# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1849 05 15_S151
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

151

him, naturally, not by the hair; but only by urging, pressing, and pulling did they bring him into the barn, where the Lord's Supper was being celebrated.

5. That Herbst ran out of the meeting before it was over is well founded; but in this I acknowledge an error on my part, that I said he had been sought and found only on the third day; this happened on the first, as it stands in the Apologeten. The cause of the error is that we took his twofold escape and absence, which makes just three days, for one. As to the "hearty compassion" of his "blood relations and other brethren," human eyes and human ears could perceive none. With perfect indifference they replied to the question why they had not watched over the deceased: "We could not hold him.

6. Finally they say further: "That Br. Peters was to hold a funeral address is untrue." As everyone can see in the issue of this paper mentioned, I did not assert that he was to come, but only said: it was announced thus, as it also actually was. How greatly they exert themselves, that they may not be put to shame with their Mr. Peters. Moreover, from everything they believe they can help themselves out by a distortion of some words from my graveside address. The matter is indeed not quite so pretty; yet, if one can set oneself in a fair light by it, one must not take conscience so strictly. But since nevertheless a rather thick darkness is still found, it is necessary to throw closer light upon the subject. As little as the beginning of my address was the same which the Methodists give, so little did I in it "scold" the congregation.

The substance of it was no other than I communicated it in No. 7; but that they have taken another sense from it is to me a repeated proof that they will not hear and understand out of wilfulness. The clean has become unclean to them; how will it yet go with them! The assertion that I said: If they would return to the "church that alone makes saved, the Lutheran," they could still be helped, is, by your leave, a gross untruth. Although I know and believe that he who walketh in the day stumbleth not, yet I also believe that it is possible for the LORD, also in other Christian communions, through the single rays of light which show themselves here and there more or less, to rescue a soul from eternal darkness.

The conclusion of the "Answer" is formed by an admonition directed to me by the well-instructed "Exhorter." It is too ingenious for me not to quote it at least in half, and in some points too mysterious not at the same time to need explanation. The "Exhorter" (Geyer the Elder) begins as follows: "Thou callest thyself a called servant of Christ. Why then dost thou not do thy duty? Have I not invited thee several times to come into my house? But thou hast not come; or shall the sheep seek the shepherd? Thou sayest thou lovest not sneaking about in corners. Why then dost thou hide thyself like a wolf in a little log-house by the wayside, to lie in wait for the pilgrim passing by in the valley"? Who could not see from this that the "Exhorter" knows how to discharge his office admirably, and recognizes the duty of a shepherd most exactly? He is indeed not long in office yet, but I believe nevertheless that, if he goes on so, he will soon saddle his horse and ride out upon converting. Before he goes, I will only say quickly why I did not visit him. First, for this reason: because he has his own shepherd and was never a sheep of my flock, and I therefore could not have paid him an official visit without at the same time meddling in another's office. Secondly, it was not necessary to visit him, because by his obtrusive behavior outside his house he gave me more than once or twice opportunity to admonish him. But since he always showed himself an obstinate heretic, I avoided frequent meeting with him. His heresy consists in this, that, besides holding fast to other errors, he denies the essential content of the holy Sacraments. With great diligence he has circulated a tract which, concerning holy Baptism and regeneration, is wholly contrary to Holy Scripture. To visit such a man, would that not be to tempt God? The Apostle Paul says, Titus 3, 10: "A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition reject."

What Mr. Geyer meant by the "hiding in the log-house" I could not imagine; I had therefore to ask him on occasion for an explanation of it. This I also received; he said, namely: he had once seen me go out of a log-house. Likewise I could not know how he wished the words to be justified or understood: "and art threatened with the worldly court." When I had asked him about it, he answered after long reflection: he would have to think longer about it, it did not occur to him for the present what he had meant by it; that something will occur to him in time, however, I do not doubt, for he is rich in notions. As to the "strife and contention," finally, in which I am with my "own church members," or, better said, have been, this has its cause in the fact that those who obey not the truth begin war when I preach peace. But that the Methodists here did not see this is a proof that they have not the Spirit out of God; otherwise they would judge the matter quite differently. A common spirit it is that pervades them. When it is a question of thrusting the bright light from its place, they become friends with those who rage against the LORD, and approve their cause, "before" but "they were at enmity between themselves." (Luke 23, 12.) Paulus Heid.

