# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1850 02 05_S95
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

95

Answer: When he has sufficiently instructed them about it, let him commit the matter to their conscience.

Besides the points set forth above, several other things indeed came up for discussion; but it was not to be communicated.

But may God crown with His rich blessing all that was spoken for the strengthening of our faith, etc.

Ludwig W. Habel, as Secretary.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Ephes. 6, 10.

Would you be strong and invincible, then let the Lord Christ be your strength; lay hold of Him well, and exercise yourselves in Him, that He may be well known to you, and keep His Word pure and learn it with all diligence, deal with it daily and drive it into your heart, so completely that of God's Word and your hearts there becomes One thing, and you are as certain of these matters, and much more certain, than of your own life; if you have that, then you are truly strong and firm, so that you may remain unshaken and secure, come the devil or his messengers. Luther.

The Pastors Are Not Agreed Among Themselves.

1.

The pastors are not agreed among themselves, one often hears the citizen and the farmer say; how then are we to know what the truth is and the right way to eternal life? And, reader, I cannot do otherwise, if I am not to lie and dissemble, I must concede to you that the pastors themselves are no longer agreed! There are two parties among them, of which the one says precisely the opposite of what the other asserts: what use is it, if one would deny it? Anyone can find it out who happens to hear the nearest four or five preachers round about his dwelling-place preach. The one say: "Human nature is corrupt, and man is born in sins," — the others: "It is not true, human nature is not corrupt, but man is born innocent and is corrupted only by the wicked world." The one preach: "God is just, He must punish all men, because all depart from His commandments"; the others protest against it and say: "God is just a compassionate Father and knows well enough that men are weak; He does not take sins so strictly as their opponents say." The one teach: "If the Son of God had not become man and in the stead of men atoned for the punishments of sinners, no man could be saved, — and He alone is the cause of our salvation"; the other party preaches: "Man can well be saved if he only amends and gives up his gross sins; for to lay aside the fine sins lies after all in no man's power." Against this the first say again: "Man cannot at all amend himself of himself; the Holy Ghost must first come, work repentance and faith in the merit of Christ in man, and then one could first amend, because the amendment comes from faith. The amendment is therefore at bottom merely the work of the Holy Ghost, because it comes from faith, which in turn itself comes from the Holy Ghost."

So they ever say and assert the contrary; it is a matter known to all the world, and one may therefore also speak of it publicly. It is a wonder how very much at variance are the people who yet all wear one and the same coat and collar, have one and the same Bible, and are sworn upon it!

2.

"That is just what I say," you will perhaps say, reader, smirking and quite complacently, "it's nothing with the pastors, they know nothing, one could do without them all together!" But, friend, I must make you aware that you say too much, and what is too much is once for all too much, — and beyond the truth no one ought to chatter. You see, you are glad that the pastors are not agreed, and ought rather to be sad about it! You say your "it's nothing with the pastors, they know nothing" with such a mien as if you were making an end of a spider! You think, if the pastors know nothing, I need know nothing either; but do you know why you say it? With the pastors it might be something or nothing for all you care, that is at bottom all one to you; but you wish that it might all be nothing that the pastors teach, the one as well as the other. The pastors are after all still better than you, they still concern themselves, the one as well as the other, about the eternal, — but you will have nothing at all to do with eternity. Because the pastors dispute, you think there is no eternity at all, — you are glad that they, as you wrongly suppose, all know nothing, so they cannot, according to your imagination, preach anything certain to you either, and you can all the sooner cast their preaching altogether to the wind, because it is just not certain. —

(To be continued.)

(Submitted.)

There Is a Paradise Here Below.

There is a paradise here below,
An Eden, a hidden vale;
There one finds the peace of heaven,
Therein is prepared a glorious feast.
And by the tree of life there flow
Many fresh streams of life,
And lilies and roses spring forth:
The rose of Sharon blooms therein.

And in the green boughs sit
And sing birds, bright and fine;
And in the high mountains flash
Much gold and precious stone;
And pearls shimmer in the floods,
Like stars in the still night;
And all around, crowned with rays of glowing light,
The glorious splendor of the sun shines forth.

And angels hover in the air
With golden bowls high aloft,
And offer in the morning fragrances,
And praise God in the higher choir.

And all the saints appear,
With crowns in their fragrant hair,
And all the blessed unite
To praise God evermore.

Here a spring of everlasting beauty is resplendent,
And its blossoms wither not;
Here ring blessed heavenly tones,
Here shines God's countenance.
And in the dark leafy bowers
There it gleams golden, fair and red
With fruits; those who refresh themselves thereon
Taste not the bitter death.

Though without the grim thunder may roar,
Here is the quiet house of peace.
Though the world too wrap itself in night,
Here the light yet never goes out.
Though the seas rage ever so wildly,
Yet this rock remains standing.
Though the storms roar ever so loudly,
Here softly rustles the breath of the Spirit.

Of this ore are made
The swords with which the world is overcome,
Of this gold are the weapons
Before which Satan succumbs.
With this diamond is founded
The holy path to everlasting rest,
Upon which all believers, banded together,
Make pilgrimage toward their home.

This is truly a blessed Eden,
For here the mouth of falsehood is silent,
Here we hear God Himself speak,
Who bends down to us from heaven.
Yes, who can exalt Thee enough,
Thou holy Word of our God,
Whereby the Lord gives us spirit and life
And grace forth and forth.

Ah, wert Thou not opened to me;
Much better were I never born
And dissolved again into nothingness,
Than lost forever here and yonder.
Despairing I should stare into the desert,
Wherein no fountain of life wells up,
Until at last I should have to languish,
My longing forever unstilled.

My faithful Shepherd! Wilt Thou feed me
In green, well-watered pastures,
So shall I suffer no want
And behold Thee in Thy Word.
In the Word Thou wilt draw near to me,
As Thy truth promised me,
So can my faith embrace Thee
In the Word: therefore it is my paradise.
Hermann Fick.

Kyrie eleison.

Mary, the Queen of England (died 1558), had raged throughout her whole reign with insatiable cruelty against the confessors of the Protestant faith in that kingdom. The most deserving men had fallen as victims of her blind fury.*) Now she formed the resolve to let the Protestants in Ireland also feel her hatred, and signed an order for their bloody persecution. The execution of her will she entrusted to a man who shared her hatred of the Protestants fully, and who for that reason hastened his journey to Ireland as much as possible. Before

*) According to Hume's account, within three years 5 bishops, 21 clergymen, 8 noblemen, 84 citizens, 100 countrymen, servants, and artisans, 55 women, and 4 children were burned.