# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1855 05 22_S158
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

158

(For the Lutheraner.)

Burning of the Old Lutheran Church at Winchester, Va.

It took place in the night of the 27th of September 1854 and gave occasion for an address in the English language, which was delivered by the Rev. C. P. Krause and afterwards given to the press. The address has for its text: Isaiah 64:11: Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned up with fire. Following the guidance of this text, historical, instructive and edifying remarks are made on the subject indicated. The building site was given in 1753 by Lord Fairfax; the cornerstone of the building was laid in 1764. It was built of old gray limestone; but the building, on account of the enormous building costs and the difficulty of obtaining workmen, went forward slowly, and during the War of Independence came altogether to a standstill. In 1785 the Rev. Christian Streit, born in this country, but of German parents, became preacher of the congregation. Through his efforts the building was completed. The church received a tower, two bells, cast in Bremen in 1790, which for a long time were rung on Saturday evenings as a reminder of the following Sunday, and in 1795 an organ. The church was plain, but of such an appearance that it could certainly be taken for nothing else than a church, and was counted an ornament of the place.

The congregation was originally German. It is said of its members that some mocked at their broken English; but they could not often mock at their breaking their promise. Christian Streit, who presided over the congregation as pastor until his death in 1812, preached English and German.

In the night mentioned a fire broke out near the church, probably set, which, on account of the great drought and lack of water, could not be checked sufficiently to save this building. —

The sympathy which the address otherwise awakens is, alas, much weakened by a passage which occurs in the elaboration of the text-word "holiness." It is related there that an old document in the Latin language, concerning the purposes of the founders of the church, says among other things, "it is dedicated solely to our Evangelical religion, with eternal exclusion of sects, whatever name they may bear, and of all who depart from our Evangelical-Lutheran religion or do not in truth assent to it." And soon afterwards it is said by the speaker that "although they sought to prevent a use of the church contrary to its purpose, it was nevertheless distinguished by many an act of communion with the other parts of the body of Christ." Preachers of almost all denominations had preached there at various times; at its altar the invitation had repeatedly gone out "to all who sincerely love the Lord Jesus Christ, whatever name or confession they might bear," to partake of the holy Supper, and more of the like. It is hard to understand how a Christianly enlightened man can himself take part in such doings, or mention the same with praise — for that means, indeed, to assume that Holy Scripture has not expressed itself clearly and definitely on all the subjects of the distinguishing doctrines, or, although it has done so, that one need not take it so strictly — likewise, how such a man fails to perceive that the descendants act in direct contradiction to the express stipulation of the fathers, and how their safeguard against sects makes him think only of "heathen" and "Mormons." And when the speaker at the close, where he reflects on God's purpose in this dispensation of the destruction of the church by fire, expresses the thought that it may perhaps have happened in order to forestall the desecration of it in this materialistic generation through the use of the old building for secular purposes, it is a wonder that it did not occur to him that a church building is probably more grievously desecrated by religious mixing than by being turned from a church into some utility building.

"Saint Louiser Volksblatt."

Until a few weeks ago those Germans of the West who still believe in a God, in a Providence, in an immortality, in a future judgment and in heaven and hell, were in great embarrassment when they too wanted to take note of the state of affairs in the political and business world. The German secular newspapers here were either, under the editorship of atheists, moral indifferentists and insane revolutionaries, so filled with scoffings at everything holy, with obscenities and declamations mocking all order, that it disgusted every German of even some moral and religious feeling to take these papers in hand; or they stood so plainly in the service of a priestcraft seeking political influence, and of Jesuitism, that at the least a Protestant had to hesitate to support them and to let himself be informed by them of what he needs to know as a citizen of the world and of the state. It therefore gives us no small joy to be able to bring our readers, especially those here in the West, the news that here in St. Louis, since the 25th of April of this year, a new political journal has appeared under the title "Saint Louiser Volksblatt," published by Mr. M. Niedner, edited by Mr. Christian Fr. Schneider, which we believe we can recommend to our readers with a good conscience: The editor, defending himself against attacks on his paper from the atheistic publisher of the "Anzeiger des Westens" of this place, declares among other things in the number of May 5: "It is true that the men who called the Volksblatt into life believe in a God, in a hereafter and in an eventual accountability for their works during their lifetime, yes, they go so far — we hope it with joy — as to pray to this their God, to thank him and to implore his guidance. And if they did their part for a newspaper that takes account of their convictions and does not daily strike their holiest feelings with fists — what is there in that blameworthy, contemptible, wrong? Or has it come to this in this land of lawful liberty, that only all-scorching atheism has a voice, but religiosity must be dumb? We are proud of our public, also of those 'Few' whom the Volksblatt took from the Anzeiger. Highly esteemed in numbers and culture and honesty stands our public, and to it we owe in great part that Americans may still be heard to speak with respect of the 'German element.' To it we owe the declaration — which at the same time expresses an abiding fundamental trait of the Volksblatt — that our newspaper will be purely political, yet never irreligious, never unchristian."

In citing this public declaration of Mr. Schneider here, we cannot leave unmentioned that a few days ago we had the honor of making this gentleman's personal acquaintance, and have convinced ourselves that Mr. Schneider is in full and honest earnest with this declaration.

There are indeed many Christians of this time and of this country who are of the opinion that even a political journal should at the same time enter the lists for religion against atheism, Jesuitism and gross fanaticism, yes, if possible for orthodox faith. We are, however, not of this opinion. State and Church are two entirely separate domains. A political paper should therefore remain on its proper terrain, the ground of secular law, and not stray into the religious domain; as in turn a religious paper should leave to the former what is its own. A paper for the needs of civil life should take notice of religion and church and their representatives only so far as these touch civil life, especially if they endanger it. We subscribe with the fullest conviction, as an exceedingly important truth, to the saying of Luther in his Exhortation to Peace, at the time of the Swabian peasants' revolt in the year 1525: "The magistracy ought not to forbid what any man will teach and believe, be it Gospel or lies; it is enough that they forbid the teaching of rebellion and strife." The same position, however, which the secular magistracy takes toward religion and church, a secular newspaper also, in our opinion, ought to take. (We say this, of course, not because we do not rejoice over those political papers which are not only written by Christians but also stand in the service of Christianity; the position of a paper for Christians as citizens of the country stated above, however, we hold to be the most natural.)

So we think, then, if Mr. Schneider