# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1852 04 13_S135
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

135

the surrounding congregations already take a liberal part in the support of poor students *) and in raising the teacher's salary, it would surely not be unbecoming if the congregations at a distance, upon whose providing love the seminary here, as the property of the Synod, likewise has a just claim, would come brotherly to our help toward covering the above debts.

*) But also toward the cheap maintenance of the pupils provided with means, so much is done through the love-gifts of the congregations here and round about in provisions, that the yearly keep of a student at the seminary amounts to only 25 to 30 dollars, for which he has lodging, fuel, light, board and washing. The mending of the clothes and linen is taken care of gratuitously by Christian-minded women of the congregation, who assemble for this purpose weekly on Thursday afternoon, and who also here and there supply gifts of new linen.

Besides, we must again undertake a small new building, since the present classroom is too small for the 26 pupils who are here at present, and necessarily requires enlargement.

Now this Christian-brotherly request to the congregations of the Synod is by no means made with the intention of restricting in any way their love-gifts for the heathen mission; but it is nevertheless striking that most congregations do far more for that than for the support of their own institutions of learning in St. Louis and Fort Wayne, which should in fairness lie still nearer to the hearts of the congregations, since upon their faithful care of these, under God's grace and blessing, depends also the Christian and churchly welfare of the youth and of the coming generation, and the Church can for a time exist without missions, but not without schools for her future servants. Or what mother would neglect her own children in order to do good to strangers? —

Therefore the dear brethren in the ministry are also finally heartily entreated not to withhold from their congregations the necessary instruction and admonition, how they should do the one and not leave the other undone; and if only, for example, four times a year, and especially on the three great church festivals, after earlier preceding, appropriate address, collections were taken up in the congregations for their institutions of learning, then even by this no inconsiderable strengthening would flow to them. Moreover, since now in this country covetousness and avarice are the prevailing corruption, and poor are almost wholly lacking in the country or in the middle-sized towns, it is of great importance that the congregations be accustomed in a Christian way, God willing, by cheerful and willing giving to combat this ruinous propensity and in the exercise of faith through love to strengthen the latter itself. Without such wholesome habit, however, it is quite natural that our German co-believers, who are gradually attaining prosperity, here in the West should more and more imitate those in the East, namely, in that they become the more avaricious and the less willing to carry on God's works the more God blesses them with money and goods. For however often one reads in the public papers of rich endowments and bequests of pious Presbyterians, especially in the New England States, one hears nothing of the kind, for example, of the rich Lutheran farmers in Pennsylvania and Ohio, who could with ease support all the Lutheran institutions of learning, if they had the heart for it as they have the means.

On this occasion it will perhaps be not uninteresting also to other readers of the Lutheraner, whose free Christian love and beneficence we too would gratefully accept, to learn that the LORD has so blessed our seminary, grown from small beginnings, in its 5½ years of existence that already forty young brethren, of whose faithfulness and ability in their conduct of office we already have manifold proofs, have entered the service of the Church as pastors and schoolteachers.

We can also with a good conscience testify, to the praise and honor of God, that among our 26 young friends who are at present in the seminary, with all the diversity of gifts and attainments, the same Christian disposition nevertheless prevails, and that we, as far as human eye reaches, fear of none that he prepares for the service of the Church merely as a business, but that it is with all a matter of heart and of faith some day to serve the LORD and His Church, and to show themselves truly believing, truly believing, apt to teach and blameless in conduct, servants of God. Accordingly there is also in them a cheerful earnestness in their studies and a conscientious buying up of the time for the acquisition of the necessary knowledge and skills; likewise reverence and confidence together in their conduct toward us, their teachers, and an open brotherly manner in their conduct toward one another, in which wholesome reproof is also not lacking. In sum: they are certainly not unworthy of support through the love of Christ, in the showing of which the giver receives more than the recipient.

Therefore: "Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." Gal. 6, 9. 10.

Fort Wayne, the 23rd of March 1852.

W. Sihler.

Testimony that Melanchthon and Brentius Also Once Sought No Worldly Protection for Their Doctrine.

Thus, namely, these two dear men write (similarly as Luther once to the Elector) to Philip, Landgrave of Hesse, in the year 1530 from Augsburg:

"We hold that princes and cities would act rightly and Christianly if they would let us who teach answer for our doctrine ourselves and not undertake to protect it, and especially against Imperial Majesty, as Duke Frederick, of laudable memory, let Luther stand his own venture, and would not protect him against Imperial Majesty. If the princes were so minded, we poor fellows would have less care and would gladly suffer, and the princes and other authorities would have more rest." (Dedekenni thesaur. cons. I, 329.)

Contradictions in Our Lutheran Doctrine.

Thus Luther writes to Melanchthon:

"How can our doctrine appear in the eyes of the godless otherwise than to contain mere contradictions, since it demands and condemns good works, abolishes church usages and yet retains them, honors the authorities and yet punishes, confesses sin in the saints and yet denies it!"

A Short Rule for Bible Reading.

Te totum applica ad textum
Rem totam applica ad te d. i.
Hold thyself strictly to the text,
But apply the whole content to thyself.

Church News.

Since the congregation at Fort Wayne is in constant increase and well over 100 families round about in the country, at a distance between 1 and 7 miles, also belong to it; — since, further, the pastor, with his declining bodily strength, is moreover entrusted with partial work at the seminary and a portion of the visiting journeys of the President of the Synod: the congregation therefore resolved, together with its pastor, to call in the person of Pastor Kühn an assistant preacher and to commit to him certain functions of the holy ministry together with its full discharge during the occasional official visiting journeys of Pastor Sihler, as Vice-President.

The congregation and its pastor were the more pleased with Pastor Kühn since both had had opportunity, in his half-year's assistance under the oversight of the congregation by Pastor Crämer, during Pastor Sihler's service at St. Louis, to become sufficiently acquainted with his faithfulness and zeal; the former by their own experience, the latter through the constant correspondence in which he had stood, concerning congregational affairs and individual members, also with Pastor Kühn.

Therefore both give themselves also to the joyful hope that the LORD will, according to His promise: "He giveth grace to the humble, and to the upright He grants success,"