# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1852 12 21_S65
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Der Lutheraner.
(Rev. John, ch. 14, v. 6, 7.)
"God's Word and Luther's doctrine pure shall to eternity endure."
Published by the German Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio and other States.
Edited by C. F. W. Walther.
Year 9.  St. Louis, Mo., December 21, 1852.  No. 9.
Terms: Der Lutheraner appears once every two weeks, at the yearly subscription price of One Dollar for out-of-town subscribers, who pay for it in advance and bear the postage. — In St. Louis each single number is sold for 5 cents. Only those letters which contain communications for the paper are to be sent to the Editor; all others, which contain business matters, orders, cancellations, money, etc., are to be sent hither under the address Mr. F. W. Barthel, care of C. F. W. Walther, St. Louis, Mo.

(Submitted.)

Buffalo, December 2, 1852.

Reverend and beloved Herr Professor!

The undersigned have deemed it necessary, before God and their conscience, to give a public testimony in the Grabau controversy. They have been abused long enough for the truth's sake. It is time that those also who recognize and know themselves to be one with you in the truth should take upon themselves a part of the reproach. We have, likewise as a testimony to the truth, taken your person, dear to us, under our protection against Grabau's shameful calumnies, as is only right. Do not think that we wished in any way to flatter you or to curry favor. No; as we have written of you, so is our conviction, grounded on facts; so we should have described you to our friends in confidence. Therefore be so good as to receive our whole testimony without scruple into the "Lutheraner," insofar, that is, as you recognize it to be true. Only permit us the remark that, with regard to your own person, we would not gladly concede to you a proper judgment of your own. Out of pride a man likes to say too much about himself, out of humility he likes to say too little. Therefore be pleased graciously to let our testimony stand. If only it is true. If you would do something more, you may print this little letter along with it and set it at the head of our testimony. It is then one testimony the more.

In hearty love and esteem, your brethren

Ernst M. Bürger.
A. Ernst.
C. Diehlmann.*)

*) The following communication has placed us, the editor of the "Lutheraner," in no small embarrassment. Under other circumstances we should have refused its insertion altogether; first, because it plainly rates too highly such gifts as may have been granted us and our small labors, and secondly, because the insertion of any testimony favorable to the editor awakens the suspicion of vainglory on his part. But since we have now for a year and a day been attacked personally by Pastor Grabau and his friends in such a manner, and since, by casting suspicion upon our activity within our Synod, the latter also has been so grievously slandered, that complete silence toward all this on the part of other members of our Synod might be construed as an admission, and so redound to the injury of the work of God which we are carrying on, let the above communication therefore find its place here. We ask, however, that our friendly readers let the testimony given on our behalf count with them only so far, believing in charity that we mean honestly in the present controversy and desire no influence in our Synod, nor, according to our synodical constitution, can enjoy any other than that which every man has, or which every man who belongs to it can secure, if only he testifies with modesty to his brethren what he has recognized as truth from God's Word. Everything else which the dear brethren above put forward on our behalf, the readers will please set down to the account of the love and humility of the same, which sees in others the gift and grace always greater, and rates it higher, than in themselves. We speak the truth when we confess that, if God's honor and cause could thereby be furthered, we would prefer the deepest shame and contempt which liars and slanderers may bring upon us to the most brilliant rescue of our good name. And we may well say to the honor of God that we have already proved this by deed; for when we once recognized ourselves to be on the Stephanite-hierarchical-Romanizing path of error, we also confessed our errors and sins without concealment before our congregations and before all the world, in spite of the great shame which must fall upon us in consequence of such confessions, 1. because that confession was necessary for true repentance, and 2. because we knew that this disgracing of our own sinful self could not harm the kingdom of God, but only be serviceable to it.
D. R.

Testimony of Several Members of the Synod of Missouri, Ohio and other States Concerning the Grabau Controversy.

Already earlier there appeared in the "Lutheraner" a judgment upon this controversy from two reverend members of our Synod, which we have read with joy as a testimony to the truth. We hold ourselves bound before God and our conscience to give, on our part also, a public declaration in this sad matter.

The Grabau Informatorium is constantly busy representing Herr Professor Walther, in regard to his position toward our Synod, as a sort of unconditional head or pope, before whom all members of the said Synod, in their own spiritual dependence and lack of independence, bow most submissively and without further ado, after the manner of the Romanists. The truth and the compromised good name of the Synod demand that all its members raise their voices against such an untrue and spiteful assertion, uphold the dignity of the Synod, and give public testimony to the grossly insulted truth.

It is God's creative order in the world and in the Church that the stronger and the more richly endowed should always take the lead and fill such offices as correspond to his strength and gift. For the administration of the offices of the Church God has given gifts to His Church (Eph. 4, 8-11), and such generally acknowledged rich endowment and theological learning has been bestowed by God on our reverend Herr Professor Walther, who therefore also rightly, according to God's order, takes his eminent-