The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1917-11-23
REFORMATION AND CAUSES
LEADING 10 IT.
CAUSES
Lecture BY Rev. "A. L. Peterson OF
Rowlandville NJ. p.
Church.
(concluded)
(concluded)

Some of the sins confessed were
very heinous (murders and outrages
of all kinds) and the required salts
faction was necessarily. severe and ex-
tended over a course of years. From
the seventh century there arose
practice of committing satisfaction or
penance from saying so many prayers
or psalms or SO many years OF fastlng
to definite amount of aims or even
a money fine. This money removed
all temporal penalties, also all penal
ties which might extend into purga-
tory. For the benefit of the needy
he. the Pope, was supposed to be
able to draw upon the treasury OF
merits stored by Christ and the
Saints. It was not till later that
Luther came to the conclusion that
indulgences of any kind were con-
trary to Scripture but it was the
abuses of it that caused the writings
of his 95 theses.
Around 1916 Pope Leo K coming
to the Papal throne found the money
chest depleted and being in dire need
of money to defray expenses decided
to raise some by selling indulgences.
He also desired to complete 81.
Peters church which was being erect
cd over the bones of the martyred
Apostle Peter, and hoped by the sell
ing of these indulgeDces to clear
enough money for both. Accordingly
in 1917 the Pope legated to the
Bishop Albert of Namiz the duty OF
raising the desired money, he in turn
employed Domician friar by the
name of John Testzel, whose duty it
was to persuade the people to buy OF
his spiritual wares, telling them, as
Luther himself testifies, that as
soon as their money clinked in the
body of the chest the souls of their
deceased friends forthwith went up
to Heaven, or that their sins, no
matter what they were, were for
given for the length of time paid for
The Elector Frederick, (who own
ed the university in which Luther
was professor and who became his
strong supporter and friend) for
babe Testzel entering into his terri
tory and hawk his indulgences. But
it seems he managed to get in the
neighborhood of Wittenberg preach
ing indulgences in his scandalous
manner and drew the ignorant, yes,
learned and others to him. This
aroused Luther, he drew up in pro-
test nine-five propositions bearing on
Indulgences, etc., and nailed them
upon the door of the castle, church
at Wittenberg, on all Saints day eve
Oct. 31st, 1917, where on the NOR
row the pilgrims from far and near
would journey hither to see the old
relics gathered by the Elector Fred
erick The posting of these Theses
was custom of those times by which
if scholar had subject he was
willing to defend or desired to get at
the truth, he was willing to debate
either by writing or public debate.
The pilgrims came and carried
back with them the theme of the
Theses and by means of the. printing
press they were soon spread broad
cast. They were eagerly read and
commented upon, particularly in
Germany. Tetzel replied and for a
time the air was thick with contro-
versial leaflets. At first Pope Leo
was inclined to make light of the
whole matter but a: length he felt
constrained to take decisive action
and issued a papal bull because, as
Erasmus humorous writer remarked,
Luther has sinned in two points.
He hit the Pope's crown and the
bellies of the monks"
On the 10th of December 1920
Luther publicly burned the Pope's
bull, together with copy of the
cannon law at the gates of Witten-
berg in the presence of the doctors
and students of the University ana
the populous. BY this act he threw
off all allegiance with the Roman
church and was from henceforth an
~s'O"O0 OAOh1ys we CdHuOL te1ltLS
in our time and day what this meant.
Here was Luther putting his own
private opinion against a thousand
years of Christian teachings and
doctrine of the past, here was Luther
breaking away from years, of super
stition and traditions of the Priest
hood and pinning his faith Simply
and wholly in the Bible. l repeat
we cannot take it all in and cannot
do too much honor to the man who
had the courage to stand by his
conscience.
Altho Luther was now legally an
outlaw he was safe as long as he re-
NAMED in Saxony. The Elector how
ever thought it prudent for him to
stay for time at Wartberg. While
here he translated the Bible in the