# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_October 1857_S312
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

312   Lutheran-Theological Pastor's Library.

...dorf's Commentarius contained, but besides many important additions, especially many glorious excerpts from Luther's writings, there is also appended to it a very valuable supplement (212 pages long), in which the history of the Lutheran church is carried on from Luther's death to the Augsburg Religious Peace (of the year 1555). This history of the Reformation ought to be lacking not only in no pastor's library, but also in no Lutheran family, and here indeed all the less, since here the so-called history of the Reformation by d'Aubigné is so widely circulated. Ten years ago already we showed, in No. 25 of the 3rd volume of the "Lutheraner," by a remarkable example — namely by a supposed citation of d'Aubigné from Seckendorf — what wanton and horrid falsifications of history d'Aubigné's work contains, and how even the lie is not disdained in it in order to belittle Luther and the work carried out through him. We take the liberty of repeating here the close of that article, in which we had given the proof of our charge: "We cannot refrain from expressing here in conclusion our deepest regret that America in particular has been quite literally flooded with the historical work of Mr. d'Aubigné. Given the very great lack precisely here of thorough knowledge of history and of the means to become acquainted with it from its sources, it cannot fail of its effect of spreading the crassest indifferentism and of abetting a false union. The book is so dangerous not only because history is narrated in it in dramatic-romantic form, with French ease, in an exceedingly attractive manner, but because the Reformed author also gives himself the appearance of great impartiality by presenting Luther on the one side, in his outstanding figure, as the hero of his history, while on the other side he imperceptibly casts more and more shadow upon the dear man of God, and himself, as we have seen, does not disdain the most manifest falsifications of history in order to derive Luther's faithful struggle for the purity of the Word against the Reformed corruptions from the poison-spring of pride. How wretched Luther stands there at Marburg according to d'Aubigné's presentation! Like a self-willed child which, when its will is not done, spitefully stamps with its feet. The richly gifted author will one day have to answer alone for the harm which he has already done and will yet do by his dishonest presentation of one of the greatest works of God. Let him who seeks truth be warned." — Now, after ten years, we can tell of still more of the saddest experiences which we have had with regard to the effects which the reading of d'Aubigné's history of the Reformation has exercised upon inexperienced readers. Alas! the Tract Society has lent itself as a lamentable instrument to spread the sugar-coated poison of d'Aubigné, as it seems only out of misdirected zeal against the Roman church, in the English and the German language.

(To be continued.)