# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1850 04 16_S133
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

133

prayer in the name of JEsus, the tears. Every compulsion, even if only concealed and disguised, merely embitters men's minds; here freedom must reign, the freedom which in the worldly kingdom stands only on paper, but in Christ's kingdom alone becomes a deed. A Christianity that is to be protected or upheld by constables or bailiffs is no Christianity, but a god of fortresses in the sanctuary (Dan. 11, 38. 39.); but where wild necks are to be tamed and bowed, there the Holy Ghost undertakes the discipline, and the Word delivers the flesh to destruction, that the soul may be saved in the day of Christ (1 Cor. 5, 5.). Foremost among all the weapons of the Church stands the holy, penetrating, mightily prevailing power of the truth in testimony; for without this truth, what would our prayer and our petition be but a breath of the mouth, our tears but the feigned tears of a harlot who is for sale for money? But here there now comes to light the strange, seemingly contradictory fact, that it is precisely the compassionate heart of JEsus that makes the weapons sharp and ever sharper. Here we hear that an apostle, who even wished for his brethren according to the flesh to be himself accursed from Christ (Rom. 9, 3.), calls down an anathema upon all, and upon himself, if they or anyone, even were it an angel from heaven, should preach the Gospel otherwise than it was preached from the beginning (Gal. 1, 8.). Here we hear John, glowing with love (so had the wrath of love, which he shows here at the beginning, been transfigured in him), draw the boundary lines so sharply that with him it reads: "He that hath the Son of God hath life; he that hath not the Son of God hath not life (1 John 5, 12.). In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil; whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother (1 John 3, 10.). Yes, so it is: the weapons of the testimony of the truth are so sharp because the love of Christ and compassion for the erring move the heart; mighty weapons, forged of the firmest steel, which never bends, and which moreover is daily sharpened on the Word itself. And no one can wield them who has not first himself felt their sharpness, through whose soul the sword has not passed, of which the apostle writes: The Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Heb. 4, 12.). That is true mercy, true compassion for the soul, just as, on the other hand, it is the greatest unmercifulness when a man sets himself up as a teacher and proclaims the word of which he himself does not know whether it is certain, or when such a one does not ask after the right food of the soul, the Word of life, when it seems to him a small matter whether he assail the faith of the congregation in its ground and being, as if he were lord over it. But where the weapon of truth is rightly used in its sharpness, there the compassionate heart of JEsus cannot hide itself in His disciples in their petition, their prayer, their tears. Their petition becomes like a petition of Christ Himself, their prayer in His name one that is heard, their godly tears a fire of love which quenches the wild fire of hearts. Where all this avails nothing, there the LORD shows us what we are to do. He went from one market-town of Samaria to another, just as He had commanded His disciples when He sent them out: "Whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, depart out of that house or city, and shake off the dust of your feet." (Matth. 10, 14.) The truth would rather withdraw than ever exchange its weapons; they have been laid in its hand by God. — Dr. A. G. Rudelbach. Kirchenspiegel, p. 432 ff.

The Complete Original Melodies for the "Kirchengesangbuch für evang.-lutherische Gemeinden ungeänderter Augsburgischer Confession".

Collected by F. Hoddick, Organist.

A few days ago there came to us a little book of melodies, bearing this title, for the hymnal published by the congregation here, through the kindness of the publisher, Mr. Koch & Co. (New York, 160 William Street). It contains all the basic melodies needed for our hymnal, though not every one, with the exception of the following five chants in prose: No. 7. Kyrie. 96. Also heilig. 133. Komm, Heiliger Geist, erfüll'. 147. Jesaja, dem Propheten. 368. Litanei; which missing ones will probably not be missed in most congregations. The whole comprises 141 basic melodies, among which about 28 are added as a supplement, belonging to hymns which our hymnal does not contain, among others the melody to the glorious hymn: Jerusalem, du hochgebaute Stadt. The notes are given in the treble clef. For convenience a register is prefixed, which gives, for every number of the hymn in the hymnal, the number of the melody in the little book. The appointments, printing, paper, binding, etc., are excellent, and the price as low as it can possibly be (18¾ cts., at 12 copies $1.20, at 100 copies $8.00). The little book is to be had, besides at the publishing house named above, in all German bookstores in the United States. We do not doubt that the need of many congregations which have introduced our hymnal is hereby met and relieved, and that many will use Mr. Hoddick's work with thanks; we fear, however, that the sale of the little work will be smaller than it would be under other circumstances. For in the congregations, namely, in which our hymnal is used, and indeed precisely in those largest in membership, choral singing in its original tones and rhythms is gaining ever more entrance; and we are firmly convinced: if God grants further grace that the old Lutheran faith awakens more and more in our congregations, then these congregations too will grow more and more heartily weary of the new, dragging, empty, dead manner of singing which has intruded into the Church with the death of faith and become dominant in it with Rationalism, and will adopt the old original church song of the 16th and 17th centuries, striding along in expressive measure and alive with faith, with its peculiar ecclesiastical modes. We hope this the more confidently since Dr. Layriz, in preparing a new edition of his excellent chorale book, has also taken our hymnal into account, so that our congregations are now given the opportunity to learn to sing our old Lutheran hymns of the core repertoire also according to their original melody and harmony, and to experience the power of our Lutheran church song as it once manifested itself in the time of the Reformation. Unfortunately only the first volume of Layriz's work has reached us so far. Its title is as follows: "Kern des deutschen Kirchengesanges, zweite, umgearbeitete und sehr vermehrte Auflage, als Versuch zur Herstellung eines nach Ton, Rhythmus und Harmonie rectificirten Choralbuchs, zum Gebrauch ev.-lutherischer Gemeinden deutscher Zunge, herausgegeben von Dr. Friedrich Layriz. Erste Abtheilung, 130 der zumeist zum Kirchengebrauch geeigneten Choräle enthaltend. Nördlingen, in der C. H. Beck'schen Buchhandlung. 1849." With the second part this work comprises about 330 chorales. — As heartily as we wish that Mr. Hoddick's most thankworthy labor may find its compensation, yet we hope that the dear little book may not see a second edition, and that, should Mr. Hoddick consent to prepare a collection of melodies according to Layriz, this may not only sell just as quickly, but may also become for the future the standard book of our American-Lutheran church song.

(Submitted.)

Traces that the Gospel was preached in America already in the times of the apostles.

It is to be observed that Johannes Goropius in Origines, Marinus Siculus l. 15. Hist. Hisp., as also Neander in Cosmogr., pag. 7 sqq., prove from Plato in the Timaeus, Strabo, Pliny, etc., that America was not unknown to the ancients, but was quite well known under the name of Atlantis, and after it had long remained hidden, was discovered again in our time; but that navigation to the new continent was given up by the ancients, partly on