# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1847 02 09_S67
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Thus you strike at God's own work of grace.
Is that something to boast of? A pure aim?

The sweetness and splendor of words,
which enchants many a heart,
is supposed to stand firm without examination.
Is that walking the way of truth?
What does Scripture say? — Be always ready,
prove the ground of your salvation.

O if only you would let the foundation*) stand!
We would let everything go more easily.
What does a hungry heart find with you?
It seems like a double kingdom of heaven.
Yet, if one recognizes it rightly, you rob it,
already secretly, of freedom, Word, and Sacrament.

*) Namely, the foundation of pure doctrine.

The sins of the flesh the Lord hates,
the abominations of the spirit ten times more.
With an exalted mind one sets oneself
above the Word and everything else besides.
One does what many a slave of sin would not do,
and calls it right, indeed especially good.

You hold your freedom in high regard,
and tear loose the bonds of God.*)
Whoever does not love and grasp God's Word
is hated by you as merely learned in Scripture.
Whoever, against you, honestly means well by Jesus,
him you call, without fear, an enemy of the Savior.

*) Matt. 15:1-9.

The more your doings succeed,
the more souls you thus devour,
the greater grows the presumptuous audacity,
which rejoices that it accomplishes deeds.
How anxiously you drive many a heart about!
So wolves deal with the sheep.

You bring what Jesus' grace effects
into such dangerous suspicion,
that scarcely one friend trusts another,
even when both hearts are built on Jesus;
because many a one has already been badly deceived
by your "holy cunning" (the Lord will judge it!).

You seldom accept correction.
Who is there that can teach you anything?
Does the Bible so command you?
What does the Lord write through Solomon?*)
What does the Spirit say of this through David's mouth?†)
And how gravely does the Son speak there?‡)

*) Prov. 12:1. †) Ps. 141:5. ‡) Matt. 18:8.

You revile us almost without shame,
and say that he is a slanderer
who testifies the truth against you,
and does not remain silent about everything.
You say it, and what you say alone is valid.
Whoever doubts it is called insincere.
Is it perhaps not rightly esteemed,
that Jesus appointed teachers? —
Behold, Korah contends against Aaron,
because he cannot be called Aaron.*)

*) Num. 16:1-5.

Ah, tell me: is Scripture so unknown to you?
How does one reward servants whom one has not sent?*)

*) Jer. 23:21, 32.

O go, then, and first learn,
and open your ear to Jesus.
Be glad when you are lowly,
and wait until God commands you.*)
And go only as far as your limits extend.
Whoever climbs up on his own cannot in the end stand.

*) James 3:1. Heb. 5:4.

But, gracious Jesus, Lamb of God,
you are still the bridegroom,
the faithful shepherd of our flock;
we see it and feel it plainly.
You waves of the sea, toss us as you will;
we know that Jesus is within the little boat.

You watchmen of Zion, wake up!
See how many flocks are waiting for it!

Show that you are true sheep.
Then make the shepherd's staff ready.
Ah, do take up the cause of God!
Cursed is he who can pursue it negligently.*)

*) Jer. 48:10.

Teach, so that everyone can grasp it.
Rebuke and lay hold of hearts.
Admonish, entreat, invite, and plead.
And when you see little success,
consider then: Peter toils in vain the whole night,
after which the blessing almost makes it sink.*)

*) Luke 5:5-8.

Let only the Lamb's blood and death,
and his holy suffering and distress,
faith unto righteousness,
the salvation that gladdens us freely,
with which it is said: "Come in, just as you are!" —
let that be the jewel of all preaching.

The word of grace draws and presses upon
one whom not even a thunderbolt can compel.
But see also that you conceal nothing
that Scripture shows anywhere,*)
what Jesus' mouth and Spirit teach in the Word
is all necessary, blessed, sweet, and worthy.†)

*) Acts 20:20-21, 27. †) 2 Tim. 3:16-17.

