Decorah-posten og ved arnen., 1915-06-25

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as agencies? | know what the answer
of this assembly will be. Will we
also use the utmost of our influence
that it shall be likewise the answer
of our generation as a whole?
Men have stood and still stand by
with melancholy look and say that
the Lutheran Church can never
endure the transition into the Eng
lish language, that with the passing
OF the Norwegian language and
modes OF thought will pass our
church out of its American existence.
This is contrary to the faith of our
fathers. They believed that Gods
means of grace were the efficient and
sufficient agencies, whether it was
spoken in the German, Bohemian,
Swiss, or any other language. Luther
anism has stood so well the ordeal
of being translated into the Scandi-
navian languages, we ought not
doubt the possibility of its transition
into English.
1t seems perhaps a little like heresy
to say that II fathers were men Of
faith in themselves under Gods
guidance. Do not misunderstood
this. Surprising that in that
mighty hall of the Diet, in the city
of Worms, someone had called to
Luther, as m high in authority cried
to Paul thou art beside myself,
much learning hath made thee mad"
Surprising that Luther, a lone man
against a multitude, had needed and
begun to distrust himself, his own
ability under the guidance of the
Holy Spirit, to comprehend Gods
council unto salvation, his own abili-
ty to learn and know the truth,-if
he doubted the right or the accuracy
of his conscience in endorsing his
bold declaration.-Where would have
been our heritage to-day?
If he had said: These are many,
| am alone, they are mighty, | am
a lowly monk, these have tradition,
authority, the c%oncensus of opinion
back of thcm,-really it is toe much
to presume that l am right, would
not the history Of both church and
state have been radically different to-
day?
Here is n of the marvels of his
tory, m lone man fronting as adj
versary the mighty of the earth, with
a world of influence and opinion
against him, answering thus: 81 am
convinced by passages of scripture,
which l have cited, and my con-
science is bound in the word of God.
| can not and will not recant any
thing. since it is insecure and danger
Gus to act against conscience"
1t is left to any man to-day to
stand before many or few, in public
or in the court of his W mind and
say: so has God spoken to an in
t~elligence he himself has given me-
so and so | must speak, it is not safe
to act against one conscience" In
deed this is given to each of us,
Prove all things,'-"Try We the
spirits whether they are of God" 1t
is demanded of all of us. 1t is one
of the glories,-one of the agonies of
professionalism, that one can not yield
his soul, MOI his conscience into the
keeping of another.
Our position as heirs apparent will
not be al easy one, situated as we are
in an age when a dechristianized edu-
cational system is busily engaged in
tra,,,lr xnGt ,,ntnrfttaS IN tho NAV
of unbelief and indifference. The true
Christian will not be able to sustain
himself with the thought: we of the
faith are Of the majority. He can
not humanity speaking say: they that
are with us are more than they that
are with them. He must stand as
spiritual heroes always have stood,
saying: The Lord has spoken; it is
written; His word is truth.
TaItor @ullirion's Gale efter'
iulgtes al en- Solo peo Mrs. Sans
Stub ira Seattle, @alb. Set bar
MenbeIsiobns pe%lfienote Stpffe
"ge Eeople reno pour Searts".
Ierpaa hnIste EaItor ger9eien
meo en- Sale, ogiaa paa gnselif.
Sans Sen,a bar "Sur 9ouna
Teoplc for Gbriit". Eaitor Ser
geien talte liplia % iulgtes neie al
alle. San nGpnte fprit, at ligeiom
1reIleren engana iom e, ing Mano
ltoo poa ct 6ieIo, mems Satan bite
banl al @eroens Serligbeber o. Jag.
Sc, at bette oil ieg gipe Dig, ON on
ioloer neo og tilbeoer mig, Iaaleoes
itaar oaiaa Dor lln9oom iooa oper.
ior oen iamme 6riiteIIe. Soften
bpres ogiaa ioog - alt bette pil
lea sipe oig. Men Dor ltnaopm ifal
pGre for &riitls.
Saleren uopiflebe, buorlebes Oct
life er nof iimpeltbcn, at Dor ling
Bonn or moraIif, ia life engang at
Dor llngbom er firfelia iua Of De er
pinioe % ipriae / firfeliet Irbeioe.
%i nlaa bnpe ltm9oom, iom er iig
bepiNit, at Sc bsrer ariitls til; hos
hpeln &riitenopmmen er Ell Sperbe.
pisnina. Set er life nof at bore
9%utberanere, ioroi bore SorPlorc
par oct, eller paa @rrno al Smsi.
pclIerne. Set er life NOT, at III isl-
ger ole SIogs Meeler, Iom flyer:
oisr life. Wi nlaa l9re at lie alt /