# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1848 12 12_S64
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

64

hearts. They must be weaned from this milk, they must learn to enjoy solid food, and it is good for them that Christ goeth away: but when will they understand this? They complain of desertion, of the withdrawal of grace. Yet let them only wait a while, let them tarry in the city until they be endued with power from on high, even as the apostles at Pentecost rose to an exalted stage of love, where they no longer sought so much for tears, but found their delight in triumphing over evil and treading Satan under their feet. Bernhardus.

Church News from Germany and Switzerland.

The "Deutsche Kirchenfreund" communicates in its November number an interesting correspondence article from Basel in Switzerland. From it we see that in Switzerland, strangely enough, the enemies of Christianity are working against separating the church from the state. They do this chiefly for the sake of the church property; they want first to plunder the church entirely, but to bring its goods "to themselves with a show of right," and then — let the poor handmaid, with the beggar's staff in her hand, seek her freedom as she pleases. They also want first, if possible, to remove all believing preachers by "lawful" means, and when that is done, the atheistic (God-denying) state hopes to swallow the emptied church the more easily. — In Germany they proceed differently. There the unbelievers have carried through the separation of the church from the state. But the correspondent says very truly: "The Parliament has nevertheless dealt the church the most sensitive blow by the complete severing of the school from the church; for once Bible and catechism are banished from the school, and this is so arranged that 'Jews and Mohammedans may come forth from it just as well as Christians,' the last little hour of the state church has certainly struck." The correspondent reports further that the preachers of the United Church, from concern that their corrupted congregations might nevertheless provide for them poorly, are working to the end that the church may remain connected with the state at least so far that the state shall keep the church property and remain obligated to the payment of the preachers. This trust in the flesh will bring forth evil fruits. The state will become an unjust steward over its church and will soon have squandered its goods Otherwise it stands, therefore, with the so-called Old Lutherans. The correspondent says: "The Old Lutheran faction (party), separated from the Protestant state church, has the best prospect of continuance, yea of enlargement. The Old Lutherans have used the last years of freedom excellently, and even if they, just as little as the Union Church,*) can get the church property out of the state — as the Prussian church has indeed vainly demanded it of the king and of the National Assembly —, yet they have the extraordinary advantage of standing, in a society thoroughly disorganized (dissolved) politically and ecclesiastically, as a well-ordered body in its members, and of possessing a core of laymen faithful to faith and confession, who are accustomed to furnish the support of the preachers. To them many will attach themselves, without doubt entire provincial churches (e.g. Pomerania). On the other hand it will go ever more miserably with the confessionless, colorless, and unsubstantial so-called United state churches, which are first to 'build themselves up out of themselves.'"

*) Now the punishment comes; into the pit which the United Church dug for the Lutheran, it now falls itself.

The Corn Usurer.

Micrälius relates in the Pomeranian Chronicle that when, in the year 1379, the former severe famine came to an end through a rich, blessed harvest, there was great joy everywhere. A corn dealer, however, at Damgarten, a Pomeranian town, by the name of Pantolitz, was more sad than glad over it. For he had bought up an enormous store of grain at the beginning of the dear times, and had let no one have any of it, because he hoped that the grain would rise still higher in price; but the dear grain had suddenly become so cheap through the new blessing of harvest that the miserly Pantolitz now not only gained nothing on his wares, but, if he did not wish to let the worm into his grain, had to sell it also at considerable loss. One day this usurer sat upon a wagon with full sheaves of grain, which his servant, who sat on the horse, was driving into the town. The servant, cheerful and content over the goodness and kindness of God, who had crowned the year with his goodness, sang aloud a song of praise and thanksgiving. The wretched servant of Mammon could not join in; the pious servant's cheerful praise of God sounded in his ear and heart like a funeral song of his fortune and of his hopes. Seized with despair, he now suddenly wound about his neck the rope with which the binding pole had been tied upon the sheaves, and made a leap from the wagon. The servant, who did not suspect what had happened, drove quietly into the town; but hardly had he driven past a few houses when he saw his wagon surrounded by people in whose faces horror was mirrored; he leaped from the horse, and what did he see? — Strangled, his master hung from the binding pole, to the dreadful spectacle of the multitude that had streamed together. — There was most literally fulfilled what St. Paul writeth: "They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition." Therefore, dear reader, "godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content." 1 Tim. 6, 6-9.

