# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1849 03 20_S120
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

120

says the other: Cross, cross, cross, no Herr Magister, that is what you lack! when the dear God sends that home to you, then you will become a man and a theologian! Ah, he was wont to say many a time, how often I think of this speech! I mean indeed, the pious God has visited me with much cross.

Treasures of the Church.

The first Christians had so zealous and burning a love that they held the poor, who enjoyed their works of love, to be the treasure and the ornament of the Church. Once a heathen emperor, Decius, lusted after the treasures of the Roman Church. For it had been reported to him that Bishop Sixtus, at his being led away to death, had exhorted his deacon Laurentius to take care of the treasures of the Church. The Christians at Rome had namely a fund for the support of the orphans, which had been left by the holy martyrs, and paid into this fund every Sunday. When now the emperor demanded of Laurentius the delivery of the church treasures, he indeed promised them, but begged three days' respite, to put everything in order. During this time he distributed the whole treasure on hand among the poor, and on the third day he assembled all the widows, orphans, blind, lame, sick and infirm, who were maintained by the Church at Rome, in the court of the imperial palace. When he was now asked by the emperor where then were the treasures which he had promised to deliver, he said, pointing to the assembled multitude: "Behold, these are the church treasures, the true eternal treasures, which shall nevermore pass away, but ever increase, which have indeed been imparted to each one in particular and yet are a common possession." The noble confessor had to atone with an agonizing death for this deception of the covetous tyrant and for this fidelity shown to the goods of the poor. They laid him upon a glowing gridiron, and here he breathed out his immortal spirit amid praising and thanksgiving, after he had still before, with admirable calm, as though he felt not the least pains, commanded his executioners to turn him over, since he was now roasted enough on one side. Sch.

Why Faith is not Everyman's Thing?

Luth. II. p. 17. Leipz. Ausg. on Gen. 12, 4.

Promise and faith are by nature together, so that neither can be separated from the other. For what use is it that one should promise much, and there were no one who believed it? And again, to what purpose serves faith, if there is no promise? Therefore promise and faith belong together, and the natural order requires this, that after Moses has described the promise, he now say also what Abraham believed, that is, that he accepted this promise and held to it. The devil has his promises too, and indeed very plausible ones; therefore a sharp understanding is needed, that one may make a distinction between God's and Satan's, that is, between the true and the false promises. Satan's promises are agreeable, enter easily and with pleasure, and are accepted, and make people also secure and bold, so that they regard neither themselves nor the divine judgment. As we see that Jews, Turks, and among us the false brethren have the most perfect assurance, and do nothing less than fear God's wrath and judgments. But when God promises something, there faith must stand in great and long conflict: for reason, or flesh and blood, holds it for naught that God's promises should be possible; therefore it cannot fail that faith must strive and fight against doubt and against reason. This the sophists do not see and consider; therefore they think we fight about a trifling matter when they hear that we teach of faith. For they do not understand and know that faith is a change and renewal of the whole nature, so that eyes, ears, and the heart itself hear, see and feel altogether and quite otherwise than other people.

For faith is a living and mighty thing; it is not a drowsy and lazy thought, neither floats it and swims on the top of the heart, like a goose on the water; but is like water which is heated and warmed by fire; the same, though it remains water, yet is no longer cold, but warm, and is thus quite another water: so faith, which is the work of the Holy Ghost, makes another heart, mind and disposition, and thus makes quite a new man. Therefore faith is a high, heavy and mighty thing, and if one would rightly speak of it, it is rather a suffering than a working thing. For it changes heart and mind, and since reason is wont to hold to what is present, faith lays hold of the things which appear nowhere before the eyes, those it holds against all reason to be present. And this is the cause why faith is not every man's, like hearing; for few are believing, but the greatest multitude holds much more to present things, which one feels and grasps, than to the Word.

Church News.

On Sunday Septuagesima, the 4th of February of this year, the Vice-President of our Synod, with the assistance of Pastor Streckfuß, ordained the candidate of the holy ministry, Herr Friedrich Nützel from Franken, after he had received a regular call from the Evangelical Lutheran St. Thomas Congregation in Harrison and Tully Township, Van Wert County, Ohio, and had passed the examination required by the rules, before his congregation.

On Sunday Estomihi, the 18th of February of this year, the same ordained, with the assistance of Pastor Wolter, also Herr Daniel Stecher from Lübbeke in Westphalia, until then a student in the preachers' seminary at Fort Wayne, after the latter had received a regular call from the Evangelical Lutheran St. John's Congregation in Columbia and Washington Township (Whitley Co., Ind.), and in Huntington (Huntington Co., Ind.), and had likewise passed the examination, in the midst of his congregation.

To refute something coldly and carelessly, what is that else than to confirm a thing twice? Luther.

Christian Heroism.

Lions, let yourselves be found again,
   As in the first Christendom,
Whom nothing could overcome;
   Only behold their martyrdom,
      How they glow in love,
      How they spout fire,
   So that before the longing for death
   Even Satan had to be afraid.

Undaunted in dangers,
   And by lusts untouched,
Which could entice to vanity,
   Were they then; the desire
      Went only after heaven;
      Far from the tumult
   Was the mind uplifted,
   Heeded not what is temporal.

All things according to their nature,
   And not according to opinion, then
Were thoroughly measured,
   The judgment was made in the light;
      In misfortune blessed
      Were they and joyful,
   Far from the slavery of men
   And free from their bonds.

O that I, as these were,
   Might find myself also in that state!
Let me but in truth experience
   Thy helpful, strong hand,
      My God, truly living!
      Grant that I steadfastly
   Unto death through Thy power
   May wage good knighthood.

Well then, only be steadfast,
   O ye brethren, bravely on,
Let us but courageously
   Follow that host of witnesses!
      Only the body is touched,
      As is its due;
   It has well deserved the suffering,
   And the soul flourishes beneath it.

The Self-Redeemers.

There stuck a man in the mire up to his ears.
A wanderer asks: "How do you ever get out?"
And he replied: I am not lost at all,
Go unconcerned, for all of me, home.
I sit here till I see the time,
And then — but you thoughtless fool
Will hardly understand this great feat —
I pull myself up by — my own pigtail.
(Volksblatt.)

Advertisement.

At the lithographic establishment of L. Gast in St. Louis, Mo., are to be had:

32 Confirmation Certificates

with Bible verses and hymn verses, likewise with biblical pictures and marginal drawings. Lithographed and published by Leopold Gast. Price: 1 Dollar.

The undersigned Editorship feels itself constrained to recommend these confirmation certificates most heartily to the pastors. The Bible verses and hymn verses which they contain are suitably chosen, and the biblical pictures and emblems executed with Christian sense and taste. We never saw anything more beautiful of this kind. Whoever wishes to give his confirmands something truly lovely in remembrance of the day of confirmation finds here a fine opportunity. The Ed. of the "Luth."

Receipt.

For the Indian mission at the Cass, from the Lutheran congregations in and around Monroe and Adrian, received $32.00.
Together with all sorts of articles of clothing for the Indian children.
Wilhelm Hattstädt, Pastor.

For the same mission received:
$7.50 from some members of the Lutheran congregation in St. Louis. $1.00 from an unnamed woman. $1.00 from an unknown woman.

Paid.

The 4th year. Mr. P. Hattstädt (3 copies).
The 5th year. Messrs. P. Hattstädt (2 copies), Peter Hobstetter, Prager.
The 2nd half of the 5th year. Mr. Höhne sen.

Printed by Arthur Olshausen,
Publisher of the Anzeiger des Westens.