# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1852 06 08_S165
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

165

aroused could remain, but that we also almost always had to extend to one another the hand of brotherhood anew at the close, united in the truth. Here also we had to learn repeatedly that in Germany people only too often regard, ecclesiastically and politically, the goal of a Christian state and the state church as identical (of the same meaning), and look almost with distrust upon anyone who will not rejoice that now, even after the revolution, the state has taken the Church in tow again; yes, that the Church, to put it bluntly, has again let herself be married off to the state, and must now purchase the few meager privileges thereby received, often at the loss of that which belongs to her dearest interests, at far too dear a price. It likewise grieved us to hear some of the dear brethren here not only defend, as is right, the divine, inalienable majesty-rights of the government, but at times even excuse the most shameless and most cowardly perjuries of the same toward the oppressed and indignant people, and so to see Christianity brought under suspicion among the poor people, as though it had no thunder against the infamies of godless tyrants on the throne, who first robbed the people, through the rationalistic parsons made into state servants, of faith and with it the awe of divine and human order; and thereafter took also its civil privileges and liberties, and now demand that no one, not even the called teachers, expounders and defenders of the right, indeed not even the legates of the King of all kings, shall mutter a word against it.

Besides this, moreover, that through our appearance among the dear brethren in Stade the "Society for the Support of the Lutheran Church in North America," founded by them, was filled with new courage and zeal of love to promote the cause of our Church in this Western land more and more in every way, we had yet the joy that Consistorial Counsellor Dr. von Hanffstengel declared himself ready to use his influence toward obtaining a church collection for the benefit of our College, at least in the Duchy of Bremen-Verden (belonging to the Kingdom of Hanover, with a consistory of its own).

When we had left Stade again, strengthened and blessed in body and soul, we took our way to Leesum near Bremen. Here, in the midst of near relatives of Pastor Wyneken, in the house of his brother-in-law, Superintendent Ruperti, we wished, resting from the uninterrupted controversies in which we had been involved almost everywhere until then, to celebrate the approaching dear, holy Christmas festival in retired quiet. This also came to pass. And God gave us here truly blessed days, such as only a love of kindred blood, sanctified by the common love to the One LORD, can prepare. Being requested by the Superintendent, I also preached here once, namely on the second holy Christmas day, since Pastor Wyneken was unwell. In these days we received letters from St. Louis which expressed the urgent wish for the return, at least of Pastor Wyneken. Gladly as we would have undertaken yet a journey to Berlin and Breslau, in order to see and become acquainted with the dear brethren of the Prussian Lutheran Church face to face, we nevertheless believed that by the tidings received from home we had been given a hint that the time appointed by God for our return had come, which we must follow. So in God's name we made ready for the homeward journey; which, however, in consequence of a delayed forwarding of our traveling effects, owing to a friend's oversight, could take place only on the 29th of Decbr. Partly to avoid the stormy and dangerous passage over the North Sea at this season of the year, partly misled by an erroneous report of the cheapness of the route by way of Calais and London, we this time chose this route. At noon on the day named we left Bremen by the steam-car and went first by way of Hannover, Minden, Bielefeld, Elberfeld, Düsseldorf to Cologne, where we arrived at half past 10 at night. From there we departed again at half past 11 by way of Aachen, Verviers, Liège, Mechlin, Lille to Calais, arriving there on the following day, the 30th of Dec., at half past three in the afternoon. At 6 o'clock a steamship took us aboard, which in a pleasant, calm passage of two hours brought us across the Channel to Dover on the English coast. Here we had to wait until 2 o'clock in the morning, when we departed again by railway. After a happy journey of two hours we were in London. But as we had heard that on this same day a steamship was to sail from Liverpool to Philadelphia, we hastened thither with the next railway train, which left at 6 o'clock in the morning. Alas, we had denied ourselves in vain the sight of the many noteworthy sights of the great English capital. For when we arrived in Liverpool on the 31st of Dec. at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, we learned that that ship (City of Manchester) had indeed not yet put to sea, but was just about to sail and would now take on no more passengers. So we were obliged to tarry here until Saturday, the 3rd of January, on which day we went aboard the royal mail steamship "Asia," with which, after a passage that was indeed for the most part most stormy and cold,*) yet fortunate, we arrived in New York on the 16th of January. Deep snow, which in these days had cut off almost all communication with the West, kept us in New York until Tuesday, the 20th of the same month, where, however, we were well sheltered in the house of our dear brother Brohm and in the midst of his dear congregation. On the day named we began at last the final part of our journey, which was at the same time the most toilsome. We traveled by railroad to Dunkirk and from there by way of Erie and Painesville to Cleveland. On the 24th of Jan. we arrived in Cleveland, where we likewise were lodged in the house of a dear brother, Pastor Schwan, and, from many members of his congregation, among whom we found opportunity to become acquainted with right worthy Christians, could feel ever more plainly that we had already come to the threshold of our home. From here we again used the railroad by way of Columbus to Xenia. Although the very last stretch of the way to be traveled, where we had to use the stage (which, however, for the most part bore this honorable name only in name), became almost with every station ever more wearisome, yet we overcame everything with joy, since every step farther toward the distant, in part inhospitable West brought us ever nearer to our dearest ones on earth. On the 2nd of Febr. we arrived here safely, and had therefore at last nothing but cause, with our families in house and congregation, to laud and praise God, who, in a time when every day brought new tidings of dreadful travel disasters, had so graciously preserved us on so long a journey by water and by land, that we never so much as dashed our foot against a stone.

*) In the most penetrating cold and constant wet, we passengers of the 2nd cabin never had opportunity to warm ourselves; moreover, the rooms of the second cabin were filled with freight, and we were therefore referred solely to the summer-house, which is now not exactly comfortable.

Luther's Doctrine of Unjust Excommunication.

It is a well-known fact that Luther, in the first years of his struggle against the abuses of the Roman Church, not only proceeded very slowly, but also, for lack of full enlightenment, still conceded much which he later did not concede, of which he later rather taught the opposite, and of which he also expressly retracted much. We recall only the doctrine of purgatory and of the papacy. As regards the first point, Luther, as is well known, formerly acknowledged purgatory, but later published a separate writing under the title: "Widerruf vom Fegfeuer." As regards the second point, Luther wrote as late as the year 1518 the following to Pope Leo X.: "I hear, Most Holy Father, that a very evil report goes about concerning me . . . , as one who should have presumed to diminish the dignity of the keys and the power of the highest bishop . . . Therefore, Most Holy Father, I fall at your Holiness' feet, and surrender myself to you with all that I am and have. Let your Holiness deal with me at your pleasure. With your Holiness it rests to decide my cause, to fall or to stand, to give me right or wrong, to grant me life or to take it. Let it fall out as it may, I will know nothing else than that your