Jews in America (Pres. Cleveland’s prayer in 1896)

Whenever Franz Pieper witnessed the subject of Christianity in the public place, he noticed it and many times commented (blogged?) on it in the pages of the monthly journal Lehre und Wehre.  In 1896, he evidently read or heard about a prayer offered by President Grover Cleveland and later commented on it in the November issue (volume 42, pages 345-6):

(All emphases are from original German text; highlighting is mine.)

In this year's (1896) Thanksgiving's Proclamation...

... of President Cleveland, these words occur: "Let us through the mediation of Him who taught us how to pray, beg for forgiveness of our sins and to further divine grace."  A number of Jews have expressed their indignation, because they would be asked to pray in Jesus' name.  We really do not know how to help the Jews.  If now once the president should issue a Thanksgiving proclamation – and that is wanted also by the Jews –, so comes with it, if the President is a Christian, always a call to pray in Jesus' name.  A Christian knows no other prayer.  By the way, all of our government and judicial documents contain an outer acknowledgment of Christ in the formula "A.D.", "in the year of the Lord” 1896 etc.  It goes with this that the promised Savior of the world really has come in Jesus of Nazareth and that God, although the Jews and most heathen do not believe in Jesus, also provides by his omnipotent world government all sorts of external witnesses of historical facts in the world that the Saviour of the world has appeared.  Jews are just behind the times.  [pg 346]  Already this was pointed out by Christ to the Jews when he reproached them: "Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" (Matt. 16:3)  By the way, if the Jews see in the  President's Thanksgiving proclamation an interference of religious freedom, they should nevertheless remember that the invitation to them in the name of Jesus is not a command but only a recommendation.  One can yet recommend Jesus to the Jews and prayer in his name without stepping too near religious freedom.  Otherwise, the Catholics could complain against Cleveland's invitation, because he does not remember the mediation of the saints in prayer, which is nevertheless essential for the Catholics.  The Jews therefore may calm themselves down.  They are here in America and also in Germany anything but neglected.  They thrive quite admirably.  Also nearly all the public press takes their side if something like Jewish oppression appears in the distant horizon.           F[ranz] P[ieper]

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Franz Pieper brings out the "external witnesses" to Christ's appearance in the world.  Today, we certainly see how the Jews and others attempt to erase these "external witnesses":

1. The Jews try to replace "A.D." (Anno Domini) with "C.E." or "Common Era"
2. The Jews try to say that there was not a time of peace in the world when Christ was born, but have they not heard of the term "Pax Romana" or "the peace of Rome" under Caesar Augustus?
3. So-called "Biblical Archaeology" today is largely controlled by Jews or Jewish sympathizers.  So whenever there are findings that support the accounts in the Bible, it is usually explained in such a way to at least cause doubt on the Biblical account, if not an outright rejection of Bible History.  (There are some notable exceptions, see e.g.David Rohl's Pharoahs and Kings)

Pieper's comment is the kind of Christian commentary that also C.F.W. Walther and Martin Luther gave to Christianity.  Nevermind the "straw man" arguments emanating from the Jews and those who would side with the Jews... such as "nearly all the public press".  Nevermind the accusations of the so-called "anti-semitism" against them... they proceeded to give the Biblically based judgment and commentary to warn Christians, just as the New Testament does.  And so their counsel applies also to today, nevermind how today's modern theology waters down these sharp warnings, yes even by today's new (English) LC-MS.  Hmmm... it seems today's LC-MS is more like the "public press" that Pieper speaks of than a herald of Christian truth to the world.

But who will be the greatest defenders of Pieper, Walther and Luther?  Who will cry out to the heavens that they (Luther, Walther, Pieper, etc.) were right, and that they should have been even more sharp and forceful in their judgments against the unbelief of the Jews?  ...

==>> It will be the Jews themselves!... on that great and terrible Day (Joel 2:31), the Day of the Lord when 

There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. – Luke 13:28

It will be the Jews themselves who will cry out to today's LC-MS saying: 

Why did you not retain the sharp warnings of Martin Luther, of C.F.W. Walther, of Franz Pieper --- your forefathers!  

It will be the Jews themselves, for they will speak like the Queen of Sheba:

The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. – Matt. 12:42

It will the Jews themselves!  They will speak like the rich man tormented in the flames of Hell to father Abraham:

Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. – Luke 16:30-31

 It will be the Jews themselves.