Produced by Chuck Greif, Iris Schimandle, Peter Vachuska and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net [Illustration: Dr. Martin Luther.] LIFE OF LUTHER, WITH SEVERAL INTRODUCTORY AND CONCLUDING CHAPTERS FROM GENERAL CHURCH HISTORY. BY GUSTAV JUST. (Translated from the German by S. and H.) [Illustration] St. Louis, Mo. CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE. Copyright, 1903, by CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE, St. Louis, Mo. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. The Christians of the First Century 1 " II. The Persecutions 8 " III. Constantine and the Spreading of Christianity in Germany 14 " IV. Popery and Monkery 17 " V. The Forerunners of the Reformation 21 " VI. Luther's Childhood 26 " VII. Luther's Student Days 28 " VIII. Luther in the Cloister 34 " IX. Luther as Teacher 38 " X. Luther the Reformer 43 " XI. Luther the Mighty Warrior 49 " XII. Luther the Staunch Confessor 56 " XIII. The Fanatics and the Peasants' War 64 " XIV. The Colloquy at Marburg 69 " XV. The Augsburg Confession 70 " XVI. Bible, Catechism, and Hymnbook 76 " XVII. Luther's Family Life 82 " XVIII. Luther's Last Days and Death 91 " XIX. Afflictions of the Lutheran Church in Germany after the Reformation 95 " XX. The Lutheran Church in America 99 MOTTO: Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation. Hebrews 13, 7. CHAPTER I. The Christians of the First Century. 1. THE APOSTLES OF THE LORD. When our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ bid farewell to His disciples on the Mount of Olives, and ascended into heaven, He commanded them to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high. In this power they were to go forth into all the world and bear witness of that which they had seen and heard. He said unto them: "But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth," Acts 1, 8.