# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1852 05 25_S156
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

156

A letter from Pastor Clöter coming to Pastor Löhe during the time of deliberation on the matter had, without the former's being able to intend it, and while the latter knew nothing yet of the plan, directed attention to that place. "There we have," writes Pastor L., "a finished house belonging to us, land belonging to us, or at least still easily to be acquired, for an endowment, cheap living, and a number of old friends to whom a school teachers' seminary in their midst will be dear and valued, especially since thereby the purpose of the Pilgerhaus (pilgrims' house) is not abolished. Besides, we had in Großmann, whom you came to know, a capable man, who won our esteem more with every day..., who showed himself willing, is happily and suitably married, — whose passage, outfit, etc. cost us nothing, while the new institution gets an organ, etc., through him. All circumstances moved us to appoint Saginaw for the new school teachers' seminary. To this is added that in March, April and May four ships from Harburg (at least a fourth seems to be coming about) will depart full of people who are drawn thither by the letters of their relatives. The more people now go into the county of Saginaw, the more will follow; the more the beginning difficulties are overcome, the more will the new Franconian congregation attract. If, however, it should not come to a joyful end with our church struggle, there may be strong influxes. Then Pilgerhaus and institution will be a pearl that will shine ever more beautifully the more the colonies rise; both will have one and the same lot with the colonies. If the pupils prosper, they will not be despised because they come from Saginaw; and if the institution does not prosper, the least is lost there in strength and money. — So Großmann goes off to Saginaw with five pupils, with definite instructions and the direction for teachers and pupils to join the Synod of Missouri as intimately as possible. At the same time a steward (a worthy man, married, 50 years old) goes with them, to whom everything that belongs to me and my brothers will be handed over, and who, with Großmann, will found a joint-stock company for colonization as soon as he sees everything clearly. Thousands then stand ready from here, as I see from offers already made. To the administration belong also Pilgerhaus (that is, the external side of the seminary), colonization and funds of support. — The whole undertaking, as it is now begun, costs next to nothing and has therefore already found favor with people from whom I did not expect it. Please, dear Brother, meet the matter kindly."

At the close of the negotiations Pastor Löhe invited us to come once more to Neuendettelsau; and since indeed the chief purpose of our journey was to bind more firmly and intimately the bond which from the beginning had linked our Synod and its fortunes with this dear man as with no second one in the homeland, and which seemed about to loosen, we accepted with joy the invitation extended to us.

Before that, however, we made yet a short visit to Erlangen, partly on matters of the printing of our Confession-book already begun there, partly in order, being requested thereto by the professors there, to make a report to them of the result of our negotiations in Munich, partly finally because Dean Bachmann had occasioned it. The latter, namely, a faithful, intimate friend of Pastor Löhe and his dean, and deeply moved by the threatening decision which the High Consistory had given to those protesting against the mixed communion fellowship in the territorial church, intended to move the members of the theological faculty at Erlangen to a joint written demonstration, by which the High Consistory should be induced to give no effect to the threat expressed (that the protesters must either remain in the territorial church without condition or lay down their office). The negotiations conducted for this purpose, in which we took part, however interesting and lively they were, unfortunately did not have the intended success. With full heart and with eloquent tongue the venerable, reverend Dean here depicted the services of Pastor Löhe to the Lutheran Church of Bavaria, such as no other has rendered to it, and the immeasurably ruinous and lamentable consequences which a driving out of a Löhe and of many others, precisely the most faithful servants of the Church and confessors of the truth, from the Bavarian territorial church would have, and the grievous guilt with which every one burdens himself who could avert this calamity and remains inactive. All attempts, however, to win the professors for a joint intervention in favor of Pastor Löhe and his like-minded associates were wrecked in particular upon the decided opposition of Professor Höfling, from whose present utterance it appeared that he indeed held fast strictly to the doctrine of the Lutheran Church of the 16th and 17th centuries, but did not wish to have approved the practice held by the Church of this time, especially with regard to the enjoyment of the Lord's Supper. With the exception of Professor Dr. Delitzsch and Rudolph von Raumer, the latter of whom was also present, and of Pastor Lehmus of Fürth, who had accompanied the Dean to Erlangen and concurred with him, the professors all approved more or less the procedure of the High Consistory, declaring that it could not admit a special position in the territorial church such as Pastor Löhe and his friends by virtue of their demand laid claim to, without giving itself up and leading the territorial church, which is at present engaged in a natural process of purification, toward its dissolution. Professor Delitzsch, on the contrary, declared solemnly that if it were really not possible to occupy such a special position in the Bavarian territorial church, which alone would satisfy the conscience of a faithful Lutheran, he too would necessarily be driven out thereby. Professor von Raumer declared himself indeed not entirely in agreement with the principles and manner of action of Pastor Löhe, but sketched, pointing to Prussia, a warning, vivid picture of what was to be expected if men like Pastor Löhe, Pastor Wucherer, etc., should be treated as people who, because of their acknowledged strictly Lutheran principles, could find no lodging any more in the Bavarian Lutheran Church; it would become for thousands *) the signal for secession, a great schism would be the inevitable consequence, and finally only by persecutions, imprisonments, etc., could the further spreading of the movement be checked, yet only in appearance. The end was that Dean Bachmann, who had made a similar fruitless attempt with the pastors at Nuremberg, resolved to take the matter upon his own shoulders alone and, uniting with all the pastors of his chapter, to make a representation to the High Consistory in an official joint letter and to adjure it not to let the threatened extreme come to pass in this matter. This has accordingly also been done.

*) In Bavaria the vicariate system prevails; young candidates, namely, do not as a rule enter office at once as settled preachers, but must for the most part first serve, during a longer series of years, as vicars in the vacant congregations or at the side of invalid preachers. This naturally produces in many respects the greater evils, the more frequently even preachers of lesser infirmity make use of the liberty to keep a vicar, and vacancies for the sake of this easily obtained assistance are prolonged beyond measure. But precisely as regards Pastor Löhe, this arrangement has had a great blessing. For in consequence of it he was for a longer series of years vicar in the most various congregations and regions of Bavaria, here and everywhere widespread awakenings were established through his service; here everywhere are found spiritual children of this spiritual father, or at least such as have been drawn into the stream of awakening proceeding from him; here everywhere there are therefore also awakened Christians who follow the steps of Pastor Löhe with attention, who look to him as their predecessor with full confidence, and who therefore would indeed regard his simple departure from the territorial church as a sign for them also to break camp.

Our report of the unfavorable outcome of our mission in Munich naturally made here an equally unfavorable impression. We parted, as it seemed to us, on both sides with the wish that even what remains might not lie between us, and with sadness. Especially painful to me was the parting from my dear old friend, Prof. Dr. Delitzsch, whom I now saw in a conflict which means indeed more than a scholarly feud, and which even to the most learned German professor, if he is a Christian, as this dear man is, must squeeze out many a tear and sigh. May God make him a new Jacob Andreä for the Bavarian Lutheran Church, who once in so admirable a manner united, with his irenic endeavors continued to his death, the most incorruptible fidelity to the truth and to his Church, and on this way developed an activity for the welfare of the Church so blessed as few of whom the history of the Lutheran Church tells us.

So on Saturday the 22nd of November we returned once more to Neuendettelsau, where we then remained until the 27th of the same month. It would lead us too far to enumerate here all the particulars which made this longer stay as profitable as it was enjoyable to us. We mention first only that through the Sunday and weekday service-day falling in these days we had once more the opportunity of hearing the man, endowed with the rarest spiritual eloquence, publicly preach the Word of God again to his con-