In making a previous post I realized that some of the surrounding articles might be of varying interest also, and since I couldn’t decide which to leave out, I decided to post a couple of pages worth of Der Lutheraner so that those who don’t read German well enough to do so can get an idea of what it’s like to peruse a portion of that publication.
The following is a continuous sequential selection from pages 37-39 of Der Lutheraner vol 28 (1871) No. 5 (December 1).
The Times of the Church
The obligation to adhere to the confessions, which is required of every Lutheran preacher upon assuming office, has often been loudly decried by local sects as a form of confessional and conscience coercion, yet these sects do the same. Indeed, in the “Christian Messenger” of November 15, we read that the “Evangelical Association” (the so-called Albrechtsleute) requires every teacher in their theological institutions to sign a declaration, not only upon taking office but also annually thereafter in the presence of the board of trustees: “I hereby solemnly promise to uphold and maintain the constitution of the Biblical Institute” (as they call their preachers’ seminary) “as a school of biblical theology in accordance with the doctrines and church order of the Evangelical Association, and I will teach nothing that is incompatible with or could undermine these doctrines and church order, as long as I am employed as a teacher at the Institute.” The trustees must also sign the first part of this. We do not criticize this, but we declare that it is inconsistent and unjust for the sects to complain about the fact that in the Lutheran Church, too, every teacher is strictly bound to its doctrinal confession. W[alther].
The General Council, at its last meeting on November 2 and the following days, did not make a definitive statement regarding the “four points,” despite the request of the Michigan Synod, but referred the matter to the district synods. The Iowa Synod, however, has not abandoned its “waiting stance” toward the Council; rather, it has declared that, despite remaining outside the door of the distinguished assembly (seemingly influenced by the unfortunate oversight of the Missouri Synod), it is “determined to stand by the Council through thick and thin,” as reported by the “Lutheran” on November 16. This may seem puzzling to some, but not to us; this behavior is, in fact, quintessentially Iowan. W[alther].
Canada. From the “Lutheran People’s Paper”, published by pastors of our synod in Canada, we learn that the local Missouri Special Conference has resolved to propose a three-day free conference in Berlin (Canada) to discuss doctrinal differences with the pastors of the Canada Synod. Pastor A. Ernst in Elmira announces this on behalf of the Special Conference, suggesting that the free conference take place on January 16, 1872, and the following days. May God grant grace and success to our dear brothers in the neighboring country for their godly endeavor, in the name of Christ! W[alther].
Insurance Companies. The “Joyful Messenger” of November 7 expresses the following view on insurance companies: “In our day, it has become fashionable to place much trust in people and to rely on flesh as one’s strength, thereby turning the heart away from the Lord. This category includes the various insurance companies, both fire and life insurance. When one faces distress or trouble, insurance companies are supposed to help; if a house burns down or someone dies, fire and life insurance step in. In itself, there may be nothing wrong with this, and it may often help people in times of need, but it frequently becomes a snare, leading to a sense of security and distrust in God. The great fire in Chicago has once again proven that all such institutions are unreliable. The vast majority of fire insurance companies have gone bankrupt, and the insured receive nothing or very little. The same applies to life insurance companies as a whole. It may be that they help some in times of need, but, for example, if a plague or other contagious disease sweeps away thousands upon thousands, how will they survive? They must fail just as surely as the fire insurance companies. We believe that a Christian should place his entire trust in God, do his duty, and trust in God’s rule, as the ancients did before modern insurance companies became God’s representatives on earth. For someone without faith in God, it may be fitting to rely on human inventions and speculations. For our part, however, we trust that our God will continue to provide for us and our descendants as He has done thus far.”
The Old New York Synod, which still bears the misleading title “New York Ministerium,” as if only pastors are represented in it and laypeople are excluded, passed a highly dangerous resolution during its last session. Since several congregations have separated from this body in recent years for the sake of the confession, a law was enacted to prevent such occurrences in the future, stating that no congregation may amend its constitution without the approval of the synod’s president. Now the synod may decide whatever it wants; it may fall into false doctrine as it pleases, yet no congregation, even if it must reject the synod’s teachings, is allowed to separate from it. How does this align with God’s Word, such as Titus 3:10? The New York Synod must at least admit that it is capable of falling into error. The notions of synodical fellowship in the New York Synod must indeed be peculiar. Unity in faith and the resulting conduct does not seem to be required, only the adoption of the same constitution and church governance. “Just like us,” the great unionist Hoffmann in Berlin would say. Thank God that in America, such attempts to bind congregations have little chance of actual enforcement! For if a congregation wishes to separate for the sake of conscience, no person, and least of all such a paragraph, can force it to remain in its previous affiliation. This is what happens when people prioritize not the truth and unity in it, but rather amassing the largest possible group. If a congregation leaves the General Synod and joins the Council, it is welcomed with joy. But if another wishes to leave the Council and join, say, the Missouri Synod, efforts are made to hold it back against its will. Why? Well, “that’s an entirely different matter.” (Wisconsin Congregation Paper.)
