence. To attempt to investi-
gate the reliability Of those
legends, to suggest the smallest
doubt about them, is to expose
ones self to the danger Of being
called a Papist, an obscurantist, a
reactionary. The legends in ques-
ton make up what Protestants
call the history Of Martin Luther.
Some non-Catholics, however,
who are free to study history in
it's sources, whose livelihood does
not depend upon slavish com
pliance with the will Of Lutheran
rulers or congregations, have
helped to explode and dissipate
the Luther-legend, even in the
very land of it's origin and
growth. One of those, DR.. Braun,
a German Protestant theologian,
reviewed Father Grisar's Life of
Luther" in the 'FEvangelishe Kir-
chenzeitung," March 10, 1913
And here are a few of the things
DR.. Braun said:
"The reading Of Grisar should
afford food for reflection to us
Evangelical theolOgians. With
strips from our own skin the
Catholic author has pieced to-
gether his Luther. = How small
the Reformer has become accord.
ing to the Luther Studies Of our
own Protestant investigators
How his merits have shrivelled
Iup! We believed that we owed to
him the spirit Of liberation and
liberty Of conscience. Not in the
least We recognized in his trans
lation of the Bible a masterpiece
stamped with the impress OF
originality-we may be happy
now if it is not plainly called a
plagiarism We venerated in
him the father Of the popular
school system-a purely fictitious
greatness which we have no right
to claim for him! We imagined
that we found in Luther's words
splendid suggestions for a rational
treatment of poverty, and that g
return to him would bring us
back to the true principles oil
charity-but the laurels do not be
long to him, they must be con
ceded to the Catholic Church! We
were delighted to be assured thai
this great man pussessed an in
sight into national economics mar
velous for his day-but unbiased
investigation forces the confession
that there were many indications
of retrogressive tendencies in his
economic views!
"Did we not conceive Of Luther
as the founder Of the modern
State? Yet in all that he sale
upon this subject there was moth
ing of any value which was at al
new; as for the rest, by making
the king an absolute Patriarch
he did not in the least improve
upon the coercive measures EN-
ployed by the theocracy of TIM
middle ages.
"Just think of it, then, all thes'
conclusions come to us from thu
mouth of Protestant theologians
Grisar gives book and page fol
them. What is still more amaz
ing, all these Protestant historian
continue to speak of Luther il
, tones of admiration, in spite o
the admissions which a love o
: truth compels them to make
Looking upon the results 0
their work thus gathered to
gether, we cannot help asking tn
question, What, then, remains o
g Luther?' Verify, the praise
chanted to him sound hollow il
our ears, while at the same tim
we see jewel after jewel plucke,
from his crown.