# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1855 05 22_S157
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

157

...ic official activity, which was practised; but the establishing of "independent and well-endowed parish foundations" for this purpose is indeed something new, and for those who prefer the comfortable position of a German pastor of the apostolic sort to that of an American one, who wish to exercise church discipline here and yet sit firm and soft, a not at all bad thing.

Remark: 2. When Pastor Löhe speaks of "the American rabble in the church, which could, under the shield of the spiritual priesthood of all believers, recognize itself as sanctified and entitled," this is an ugly speech, which is at least not justified by our experience. The ruling rabble here cares nothing for the "spiritual priesthood of all believers," but mocks it and, as in Germany, lets itself be most willingly ruled, fleeced and led by the nose by the most worthless rationalistic priestlings.

Pastor Löhe's Judgment
on the Tone in the "Informatorium," etc.

Although Pastor Löhe, in everything that he writes in his communications about the Grabau faction, lets a certain sympathy shine strongly through, it is nevertheless very much to be acknowledged that he does not let his predilection mislead him so far as to approve the tone in which the organ of the Buffalo Synod is kept. In the last number of the "Mittheilungen" of last year he writes rather:

"However much we recognize the more kindred tendency of the Informatorium and feel ourselves satisfied thereby, yet we believe we are giving honor only to the truth when we find the tone which the Informatorium, even in these latest issues, adopts against Walther and his Synod unsuited to the preparing of peaceful relations. The members of the Fürth Conference will certainly not perceive in the tone of the Informatorium toward Missouri the change which they would have wished for the excellent paper."

Pastor Löhe further makes the following remark, which demands consideration and appreciation for a just judgment of the position he has taken toward the American church:

"We are convinced that by far the most significant progress of the Lutheran Church of our day takes place in North America, and already in this sentence the great esteem is expressed which we have for our North American brethren of both tendencies. We mention this only with the intention of warding off from our utterances the appearance of arrogance of our own. We desire nothing but the prosperity of the American-Lutheran Church and would gladly become small for its sake and let ourselves be trodden into the dust, without so much as opening our mouth."

(Submitted.)

Latest Popish Persecution in Tuscany.

The Evening Tribune, published in Detroit, reports the following about it from the London Christian Times, which we communicate here in extract:

Domeniko Cecchetti is a widower of 43 years, who worked in the tobacco factory of the bankers Fenzi and Co. and possessed in fullest measure the confidence and esteem of his employers. He brought up his four sons so carefully that they were regarded in the whole neighborhood as models of good conduct. At this the young apprentice of a wine merchant marveled, and when he heard that the father read the Bible with his children and friends, he remarked to his master that the Bible could surely not be so thoroughly bad a book, since it brought forth such good fruits. The latter revealed the words of his apprentice in the confessional, whereupon Cecchetti was denounced to the police by a priest. Three months later four gendarmes conducted a house search at Cecchetti's and carried off in triumph a copy of Diodati's Bible and two New Testaments. After ten weeks he received orders to appear before the magistrate. The judge asked him his opinion of the Mass, the power of the Pope, etc. Cecchetti answered that JESUS Christ was offered once as a sacrifice for the sins of men and that no further sacrifice is needed. "As for the Pope, who is supposed to be the head of the Church," he said, "I know no other head than JESUS Christ." He refused most decidedly to name any of his fellow-brethren with whom he had read the Scriptures. So he was sentenced to suffer one year's imprisonment at Imbrogiana for his crime of having read in the Bible. On the 25th he was fetched from his house by the gendarmes. Hastily he kissed his four sons and commended them to the keeping of Him with whom wisdom and strength are. On the following day he was dragged away in heavy iron chains, looking indeed pale, but composed and calm.

Here again the Roman priests have only proved anew how fiercely they hate JESUS and His Word, and what a murderous spirit against God's children animates them. But may the LORD strengthen dear Cecchetti, that he may not grow soft in his tribulations, but joyfully fight against the Antichrist and remain steadfast in the faith unto the end.

H. Fick.

From a Letter to a Member of Our Synod.

Durlach, in the Grand Duchy of Baden, March 3, 1855.
Highly esteemed, beloved Brother in Office!

A thousand hearty thanks for your dear, precious letter of January 8, which I received safely on the 5th of February, in the hours when, by God's grace, a little child, my fourth little son, was given me, whom I incorporated on the 9th of Feb. by the sacrament of holy Baptism into the LORD and His Church. — As a gift of God's grace I regarded also your dear letter, since it is so clear a testimony of the unity of faith that binds us even across the wilderness of the wide ocean! Once more my most heartfelt brotherly thanks! It is no small comfort to me, indeed an exalted strength, also in the conflict appointed me, that even in the remotest distance praying hands are lifted up to implore the final victory of the precious Lutheran Church in my fatherland, which, in view of the corruption of the latter, so urgently needs the blessing of the Word of God and of the pure confession from the mouth of the people! You already know that all petitions and applications to our high Government for ecclesiastical existence on native soil have been in vain and will presumably in the near future be in vain, because the Government wants at any price to maintain the Union from one end of the land to the other, even by the most violent means. A scanty sect-like form they are willing to allow us, but without free, unhindered exercise of the office, ordained by God, of preaching the Word and administering the sacraments. My official functions are therefore still continually visited with fines and imprisonment, as has happened only recently on account of some baptisms performed by me!

Nevertheless we hold out, and hope that the LORD will be more merciful than men and will at last, against the will of men and yet through them, help us to our good Lutheran right here in the land. The number of Lutherans increases, though slowly, by withdrawal from the confessionless Union, and only a few days ago a second clergyman, Pastor Ludwig, in the neighborhood of this place, withdrew from the Union church service and went over to our church, so that I now no longer stand alone, but in fellowship with a faithful brother in office serve the small Lutheran congregation, who has the hardship thereby that throughout the whole long-drawn little country the scattered Lutherans must be sought out, and that under the sabers and bayonets of the hostile and lurking gendarmes and police-servants. To an American pastor such conditions must be truly incomprehensible! But I may the more encourage you to continued intercession for your sorely persecuted Baden fellow-believers! We have experienced glorious proofs of the power of this infallible weapon of believing Lutherans!

God bless you, much-beloved brother! God bless also further, as hitherto, your important office. With true brotherly love I remain

Your faithfully devoted brother in office
C. Eichhorn, Lutheran Pastor.