# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Mai 1857_S157
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Church-Current-Events. 157

construct in America is evident from the fact that no fewer than 11
weekly papers and 3 magazines circulate here as organs of it, the latter
entirely, and of the former 4, in the state of New York, the rest in Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, and Massachusetts.

Normal school for teachers. From the "Jugendfreund" of Pastor
Brobst we learn that Dr. Reynolds, in connection with Dr. Kessler,
intends, at Allentown, Pa., to establish, in conjunction with the college
there, a normal school for teachers, in which teachers are to receive a
corresponding training both in English and in German. The first
session is to begin Monday, May 4, and continue until October.

The Heidelberg Catechism. The following we read in the Chambersburg
Reformed Church Gazette of April 1: "The time comes swiftly when it
will be 300 years since the Heidelberg Catechism first appeared and
became the capstone of the German Reformed church, and which is
destined (!) to become an important capstone of the whole Christian
church... If the Lutheran church in 1830 celebrated, so to speak, its
300-year Christmas feast in remembrance of the presentation of the
Augustana as the confession of the church of the Son, then the
Reformed church will in 1863 celebrate its 300-year Pentecost feast in
remembrance of the appearance, 33 years later, of the Heidelberg
Catechism, as the confession of the church of the Holy Spirit! What?
Should it be by chance that between the appearance of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit and the appearance of the Lutheran and Reformed
principal confessions exactly the same span of time occurred? Who does
not rather see in this a wonderful and meaningful working of divine
Providence?" — Certainly a fine companion piece to the Reformed
curiosity communicated above!

President C. Spielmann has, as we learn with deep regret from the
Standard, felt compelled by his suffering physical condition, after long
faithful and zealous labor, to withdraw from his office, and will
henceforth take up his residence in Lancaster, Fairfield Co., O. May
very many Christian hearts earnestly implore the Lord for the speedy
recovery of the dear man.

II. Abroad.

Pregizerians in Baden. The following is written about them to the
Pilger from Saxony: "One of those sects which have arisen partly, and
grown partly, as a result of the union-making, is that of the
Pregizerians, likewise coming out of Württemberg. We did not include
them among those listed above; they have much that is worth noting,
especially for the Lutheran church. The members of this sect stand
firmly on the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith, and
rejoice and comfort themselves in cheerful peace in the grace shown in
the forgiveness of their sins, through which they have become righteous.
They constantly greet one another, on meeting and on visits, with the
greeting: 'Peace!' and with the return greeting: 'Peace!' They hold
regular gatherings, conferences, which are attended from far away, and
private devotional hours, in which Luther's writings and Conrad
Rieger's sermons are read and Hiller's hymns are sung. I have come to
know individuals among them who are so well-read in Luther's writings
that they would put many a theologian to shame. Their dark side,
however, is this, that they place almost no weight at all on
sanctification, and often grossly neglect it, both in doctrine and in life
and conduct. Yet they have been wrongly charged with gross offenses
against morality.

A particular trust among the Pregizerians was enjoyed by Pastor Haag
in Ispringen near Pforzheim. He has for years been their spiritual
leader, and as such has not been without a favorable influence upon
them. He did, to some degree, press for church discipline, and held
especially to strict observance of Sunday."

Manifestations of rationalism in Germany. So we read in the Pilger:
"The old blasphemer of the Son of God, the former provost Krause in
Breslau, whom the people of Hamburg have now taken upon
themselves as pastor — God have mercy! —