# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1850 06 11_S167
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

167

Supper only bread and wine, or signs of the absent body and blood, are partaken of, and that it is reserved to faith to raise itself into heaven, in order to enjoy Christ there through the working of the Holy Ghost. Now if the Herr Editor agrees with this doctrine, then our conclusions are not false at all, but are justified as true by himself. But if he calls us Lutherans Capernaites because we simply hold to the word of the LORD: “This is,” without wishing to ponder the “How,” then let him see how he will come to terms with this reproach which he fastens upon the LORD, for He has said it, and we believe Him.

As to our “dishonesty” finally, we are quite willing to let it pass if the Herr Editor is pleased to call our withdrawal from the Union by that name; but if he means another, let him prove it, or whoever can, before he bears false witness so unconscientiously. We were forced to those declarations in the Lutheraner by the dishonesty of our opponents, who did not report this matter according to the truth, but, in order to appear clean themselves, shifted the blame upon us like “Adam and Eve.” If the gentlemen who constantly charge us Lutherans with hatred and slander, because we deal honestly with the Word and according to the Word with men, would look somewhat better about them at home with an honest heart, they would find both still there today, where the blessed Johann Gerhard already found them, who before his end said to his son: “And beware of the Syncretists (faith-mixers), for they are true neither to God nor to men.” In connection with these words we should like to put to the Herr Editor only this further question: If you have long striven to become a good “Evangelical” Christian, why did you seek to hide this intention of yours under the name “Lutheran”? If you are the honest man whom you wish to be according to your Reply, why did you not furnish this proof of honesty?

In love,

J. J. F. Auch.
F. Maier.

(Communicated.)

Ecclesiastical News.

From the first number of this volume the dear readers of the “Lutheraner” will remember that Herr Pastor J. Trautmann, after his former congregation in Danbury, Ottawa County, Ohio, had given him, by its open and obstinate resistance to God's Word, just cause to leave it, kindly complied with the call that had gone out from my congregations to him, to undertake with me the spiritual care of the same. Unhappily I must now report another change of office of this dear brother. He has namely accepted a new call to two Lutheran congregations in Michigan, one in Adrian, Lenawee Co., the other in Hillsdale, in the county of the same name, and, after having stood faithfully at my side since the 1st of September of last year as my colleague in the strictest sense of the word, has already departed thither.

Much as I am heartily distressed over this loss, to say nothing of what I myself suffer by it, for the congregations now committed to me again alone, since not only their number of souls but also local conditions, especially in winter, make a doubling of the teaching force in church and school almost necessary; yet I recognize well that regard for my own single field of labor must be subordinated to what the whole harvest requires, especially as the laborers are so few. But this self-denial is laid upon me in a painful way by the fact that my congregations have not made use of the means of grace offered them more abundantly than before since the calling of Herr Pastor Trautmann to the extent that I had expected, yes, that precisely the strengthened sound of the Word of God has only made the resistance of many more manifest and has considerably reduced the number of those who remain faithful to the truth. If nevertheless these latter heartily wished to be able to keep the worthy servant of the LORD who had become dear and precious to them, and showed in the most touching manner their willingness to make this possible, so far as lay with them, this will be to all friends of our dear Church a welcome testimony of the grace with which the LORD has here blessed the short period of service of our dear brother, thoroughly purified in the furnace of affliction, a period distinguished by great faithfulness in spite of many domestic sufferings and the painful remembrance of the work of earlier years which remained fruitless in human eyes.

Liverpool, Medina Co., O., May 17, 1850.

K. Röbbelen.

(Communicated.)

Ecclesiastical News from Missouri.

On the last Sunday past, Rogate, the 5th of May of this year, took place the solemn dedication of the newly built Evangelical Lutheran church at Bremen, a northerly suburb of St. Louis, and at the same time the entrance upon office of the pastor called to this church, Herr Hermann Fick of Neu-Melle. The government of God has made itself quite plainly known in the founding of a congregation and the building of a church in Bremen. Bremen has indeed mostly German inhabitants, of whom a great number belong to the Lutheran Church from Germany; it was also wished by one and another that a Lutheran, or even a Protestant (rationalistic), church and school might arise; but it remained just at the wish, since those who still had some church interest belonged to the poor, and the opinions also were so various that according to some a Lutheran, according to others an Evangelical-Union, according to others a free Protestant church was to be built. One also had opportunity in near-by St. Louis to find a church according to one's views, and attended it. To help up the little town, the first founder of Bremen, a German, offered all at once to contribute something considerable toward a church lot; and this offer came first to the Lutheran congregation in St. Louis. Inquiry was made from here further into the matter. And although a united-Protestant church was rather desired, a considerable lot was nevertheless to be given, even if a stone church should be built by Lutherans within a certain time. Glad as the Lutheran congregation in St. Louis now was of this opportunity to help spread the kingdom of God, yet in the circumstances of that time it could not undertake the building of a third church, especially as only one actual member of its congregation lived in Bremen, and only some others from Bremen attended the Lutheran Immanuel's church in North St. Louis from time to time. Besides, the lot offered was not so pleasant. And so the matter seemed to fall through. But wonderful! Soon afterward a church lot for the German Protestants in Bremen was likewise offered by an American, and this offer also came first to members of the Lutheran congregation in St. Louis. The Lutherans in Bremen were now sought out from St. Louis and summoned to a meeting in a private house. The design was to found a purely Lutheran congregation upon the St. Louis congregational constitution. Twelve were willing. They accepted the constitution laid before them, signed it, chose from among themselves two trustees; and now it was declared to the generous American: a little Lutheran congregation had come together, wished to receive the gift and fulfil the condition laid down, to build within six months a church forty feet in length. He thereupon issued the legally documented deed for the German Evangelical Lutheran congregation U. A. C. at Bremen and thus presented a fine corner lot of 60 feet front and 120 feet depth, of the value of 800 dollars, to this quite poor little congregation. How was the required church building now to come about? that was another question. Of the twelve members some soon withdrew again, when an Evangelical-Protestant congregation of 80 members wished to constitute itself, which in the eyes of men had more prospect of accomplishing something. To this came now in the last year the great fire of St. Louis and the cholera, which also in Bremen demanded many victims. Everything lay prostrate. One month passed after the other. And men began to fear that the gift would be taken back again, because the condition could not be fulfilled. Yet what God wills must come at last to its purpose and end. After dear God had freed our region again from the cholera, one of the elected church trustees in Bremen came forward and declared: He would build this church before winter, God had so graciously protected him and his, it was only his duty to show himself grateful also and not to let slip from his hands the opportunity offered of working for God's kingdom. He began the work, therefore. And although some rejoiced over it, there was no lack of all sorts of scoffing remarks; for it was well known how absolutely no means were at hand and yet many were required. The builder collected with a petition in Bremen and St. Louis; and behold, he received not only many a generous gift, but some capital sums were also lent him. And so there came to be, quietly, before the onset of winter, a fine massive two-story house, which is meanwhile used for church and school, and later, if God gives His blessing, and a church of its own, larger, can be built on the reserved front lot, is to be fitted up for school and preacher's dwelling alone. During the winter everything was well finished inside. And much as they would gladly have dedicated the church at Easter, the dedication was nevertheless delayed until fourteen days before Pentecost, because Pastor Fick could not sooner leave his office in Neu-Melle, St. Charles Co., Mo., until it should be supplied by another orthodox preacher. But since the congregation in Neu-Melle had called Herr P. Adolph Klaus from Indiana, he hastened hither to enter upon his new sphere of work.*) At the

*) Pastor Klaus delivered his inaugural sermon in Neu-Melle on Sunday Cantate.