# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1852 12 07_S63
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

63

men also, according to their doctrine, into hell, out of which there is no redemption. Into purgatory come, and suffer after them often many years of unspeakable hell-pain, only the pious and believing! Hence it also says above: “Happy, if thou comest even into purgatory.”

Thus it reads literally in the Cincinnati so-called “Wahrheitsfreund!” Who does not see from this that the so-called Catholic Church must be the church of Antichrist, since it so boldly denies, reviles, and dishonors Christ and His perfect satisfaction? What devil out of hell could have devised a better doctrine for making of none effect the comfort of the Gospel, of salvation by grace through faith in Christ, even for the hour of death, than this papistic doctrine of purgatory is? Thou wilt ask, dear reader, astonished: But what can move the Roman priests to talk the people into such a doctrine, which not only treads under foot the blood and cross of Christ, but is also so dreadful? Answer: The chief reason is this, because, as thou hast heard above, the doctrine of purgatory is necessary to the doctrine of the necessity and power of the sacrifice of the Mass, and because in turn the saying of Masses is almost the only thing that brings the Roman priest anything. Therefore they also set such great store by the apocryphal books of the Maccabees and make them canonical, because it is written there: “Judas commanded them to lay together a collection, two thousand drachms of silver; this he sent to Jerusalem for a sin offering. And he did well and nobly therein, that he took thought of the resurrection . . Therefore he also prayed for these dead, that their sin might be forgiven.” (2 Macc. 12, 43—46.) Concerning this Luther writes in his work “Widerruf vom Fegefeuer,” among other things, thus: “This text they apply to purgatory, though there stands not a word nor letter in it of purgatory; but they thrust and brew such a lying sense into it out of their own head, for the sake of the twelve thousand drachms. These glitter before their eyes more than resurrection and eternal life besides. For thou shouldst see, if Mammon were my God, that I could give enough of the 12,000 drachms, I would convert all sophists (papistic scholars) and heretics in one day, and not only abolish purgatory, but the whole papacy, ere a month were past. Therefore my doctrine lacks nothing but the Godhead of the great god Mammon; if I had that, it would be no heresy, nor error (among the Papists), but the dear, pure truth. But now it is erring and heretical. Why? Because it is poor. Poverty is my error and heresy. Let that be enough thereof; I will abide by my poor God, to Him be praise and thanks in eternity. Amen.”

The reader must not think, however, that the Papists would have no Savior and Mediator at all. Far be it! Our dear LORD JESUS Christ they have indeed deposed, torn the cross out of the people’s hearts, and set it instead on all the towers, and shown how the crossing of oneself can be used as a magic charm against all evil. But for the LORD JESUS they now have the holy Virgin Mary as their mediatrix, and for Christ’s cross in the heart have adopted the scapular. (The scapular, namely, is a pair of cloth flaps belonging to a monk’s habit.) Think not, dear reader, that I jest. In the following number of the “Wahrheitsfreund” it says further, namely, literally thus

II. Of the Holy Virgin Mary:

“The holy Bernardine of Siena teaches us that Mary exercises, so to speak, unlimited power in this prison of the brides of Jesus Christ (in purgatory), both to lighten their pains and to deliver them from the same. On the festival days of the birth and ascension of Jesus Christ Mary betakes herself, accompanied by many angels, into purgatory and delivers from it a great multitude of souls. The same happens on all high festivals of Mary. Generally known is the promise which Mary made to the blessed Simon Stoch, when she appeared to him in the year 1257.*) When Mary handed him the scapular, she promised him that those who should have worn it during their life should be saved from eternal death. Equally certain is the promise of Mary that all who wear the scapular should be delivered from purgatory on the Saturday after their death. (These facts one finds confirmed as true facts after thorough investigation by the bulls of the Popes Alexander V., Clement VII., Pius V., Gregory XIII., and Paul IV.) Mary, the queen of heaven and earth, Mary, the refuge of sinners, the help of Christians, Mary, our mother,—She is also the mother and the comfort of the poor souls in purgatory; when the whole world has forsaken us, when we without human aid must give account before the divine Judge, when we are once enveloped by the flames of purgatory and our friends and relatives faithlessly forget us—then—Mary has not yet ceased to help us, to be our mother. Mary, I love thee, and my whole heart will I therefore dedicate to thee! Help me, Mary, that I may soon find myself in the ark of thy worshippers; then will I proclaim thy praise with tongue and pen, dedicate my life to thee; to sinners will I preach the mercy of Mary, speak courage to all to turn to thee, O Mary. On my knees I beseech thee, O most blessed Virgin, Mother of mercy! Help me that I may once see thee in heaven and praise forever thy love, thy mercy! . . If we serve Mary in quite a special way, why should we then not also be permitted to hope for the grace of being taken up into heaven immediately after our death, without coming into purgatory? This great grace Mary caused to be announced to the blessed Gottfried through Abundus: ‘Say to Brother Gottfried, said she, that he shall make progress in virtue and belong wholly to me and my Son, whereupon, when his soul separates from his body, I will not suffer that he come into purgatory, but that I will then immediately protect him and present him to my Son.’ But if we wish to help the poor souls in purgatory, we must ever commend them in our prayer to the most holy Virgin.”

*) It goes without saying, if this story is not a knowing priestly fraud, that this alleged Mary was none other than the devil himself. As indeed all the souls which are said to have appeared and implored and whimpered for help out of purgatory, wherever such a spook actually occurred, were nothing else but devils, who wished thereby to help up the papistic superstition.

Judge now, dear reader, what are Papists who thus set Mary not only at the side of Christ, but even above Christ, and, despairing of Christ, worship her as their comfort, their refuge, their help, their hope, what are, I ask thee, such Papists better than Turks and heathen? Yea, since such men live in the very midst of the sound of the Gospel, are not such wretched idol-servants a thousand times more shameful despisers of Him who says: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”? It is indeed, since the fall into sin, the nature of all men who are still unconverted and without true faith, that they flee from God and seek refuge with men; but how says the Scripture? “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man!”

“Der Beiwagen.”

With this number the reader receives the first installment of the historical supplements promised under the above title. The reader will hopefully soon perceive that they are composed in another spirit than the reports of the “Informatorium,” namely not for the purpose of vilifying our opponents, but solely for necessary defense against unchristian attacks and—God willing—to bring the assailants to reflection. Since the material to be furnished is, alas! more than we at first reckoned, we shall hereafter, on account of printing costs otherwise rising too high, place the supplement in the second half of each number of the “Lutheraner,” until the necessary information has been given the reader. We give the reader moreover the assurance that to any rejoinders of Pastor Grabau to these our historical presentations, given with the strictest love of truth, we shall not again reply without the most urgent occasion, but shall commit the matter now to God and to the judgment of impartial Christians.

We repeat, moreover, that the real reason why we have received congregations and individuals withdrawing from the Buffalo Synod was not so much the sinful and unjust practice, as rather the false doctrine which is held fast in that synod. We have proceeded herein, according to God’s Word, from the principle that people who forsake erring teachers we may neither drive back to them, nor, if they were willing to submit to God’s Word and order, leave counselless and helpless to their fate. A hostile