# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1887_S39 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) I The Lutheran Pioneer. 39 The Beginning of the Reformation. | In our picture we see Dr. Luther nailing his ninety-five theses to the church door at Witten- berg. This was done in the year 1517. In that year pope Leo X., an infidel and ridiculer of | Bible doctrines, instituted the sale of indul-| gences. An indulgence was a written certificate | which promised to the holder, who had paid in| money the price asked for it, freedom from all punishment of sin in this life and in purgatory. | John Tetzel, a bold and reckless fellow, was employed as the principal salesman of these indulgences in Germany. He carried on this business in the most scandalous manner. He) told the people that as soon as the money, paid | for the deliverance of a soul from purgatory, | the Old and New Testament is the infallible, | of the people smiled at the blind man’s em- certain, efficient truth of God, from which | barrassment, but the gentleman went away nothing should be taken nor anything be added | deeply musing. He had lately become con- thereto, for they omit nothing that is necessary | vinced that he was a sinner, and had been try- for our salvation. Therefore I recognize them|ing in many ways to obtain peace of mind. as the only rule of the Christian religion.’’ But religious exercises, good resolutions, altered Thereupon the inquisitor became very angry | habits, all were ineffectual to relieve his con- and asked: ‘‘Who told you they were the Hcly | science of its load, and enable him to rejoice Scriptures? and How can you know this, if the|in God. The words he had heard from the Church has not assured you concerning this?’’) blind man, however, rang their solemn music Peloquin understood very well that he re-|in his soul, ‘None other name.’’ When he ferred to the Papistical church, consequently | reached his home and retired to rest, the words, he replied: ‘‘There is no need for any church | like evening chimes from village towers nestling to assure me of this, for the Holy Spirit Him-| among the trees, were still heard—*‘ None other self assures me and bears witness in my heart|name—none other name—none other name.” and conscience that they are the eternal truth. | And when he awoke, in more joyful measure, Unto this will I be obedient, unto this will I) like matin bells saluting the morn, the strain rang in his box, the soul would Jeap up to| live and in this truth I want to die! This does | continued — ‘‘ None other name—none other heaven. With sorrowful heart Luther saw the|not require a witness from the old Romish} name.’ people cheated, not only out of their money, but out of their soul’s salvation. He felt it his- duty as pastor of the congregation at Witten- berg and as Doctor of the holy Scriptures to raise up his voice against this abuse of indul- gences. He drew up 95 Theses and, on the 81st of October, 1517, he nailed these Theses to the door of the church at Wittenberg. Stroke! stroke! stroke! went the hammer, and the strokes of that hammer rang in the new day of pure Gospel-light. It was the beginning of the Reformation. In these Theses Luther struck the keynote of the Reformation—sal- vation through Christ alone. They were there- fore hailed with joy by thousands of anxious gouls as the dawn of a bright Gospel day after the long dark night of Romish superstition and corruption. In a few days they had spread over all Germany, and in a few weeks they were read throughout all Europe. When Dr. Fleck read them, he cried out in the height of his joy, ‘‘Ho, ho! this man will do it; he comes, upon whom we have waited so long.” He then told Luther to go on in good cheer since God and all the prayers of the captives in the Romish Babylon would be with him. Others again were alarmed and frightened. But Luther said, “If the work is not begun in God’s name, it will soon come to naught; but _if it is begun in His name, let Him do as seems to Him good.’’ Again he said, ‘‘Let Christ see to it whether the cause be mine or His.’’ But it was Christ’s cause, and therefore it pros- pered in spite of all enemies. God’s appointed _ time for the Reformation of His church had come, and Luther, without knowing it, was * God’s chosen instrument for this great and blessed work. —_s oor oe Faithful unto Death. Dionysius Peloquin of Blois was taken pris- oner October 19, 1552, on account of his Evan- gelical faith which he confessed openly. The inquisitor asked him, among other questions, what he held concerning the Holy Scriptures. Peloquin replied: ‘All that is recorded in church, for the Church is built upon the doc- trine of the Prophets and Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ as St. Paul testifies in his epistle to the. Ephesians.” Peloquin remained firm in this confession, consequently, on September 4, 1553, he was burned to death at the martyr’s stake in Villa, France. To his latest breath he implored only the grace of God. e+ ~ “None Other Name.” A few persons were collected round a blind man, who had taken his station on a bridge over a London canal, and was reading from an embossed Bible. Receiving from the passers-by of their carnal things, he was administering to them spiritual things. A gentleman on his way home from the city was led, from curiosity, to the outskirts of the crowd. Just then the poor man, who was reading in the fourth chap- ter of the Acts, lost his place, and, while trying to find it with his fingers, kept repeating the last clause he had read—‘‘None other name— none other name—none other name.’’ Some The music entered his soul, and he awoke to a new life. ‘‘I see it all! I see it all! I have been trying to be saved by my own works, my repentance, my prayers, my refor- mation. I see my mistake. It is Jesus who alone can save me. To Him I will look. ‘ Nei- ther is there salvation in any other. For there is none other name—none other name—none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.’’”” ——.> - oe + Luther’s Prayer for Melanchthon. On a certain occasion, a message was sent to Luther to inform him that Melanchthon was_ dying. He at once hastened to his sick-bed, and found him presenting the usual premoni- tory symptoms of death. He mournfully bent - over him, and, sobbing, gave utterance to a sorrowful exclamation. It roused Melanchthon from his stupor: he looked in the face of Lu- ther, and said, ‘‘O Luther! is this you? Why don’t you let me depart in peace?”’ ‘* We can't spare you yet, Philip,’’ was the reply. And, turning round, he threw himself upon his knees, and wrestled with God for his recovery for upwards of an hour. He went from his knees to the bed, and took his friend by the hand. Again he said, ‘‘Dear Luther, why don’t you let me depart in peace?’ ‘‘No, no, Philip; we cannot spare you yet,” was the reply. He then ordered some soup; and, when pressed to take it, Melanchthon declined; again saying, ‘‘Dear Luther, why will you not let me go home and be at rest?’”’ “‘ We cannot spare you yet, Philip,’”” was the reply. He then added, ‘‘Philip, take this soup or I will excommunicate you.’ He took the soup: he commenced to grow better and soon regained his wonted health. When Luther returned home, he said to his wife with joy, ‘‘God gave’ me my Brother Melanchthon back in direct answer to prayer.” Tre error of not knowing nor understanding what sin is, usually brings with itself another error, that of not knowing nor understanding - what grace is.—Jnither.