Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-11-02

subjects on which he desired them to
express their personal sentiments, but
also prompted their very utterances
the Holy men of God thinking and
speaking as they were moved by the
holy Ghost" Certainly these men
were used not as machines, not like
one pounds the keys of a typewriter,
but as men with different gifts anG
different degrees of learning. These
men were guided and governed in their
writing by the Holy Ghost, so that
what they wrote was Gods inspired
word.
Blessings of the Reformation
Cardinal Gibbons is quoted in the
Blade of October Both: 81 thank God |
live in a country where liberty is
granted without license and authority
is exercised without despotism, where
the government holds over us the
aegis of its protection without inter
Ierlng with the God-given rights OF
conscience. Indeed any one who
does not realize the full value of the
freedom of conscience which we en-
! joy in this our dear America doesn't
know the full and great extent of his
great privilege of being an American
citizen or even a resident of this cOun-
try of freedom. l am sorry the Car
dinal did not add that this religious
freedom, these "God given rights of
conscience, are the direct results and
fruits of the Reformation of the
church, as are also the separation Of
Church and State, the democratic foIm
of governmest, the public schools
None of these would we enjoy had not
God sent his RefcrTn,r )r Martin >
ther. Do you know anout the Nagra
CnaIta of England? LOOK it up.
When the question is raised If the
CHRISTIAN church should celebrate this
great event the 40G5h anniversary in
the midst of the t." lie world-war
The charge is made hat "the present
head of Luther's church is in the
s&e-marlne BUSINESS This is moth
ing short of blasnh nv. | will not
SLY what the evident lit ant;un of such
a statement is. 1t is 100 clear to de-
maLd any comment. The present
head OF Luther's-ehu, ! is not the In
|perlal German Government, not Kais-
er Wilhelm der Zweite, God forbid!
The head is, was and ever shall be.
as long as Luther's church is truly
Lutheran, /. e., scriptural, none other
than Christ Himself. There's no Wis
ible head Of the Luthern church
on earth. The government in the
Lutheran church is truly democratic,
congregational. The congregation is
the highest authority or court in the
church, and is that according to the
Bible, and renders its decisions ac-
cording to the Bible.
When the caluminous insinuations
are made that the Lutheran church
is a German church, it only goes tc
show how little it is known The
church is not a national church, but
international, just like Christianity is
not a national, but an internal relig-
ion. As to the loyalty Of the Lutheran
church, Twill merely say the same
principle applies here as in all ques
!, tions: "The Bible alone" This il
what Paul says, Romans 13:1-4: "Le
. every soul be subject unto the highe1
: powers. For there is no power but
of God; the powers that are ordained
of God. Whosoever therefore resist
!. eth the ordinance of God; and the,
shall receive to themselves damna
ton. For rulers are not terror t,
: good works, but to the evil Will
thou then not be afraid of the power
! Do that which is good and thou shal
have praise of the same, for he i
the minister of God to thee for good
= But if thou do that which is evil, b
5 afraid, for He beareth not the swor
A in vain. for he is the minister of God
, a revenger to execute wrath uno
= him that doeth evil" This is wha
, the Lutheran church teaches.
a If you are Lutheran; if you ar
a Protestant Christian; if you are q
! American, then thank God for tn
e Reformation of the church throug
: Dr. Martin Luther.
: On the 400th anniversary of tn
: Reformation.
: Fl. E. PLEHN
: Lutheran Minister.
e Pastor Of Wauseon Parish of tn
d Missouri Synod.
: Wauseon, Ohio.