The Lutheran visitor. (Columbia, S.C.) 1869-1904, March 27, 1874, Image 1
H.’-mrjj
Editors.
OKI LORD. Of* FAITH. Oil BAPTISK/'-EJSMXlirS 17:5
COLOMBIA. 8. C.. FRIDAY. MARCH 27, 1874
Original.
and, yet these toils of the disciple-
ship accomplishes nothing uuleas the
increase comes from God. And hence
the Scriptures constantly teach ns,
that while God works in os to will
and to do, be also works through ns,
directing oar toils, crowning oar
efforts with his blessing, and thus
securing the enlargement of hie
kingdom. We are workers together
with God. Bow important that we
be ap and doing. Galls for labor
are borne to ns upon the winds.
Oar duty is to heed them. May we
hare grace to do oar work with
fidelity.—Terns Baptist Herald.
For the Lutheran Visitor
Luther sod Consnbstantiation.
r INC m£
"Rhus tot
cause Christ's kaauhtjr mass he pres
eat as well as His divinity. «v Urn is
really not preneat at all. Me aaa
can properly aaderstaad «r appro
cists the peaitiaa af Ifcs JdtffeMl
Church in this metier, snfem he ftrst
understand* what the Charch holds
aa the doctrine af the dcripiams asm
earning the person oft Christ. That
doctrine is, (as the Augsburg Caw
fession. Art. Ill, sapmssss H), that
»“ the parwna of Christ “there am
two aatacen^ ihn dhriaw amd the bs
toM a mead that the most catting
mpraaf he had avar meeived for
fimfrasesaa was from this distio
gnished is t a inter, sud without words.
Th*J w * p * nmaeing a terry together,
sad oa aeaoaat ot shallows, the boat
eeald not ha bmaght to lead, so
that they wort compelled to be car
riad to the shoes by the colored
ferrymen Oar of these was so
careless as In suffer Judge H.’s
clothes to beooms wetted, and the
Judge expressed hie anger by an
imprecation. Dr. Kice, without any
lag a word, Uuoed to* him his large,
•pnaklag eye, with a sorrowful *x
(ircaaiuu. “I asrer so felt a reproof,*
aaid the Judge, “in my life; sod
instantly I begged his pardon. Ask
pardon of God,* said Dr R. 1 shall
never forget it* At this tim* the
Jadgn was saUxely ignorant who
his reprover was.
When the lai* hew. Dr. dtaagh
tee resided at Bordentown, hs was
oee day sluing at his door, when
the infidel, Thornes Pune, who also
resided them, addressed him, and
•aid, “Mr. Staaghton, what a pity
lot what Hd Luther belie re and
h eoaseming the Sacrament of
lord’s Supper P is the quantum
unnaturally propounded to us
to you this afternoon. You do not
feel, you any, nay interest in religion
—bat, by eoming here this afternoon,
God has fastened one little thread
upon yon all; it L very weak and
frail, and you can in a moment,
brush It away. But yon certainly
wit! not do so. Welcome it, and it
will enlarge and atreogtheu itself
until it becosses a golden chain to
bind you forever to Ood.*
To mention the various plans of
good labored for and accomplished,
oa the part of this excelleot man,
woatd be to almost fill a volume.
One more on! shall now be adrertedy
to. A gentleman who saw and con
versed with him lt» Boston, when be
visited that city toward the latter
part of his life, was led by his preach
ing and conversation to very serious
concern for his soul, bat bis wife
was still, in a great measure, in
different to the subject. Meeting
her one day in company, he said to
||pe uatural and proper moils of
ipwginre, for one who would And a
, correct and satisfactory answer to
that question, is, to examine what
Lather has himself given forth upon
the subject. First of ail should he
consult those deliberate and careful
voided utterances of his which have
teen accepted as of sy mbolical au
thority in the Church; those docu-
weat* in which he spoke not only
for himself, but for the theologians,
divines and princes who were aa»o>
elated with him in the Reformation,
soft for the churches committed to
th* care. Chief among these, of
coarse, is the Augsburg Confess***,
which, though owiug Its form to
XetaDcthon, yet contains not one
thought which was not either die-
tsted by Luther or submitted to him.
