# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1850 04 02_S127
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

127

set aside all masks and spectres of unchristian conduct and pomp. Now since they are not true bishops, or do not even wish to be, but worldly lords and princes, who will neither preach, nor teach, nor baptize, nor administer communion, nor carry on any office of the churches, and moreover persecute and condemn those who are called to carry on such office, the Church must nevertheless not remain without servants for their sake. Therefore, as the ancient examples of the churches and of the fathers teach us, we will and ought ourselves to ordain suitable persons to such office. And this they have no right to forbid us or to hinder, even according to their own laws, for their laws say that those who have been ordained even by heretics shall be called and remain ordained." Further Luther says, page 368: "From this one sees that the Church has power to choose and ordain ministers of the church. Therefore, when the bishops are either heretics, or will not ordain suitable persons, the churches are bound before God, by divine right, to ordain pastors and ministers of the church for themselves. If one would call this a disorder or a schism, one ought to know that the godless doctrine and tyranny of the bishops is to blame for it." Further the Constitution of the Synod, Article 4, Note 3, says: "This body also does not arrogate to itself the exclusive right to examine and ordain candidates for the teaching office, for every congregation has the liberty to choose suitable persons for its teachers, and individual preachers have the right to consecrate them to this office. This appears from the practice of the first Christians (Concordia) as well as from Holy Scripture. The congregation at Jerusalem chose Matthias by lot in the place of Judas Iscariot." — My ordination, grounded in the Bible, the Book of Concord and the Constitution of the Synod, was declared by Messrs. Rudisill, Good and Morkert, as officers of the Synod, to be null and void, and they demanded that I should give it up. What wickedness! But since I could not do this, I was expelled. My congregations nevertheless kept me as their preacher. In consequence of this, and of my lawful ordination, I performed also all actus ministeriales (ministerial acts). For this I was prosecuted at law by the Rev. President Rudisill, and he succeeded, by means of his arguments, in obtaining the following indictment on the 31st of August from the Grand Jury against me: "For undertaking to solemnize marriage without license." This suit was heard on the 20th of Feb. 1850 before Mr. W. W. Wick, presiding judge of the 5th District of Indiana, and the associate judges Ira Bailey and J. B. Lucas, in Shelbyville, Shelby Co., Ind. The witnesses for the State were: E. Rudisill, A. Treon and documents. My witnesses were the Rev. President of the Indianapolis Synod, J. F. Isensee, and the brethren A. Brandt, A. and D. Müller. Besides, I had more than twenty other witnesses who could prove that Rudisill and his associates are neither in doctrine nor in practice Lutheran; these, however, were not needed, since the judge declared: "The defendant has proved his right with three reasons."

The outcome of this suit, together with what preceded it, I have caused to be inserted in the "Lutheraner" not only in order to inform my dear brethren in office of it, but also for the sake of the truth and of the duty which I owe to God, the Church and myself, and that my brethren in office may again receive a right judgment of me.*)

J. F. Lautenschlager, Pastor
of the Ev. Luth. Church.

*) Since this suit also has decided, and still decides, who the Ev. Luth. Synod of Indiana is, we, the victorious party, have resolved to keep the Synod upright and the congregations together, in order to bring them back again to the right standpoint of the Lutheran Church. D. D.

Joyfulness and Assurance of the Fanatics and the Godless, and Timidity of the Orthodox and Pious.

In our time it is especially vexing and hard that the factious spirits speak so defiantly, as though they were so sure of their cause that they even dare to swear and to defy with the last judgment of God. That is the way of the godless, that they are bloodily secure and bold, and sin without all fear. A righteous Christian is full of fear, trembling and terror, and cannot attain to such security; but the godless are like a diamond, have neither fear nor awe, care not whether anyone will avenge their evil doings, but go on simply secure and bold, as if it were all forgotten forever. Ps. 10, 5. and 94, 4. This is shown here (in Christ's crucifixion) according to the history, that we may not be offended at the boldness of the godless, nor be disheartened by it. As: We believe in JESUS Christ, that he is our LORD, who can and will stand for us against all our enemies; but what happens? He sometimes lets us stick fast, as though there were no God who would take us up, and it appears to our eyes nothing else but as if we were wholly and utterly forsaken, so that even our adversaries make a mockery and sport of it. This grieves Christians beyond measure, that they feel, grasp and see in and by themselves nothing but fear and trembling, but on the contrary in the other party nothing but security, defiance and firm courage. But we must learn to accustom ourselves to it. Christ on the cross had to try and experience this Himself. Yet it is said: All things endure for a while, and everything hath its time. Luther's Auslegung des 18. bis 20. Capitels des Evangel. Johannis. Opp. VIII., 969-70.

Who has not a still Friday and an Easter day has no good day in the year; that is, whoever does not believe that Christ has suffered and risen for him, with him it is over. For hence we are also called Christians, that we can look upon Christ and say: Dear LORD, thou hast taken my sin upon thee, and art become Martin, Peter and Paul (here every reader may insert his own name also), and hast thus trodden down and swallowed up my sin; there shall and will I seek my sin, thither hast thou also directed me. On still Friday I still see my sins well enough, but on Easter day a new man and a wholly new hand has come, there one sees no sin any more: all this hast thou given me, and declared that thou hast overcome my sin, my death, and my devil.
Luther.

From the Western Missionary we learn that now the so-called "Albrechtsleute" also, behind their foster-brothers, the dear Methodists, will not remain behind, and by establishing a mission in Germany intend to hunt our countrymen there.

New Carlstadts.

From the "Lutheran Observer" we learn that a convention of preachers at Syracuse recently rejected the title D. D. (Doctor of Divinity, Doctor der Gottesgelahrtheit) as a title of honor and as the designation of a theological degree, and declared that this title belongs to every teacher of Christendom; the modest gentlemen therefore recommend that henceforth every preacher be called a Doctor of Theology. Whither the enthusiasts are drifting! It is already strange enough that a certain fellowship of preachers hereabouts insists on the title of bishop in defiance of the Episcopalians. The next thing now to be expected is that lay Christians will hold a convention and resolve henceforth to adopt the title: "Priest and King." We are convinced that believing Christians have more right to this title than most preachers to those named above. Cf. 1 Peter 2, 9. Rev. 1, 6.; 5, 10.

The Middle Way.

One cries not amiss: Keep measure,
And walk the middle way!
Only be not beckoned to any course
Where one limps to both sides.
Harms.

(Communicated.)

Correspondence from Germany.

In September of last year I was at Wittenberg at the so-called Kirchentag. There things went rather confusedly, that is, no unity of confession, some repulsive tones and a few bright testimonies over which one rejoiced. In Prussia the so-called Lutherans in the established church, just there at Wittenberg, one day before the Kir-