# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1854 05 09_S147
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

147

handled, and the individual commandments are strangely scattered.†)

So now not only the wording of the 10 Commandments is represented as insufficient, but the order also does not suit the author. Luther does not explain it in such a way that he could confess himself to it, and dear God has not drawn up the 10 Commandments rightly for him either.††)

What is one to say to this? Christ says, Matt. 5, 19: Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments†††) and teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

†) Among the duties toward the neighbor, in the 2nd Table the 4th Commandment is, as is well known, the first. In the Hanoverian Catechism it is found only on p. 145, after the order of the 10 Commandments has been wholly departed from. Likewise after the 5th Commandment the 8th follows immediately, etc.

††) If anyone wished to excuse the author and say: Oh, he did not mean it so badly, that he would have made it better than dear God; he only wished to make it better than Moses—we answer: With such an excuse *) the author would be ill helped. Granted even that he did not mean it so, the 10 Commandments were yet not Moses' work, but God's, and thus the attack remains fastened upon God's work. This alone we grant: To do evil with the conviction that it is evil is the greater sin. But to do evil in the conviction that it is good, or only permissible, is just as much sin.

But if anyone can hold it good or permissible to deal with the holy 10 Commandments as the author has dealt with them, for what must he hold Moses, and for what the holy Scripture?

*) The remarkably naive passage where the author says, "Before Moses died he wrote down his laws. Rel. Gesch. p. 107," may well have given occasion to such an objection.

†††) The scribes in the Old Testament also did not think that in the least commandments—and which are so small to look at as the ten commandments?—everything needful was yet contained. Therefore they made their additions, by which the commandments, in their opinion, were to be made more complete, but in truth were only weakened and dissolved. Therefore the Lord Christ sets over against them another exposition, when in the Sermon on the Mount He says repeatedly: "Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time—but I say unto you!" Therewith He does not reject the 10 commandments given through Moses, as if they were not suitably expressed, but the superficial explanation that had crept in from of old: and shows by several examples how very differently the 10 commandments should be expounded. Into whose footsteps now does the author of the Hanoverian Catechism tread?

(For Der Lutheraner.)

The Emigration of the Evangelical Lutheran Salzburgers in the Years 1731, '32 and '33.

(Continuation.)

The winter passed away, the little springs welled again merrily into the greening valleys, the larks fluttered toward the blue heaven and sang as joyfully as ever, as those who knew nothing of the misery that lay among them. Now the landholders too might think of departure.

These, formerly the well-to-do, had now for the most part also become poor. The soldiers who lay in their houses had drained them more and more. Their landed estates the magistrates had appraised in good time, but had aimed in doing so merely at large fees. And what did the appraisal help? Since no Lutheran was allowed beyond his district court to look about for a buyer, and since the Catholics also thought that, when everything was gone, they could get the empty estates for nothing, the emigrants had to give up what was theirs for a song or leave it wholly ownerless behind. And at last, moreover, levies of all possible names were extorted from them. That was in general the time when the minister Röll and his people held harvest,—reaped where they had not sown, unless their wicked schemes and shameful measures be called the seed.

The first of May came, and in eight days, so it was announced to them, the landholders were to depart. Then many united once more, as in the happier years, to celebrate the May festival on the alp. They drove up, to the sound of the shawms, the cattle finely adorned with green wreaths and fitted with clear-sounding bells, encircled by young and old in a merry ring. Up on the alp they sang once more their lovely greetings to the spring, refreshed themselves in the pure fresh mountain breezes, looked down into the deep, manifold, ever homelike valleys, looked up to the imperishable silver crowns on high. The remembrance of the beautiful past became so vivid that they forgot the sorrowful present. In cheerful conversation, in merry games, in the old, sweetly familiar Alpine melody they spent this first day of May. But when the snow mountains began to shimmer reddish and called them to turn back, unspeakable grief seized their hearts. Loudly lamenting they fell upon one another's necks and shed hot tears. Then they fell upon their knees and prayed with weeping soul the last Alpine prayer. Their faithful animals, for which they had found no more buyers, they gave their freedom, and for a long time still heard the well-known ringing, as they went down into the valleys, which were already covered by the shadows of night.

The eight days sped swiftly by. Some had built themselves wagons, and now loaded them with the remaining belongings, others carried all that was theirs with them. Companies of five hundred, a thousand and two thousand moved toward Salzburg. The rough soldiers were again very busy in this; they drove them on day and night without rest, and often tore the families asunder, so that many relatives found one another again only in distant lands. The aged, the sickly and the pregnant could not go forward so fast; so many had to throw their baggage from the wagons, in order to make room on them for these.

Yet one single story of the emigration I will relate here. Rupert Aesteck, a man at least outwardly still Catholic in the district of Werfen, stood with his pregnant wife and his three children under the house door, as just then a company of Lutherans was passing by. Then he felt an inward urge to join them. But his wife held him back with tears, because she and the little ones could not endure such a journey. He was content; but when the last man was past, he became suddenly so sore at heart, that he looked for his dear children, to cheer himself again among them. But behold, the little ones had gathered up a few articles of clothing and bread crumbs and had gone after the procession. That broke the father's heart and he said: "Dear wife, we will go along." "Yes," she sobbed, "whither thou wilt, in God's name." So they left house and farm behind and hastened after the little ones. Ah, how often is already the unconscious doing of children an outstretched finger of God for the parents!

The companies grew stronger the nearer they came to the Residence; it was streamed through by wanderers. Now one heard already less abuse and mockery, but one saw the more astonished and wondering faces. Yes, the flame of enthusiasm seized even the seat of the Archbishop. Hundreds of the townspeople, among them even several episcopal officials and whole files of the Life-guards, entered the ranks of the Lutherans. And even eight priests fell away from the Roman Church and fled. This last the heavenly Guide of hearts has ordained perhaps also for this reason, that the bitter feeling of our hearts might be somewhat softened concerning an order which has caused so great woe to thousands of our brothers and sisters.

Yet we see here with holy joy in the small what we saw in the first times of Christendom in the greater, the wonderful power which breathes from the transfigured countenance of the martyrs of the Gospel.

Such a great depopulation of his country the Archbishop had not expected; he always thought that, when it came to the point, the majority would think better of it, and remain behind in the bosom of their possessions and of the old Church. Now he saw himself wholly deceived, and he soon felt the evil consequences which his folly brought upon himself. The taxes naturally fell out smaller, and the maintenance of the imperial troops had required enormous expenditures; so his treasury grew leaner day by day. Then his ill humor made his gloomy brow still gloomier.

He wanted indeed to repair the damage at once, and sent out to the neighboring countries invitations to all who had a mind to take possession of the abandoned houses and estates. They were also soon occupied again; but it was disorderly riffraff, which had promised itself in the Salzburg country a glorious life of pleasure