The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-12-29
summ,Ne-vp OF THE LUTHERAN CELEBRATION.


The fourth centenary of the Reformation has
1t has evoked the Catholic side essays and
discussions of genuine historical merit These have
peared in the several magazines and special
publications. and in mastery that have dealt with
the subject These of all offered in behalf of
the Defense and framed with the view of meeting
formidable attack the of the proagonsts the
Lutheran cult BY of the however, that
drive organized executed There great
laundering in the index few regarding the uni
versa acclaim which to be raised to the of
the author of the Reformation the occasion of
quadrcentennal celebration of that momentous event
But the drive softpedaed, and the tons of
was prepared for dissemination throughout the world
rendered practically vaueess because of the stigma made
in Germany" and doomed waste its fragrance
the desert air of editorial pigeon-holes
This circumstance regrettable because if all
that had been written and planned had been given to the
world there would thorough threshing
of the issues involved. There would, too, been
evoked, even profound and searching analysis
the part of Catholic writer's of the Lutheran
than the splendid that has been DONE the
drive attack failed before being fairly launched
and the full capacities and abilities of the defenders
requistoned The of the celebration never
had chance for they in chilly and unsympathetic
atmosphere and did have the their
in it's funess The of the defense
and of extraordinary calibre The result almost
unilaera BATTLE resulting the complete dispersion
the champions of reform.
is to be hoped that those gifted ecclesiastical
warriors progress
outcome Of the clash of will give summing-up
of the proceedings in permanent form.
We append of the heaviest artillery charges that
have heard by the campaign which from
c. Revile j. of New York associate editor of America:
"There be doubt that Martin Luther of
the most powerful and colossal forces which the world
has in the ranks of To leave doubt as to
my meaning and the Interpretation of estimate
frar of Wtenberg, that although Martin Luther
not great man. he tremendously big was
not truly great for cannot conceive of greatness
being separated from real goodness cannot conceive of
Martin Luther a really good Goodness implies
that there is certain balance moral equilibrium, be-
tween the faculties of the individual and that rule
these faculties directed towards virtue truth There
too incidents in the life of Luther which must
make pause before say that he truly vir
tuous
There vein of spirituality in his nature which at
times surprises astonshes by it's depth and
speaks times the Person of Christ and of Communion
with Him in terms which of the saints might envy
He the spokesman of his He embodied all the ele
of revolt which had long been preparing for the
him the power of the storm and the Volcano He
pshed rightfu work, of undoubed force, in some
respects of genius. But it work of destruction and
death. religious vandal, deormer, destroyer
a builder He has not left body of complete doc
trine; nowhere does he give constructive whole.