# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Januar 1856_S28
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

28 Miscellaneous Church News.

Roman Endeavors. From a letter of the Pope of Jan. 1,
1855, to the Archbishop and the Bishops of the Province of New York, communicated in
the Oertel Kirchenzeitung, we learn that the Pope has made the proposal that a
separate college for the clergy of the United States be established in the city of Rome.

Freemasonry. In Westphalia and Pomerania, a weekly paper writes, a large
number of Protestant clergy and laity have petitioned the consistories to forbid
"evangelical" clergy from membership in the Freemason order, since it stands in
contradiction to the ministerial office. — In the Cincinnati "Wahrheitsfreund" we find
the following notice: "Upon a priestly inquiry whether Freemasons, because they have
sworn a particular secret, may be absolved and admitted to communion, the (so-called)
Holy Office in Rome, on the 27th of June 1838, relying on the previous instructions of
several Popes, and after the approval of His Holiness, answered in the negative."

On the Character of the Platform Lutherans. In the "Lutheran
Observer" of Dec. 7 of last year, a correspondent writes: "In a synopsis of the Virginia
Synod we find that the said synod, in speaking of the Augsburg Confession,
designates it as ""our confession."" Now I should like to know in what
sense this expression is meant. Do these brethren simply mean to say that this is the
confession of our synod? or do they mean by it that it is the confession of the Lutheran
Church? The latter appears to be their meaning; and if so, then I should like to know
by what authority they do this, and who has given them this authority? Further: I
should like to know whether, by the expression ""our confession,"" they mean ""our
confession"" as a relic of the Reformation, or ""our confession"" as an
interpreter of our views as a Church as a whole? In the former sense I, for my part,
have nothing to object to the manner of speaking; but if the latter is their meaning,
then I must say that, in my conviction, it is in every respect an empty and groundless
assumption ... That this is not merely an empty, but, I venture to say, a false
assumption, is made so evident by the fact that not one twentieth of our Lutheran
theologians attempts to conform to the Augsburg Confession, in doctrine and practice,
in their public administration of office." — Could these gentlemen well renounce the
Lutheran Church any more decisively? —

Marriage Without Parental Consent. Recently, in Pittsburg, a pastor,
W., married the underage daughter of a certain C. G. Hammer against the latter's will.
The father sued the officiant and claimed for it the prescribed penalty of 50 pounds
Pennsylvania currency ($133.33), which was then indeed awarded against the pastor by
the jury. Another example of this kind is reported by the "Kirchenbote." Pastor Bätis
in Lancaster was deceived by the bridegroom and other witnesses into believing that the
bride had reached her lawful age. On this basis he then married them. The father of
the bride, however, brought suit. The case came before the court, and the result of the
lengthy proceedings was that Pastor Bätis had to pay $2 to 300. — These are the sad
consequences, even before the eyes of the world, when a preacher of the Word of God
does not conduct himself according to God's Word, which requires parental consent,
whether the child is now of legal age before the state or not. See the Fourth
Commandment and 1 Cor. 7:36-37.

Nassau. Pastor Brunn writes under date of Sept. 14, among other things, as
follows: For the rest, we go our quiet, peaceful way. Our provincial estates have, it is
true, not brought us the hoped-for help. The first chamber did not follow the lead of
the second, but let Hein's matter fall through. The cause of this is without doubt the
Privy Church Councillor Wilhelmi, who has a seat in the first chamber and has come out
strongly against us. For us this course of events is a new proof that the Lord does not
wish to help His Church by means of men, but has reserved the help for Himself alone,
for His own time. In His hand, therefore, we go our sure way with good courage,