Prove clearly by your conduct
that the truth is true to you yourselves.
And even though you are free in many things,
ask whether it is good for all.
Blessed is he who spends himself for others,
and does not desire to meddle in others' affairs.*)

*) 1 Cor. 9:19; 6:12. †) 1 Pet. 4:15. 2 Tim. 2:4-5.

If you are like-minded with the Master,
and teach as one finds it in the Word,
and act as the Bible speaks:
then fear no man.
Let both the wicked and the good be your judges,
you serve the Lord; he alone judges you.

You souls who know Jesus,
or at least burn after him,
take this word and grasp it rightly:
O be not a wavering generation!*)
Keep this: Christ is not here and there;†)
no, whoever seeks him, to him he is intimately near.

*) Heb. 13:8-9. Eph. 4:14. †) Matt. 24:26. Luke 17:20-21.

The Word, O souls! God's Word —
never let it out of your hands.
If faith once loses the Scripture,
then the devil knows just where he strikes.
But whoever holds fast to Jesus' Word,
he is felled by no net of temptation.

Rev. 3:10. Matt. 4:4, 6-7, 10. Eph. 6:17.

One thing more: united strength prevails.
And where there is a small flock of doves,
other doves soon fly to join them.
O Zion, hold fast to this;
and press on into diligent fellowship.
The bond of peace will be protection and nourishment.

Let brotherly love kindle you,
so help one another, each as he can.
Teach, correct, admonish, and comfort one another:
in humility be equal to one another.
Bear with the weakest brother patiently,
then Jesus' gracious favor will overflow upon you.

Ps. 133:1-3.

Lord, take the flock into your own care,
which no one else can tend.
Convert what does not know you,
put to shame what has so separated itself.

And stand mightily by the one who is tempted,
that your light may be near him in the darkness.

O curb the fury of the wolves!
Give your sheep a lion's courage.
What loses itself on a false path,
let it soon be brought back.
You are still here. O remain forever!
So shall we graze in eternal security.

(Submitted by H. Fick.)

The Marburg Colloquy, a proof that the Lutheran Church has from the beginning rejected not the true, but the false, union.

"The Lutheran Church does not make a union; it is the union."

In our time the Lutherans are often reproached for wanting no union at all. But this is unjust; for they want no false union, but rather a true one. They do not wish to make such a union with those of different faith in which the latter retain the right to teach their errors; rather, they wish to unite with them only when these lay aside their errors and accept the pure doctrine of the divine Word.

For our Augsburg Confession teaches in the seventh article, according to holy Scripture: "That there must always be and remain one holy Christian Church, which is the assembly of all believers, among whom the gospel is preached purely and the holy sacraments are administered according to the gospel." Here the two marks or signs are given, by which you can recognize the true church of God on earth. These, however, belong only to the evangelical Lutheran Church, for its doctrine is pure, because it agrees in every point exactly with holy Scripture, and in it the holy sacraments are administered just as the Lord Jesus commanded. Therefore it alone, and no other, is the true, holy, Christian Church.

To this true church belong all the children of God scattered over the whole earth, who are born of the Word of God and holy Baptism. But unfortunately, at various times, false teachers have arisen within it who did not take their reason captive under the obedience of Christ, but taught differently from the Word of God in many points. And that was not enough! They also added the outrage of leading others astray into their errors and founding sects — that is, communities of false belief, whose members join together in order to confess and maintain, in faith, doctrine, and life, a common error, and separate themselves from the true church for this purpose.

With such falsely-believing sects or churches we cannot and may not make a union, because that is against God's Word and our conscience. For in the Christian Church, according to God's Word, only one faith should rule, and not two or even several. Therefore we can also never permit those of false belief to become members of our congregations while retaining the right to teach their errors; for by that we would be denying the truth. Our church would then cease to be the assembly of all believers among whom God's Word is preached purely and the sacraments administered according to the gospel.