The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1887, Page 39

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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.