# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1847 12 08_S71
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

"God be praised, that I have come to church and have heard the sermon."

A godless man in Rostock, who was a despiser of the divine Word and the holy Sacraments, who spoke and did no good, who had accustomed himself to cursing, and was a particular enemy and mocker of preachers, said, when a strange preacher was to preach in his town, that he too would go and hear the new parson; and he came into the church and listened. The preacher treated of the story of the conversion of St. Paul, and admonished the hearers that, if anyone had likewise been a persecutor and blasphemer, or had fallen in some other way, he should, with Paul, rise up and not put off repentance until the end; that God was gracious not to the impenitent, but to those who repent; he promised the forgiveness of sins, citing the words of Ezekiel: As I live, says the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that he turn and live; he also refuted Cain's despairing speech, as though sin were greater than could be forgiven, and so on. As this man now listened attentively, the Spirit of God so moved his heart that, after the sermon was concluded, he said to a good friend standing by him: "God be praised, that I have gone to church and have heard the sermon; I will remember it as long as I live." When he came home, he wrote the substance of the sermon in a book and kept it always with him. When soon afterward he also fell ill and had to die, he read it and comforted himself from it, received the holy Lord's Supper, and died blessedly.

From Scriver's Seelenschatz [Treasury of the Soul].

(Submitted.)
Brief Proof that the Roman Church is not the True Church.
(Translated from Johann Gerhard's Loci Theologici.)

Against the present-day Roman Church we argue from the following marks: whatever church does not have the pure preaching of the Word and the right administration of the Sacraments is not the true, genuine, catholic, and orthodox Church. The present-day Roman Church, however, which adheres to the Pope at Rome, has neither the pure preaching of the Word nor the right administration of the Sacraments. Therefore it is not the true, genuine, catholic, and orthodox Church. This proposition can be proven by citing the articles of faith which the Roman Church defends in contradiction to Holy Scripture. ... Here we wish to state briefly a few of the main points in which the present-day Roman Church departs from the rule of Holy Scripture and from the agreement of the truly catholic Church.

1. The true Church acknowledges Christ alone as her Head and her Bridegroom. Eph. 1:22: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church. Col. 1:18: And he is the head of the body, that is, the church. — The present-day Roman Church, by contrast, holds the Pope at Rome to be her head and her bridegroom.

2. The true Church is "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets," relies solely and alone upon that, and accepts nothing beyond the Word. Eph. 2:20: And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. Gal. 1:8: But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. — The present-day Roman Church, by contrast, sets human traditions on a level with the Word of God, and maintains that they must be honored "with just as childlike a humility" as the Word of God.

3. The true Church renders the service of prayer to God alone. Ps. 50:15: And call upon me in the day of trouble. Isa. 42:8: I am the Lord: that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Gal. 4:8: Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. — The Roman Church, by contrast, calls upon the departed saints.

4. The true Church serves God according to the prescription of His revealed Word. Deut. 4:2: Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you. Matt. 15:9: But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. — The Roman Church, by contrast, has established new forms of worship apart from the Word of God.

5. The true Church holds fast, faithfully, to the fundamental article of justification by grace through faith in Christ. Gal. 5:4: Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. — The Roman Church, by contrast, defends the merit of works and one's own satisfactions.

6. The true Church has the unadulterated doctrine of the Law: namely, that it demands a spiritual, perfect, and in every point complete obedience, which we, in the weakness of this flesh, cannot render. Acts 15:10: Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? Rom. 8:3: For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God [did, etc.]. — The Catholic Church, by contrast, teaches not only that the Law can be perfectly fulfilled by us, but that superfluous good works can also be performed besides.

7. The true Church teaches that the evil desire still present in those born again is, in the true and proper sense, sin; for this is the voice of the whole Church: Forgive us our trespasses. Matt. 6:12. — The Roman Church, by contrast, teaches that the evil desire in those born again, after baptism, is not to be reckoned as sin.*)

8. The true Church teaches a joyfulness and certainty of faith. Rom. 4:21: And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. Rom. 8:38-39: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. — The Roman Church, by contrast, defends the doctrine of doubt (namely, that a person must always remain in doubt as to whether he will be saved or not), and thereby does away with the chief article of the faith: I believe in the forgiveness of sins.

9. The true Church commends the reading of Holy Scripture to all her children. John 5:39: Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. Col. 3:16: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing unto the Lord in your hearts. — The Roman Church, by contrast, forbids her children the reading of Holy Scripture.

10. The true Church honors marriage as a holy ordinance of God and keeps no one from that estate. 1 Tim. 4:1-3: Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry. — The Roman Church does not leave the priest free to marry.

11. The true Church preserves inviolate the Sacraments instituted by Christ. Gal. 3:15: Brethren, I speak after the manner of men: though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth or addeth thereto. — The Roman Church has added five others to the two Sacraments instituted by Christ, has turned the Lord's Supper into a sacrifice, withholds from the laity the use of the cup, teaches that the bread is changed into the body of Christ, and so forth.

12. The true Church suffers persecution. The Roman Church, by contrast, is drunken with the blood of the saints. Rev. 17:6: And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. ...

By these and yet many other weighty grounds it can accordingly be conclusively shown that in the present-day Roman Church the pure preaching of the Word and the right administration of the Sacraments are not to be

*) In this the present-day Methodists likewise agree with the Roman Church, who, as is well known, teach a perfect holiness attainable already in this life.