# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1849 02 06_S95
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

95

down, woke me up again. Fire and brightness had vanished. The ever more numerous houses, which could be made out in the darkness of the night and in which everything lay in deep sleep, showed me that we had reached the place of our destination.

It was half past twelve at night when we arrived here quite stiff with cold. After a short, cold night's rest in a light American bed I made, early in the morning, with a bundle of books and writings under my arm, a walk through the town. Soon I saw German faces and heard the German language. I addressed myself to two men who were standing together in the street, told them who I was and what I wanted here, and they directed me to a dyer, whom they designated to me as the head of a Lutheran congregation forming in Davenport. The man received me kindly and told me that in and around Davenport there were about 200 families of German Lutherans, mostly Holsteiners, who had arrived only a year ago; that they were minded to unite into a congregation and already held divine service among themselves from time to time, which, until provision with a pastor of their own, was conducted by one of the four Holstein schoolteachers who had come with them. That sounded pleasant to my ear. While he was telling me this, another head of the congregation came up, one of the schoolteachers. I talked with them about this and that, handed them several copies of the "Lutheraner," Löhe's "Zuruf," and our synodical constitution, and gave them to understand my willingness to preach on Sunday, if it were desired by them as heads of the congregation. They accepted it, but the dyer remarked that I should nevertheless take the people in my sermon as they were. I understood his hint and replied that I was from my heart a servant of the Lutheran Church and preached God's Word, whether it pleased or not.

In the afternoon a burial was to take place in the Holstein settlement, called Probstei, only seven miles distant from the town. In order to get to know the people I betook myself thither. I found among them German manner and custom, but alas, also German unbelief, and among several schoolteachers whom I came to know, German schoolmaster's conceit. This I became aware of especially at the burial itself, at which one of the schoolteachers delivered the funeral oration, a piece of botched work of the stalest rationalism.

My heart was sore as I returned to the town. As pleased as I was at first to find here so great a field for the plow, so my awakened hopes were considerably lowered by the experiences of the afternoon. Tomorrow the sermon is to take place. But I promise myself little success. True, they want to form a congregation here and to call a Lutheran pastor; but just at the head stand unbelieving people, more or less infected with rationalism — to the injury of the whole cause. A committee composed of these has already drawn up a congregational constitution. I have not yet seen it; but I have already heard enough of what was communicated to me orally from it. It is a wide mantle, under which all sorts of people find room enough to move "freely." It bears the popular name "evangelical," confesses itself merely to the Apostles' Creed, separates church and school, calls the pastor for two years, and the like. What is there much to hope for? Yet, in the name of the LORD, I will make an attempt tomorrow.

(To be continued.)

Warning to lost Lutheran preachers.

In No. 10 of the "Lutheraner" of the 10th of January of this year I find an invitation to preachers with the heading: "Preacher wanted" and further: that the preacher must be Lutheran and belong to a Lutheran synod, etc., and that the salary was formerly 200 dollars.

Now since a Lutheran preacher is wanted, and probably with the intention that one may also be found, every Lutheran preacher into whose sight that invitation comes must necessarily believe that there is also a Lutheran congregation in Richmond, Ind.! It has come to this during my now nearly seven years' labor here in the vineyard of the LORD, that in the year 1844 I organized a Lutheran congregation, and preacher and congregation pledged themselves to the symbols of the Lutheran Church, and among other things in 1846 erected a church for their use, which together with its appurtenances was recorded (entered) as such in the court here. The church indeed still stands there, but the congregation has, alas, departed far, very far from Lutheran doctrine, faith, church discipline and order. The so-called "Lutheran St. John's Congregation" now indeed seeks a Lutheran preacher, but hear it, dear brethren! the preacher is to be hired here for one year, so that when his year of service is over he may be kept or sent away at pleasure. He has nothing to do but to preach the Gospel; for that he is paid; the members may dance, carouse, and the like. All that is no concern of his. I have been cast out by them because I, in particular, could not give the Holy Supper to the dancers and could not tolerate their ungodly ways. Several members of the old congregation and many others besides, who on account of the godlessness and the injustice of the old congregation could not join it (30 male in number), have asked me to remain their preacher; I have also consented to it; they intend to return to Lutheran doctrine and church discipline and order, and to take possession of the church built for this purpose as their property and to use it, which will soon be decided.

The salary was formerly, only since the 1st of April 1848, for 3 months $50.00, which could be raised only with hard toil, and the perquisites scarcely $30.00, and as far as I know, there is not yet a dollar for this purpose, and, if no other prospect presents itself, scarcely 100 dollars will be able to be raised.

J. C. Schulze,
Member of the "Ministerium of the German Ev. Luth. Synod of Ohio and other States."

"Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven."

When Emperor Henry VIII once received from a preaching friar a poisoned host at the administration of the Holy Supper, and the emperor soon noticed that he was poisoned, he called to the assassin: Hasten quickly away, thou traitor of my Savior, before my servants seize thee and tear thee in pieces. Trembling and quaking the monk thereupon fled away.

A like example of truly Christian forgivingness and gentleness was given by the pious bishop Eusebius. He fought with great earnestness and zeal against the sect of the Arians, which denied the Godhead of Christ. This had so incensed an Arian woman against him that one day, as Eusebius was passing her house, she threw a tile at his head so violently that he died soon after of the injury received. Before the dear man died, however, he had not only offered reconciliation to the hostile woman, but had even taken an oath from his friends that they would not avenge him on his murderess after his death.

"Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep."

(Rom. 12, 15.)

No one is so hard of heart that he should not weep for him who is in misfortune; but not only not to envy him who is in good fortune, but also to rejoice with him, for that a nobler spirit is already needed. But the apostle does not say: Take his misfortune away from him, that thou mayest not often object that it is impossible for thee; but he commands thee something easier, which is always in thy power. For if thou canst not take away his distress from thy brother, thou shouldst and canst nevertheless bring thy tears to him, and thereby thou hast already taken a great deal from him; and if thou canst not increase thy brother's good fortune, thou shouldst and canst nevertheless add thy joy to his, and thereby thou hast already added much to him.

Chrysostomus (d. 407).

How a miser's wicked wish was fulfilled.

A poor man now and then called on a well-to-do relative and on his purse. Once the latter became so unwilling about it that he said: Are you coming again? If only I need not see you any more! This wish was soon fulfilled to him; yet not in such a way that the poor man died, — nor in such a way that he himself died, — no! he was