The Roman Idol. On September 16, at the opening of the Westphalian Synod, Royal Commissioner General Superintendent Dr. Wiesmann reported that the following was recently said verbatim from a Catholic pulpit: “Our songs rejoice in him, millions of Christians call out to him with a thousand voices” (why not a million voices?) “Honor and praise to the Holy Father, eternal glory and splendor to the one who sits on the throne of God; Hosanna!” A church weekly paper, “La Semaine religieuse de Tournai” in Belgium, condemns the indecision of the Catholic ministry and fabricates the following sentence: “The living Christ is the one to whom it was said: I am with you always; whoever hears you hears me, whoever rejects you rejects me—the one in whose infallible mouth the incarnation of the Word continues on earth, the holy old man [der heilige Greis] whose throne has been transformed into a Golgotha.” This was calmly accepted in Belgium without any objection. For the infallibility of a human necessarily presupposes the attribution of divine qualities. (Münkel’s New Times.)
A Form of Usury is, as is well known, often practiced by those who rent out houses. The “Pilgrim” recounts the following incident about a Berlin usurer of this kind: “A few days ago, a well-to-do citizen and homeowner celebrated his birthday in a grand manner; various gifts arrived, including a small, well-sealed, and locked box delivered by the postman. The recipient opened it with joy, but who can describe his shock when he pulled out a rope with a note attached bearing the less-than-flattering inscription: ‘Take this rope, you old miser, as a reminder of the fate awaiting you, for you shall one day be hanged as punishment for the endless rent increases with which you have plagued your tenants.’”
A Testimony to the Corruption currently prevailing in our land was recently given by the Episcopal preacher Dr. Morgan Dix in Trinity Church, New York. According to the “American Messenger”, he spoke on Galatians 5:24, “Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires,” saying: “Who belongs to Christ? Those who have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. Where are they to be found? I pose this question with a secret anxiety, for I ask it today, in this land and in this time, where people’s first and last thought seems to be to have what they desire, to do what they desire, to read what they desire, to go where they desire, to believe what they desire, to speak what they desire. In this fateful age, where vice flaunts itself in scarlet robes on every corner; where the drunkard staggers, the subject of light jest for neighbors; where the harlot presses herself upon us at our own doorstep; where money is squandered like water on the most useless luxuries; where the moral sense of the people sinks like the mercury in a barometer before a storm; where base souls and inferior minds hold the most influential offices; where the voice of the common, ignorant, and vicious mob elects our rulers; where religion is driven out of schools, and the youth grow up in habits of lawlessness and in a spirit of rebellion against parental authority; where the lives of those who profess Christ are indistinguishable from the confession of the children of this world; where no one hesitates to read the blasphemies of unbelievers and the ravings of freethinkers; where people choose their church as they would a club or a society, and hire a preacher as one would hire a servant; where no one seems to feel they are under a law and have a Lord who can destroy body and soul for eternity; where the only inclination of the time is self-will, the only passion is pleasure, and the great goal is money! In this age, I ask: Where are those who belong to Christ? Where are the crucified? Where are the crosses? Where are the humble who tremble at His word? Where are the simple who renounce their own wisdom and righteousness? Where are the meek whose walk is in heaven?” Excellent! W[alther].
A Screw Loose in the Odd Fellows Order. The Columbus “Lutheran Church Newspaper” of November 15 writes as follows: In the November issue of “The Odd Fellow”, we find an interesting article titled “The Puritans in Our Midst.” This article bitterly complains that in some lodges of the order, there are rather ugly machinations by the “temperance advocates,” particularly directed against the freer views and lifestyles of the German brothers. The injustice of this conduct by the Puritan brothers toward the other, more open-minded Odd Fellows is sharply criticized in the article, so sharply that the writer, in his zeal, forgets the usual caution of the brotherhood to cover up its flaws and bluntly spills the beans. We quote the conclusion of the article here: “I am well aware that I have used language here that is anything but refined and unbecoming of a good Odd Fellow. But I ask: Who can remain indifferent when he sees that religious tendencies hostile to our noble principles are forcing their way into the heart of our beloved order, threatening to deal it a deathblow sooner or later? (The above sentence structure is obviously faulty, but we copy it as we found it.) Truly! One could exclaim with Orsina in Lessing’s “Emilia Galotti”: ‘Good Odoardo, he who does not lose his reason over certain things has none to lose.’ Therefore, I would advise those Puritans, if the pillars of the Odd Fellowship are at all sacred to them, to abandon their nonsensical behavior before it is too late. For already, some are beginning to feel no longer proud of an order that harbors such sectional elements; soon, however, they will start to be ashamed of it if these machinations spread further.” Well—this is not bad at all, that the Odd Fellows (or “the foolish blokes,” as the Prussian Minister von Eulenburg calls them in his response to a lodge in Berlin requesting permission to establish itself) are beginning to feel ashamed of their order. It has long deserved this. “E.S.”
