# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1854 09 26_S19
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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an inward, spiritual, heavenly peace, which can subsist in the midst of outward discord. Therefore Christ says: "My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you." (John 14:27.) When upright servants of God's Word contend for the jewel of the pure doctrine, they do not thereby become disturbers of the true peace, but rather they then fight for this peace. Those, on the other hand, who, in order to establish or preserve outward, worldly peace in the Church, leave the truth undefended and its perversion unopposed, pass indeed in the world for men of genuinely evangelical disposition, for peaceable, loving people, but the Holy Scripture paints them otherwise. It says of them: "One built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter. These are the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord GOD." (Ezek. 13:10-16.)

Yet, dear reader, from all this thou must not conclude that it is the "Lutheraner's" joy and delight when he sees the flames of discord blazing up on every side and when he can take part in the general conflict. Ah, no! He comforts himself indeed with this, that this conflict is unavoidable, yea, necessary even for the honor of God and for the salvation of the world on the part of orthodox Christians, and that in the midst of the outward discord the true Church of JESUS Christ keeps its inner peace, as the sea, when its surface is stirred up by storms, is still and calm in the depths. The "Lutheraner" comforts himself indeed with this, that the LORD Himself says: "It must needs be that offences come" (Matt. 18:7), and that His holy Apostle writes: "There must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you." (1 Cor. 11:19.) But at the same time the "Lutheraner" also mourns with all true Christians over this sad necessity. The necessary strife makes the world to him, as to all upright Christians, a strange land, a true vale of tears, a wilderness of sorrow and sighing, and among other things he longs from his heart on this account also to be out of this restless world and in perfect peace. It grieves the "Lutheraner," as every Christian who bears love in his heart, painfully, yea painfully sore, that he cannot peaceably extend the hand of brotherhood to everyone who here calls himself a Christian, and he longs for a day when all Christians of all times, lands, nations and parties shall recognize one another and, undisturbed by false brethren, live together and praise and magnify God with one voice. And that at last, according to the divine promise, such a day shall break, when all strife shall be at an end, when Christ's congregation of the cross shall put off the garment which disfigures it and makes it unrecognizable and shall be made manifest with its LORD in glory, and it, the church militant here, shall there be transformed into the church triumphant: this is the "Lutheraner's" proper, last and highest comfort in the discord and in the conflict and strife which has now broken out in Christendom. With this comfort do thou also comfort thyself, beloved reader! But that this comfort may not fail us, let us here be faithful in believing, loving, hoping, enduring and fighting; yea, also in fighting — for "if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully."

The Anabaptists at Münster.
By Dithmar.

At the time when the pure Gospel, through the mighty instrument of God, Dr. Martin Luther, came again into vogue, and the false nature of the doctrine and the worship here and there in German lands collapsed like rotten boards, there came in the year 1532 one named Bernhard Rottmann to Münster in Westphalia and began there in the foundation of St. Maurice, outside before the city, to preach against the clergy, and won some citizens who gladly wished to bring him into the city. The clerical gentlemen, however, when they learned of this with displeasure, gave the runaway preacher money, that he might go elsewhere and not trouble them. Rottmann took it and went away, but behold, after some months he appeared again and would not again be put off. His old friends soon gathered about him, formed a faction and brought it about that Rottmann was admitted into the city. A church the clergy were still unwilling to open to him. Thereupon the good people soon knew what to do and had a preaching chair set up for him before St. Lambert's church, streamed in great numbers thither when he preached, heard him under the open sky and acted as though they were quite aflame with love for the truth. Soon they also carried it through that the new preacher might mount the pulpit in the Lambertus church.

Now it was to go more seriously to work. Rottmann alone could not manage it. Therefore, on his advice, a letter was sent to the theological professors at Marburg, asking them to send some pious and learned men, who should help the said Rottmann in Münster to promote the Word of God with all diligence. Thereupon two clergymen, Petrus Wirtheim and Gottfried Strahl, were dispatched from the University of Marburg to Münster.

When these two came to Münster, three others, Glandorp, Rollius and Brictius of Norden, were assigned to them, so that there were now six of them who were to preach the pure Gospel. After they had taken counsel together in what manner the papacy at Münster might most fittingly be abolished, they finally resolved to put all the errors of the papists into several articles and to deliver these to the Council. They offered besides to prove these articles sufficiently from the clear and plain Word of God, and if they did not do so, they were willing to decline no bodily punishment.

Thereupon the Council summoned all the popish priests to the town hall and had the articles laid before them — they were thirty — and asked them to say whether they would refute with the Holy Scripture the things that had been read to them and defend their doctrine. Then the old gentlemen could bring forward nothing against the articles and confessed that what they had hitherto said and held had come more from common delusion and ignorance than that they should know anything thorough about it. Thereupon the Council ordered, after they had been overcome in their wrong doctrine and had themselves recognized and acknowledged their false delusion, that they should henceforth abstain from the teaching office and give room and place to the new teachers in the churches. After this, by the decision of the Council and people, six churches were given to the new preachers, which vexed the cathedral canons almost violently, and for this reason they all departed from the city and came to their bishop, who was named Franciscus and by birth had been a Count of Waldeck. With him they united to occupy the highways and all roads, so that nothing of grain and other things might reach the citizens in the city. Then they sent a messenger to the Council at Münster with letters to this effect: they should desist from their undertaking and put all things back in their former state; if not, they would regard and treat them all as enemies.—

The bishop, the clerical gentlemen, knights and men-at-arms had gone to a little town called Telkenheim, half a mile from Münster, in order to get at the rebels in the city more severely from there. Now the messenger came to Münster and reported to the citizens what the ungracious lords had resolved to do. Men asked: What is to be done? Shall we submit, or offer resistance and stake our blood upon it? There were stout-hearted men who gave counsel that should soon drive the arrogance out of the gentlemen in Telkenheim. About nine hundred men of Münster marched with arms and weapons on Christmas Eve 1532 out of Münster, came in the night before the little town, scaled the walls, seized gate and streets, so that no one might escape, and thus captured their enemies, who had not expected such an assault. The lord bishop, to his good fortune, had ridden away shortly before, otherwise he too would have been taken prisoner. The victors came back in triumph on St. Stephen's day, brought the captured cathedral canons with some of the bishop's counsellors and several knights on three or four wagons into Münster and lodged them in the inns.

Now the gentlemen were asked whether they would also henceforth the preaching of the pure Gospel