More terrible still the scheme invented by the Kaiser and the War
Staff for breaking down the conscience of the German soldier. The
simple peasants of Bavaria, the artisans of Saxony, until a generation
ago, were reared in the morals of Martin Luther. By common consent
Luther is one of the great men of modern times. At a critical moment
in history he stood forth affirming Paul's statement that every man
must give an account of himself unto God. Since Pope Julius could not
give his account unto God, Martin Luther claimed religious liberty
as to creed and conduct for himself. Since no kaiser could give his
account unto God, Martin Luther claimed the right of self-government,
through political democracy. Since no philosopher could give his
account, Luther demanded liberty of thought and speech. Carrying out
this principle, when three hundred years had passed, the free nations
stood forth clothed with political democracy, educational democracy,
religious democracy, industrial democracy. Just as we trace some
river back to a spring on the mountainside, so we trace these great
institutions of the Reformation back to Martin Luther, who received his
ideas from Paul and John, from Huss and Savonarola, reinforced by John
Calvin and Erasmus.