# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1848 05 24_S168
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Church News.

In Jefferson County, Missouri, a number of Lutherans living there, who for the most part had let themselves be lured, without knowing it, into the Union-Evangelical church, some months ago returned from it to the Lutheran church; they thereupon formed their own congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran confession and called Mr. J. Michael Johannes, a candidate for the holy ministry of preaching and a former student of the Fort Wayne seminary for preachers, to be their pastor. He was, on the Sunday Exaudi just past, at his own and his congregation's request, publicly and solemnly ordained to his office in their midst by the president of the Synod of Missouri, etc. May the Lord of the church, our dear Lord Jesus Christ, take this young little congregation under his special care and protection, and let it grow in knowledge, faith, and love; may he adorn its teacher with much blessing and let him gain one victory after another, so that it may be seen that the true God is still in our Lutheran Zion. Ps. 84:7–8.

The pastor's address is: Rev. J. M. Johannes, Sulphur Springs P.O., Jefferson County, Mo.

(Submitted.)
On the Education and Moral Teaching of the Jesuits.
(Conclusion.)
2.
Something from Jesuit Moral Teaching.

Jesuitism distinguishes itself in particular by a truly outrageous sophistry in judging matters that fall within the domain of Christian moral teaching. Even the Catholic theologian Joh. Ad. Möhler, already mentioned above, says of this sophistry that it works its poison in many ways down into the innermost marrow of Christian life, and that through it religious depth, strict holy morals, and earnest church discipline must perish. The same theologian says that the aim of the Jesuits is "to hollow out the whole church and rob it of all strength and all life." — As proof that the moral teaching of the Jesuits has, even in the most recent times, become no different from what it was when the famous Pascal exposed the whole disgracefulness of it to the eyes of the world, we will give a few samples from a book by Bishop Bouvier of Mons, which has been introduced as a textbook in the ecclesiastical schools of France and is already in its sixth edition there.

P. 605 of the 6th ed.: "Princes are properly bound by no law of the state, for they could only be bound by laws that had proceeded from someone other than themselves. But this is not possible, since in worldly matters they acknowledge no superior, and their own laws can have no binding force upon them, because no one obligates himself. — It is established that the usurper of a throne, who has by force or by cunning put himself in possession of power, is, in the words of the Scythian in Curtius, a great thief. He has no right over the people he wishes to rule. Nevertheless he makes laws, issues commands, imposes penalties. What, then, should or may faithful subjects do? They are bound to obey the lawful prince as long as he requires it and judges it useful, for by the mere fact of the usurpation — that is, of the theft of the throne — they are not released from their oath of loyalty. At the summons of the lawful prince they must take up arms against the usurper, besiege him, defeat him, drive him out. What is more, they must assassinate him treacherously, like an evildoer, if the rightful prince expressly commands it." — In the Ten Commandments it stands: thou shalt not kill, and here a bishop preaches assassination in the name of religion and philosophy.

— Let us hear how another Jesuit defends the teaching of the bishop: "To kill is an ugly word, I know it well; but there is also a fine thing about logic (that is, the doctrine of consistent reasoning)! Well then, the question is posed: What should an oppressed people do? — Free itself. How? — By means of gentleness and prudence, if that is possible; if not, by an uprising, which is only seditious when it has no cause, as the chancellor, the author of the Imitation of Christ, says. But the tyrant finds means and ways to thwart his dethronement; he has powder magazines, bombs — in short, he has taken precautions; should the people fold their hands in their laps and remain, in shameful carelessness, as if dead? One bold stroke would give it freedom and life; tell me: what is a people, compared to a single man?" ("The Jesuits," by a hermit.) According to this teaching, the notorious regicide Ravaillac, who murdered Henry IV of France, must be acquitted, for since he had a good intention in his infamous deed, it can scarcely be called a sin. — The hermit's writing, incidentally, enjoys the particular distinction of having been posted for reading at all the church doors in France.

