File:Martin Luther, the man and his work (1911) (14577818817).jpg

Identifier: martinluthermanh00mcgi (find matches)
Title: Martin Luther, the man and his work
Year: 1911 (1910s)
Authors: McGiffert, Arthur Cushman, 1861-1933
Subjects: Luther, Martin, 1483-1546
Publisher: New York, The Century Co.
Contributing Library: Princeton Theological Seminary Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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anity principally inintellectual terms, while Luther was exclusively practi-cal. Moreover, the careful balancing of opinions, andthe drawing of fine distinctions, in which Thomas aswell as the other schoolmen chiefly delighted, were alto-gether foreign to his impetuous genius. He was alwaysmore preacher than scholar. As a rule, he saw only oneside of a question, and he instinctively put things inextreme and paradoxical fashion. The presiding genius of medieval scholasticism wasAristotle, and Luthers growing distaste for the scho-lastic spirit and method resulted not unnaturally in agrowing dislike for the great Stagirite. His formallogic he found empty and barren, and the mattersof chief interest to the inquiring mind of the Greeksage he cared little about, while for the questions hethought really important no satisfactory answers wereto be found in the peripatetic philosophy. Wilt thouknow what Aristotle teaches? he once exclaimed. Iwill tell thee frankly. A potter can make a pot out
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PREACHER AND PROFESSOR 63 of clay; this a smith cannot do unless he has learnedhow. If there is anything higher in Aristotle, do notbelieve a word I say. In the universities, he re-marked on another occasion, the Bible and Christianfaith are little taught, and only the blind heathen Aris-totle reigns. It pains me greatly that the damnable,proud, cunning heathen has led astray and fooled somany of the best Christians with his false words. Godhas plagued us with him because of our sins. It is significant of his controlling interest that heranked Cicero much higher than Aristotle. Cicero handled the finest and best questions in philos-ophy : Whether there be a God ? What God is ? WhetherHe takes an interest in human affairs ? And he holds thatthere must be an eternal Spirit. Aristotle was a skilfuland cunning dialectician, who followed the right methodin his teaching; but the facts and their meaning he didnot elucidate, as Cicero did. He who would learn the truephilosophy should read Cic

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