# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1847 10 13_S146
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

even in the worst case — namely when, despite all patience, teaching, admonition, entreaty, warning, and threat, a portion of ill-willed people harden themselves more and more, show themselves to be manifestly a synagogue of Satan, and at last also separate themselves outwardly from the congregation — the congregation nevertheless gains only profit from such a loss, and can then, without constant contradiction and disturbance, attain to a sound churchly form.

We therefore in fact know nothing of that "painful oversight," that "being hindered, plagued, led about, and oppressed" on the part of the congregations, of which Mr. H. speaks above, and we certainly move here far more freshly and cheerfully in and for our office than a good many of our brothers in office in Germany. These indeed often sigh under those evils cited by Mr. H. and falsely attributed to us — though not on the part of the congregations, yet certainly on the part of the worldly authorities. The territorial sovereign, the provincial governments, the consistories as the secular and spiritual arm of the sovereign, indeed even the local police authorities — in short, the much-governing princely-papalism of Germany "hinders, harasses, oppresses" without ceasing, with its cabinet orders, decrees, edicts, ordinances, commands, tables, and lists, the poor preachers, and keeps them continually "under a painful oversight." They must devote no small portion of their time to this, withdrawing it from their congregations, in order to satisfy the demands of this many-membered bureaucratic monster; and if the Lord does not, sooner or later, provide help and free the church from these encroachments of worldly government, then it is, in truth and in fact, far worse off than we are with this or that encroachment of the democratic spirit. We, even in the worst case, as reported above, can attain to a natural church government and to a sound churchly form; but our brothers in office and in the faith in Germany cannot, if the state of these things remains as it is. Yet there are all signs that it will not remain so. May God grant the princes and their councilors grace and wisdom to recognize this time, not to strive against God, and gradually, in a sensible manner, to loose the church from the bonds of worldly government; and may He grant the people humility and patience, that it not, in willfulness and violence, seize more to itself than is given to it.

As for, secondly, our dear brother in office and in the faith in New York, who, according to the testimony of Mr. H., is said to fare so pitiably that he "literally suffers hunger," this statement, if I may say so, is literally untrue. Mr. H. has here again, as often elsewhere, drawn from the mouths of other people, who are probably just as ill-disposed toward the so-called Old Lutherans as he himself and all who are Unionist-minded. The truth, however, as we know from reliable sources, is this: that that small congregation of about fifty

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contributing members raises not only nearly $300.00 annually for the rent of the church hall and the parsonage, not counting the cost of firewood, but also at least $250 annually for the pastor's salary, not counting school fees and other voluntary gifts of love. A small proof, however, that Pastor B. suffers no want is this: that he takes no money at all from the poorer parents of the schoolchildren, and has also repeatedly offered, out of his own purse, to help bear the rent for his dwelling, although the little congregation has never accepted this. From this accounting it becomes evident that there each member contributes, on average, at least $12.00 annually toward the support of the holy preaching office. But where are the Unionist craftsmen and day-laborers and so forth in Germany who spend even so much as twelve Prussian thalers annually for other church purposes, since they have little or nothing to contribute toward the establishment and maintenance of the preaching office, church-building, and the like?

Since we are just now dealing with personal matters, let it finally be permitted to add a few words concerning the judgment that Mr. H. has passed upon the writer of this article, whom, incidentally, he does not know personally at all, and whom he even, on occasion, makes into a Bavarian, which he is not.

According to the words of the said correspondent, the sender of this article, Pastor S. in Fort Wayne, stands "at the head and is the soul of the whole thing" (namely, of the separation from the Ohio Synod and the ecclesiastical union with the Saxon Lutherans from Missouri), "an exceedingly stiff Lutheran and at the same time a very domineering man" (very fond of power).

Against this, let it now be permitted first to inform Mr. H. somewhat more precisely. When it was a matter of submitting our first petition to the Ohio Synod, namely for the abolition of the united distribution formula, "Christ says," I cannot boast that the first impulse toward this proceeded from me; it was two other brothers who were wounded in their churchly conscience by this formula and at the same time kept from taking part in the common partaking of the holy Lord's Supper, which usually takes place on the Sunday before the opening of the synod. I myself, having come into the country a year later than they, knew nothing of it. But after those brothers informed me of this grievance and asked me whether I too did not consider the use of that formula by a Lutheran synod to be wrong, and whether I would not also, in their name, submit to the synod a petition for the abolition of that formula, with sufficient demonstration of our reasons, I consented to both, since my own churchly conscience likewise took the same offense at those Unionist introductory words. Yet I confess that, since I had in the meantime learned of even coarser violations by the synod against confessional practice (such as, for example, the light-minded administering of the Lord's Supper to the Reformed as such), I for my part would not have begun with that particular petition; since, however, it presented itself to those two brothers for the time being as the most immediate matter, I considered it right to join myself to them and to submit that petition together with them.

Furthermore, if my humble self were in any way supposed or wished "to stand at the head of our association and be the soul of the whole" — our then conference and present synod would be very much to be pitied. The truth here too is this: that I, in agreement with dear like-minded brothers in Germany, earnestly and diligently strove, for my part as well, that we might enter into church fellowship with the Saxon Lutherans, the dear brothers in Missouri and Illinois, and, God willing, join together into one synod; and it was with this intention that I also made my journey to St. Louis in May 1846, in the company of two brothers in office; for I too clearly recognized that we, at that time, without the accession of those brothers from Saxony — who are far superior to us in gifts, training, and experience in office — were not sufficient to form a Lutheran synod that would have not merely the name but also the substance. Now if I were really, through the deceit of the devil and of my own heart, as "domineering" as Mr. H. describes me, I could hardly have pursued that union so earnestly, since it could by no means turn out to procure for me a greater influence than I would certainly have had without it. By God's grace, it was and is the case that I, not merely as a matter of the case but also personally, sincerely seek and love standing together with more gifted, more experienced, and more mature brothers in office, because I would rather learn than teach, would rather be led than lead myself.*) I can also assure Mr. H., as before God, that I have already many times implored the Lord, and still implore Him, rather to plunge me into the greatest outward disgrace (naturally not for my sin's sake) or into strong inward temptation, than that I should either sink back into indolence and false security, or that my heart should even inwardly rise up against Him and thereafter also show itself proud in word and conduct. This, however, I cannot and will not deny: that my outward conduct in joint deliberations may here and there make upon this or that person the impression of pride and domineering; for where there are people who, like, for instance, the former editor of the Lutherische K.Z. (probably the one source from which Mr. H. drew his judgment of me

*) Editor's note. — Under other circumstances we would consider it the greatest shame to allow the above statements of the dear Sihler, by which he here in the West washes his own feet before all the world, to be printed. But may these statements, in view of the public reproach made against him that he is "a very domineering man," be allowed to stand, to the shame of the venomous slanderer and to the honor of God, who has adorned our Sihler, as everyone who has become acquainted with him knows, with the most admirable humility, so that he has no eye at all for his own gifts, but not only sees those of others, but in his humility and love always regards them as greater than they are.