We add a few more examples, in which Jesuit moral teaching is made plain in Pascal's manner.

An old country nobleman speaks thus in confession: My father! One of my neighbors is disputing my leasehold with me. We are at law over it. He is in the wrong, but he will win, because he is going to produce a forged document, the falsity of which I unfortunately cannot prove. The family would be willing to come to an agreement with me, but he is set on having his own way. So I am going to lose my leasehold. Now, however, he and I are both great hunting enthusiasts. I have a mind, as soon as I meet him in the thicket, to put a bullet through his head. What do you think of that? — By no means do that! You would be arrested, brought before the court, and... — Oh, as for the court, that is my affair. In asking my question I have only the religious side in view, for I am a very anxious man. — And is this leasehold worth something? — A considerable amount. — Very well. Do you need it in order to live? — No, I am otherwise quite rich. — Under these circumstances, however unjust your opponent may be, it is doubtful whether what you intend to do to him can be excused. — Doubtful, my father? — No other than doubtful, my son. You do understand Latin? "Dubium est, utrum liceat occidere injustum aggressorem bonorum temporalium magni momenti, quamvis ad vitam non necessariorum, si utiliter defendi nequeant" (that is: it is doubtful whether it is permitted to kill someone who lays hold of considerable goods — though not necessary for one's livelihood — if they cannot be defended to good effect). So says Father Moullet, following Liguori and all our most esteemed teachers. — Indeed, but there stands something more: "Sententia affirmans videtur probabilior" (the opinion which favors it seems the more probable). I have so high a regard for your fathers that I follow without further ado the opinion which you hold to be the more probable. And the reason for which you prefer it to the other seems to me, indeed, to be quite conclusive; for you say that "love does not require that anyone, in order to preserve his neighbor's life, sacrifice a considerable part of his own property." I thank you, my father; before the week is out, the neighbor will have his shot, and I my leasehold — and that, without sin! —

Two people appear whose case is one and the same: the one is a manservant, the other a tailor; the former steals from his master, the latter from his customers. They are questioned according to the guidance of the "Handbook." The former says: my wages are too small for the services demanded of me; the latter: I receive too little for my work. — Ask for more. — No, my master would dismiss me, and for the money he pays would find a valet who would indemnify himself just as I do. — It is just the same with me, adds the tailor. My customers would desert me to turn to my fellow guild members, who steal just as much as I do, or even more, and I would starve to death along with my family. — If matters stand thus, then esteemed theologians absolve you of sin and release you from restitution, for their principle is this: "Theft is excusable when it consists of a secret settlement, by virtue of which the creditor sets aside for himself, from his debtor's goods, exactly as much as is owed to him." Exactly that much — that is what matters; if you take more, you sin. Who is to judge the right measure? The manservant and the tailor themselves. True, they are judge and party in one person, but that does not matter: both, after all, belong to the Archconfraternity, or to the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, and are thus honorable, pious people.

We have nothing further to add now, except that of the samples of Jesuit moral teaching at our disposal we have chosen the very mildest, because we found the rest too offensive to communicate publicly. We hope, nevertheless, to have somewhat spoiled our readers' every appetite for the Jesuits, even should they appear a thousand times more innocent and be praised at once by all the Catholic newspapers. A. Wolter.

Available from H. Ludwig & Co. in New York:

Luther's Life by Meurer, bound in muslin, the copy at $2.00. Agents receive an eleventh copy free for every 10 copies.

New Address.

Rev. F. Lochner,
Collinsville P.O., Madison Co., Ill.

The German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States will hold its next sessions in St. Louis, Mo., beginning the second Wednesday after Pentecost, from June 21 to July 1. Arriving brethren are asked to inquire for the local pastor's residence at the establishment of Mr. L. Pechmann, dealer in German glass and porcelain wares, No. 22 Main Street, near the Old Market.

Printed by Arthur Olshausen, publisher of the Anzeiger des Westens.