# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1849 06 12_S167
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

167

fleshly reliance upon baptism, that sins might then be regarded as little specks of dirt on a coat; in like manner as that nice tract, which makes it only a little more palpable, in that it ascribes to us the doctrine that one need only be a Lutheran, and then he may sin as much as he pleases, he would be saved nevertheless. If anywhere, one can recognize by this slander that the spirit that possesses it is not the Holy Spirit of God, but the spirit of stupidity and malice. Then, however, the craft of the devil in that article is this, that he would make the Christians, to whom Christianity is a serious matter, and to whom of course their baptism is not and cannot serve as a cloak of wickedness, believe: we are such people as preach this for right. Those who believe this will then of course want to know nothing of the Lutherans. But this craft is at the same time stupid; for they are told oftentimes by the Lutherans whom they would convert: "No, that is not true, our teachers have not told us that." But the LORD, who is a LORD over all that is in heaven and on earth and under the earth, the same will sooner or later put a stop to their trade, so that they become manifest, and are even now becoming manifest.

In that article it is also said: "Four also became willing to bear the cross of Jesus; may the LORD convert them to life and keep them faithful unto their end." This also is probably meant of Chester; one of these four has not joined our congregation from the beginning, the other three are members of the congregation, two of whom gave him their hand upon his preaching and summons. He may indeed have preached the Gospel of repentance and of faith toward God, and I will thank God the LORD if through his sermons a more earnest life and striving after heavenly things has been awakened; but God the LORD will I also praise, if our Chester remains spared from the soul-destroying poison which these Methodist preachers carry with them, secretly and hidden, for poor inexperienced souls. That may God ordain through the Holy Ghost for Christ's sake! Amen.

Your faithful
S. Buttermann,
Ev.-Luth. Pastor.

Afterward I should like to tell you further that Mr. Böshenz has also already done here what the Methodist preachers are accustomed to do, namely to apply their arts of conversion also in congregations already existing, thus to meddle in another's office. — They have also already allured with the sweet cross of the Methodist name, so that they have asked whether one might perhaps bear the name Methodist? O, the poor cross-bearers of Methodism! —

Chester, Randolph Co., Ill.,
on Whit-Tuesday, the 29th of May 1849.

To the Devil and the Heretics God's Works Are Too Small; They Must Invent Greater Ones.

The devil was greatly vexed at the small and foolish works of our LORD God, that he sends his only-begotten Son down from heaven into the world and lays him in the virgin Mary's lap. Then the devil thought he would do it much better; for the devil is over-sighted, he cannot look below himself; he sees only high things; he goes about and looks above himself, so our LORD God throws a poor little preacher under his feet; over that the devil stumbles, so that he lies on the ground. Then he rises again and looks again on high, so God throws him again something under his feet, over which he tumbles.

So also are all heretics, they are all over-sighted, for the devil is also over-sighted, he cannot look below himself; I have, thank God, learned the art of believing that our LORD God is wiser and shrewder than I.

Dr. M. Luther's Tischreden, Eisleben edition, p. 621.

Unequal Temptation.

In this life there are manifold and unequal temptations, according as the persons also are manifold and different. If one had to suffer the temptation which I have suffered, he would have been dead long ago. Thus I could not have borne the angel who buffeted St. Paul with fists; neither could Paul have endured to suffer the severest temptations of Christ. The highest and greatest sorrow is when one must die in a moment and depart hence. But of this we should not dispute, but commit it to God's judgment, and concern ourselves with that which is revealed to us in the Word. Luther.

(Contributed.)

Honored Mr. Editor!

Take it not amiss of me that I, as a reader of your "Lutheraner," trouble you with a request. I have some letters which my brother wrote to me about the American hymnbook. These letters have profited me so much that I now wish, like my brother, to see another hymnbook in the Lutheran congregations. Then I thought to myself, if the "Lutheraner" would admit these letters, they might profit many another besides. I doubt indeed a little whether I am not sending them to you in vain, since they are written by no learned hand, and also not for the learned, but only for myself, who am also not learned. But since many unlearned people also read your paper, it might perhaps be something for these. But the learned, to whom all this would be too unlearned, could indeed leave it unread. Yet I leave it entirely to you what you will do, and subscribe myself

Your well-wishing
Jakob ——.

Concerning the American-Lutheran and Reformed Hymnbook.

First Letter.

Dear Jakob!

It is already long since thou wentest from us into the distance and since thou hast let anything be heard from thee. Therefore I will write to thee once more, and this time upon a particular subject, about which many conversations turn and revolve among us. It is the Lutheran and Reformed hymnbook. Thou knowest, our Pastor spoke of it even during thy being here, that if we wished to be a purely Lutheran congregation, we must also have a purely Lutheran hymnbook. For it is quite contrary to the Word of God, and so also to the Lutheran Confession, to use such a hymnbook. Thou knowest also what we and others then answered our Pastor, namely, that there were indeed beautiful hymns in it also, and that one could be Lutheran notwithstanding, etc. Lately our Pastor has begun on it again and has said that he has now long borne with our weakness and given us time to consider what we would do. He had not let instruction on the matter be lacking, and had in some indeed really brought it so far that they saw he was right; but yet we would not make preparation to introduce a purely Lutheran hymnbook, and thus acted against our own conscience. But he could not do as we do, and must therefore tell us that, if we would not exchange this hymnbook for a better, he must leave us. That made an impression upon some among us, and especially upon me.

I must confess that I was most of all against the introduction of another hymnbook; but upon this urgent speech I resolved to look at the matter properly for once, to convince myself if possible whether it was really so bad as our Pastor said, namely, that this hymnbook wrings sighs from him every Saturday when he seeks for a hymn, and is often in greater perplexity over it than over his sermon, which he has to study. I know not how it came about, but say it I must, and I say it to thee: I have found so much that I will no longer be against it for a moment, but am with all earnestness for it, that we get another hymnbook. As thou wrotest to me the last time, you have the very same there, and your Pastor has never said anything against it, yea, he praises it rather. But I can praise it no more, and thank God that he hath opened mine eyes, and I now know what I know.

But what I have now found, that will I impart to thee all, and indeed for thy sake, that thou mayest also let thyself be convinced. Perhaps thou couldst then become an occasion that thy congregation also might get a better hymnbook. To be sure, if thy Pastor has such particular fondness for this hymnbook, there is little hope. But I think, if thou art convinced of the matter, thou wouldst be bound to tell it to thy Pastor plainly in love; perhaps God would give his blessing that he might become of another mind.

Thou wilt doubtless wonder that I now judge so very differently of the hymnbook than formerly. But let it not surprise thee, for it is once so, when one is blind, or at least will not see, one sees nothing at all. But it has now become different. I took the hymnbook in hand and went through it leaf by leaf