Why dost thou shrink from bearing the cross that leadeth thee to glory? In the cross is salvation, in the cross is life, in the cross is protection from enemies, in the cross is divine comfort, in the cross is strength of soul and joy of spirit. Did not Christ himself go before thee as cross-bearer, and die for thee on the cross; so shalt thou also take thy cross upon thee, and desire to die with him, that thou mayest live with him. Behold, in the cross and in dying is everything contained. Go whither thou wilt, seek what thou wilt: thou wilt find no higher way above, no safer way below, than the way of the holy cross. Only bear it willingly, and it will bear thee and lead thee, thither where the end of all suffering and the goal of thy longing is. Thomas.

Advent Voice.

"Often the prophets promised the coming of the LORD; many heralds went before him, but they were always only rich in promises. The one said: Wait on the LORD, be of good courage and undismayed, and wait thou on the LORD! Another: Though he tarry, wait for him, he will surely come! Isaiah became almost impatient and said: Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens and come down! and David had passed from the petition itself into the tone of command when he cried out: Bow thy heavens and come down! Thus the whole choir of the prophets, as it were weary of longer waiting, now beseeching, now lamenting, now commanding, had made known their wishes. At last the Longed-for came and closed their mouth. Now the voice of the church shall rise, it shall cry aloud: God and man hath appeared in JESUS Christ."

Hildebert, sermo 2. in Epiph. Dom.

Christmas Voice.

While thou in the land of banishment eatest thy bread in the sweat of thy face, the word resoundeth: The LORD cometh! Whither wilt thou go from his Spirit, whither wilt thou flee from his presence? Flee not, be not afraid! He cometh not armed! not to punish, but to save is his will. And lest thou shouldst now again say: I heard thy voice, therefore I hid myself! behold, he draweth near as a child that cannot yet speak. A little boy he hath become, in swaddling clothes the virgin mother wrappeth his tender body, and thou tremblest still for fear! Mark then at least from this that he is not come to destroy, but to save. Already he fighteth against thy two greatest foes, sin and death. To conquer both he hath appeared, and from both he will deliver thee. Fear not!

Bernhard, sermo 1. in die nativ. Dom.

The Unbelieving Bookkeeper and the Christ Child.

Matt. 21, 16: "JESUS saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?"

As is well known, in German Christendom the custom almost universally prevails of having the holy Christ bestow gifts on young and old on the holy eve before Christmas. When this took place also in one of the stately mercantile houses of a former imperial city on the Pegnitz, and the merchant's younger daughter, Lottie, perceived that even the unbelieving, unchristian, and wholly worldly bookkeeper received a Christmas gift, the girl turned in wonder to her mother, and asked in her childlike simplicity: "How is it, dear Mama, does the Christ Child come also to the bookkeeper, who does not believe in JESUS Christ?"

Received

from local members of the congregation:

$1.00 for the Lutheran mission on the river Cass, Mich.
$4.65 for the Synodical Mission Fund.

Paid.

For the 3rd year: Mr. P. Wernle.
For the 4th year: Messrs. P. Brandt, P. Wernle.
For the 2nd half of the 4th year: Mr. Christian Brink.
For the 1st half of the 5th year: Messrs. Chr. Brink, Hnr. Sch[illegible]iet, P. Schieferdecker.
For the 5th year: Messrs. P. Albrecht, P. Detzer (2 copies), Heinr. Germann, Conr. Hipfener, Heinr. Johanning, P. Johannes (10 copies), Mart. Kolbenstätter, Joh. Leininger, Rebecca Moser, J. Mang (2 copies), P. Schladermundt, Friedr. Schum, Conr. Schönhöfer, Geo. Seiboldt, Jakob Trager, P. Wier, P. Gruber $2.00.

Printed by Arthur Olshausen,

Publisher of the Anzeiger des Westens.