# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1849 07 24_S192
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

192

Sword and Plow.

Once there was a count, so runs the tale,
Who felt that he was dying,
He called his two sons to him,
To divide possessions and inheritance.

For a plow, for a sword
The old warrior then called,
The sons brought him what he prized,
Then he gave his blessing:

My first son, my strongest scion,
Thou shalt keep the sword,
The mountains with the proud castle,
And rule in all honors.

But to thee, my not less beloved child,
To thee be the plow given,
In the valley, where quiet cottages are,
There mayest thou live in peace.

So died the old man, weary of life,
When he had bestowed his estate,
The sons kept the command
Faithfully through all their lives.

But say, what became of the steel,
The castle, and the warrior?
What became of the quiet valley,
What of the weak plowman?

O ask not after the end of the tale,
The countryside round about proclaims to you:
The mountain is waste, the castle fell,
The sword is long since hewn to pieces.

But the valley lies full of glory
In the bright sunshine;
There it grows and ripens far and wide:
Men still honor the plow.

Wolfgang Müller.

Of the American Lutheran and Reformed Hymn-Book.

Second Letter.

Dear Jacob!

Thou must not be angry that with the first letter I did not also at once furnish thee the proofs for what was said of the American hymn-book. Thou knowest well that one like me is not used to writing and soon grows weary; especially since I have so diligently to work in the field now and can use only the evenings for it. Besides, it has yet a special benefit for thee, thou hast meanwhile time for reflection. All at once would make thy head too full. Now to the proofs.

But first I must confess to thee that I can speak only of the coarsest things and, as a farmer, am not in a position, like a scholar, to find out everything so exactly that is good for nothing; but therein lies no small proof, that if I already find so much, what would an orthodox scholar then find! If thou now openest the first great drawer and searchest in the many pigeon-holes where the doctrines of faith are, thou wilt find right at the front, in Hymn No. 2, in the 2nd verse, that salvation is tied to virtue, whereas the Holy Scripture says that one is saved by grace through faith. And when the Holy Scripture says that without holiness no man shall see the LORD, it is by no means the meaning that one can tie salvation to holiness or, as the hymn-writers say, to virtue. For the thief on the cross had no virtue to show and yet, according to the words of the LORD, he was saved. But that the man really ties salvation to virtue, he proves by this, that at the beginning of this verse he says that for virtue's sake he lives here, and still more plainly in the third verse he says that God "mightily lifts virtue out of the dust," whereas the Holy Scripture plainly shows that God through Christ lifts the sinners out of the dust, and Christ says that He is come to call sinners to repentance and not the righteous. Are not such expressions false, and have I asserted too much there? And if thou sayest, there is indeed also mention of faith in this verse, I say: Yes, indeed, but of what kind of faith? Precisely of the faith which rests upon virtue as merit unto salvation. Let thyself not be blinded, dear Jacob, but look at it closely and thou must find it. These rationalist believers and teachers of virtue know quite well also how to say and to sing something about faith. For they know well that they must not come so bluntly as to let no little word about faith be heard. Our pastor says there are many who do not believe that Christ is God's Son and equal with the Father, and yet they preach and speak of God's Son; but by that they mean no more and no less than that Christ is God's Son for this reason, that He led so virtuous a life and was so wise a teacher. Now, such sons of God all men can be, if they seek to become like the "wise teacher and pattern of virtue," as they call Christ. — Besides, in this hymn only the faith is meant that there is a God at all, and that the devil also does not contradict. With this single proof I should already have sufficiently convinced thee that this hymn-book suits all sorts of people, only not a believing Lutheran, and for that reason ought to be done away with by us. For the doctrine of justification is precisely the kernel and star of the Holy Scripture, which, however, is overturned in this hymn-book in many hymns.

There is further said in Hymn No. 32, in the 4th verse, even that man's heart is capable — of loving God. Yes, indeed, it was once capable of loving God, before the fall in Paradise, but now? — now it is said: "They are all gone out of the way, they are altogether become unprofitable." Ps. 14. Rom. 3. Is that spoken biblically? Is the Saviour given us, as Hymn 32, verse 9, says, merely for this, that He should teach us to do the Father's will and lead us to the Father? I think, if we do God's will, could we not also come to the Father without a guide? —

According to No. 40, verse 3, it almost seems as though the man would say that the dear God created the first men imperfect, and that they had by "virtue" to fly ever higher. Is that spoken in a manner like unto faith? —

According to No. 46, verse 1, the human race is merely ever more "weakened" with respect to the good, thus not wholly dead? I think that is entirely contrary to the doctrine of Scripture, as we read in the Epistle to the Romans and in other places.

Now, however, dear Jacob, I can do no other than heave a deep sigh, like our pastor. Read once No. 72; there thou hast the most complete rationalist hymn!

With this sad pointing-out I will close for this time, and I beg thee, search in thy hymn-book, thou wilt find it all. Fare thee well in the meantime! Thy

Andreas.

Books and Pamphlets to be had at the Expedition of the Lutheraner at the prices appended.

Dr. Martin Luthers kleiner Katechismus, unchanged reprint. $0.10
The dozen $1.00. One hundred copies $7.00.
Remarkable letter of a lady who in the year 1703, on account of the Evangelical Lutheran religion, with six for the most part unprovided children, left her fatherland and all her goods and chattels. 0.05
The dozen 50 cents. 25 copies $1.00.
Dr. Luther's sermon on "Preparation for Dying." 0.05
The Constitution of the German Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other States, together with an introduction and explanatory remarks. 0.05
The dozen 50 cents. 25 copies $1.00.
First Synodal Report of the German Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other States, for the year 1847. 0.10
Second Synodal Report of the same Synod for the year 1848. 0.10
Third volume of the Lutheraner for 1846—1847. Nos. 8—26. 0.50
Fourth do. for 1847—1848 (complete). 0.50
(The 1st and 2nd volumes are out of print.)
Christliches Concordienbuch, that is, Symbolical Books of the Ev. Luth. Church, New York edition, bound in pressed leather. 1.25
Conversations between Two Lutherans concerning Methodism, (in pamphlet form) 2 copies. 0.05
Dr. M. Luther's Tractate on the True Church (separately reprinted from No. 9 of the Lutheraner), 2 copies. 0.05
Dr. Luther's Hauspostille, or Sermons on the Gospels for the Sundays and Festivals of the whole year, New York edition, bound in calfskin. 2.00
Kirchengesangbuch for Ev. Luth. Congregations, published by the local Ev. Luth. Congregation U. A. C., bound, per copy. 0.75
1 dozen $8.00 } for cash payment.
100 copies $62.50 }
A B C Book, New York edition, per copy. 0.10
By the dozen. 1.00
The Pastoral Letter of Pastor Grabau at Buffalo (more fully reviewed in No. 17 of the Lutheraner). 0.25

Received

through Pastor Best in Palmyra, Mo., from the following members of his congregation:

$1.00 from H. Baum, $1.00 from J. G. Henrici, 50 cents from Georg Stark, 50 cents from Heinr. Liborius, 50 cents from Heinr. Götze, 50 cents from Johannes Deis, 40 cents from Maria Elisabeth Weis, 50 cents from Margar. Dresche, 50 cents from Maria Kath. Muder, 25 cents from Kath. Stark, 25 cents from Kunigunda Stark, 10 cents from Sophia Jung. Total $6.00, namely $3.00 for the congregation of Pastor Bürger in Buffalo, and $3.00 for the congregation of Pastor Brohm in New York as a contribution to the church building there.

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