# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1849 08 07_S194
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

194

phorian, that he might stand in all temptation, and answer the devil and all his angels, yea, God Himself, without any wavering.

"Therefore they must bring forward another ground, whereby they prove that one must storm images. For if they were assailed, and had no other ground, they would have to flee back, could not stand, and would accomplish nothing. Therefore I say, one must be sure of the matter when one would teach others with God's Word. So also Peter teacheth, 1 Epist. 4, 11, that no man should speak, unless he speak it as the Word of God, which God hath bidden and is pleasing to Him: and if any man hath an office, that he do it as of the ability which God giveth, Rom. 12, 6. 7. But they cannot bring forward that God hath commanded to storm and tear down images.

"In the second place I say, that the images should be pulled down and rooted out in such a way that the hearts be torn and turned away from them. For what hindereth me an image, if my heart cleave not to it. But the heart cleaveth not to it, if I believe not in the images, trust not in them, and call not upon them in particular, as though I would show God a great honor and service with the images; as hath hitherto been done. For we have hitherto made our Lady, St. Anne, crucifixes and the like images, and had the opinion thereto, that it was better than other wood and stones; yea, that we did God a great pleasure thereby, if we honored them; and so had a confidence thereto. Then they brought us not only out of our money, but also out of our soul. Now one must not break arm and leg of such images, smash them to pieces; for the heart would remain unclean nevertheless; but one must bring the people with the Word to this, that they have no confidence in the images, as though they could help them, or as though they would do God a special service therewith; for the heart must know that nothing profiteth or helpeth it, save God's grace and goodness alone.

"That the image-stormers should teach such a thing, they well let alone, but rush in all the rather, and incite the people to storm the images. Then the heart remaineth full of idolatry, thinketh no otherwise than that it doeth well therein, and God a pleasure, that it stormeth the images, and rusheth on, judgeth the others who do it not; though there is no Word nor command of God for it. But where the people were instructed that before God nothing helpeth, save His grace and mercy, the images would of themselves well fall, and come into contempt. For they would think: If it is to be no good work to make images, then let the devil make images and painted tablets: I will henceforth keep my money, or lay it out better. But the factious spirits must set up something singular, else one would hold nothing of them.

'The Jews indeed have a commandment, that they shall not have images; but they have stretched the commandment too tight. For God forbiddeth the images which one setteth up, worshippeth, and putteth in the place of God. For there are two kinds of images. Therefore He maketh a distinction, and giveth a rule, which images are forbidden, namely those which one setteth up as though they were God's images; as the text mightily concludeth. Therefore the mouth is here stopped of those who say: To the Jews all images are forbidden.

"The Jews also are too superstitious, in that they draw and make this text too strict: as our mad sophists deal with Sunday and the holy-day, who presently make a sin of it, if one hath cabbage for sale on Sunday, or doeth aught else of lesser account. If they would stretch it so tight, it were better that one should sleep through the whole holy-day; for otherwise one cannot be without labor, as the Jews and sophists interpret it. For it is indeed a labor, to put on a coat, to take off shoes, to walk, to stand, to rise, to eat and drink. But if one will so interpret the Scripture and the Word of God, what will come of it? But this is the meaning of the rest, that they should do no work whereby God's work would be hindered.

"So also here no image is forbidden, save those whereby the worship of God is hindered. So now no other image is here forbidden, save God's image, which one worshippeth.

"Children are forbidden to climb upon the bench, and to sit upon the table, lest they fall down; likewise, that they go not to the water, lest they be drowned; one letteth them not have bread-knives in their hands, lest they stab themselves; thus one forbiddeth children what nature doth not forbid. For because children are without understanding and weak, they might take harm, if one did not forbid them. So also hath God led the coarse Jewish people with such commandments, forbiddeth them the outward images, that they should not misuse them, nor fall into idolatry. But those who are of understanding, and full of the Holy Ghost, need not such commandments.

"If one would forbid me to take a knife into my hand, to cut bread therewith, lest I do myself harm; or should go over no water, because yesterday a child was drowned in the water; or climb upon no bench, lest I fall down: then it would be a foolish, ridiculous commandment, I might say: Thou fool, lookest thou upon me as a child, must I first be rocked? So also our fanatical spirits do, put forth such foolish child's play, and yet would be held for great teachers; but they may well go to school yet a while. Moses was a schoolmaster of the Jews, as Paul saith, Gal. 3, 24, which was a coarse, carnal people, to whom one had to give outwardly a commandment concerning images, that they might not be offended thereby. And it might still happen today, that one should give such commandments to a coarse people; but we Christians, who have God's Word, need not such jugglery, we belong not in the school of Moses, we have a better Master.

"Therefore to the Jews, as to a coarse, boorish people, the images alone were forbidden, whereby they would do God honor. Yet the Jews are nevertheless not so foolish, that they would throw away the good guilders and thick groschen, of which they have many, though Mary's or St. John's image be stamped upon them, whereas they, if all images were forbidden them, would have to shun even these. But it is sheer foolish trifling. Christ is well as wise and learned as the fanatical spirits; yet He feared not that He should sin thereby, when He took in hand the tribute penny, whereon the image of Caesar, who was a heathen, stood; when He also asked, Matt. 22, 19. 20, whose is this image and superscription, He said not to the Jews: Fie, that this and that concerneth you, why show ye me such an image, which God hath forbidden you? ye shall by no means touch it. Therefore one handleth it, to show that not all images are forbidden. But if we would follow the fanatics, one must coin no money, look into no water, and lay away everything that hath but an image; yea, one must put out the eyes of the people, if one were to have no image at all; for one seeth images on money, in water, in the mirror. Are not these then fine preachers? Therefore thou seest plainly that God meaneth not all manner of images.

"So answer now the fanatics: Dear sir, what doth the first commandment contain? What is its meaning? It teacheth not indeed of outward things, of plowing a field, of making shoes; but how one should honor God and serve Him, inwardly and outwardly. Wilt thou now teach well, and expound the Bible aright, then thou must hit the right meaning. Now, the first commandment teacheth, that I should have one God, serve Him alone and honor Him: to this sense and understanding all the words in this first commandment go. Therefore the images are here forbidden which are used contrary to the meaning and understanding of this commandment, namely, that one should not have confidence in the images; but should look to God alone for all good, and shun all that hindereth us in this confidence.

"So by this text: Thou shalt have no other gods before me, only the godlike images are forbidden; moreover to the Jews, and not to us. For this is said to the Jews alone. The words are well to be marked. He saith not: Thou shalt have no other image before thee; but saith: Thou shalt have no other gods before me, or beside me. What is it to have gods? Wooden, stone and silver images, which are gods; as followeth. For men are thereby occasioned to become idolaters; and though they worship not wood, stone, silver and gold, yet they have the confidence that it pleaseth God to set up images to His honor; which is contrary to the meaning of the first commandment: I am the LORD thy God, thou shalt not, etc.

"Therefore take heed to the meaning of this commandment: I will, saith He, be thy God,