# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1855 05 22_S153
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Der Lutheraner.

"God's Word and Luther's doctrine shall pass away nevermore." Rev. John, chap. 14, vv. 6, 7.

Published by the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio and other States.

Edited by C. F. W. Walther.

Volume 11.  St. Louis, Mo., May 22, 1854.  No. 20.

Terms: Der Lutheraner appears once every two weeks at the annual subscription price of One Dollar for out-of-town subscribers, who pay for it in advance and bear the postage. — In St. Louis each single number is sold for 5 cents. Only those letters which contain communications for the paper are to be sent to the editor; all others, however, which contain business matters, orders, cancellations, money, etc., are to be sent hither under the address: Mr. F. W. Barthel, care of C. F. W. Walther, St. Louis, Mo.

(Contributed by Pastor Wyneken.)

The Distress of the Lutheran Church since the Death of Luther, and Her Deliverance from It through the Religious Peace of Augsburg Concluded on the 25th of September, 1555.

A Historical Contribution to This Year's Celebration of the Peace Jubilee on the Coming 25th of September.

Continuation.

Consequences of the Victory for the Protestants.

Thus the Emperor was now master in Germany. The Protestant party, which had hitherto offered the strongest and most successful resistance to his efforts to rule without restraint in the Empire as in the lands otherwise subject to him, was so humbled and broken by the defeat and capture of its two heads that there was hardly any thought of a rising on its part. Trembling, they looked forward to the worst that he might decide against them. No outward power at least was at their command to avert it. Bohemia learned at the "bloody Diet" what it meant to draw the imperial displeasure upon itself through disobedience, and yet, through failing to give active support to its fellow-believers in Germany, not to have averted the consequences of it. They had formerly gone about, among other mockery of the House of Habsburg, with a picture on which was painted the lair of a lion (Bohemia), into which an eagle (Habsburg) let fall his dung; now they had to learn that the eagle had talons and power to tear the lion to pieces with them. Only to the intercession of some princely persons did they owe the "mercy" that only the heads of the Prague League, which the Bohemians had made for the protection of their rights as estates and of their religious freedom, were executed or tortured. The nobility lost in part their lordships and jurisdiction, the cities their privileges, and royal judges were introduced everywhere. Many nobles were banished from the land, burghers were flogged out of the country by the hangman, and where any remnant of mercy still prevailed, it was brought about only through the loss of goods. The stricter party of the Protestants, the Bohemian Brethren, were banished from the land forever; they turned, in three great companies, first to Poland, then to Prussia, where they were kindly received after it had been found on examination of their faith that they were brethren. In particular the old and noble Paul Speratus (author of the hymn: Salvation unto us has come), Bishop of Posen, showed them much love and friendship.

In the Netherlands the Emperor now likewise had a free hand, since he had his back free in Germany. As a good "papistical physician and father of the country" he could now apply the proper "sharp medicine," which was to accomplish what he had hitherto striven for in vain, namely to root out "the pestilential poison of heresy together with the root." This medicine was prescribed in a severe imperial mandate and consisted in this, that even all those, "of whatever rank and condition they might be, who possess, buy, sell, or otherwise bring among the people a book of Luther, of Oecolampadius, or of any other author, even an unknown one, which has come to light within thirty years and does not bear the censorship of the University of Louvain, or who presume to dispute, secretly or openly, about the Holy Scripture and especially about difficult and doubtful matters, or to expound the same, unless he be a theologian who has a testimonial from an approved academy, should be regarded as rebels and disturbers of the common peace; those of the male sex should be executed with the sword, those of the female sex buried alive — N.B., if they have turned back from their error —. But where they should obstinately persist therein, they should be burned without distinction, and in the one case as in the other their goods be confiscated, etc." The same punishment awaited those who happened to know of any heretic and did not denounce him. One would think a radical cure. The same love that ordained it also took care that it was diligently applied. More than 50,000 persons were, under the reign of Charles V, in the Netherlands alone, for the sake of the Gospel or of alleged heresies, beheaded, drowned, hanged, buried alive, burned, and put to death with other shameful forms of execution. Who, in view of such proofs of a motherly heart, should not take Roman Babylon for the mother of all believers, and the Pope for the lawful vicar of Him who, for poor erring