for approval
reformation. lot ib*. tret lovs draw
q^ck.olog btrMk »oi. ■■TV.aptr
And* gloat deal hi involved la thnt
brief declaration. We eaa sot voter
K «be Lord »e wet aCreiCooed.* If
aaj where there h to b» am i
‘'valley ef dry beans,* let the peaiyer
I* bulk fervently from every bean
To be sober, in ordinary language,
is deseriptive ef that particular va
riety of the duty of temperance
which is onnosite to the undue use
of intoxicating liquors. But the
word used by the apostle has a much
more extensive meaning. The so
briety or temperance of the apostle,
is another word tor moderation, and
is descriptive of that state of the
mind, and influence, and behavior,
in reference to u things seen and
temporal,” “the present world,* by
which a Christian should be dis-
Motive Tram
■«-
most eminent
r > who do Dot
•t hose afflicted
(iperior to »n
K
K>M«Pfeiuths
Mm the wesrw
pHinaarrmedv
leaadeffecS
lye vuaraut«#
fho msy come
Linal belts for
| woods SUi w
rd obdomioal
ll < and stock.
l<‘i* and
Trinity, eaa he pveeeal tap
Rv ia Hie divine aaiam,
tribute
Trinity, m la
•llvw aad warm the spirit of ea
earaael ministry. If the Arc of lave
In ta be maisuined la the churches,
tiemo ami be baraiag bear is ia the
patptta. If thofi Is eahlnrce and
laagwar there, tMrc w ill bs the am
in the pew. Th*t « eril educated
ministry is iedispe«Mnbfe, has ever
ha^ end ever mast aealuiite, a
settled axiom s^oagsl as. Bat it
must be an axiom nolens settled and
derided—that is | pastor aa amount
of evwdtticm m» supfd v Urn pUet uf
Article X. of that
Confession reads: “Of the Supper
“of our Lord they (our churches}
“teach, that the true body •V* blood |
“of Christ rare truly present, under
••the form of bread aud wine, and
•‘are there communicated, to those
“that eat iu the Lord’s Supper, and
“received.”
Next come the Smalcald Articles.
which were prepared by Luther, with
the advice and assistance of the
other theologians, for the purpose of
presenting before a council, held at
the place from which they take their
same, the specific points of differ
wee between the Lutliercua and the
papists. In Part III, Article VI,
ve read as follows:
“Concerning the Sacrament of the
“Altar, we hold that the bread and
“vine in the Eucharist are the true
“body aud blood of Christ, which
“are administered and received not
“only by pious, but also by impious
i “Christians.” •••••• v
“Concerning transubstautiatiou, we
“do by no moans regard tbe subtle
“sophistry, in which they (the pa
“pists) teach that bread aud wine
“part with, or lose their natural es-
“seuce, the form and color only re-
“uainiug, but are no longer real
“bread aud wine; for it correspouds
“best with the scripture that bread
“is aud remains here, as St. Paul
“himself calls it, ‘The bread which
“we break.’—1 Cor. xi KJj^And so
“let him eat of that breach—l Cor.
Then como tbe Catechisms, iu which
| '
ve flud verbatim, as wo have seen,
the question aud answer by which
Her. Mr. Harris proves that Luth
eran* do not teach Cousubatantia-
bso- It is not necessary to quote
them again.
