# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1855 03 27_S127
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

127

plied. Thus even a superfluous work would still have some use.

The plan of the work is as follows. It is mainly intended to give a faithful account of the circumstances of Dr. Luther's life. The number of pages will be about one hundred in octavo. To make it the more convenient for use in families and schools as a reader, the history is divided into chapters, which are provided with short summaries. Care will be taken, so far as possible, for a tasteful external appearance. The appearance of the book shall be hastened as much as possible, and will, with God's help, take place in June or July of this year. All ev. luth. preachers, schoolteachers and friends of the undertaking are authorized to collect subscribers, and are requested to send in the number of their subscribers by the end of May, so that the size of the edition may be determined. Whoever collects eight subscribers receives a free copy. As soon as the book has appeared, it will be sent to the respective subscribers, who will then send in the money for it. All letters, orders and remittances relating to it are to be addressed, post-paid, to Herr Past. F. Bünger in St. Louis, Mo., who has undertaken the dispatch of the Lutherbuch.

But the faithful God, who regardeth the lowly in heaven and on earth, Ps. 113, 6, and who is gracious to the poor and needy, Ps. 72, 13, will also give blessing and success to this.

Hermann Fick.

Some Harms Theses.

When in Germany, in spite of all the falling away from the faith of the fathers, they nevertheless wished to celebrate the Reformation jubilee in the year 1817 with great pomp, Claus Harms, then archdeacon at Kiel (lately gone home to his Lord), alluding to the 95 theses of Luther, published likewise as many theses, in which he wished to show that now after 300 years a similar thoroughgoing reformation was needed in the church still bearing Luther's name, as 300 years before in the Roman. We communicate some of these theses for the 19th century.

Thesis 3: "With the idea of a progressive reformation, as this idea has been conceived and as one is especially urged to it, one reforms Lutheranism back into heathenism and Christianity out of the world."

Thesis 9: "The Pope of our time" (in the so-called Protestant Church) "we can call, in respect of faith, Reason, in respect of action, Conscience." (One makes conscience a pope, namely, when one believes that all is right if one only acts according to one's conscience, even if conscience contradicts the Word of God.)

Thesis 64: "Christians should be taught that they have the right not to tolerate anything unchristian and unlutheran in the pulpits and in church and school books." (O that God would grant that the Lutherans had not had this said to them in vain, or would at last take it to heart!)

Thesis 75: "Like a poor maid one would now make the Lutheran Church rich by a copulation" (with the Reformed). "Do not perform the act over Luther's bones! He will rise to life and then — woe unto you." (It has happened! For when they wished to introduce the Union by force, thousands of Lutherans awoke again from their slumber, laid hold of the jewel of pure doctrine which they were to be deprived of, and held fast to it, after they had previously laid it down beside them securely and carelessly.)

Papal Presumption Repulsed.

When Pope Boniface VIII in the year 1301 had written to King Philip of France: "We will that thou know that thou art subject to us in spiritual and temporal things. All who believe otherwise we hold to be heretics" — the King answered him: "Philip, by the grace of God King of the Franks, to Boniface, who gives himself out as pope, little or no salvation beforehand! Thy distinguished silliness" ("fatuitas" instead of sanctitas, holiness) "shall know that in temporal things we are subject to no man. Those who believe otherwise we hold to be fools and senseless. Given at Paris."

(Sent in.)
Odd-Fellowship examined in the light of Scripture and reason by J. T. Cooper. Philadelphia W. S. Young, 173 Race Str., 1853.

This is the title of an excellent little book which in a calm tone, but in the most convincing manner, lays bare the iniquity of the Odd-Fellows and thereby of all secret societies. Whoever is not yet clear about the reprehensible nature of secret societies should not leave it unread. It deserved to be translated into German. We set down a table of contents, to show with what exhaustive thoroughness the subject is treated. 1. The society of Odd-Fellows makes itself contemptible in the eyes of all sensible, manly people; 2. it makes itself justly suspected by all virtuous people; 3. he who enters this society exposes himself to serious dangers; 4. the promise which he must give is an abuse of the oath; 5. connection with this society is incompatible with individual responsibility and independence; 6. it is not, as it pretends, a benevolent society; 7. it acts, by its own nature, injuriously upon the rights and interests of civil society; 8. it unlawfully puts itself in the place of the Church; 9. its religion is an unchristian one, and consequently it is an unchristian society; 10. connection with it is incompatible with devotion to the truth and cause of Christ; 11. it exalts the material above the spiritual; 12. it is a profanation of that which is holy; 13. it has a tendency undermining morality.

Marks of the True Doctrine and Church.

Love is not the touchstone of doctrine, but the Word of God and the faith grounded upon it. Thither Paul points us when he writes Rom. 12, 6: "Whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith" — not of love! (Arcularius.)

Let thy works not put thy speech to shame, lest, when thou speakest in the church, every one answer silently: Why then dost thou not do thyself what thou sayest? (Hieronymus ad Nepot.)

Perhaps many mock me too, because I repeat the same so often. But I believe that this is better, and I could wish that we always spoke the best with the most proper words and let it be heard in the church over and over again, syllable for syllable.

Melanchthon, Epp. ed. Manl. p. 421-

Christ, when He wished to draw men, had to become man. If we are to train children, we must also become children with them. (Luther.)

"Where is God?"

So, as Albuin relates, a philosopher once asked a Christian. The latter gave answer: "Tell me first, O philosopher, where God is not, and I will tell thee where He is."

Whoever would always be with God must diligently pray and read. For when we pray, we speak with God Himself; but when we read, God speaks with us. (Augustine.)

There is for no man a middle place, so that he who is not with Christ can only be with the devil (in hell). (Augustine de pecc. mer. et rem. c. 28)

God is wonderful in His counsels concerning the children of men; many He heals of sins by sins, as poison is driven out by poison. Luther.

The Western District
of the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod
of Missouri, Ohio and other States
will hold its sessions this year in the First Evangelical Lutheran St. Paul's Congregation at Chicago from the 25th of April to the 2nd of May inclusive.

Aug. Selle, Secretary.
Crete, Will Co., Ills., the 2nd of March 1855.