# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1852 12 07_S1007
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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the ban let themselves again be caught in the servile yoke. We are only too firmly convinced that the rest did not yield out of love for this cause, but because their consciences were confused, (in that one pretended, for example: this "Christian order" had been set up at a regular congregational meeting, and indeed with prayer; but since one prays and calls upon God beforehand at every Christian congregational meeting, one is therefore also bound to keep what one resolves). But now to the third ground.

III. Because they also did not offer to propose and set up another, perhaps better, Christian order, but wished to be free from all order.

Answer: One may also offer one's gifts freely, without setting up a fixed order. This first "Christian order" had made us shy of all similar orders. But that one may also offer one's gifts freely, yea, is permitted, and that this manner is biblical and of the New Testament, one can hear from the holy Apostle Paul himself, who writes thus to the Corinthians in the second epistle, in the ninth chapter and seventh verse: "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." Nevertheless we also hold that one may give in a certain order, if one does not treat such a fixed order as a matter of conscience, as happened with us, and on that account refuses the Supper and the cure of souls. Against the order we were never, but against the manner in which one sought to force it upon us. Pastor Gr. could not, in his report, say that we "wished to be free from all giving"; otherwise we should have had to remind him that even without his order, and indeed with all willingness, about 600 thalers were subscribed by us toward the building of a new church. We offered to build the church out of our own means, whatever it might cost; we wished to ask no outside congregation for help. We would indeed have done everything gladly, for Pastor Gr. was dear and precious to us. But, as said, they would not accept our free gifts. They compared us with the Samaritans and cited against us the passage from the book of Ezra, chap. 4:1-3! What an unfaithful application of the Word of God! We were surely no Samaritans who wished to hinder the worship of God, but just the contrary; we wished to promote it, and therefore also to bring such offerings freely and gladly. If we had no further testimony against the unfaithfulness of Pastor Gr. than the false application of the Word of God, it would already be enough. For what cause have we, then, in the New Testament, to let ourselves be bound to the Jewish law and, according to the passage cited by Pastor Gr., to give an equal tax (rich or poor) for the building of the temple? Of all this, however, Pastor Gr. prudently keeps silence in his report.

Further ground of exclusion.

IV. "Because they called the Christian order a priest's yoke and did not retract it."

Answer: We cannot retract it even today! But if it seems too harsh to the reader, we will give him an example which will take all the harshness from such an accusation. For once, when at a meeting this shilling affair was being dealt with, and Pastor Gr. perceived no proper unity, he took refuge in his manner, peculiar to him in such cases, and asked around, man by man, who would give the shilling. The question came also to Egel, Jr. Before he would give his answer, however, he asked Pastor Gr. for permission to be allowed first to ask a word. Pastor Gr. did not permit him. Egel asked again for permission to ask. Pastor Gr. refused it again and added: "There was nothing to ask, but he should say Yes or No whether he would give the shilling, or not." Egel said thereupon: "No!" Egel, however, had wished to ask how long this order was to stand? Is it to be blamed in peasants if they speak of a priest's yoke? One lays a yoke upon oxen whether they will or not, and Pastor Gr. has not wished to deal otherwise with us, as may be seen plainly enough from what has been said. On to the next ground of exclusion.

V. "Because they, in order to carry through their evil will, held one secret factious meeting after another, banded themselves together against pastor, church board and congregation, without heeding admonition."

Our answer: It is to be recalled here that Pastor Grabau, on account of the shilling matter, held many meetings with us. But since unity could never be established, because Pastor Gr. conducted the matter with us in a perverse way and we could not endure such; and since we also obtained relief in no other way, the congregation came together at the time when the synod was to be held in Buffalo. At this congregational meeting all were present, except about three members who, for certain reasons, would not come. This meeting was held in the house of C. F. Schröder, who to this day belongs to the Grabauian Synod. It was therefore no meeting at which one banded together against the church board and the congregation; for the church board and the congregation were together. Nor did it yet apply against the pastor, but it was resolved unanimously to charge the deputy Schweickhardt to seek counsel and help at the synod. If this had been obtained, we could indeed have lived again in peace with our pastor! That meeting also had another purpose: Since, in spite of all the contention, it had gone so far that the building of the church had been contracted with the mason, but they would not let us build with them, one had to deliberate what was to be done in such a case. It was therefore resolved to countermand the mason against some compensation, which also was done. For we wished no separation, and therefore to await first the synod. What else could we do there but come together? Pastor Gr. does very wrong in accusing us of factiousness therein.

VI. Because they, in such a factious meeting on the 30th of July, arbitrarily renounced the office and service of their pastor and deposed him."

Answer: Pastor Gr. had himself renounced us beforehand, because we would not sign the shilling. He refused us the Supper and the cure of souls. At the synod we found neither counsel nor help. For when later a number of these gentlemen came out to us to admonish us once more, that is, to force the shilling upon us, (p. 62) they tormented our conscience still more, as one can clearly conclude from the declaration given by Jakob Bauer (p. 65). They scolded us there as goats, liars, and so forth. How could we trust Pastor Grabau any longer, who had so long manifestly treated us unjustly and tormented our consciences? How could we finally have further confidence in the whole synod and obey its admonition, since it was of quite the same mind as Pastor Gr.? It is astonishing to hear that once a member of the Buffalo congregation, to whose heart our distress went, begged one of the younger pastors that he would work at the synod toward helping us, and received for answer: he would do what he could; but Pastor Grabau was the eldest, and one must follow him. Here, then, it goes by age, not by right! No wonder that all judgments of this synod are drawn up so "unanimously"; for if one, the eldest, has drawn them up, then they have all drawn them up. Whether "faithful, Christian and trusty pastors" do so, we must almost doubt. Whoever judges the whole manner of dealing, as Pastor Gr. has practiced it upon us, with an unprejudiced heart, can surely confess nothing else than that we had cause enough to guard ourselves further against such "faithfulness." We did not give Pastor Gr. his dismissal [illegible]. We contended with him for three years long for the sake of the cause. We begged him more often than we can count to yield for the sake of peace. One woman even offered her jewels, which she would gladly sacrifice, if Pastor Gr. would yield and spare the congregation. She received from him for answer: "A true Lutheran pastor could not yield herein!" We mean just the contrary.

We have altogether admonished Pastor Gr. to yield; we have sought counsel and help at the synod (not him ac-