# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1845 11 29_S28
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

has been proclaimed by the Church from the beginning with such plain and clear passages of Scripture, and has afterward been so clearly and so zealously commended to the ears of believers by the earliest ecclesiastical writers, I beg you, do not continue further to attack and undermine this well-founded faith. Enough, indeed more than enough, has already been attempted; and if this faith were not firmly founded on a solid rock, it would long since have gone to ruin. It cannot be told how much this so bitter controversy has worked against the smooth course of the word of the gospel, both in the whole Christian world and especially among us." (Ed. Offenbach 1610, by Quirinus Reuter, professor at Heidelberg, etc. Harmony of the Gospels, Chemnitz-Lyser-Gerhard, c. 171, p. 784.) Furthermore, Cranmer writes in the first edition of his catechism, dedicated to King Edward VI (died 1553), fol. 114, p. 2: "This is the ground and beginning of Christian knowledge and faith, to believe that God is almighty. Many do not believe this, and yet nonetheless wish to be regarded as Christians, indeed as great divines. Among this number are those who do not believe that the body of Christ is truly given, in the Supper of the Lord, to those who receive the Sacrament — although Christ clearly says: Take, eat, this is my body. And why do they not believe this? Truly because they have never really believed this article, that God is almighty, but rather think that God is not able to bring about or do that which they cannot grasp with their own wit and understanding." Further on Cranmer says: "Christ says of the bread: this is my body, and of the cup he says: this is my blood. We are therefore bound to believe that in the Sacrament we truly receive the body and blood of Christ, for God is almighty (as you hear in the Creed); he is therefore able to do all things that he wills, and, as St. Paul writes, he calls into being the things that are not. Therefore, when Christ takes the bread and says: Take, eat, this is my body, we may not doubt that we eat his true body; and when he takes the cup and says: Take, drink, this is my blood, we must firmly hold that we drink his true blood. And this we must believe if we wish to be regarded as Christians. And since at this dangerous time certain deceitful people are found in many places who, out of sheer wantonness, refuse to admit that the body and blood of Christ are present, and deny it for no other reason than that with blind human reason they cannot grasp how this can be, you, dear children, should with all diligence be on your guard against such people, so that you do not let yourselves be deceived by them. For such people are certainly not true Christians and have not yet learned the first article of the faith, which teaches that God is almighty." (See: "W. Ch.

28

Berkenmeyer's, preacher of the unaltered Augsburg Confession at New York, faithful pastoral and watchman's voice to the Lutherans in these regions, urging unity. Printed at New York by Zenger, 1728.)

From this latter testimony the kind reader can see that in England too, indeed, the pure Lutheran doctrine was at first spread abroad, until later Calvinists came there, in particular a Peter Martyr and others, who through their philosophical subtleties dislodged hearts there from simplicity in Christ, to the irreparable harm of many generations. 2 Corinthians 11:3–4.

From this whole account, however, we learn that when those highly gifted and eminently learned men awoke, at God's call, along with Luther, they arrived, through the clear Word of God, at first at no other doctrine than the one which Luther faithfully held fast, confessed, and defended until his death. Only when they began to take counsel with flesh and blood, and also to listen to their own hearts in deciding on divine mysteries, and to grant their reason a judicial authority over Holy Scripture, did they also depart ever further from the path Luther had taken; and the greater the gifts were which they had received from God for the building up of his Church, the more powerfully and ruinously did the weight of their persons later sweep many thousands along with them into the splitting of the Church. They stand as warning examples for all times. "Therefore, says the Apostle, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." 1 Corinthians 10:12. Further: "You stand by faith; be not proud, but fear." Romans 11:20. Indeed, a Zwingli, an Oecolampadius, a Calvin, a Melanchthon, and a Cranmer teach us that the more highly God has gifted and graced a person, the more earnestly he must heed the word of the prophet: "Take heed to your spirit." Malachi 2:15.

In one of the next issues we intend to demonstrate what evident kinship later became manifest between Calvin and Zwingli, and what essential difference in the doctrine of Calvin and Luther, as far as the Holy Supper is concerned.

(To be continued.)

Doctor Luther's Exposition of the 90th Psalm.

This exceedingly instructive and comforting writing of that dear man of God, the undersigned had, together with several other Lutheran preachers, and with the support of a few charitable friends, had reprinted anew in the year 1834 and published with a short foreword. This was intended to be the beginning of an ongoing series of "Gifts for Our Time," which we planned — provided only that this first gift met with a willing reception and the printing costs were at least somewhat covered — to publish "from the rich treasury of the Lutheran Church, and especially from Doctor Luther's spirit- and faith-filled writings." For since so many are unable to procure the whole works of Luther for themselves, or do not have the time to seek out what might be particularly suited to them, we wished, in the first place, to render our fellow believers a service similar to that which the late Rambach once rendered in his time with the "Lesser Writings of Luther," likewise published gradually one after another — and we know that this intention of ours was also gratefully recognized here and there.

But the sales of that exposition of the 90th Psalm which resulted by no means matched our expectations, and a considerable number of copies of it are still in our hands. Some have indeed thought that if we had chosen a different writing of Luther's, it might have found a greater sale; but whoever knows how to properly value the high gift of Lutheran exposition of Scripture, and reads the explanation of that psalm with proper attention, will not only find in it an excellent summary of the whole wholesome doctrine that is needed at all times, but will also be led to a great many articles of doctrine that are especially important for our time. In particular, there is in it a truly magnificent key to the right understanding of the Old Testament, an especially clear instruction concerning the doctrine of original sin, concerning the trials of death, concerning the overflowing comfort of the gospel in all the distress and toil of this life, concerning the treasures and blessings of salvation of the true Church, and concerning the offices and stations of Christians — and it is shown at the same time how a Christian ought to pray in such his station and calling, and with what he may comfort himself therein.

But to be sure, this also requires hearts that are hungry and eager for such wholesome and nourishing food; readers who are not already full and wise enough in their own eyes, but who gladly wish to learn and would like to grow daily in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ; who therefore also do not begrudge the time they must devote to it, if, upon the most holy foundation of their faith which they have learned in their Lutheran catechism and hear in the public Lutheran sermon, they wish to be built up more and more, and want a reliable guide besides for their daily Bible reading, showing how they should understand the dear Word of God ever more fruitfully and apply it in believing, loving, suffering, and hoping.

And to such readers in particular, but also to all others who do not yet have that exposition of the 90th Psalm and would nevertheless like to have it, the undersigned offers the same — the copy for 12½ cents, for which they may obtain it from now on from Mr. Gräber, the distributor of these papers.

But whoever already possesses this writing will not regret it if, on this occasion, he at least lets himself be reminded, not in vain, to seek it out once again and, especially in a time of sickness, to contemplate it anew with devotion — for which we heartily wish him God's grace and Holy Spirit.

G. H. Löber, Pastor.

Paid:
The 2nd half of the 1st volume: Mr. Windecker.
The 1st half of the 2nd volume: Mr. Heidorn and Mr. Windecker.

Printed by Weber and Olshausen.