# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_August 1864_S250
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

250 Church-Contemporary Affairs.

The Protestant newspapers in Cincinnati, writes the Evangelist of July
9, are not entirely satisfied that we declare their alliance to be
rationalistic. They claim to have advanced beyond the old rationalism,
so that they no longer trouble themselves to explain miracles and the
like by natural means, but simply regard them as invented fables. They
also make no scruple of labeling certain utterances of the apostles in
the epistles as erroneous.

Buffalo Dishonesty. Pastor Schiedt had written "that the so-called
democratic principles are those of the true Lutheran church," namely with
respect to church polity. To this the Informatorium of July of this year
replies: "Pastor Fr. Schiedt means by this that the democratic
principles, that is, the principles of the Democratic party, are the
principles of the true Lutheran church." A more shameless and more
mendacious distortion can hardly be imagined.

"Why Does the Synod of Pennsylvania Wish to Found a New
Theological Seminary?" To this question a correspondent of the
Lutheran replies with 7 reasons, of which the 2nd is as follows: "Because
it seems altogether necessary to have an institution whose doctrinal
character is founded, without reservation and unalterably, upon all the
confessional writings of the evangelical Lutheran church. This character
ought to be undisputed and fully known to everyone. — It is to be an
institution whose professors are faithful to the teachings and usages of
our Lutheran church, not only in their lectures and in their dealings
with the students, but also in their sermons and in all their published
writings." On this the Lutheran makes, among other things, the following
remark: "As long as a certain incidental laxity of teaching in
individuals is regarded as running contrary to the rule, and there is
hope of healing the evil within the existing institutions, it is possible,
and may even be desirable, to bear with it in hope, gentleness, and love;
but when error calmly takes measures to perpetuate itself, and uses the
name 'Lutheran' to wage a fight to the death against Lutheranism, then
honest men are compelled to dissolve all fellowship, and the Synod of
Pennsylvania appears to recognize that it finds itself in this necessity."
We take this from the Lutheran journal.

Mexico. The "Wahrheitsfreund" of July 3 gives, "concerning Christianity
in Mexico," among other things, the following notes: Almost the entire
population of Mexico (8 millions) professes the Catholic church; almost
all the Indians, who make up two-fifths of the population, are converted
and have been brought so far that a large part of the clergy can be
trained from among their own number. The whole country is today divided
into 3 archbishoprics and 15 bishoprics (all filled); there are found
there numerous monasteries of the Dominicans, Franciscans, Carmelites,
Augustinians, and Benedictines; and the total number of the clergy is
given as approximately 10,000. Church festivals, such as Easter and
Corpus Christi, are celebrated with far greater pomp than even in Europe.
It is a peculiar custom that no church festival may pass without being
glorified by a magnificent display of fireworks. It is said to afford a
splendid sight when, in the darkness of evening, throughout the whole
extent of a large city, thousands of sparkling rockets and gleaming
fireballs shoot upward at once for several hours. The grandest displays
of pyrotechnic art are naturally seen in the capital of the country; but
as a rule every village congregation has its own fireworks at such
festivals; whole churches, whose interior appears in perfect perspective
with all their columns, arches, altars, and statues, battling ships that
at last fly up into the air, are represented in the most artful manner on
such occasions. The churches are as a rule beautiful and rich in
treasures, ornaments, and vessels. World-famous is the cathedral in the
capital itself and that in Puebla. Travelers report that one must see
these churches oneself in order to form any conception of their splendor
and their wealth. Wherever the eye looks, it meets altars of solid
silver, immense candlesticks and lamps of the same metal, partly gilded,
several hundredweight in weight, golden and