# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Mai 1859_S141
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

141

From this year's Preface to the Saxon Church and School Paper.

While the Church is struggling to fend off bureaucratism, a new enemy has come upon her — or rather an old one: rationalism. He feels like another Samson, whose hair has grown back in the meantime and with it his old strength has returned. He is getting ready to strike up a dance for the Philistines. But he will probably think better of bringing the house down on their heads, as that other Samson did. Rather, he dreams of new victories. Full of hope for the future he lifts up his head. For the time being he still wears many shapes, not everywhere his true one. In Prussia he appears as Unionist fanaticism. A momentous event, more significant in ecclesiastical than in political terms, is the accession of the Regency of the Prince of Prussia. Less so in political terms. For a state is a firm structure; many a democrat's head may bruise itself against it before it breaches the wall, and in Prussia the monarchical sentiment is a great power among the people. Besides, the new regime's new friends will soon become inconvenient to it, and it will grow less yielding toward them and less encouraging. Regard for the other German governments, as well as the Regent's own strictly monarchical sentiment, will also draw salutary limits on that side. It is different in the ecclesiastical sphere. The Church is a more delicate, looser structure; there one can manage more freely. There one also does not so easily come into conflict with the government and the people's purse; and our politicians, as a rule, are much less inclined to ask what is being carried on and undertaken here. It is a significant word which the Regent spoke: "All hypocrisy, sanctimoniousness — in short, all use of church affairs as a means to selfish ends — is to be unmasked wherever possible. True religiosity shows itself in a person's whole conduct: this must always be kept in view and distinguished from outward bearing and displays." One praises in the Prince Regent a chivalrous character. And something chivalrous lies also in the whole tone of this declaration of war against "all hypocrisy, sanctimoniousness," etc. If only the thing went as easily as the words are easily spoken. Let someone once try to "unmask" "all hypocrisy," etc. He would deserve, above all others, the highest prize of statecraft and the name of a benefactor of mankind — whoever could free us from this vermin of hypocrites and sanctimonious people! What greater service could be rendered to the Church and to the Kingdom of God! It is only a pity that the thing is beyond human power and must be left to the dear God for the Last Day. Then the thoughts of the heart will be made manifest. Until then, however, we shall probably have to content ourselves with looking into people's hearts and judging their sincerity or insincerity.