The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1890, Page 38

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of Egypt, he fell away from what he knew to
be the trath, ‘and denied the Lutheran faith. | doned.”’

The Lutheran Pioneer.’

On Trinity Sunday, in the year 1537, he in his
sermon declared that if Iauther’s doctrine were
true, thunder and lightning should kill hin. The

Our Virginia Letter.

On Friday, the 5th of September, I was
somewhat surprised. A carriage drove up be-
fore my door and a gentleman of fine appear-
ance alighted, thus showing that he meant to
comein. But not alone; he reached into the
carriage door to help some one out, which ap-
peared somewhat difficult. I was thus moved
to go to his aid; and it was necessary; for it
was his wife with a broken leg.

Oh! yes; [had heard of them, and that they
were to come this way. It was candidate H.
D. Schoof, called by the colored mission board
as missionary at the station Meherrin, Va., and
whom I was to ordain and install. He, some
six weeks ago, had started from his home in
Wiconsin, with his spouse of two days, to come
to Virginia, his field of labor, but was hindered,
while yet in hearing of the farewells at home,
by the upsetting of a coach, which caused a sad
rupture of their journey by the still more sad
rupture of his wife’s leg.

But soon the zeal of the young !rother caused
him to push on, and so he cawe, bearing his
burden, all the way from Wisconsin to Vir-
ginia; for the broken limb was still more of a
burden than of use.

On the following Sunday, the 14th after Trin.,
he was duly ordained in the Bethlehem Evang.
Luth. Church, at Richmond, Va. It was an
edifying service for our people, and they were
moved to thank God for the spread of His
kingdom among the colored race of our beloved
country, and to entreat His blessing on the
work of our missionaries.

On the Wednesday following the introduction
and installation took place among his people at
Meherrin, Va. Although a week-day, yet the
little church was filled and all the members
whose work had not called them too far from
home were present. Joy beamed on every
countenance, and with the most devotional
attention they listened to every word of the
sermon. The text was 1 Thess. 5, 12. 13, from
which was set forth to them the grace of God,

in giving them a pastor of their own, and the
duties which pastor and congregation owe to
each other.

‘May God strengthen and comfort the brother
and his afflicted wife; may He bless and build
up the congregation of His people in that waste
place of the world; and to- this end bless the
relation of pastor and people to His glory and
the salvation of many souls.

C. J. O&stscHLZxcER,
: Richmond, Va.
——s oo oe
A Warning.

and in prayer. But a flash of lightning struck

second flash then struck him and killed him on

stopped.—From the German.
———s-—+ o-oo

A Tricky Priest.

A curious case, showing the spirit of the Ro-
man Catholic priesthood, occurred at Ventry in
1827. The Rev. John Gregg went there to
preach the first Irish Protestant sermon ever
heard in the place. The room was crowded.
As soon as Mr. Gregg began to speak a thun-
dering noise came from the cellar. The people
thought it was St. Patrick warning them not to
listen; but the delight of hearing their mother
tongue spoken by the preacher was enough to
keep them, and the duel went on between the
preacher, waxing ever warmer and warmer,
and the powers of the lower regions growing
weaker and weaker. The preacher conquered,
and three days after had the pleasure of giv-
ing an Irish Bible to a young man who con-

tablished mission shools.
——s~ 0 0 ee

A Witness for-Luther’s Doctrine.

About the time Luther began his work in
Germany, a young prince started upon a pil-
grimage to Spain. While in that country, he
visited and confessed to an old monk, and also
informed him of the object of his journey to

At the time of the Reformation a Romish
priest in Saxony, Urban Nicolai by name, came
to a knowledge of the truth of the Lutheran
‘doctrine, and publicly confessed it. Not very
long afterward, hankering after the flesh-pots

which he plainly shows from the Word of God,
that there is no other way of securing forgive-

Christ.

The Two Bibles.

Two women each bought a family Bible. One

same evening a tremendous thunder storm] of the women is a Protestant Iady and the other
arose. Flash of lightning followed flash, and| Roman Catholic.
like a thousand voices of divine wrath the|one Mrs. P. and the other Mrs. R.
thunders rolled along. Calling to mind his} Catholic people are not allowed to read the
bold challenge of divine justice, he ordered the} Bible.
ringing of all the bells, hastened to church and | not be permitted to keep your Bible when the
threw himself before the altar, with trembling| priest knows that you have one.’’

For short we will name the
Roman

So Mrs. P. said to Mrs. R., ‘‘ You will

*©O yes,’ said Mrs. R. ‘‘All intelligent Ro-

him and rendered him insensible. The citizens} man Catholics are permitted to read the Bible.
of the place came and carried him away. A| Only the ignorant are not permitted to read it.”

Not very long after this however, Mrs. P.

the spot. The bearers of his body, although | saw Mrs. R. take her Bible to the butcher and
themselves unharmed, ran away in great fright. | exchange it for meat. She immediately called
This terrible judgment of God made so deep an| on Mrs. R. and reminded her of her statement
impression: that thousands became Lutherans | concerning intelligent Roman Catholics, saying,
and the mouths of many blasphemers were| ‘‘ Did I not tell you that you could keep your

Bible only until the priest would forbid you
keeping it?”’ ;

Mrs. R. had to admit that her priest had for-
bidden her to keep it, but only on account of
the bad example for others, telling her that she
was intelligent enough to read it, but that it
would not do to have her ignorant neighbors
find the Bible in her house.

This true story shows the spirit of the Ro-
mish church. As long as her poor souls can
be kept ignorant they will believe her errors.
The Bible would give them light and truth and
the truth would make them free. How very
grateful we should be, that since the days of
Luther and the Reformation we have an open

—s—- oo -

Luther’s Faithfulness.

In 1516 the plague prevailed in the city of

fessed to having been sent by his priest to break Wittenberg, and Luther was advised to flee.
up the meeting. He had been scraping a stick He answered: ‘‘ Where shall I go to? I hope
against the leg of a table, but, ‘when too tired | the world will not crumble to ruin if brother
to go on with it, had heard enough of the ser- Martin leave it. When the pestilence increases
mon to make him want to know more. ‘This|_ Will scatter the brethren in all directions, but
young man afterward became a zealous Prot-|1@m placed here and dare not ‘flee.
estant clergyman, and for years worked among | 58Y this because I have no fear of death, for
the people of Cleena, a rocky peninsula on the Iam not the apostle Paul, but only his inter-
western coast, where he built a church and es-| Preter; nevertheless I hope that God will de-

I do not

liver me from all my fears.’’

Luther did not leave the city during the pes-
tilence, but visited the sick and comforted the
dying. God in His mercy protected him against
all danger.

2 4 ot 6

A Good Answer.

A young lady who recently renounced Ro-

Spain. ‘But, my son,” said the priest, “why manism, being told that as she was born in
do you journey so far for that which you have the ‘‘catholic’’ church she ought to die in it,
so much nearer home? I have recently seen a promptly replied, ‘‘I was born in sin, but I
book from an Augustinian monk, Luther, in| ™2de up my mind not to die in it.

TuE error of not knowing nor understanding

ness of sin than through faith in the Lord Jesus| what sin is, usually brings with itself another
Only do this, and you shall be par-|error, that of not knowing nor understanding

what grace is.— Luther.