# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1852 09 28_S23
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

23

content and quietly wait to see what will come. — Far from it! — The anxiety for what is now to come extorts from Pastor Grabau, among other things, even now in the latest Informatorium (No. 4.) the words: "Behold, dear Christians: hatred against us drives this Professor. — And we beg you and entreat you now, whoever among you still has the fear of God — punish this hateful man, who now, as in raging despair, would resort to a weapon of infamy." Similarly writes Pastor von Rohr in the same place: "Now he ("Mr. Walther") even threatens, out of revenge, because Pastor Grabau will not hold a conference on doctrinal controversies with him without previous reconciliation with our Synod, and because the right weapons are no doubt lacking to him against the heresy proved upon him" (?!) "Donatistic, — to let loose his whole sidecar full of lies and scandalous stories collected against us and to shoot them off at us. Is it not as when a serious man reproves a bad boy for his naughtiness, and he runs to the gutter and threatens to throw mud at him?" — We can well imagine, to be sure, that the poor gentlemen are not very comfortable at the prospect that the curtain will be drawn up once and that what has hitherto been practised under the title: Church, Reverend Ministerium, holy office, church order, etc. etc., is to be exposed to the eyes of other people also. But, dear gentlemen, though we are from the heart inclined to consign all that has happened to oblivion, yet this you shall know: by your first defiantly challenging us that we should come out with our proofs, and calling us dishonorable slanderers because we had not yet done so, and by your now (since we, urged by you to it, bind ourselves to give explanations) spitting fire and flames against us and calling all Christendom into the lists against us — by this you will not attain your purpose of frightening us off. Though you may act ever so unruly, the matters must now come to light! If it now grieves you to have driven the matter so far, accuse yourselves for it.

The free Blätter of St. Louis and the free men there.

Mention has been made in the "Lutheraner" from time to time also of these Blätter, which, as is well known, seek to spread an atheism as godless as it is demented, and which a recent poet very fittingly calls the organ of brutalization. We therefore hold it to be our duty to give our readers news of the fate which these Blätter have hitherto had and which, in all probability, awaits them shortly.

The editor himself makes known that already when the "Blätter" had completed the first half of their first volume, he had to lose money; whereupon he turned to the local society of the so-called "free men" for "moral" support; that they solemnly resolved upon this support also, but (probably for lack of this article) let it rest with the resolving; that thereupon the "Anzeiger des Westens" at last alone took up the cause of the poor "Blätter," but in a short time, together with the editor, lost upon it the sum of a thousand dollars; that if now the other public is just as little eager to be enlightened as the local "free men," atheism in the West will soon have no "Blätter" more, yet hopefully bring forth its known fruits, the paper namely will in this case cease. As we hear, the "free men" will not read the paper even for nothing any more, for the simple principle of the editor: "Let us eat, drink and be merry, for perhaps tomorrow we are dead, and after death all is over,"—these gentlemen have already grasped from the first number, and they hope from this principle, even without the help of a teacher, to develop the whole system practically and theoretically. To this it must be added that the gentlemen "free men" themselves have fallen out among one another and pay each other evil compliments, and indeed in such a way that it appears as if both parties were right.

(Submitted)

Dedication of a Schoolhouse.

For a long time it had been the earnest wish of the Ev. Luth. Congregation in St. Louis to extend its school district further, and so to bring the milk of the sweet Gospel to the children who live far from their school buildings.

This wish was, however, still heightened by a need that made itself felt, in that more congregation members were settling in the southern part of the city and their children had a long way to the schools, and because large buildings were being erected near the Trinity Church, which took away from the girls' school a part of its necessary light.

For almost two years it had now been repeatedly deliberated how the long-cherished wish might be carried out in a suitable manner; but difficulties piled upon difficulties. Yet at last the Lord graciously heard the many sighs which were sent up to Him in this matter. A building site especially suited to our purpose, with a house which now serves as the teacher's dwelling, was found, and the Lord made hearts willing to take up the considerable burdens in trust in Him and to begin the work in His name. In the course of the summer there arose accordingly a building of brick, 45 feet in length and breadth, which is divided by a partition wall into two rooms, each of which receives light through five large windows, and which are connected by a large folding door.

The whole building is so arranged that it can serve as the foundation for a church, if it should become necessary to give up our Trinity Church, at which the tooth of time already begins to gnaw.

The 30th of August was now for our dear congregation a day of general heartfelt joy, for the Lord had helped so far that the said building could be solemnly dedicated.

For this purpose all (5) teachers assembled with their pupils at 2 o'clock in the afternoon in the Trinity Church, and marched from there with them, with the flags belonging to the schools and flower-wreathed staves borne before them, to the festively adorned house, around which a great multitude of congregation members and many strangers had gathered.

After all the pupils had arrived in the yard, Teacher Koch, who is appointed for this school, opened the doors with a few words relating to the matter. The spacious rooms were able, besides the children, to hold only a part of those present, and windows and doors were therefore thickly occupied.

Mr. Pastor Wyneken now opened the solemnity with a few words, and the glorious hymn "Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr" resounded for the first time in this place. Thereupon Mr. Pastor Wyneken in a heartfelt prayer implored a blessing from the LORD and then spoke in a lengthy address on "the importance of schools;" gave several historical references concerning schools; called attention to the incomparably great benefit of schools generally for state and church, and to the preeminence of Christian schools especially, and exhorted to praise and thanks toward the Lord for the great goodness and grace which He has hitherto shown us in this respect.

After the close of the festival address a song of praise and thanksgiving, prepared for the solemnity, was sung by the pupils in two parts, whereupon Teacher Koch gave a short address to the children "on the occasion of the building of this edifice," and directed a few words of admonition to those girls who were passing from him to another teacher, as also to those boys who were passing from the other to him, and finally to all the pupils.

Thereupon a song was once more sung by the pupils imploring divine blessing, whereupon the pupils of the Immanuel School let a chorale with a suitable text resound.

At the close the verse "Praise, honor and glory be to God" sounded, and with the Lord's Prayer and benediction the solemnity was ended.

All the pupils and a large part