# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1851 03 18_S113
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Der Lutheraner.
"God's Word and Luther's doctrine shall pass away nevermore." (Rev. of John, Chap. 14, v. 6. 7.)
Published by the German Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio and other States.
Edited by C. F. W. Walther.
Year 7.  St. Louis, Mo., the 18th of March 1851.  No. 15.
Terms: Der Lutheraner appears once every two weeks at the yearly subscription price of One Dollar for out-of-town subscribers, who are to pay for it in advance and bear the postage. — In St. Louis each single number is sold for 5 Cents.
Only those letters which contain communications for the paper are to be addressed to the editor; all others, containing business matters, orders, cancellations, money, etc., are to be sent hither under the address Mr. F. W. Barthel, care of C. F. W. Walther, St. Louis, Mo.

A Word of Luther's
against those who think to promote the Gospel by false compliance.

When Luther had somewhat sharply reproved Cardinal Albrecht, Archbishop of Mainz, since this Cardinal had been convinced of the truth and yet showed himself dishonest, the Cardinal's preacher and counsellor, Wolfgang Fabricius Capito, a man likewise overcome by the truth, took this amiss and wrote to Luther on that account. But Luther answered the preacher, among other things, as follows (which we communicate for the profit and benefit of all those who even today are offended when Lutherans so unsparingly call black black and sour sour): *)

*) See Luthers Werke Hall. A. Tom. XIX. p. 662. ff.

"You write that you have found out another way than we have of spreading and promoting the Gospel. What is that other than that either your opinion or mine is wrong; whereas the office of the Spirit must not in the least be opposed to it. For St. Paul also commands the Corinthians (2 Cor. 12, 18) Titus, to the end that he walked with him in the same steps.

But, out of my good-will toward you, I would gladly have softened this word of mine, that I say, another way, if you did not compel me by your own interpretation to understand it as you say: The Gospel would thereby be advanced, if one made some allowance for great lords, looked through the fingers, spared them, excused their (wicked) deeds, and (as your words run) treated us in such wise that we should not stir up a war by harsh rebuke and scolding words.

This opinion of yours is, in my judgment, downright hypocrisy and a denial of Christian truth. I would not wish my enemies to let this opinion of yours please them; let alone that I should wish for the Gospel that it should be promoted in such a way. In sum: nothing is more repugnant to me than this very opinion. And Christ help, not that you accomplish nothing, but that you be so preserved with us that you do no harm.

You desire gentleness and kindness; that I readily grant. But what fellowship can a Christian have with a hypocrite? Christianity is an open and upright thing; it looks at things and confesses them as they are in themselves. Even the heathen wish all misfortune on those who approve the sins and vices of their friends; how then should the truth of Christ approve vice and ungodly conduct?

But we will also declare our opinion to you, and confidently set it forth to you and to the whole world, and without any fear, regardless that you write that the common people are offended when one bites about him so fiercely. For whom did Christ not offend, or whom did He not reprove? The Spirit of truth also reproves and does not flatter; but He reproves not merely some persons, but the whole world.

Therefore this is our opinion, that one should straightway denounce everything, reprove, put to shame, spare nothing, not look through the fingers, excuse nothing, so that the truth may stand clear and open on the open field.

But further, it is another matter that, if you receive with right gentleness those whom you have reproved, bear with them and entice them to the good. This then belongs to the example of Christian love; as the ministry of the Word practices both, as Christ teaches Luke 24, 47: That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name. For Christ also, after He had reproved everyone most sharply, thereafter wishes to be a hen, that He might gather them under His wings. Matt. 23, 37. Luke 13, 34. Charity beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 1 Cor. 13, 7. But faith, or the Word, suffers nothing at all, but reproves and devours about itself; or as Jeremiah, Chap. 1, 10, says: to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down. Likewise: Jerem. Chap. 48, 10: Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD negligently.

It is one thing, my dear Fabricius, to praise vice or make light of it, and another to heal it with kindness and friendliness. One should above all things say what is right and wrong; thereafter, when the hearer has accepted this, one should bear with him, and, as Paul says, Rom. 14, 1, receive him that is weak in the faith.

But your opinion makes the tru-