Lather held aud taught, on tbe
tt to ia the Word, we trad) balms
tad t*s»h it. We dm ami seek la he
alee ahuve what la written, bat we
da aeearwdly advocate, ia the fees of
ill nnmwMif » Iwitii lH r iu tuJ.|ii.#
™ ™ *** gfo W’"w ewwwws'eS’VV'gu
Cast to all that ban loss plainly
written.*
Of soars* there are maay phases
ot the Lutheran doctrine ef the
Lord's Hopper and »anaaa way* of
stating and oiptaiomg it wad —sl ing
Tbe foundation of true ebristiau
sobriety or moderation lies in a just
estimate of the intrinsic and com
parative value of “all that is in tbe
world, the lust ot tbe flesh, the lust
af the eye, and the pride of life*—
all that the eye or the flesh desires—
all of which living men are apt to be
proud. The Christian dose not con -
aider the wealth, and the honor, and
the pleasure of this world as des
titnte of value ; hot he sees that tbe
value is by no means what tbe dein
ded worshipers of Mammon suppose
it to be. He sees that the posses
sion of them can not make him happy,
dot the want of them make him mis
erable. They can not obtain for him
the pardon of his sin, they can not
pacify his conscience, they can not
transform his character, they can
not give him life in death, they can
not secure him happiness for ever.
They appear to him polluted with
sin, replete with temptation, preg
nant of danger.
With these views, he is moderate
in his desires for them, moderate in
his aUArfmupt to them while he en
joys them ; moderate in his regrets
for them, when he is deprived of
them. This is Christian sobriety. It
ia for those who have earthly rela
tives to be as if they had them not;
for “those who weep to be as though
they wept not; for those who rejoice
to be as though they rejoiced not;
fix* those who nee this world to nee
it as sot abusing it, knowing that
the fashion of this world paasetli
away.*
The cultivation of this sobriety is
of the utmost importance to the
proper performance of the duties of
Christian obedience. The supreme
love of the world is inconsistent
with Christian obedience altogether.
“Ne tnah can serve two masters j for
either lie win hate the one, and love
the other; or else he will hold to tbe
one and despise the other; ye can
not serve God and liammen.* And,
government of his life * Mr. Stangb
tan replied, “Mr. Paine, there ia such
a rale.* “What is thatf” asked
Mr. Paine. Mr. Staaghtoo repeated
the |—swage, “Thou shall love the
Imrd thy God with all thy heart,
with all thy mind, with all thy soul,
and with all thy strength; and thy
neighbor es thyself * “Oh,* said
Paine, “that’s la your Bible,” sad
walked away.
A floe specimen of miaieterial tact
hi related by Dr. Beecher, of the
tale Dr. J. M. Mason, ia connection
with the formation of the American
Bible Soviet j, he says:
“When the rote was pat that it
was expedient at that time to form
Cb#* American Bible Tleeiety, there
was a moment of exalting, grateful,
prayerfed silence. There was but
one short moment in our proceedings
when things seemed to tangle, and
•earn feelings began to rise. At that
moment, Dr. Mason rose hastily and
said, “Mr. President, the Lord Jeans
never belli s church bat that the
devil baLU a chapel etoee to it; and
he is here now, this
“Madam, I think yoar husband is
looking upward; making some effort
to rise above the world, toward God
and beafhu You must not let him
try alone. Whenever 1 see tbe hus
band struggling alone in such efforts
It makes me think of a dove endeav
oring to fly upward while it has one
broken wing. It leaps sad flutters,
and perhaps raises itself s little wsy,
and then It becomes wearied, and
drops again to the ground. If both
wings co-operate, then it mounts
easily.*
mb
■ "l physical
tie spine, bow
brated Artifi-
itent Bobber
Silver TJteriss
th s Stein Per-
W* would simply say
Msfighw is service. It involves
the doable idea ef love for God and
love for mas. “The true divine idea
of religion is a life, begotten of grace
in the depths of the human soul,
subduing to Christ all the powers of
the seal, and incarnating itself in a
patient, steady, sturdy service.* And
hence oar Saviour has said, “Not
every one that saith unto me, Lord,
Lord, shall enter into the kingdom
of heaven; but be that doeth the
will of my Father wbioh is ia bear-
ea.” It was ia service such as this
that Christ spent his days in this
world. His motto was, “I must
work the works of him thst sent me
while It is day ; the night cometh in
which no man can work.* The same
employment is to engage the hearts
aad hands of his disciples. Deeds,
earnest deeds, for the glory of God
and tbe good of mao, are the only
legitimate outgrowths of tbe reuewed
nature. The man who supposes that
religion means rest, in the sense of
exemption from toil, has no concep
tion of the nature of genuine religion.