Shortage of Preachers. Loud complaints about a shortage of preachers are currently being heard in both Germany and America. The “Lutheran Visitor” from Columbia, South Carolina, dated November 10, also laments this greatly. After reporting how urgently but vainly English-Lutheran preachers are needed in Kansas, Louisiana, Florida, Arkansas, etc., it continues: “Can our readers, young and old, receive these sad facts, which accuse us as Evangelical Lutherans, without being moved? God plants the Lutheran seed throughout the land, but the church neglects it, and so it dies out. We are invited to go out and take possession of the land, but we hesitate, delay, and some outright refuse to go. Recently, a preacher said to us: ‘I want a position.’ — ‘Will you go to Florida?’ — ‘No!’ was the reply. Another said to us: ‘I am in distress, and you are the cause.’ — In utmost dismay, since we never trouble anyone, we said: ‘How so?’ — ‘You said my calling was not to split rails but to preach Christ.’ — ‘Well, was I not right?’ — ‘Tell me where I should preach.’ — ‘You are the man for Mississippi.’ — ‘I can’t go there.’ — And as with the old, so with the young. We should have a hundred young men of various educations for the holy office, and we don’t have twenty in the entire General Synod (of the South). We are therefore inclined to ordain any pious man with a good English education, well-grounded in the truth of Christ as understood by the Evangelical Lutheran Church, for any field where he has a call. We must have more preachers.” Such complaints are indeed serious accusations against the English-Lutheran church community here and a pressing call for the German-Lutheran church to take up this field, neglected due to laziness, greed, and a hireling spirit. W[alther].
Miscellaneous.
We have just come across a remarkable example of how books for public schools are being “improved” here. In the 1857 edition of Noah Webster’s “Elementary Spelling-Book”, it says on page 82: “Christ is the mediator between an offended God and offending man.” This sentence has been omitted in the new 1866 edition, apparently for the sake of the Jews. In the first edition, on page 101, it still says: “God will condemn the wicked and cast them into outer darkness.” This sentence, too, has been omitted in the new edition! Likely for the sake of the Universalists, who, as is well known, deny the condemnation of the godless. On the same page, however, the pagan sentence has been retained in the new edition: “God will forgive those who repent of their sins, and live a holy life.” — Is this not a sad kind of progress? W[alther].
From New York, the “American Messenger” reports: The excise tax on alcoholic beverages consumed in this city amounts to $2,300,000. This sum is, of course, far below what the production of these beverages cost and what those who consumed them spent on them. One consequence of this excessive consumption of spirits is that last year, the police had to arrest 75,692 people who were drunkenly and noisily roaming the streets.
Infanticide. The “Christian Messenger” of September 20 also speaks out about this terrible American sin. It writes: “It is utterly shocking how widespread infanticide is practiced in this country. Most of these female criminals want to appear so ‘respectable’ that they declare it a breach of ‘good manners’ when attention is drawn to these matters. Many of Jesus’ teachings they no longer wish to hear from the pulpit for this reason. Naturally, this is sheer hypocrisy. There is much talk in American circles about women’s rights; they would do better to study what women’s duties are. The horrific curse under which the American Republic suffers is not the ‘disenfranchisement’ of women by men, but their dehumanization by themselves. We know of a whole number who have fallen victim to their murderous trade. There are also certain women who pose as doctors, travel the country, and give lectures on matters intended only for women’s ears, in which they teach how to engage in refined debauchery within and outside of marriage without (as these shameful women say) falling into ‘misfortune.’ We know of cases where English churches were made available to them for this purpose. In this way, thousands of hearts are poisoned, and many families are made unhappy. The damnation of these child-murderers must be terrible.” We must add: Is it any wonder that such more-than-pagan atrocities flood the land in America when children are sent to schools where it is forbidden to teach them God’s holy Ten Commandments? If, instead of these godless schools, there were just as many and just as well-attended Christian congregational schools, America would surely not be so “given over” to a “perverse mind, to do what is not right” (Romans 1:26–28). As long as the church in America clings to the system of godless state schools, there is no hope for improvement, no help. These schools are the root of the tree of our corruption; the axe must be laid to them, or all other measures are in vain. W[alther].
Church News.
