# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1849 11 13_S47
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

47

two witnesses whom no one can punish, namely God's commandment and our conscience. Here it is not possible for me to say No. If then I say Yes, as I must do, I am of death and of the devil; but there he lies, when he drives me thereby to despair, as Cain said: My sins are greater than God's grace. Gen. 4:13. And here, then, is time and need of rescuing and helping from above, from heaven, that either a brother be with thee with an outward word of God, or the Holy Ghost himself in the heart, with remembrance of such outward words, and say: Thou hast confessed and not denied, the devil has won the Yes, that thou hast sinned and art justly condemned, like Judas; but now turn thyself about to Christ, like St. Peter, and behold what he has done for thee; Christ has again condemned and brought to naught this thy Yes by his blood, and it shall not hurt thee. Apart from Christ he would indeed have right to thee, but because thou art in Christ and callest upon him, this thy Yes has again become a No, and thou canst defy and boast against the devil: If I then am indeed a sinner, yet I am indeed no sinner. A sinner I am in myself apart from Christ, no sinner am I in Christ apart from myself; for he has blotted out my sin through his holy blood, of that I doubt not, thereupon I have baptism and absolution and sacrament, as sure seals and letters." (Works. Hall. Ed. XIX. 1498. 99.)

Evangelical Lutheran Missionary Hymn.*)

Tune: Nun ruhen alle Wälder.

1. O Jesus, Friend of sinners,
Thou mighty Conqueror
Of hell, world, and death,
We praise thy love,
Which thee, of its own free impulse,
Drew into the deepest need.

2. And that thou hast also to us poor ones
Thine everlasting mercy
So kindly made known;
That thy grace and truth
Shine upon us in full clearness:
Receive our feeble hymn of praise!

3. Yet, alas! so many souls
Still torment themselves in sins,
Enwrapped in darkness.
They walk on desolate ways
Toward eternity,
The heart filled with fear and anguish.

4. O Jesus, great Deliverer,
Let all false gods
Yet utterly perish!
Let thy Church prevail
And Satan succumb:
Hear, O hear our supplication!

5. Awake us, Lord, the lukewarm,
Truly out of sleep, and build
Thy Zion up again!
O equip thy members
Again for the battle of faith,
And strengthen us for the race of victory!

*) Taken from the Lutheran tracts now circulated in Alsace and announced in No. 4 of the "Lutheraner." The Ed.

6. O, open the understanding
Of the glorious Confession
That adorns our Church,
That we also may lead the heathen
To the full truth,
Which leads them to full salvation.

7. Give faithful witnesses of the faith,
Who conceal nothing of that
Which makes sinners blessed,
Who teach thy right hand
And withstand all error,
Intent upon thy honor only.

8. Thou eternal Reconciler,
Let thy work go forward
Fairer and ever fairer;
Break the bonds of sin,
And let all lands
See thy light and thy freedom!
F. Weyermüller.

(From the November number of the "deutscher Kirchenfreund.")

Lutheran Church.

A new sign of the notable change which has been going on for some time in the English part of the Lutheran Church is the declaration of the recent Synod of New York that the "Lutheran Observer" contradicts the spirit and character of the Lutheran Church, which it ought to defend and worthily represent, and the appointment of a committee which is to effect from the Book Company in Baltimore a radical change in the editing, and, in case of failure, to move at the next General Synod for the founding of a new church paper. The crafty editor will naturally beware of communicating this news to his readers, yet we owe it to the trustworthy oral report of a member of that Synod. Thus one funeral hymn after another is being sung to our friend in Baltimore, and indeed partly by his own former adherents, so that we would gladly give ourselves up to feelings of pity, if the old man were not still so full of unworthy tricks. As soon as he lays these aside, we promise him to forgive and to forget the past.

Laying of the Cornerstone.

The eighth day of this month was for the congregation at St. Louis a day of truly festive joy, and in making public announcement of it hereby, we hope thereby to prepare for the dear readers of the "Lutheraner" a sharing and an after-enjoyment of our joy.

As may be seen from the last number but one, our Synod has appointed a commission for the building of a college and preachers' seminary building in the immediate neighborhood of our city, upon a piece of ground of two acres, which the local congregation had made a gift to the Synod for this purpose. The commission has accordingly drawn up a plan for the erection of a suitable building, but has resolved for the present to begin in God's name with the building of one wing only (the right), leaving the continuation and completion of the work, by the erection also of the middle or main building with its second wing, to later times. After the work had already been taken in hand briskly, it was resolved to hold a solemn laying of the cornerstone, and the day named above was appointed for it. The brightest weather favored the celebration. Not only members of the local congregation of every age streamed in whole crowds to the place, but even a considerable number of other inhabitants of our city and several dear brethren in the ministry from the neighborhood joined, with visible joy, the motley procession of those on foot, on horseback, and in carriages, to the building site. Having arrived here, the assembly formed a circle about the beginnings of the building, still rising in part from the earth like ruins. An adagio performed by the musical choir of our congregation opened the celebration, and after the Luther hymn, "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott," had been sung by all present with instrumental accompaniment, the writer of this addressed those present, endeavoring to show how the Church has always proved herself a friend and patroness of art and science, and by her nature and calling must always prove herself so. To this was joined a choral song composed expressly for this occasion and rendered jointly by the two singing societies of the congregation, whereupon Pastor Bünger spoke the prayer of dedication, after the close of which he placed the documents relating to the founding and history of the institution, enclosed in a well-soldered little copper box, partly written and partly printed, after he had named them one by one, in the cornerstone hollowed out for this purpose, before the eyes of all, and with three strong hammer-strokes and with solemnly raised voice, in the name of the triune, ever-blessed God, with a fitting wish brought the stone to its place. After the performance of this act a choral song was heard once more, containing the 46th Psalm, upon which, as a good conclusion, the familiar "Nun danket alle Gott" was sung by the whole assembly and the Lord's Prayer was spoken by Pastor Bünger. With cheerful faces the multitude then dispersed, and each hastened away, since the sun was already sinking.

May then the LORD, who has granted grace for the joyful beginning, now also awaken, for that is the next thing needful, hearts which will open their generous hands, that the work begun in this good hope may soon be brought also to a good end.

To the Electoral College of the Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States.

Since it has pleased the one invisible Head of the Church to call away our dear brother, the late Mr. August Wolter, formerly the faithfully deserving pastor and professor at the Se-