Lecture on Martin Luther.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 405, 25 September 1889, Page 2

Lecture on Martin Luther.

On; Wed nesd ay evening, 11th ins fc, RevS. Lftwry dclivei ed,iutheTe ArohaWesleyaii Church, a lecture on the life of Martin Luther, the great German religious Ivef« rtner. The lecturer iutiuiuted that as the sul'ject was a large ouu ho would

in that occasion deal chiefly with the ncidents of Luther's life, and reserve for i future occasion the consideration of his jhai'acter and work. Luther's parentige and early life were first passed under ■eview. As illustrative of the severity of lis early discirline, it was stated that joth his parents and his schoolmaster uade very free use oi the rod, joung' Luther receiving as many as fifteen loggings on one morning at school. During- his school days at Magdeburg-, and Eisenach, hs often had to beg in the streetb for bread, At eighteen years of age he entered Erfqrth University, where he made great progress in the study of philosophy and .the Latin classics. Some time after taking his M,A. degree, circumstances led him to devote his attention to religion. The only method of becoming holy that he knew of W*s that of seclusion from the world, lie consequently entered a coin vent of the Augustine Order. Here he nearly killed himself by his ascetic devotion. It was here that he found the chained Bible. It was here also that he was instructed in the faith of the gospel by John Staupite, the vicar-general of the order. The lecturer proceeded to trace his history as Professor of Philosophyat the University of Wittemberg, Envoy to Home, and Doctor of Divini'y, At the time when his preaching was jusb, begining to make him famous, the. celebrated Tetzal, the vendor of papal indulgences, came that way. Hia audacious advertisements and absolutions^ kindled Luther's wrath. Then began, the war between Luther and the papacy.. Luther expected to §nd the Pope on hist side, but was mistaken. He, however^ had no idea of turning back on that, account. Ise was condemned as a heretic, butthe edict was not enforced. At the Diet of Worms, he boldly took hi 3 stand on the teachings of Scripture, antj refused . to retract, until they should prove him, to be in error. Confined (probably by friends), in tfie Wartburg Castle, hk devoted himself to the translation of the Scriptures into the German tongue. He. completed this work a few years later, with the aid of his friend Melancthon." This was perhaps thq greatest work of his life. At length he was formallyexcommunicated, and his writings con-_ deinned to be burned by the oom.mon hangman. Luther, replied by pub.ielyburuing the papal decretals and the buil> of excommunication. The last link that bound him to tne papacy was now severed. Having abandoned his monastic life, he married, afc forty two years of age, Catherine Dora, who had formerly boon ;. nun. Hh domestic life wad ona of unbroken happiness. For twvntyyears .itlor this he carrie 1 on his work, writing, preaching, and directing the-, whole niovem/Jnt. He was often favored ,with tiie appiov-ai of piioces, but he depended on none hut Go 1 For support and direction. Afc length, weary and worn out with toil, at sixiy thrseye.irsofaged, this daring assailant of abuses-—. this greatest of all Reformers — poised ta, his fituil re waul. (Owing to pressure on our space t the. foregoing synopsis of lii*v Mr Lawry's. recent lecture has unavoidably been held, over until nosy. — Ed.)