It is rest from the accusations of
oonacienoe, from the fear of wrath.
It is rest in Christ as an all-sufficieut
Saviour, iu God as a gracious Father
rejoicing over tbe reclaimed prodigal, j
and in the assurance that tbe inter j
eats of (be soul are (orever secure.
edul®
that the presence is ip+itual when upon the subject that II they would
tbe word is used to dr-siguate “a an hot provide themsrivsa with some
peruatarai, heavenly mode,* aad “In •ueh boohs aa the Book ef Consort!,
conclude those Capfritaitiab imagiu or Ur. kranth’s Conservative ttefor
iugs of a gross and carnal presence,' motion and its Theology, or Dr.
as tbe Formula of Concord aayv Mrautiis edition of the Augsburg
“which, after so many public protem Geufremoo, (srlth valuable latrodae-
latioua on the part of our churches, tiou and notes), which costs but m
the sacramentariaos still try to ftx <*»*•» <* Ur. Mm* little vole me
on them.* When, however, it is vutitlsd lTaia Words, (which eon-
used iu opposition to a rml and true miaa bis lecture on tbe Lord's Hup
presence, and a* rigmfyiag merely n *“*«* Wa l *ac* «n Conanbstnntia-
preaence “such as is wrought by oar tiou), which suets but W cent*, they
spirit, our meditations, out faith,* wui ««aUj acquire that information
they utterly repudiate it. We bold and will certainly never thereafter
that the treasure wbioh ia in the 8nc pnfllt themselves to couple Luther*
rnroeut is not put there by our faith; *»»« bhe Oouoabstaa-
but that our feilh ouiy enables us Mflfrw -kod we again rssfiectfnlly
worthily to rrerire tbe treasures which submit thst these who con tempi ale
is Christ himself. speaking to tbe world through tbs
The glaring inaccaniocy of Bishop press on aatgecta like this, owe it to
Johns' statement consists in this, themselves, to those of whom they
that be evidently regards the ex speak aud L» whom they speak, and
pressious, “in, with, ami tinder the to the cause of truth, to go to susse
bread and wine,* which some Lutli little trouble, ami to some li life ex-
eran theologians use, as nnmisUk pease If semi he, that they* may find
Train No. 4.
n 4 15 p m
n 511P m
n FT 00 pro
n U 37 p ro
ai 188 sro
n *515 am
mnection, rifl
orth, wrira*
No. 4 Tram
Richmond, to
at New York
tion.” It is only by th* exhibition of
the Saffosr’s lavs to stotirre, that
the hearts of Manure can be wen to
the Saviour. Tbs Spirit of Christ
Will set his seal to no preaching bat
the preaching of Christ. To nothing
nAae will he give saving efficacy.
And |teriisps, speaking generally,
oos of the chief peril* of oar day is
tbs ettcroachtag prevalence in the
treatment af Bible themes, instead
of Bible Blnstratioo, of a would be
philosophical uitellectnaliam ; the
overlaying of the simple guepel with
a load of erudite criticism and spsca
tattoo } the carrying Into the depart
meat of religious truth the spirit
and manner of srientifls discussion ;
relying on our own wisdom, instead of
“lieoomtttg fool* that ere may bs wise,*
and instead of taking truth as wo
may iod It Iu the pages of revel*
tion, patting forth our iugeaaitj to
extract it from other «ooroe*; tho
putting of something called “the
pure reason" in the room of rerela
tiou, or the inter inuring of revelation
by the transcendentalism of “the
anip reason f which Tnal wonl|
have ilenigumted “science falsely so
called,* while with grief of heart he
would have added—“whkA some
professing, have erred concerning
the faith.* God ia mercy keep from
our schools of theology and from our
pulpits the infection of this Christ
dethroning sad self-exalting Ration
ailsm; by which tbe vitality of
humble evangelical piety is eaten
out, and tbe reason of failing pud
erring man exalted above the wis
dooi of God ! Let “the love of Christ
constrain* oar preachers sod pastors
to give Christ hts due plane In their
ministry, as tbe central sun of tbe
whole system of divlns truth; aad.
