# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1880 11 15_S172
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

172

The word that has already penetrated and poisoned the mass of the German people is now bearing fruit as a moral corruption that earlier times never witnessed, one that reveals itself above all where it is concentrated in the larger cities. The crimes committed today, even by young men, are terrible and dreadful, and not at all rare — outrages that formerly were scarcely committed even by villains grown gray in vice. The frightening increase of suicide, too, is a terrible sign of the widespread unbelief and contempt for God's word.

But where are the preachers of whom Isaiah 58:1 says: "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins"? Indeed, such preachers to the people are just as scarce as the court preachers of genuine Lutheran stamp mentioned earlier. The unscriptural Union has broken the courage to confess and to testify even in those who would otherwise stand up for the honor of God's word and who, even if in a sentimental and emotion-based manner, preach Christ and rebuke sin, though often feebly and timidly enough. A reformatory voice with the clear ring of a trumpet, after Luther's example, is heard nowhere, least of all in the so-called Lutheran state churches, which, alas, are thoroughly permeated by the unionistic poison. The individual trumpet-blasts from the periodical of a Lutheran free church in Germany against the corruption that has crept in have scarcely reached the ears of the unionistic princes and their councilors, and would hardly be heeded even so, since these witnesses are regarded by them merely as revolutionaries in the church's domain.

Oh, that God would have mercy, that at least the curable princes and their powerful men would let themselves "be instructed and chastened" by those terrible effects of the antichristian spirit of the age ruled by the devil! Then in their civil government too they would "serve the LORD with fear," that is, with holy reverence and filial respect, and "rejoice with trembling."

It behooves them, then, to "kiss the Son," that is, in true faith by the power of his word to cling and hold fast steadfastly to him as their Lord and King, to give him the honor, and to learn wisdom from his mouth, so that he, should they fail to do this, would "not be angry, and they perish from the way" — that is, that as apostate princes and councilors persisting in apostasy they would be eternally lost and damned; "for his wrath is quickly kindled" — that is, we live in the very last time, and any day now may be the youngest or the last day of this world's course; and "when they (in the dreadful carnal security of our own days) shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape." 1 Thess. 5:3.

"But blessed are all they that put their trust in him" — blessed, then, also all princes and their councilors who set the sole confidence of their heart upon the Lord Christ as the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords, certain through God's word and in faith that he, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, will not only powerfully stand by them and deliver them in all the troubles of their heavy calling, but on the day of the revelation of his glory will also redeem them from all evil and help them to his heavenly kingdom, the kingdom of glory that abides forever, after heaven and earth and the kingdoms of this world have passed away.

What shall we German Lutherans of this country now say, after we have thus cast our eyes upon the terrible devastations that the antichristian spirit of the age, at the devil's instigation and continuing work, has wrought in our old fatherland?

In the first place, we certainly have great cause to thank our dear God from the heart that this abomination of devastation in faith and life is not yet present among us to such a degree as it is over there. It is true, of course, that the devil does not concern himself with the Atlantic Ocean. As a spirit not bound by separating distance, he can, under God's permission and sufferance, on the very same day in all five parts of the world, through "his angels" and through the forces of nature, cause all manner of earthly and bodily harm and ruin; and, as the liar from the beginning and the father of lies, he can also spiritually deceive and seduce the children of unbelief, and pour out a spirit of delusion over them both in church and in state; indeed, he may even assail and plague the believers themselves with the fiery darts of spiritual temptation, at the same hour and in quite different lands and parts of the world, according to his malicious intent — to tear them away from Christ if possible — but according to God's gracious intent, to unite them more closely with Christ, in that through the grace of the Holy Spirit, with the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, they learn to fend off his spiritual temptations. Yet, as has been said, here in this land, by God's grace, the devil in his antichristian spirit of the age has not yet up to now wrought such an abomination of devastation as he has over there in our old fatherland.

In the second place, it is for us, the rightly believing Lutherans of this land, whether native-born or immigrant, of English or German or Scandinavian tongue, teachers or hearers, to resist the devil with all our strength through God's word and prayer, so that his antichristian spirit of the age does not also increasingly break into our land and people, and so that Satan does not gather his forces, still more scattered here, and lead them into the field against Christ and his people. And though we are but a little flock, we are nevertheless strong in the Lord and in the power of his might, clothed with the spiritual armor, able to offer successful resistance to Satan, to hold the field, and to snatch this one and that one from the flood of corruption.

In the third place, it behooves us to lift up our hands to God earnestly and steadfastly in prayer and intercession on behalf of our countrymen over there, that at least those among the deceived who are curable and ignorant may, through genuine repentance toward God and true faith in Christ, be snatched from the devil and his antichristian spirit of the age; for a national repentance from the top down and from the bottom up, as at Nineveh, and a mass conversion, are hardly to be thought of.

(Contributed.)

Mission Report from California.

The dear readers of "Der Lutheraner" will recall that this past spring, by God's help, the Mission Commission succeeded in sending Pastor Louis Wagner of Chicago to California, where the congregation of Pastor Bühler in San Francisco had indeed called him as second pastor, but chiefly with the intention of vigorously taking up the mission there with our help. The following interesting mission report tells us what a most gratifying and blessed beginning has already been made there by the two dear brothers, and what a holy duty our Synod has to further this so very promising mission field in every possible way. The Western District has therefore resolved, at its assembly just held in Concordia, Missouri, to send, if possible, two more missionaries to California and one to Oregon next summer, and hopes in this to receive the vigorous cooperation and support of our other synodical districts, which we were already privileged to experience so abundantly and with sincere gratitude last year. We do not doubt that whoever reads the following report will recognize with blessed delight and joy what a blessed work the Lord Christ has entrusted to us in our home mission, and will not wish to hold back when it comes to supporting the same with prayer and gifts. Yes, dear brothers and sisters, let us do good unto all men, but especially unto those who are of the household of faith; let us do good and not grow weary, for in due season we shall also reap, if we faint not. Remember our mission fund. Without the contributions of your love we cannot carry out this blessed work, and yet it is so blessed a work in time and eternity! Read the following report and rejoice that you may be helpers of this work. O. H.

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Highly esteemed and beloved Mission Commission!

Since, through God's rich grace, it has this year been made possible to some degree for our dear congregation here in San Francisco to let its beloved pastor, Rev. P. J. M. Bühler, travel once to the synodical assembly of the Western District of our Synod, and since this has thus prepared for him, my dear father and brother in the Lord, a joy and a pleasure — which, after twenty years of deprivation, may the faithful God now increase and sweeten twentyfold, in that he lets him greet all his dear relatives and friends with a most heartfelt reunion, and in respect to the Synod fills him with David's joy: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" (Ps. 133) — so I am able, not only to discharge on this occasion a duty, since I stand in the service of the Synod and therefore have an accounting to render, but I also wish, as far as I am able, through this first mission report — by sending it along with Rev. Bühler, and thus in spirit as it were traveling along and being with you — to increase the joy of us all. God be praised and thanked that in this short time of our mission activity he has already blessed us so richly.

As a kind of first thesis we set up, at the beginning of our mission, the principle of not preaching in any of the numerous larger cities and towns. Why not? Because instead of twelve of us, we are only two! To preach only now and then at one of these places, nearly all of which are inhabited by Germans — indeed there are even wholly German towns — would, to say nothing of other reasons, more likely be regarded by the people as something pointless than as God's work. We have therefore, up to now, turned only to such places to which we were not merely invited to come but which we could also actually serve at the same time. Our first purpose