"When the whole German Bible had been published, Dr. Luther began anew to revise it with great zeal, industry, and prayer. And as the Son of God had promised, that 'where two or three were gathered together in his name, he would be in the midst of them,' he caused a sanhedrim, as it were, of the best people then about him to assemble weekly, for a few hours before supper, at his house; namely, Dr. Bugenhagen, Dr. Justus Jonas, Dr. Kreuziger, Melancthon, Mattheus Aurogallus, and also George Rörer the corrector. These were frequently joined by strange doctors and other learned men-Dr. Bernhard Ziegler, Dr. Forstenius, and others. "After our doctor had looked through the published Bible, and consulted Jews and foreign philologists, and had also inquired among old German persons for fitting German words, he joined the above assembly with his Latin and new German Bible; he had also the Hebrew text always with him. Melancthon brought the Greek text; Dr. Kreuziger, both the Hebrew and the Chaldee Bibles. The professors had several tables beside them; and Dr. Pomacer had also a Latin text before him. Every one had previously prepared himself by studying the text. Then Luther, as president, proposed a passage, and collected the votes, and heard what each one had to say on it, according to the peculiarity of the language, and the interpretation of the old doctors." In the picture, Luther stands between Melancthon and Bugenhagen; to the left, looking up at Luther, Jonas; beside him, Dr. Forstenius; and to the right, Dr. Kreuziger, conversing with the rabbis. THE IMPROVEMENT OF SCHOOLS: INTRODUCTION OF THE CATECHISM. AMONG the finest fruits of the reform movement was the religious instruction of youth in the schools of the people; and nothing lay more at Luther's heart. "I hold that the magistrates ought to force parents to send their children to school. Can they not force their subjects to bear pikes and muskets in war-time? why not much more then to send their children to school? for in this instance a worse war impendeth against the detestable devil, who seeketh to drain all cities and countries dry of all worthy people, until he have extracted the kernel, so that only the empty useless shell of worthless people be left standing, whom he may play with and deceive as he listeth! Therefore let all those work who can! Well, my beloved Germans, I have told you enough: ye have heard your prophet." In this spirit he presented to the youth of his nation that masterpiece of popular instruction in the elementary truths of Christianity, his Little Catechism. ! "The wretched miserable want which I witnessed formerly when I was still a visitor, has urged and driven me to give to this catechism, or Christian teaching, such a small simple form. God help me, what wretchedness have I seen! how ignorant are the common people, particularly in the villages, of all Christian knowledge! and how many of the parochial priests are unskillful, and unfit, alas! to teach them! O ye bishops! how will ye answer it unto Christ that ye have deserted the people thus disgracefully?" tion and guidance of the Evangelical Church. The divine became from this time forward preeminently a preacher. "Therefore mark this, thou parochial priest and preacher! Our office has now become another thing than it was under the pope; it is now real and beneficial. Therefore has it much more trouble and labor, danger and temptations, and with all that less reward and thanks in this world; but Christ himself will be our reward, so we labor faithfully." In the picture all the elements of evangelical worship are indicated: the sacraments, by the baptismal font and the altar; the duty of benevolence, by the poor-box. We are at the same time reminded of the fact, that Luther and the renovated Church were entirely free from the heartless fanatical endeavor to exclude the arts from public worship. It was his greatest joy and greatest restorative to see the fruits of his labor ripen among the new generation. "Ten-music, by the organ and the hymn-books; der youths and maidens grow up so well instructed in the catechism and the Scriptures, that it soothes my heart to see how, at present, young boys and maidens pray and believe more, and can tell more of God and of Christ, than formerly, and even now, all foundation-convents and "I am not of opinion that all the arts schools can. Young people like them are are to be rooted out by the gospel, as some truly a paradise, such as the world cannot ultra-divines pretend; but would wish to show. And all this the Lord buildeth; as see all the arts employed, and music though he would say: 'Well, my much-particularly, in the service of Him who beloved Duke Hanns, I confide to thee my noblest treasure, my cheerful paradise; thou shalt be father over it, as my gardener and fosterer.' As if God himself were your daily guest and ward, because his word, and his children who keep his word, are your daily guests and wards, and eat your bread." has given and created them." "O! how I trembled when I had to ascend the pulpit for the first time! But I was forced to preach, and to the brothers first of all.. Under this very pear-tree where we are now standing, I adduced fifteen arguments to Dr. Staupitz against my vocation for the pulpit: at last I said, ' Dr. Staupitz, you wish to kill me ; I shall not live three months.' He answered me, 'Well, our Lord has great business on hand above, and wants able men. "I do not like Philip to be pres The picture represents the great reformer in the midst of a number of children; to whom, according to the text," Let little children come unto me," he expounds his catechism, while Jonas is distributing the book among them; and in the back-ent at my lectures or sermons; but I ground are seen a circle of attentive place the cross before me and say, Philip, schoolmasters, who are preparing them- Jonas, Pomer, and the rest, have nothing selves by listening to his teaching for to do with the matter;' and then I endeavor the duties of their calling. to fancy that no one has sat in the pulpit abler than myself." Dr. Jonas said to him, "Sir doctor, I cannot at all follow you in your preaching." Luther replied, "I cannot myself; for my subject is often suggested either by something personal, or some private matter, according to times, circumstances, and hearers. Were I young, I should like to retrench many things in my sermons, for I have been too THE SERMON. As Luther had translated the Word of "I wish the people to be taught the catechism well. I found myself upon it in all my sermons, and I preach as simply as possible. I want the common people, and children, and servants, to understand me. I do not enter the pulpit for the sake of the learned; they have my books." Dr. Erasmus Alberus, being about to leave for the March, asked Luther how he should preach before the prince. "Your sermons," said he," ought to be addressed, not to princes, but to the rude and simple people. If, in mine, I was thinking of Melancthon and the other doctors, I should do no good; but I preach solely for the ignorant, and that pleases all. Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, I spare until we learned VOL. V.-23 6 ones come together; and, then, we make it so curled and finical that God himself wondereth at us."" "Albert Dürer, the famous painter of Nuremberg, used to say that he took no pleasure in paintings charged with colors, but in those of a less ambitious kind. I say the same of sermons." "O! how happy should I have been when I was in the monastery of Erfurth, if I could once, but once, have heard but one poor little word preached on the Gospel, or on the least of the Psalms." "Nothing is more acceptable or more useful to the general run of hearers, than LUTHER AND BUGENHAGEN ADMINISTERING THE SACRAMENT IN BOTH KINDS. evangelical community-the celebration | being either split into a number of sects of the Lord's supper in its original mode and form. Luther presents the cup to his elector, John Frederick, while Dr. Bugenhagen breaks the bread. By retaining and insisting upon the "real presence" in the sacrament, Luther strove to save the reformed Church from the double danger of unconnected with the great Christian Church, or driven from its object by the arbitrary opinions of the schools. "Whoever doth not require and long for the sacrament, of him it may be feared that he despises it, and is no Christian; even as he is no Christian who doth not hear |