# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1845 06 28_S85
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Der Lutheraner.

"God's Word and Luther's teaching shall never pass away, now or forevermore."

Edited by C. F. W. Walther.

Volume 1.

St. Louis, Mo., June 28, 1845.

No. 22.

Terms: Der Lutheraner appears once every two weeks, at a subscription price of one dollar and twenty-five cents for subscribers living out of town, who must pay half of this in advance and bear the postage themselves. — In St. Louis, each single issue is sold for 6¼ cents.

(Submitted by Pastor Keyl.)

The Life of Dr. Luther.
(Continued.)

At the approaching Diet of Augsburg, another attempt was to be made to settle the religious disputes that had arisen with the papists. The Elector of Saxony likewise journeyed there, accompanied by Melanchthon and Dr. Jonas; but for important reasons he left Dr. Luther behind at his castle in Coburg. At the Elector's request, Melanchthon composed the famous Augsburg Confession, which consists of 28 articles and contains the most necessary points of the scriptural doctrine, especially in opposition to the papists. On this occasion Melanchthon based it not only on 17 articles drawn up by Luther, but by the Elector's express command it was also sent to Dr. Luther for his judgment; he declared his complete agreement with it and remarked only in passing that he himself could not tread as gently and softly as Melanchthon, but added: "Christ our Lord grant that it bear much and great fruit, as we hope and pray. Amen!" And so it came to pass; for when this Confession was presented to the Emperor on June 25, 1530, in a public assembly of all the estates of the Roman Empire, in the name of the Lutheran princes and estates, was read aloud with his permission, and was then spread through many lands in copies and in print, many thereby first gained a true understanding of the Lutheran doctrine, recognized its agreement with Holy Scripture and with the teaching of the ancient Church, and confessed it joyfully. Hence Mathesius says most fittingly: "No greater or higher work, no more glorious confession has occurred since the time of the apostles than this one at Augsburg, before the whole Roman Empire." This Confession, together with the Apology or defense and further explanation of it later composed by Melanchthon, the Lutheran Church has likewise, from that time to this, declared to be one of its public confessional writings, and it acknowledges no one as belonging to it who is not willing to confess, without any exception, all the articles of this unaltered Augsburg Confession and its Apology. When those of Reformed persuasion, like the Lutherans, wished to subscribe to this Confession as well, but hypocritically, the latter would not permit it, because the former had not yet recanted their false confession concerning the Holy Supper. They therefore drew up a separate confession of their own, and by the false doctrine set down therein in various articles they publicly testified, even on this decisive occasion, to their separation from the Lutheran Church.

While all this was taking place at Augsburg, Luther, in what he called his "wilderness" — the castle at Coburg — was not idle, but took an active part in everything; he gave good Christian counsel, rich comfort, and vigorous encouragement. At that time he prayed three hours every day and daily sang his heroic hymn, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God," etc., which he had composed about this time following the guidance of the 46th Psalm, together with its melody; he also often received absolution and the Holy Supper. Thus Luther always kept a comforted spirit, although he remained continually in no small danger from his enemies, and also, amid various bodily and spiritual temptations, had to feel the blows of Satan's fist just as he had nine years earlier at the Wartburg. Even under these circumstances he composed several important writings; in particular he translated the prophet Ezekiel into German and wrote an excellent exposition of the 118th Psalm, which he called his Confitemini and his favorite psalm, because it had already done him great service in many times of trouble. The 17th verse of this psalm — "I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD" — he wrote, for his own comfort, on all his walls, so as always to have it before his eyes.

After the close of the Diet, the Elector fetched Luther back from Coburg and brought him to Wittenberg. Since the question again arose whether, in case of need, the Lutheran princes and estates should form a religious league, Luther did not advise it, because in such alliances one usually places one's trust in men — which was also why the prophets of the Old Testament had so earnestly inveighed against such leagues.

In the year 1531 Luther issued a warning to his dear Germans, that they should not help to fight against and suppress the pure doctrine of the Gospel; and this writing made such an impression even on the Emperor himself that in the year 1532 a general public peace was concluded, to which the pious Elector John in particular contributed a great deal. His death, which followed soon after, plunged the Lutheran Church anew into deep mourning. He fell asleep, in Luther's presence, in the confession of Christ which he had made two years before at Augsburg. Of this, as of many of his other virtues, Luther bore notable witness in the two funeral sermons he preached for him.

Luther continued unchanged in driving forward the Word of the Lord, and in this year too let a number of fine writings go forth. Among others, he wrote his so useful Summaries on the Psalms, and that with incredible speed, needing no more than sixteen hours in all for the task. What a good soldier of Christ he was is shown by his sermon on Ephesians 6, "on the armor and weapons of Christians"; and how eloquently he also praised the excellence of love is shown by his writing on 1 John 4.

Since Luther had learned that the preachers at Frankfurt am Main were teaching about the Sacrament in the Zwinglian manner (pretending that there was no difference between this and Luther's own teaching), and that they were also rejecting confession, he wrote in the year 1533 the powerful and convincing "Warning to the People of Frankfurt, that They Should Beware of Zwingli and Zwinglian Doctrine," and at the close of it, where he gives instruction concerning confession, says the following: "If a thousand and yet a thousand worlds were mine, I would rather lose them all than let even the least part of this confession be taken out of the Church."

To the Lutherans who at that time were being hard pressed and driven out by Duke George, Dr. Luther sent several powerful writings of comfort; and since this prince reviled him as a perjurer and instigator of rebellion, he defended himself vigorously, and with a righteous zeal like that of Elijah.

In the year 1534 Dr. Luther completed, with God's special assistance, the great work of translating the entire Bible