# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1849 01 09_S78
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

78

in doctrine should have been right. But if I were to recognize not the doctrine of Luther, but the later conceived opinion of Zwingli or Calvin as the scriptural one, then shame and eternal woe to me, if I should still longer eat the bread of the Lutheran church!

Mr. Letz's report on the "attempts to introduce private confession" must be corrected to this effect, that I never held private confession except at the express request of individuals, whom I never asked in that connection about specific sins. That I put on the surplice at the announcements for confession and had the confession recited, happened only when servants or other workers requested me to hold confession with them at the house, because they could not get away at the hour appointed for general confession. Also, there were then almost always several present at the same time. Private absolution had already for a year and a day taken place without any objection with every communicant. Since the personal announcements were made odious by several of those who later openly fell away (because I saw myself obliged to rebuke them for gross sins, for which they then also feigned repentance), these were to be put on an absolute level with the Catholic auricular confession, and although I often, both before the public congregation and also in the sessions of the church council, made the proposal that a provision should be made to the effect that the pastor of the congregation be bound to grant confession to everyone as he desired it, privately or publicly, this was nevertheless not regarded at all, but they demanded that (thus not even at express request) private confession should not take place, and that they would also hear nothing of announcements. At the same time the church council again raised complaint against some ceremonies that had been in use since the beginning of the altar service, so that I could now no longer have yielded without denying true Christian liberty, since the change was demanded by such as had openly declared their unbelief, and complained that too much was preached about faith in Christ and too great a distinction made between saints and unsaints: sermons on morals and virtue were what they wanted to have! The complete separation took place, as already reported in an earlier number of the "Lutheraner," in that they very cunningly wished to alter the unalterably established fundamental article of the congregational constitution to the effect that the names of the symbolical books of our church and the provision that the pastor of the congregation for the time being must be pledged to them should drop out, and many other alterations were made besides which contradict the Word of God and our Confessions. That they removed me from my office pro forma, after I had already two days before declared to the 45 that they were no longer members of my congregation, because they had departed from the fundamental provisions of our congregational constitution, was just as superfluous as to resolve to depose the Emperor of Russia from his throne: he will probably still have it, and so I too am still in my office and am now laboring with a joyful spirit among my old congregation, indeed smaller and poorer in earthly goods, but in the LORD so much the richer, as long as it pleases my dear Savior!

In conclusion I would set before Mr. R. and so many of his like-minded companions, who with their gifts could surely do so much for the true honor of the LORD, the word of the LORD, Luke 11:22: "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth!" Or should Mr. R. really suppose that with his union endeavors he is building and gathering with Him upon the one foundation of salvation, our LORD Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life? Then it would surely be more advisable to combat the symbols of the Lutheran church with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, than to wish to help the cause of the Union by distorted reports about Lutheran labors. For all souls, though misled yet honest, I implore that the LORD may open their eyes, that they may recognize where Word and Sacrament are to be found in purity, and where one, well pleasing to the LORD, is zealous for the honor of His house. But for those who have hitherto fought stiff-neckedly against the LORD and His Anointed, I wish from the bottom of my heart that the faithful Savior, who has also redeemed them so dearly from eternal perdition, may give them through His Holy Spirit a new heart, that they may recognize the error of their way, humble themselves with all truly believing Lutherans in thorough repentance before the LORD, accept Christ as their Redeemer, and praise and magnify Him with us in eternity.

A. Selle,
Pastor of the "First German Ev. Luth. St. Paul's Congregation in Chicago."

(Communicated.)

"Der Lutheraner."

In No. 7 of the Lutheraner there is found a passage from a letter of Pastor Schieferdecker, which, on account of the importance of the subject it touches, ought to be thoroughly considered and discussed.

No honest man will fail to recognize the pastoral zeal that has called forth those lines, in which one readily sees that the writer knows that the office of feeding the flock, which the LORD JESUS Christ has purchased with His blood, is entrusted to him. We also all agree, I suppose, that it would be most desirable, if we only possess the gifts and means necessary for it, that soon an edifying paper for the people, for the poor Lutheran country congregations, might come into being, which should perhaps take and pursue the way of the Wucherer Sunday paper. The question now is whether the Lutheraner should not perhaps be transformed into such a paper. I feel constrained, for reasons which I will here set forth openly and give to be considered, to say no to this, as the Conference also has done.

For the edification of the congregations provision is made in the first place by the holy preaching office, then by household devotions, not seldom also by good books of sermons, prayers and hymns. Even the Lutheraner supplies what is serviceable in rich measure, and the pastors could readily point out such things to their congregation members, and spare them the trouble of long searching. But let us go back to the need of the church that called the Lutheraner into being. As it has declared from time to time concerning its appearance, it was above all the great lack of genuine Lutheran, that is, scriptural, knowledge of the wholesome doctrine in this country; it was the unfaithfulness of countless nominal Lutherans, who have fallen away from the pure confession of their church; it was the destructive working and doings of innumerable sects that disquiet the church here; it was, in a word, the sorrowful time in which Jerusalem is being built, that moved it not to let lie idle the trowel entrusted to it by God and its good sword of the Spirit, but faithfully to work by doctrine and defense, that the precious treasure of the saving truths of the church, cleansed from the dust of forgetfulness, might again be recognized in its enlightening splendor, and the mouths of the gainsayers be stopped. Now I ask, has this pressing need of the church perhaps been remedied elsewhere? Have we already grown so strong again in knowledge, is the bitter injury of unfaithfulness so thoroughly healed, the fury of the sects so completely subdued, that such a paper is no longer needed? Well, I will not mock in so serious a matter. There I read the so-called Lutheran Kirchenbote, and am supposed to take it into account also — but as much as I read therein, a messenger of the Lutheran church I truly cannot find in it, but, as everyone knows, an old gossip, chattering, long-winded, judgment-less, lying, slanderous-tongued, in a word: worthy of no regard. So too we have only lately heard with sorrow how even the Lutheran Standard has become shamefully unfaithful to its name, to the banner to which it had sworn allegiance, through its pitiable union thoughts. And what shall I say of the doings of the sects, of which lamentable documents are found in almost every number. If we were indeed already again, on all sides, come to full consciousness, to a comprehensive knowledge of the wholesome doctrine which our dear Confessions set forth pure and clear out of the only true source of knowledge, the divine Word, then one might say, though even then wrongly: let the sects rage and the false brethren cry out, we will be quiet and build ourselves up inwardly at our ease and in good peace. But let us not deceive ourselves, we are still by no means wholly returned to