# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1853 04 26_S115
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

115

aus in the nature of the Lutheran Church to distinguish sharply between mysticism and Mysticismus, and to acknowledge the former lovingly, so far as it rests essentially upon God's revealed Word and does not contradict the doctrine of the Church, but to reject the latter just as sharply, which in spiritual pride and haughty self-contemplation seeks and imagines it finds the fountain of truth and the fathoming of the divine mysteries in the human spirit.

Accordingly, the Lutheran Church does in fact unite herself, in her Scriptural view of all the phenomena named, with all that underlies them, nearer or farther, out of God's Word; but wherever they contradict this, she points it out as diseased and separates it out as alien; it was and is as far from her to pay idolatrous homage and reverence, contrary to the First Commandment, to what is humanly mighty and grand, and in such refined self-deification to separate herself from God's Word, which happens much rather to the Unionists, as it is from her to refuse loving acknowledgment to the divine kernel or at least germ therein, because it perhaps has no particular place in the systematic Lutheran doctrine of the Church; this petty, narrow-hearted, judging and annihilating view, in its nature thoroughly un-Lutheran, she gladly leaves to older and newer Orthodoxists, who confine the Lutheran Church quite narrowly as a visible institution of doctrine and discipline with a fixed order and constitution and with particular ceremonies, whereas the true Lutheran Church is essentially there where the divine Word in Holy Scripture in any way rules and shapes, which within Christendom, like the spiritual breath of life, embraces and penetrates everything that does not set itself against the same in hostile opposition.

Therefore the sound sons of the Lutheran Church are of quite good courage with regard to all "results of the more recent researches," also with respect to the above-named "phenomena of the Middle Ages"; and since, moreover, they do not at all belong, according to nature and truth, to the "bigoted ultra-Protestants," and their prevailing view has a firm, unshakable ground, they have no particular concern regarding the "deadly blow" which might perchance strike them in consequence of these results. Yet they are certainly not so haughty as not to accept thankfully from them corrections of their judgment in particulars, without fearing on that account that thereby "an enormous concession to Catholicism" might arise; for Catholicism as such, however mighty and grand it may appear to the evangelically unenlightened eye in its seeming unity, greatness, extent and compactness, is and remains nevertheless an impure mixture of divine truth and human error, of Law and Gospel, and especially burdened heavily with the corruption of the law-driving, work-righteous nature; the true catholicity, on the other hand, is in doctrine and practice essentially one with the evangelically sound form of the Lutheran Church, which in fact continues steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine. —

LUTHER ON THE SACRAMENTS,
or the distinctive doctrines of the ev. luth. chureh respecting Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
Translated from the German. New Market, Va.

Under this title there has appeared a short time ago an English translation of three important writings of our dear father Luther. They are the following:

1. Sermon on Holy Baptism, on Matth. 3, 13-17, of the year 1535. This sermon, probably fused by Luther out of three different sermons into one, treats first of the nature, secondly of the benefit, and thirdly of the use of Holy Baptism. So thoroughly as here, and so full of comfort and so mighty, has doubtless neither before nor after Luther anything been written on the sacrament of Baptism.

2. Letter to Two Pastors on Rebaptism, of the year 1528. This precious writing the readers of the "Lutheraner" already know, since we have communicated it in this our paper already in the 6th and 7th volumes, word for word.

3. (Great) Confession concerning the Lord's Supper of Christ, of the year 1528. That this writing is a true masterpiece, as regards both the exposition of Scripture and the refutation of the objections made, so that the reader is thereby introduced as deeply into the nature of the Holy Supper as he is armed against all attacks, older and newer, is known to all who have read this glorious Confession.

The translators are Messrs. Joseph Salyards, principal of the New Market Academy, who has translated the first and the last, and the Rev. Socrates Henkel, who has translated the second of the writings named above, from the German into English. The final file has been applied by the Rev. Ambrosius Henkel. We ourselves have indeed up to now had time to compare the work only in part with the German original; we believe, however, already on the ground of this comparison, that we can assure the readers that the translation has been furnished with as great conscientiousness as insight into the peculiarity of Luther's language. We praise God that He has caused this glorious work to succeed. Of what importance the appearance of this work is here, where the great majority of English-speaking Lutherans have fallen in the articles on the Holy Sacraments into the false belief of the Reformed, and do not know, indeed do not suspect, the good ground upon which the doctrine of our Church concerning the Sacraments is built — cannot be calculated. After the Book of Concord had been given to the English-speaking Lutherans in their language, no happier choice could now certainly be made for them than that of the above three writings of the great instrument which God used for the Reformation of His Church. The present existence of these two works in the English language is a true gracious visitation for the English-Lutheran Church of this country. Would that it also might recognize the time wherein it is now again visited! May He, the good Shepherd, who also goes after the straying sheep, prevent that the voice of truth, which now sounds ever louder into the English-Lutheran Church, become not "a witness against them" (Matth. 24, 14), but recall them and gather them under the old banner of the King, who was born for this and came into the world that He should bear witness to the truth, that whoever is of the truth may hear His voice. The truly Reverend Tennessee Synod, out of whose bosom both works, the Book of Concord*) and "Luther on the Sacraments," have come forth in the English language, and the dear men who have not shrunk, from love of the truth and of the Church of their fathers, from the unspeakable labor and the considerable costs which were connected with this undertaking, may God for this overwhelm with the fullness of His blessings.

*) From a good source we learn that the first edition of the English Book of Concord will soon be out of print and a second edition, revised with the greatest diligence, of this normative book of our Church is already being prepared.

But, dear reader, let it not rest with such a wish; take up now also, so much as you are able in your circle, the dissemination of that precious gift. Those who have already recognized the truth and the inexpressible worth of the same should therefore now, wherever they find opportunity, seek to bring the works named above into the hands of the English-speaking Lutherans. In particular the pastors should be as active as possible in this, procure for themselves first a copy of those writings for inspection, and recommend the purchase to those concerned.

The work "Luther on the Sacraments" is 423 pages strong in octavo and costs, in a pleasing binding, singly $1.00, wholesale 66⅔ cents. Whoever wishes to have the book, let him apply, enclosing one dollar and with exact statement of his own address, to the gentlemen publishers under the following address:

Solomon D. Henkel,
Newmarket, Shenandoah, Va.