In holding forth Christ, in his divio
ity, righteousness, atonement and
grace, let them put their whole souls
Into their work, making it the grand
aim of that work to honor Christ and
save men, “not preaching themselves,
but Cbriat Jeans the Lori^* JM
it, in this
room, with his Anger in the ink horn,
not to write your constitution, bat
to blot it out* This sudden address
convulsed the convention with laugh
ter, which in njnoment dispelled the
storm, aad revealed a dear san,
which, instantly }>ereelriag, he ad
ded, “There, there, he has gone
already to his blue brimstone.”
Another instance, equally good/
but of n very different order, may be
given. A few years ago a Univer-
snlist, In one of the Western States,
who did not pretebd to be a morel
man, met n minister of the gospel,
and commence addressing him ia tbe
presenoe^of a Urge number of people
on hU favorite doctrine, saying a
great deal about what Christ bad
done for all mankind.
Train So. 8.
, mo pro
!i 11 38 p m
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(1 5 43 aib
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t atAnguati
st . Thresrt
ieckeU to dl
cars on an
Gen’l
Ul AfL -
subject of the Lord’s Supper, all
that is contained in .these formal
*titements, and everthing that is
ably involving aud teaching Couaob-
sUatintion. We have denied, and
not without sufficient authority ss
we thin4 we have shown, that either
Luther or the Lutheran Cborcb have
ever for a moment entertained that
f«*rly and legitimately dednoible from
them. We are uot uuwilling to
•tiud by those statements, Onr only
Section is to tbe dispositiou which
®auy people show to read iuto them
•hat is not there, or to put upon
Ihein gross interpretations such as
their author never dreamed of en-
riwtainiug, aud such as neither the
jftter nor the spirit of them will
The minister
heard him through, and then said,
“tffedd, If yoh are a reasonably man,
I wilt convince you froth your own
words that Jesus Christ never did
anything fof yon. J Now, what do
3eie :u:r.w.
absurd dogma ; but at the same time
we cheerfully admit the use of the
expressions, “in, with snd under,”
am! hold to them as being altogether
unobjectionable, gxeept,indeed,
when men unwarrtmUtbly fix upon
them such meanings m our theolo
gians never intended that they
eessorily makes and keep men “chil
dren of disobedience,* so that undue
fove of the world prevents even
those who are “the children of God,
through faith in Christ Jeans, ftrnn
being in so high a degree as they
ought to be, “the children of obedi
ence.* What is it that makes obedi
ence so often to be felt a tiresome
task, but the undue lore of the world;
The inquiry, brethren, is a solemn
sue, in regard to the churches grow
daily. Has there been—is there now
T^mu such declension—any such
fearing of the first love Y And tbe
question is not lees delicate than It
is solemn. No uniform answer can
be given to it There may be de
stine in one quartet, while there is
Ufe and progress in uu other. Even
in the same church, (here may be a
felting off in one department of duty,
while in another there is growth.
The complaint, however, is general
—it meets os everywhere—of n ten
dency to declension in tbe vitality of
spiritual heart-religion id its inward,
tiviog, divine energy. Tbe very ex
istence of tbe complaint may fairly
be held os proof sufficient ef the fact.