On the 21st Sunday after Trinity, October 29 of this year, Pastor J.J. Kern, who, with the permission of his congregation in El Paso, Woodford Co., Ill., had accepted a call to the newly formed three congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in and near Chatsworth, Livingston Co., Ill., was installed in his new office by the undersigned on behalf of the honorable President Bünger.
So that the dear readers of “The Lutheran” may become better acquainted with this new field of work and also find reason to praise God for the aforementioned installation of a worker in this field, I will add the following: It was last spring, before the synod meeting, when I first visited this new field of work at the call of a faithful Lutheran living not far from Chatsworth. I found fifty Lutheran families living on the north side of Chatsworth, some of whom had already been partially or fully led astray by the Methodist Albrechtsleute and Mennonites. They might all have been completely swallowed up by these sects, not only those in the countryside but also the 25–30 Lutheran families in the town itself, particularly by the Albrechtsleute, had not God’s gracious and merciful help come to them through the establishment of the holy preaching office. — Many faithful souls, especially among the East Frisians, had for years used their small Lutheran catechism, Luther’s and Heinrich Müller’s postils, and Stark’s prayer book, besides the Bible, for their and their children’s daily and especially Sunday edification; for this had been urgently recommended by their dear pastors when they left the old fatherland, that they should rather edify themselves with pure books if they came to a place in America where their church could not be found, than join the sects. — God bless all faithful servants of Christ in the old fatherland who, through such faithful advice, preserve their dear sheep so that even in this new world, amidst the turmoil of sects, they do not fall away from the church of the pure Word and confession! — This precious advice proved to be a splendid means of salvation for them, as they never allowed themselves to be drawn to the Methodist assemblies’ strange penitential bench; but sadly, their children grow up without thorough knowledge and instruction in the pure doctrine of our Lutheran Church, and thus they more easily succumb to the attacks of the sects. —
These dear people were overjoyed—and who could blame them?—when a few years ago, men went around with a pledge list collecting for an Evangelical Lutheran parsonage in Chatsworth. Many gave 10 to 15 dollars, as it was said that an Evangelical Lutheran pastor would be called as soon as the parsonage was built. When the parsonage in Chatsworth, largely built by the Lutherans, was completed, another pledge list soon followed for the annual salary of a Lutheran pastor. Every Lutheran subscribed according to their means, some 15, others 20 dollars; but when the new pastor arrived, it was a Methodist Albrechtsleute brother. With such deceitful tactics, our brothers in faith in and around Chatsworth have been ensnared for years. It is no wonder that some have fallen away from the faith of their fathers; but it is a wonder that God has nonetheless kept most of them steadfast in the pure Lutheran confession. —
From this, dear reader, you can get a small sense of the joy of these people, which not only shone on their faces but also poured out in tears of gratitude to God, when the installation sermon resounded last Sunday, first in the morning in the countryside and then in the afternoon in the town, before a large crowd of listeners. For now, their own shepherd stood in their midst; no longer would they be visited only monthly with the preaching of the Gospel, as before, but continually, every Sunday, fed with the pure Word of Life from the mouth of their own shepherd. What great fortune for them! But, dear reader, be also moved by this to pray to the Lord of the harvest that He may send more faithful workers into His harvest; for this new field, where we have placed this servant of Christ, is so vast that he cannot manage it alone. Not only on the north side of Chatsworth, where two rural congregations have been formed, do Lutherans live, but on the south side, there are also more than 50 Lutheran families, most of whom have not yet been led astray by sects, and they too plead for the preaching of the Gospel. Furthermore, the newly installed pastor has already visited Gilman, at the junction of the Toledo, Peoria & Western R.R. and the Chicago Branch of the Illinois Central, and announced services; he has also found 40 Lutheran families at Danford’s Station, on the Chicago Branch of the Illinois Central, and has already preached to them; and finally, in Dr. Wilson’s Settlement, Ford County, Ill., many Lutherans live who have already established two preaching stations among themselves and earnestly beg the newly called pastor to serve them with the preaching of the Gospel as well. In short, his field of work spans three counties: Livingston, Ford, and Iroquois. Therefore, not only has the newly called pastor requested, but many of his dear congregation members have also urgently asked me to convey their heartfelt thanks to the synod on their behalf for sending a servant of Christ; but I would also like to present their request that the synod continue to ensure that their newly called pastor is soon provided with an assistant, as it would otherwise be impossible for him to serve and visit all these preaching stations.
May God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen this newly called servant of Christ through His Holy Spirit, so that his sowing, planting, and watering in this field may be richly accompanied and blessed with His prosperity, that much fruit may also grow here for eternal life! Amen.
Dwight, November 2, 1871. “C.H.G. Schliepsiek.”
Address: Rev. J.J. Kern,
Chatsworth, Livingston Co., Ill.