We, the undersigned, members of the evangelical Lutheran congregation here, testify that the matter stands thus as our Pastor Heid has set forth.

Michael Groß, Michael Reinhardt, Jr.
Ludwig Helmlinger, Philipp Munsch,
Philip Leininger.
Clay Township, Auglaize Co., O., May 1, 1849.

Church Notice.

On the 15th of April, Dominica Quasimodogeniti, the ordained parish vicar from Windsbach in Bavaria, Mr. Gottlieb Schaller, who immediately after his arrival in America had been regularly called as pastor by the German evangelical Lutheran congregation of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession at Philadelphia, Pa., was publicly and solemnly installed in his office by Pastors Brohm, Wyneken, and Hoyer, by commission of the Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other States. With great joy we greet this new, capable laborer at so important a point of the church's territory in America as Philadelphia is, and pray God that he may now here also let the voice of his pure Word resound to a great people, not only for a witness against them, but unto salvation, for the sake of JEsus Christ, his dear Son, our LORD. Amen.

Straight On!

As soon as we step upon the way to heaven, there appears on the right a beautiful woman, the sweet world, and entices with the favorite apple; on the left an ugly woman, the bitter world, and frightens with the hated cross. If now the sweet world can make us laugh and the bitter world make us weep, then the inheritance is forfeited. Here the counsel of the Holy Spirit holds: Straight on, neither to the right nor to the left. H. Müller.

Original Sin.

The further one advances in sanctification, the more painfully does one feel what original sin involves, and the further does one remove oneself from the proud and pharisaical conceit that one is now wholly free from it.

J. J. Rambach.

"The mouth of the foolish is near destruction." Prov. 10, 14.

A peasant from D... had so accustomed himself to cursing that on every occasion he cried out: the devil take me! A huntsman admonished him to leave off this shameful habit; but the peasant made sport of what the huntsman said. Both found themselves again the following day together in the tavern, and as the peasant every moment cried out: the devil take me, the huntsman said he could summon him, and if he did not leave off his bad habit, he would show him Master Old Nick face to face. The peasant laughed at it; but what happened? The huntsman met in the village a chimney sweep, with whom he arranged the matter. Next to the tavern lived a butcher; from him a buck's skin was borrowed, and when in the evening the huntsman and the peasant were again together in the tavern, and the latter continued in his usual tone, the huntsman said to him that he had now warned him often enough, but since all his efforts had been in vain, he would now prove to him that he could summon the devil, and that he would have to deal with him. The peasant laughed at this. Thereupon the huntsman drew a circle with chalk around himself, struck upon the table, and at that moment the chimney sweep entered the room. — Scarcely did the peasant perceive him, when he fell down dead; the terror had robbed him of life. — In vain did they try to bring him back to life. This occurrence took place in January 1811. Thus the one became, with his buffoonery, a murderer, and the other a prey of him whom he had so often invoked. (Geschichten-Almanach.)

The printing of the

Spruchbuch zum kleinen Katechismus Lutheri. Compiled by commission of the Synod of Missouri etc. by Fr. Wyneken, Pastor of the second German Ev. Luth. Church in Baltimore, 112 pp. in 12mo., is finished and may be had of the author at $1.80 the dozen.

In the next number we intend to give a closer notice of this little book. The Editor.

The German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other States

holds its sessions this year at Fort Wayne, Ind., from the 6th of June, as the second Wednesday after Pentecost, to the 16th of June inclusive. — The