# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1845 02 08_S48
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

the political circumstances are becoming ever more favorable — especially since now, in the West, an independent Christian free state has arisen (whatever, according to the reports we have received, may still be the case in it as regards religious principles)."

Instruction of a Congregation for Its Pastor.

After Luther's death, when the Emperor pressed the Protestants by every means, Melanchthon, Bugenhagen, and other theologians allowed themselves to be moved to draw up a document (called the Leipzig Interim), according to which, for the sake of peace, at least some papal ceremonies were to be readmitted in Electoral Saxony. When, therefore, the superintendent of Annaberg, W. Pfentner, was required at Leipzig to again anoint children with consecrated salt at baptism, to carry banners and candles around the church, etc., he declared that he, for his own person, could not consent to such foolery, and added: "Even if I let myself be led astray, my parishioners would not accept it. For they have sent a mounted messenger after me with a letter, in which they asked that I should not consent to any godless article, or else not come back to them. I would therefore rather have my head cut off at Leipzig, and suffer this with a good conscience, than give offense to my dear congregation."

Happy the preacher who is deemed worthy to serve such a congregation! — The worthy Melanchthon, moreover, later recognized the wrong he had committed with his false peace negotiations, and wrote of this in the year 1556: "I confess that I erred and transgressed in this matter, and I ask God for forgiveness that I did not flee far from all cunning and treacherous designs." For Melanchthon realized that the enemies had sought not peace, as they pretended, but, as always, the suppression of the truth.

Salvation by Grace.

By grace I shall be saved; heart, do you believe it, or do you not? Why will you show yourself so timid? Is it truth, what Scripture promises? — Then this too must be truth: heaven is yours by grace.

By grace! — Here no meriting counts; one's own works fall away; God, who out of love appeared in the flesh, brings us the blessed gain, that his death has brought us salvation and makes us blessed by grace.

By grace! — Mark this word: by grace! As often as your sin torments you, as often as Satan wishes to harm you, as often as your conscience gnaws at you — what reason cannot grasp, that God offers you by grace.

By grace his Son came to earth and took upon himself the burden of sin; what compelled him to become your friend? Say, if you have anything to boast of! Was it not that he willed your good, and would help you by grace?

By grace! — This ground will remain as long as God is called truthful; whatever all the servants of Jesus write, whatever God commends in his Word, on which all our faith rests, is grace through the Lamb's blood.

By grace — yet you, secure sinner, do not think: well then, I too will simply take hold! It is true, God calls the children of Adam by grace to the promised rest; but he does not accept by grace one who can still go on sinning upon grace.

By grace! — Whoever has heard this word, let him depart from all hypocrisy; for when the sinner is converted, only then does he learn what grace is; in the act of sinning, grace seems a small thing; to faith, it is a wondrous thing.

By grace the Father's heart remains open to the timid heart, when, under the greatest anguish and pain, it sees nothing and can hope for nothing more. Where would I so often draw strength from, if grace were not my anchor?

By grace! — On this I will die; I feel nothing, yet I am at peace; I know my sinful corruption, but also him who is to heal me. My spirit is glad, my soul laughs, because grace makes me blessed.

By grace! Hear this, sin and devil: I raise my banner of faith, and go forth confidently, despite every doubt, through the Red Sea toward Canaan. I believe what Jesus' word promises, whether I feel it or not.
C. L. Scheidt.

Christian Composure.

When A. Tillemann, a Lutheran cutler who was known as a father to the poor, was burned at Brussels in the winter of the year 1541 for the sake of his Lutheran faith, he asked those standing by, even at the stake: "Why do you gather together so much wood to burn my wretched body, and yet let the bodies of so many poor people freeze?" — Compare Matthew 9:13.

Something for Mr. Oertel.

Before we can relieve Mr. O—n of his scruple concerning the Landgrave Philip of Hesse, we ask him kindly to provide clarification concerning the decree of Pope Gregory III, chapter Quod proposuisti, 32, d. 7, Tom. 2, Concil., p. 441. Cf. Gerhard, Loci Theologici, Article on Marriage, §208.

If, moreover, Mr. O., by the manner of his presentation, wishes to make his readers believe that Funck and Krell were executed as heretics or on account of heresy, this is one of the untruths with which his Wahrheitsfreund is so abundantly furnished; for the former was beheaded as a traitor upon the judgment of a superior royal Polish commission, and the latter upon a verdict of the Court of Appeals at Prague, likewise as a traitor. We do not know whether we can excuse such distortions as the result of ignorance, since Mr. O. does indeed name Wolfgang Menzel as his authority, yet naively admits that the latter is, to be sure, "less reliable on some points, because not impartial — but gives, nevertheless, fairly accurate information about Lutheran conditions in Germany."

Receipts.

For the first half-year of the Lutheraner the following have paid: C. Alt, J. Beck, H. Drenckhahn, N. Frahs, G. Huch, J. Horn, G. Henfling, Husmann, Heiner, Just, Kämpfe, Kleinschmidt, S. Koch, W. Kautz, Preiss, Rosswage, Dr. Sihler (2 copies), F. Straub, Windecker.

For the entire volume the following have paid: Brandt, Pastor Bürger, Pastor Ernst (3 copies), Gruenhagen, Gerding, Pastor Meissner, Th. Schieferdecker, Pastor Wege (6 copies), Pastor Wyneken (2 copies), Professor Winkler, Höckendorf (2 copies).

For Cincinnati: We have sent the Lutheraner regularly from the beginning to the offices of the "Apologete" and the "Wahrheitsfreund."

The "Lutheraner" may always be obtained at the residence of the distributor, Mr. Gräber (South Fifth Street, opposite the oil mill), further at Mr. Quast's (Olive Street, between Second and Third, below the theater), and from the editor.

Printed by Weber and Olshausen.