DEAR BR. KURTZ:—I would respectfully beg leave to present, through the columns of the Observer, a few facts to its numerous readers relative to our church—its present policy and position. During my recent journey with my family from Pennsylvania to Illinois, I had occasion to pass through Fort Wayne, Indiana, where the institution of the hyper-orthodox Missourians is located. It so happened that we spent the Lord's day in that vicinity. On Sabbath morning, I made my way to the city with a view to seek out the English Lutheran church. On my arrival in town, the bells were already chiming, and the streets were lined with the church-going community. I inquired of a number of persons whom I met, and was variously directed—some pointed me to the German Lutheran church, others again, pointed me to the French Catholic church. After roaming the streets for about half an hour in fruitless attempts to find the English church, I concluded to go to the German church. And here allow me to give a brief statement of matters and things I there beheld. The edifice is a large and commodious building, with galleries, and was filled with worshippers in every nook and corner. The church is surmounted by a cross. The first thing that attracted my attention on entering, was the gilt crucifix with a gilt image of Christ suspended upon it, erected in front of the pulpit [Actually, on the altar before the reredos; in many Eastern Lutheran churches, the pulpit stood behind the altar—hence this mistake]; on either side was an angel, and in addition to this, a candlestick with a candle in each, resembling wax. The minister who officiated on the occasion was, as I learned afterwards, a theological student; (the regular pastor being absent) his habit consisted of a black gown with what might perhaps be termed a white cravat—after the Episcopal style. He introduced the exercises by turning and bowing to the image and offering up a short invocation; then turning round, he read the gospel of the day; turning again to the image and bowing before it, he offered up the first prayer; he then, while the congregation was singing, retired into a small apartment adjoining the altar and pulpit, (probably the confessional [but actually the sacristy].) In a short time he again appeared at the altar, read the epistle of the day, then again retreated into the aforementioned apartment whilst the congregation sung a few verses; he then ascended the pulpit and delivered a short harangue on religious intolerance. At the close of the discourse he offered up the Lord's prayer, during which some person near the door tolled the bell, and whilst the congregation again sung, he descended from the pulpit and disappeared in the closet, and at the close of the hymn, once more appeared before the crucifix and the image, with his back to the congregation in an attitude of prayer. On beholding these things, it occurred to me that I must after all have entered a Catholic church. I tried by some means to get a glance at the title page of their hymn book, and at last I succeeded in getting my eyes on the title on the back of one of the books, which convinced me beyond a doubt that it was indeed a Lutheran congregation, at least by profession.
And now, dear Doctor, what think you of such papal mummeries and idolatries? And what think you of the fact, that by general consent and our present policy, we recognize these idolators as an integral part of the Lutheran church? yes, brethren in the faith? Look for example at our Lutheran Almanac; there, their institution is enumerated with Lutheran institutions, and their ministers' names are registered in our clerical list.
"These things ought not so to be." I therefore would take the liberty to offer the following preamble and resolution, to wit:—
Whereas God saith, and our symbols teach "thou shalt have no other gods before me, thou shalt not make unto thee any graven imagine, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; thou shalt not bow down thyself to them nor serve them; and whereas, Paul teacheth, "What agreement hath the temple of God with Idols? Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing."—Therefore,
Resolved, That unless these Missourians repent of their sins and bring forth fruit meet for repentance, (i.e. destroy their idols,) we will no longer own them as brethren of that faith once delivered to the saints....
E. FAIR.
Lena, Ills., Jan. 15, 1857.
From the Lutheran Observer, February 13, 1857, p. 1, col. 6-7. The foregoing was also reprinted in the Fort Wayne Weekly Times, April 23, 1857, p. 2, col. 5, under the title "Sihlerites Read!" and with the following introduction: "The present easy affiliation between the Sihlerites under office seeker Piepenbrink, and the papist may be seen in the following description of the idolatrous mummeries practised at the Dutch Lutheran church in this city under priest Sihler." N.b. Wilhelm Sihler was the pastor of St. Paul's German Ev. Lutheran Church, the church discussed in this article.
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