Well am I aware, indeed, thnt there
are some spirits whose tendencies to
despondency are morbid, which are
ever proae to detect and magnify
the evil, and to overlook the good,
which are never in their dement bat
mmoagst nigh*. Bat it la not only
from the lips*of each that the oom
plaint is to be beard, nod, therefore, it
may bn concluded that there la more
or less of truth in it; and, if so, to
the extent in wbleh it exists, it la a
mul truth
world for f* l< To save as frotu our
Mbs.” “Weil, he certainly his got
done that for yon, since yon are
committing sin every day.* “He
saves us from the punishment of sfri.*
“But you have joat toll me that you
receive the punishment of your sins
every day, ss you go along; ood he
certainly
Yfotte, sufficient to show that Luth
toMi aud taught a Heal Presence,
“j»eu the words of the Saviour
to him, saying, “Take, eat,
ia ®y body,* &c. And when be
wod 8t. Paul making the strong,
‘Bterrogatory assertion, “The bread
which we break, is it not tho com
and how do the commandment* of
our Lord become to us not grievous,
but by our victorious faith overoom
ing the world I It has been finely
said, that “the same eye can not
both look up to heaven and down to
earth at the same time.* And the
^earf must be emptied of the love
n*.
e I15P"
R63SP*
B 530P®
e P?
lieim, answer. “What tbe nature of
this presence is i^fjinow uot. The
thing itself we know ; but the mode
of* jts truth we can not comprehend.
We deny that Chxis^ is present in a
physical or material manner. But,
should, any one ask, How is he
present f onr answer I*. Ws know
uot We commonly call bis presence
in thfs holy ordinance a “Saoremen
tal presence.” This might seem to
be ap attempt to define the mode of
his presence; but by this word «e
mean nothing more than that we are
ignorant of the mode. It has been
•aid that we receive Jesus is, under,
or with the bread,^ia, aim, sub,pane).
Those three words might signify
three modes) but they are designed
to indicate that we do not wish to
determine any thing about tbe mode
of Christ’s, presence. " f Those there
fore err who say that we believe in
impanakon, or that Christ is is the
bread and wine. Not are those more
correct who charge us with tmhpana
tion—that is, that Christ is under
the form (tu auy local aeose) of bread
not saved you from
hell, for you said that there is tie
such thing aa Jbeil !* The Universe
list was glad to retreat la silence.
Very fow ministers, either hi this
or in any other country, had more
tact in the discharge of doty than
Dr. Pay sou. Onoe, in the progress
of a revival in his church in Port
land, after having repeatedly invited
meetings in his house, of those who
wished to seek retigioo, he one day
gave an invitation to all those young
persons who did not inland to seek
religion. Any one, who did not
know t>r. Psyson, would be surprised
to hear that thirty or foi^f come.
He had a very pleasant social inter
view with them, saying nothing
about religion until just ss they
were about to leave, he closed a
the dlvfue and human Is a central
thought in the plan of salvation. It
Is uot through an angelic, but a hu
man ministry that the word of salva
tion ia to bs borne to men, and yet
thnt word, thus conveyed, is power
less for good unless God infuses into
It a oouviodng and saving power-
It Is not by introducing an innumer
able company of angola into our
world, bat by emptying redeemed!
men and women, that God proposes j
to establsh and extend bis kingdom, I
themselves the servants” of tbe
churches and of tbe world “for Jeans
sake.* “To them to tire, let it be
Christ.* Lot every one of them “so
strive to preach the gospel,” that be
may be able, with a dear cotm u noe,
to make his appeal to Iris hearers—
“1 take you to record thie day, that
I am pare from the blood of all men;
for I have not shunned to declare
Unto you the whole counsel of God.*
Lord’s host, oar New Testament Gid
eon^%nfn°t own as Ids soldiers
those iyho lk down to drink of the
streams of earth’s delight, but only
those who, in punting, drink of them
iritik theft bSTJof tbe brook in
the way.—firena. •
* , .. j, - »»in i i mpbtW m «.»»*•■ •
The ear that Iworeth the reproof of
very few plain aad simple remarks
ns follows £ “Suppose yon should
see, oom ing down from heaven, a
very floe thread, ro fine as to be
almost invisible, and it should come
and attach Itself to you. Yon knew,
Lot onr inquiries, then,
through all onr churches, bn—Is it
thus with us t Whence bat It arisen?
How is U to be remedied! It is not
at all my purpose, at present, to
attempt au answer to such questions.
life abideth among the wise.