# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1846 11 17_S36
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

[Translation continues mid-thought from the previous page.]

In doing so, we will at the same time also add some necessary corrections regarding the judgment likewise expressed in the above-mentioned synodical letter concerning the pastors and candidates for the ministry who came over from Bavaria.

In closing, we assure once more that we have sought not strife and discord, but rather peace and unity; but we also know, and say it to ourselves and to others for comfort, that the truth has always had to fight its way through all manner of attacks from the right and from the left. Let us preserve the words of truth with a good conscience, confess them confidently and joyfully, and in doing so look not to men, whoever they may be, but attend only to the Lord our God, that we may serve him purely in his church and call upon him, that he would protect and preserve us in his grace and truth, and grant victory at all times to his own, for the honor of his name's sake. Amen.

July 12, 1846.

G. H. Löber. C. F. Gruber.
E. G. W. Keyl. C. F. W. Walther.

I too join in this preliminary reply, insofar as it relates to the disputes that arose over Pastor Grabau's so-called Pastoral Letter, and declare that I by no means consider it a disgrace to be numbered by Pastor Grabau, in his synodical letter, among the opponents of his Pastoral Letter — however earnestly I otherwise protest against being identified with the followers of Ehrenström and other fanatical opponents of it.

Th. Brohm.

Postscript. After the above had already been written, it emerged from a letter of Pastor Grabau, dated Buffalo, June 6, 1846, that he had declared himself willing to attend a conference — to be arranged, at the latest, for the coming spring, with us and his other fellow ministers — in which he too wishes to see the differences prevailing between us settled with God's help.

We therefore held back the above preliminary reply once more, and wished to wait with it at least until we should be compelled, by some perceived offense that someone might take at our silence, to a public presentation of it.

And since, on the 8th of last month, the congregation of Town Nine, called Freistadt, in Wisconsin, turned to us with 44 signatures and, for conscience's sake, requested from us clarification concerning those accusations which had been made against us by the aforementioned Pastor in the well-known synodical letter, we could no longer delay presenting this clarification publicly, for the time being, in the above reply.

And although that congregation admits to us that it had, unfortunately, itself

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co-signed that synodical letter, and thus, without having heard us, had allowed itself to be led into a hasty judgment about us, it nevertheless seems to have struck them — and rightly so — that none of us had been present at that synod, since they had been told that we had been invited to it.

Against this, however, we must testify that we were not only not invited, but that, on the contrary, Pastor Grabau had written to us that, under the circumstances prevailing, he could not invite us.

May, therefore, that congregation, and everyone else to whom our silence may otherwise have seemed remarkable and into whose hands these pages may come, gather from our above declaration, for the time being, at least this much: that we have a good conscience in the matter in question, so that we can justify ourselves before everyone, but that for the present, for good reason, we did not wish to do anything more than we have done. Should the conference desired by Pastor Grabau come about, with God's help, next spring, then it will become apparent what further we have to do or to refrain from doing; and we here testify once more only this: that we have no desire to quarrel, but seek peace with our whole heart, yet will also concede nothing of the truth we have recognized, but will prove and defend it to the best of our ability, so help us God.

November 23, 1846.
The Above [Signatories].

Since the "Lichtfreund" has so far, and even recently, made only a few short, feeble remarks about the "Lutheraner," it appears that it has quite forgotten that in the previous volume of the "Lutheraner," under the heading "Rationalism and the Bible," a very thorough article appeared, an appreciation of which, in our opinion, might give the Lichtfreund an opportunity — more than that of any other article that has appeared in our paper — to show whether, with regard to its judgment on Lutheranism, it bears its name in the same sense as its Catholic namesake in Cincinnati, or not. In order, therefore, to come to the aid of a memory that is often weak in certain matters, we take the liberty, in all modesty, of offering this passing reminder.

The Best Service of Love toward the Mortally Ill.

When the surgeons had given up hope for the life of Baron von Dyhern, who had been very dangerously wounded in the Battle of Bergen on April 13, 1759, his valet, who was concerned for his master's true welfare, wished to convey this news to him in a cautious manner. With this intention he asked him whether he would not like to have a clergyman sent for. The master, who was a freethinker, answered curtly that he should indeed spare him such suggestions. The valet, however, did not let himself be deterred by this harsh answer from pressing the patient further. "Sir General," he said, "in all the time I have been in your service, have you ever found any unfaithfulness in me?" And when the sick man answered no, he went on further: "Then this would be the first and most abominable unfaithfulness, if I did not care for your soul — an unfaithfulness that I could answer for neither before God, nor before you at the Last Judgment, nor before your mother, nor before the judgment seat of my own conscience. The surgeons, who have hitherto always given you good hope, have given you up as lost. Everyone shrinks from bringing you this sad message, and so I must tell it to you myself. You stand before the gates of eternity, and have no time to lose; therefore I beg you, have a servant of God called, and care for your soul." — This address, as frank as it was evidently prompted by heartfelt love, made a deep impression on the general, who had hitherto been an unbeliever. He lay still for a while, turned inward upon himself; but at last he reached out his hand to the valet, thanked him in the most friendly terms for the great faithfulness that concern for his soul had moved him to show, and gave him the order to have Dr. Fresenius called. The latter came, and God blessed his conversation with the dying freethinker to such a degree that, even in his last days, he turned back from his wrong path, came to insight and repentance over his falling away from his God and Creator, and finally departed from the world blessedly in faith in Jesus.

The Third Volume of the "Lutheraner."

Since the first number of this volume is entirely out of print, and numbers 2, 3, and 4 are out of print except for a few copies, we find ourselves compelled, should this volume be ordered further, to send it excluding the numbers indicated. Since, however, we have also had the first number printed off in pamphlet form, we will in future, in such a case, unless expressly declined, enclose this pamphlet with the third volume.

The typesetting errors that have hitherto occurred so frequently in our paper prompt us to have our paper appear from now on on Tuesday instead of on Saturday. We hope that, with this change in the time of issuing our paper, it will be possible for us to provide a more correct printing of it.

Paid:

2nd volume: Messrs. P. Battels (3 copies), H. Ludwig, Cand. Wolf.

Second half of the 2nd volume: Messrs. Alt, H. L. Dannetill, Leibrock.

First half of the 3rd volume: Messrs. Conr. Baner, Ch. Brink, H. Collmeier, H. L. Dannettel, A. Hellwig, Joh. Hübschmann, J. Jacobs, Fr. Prutz, Dan. Ritz, Stroh, Treude, Heinrich and Hermann Waltzen, A. Krumme.

3rd volume: Messrs. F. Brockschmidt, Bluhm, F. W. Hoffmann, H. Ladwig, P. Meißner, Ferd. Meyer, Eberh. Muhly, H. Rennecke.

For the mission to the heathen in Frankenmut: $1.00 from Mr. Bolz.

Printed by Weber and Olshausen.