# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1850 04 30_S139
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

139

told the truth, since it cannot be gainsaid that with such blasphemies of theirs they have lied shamelessly, against their own conscience, and still do not repent, yea, boast in their wickedness.

Well then, no Christian shall or can pray for the fanatics, or take their part. They are given over and sin unto death (as St. John said). I speak of the masters; to the poor people who are among them, may the dear Lord Christ help them from such soul-murderers. They have been (I say) admonished highly and often enough; they will have none of me; so I will have none of them: they have nothing from me (they boast), for which I thank God; so I have much less from them, for which God be praised. Let go whatever will not stay; it will be found out, if it has not already been found out only too well.

First of all they were warned, right at the beginning, by the Holy Spirit, since they split into seven spirits, over the text, each one differing from the other.

The first, Carlstad, made the text thus: "this is my body" should mean as much as, here sits my body. And the text should read thus: "he took the bread, gave thanks and brake it, and gave it to his disciples and said: here sits my body, which is given for you." O, this was so certain that not only the Holy Spirit, but the heavenly Father Himself had revealed it to him; of which I have written enough against the heavenly prophets.

The second, Zwingli, said this was not rightly made, notwithstanding that the heavenly Father Himself had revealed it. And through his other Holy Spirit he made the text thus: "Take, eat," that signifies my body, which is given for you. Is, must here be called signifies.

The third, Oecolampadius, brought forth the third Holy Spirit, who made the text again differently, namely thus: "Take, eat, this is the sign of my body."

The fourth, Stenkfeld, thought his stench was Thesem in all the world, and brought from the fourth Holy Spirit this rule: One must put these words (this is my body) out of sight; for they hinder the spiritual understanding. This rule thou must well mark, if thou wilt become a theologian, namely, where the clear words of God hinder thy understanding, that thou seek another which pleases thee, and then say it is the Holy Spirit; after which thou arrangest and interpretest the words as seems good to thee. As, here thou must first grasp the high spiritual understanding, that bread is bread, wine is wine, which no papist nor Luther ever understood, nor any baker or Kretzmaier either. And accordingly make the text thus, putting the last first, namely: "take, and eat, my body, which is given for you, is that" (understand, a spiritual food). There thou hast it; go now and say that Stenkefeld has not the Holy Spirit, far above the three Holy Spirits of Carlstad, Zwingli and Oecolampadius.

The fifth Holy Spirit, some of his vermin and brood, make it thus: Take, eat, what is given for you, this is my body."

The sixth Holy Spirit makes it thus: "Take, eat, this is my body, for a remembrance." It should mean as much as: "take, eat, this is the remembrance of my body, (nominatiuum corpus, per genitiuum corporis exponendo), which is given for you," etc.

The seventh Holy Spirit, John Campanus, makes it thus: "Take, eat, this is my body," corpus scilicet panem. It should mean as much as: "The bread which I give you is a body or corpse by itself," not my living, natural body, but a dead, lifeless body, as stone and wood is a body. But since it is my creature, it is also my body, which I have created. This is the very highest Holy Spirit, against and above all the others, save that he takes the honor from the baker, who yet has also made something of the bread, and God makes not the bread, but the grain for the bread.

Beyond these there roamed about yet another remaining Holy Spirit (for the devil is holy and a great spirit), who says thus: There is here no article of faith, therefore one should not quarrel about it; everyone may here believe what he will. This Holy Spirit seems to me a young Holy Spirit, whom the old Holy Spirit, Stenkefeld, has hatched and brooded out. For he keeps well the rule of Stenkefeld, and puts the text not only out of sight, but throws it behind him, with faith and with everything, like a hollow nut, and makes nothing else of it.

These Holy Spirits all together, however hard they disagree over the text, nevertheless agree together in the high spiritual sense, that bread — is bread, wine — is wine. And whoever has not such high understanding would well become confused and believe that bread is not bread, but wood or stone, which would be a dangerous thing.

Thus the Supper with them is nothing other than an ordinary daily common meal, where bread and wine are used: for at that one can speak of Christ, read, praise, give thanks, and so eat spiritually, just as well as at the Supper of Christ. And Christ (according to the doctrine of the fanatics) is an exceedingly great fool, in that He institutes a special Supper, which the world was full, full of before, and which happens daily. It would have been quite enough if He had said: When and wherever you eat bread and drink wine, do it in remembrance of me; that would be a complete Supper of Christ, as the fanatics would have it. Just as St. Paul speaks of the whole life: "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him," Col. 3:17. What is that other than in all our doing to keep a spiritual eating, that is, to remember the Lord, and strengthen faith. Thus in time a fine drinking-bout, as the Corinthians began, might come to be made of the Supper.

(To be continued.)

Extracts from Professor Reynold's Confession, contained in No. 865 of the "Lutheran Observer."

Professor S. S. Schmucker had, in a series of articles in the "Lutheran Observer," sharply attacked Professor Reynolds on account of his alleged defection from true American Lutheranism, and had sought to show that the American Lutheran Church never took any other position in doctrine than that on which he (Schmucker) stands with the General Synod, and that, since the Lutherans here had for a long time, indeed from the very beginning, given up the distinctive doctrines of the Lutheran Church and yet called themselves Lutherans, he could therefore, notwithstanding his departure from the symbolical Lutheran system of doctrine, with perfect right call himself a true Lutheran. To this Professor Reynolds gives a reply in the above-mentioned number of the "Observer" of the 5th of April of this year, of which we communicate some portions to our readers, partly to put into their hands a testimony of Professor Reynolds' faith, partly for the sake of the important historical proof which he furnishes that the original American Lutheran Church did indeed constitute itself on the basis of all the symbolical books of our Church, that therefore the General Synod and its patrons wrongly date their defection from the pure doctrine from the time of those venerable men whom they rightly revere as the founders of the American Lutheran Church, such as a Mühlenberg, etc. Professor Reynolds writes, according to a translation prepared for the "Lutheraner" by our dear colleague, Rector Gönner, in the reply cited, among other things as follows:

"I believe myself called upon to explain my position:

"I am, namely, accused of having changed my views, and of having given myself up to a tendency which is sought to be branded with the name ""Old Lutheranism""; and I am asked whether I am willing to remain standing on the ""Lehrgrunde"" (doctrinal basis) of the General Synod. Now, I confess frankly, and rejoice to be able to say, that within the last two years I have changed my views in respect to several very important points. But this change has not thrown me out of the Lutheran Church, but rather has led me into it. I have not accepted a new faith, but that which the Church has always confessed; and therefore I do not feel myself thereby in the least