# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1849 10 16_S25
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

The Lutheran.

"God's Word and Luther's doctrine pure shall to eternity endure."

Published by the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio and Other States.

Edited by C. F. W. Walther.

Volume 6.  St. Louis, Mo., 16 October 1849.  No. 4.

Terms: The Lutheraner appears once every two weeks at the annual subscription price of One Dollar for out-of-town subscribers, who are to pay for it in advance and bear the postage. — In St. Louis each single number is sold for 5 cents.

Only those letters which contain communications for the paper are to be sent to the editor; all others, however, which contain business matters, orders, cancellations, moneys, etc., are to be sent here under the address: Mr. F. W. Barthel, care of C. F. W. Walther, St. Louis, Mo.

(Submitted.)

May a Christian Join the So-Called Secret Societies?

(Continuation.)

C. Well, if the church did its duty, then to be sure the societies would not be needed, and one would also be relieved thereby of all the accidental evil with which even the best human institutions are attended.

P. The church did its duty? A strange speech! Who then is the church? Is it not the believers? Do you not also belong to the church? Have you not also duties toward her and in her to fulfil? If now the believers do not do their duty, then of course the church does not do it. That is just what we are speaking of, that you believers, or members of the church, squander your strength in connection with the unbelievers and for the benefit of the world, and therein lies precisely the cause and the guilt that the church cannot fulfil her duty. You must therefore put it thus: "If we believers did our duty, and instead of working for the societies, put our hand to the work with the church, that is, with the other believers, and did not shamefully leave her in the lurch, then the societies would not be needed." Moreover, in bodily need and poverty we are not at all dependent in our trust upon the church, but upon the living God; for the church has in the first place to do with other things than filling bellies, although of course true faith will also bring with it such works of love; and there are, God be thanked, in every Christian congregation still believers enough who do not fail in such works of love, just as well as those who, without being members of your societies, still experience daily that the LORD also in bodily respects is the God of the wretched and the poor, and distributes His gifts through the hands of believers.

C. Sparingly enough, to be sure!

P. Precisely through your fault, because you shamefully leave them in the lurch, and with your alms prefer to trail after the world, in order that you may have a share in its glory. For tell me yourself, if, for example, all the members of the congregation laid the contributions which they now carry into the societies into the congregation's treasury for God, would not so considerable a sum come out of it that all distress in the congregation could be relieved? and not only that, she would thereby also be put in a position to help those that are without; then it would come again into the old course, that the church could again found hospitals, send poor children to school, let needy but capable young men study, provide forsaken congregations with preachers and churches, in short be active in all branches of love and mercy. Then she would again shine in her proper outward adornment to the praise and glory of her divine LORD and Master, who wrought all this in her. Then many a heart estranged from the LORD would be drawn by the bodily gift to the only and eternal fountain of love, and would praise the church even in heaven, whereas your societies estrange them ever more from the church, and so are guilty that they are cheated of the salvation of their souls. Yes, then true love also would be practised, whereas your love, of which you make so much ado, to say the least of it, is nothing but a miserable humbug. — You must not take the English word amiss of me, for in German I should not know how to render it otherwise than by "deceit" and "abominable lie," and that would perhaps strike you too hard on the head.

C. Well, you deal out your civilities in a peculiar fashion indeed, and one must at least grant you the praise that you carefully guard against all misunderstanding of them. With us that is wont to be called bean-straw-rude. Such rudenesses, by the way, are quite welcome to me; they usually prove the weakness of the opponent, who must make up with rudeness of expression for what his proofs lack in strength and truth, and I take fresh courage for my societies!

P. Has what has been said so far perhaps not been plain enough for you, even without rudeness?

C. Perfectly; at least you have given me enough to take the matter into earnest consideration.

P. Well, God help you thereto to true sincerity and uprightness of heart! But that the miserable humbug which is practised among you with love and benevolence has not yet caught your eye, that surprises me!

C. And it should surprise me how you can make love and benevolence into humbug; I find that abominable!

P. Not love, but your love. You know how the LORD describes true love, which alone can be called love. Therein I find, first of all, nothing of trumpets, pipes and drums, but that I find in the love of the Pharisees, which the LORD sets forth as a lie, Matt. 6, 1-4. However, that is as yet nothing, though always enough already to give a Christian a disgust at your love. But what do you say to such passages, which have been known to you from youth up: "Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, etc. Give to him that asketh thee, and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. — And if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them; and if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for He is kind," etc. Your societies say: As you to me, so I to you! From whom we can draw no profit, he can get nothing from us either! Your love is the most miserable selfishness, such as only unbelief and the coarsest flesh can bring forth.

C. How can you say that? Are not our sick cared for in the best manner, our