# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1855 02 27_S106
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

106

century, with the overthrow of the Lombard kingdom, the places of public worship; so they have raged for 400 years and more. The papacy likewise was there earlier than the time when it secured its pretensions by false documents, and, because that which in and of itself is death cannot die, in spite of the death-wound which it received three hundred years ago, it continues to exist. Yea, since it is really only Baal in new armor, the years of its heathen ancestors are reckoned to it, and one may therefore boldly set the age of the two plagues, even in the widest sense, in the given proportion to one another. But if one wishes to measure quite sharply and look only at the time of flourishing in the narrowest sense, the following calculation results

1. The proportion: 5 and 42. Since these do not divide into one another, one must take each one double, which, as is well known, does not change the proportion. The age of the Arian heresy therefore stands to that of the papacy as 10 : 84.

2. The Arian heresy — flourished from the year 321 to 388, and was thus 67 years old.

3. The papacy — has, according to the given proportion, flourished 562 and four-fifths years. If we subtract these from the last year of its flourishing, that is, 1517, the beginning of the full flourishing of the papacy falls in the year 954. That was the time when the harlots ruled in Rome.

Incidentally, the „five months“ are at the same time a comforting reminder that this plague of the Church will not last long by heavenly measure, and that, as long as it lasts, it will not always be equally severe, especially in so far as it afflicts the believers outwardly, through loss of the meeting-houses, banishment from the country and the like, but will wax and wane like the moon.

V. 6. „Seek death and shall not find it,“ etc. —: As has been remarked before, those also who thrust Christ from them must in their own way become aware that a judgment of God has broken in. In our own days, for instance, the unbelieving feel no less than the children of God that the hand of the Lord lies heavy upon us. Oppression and distress of every kind in the old world, plagues, dreadful accidents, the insecurity of which one has a feeling everywhere, war and rumors of war, earthquakes here and there: all this must serve to make everyone testify that a heavy thundercloud casts its black shadow upon the whole earth. To a certain degree this was also the case when Arius and his following lifted up the head. At that time, as the history of that age teaches, there was in the whole world a perilous state of affairs. The old Roman empire was inwardly shattered and was overflowed by wild hordes. It was a time in which one would rather not have lived. That is what the sixth verse first of all means to say: hence the general wording: „men.“ But then it also lies therein that the Arian heresy plunges into eternal damnation. False doctrine gives no peace, and therefore always brings about such a condition as is here described. Finally, the words have also the sense that orthodox Christendom in those days would rather have died than experience such an abomination, that its Head should be cast down from His throne. Pious Christians longed in those days for the times when the devil attacked them openly with bloody violence.

V. 7. „And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle“: — The Arians stirred up strife and disturbed the peace of the Church.

„as it were crowns“: — They fortified their dominion by civil authority and power, yet their head was only „as it were crowns“: for they were not themselves the supreme power, and the royal priesthood they despised, because they did not truly believe in Him who has made us kings and priests.

„and their faces were as the faces of men.“ —: Cunning, human persuasion and other human means had to help them. It also points to the denial of the divinity of Christ.

V. 8. „And they had hair as the hair of women“—: no manly spirit was in them, no faith and trust in God's power, no steadfastness in persecutions. Their chief weapon was flattery and court favor. Through the intercession of an empress they also rose up at the beginning. The eunuchs afterwards defended them. Thus the royal priesthood was disgraced and made effeminate.

„and their teeth were as the teeth of lions“—: with cunning slanders they accomplished as much as the infernal lion, so that Athanasius for a long time could not remain before their fury.

V. 9. „And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron“ — a fine counterpart to the breastplate of a warrior of Christ: their confidence was built on brass and iron; yet only „as it were of iron,“ because they were not themselves soldiers, but were so feared only on account of the support which they found with the emperors, as though they themselves had the power on which they leaned.

„the sound of their wings“: — not the wings which shimmer like silver and gold, which the Holy Ghost moves, and whose rustling, of a heavenly kind, drives away the devil and gives air to oppressed hearts, but they rattled as the chariots of many horses running to battle. Kindled by hell, their tongues stirred up the fire of war, and they were sorry that they did not accomplish more.

V. 10. „And they had tails like unto scorpions“—: the poison they hid, after the manner of false teachers, because otherwise they would have found no entrance; but in time it came to light of what spirit they were the children.

„and there were stings in their tails“—: for although at first it did not appear as if they had hostile designs upon the sheep of Jesus Christ, yet afterwards their stinging nature revealed itself, which drove them to mock and persecute the faithful confessors of the LORD.

„to hurt men“—: it was indeed a base insult to the whole human race that the Son of man should not be true God; but they also grieved simple hearts besides, because they scornfully laid hands on their jewel.

V. 11. „And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit“—: if their patrons had understood this word, they would have repented.

(To be continued.)

(Contributed by Pastor Fick.)

Agnes.

„Another (JESUS) has already conceived a love for me, and has made me His own with the ring of His faith.“ Agnes to a heathen.

In the garland of flowers from God's garden of martyrs the holy Agnes shines as the white lily. Her very name points to this, for Agnes means the chaste, the pure. She sprang from a noble family of the capital, Rome. Her delicate frame, her lovely countenance and the purity of her whole being drew to her, even very early, the eyes of the young men of rank from the first families of the city, who sought her favor. But even earlier her love had given itself with whole and undivided heart to Him who indeed in the eyes of the world has no form nor comeliness, but of whom the believing soul says with full fervor: „Thou art fairer than the children of men.“ To this her heavenly Bridegroom her whole life was consecrated, and her holy love, which wished to know nothing more than Him alone, succeeded also in winning many of her friends and playmates for the LORD JESUS.

The son of the praetor Symphronius had once seen the thirteen-year-old maiden in the street on her way home to her parents' dwelling, and had been inflamed with violent love for her. He sought her hand, offered her the costliest jewels, and held out to her the most splendid life that riches, honor and all worldly joys and pleasures can possibly give. Agnes put away all his enticements, and answered him: „Depart from me, thou wickedest tempter, who wouldst gladly lead me by thy desire into manifold grievous sin and at last into eternal death. Yea, depart from me, for another has already conceived a love for me, and has made me His own with the ring of His faith, One who in lineage and honor is much mightier than thou. He has hung my right hand and my neck with precious stones, and marked my countenance, that I should love no other beside Him. Yea, He has shown me all His unspeakable treasures, and has promised the same to me for my own, if I am not unfaithful to Him. Therefore I cannot look upon any other beside Him, much less take him, and forsake Him to whom I am wedded in hearty, fervent love. His nobility, His power, His countenance, His love surpasses far everything else that may be found on the whole earth.“

The impetuous youth, whose carnal mind understood her words as referring to an earthly bridegroom