The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-01-14

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! tiae writer must accompany the
unless requested otherwise.
ipeace and pardon with God, un
worthy of the heavenly blessings
lbut receives these blessings onl,
because Of the goodness and IN
mercy Of God, net because he doe
anything himself whereby he ca
become WORTHY 10 receive thesl
blessings, by grace are We saved
through faith, and that not Of your
'Iseif; il is the gift Of God, not q
works, lest any man should boast
Il Ephesians 2:9).
i The third distinctive character d
the Lutheran Church is its firn
belief in the teaching of Hds
Scripture that Gods Word ani
Gods Word Alone can be the b.,
sis for the teaching of the Church
The film rightly shows Luther
standing up before the princes d
this world and boldly asserting:
unless am convinced by The
testimonies of the Holy Scriptures
(for / believe neither in the Pope
nor councils, since it has been es.
tablished that they have often
erred and contradicted themselves
/ am bound by the Scriptures, and
my conscience has been taken cap
tive by the Word of God, and
am neither able nor willing to re.
cant, since it is neither safe nor
right to act against conscience.
God help me. Amen So Luther
believed, and so Lutherans believe
today yet.
It was also implied in the letter
that Luther was a man of low
character who thought nothing OF
breaking VOWS, who caused others
to break their VOWS and leave their
respective orders, who spoke harsh
lily against those following other re-
Iligious beliefs. Here again we shall
let DR.. Karl Adam, a Roman Ca
thoic historian give us the true pic
cute of Martin Luther. In his book,
THE One and Holy" bearing the
"Nihil Obstat," at cannot be
doubted, in face of Luther's tre-
mendous achievements in thought,
decision and action, that despite
this tension he was physically heal
I thy to the core. +" In the light Of
Christ the Catholic viii no longer
wish to regard Luther simply as
an apostate who broke faith with
the Church. He viii recognize the
many lights in his character: his
unfathomable reverence for the
mystery of God; his tremendous
consciousness OF his own sin; the
holy defiance with which, as Gods
warrior, he faced abuse and sim
ony; the heroism with which he
risked his life for Christ's cause;
and not least, the natural Simpli
lefty and childlike quality of hi!
whole manner Of life and his per
lsonal piety." Prof. Adam also men
Itions these qualities of Luther
l"His Marvellous gifts of mind ant
heart, his warm penetration of th'
essence Of Christianity, his passion
ate defiance. of all unholiness ant
Iungodliness, the elemental fury o
his religious experience, his SURG
ling, soul-shattering power o
speech, and not least, that hero
ism in the face of death with whicl
Inc defied the powers of this world.
Luther could not recant becaus,
he knew cit would mean dealt
from the German princess Luth
Ter spoke out against the practice
Iof his own protector, Frederick tn,
Wise; he stood up before Empero
Charles at the Diet of Worms. HI
feared no man, not the German
princes, nor the Emperor, nor TIL
Pope himself for he knew that witt
Gods book in his hand he coul'
Withstand all. He knew he coult
not turn from the truths of Hol!
Scriptures.
j Yes, we hope as does Mr.. Mar
Itinez that everyone goes to see tn,
martin Luther" film and theI
asks questions.
/ REV. CARL A. SAMMETINGER,
i Pastor, Grace Lutheran Church
/ Flagler and Tenth Street