# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1855 03 13_S113
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Der Lutheraner.
Offenb. Joh. Cap. 14, v. 6. 7.
"God's Word and Luther's doctrine pass away now and nevermore."
Published by the German Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio and other States.
Edited by C. F. W. Walther.
Volume 11.  St. Louis, Mo., March 13, 1855.  No. 15.
Terms: Der Lutheraner appears once every two weeks, at the yearly subscription price of One Dollar for subscribers out of town, who are to pay the same in advance and bear the postage.— In St. Louis each single number is sold for 5 cents.
Only the letters which contain communications for the paper are to be sent to the editor; all others, however, which contain matters of business, orders, cancellations, money, etc., are to be sent, under the address: Mr. F. W. Barthel, care of C. F. W. Walther, St. Louis, Mo., hither.

(Submitted by Pastor Wyneken.)

The Distress of the Lutheran Church
since the
Death of Luther, and Her Deliverance from It by
the Religious Peace of Augsburg
concluded on September 25, 1555.
A Historical Contribution
to this year's Celebration of the Peace Jubilee
on the coming September 25.

The poor Papists make much of their Jubilee Year, in which the pretended Vicar of Christ, out of innate mildness and compassion, remits their sins to those who make pilgrimage to Rome, and in which, after all, no one gains anything but his papal holiness, and he who has set him there, the devil; the former the money, and the latter the souls of the poor deceived people. We Lutherans have no such jubilee years now, nor do we need them, since through our only Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we have at all times a free access to God our heavenly Father, in true faith, by which we make daily and hourly use of the grace and forgiveness of sins, obtained for us by our Savior, for our true comfort in life and death.

But jubilee feasts we have nevertheless, on which we praise God our Lord for His bottomless goodness and mercy, wisdom and might, with which He governs His dear Church here on earth, indeed chastens her as a father through heavy cross and hardship and threatening dangers, but at the same time purifies and proves in her weakness His might, makes known in her outward infirmities her inward glory, and at last brings everything to a good end, so that His enemies with gnashing of teeth, His children with wonder and adoration, acknowledge that He sits in the government, and that His counsel and might are wonderful, and that He leads all things gloriously out to the salvation of His believers.

Such a jubilee feast this year also brings us, as the dear "Lutheraner" has already announced to its readers, and surely the Lutheran Church here in this country also will arise to celebrate this feast worthily, as it was celebrated one hundred and two hundred years ago in the dear old fatherland, and as it will also certainly be celebrated in this year. For the Peace of Augsburg of the year 1555 is well worthy to remain ever in the memory of the Lutheran Church, and where the jubilee is not to be observed, it would betray a heart that takes no part in the fortunes of the Bride of Christ, because it esteems lightly both her and her heavenly Bridegroom, as well as the wonders which He does for her sake. For great was the distress which this peace put an end to, and wonderful the deliverance which led to this peace. For not only had the Prince of Darkness succeeded in almost wholly suppressing the Church by outward force, but he also sought, by craft under a deceitful appearance, to lead those who had scarcely escaped back again under the yoke of Antichrist. And he had nearly succeeded. The shameful marriage contract, the "Interim," had already been drawn up, by which the Bride was to be coupled with the false paramour at Rome, and there were found also the bridal escorts who had once wooed with fiery tongues for the true Bridegroom, but now, discouraged and blinded by fear, undertook the business, to deliver her into his arms by the way more agreeable to the flesh, instead of leading her through the bloody dance of martyrdom into the heavenly wedding hall. As in Bohemia — formerly a predominantly Protestant land — so also in Germany the joyfully sprung-up seed of God's Gospel would have been wholly trodden down, if the Lord had not mercifully looked upon it, and after He had shown the earnestness of His chastisements upon His own house, had turned again to it with grace and help.

The writer of this has now resolved, with God, to set before the dear reader of the "Lutheraner" the history of this distress and of the deliverance from it, as well as he is able. May it, by the blessing of the Lord, contribute to this, that we be torn out of our lukewarmness, which, together with worldly-mindedness, is wont to nest wherever the Church has outwardly peace and good days, the confession of the mouth is joined with no danger, and the counsel of God unto salvation is also abundantly proclaimed to such congregations, where the thank-offerings for it are for the most part brought only by the faithful but misused preachers. When one, as we here in this country, sits thus beneath the freely flowing blessing of God, one easily comes upon the thought that it could not be otherwise, that it must now always go on so,