# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1845 07 12_S92
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

who grow up in the knowledge of God, spread his Word, and teach others. Therefore I ask you, for God's sake and for the sake of the poor youth, not to regard this matter so lightly as many do, who do not see what the prince of the world intends. For it is a great and serious matter, one in which Christ and all the world have a great stake, that we counsel and help the young people; for by this all of us, too, are counseled and helped. Every citizen, too, should be moved to give, to God's thanks and honor, a portion of his money and goods to schools, to raise up poor children — money so heartily well invested. The second reason is this: that we ourselves should not receive the grace of God in vain, and should not let the blessed time pass by unused. Truly it is needful that we do not cast the grace of God to the wind, and do not let him knock in vain. He stands at the door; well for us if we open to him; he greets us, and blessed is he who answers him. Dear Germans, buy, while the market is at the door; gather in, while it shines and the weather is good; make use of God's grace and Word, while it is here. For you should know this: that God's Word and grace are like a passing shower of rain that does not come again where it has once been. It was with the Jews, but gone is gone — they now have nothing. Paul brought it to Greece, but gone is gone — they now have the Turk. Rome and Italy had it too, but gone is gone — they now have the pope. And you Germans must not think that you will have it forever, for ingratitude and contempt will not let it remain. Therefore seize and hold fast, whoever can seize and hold; idle hands must have a bad year.

92

The third reason is surely the very highest, namely God's commandment, which so often urges and demands that parents teach their children. Psalm 78:4; Deuteronomy 32:5. Although it is sin and shame that things have come to such a pass with us, that we must first be goaded into raising our children and considering their best good, when nature itself ought to teach us this. Yes, you say, all this is said to parents — what has it to do with councilmen and authorities? Answer: 1. Some are not so devout and honest as to do it, even though they could; 2. the greater part of parents are unskilled at it and do not know how children ought to be raised and taught; 3. even if parents were skilled and gladly willing to do it, they have, on account of other business and household affairs, neither time nor room for it; 4. many parents die and leave orphans behind. Therefore it falls to the authorities to take the very greatest care and diligence for the young people. Yes, you say, even granted that we ought and must have schools, of what use to us is it to teach Latin, Greek, and Hebrew tongues and other liberal arts? Could we not teach the Bible and God's Word in German, which is sufficient for us unto salvation? Answer: Yes, I know all too well that we Germans must always be and remain beasts and mad animals, as foreigners call us, and as we indeed deserve. Even if the languages had no other use, this alone should rightly gladden and kindle us: that they are so noble and fine a gift of God, by which the Gospel has come, has increased, and has been preserved. As dear as the Gospel is to us, so earnestly let us hold to the languages; for we shall not preserve the Gospel well without the languages. The languages are the sheath in which this sword of the Spirit is kept; they are the casket in which this jewel is carried; they are the vessel in which this drink is held. Indeed, should we so neglect ourselves — God forbid — as to let the languages go, we shall not only lose the Gospel, but it will finally come to this, that we can rightly speak or write neither Latin nor German. Yes, you say, many fathers have become blessed and have also taught without the languages? That is true. But where do you reckon it, that they so often erred in Scripture? And even where they may have spoken rightly, they were still not certain of the matter. Therefore there is a great difference between an ordinary preacher of the faith and an expositor of Scripture. An ordinary preacher has enough clear sayings and texts, through translation, that he can understand Christ, teach, and live and preach in a holy manner. But to expound Scripture on his own, and to deal with it, and to contend against the erring corrupters of Scripture, is beyond him; that cannot be done without the languages. Therefore the languages are altogether necessary in Christendom, just as are prophets and expositors, even though it is not necessary that every Christian or preacher be such a prophet. So too I cannot praise the Waldensians for despising the languages. For even though they taught rightly, they must nevertheless very often miss the correct text, and remain unequipped and unskilled to fight for the faith against error. And even if there were no soul, nor heaven or hell, and even if schools of languages were not needed for the sake of Holy Scripture and of God, yet this reason alone would be sufficient: to establish the very best schools everywhere, both for boys and for girls, since the world, too, in order to maintain its worldly estate outwardly, needs skilled and capable men and women. Now such men must come from boys, and such women must come from girls; therefore it is needful that boys and girls be rightly taught and raised for this. Wherefore I ask you, dear sirs, let this my faithfulness and diligence bear fruit among you. Herewith I commend you all to God's grace, who would soften and kindle your hearts, that they may earnestly take up the cause of the poor, wretched, forsaken youth, and, through divine help, counsel and help them toward a blessed and Christian governance in body and soul, with all fullness and abundance, to the praise and honor of God the Father through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
Wittenberg, 1524.

Summary of the True Christian Doctrine.

(From Dr. Luther's Exposition of St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians.)

We teach the faith and what a Christian nature is, thus: that man must, before all things and first of all, be taught through the Law to know himself — what he is, and what he can and is able to do — so that he may learn to sing well this little song with the prophet: they have all sinned and fall short of the glory they should have with God. There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none that understands, none that seeks after God; they have all alike gone astray. Psalm 14:1–2; Romans 3:10–12, 23; likewise, against thee only have I sinned, Psalm 51:4. Thus we do not comfort and refer people to their own works, as though they should or could thereby prepare themselves for grace and earn God's favor; but rather we tell them that they deserve nothing but God's wrath and disfavor, and that they cannot do otherwise, however they may present or conduct themselves. But when man has thus been humbled through the Law and brought to a knowledge of himself, he then becomes truly repentant; for true repentance must begin with the fear and judgment of God; and man then becomes aware that he is so great a sinner that he cannot rid himself of his sin by his own power, doing, or work. Then, for the first time, he rightly understands what St. Paul means when he says, in Romans 7:23, that man is a sinner, a servant, and a captive under sin; likewise, Romans 11:32, that God has concluded all under sin, so that the whole world is guilty and condemned before God. Then there arises such sighing and lamenting: ah, Lord God, who then can and will help and counsel? For when man is thus terrified by the Law, he must utterly despair of his own powers; he looks about him, sighs, and longs that help may come to him. Then comes the saving word of the Gospel, at the right and fitting time, and says: be of good comfort, my dear son, your sins are forgiven you; believe in Jesus Christ, who was crucified for your sin; and if indeed you feel sin, then know that it has been taken from you and laid upon Christ, by whose stripes you have been healed. Isaiah 53:5. This, now, is the beginning of salvation; in this way we are freed from sin, made righteous and blessed — not, namely, on account of our own merit and work, but for the sake of faith, by which we lay hold of Christ. But when we have thus taught faith in Christ, we then also teach concerning good works, namely thus: since you have, through faith, laid hold of and obtained Christ, through whom you are righteous, go now and love, in turn, both God and your neighbor; call upon God, give thanks, praise, extol, and confess him; do good and serve your neighbor; do what is commanded you in your office and station — these, then, are the true, good works, which flow from faith and from the joy of the heart, after one has obtained, by grace, through Christ, the forgiveness of sins. Whatever adversity or cross one must afterward suffer and bear, all of this becomes easy and pleasant, for the yoke that Christ lays on us is gentle, and his burden is light. For when sin is forgiven and the conscience has thereby become content, a Christian can easily bear everything else, since inwardly everything has become sweet and pleasant to him; therefore he also does and suffers everything gladly and willingly according to the Spirit, although according to the flesh it still comes hard to him. But when a man walks about in his own righteousness, then whatever he does and suffers becomes altogether bitter and heavy to him, because he does it unwillingly and with displeasure.

Printed by Weber and Olshausen.