# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1851 11 11_S44
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

44

and powerfully brought with it both understanding and judgment as to what is Church or not Church. For whoever had heard this word, Christian holy people, could at once have judged: The Pope is no people, much less a holy Christian people. So also the bishops, priests and monks. They are no holy Christian people; for they do not believe in Christ, nor do they live holily, but are the devil's wicked, shameful people. For whoever does not rightly believe in Christ is not Christian or a Christian. Whoever has not the Holy Ghost against sin is not holy. Therefore they cannot be a Christian holy people, that is, Sancta et Catholica Ecclesia.

But because we use this blind word (Kirche) in the children's Creed, the common man falls upon the stone house which is called a church, as the painters paint it; or if it goes well, they paint the apostles, disciples and the Mother of God, as on the day of Pentecost, with the Holy Ghost hovering above. That passes; but that is only for one time a holy Christian people, as in the beginning. But Ecclesia shall mean the holy Christian people, not alone in the time of the apostles, who are long since dead, but until the end of the world. So that there may be evermore on earth in life a Christian holy people, in which Christ lives, works and reigns per redemptionem, through grace and forgiveness of sins, and the Holy Ghost per vivificationem et sanctificationem, through the daily sweeping out of sins and renewal of life, so that we do not remain in sins, but can and shall lead a new life, in all manner of good works, and not in old wicked works, as the ten commandments or two tables of Moses demand: that is St. Paul's doctrine. But the Pope with his own has drawn both the names and the pictures of the Church alone upon himself and upon his shameful accursed crowd, under the blind word Ecclesia, Kirchen, etc."

6. From the Writing: To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation.
(Vol. 10, col. 302.)

"It has been invented that Pope, bishops, priests and monastic folk are called the spiritual estate; princes, lords, craftsmen and farmers, the temporal estate. Which is a very fine pretence and glossing. Yet no one should be daunted on that account. And that for this reason: For all Christians are truly of the spiritual estate, and there is no difference among them, save for the sake of office alone, as Paul says, 1 Cor. 12, 12 seqq., that we are all together one body, yet each member has its own work, whereby it serves the others. That all makes it, that we have one baptism, one Gospel, one faith, and are equal Christians. Eph. 4, 5. For baptism, Gospel and faith, these alone make spiritual and a Christian people.

But that the Pope or bishop anoints, makes tonsures, ordains, consecrates, clothes differently from laymen, may make a hypocrite and an oil-idol, but never makes a Christian or spiritual man. Accordingly we are all together consecrated priests through baptism, as St. Peter says, 1 Pet. 2, 9: 'Ye are a royal priesthood, and a priestly kingdom.' And Rev. 5, 10: 'Thou hast made us by Thy blood priests and kings.' For if there were not a higher consecration in us than the Pope or bishop gives, then never would a priest be made by the consecration of Pope and bishop, nor might he celebrate Mass, nor preach, nor absolve. Therefore the bishop's consecration is nothing else than as if he, in the stead and person of the whole assembly, took one out of the multitude, who all have equal power, and commanded him to exercise the same power for the others; just as if ten brothers, king's children, equal heirs, chose one to rule the inheritance for them; they would all be kings and of equal power, and yet to one it is commanded to rule.

And that I may say it still more plainly, if a little company of pious Christian laymen were taken captive, and set in a wilderness, having with them no consecrated priest from a bishop, and were there to agree among themselves, chose one of them, whether he were married or not, and commanded him the office to baptize, celebrate Mass, absolve and preach, he would be truly a priest, as if all bishops and popes had consecrated him: Hence it comes that in necessity every one can baptize and absolve; which would not be possible if we were not all priests: Such great grace and power of baptism and of the Christian estate they have almost laid low for us and made unknown through the spiritual law. In this way the Christians in former times chose out of the multitude their bishops and priests, who were afterward confirmed by other bishops without all the pomp which now rules. So St. Augustine, Ambrose, Cyprian became bishops."

(Contributed.)
On Sorcery.

It is a sad fact that so many, even among those who are not averse to the divine Word, in injuries, sicknesses, etc., take refuge in sympathy, i.e. in their language, with those who can "use, charm or heal." There they seek the help which, in their opinion, through the right use of natural means and through believing prayer cannot be obtained at all, or at least not so quickly, as through "sorcery; — that is the language of Holy Scripture — for "healing, using" etc. — If one then calls such people's attention to their doings as to something evil, running contrary to the Word of God —, then one will be looked at, in the best case, with wide eyes as one who does not rightly know what he wants. —

"Using or charming is to be evil, contrary to the Word of God?! Mr. Pastor, first get to know the thing before you pass judgment on it. Name of God, Word of God and — help are here together; how should that be evil? My child here had the toothache fever; all the remedies which the doctor applied helped nothing; then my neighbor comes and says his little saying in the name of God — and behold, the sickness abates, so that now already after 2 days the child is lively again and running about — there you see for yourself!" —

So or similarly has perhaps many a pastor been answered upon loving and earnest admonition and warning. What is to be said to this the "Mr. Pastor" will surely know — at least he ought to know! Others, however, would gladly hear it; among them are such as are for themselves convinced that "using" is sin, but who cannot convince the husband, the wife, the friend and neighbor of it; these will have it used, perhaps use it themselves — and these are they who, with hand on hip, would just like to see the man who could object anything against it. — To all these the right "answer" is probably given by a little writing with the title "Das Büßen, oder die Heilkraft der Sympathie. Ein Gespräch mit Anhang. Hof, 1846 bei G. A. Grau." Since now there may be also among the readers of the "Lutheraner" such as would gladly give their "users," by whom they are plagued, the right answer, they may seek the same from the above-named dialogue; and to this end the same is printed here. — Readers of the "Lutheraner" should of course be no "users"; but if unhappily the one or the other should be, I wish him from my heart that through this "dialogue" he may come to the knowledge of such sin and to earnest repentance. May God grant it!

W. St.

Ch. Hast thou also already heard that our Vicar had a vexation with the B . . . people?

Mich. I have heard of it. The cause too has been told me. The B . . . Margaret suffered from the gout, and so violently that she cried out loud. Instead of sending for the doctor, they had R . . . come and heal by charm. The Vicar learned this and took them hard to task for it.

Ch. I think too he did right. Those who would be Christian people ought not to put themselves on a level with the world, but to hold more to God's Word and believing prayer than to charmers and sorcerers. Charming is a sin. So I believe.

Mich. Thou goest too far with this assertion. How can that be sin, where God's Word is, and moreover not with frivolous use, but in all earnestness.

Ch. Yes, alas! in earnest. I have seen it too! In the presence of a charmer or cunning man the people are mostly very devout-