# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1852 12 07_S1023
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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of the Rev. Mr. Schmidt were excused on the ground of his temperament, since moreover the Rev. Mr. Schmidt at my first visit complained indeed of injuries formerly suffered at the hands of individuals, but let not a word be heard as though wrong had been done him in the investigation, even confessed to me that in the long interval he had indeed at times had the thought whether he should preach again, but that he was now glad that I was at last there; since I at last found that on the justice and wisdom of the proceeding there was only one voice, no doubt as to the lawfulness of my call could arise in me, and I entered upon the office in God's name, into which I was publicly installed by the Rev. Mr. Steinbach.

About that time the Rev. Mr. Schmidt had the plan of forming an English Lutheran congregation here. When that, as well as the professorship, had come to an end, he told several local members of the congregation that he had become uneasy about his former position, especially through a cordial and urgent letter from the Rev. Dr. Sihler, and longed to take up a preaching office again. He had also already reported his willingness thereto to St. Louis; it was therefore possible that he might soon receive a call from there. But he would rather remain here, or in the vicinity. Whoever, therefore, wished to have him must hurry. Similarly, and still more plainly, he expressed himself to some members of the congregation who live about 10 miles from here in East Cleveland and Euclid. He offered himself to them repeatedly and formally as preacher, assured them he would be content with everything, that he had other means of subsistence, and sought to persuade them not to tell me anything about it, but simply to call him without more ado. The people, who had long wished to have a preacher of their own, were not disinclined, but did not wish to do it behind my back. They came therefore and presented the matter to me, but thought at the time that they might keep silent to me about the manner in which the Rev. Mr. Schmidt had offered himself to them. They assured me thereby that they wished to remain in unity with the Cleveland congregation, to join the Synod with us, and for that reason to call the Rev. Mr. Schmidt only under the express condition that he should apply for admission as soon as practicable. I saw nothing questionable in this request; the congregation released these members from its union; I was asked to draw up the call, in which, at their express desire, I included the above condition. The Rev. Mr. Schmidt accepted it, declined on the other hand the Rev. Dr. Sihler's invitation to St. Louis, and on the first Sunday in Advent, 1851, preached his inaugural sermon. So he did not at that time assert the view that he was by right still pastor of the Cleveland congregation; otherwise he would surely have had to reject a new call through a part of it. Now he preached, to be sure, mostly on Sundays out there, but postponed his removal for all sorts of reasons: It was said at that time already that he was going about to gather a congregation for himself here; but since the Rev. Professor Walther, on the occasion of his passing through, had earnestly warned him against it, we let it be. Toward the end of March, when in No. 11 of the Informatorium (first volume) the first article about Cleveland appeared, I went with two elders to the Rev. Mr. Schmidt and asked for a declaration whether he had written these or similar words to Pastor W., or had in any way occasioned them. The Rev. Mr. Schmidt assured us thereupon that he had given occasion for it neither directly nor indirectly, and that what was asserted there was not his opinion either. He had, for at least a year and a half, broken off all correspondence with Pastors Winkler and Grabau. The former had indeed some time ago asked him to report the occurrences in Cleveland, but he had not answered him at all. It also did not please him at all that Pastor W. had written so, and he supposed it had happened only from the intention of enticing him (P. S.) out thereby and forcing him to write. Pastor S. also promised to declare this publicly, and for that purpose sent in the declaration found in No. 20 of the "Lutheraner."

Soon afterwards the Rev. Mr. S. finally declared himself ready to move out to Euclid; the congregation, however, having been made attentive by all sorts of strange utterances of its pastor, demanded beforehand a plain declaration whether he intended to keep all the conditions of his call, or not. He answered this question in the affirmative, promised to join the Missouri Synod as soon as he could, and so he was then fetched to Euclid. About that time Pastor W. paid a visit to Cleveland.

But hardly was he out there when he began to feel uncomfortable, to complain constantly about his scanty income and to declare publicly that wrong had been done him in Cleveland, that he trusted no one of the Missouri Synod any more, that it did not occur to him to join it, but rather the Buffalo people and the like. He often omitted his school hours, at times stayed almost as much in Cleveland as in Euclid, read to local members of the congregation articles from the Informatorium, invited them to his services, warned one against another, looked at building lots and houses, even asked outright whether people would hold to him if he should preach here again, etc. All this while the people in Euclid supposed he was collecting money for a church that was to be built there. And when he was asked about one or another of these things, he denied it or gave evasive answers.

At last, on the 10th Sunday after Trinity, the 15th of August, 1852, Pastor S., after the close of divine service in Euclid, called on the men to stay a little while. He then said: there were in Cleveland many souls who clung to him and were now going astray since he no longer preached. The thought of these had for a long time given him no rest day or night; he could not answer for it if they were lost—so he had resolved to move again to Cleveland on the next day, where from the next Sunday he would preach in the courthouse. But he would at all events come out once every three or four weeks and look about for a schoolteacher for them.

With that he reached for his books and wanted to go. All were dismayed. A local elder, however, formerly one of the most zealous admirers of Pastor S., who happened to be there visiting his relatives, asked leave to speak. He then represented that if it concerned the people who clung to him (P. S.) to be saved, then the pure Word and right Sacraments were to be had in Cleveland, and so there was no need whatever for him to preach there again—or did he perhaps mean to assert that their pastor and the congregation were false believers? (P. S. shrugged his shoulders.)—But if those people were seeking something of their own, and cared more for this or that preacher than for the preaching of the pure Word, as appearances showed, then he would only strengthen them in their ignorance or their wilful separation, and so lead them still more astray. The Euclid congregation therefore could not possibly give its consent to this step. He therefore begged him most heartily to desist from it.

Pastor S. answered thereupon: He knew well whence all this came. Pastor Schwan had sent him off, (I knew nothing of it,) he must be in fear. It should soon be hot enough for him. His company would soon melt away. But let him only dare to mutter, and he would show him. Also he (Pastor Schmidt) had not come at all to ask the congregation for its consent, but to make known to it his resolution. He was no bootblack of the congregation, like the Missouri preachers, who were, as Prof. Walther himself had written, merely the fifth wheel on the wagon; the preachers stood by the congregations merely at their side. No! he was no hanger-on, but an overseer, and the congregation had to obey.

Thereupon it was represented to him by another, a former elder of one of the separated Lutheran congregations in Prussia, who has been settled here for a short time, that he had surely bound himself to this congregation by the acceptance of a regular call; whether it was right, then, to break this call so arbitrarily and without cause?

To this he replied: "What do I care about the call, I am ordained, I preach where I will, I do what I will." At times he has denied to the congregation itself the right of calling, and has also held that the pastor must by right have the deed and the keys of the property.

All entreaty and admonition was in vain. He went away with the words that whoever wished to hear him should come to the courthouse!—The next day he moved to Cleveland, into a part of the city where many of our members live.