Children's hymn? “Restrain murd’rous Pope and Turk” - Walther on Luther's great hymn

      One of my more popular blog posts has been the one on Luther's “Most Controversial Hymn”, which highlighted that it was a hymn for children. But I was glad to recently find Walther's blurb on Luther's hymn in the 1879 Der Lutheraner, p. 167 (Nov. 1 issue). Precious column space was used by Walther to briefly give another of his sharp counsels for his church body. He wanted to highlight Luther's intentions and purpose for this hymn. Let us listen to both Luther and Walther. (Translation by BackToLuther. All emphasis is in the original, except highlighting which is mine):

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“Keep us, O Lord, by thy Word. 

And restrain the murd’rous Pope and Turk.”

When Luther had this song printed for the first time in 1542 on a special sheet, he gave it the following superscription:

“A Children’s Hymn to Sing Against the Two Archenemies of Christ and His Holy Church, the Pope and the Turks." 

As a subscription, however, the song bore the following address of Luther to the children:   

“Dear Christian children, sing and pray confidently against the two right and greatest arch-enemies of Christ and His members, that God the merciful Father may continue to give peace for the sake of Jesus Christ. Do your best in this, for, alas, there are few poor people who are earnestly concerned about this. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.” 

From this time on, this hymn has been prayed and sung almost daily by the children in the Lutheran city and village schools, mostly on their knees. This children's prayer has been wonderfully answered. The Turks, those bloodhounds who lusted after the blood of Christians and from whose attack Christianity was once not safe for an hour, prayed that children's hymn sick and dying, so that now Christianity, if it only continues to pray against the Turk, is safe from him. But as for the other arch-enemy of Christ and Christianity, the Pope, our “children's hymn” has also put a stop to him at least to such an extent that he can no longer, as he once did, murder Christians who do not want to worship him, as much as he would like to. Cf. Ps. 8:2. W. [Walther]

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      Note well: Even though Walther admits that while murders by the two arch-enemies has decreased, yet he does not call for a change in Luther's words to this hymn, but commends Luther's hymn even today for children, with the words “restrain the murd'rous Pope and Turk”. — Are their any Lutheran children in the world today who pray this prayer, or sing this hymn, as Luther wrote it and intended it, to restrain the Pope and Muslim (Turk)?  I don't think so.  I lay the fault for this tragedy largely at the feet of the LC-MS, proving once again that the “confessional” LC-MS… is not Confessional.

Walther: Freedom of Religion in USA — 1867; now, “It's not a war”?

      Freedom of Religion is certainly a hot topic today, but it was also in 1867, in Walther's day.  Walther commented on the situation at that time, and the extreme importance of this freedom for Christians (Der Lutheraner vol. 23, Feb. 1, 1867, p. 85-86; translation by BTL):

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Religion and the State. We have just read in a newspaper that the Supreme Federal Court has declared the notorious test oath to be unconstitutional and therefore null and void, which, for example, preachers in Missouri had to swear before they were allowed to administer their office in this state. At the same time, however, the Supreme Court declared that the Constitution forbids the Congress, but not the individual states, to limit religious freedom, or even to introduce a state religion. This is indeed a sad message. Up to now we have held the institutions of the state so high, above all, because we thought that through them, at least as long as they existed, religious freedom was secured. If, however, the individual states can abrogate this freedom without violating the Constitution, then it is in no less danger here than it is in Europe. With such prospects, even America ceases to be the last refuge, safe from man, of those persecuted for religion in all other countries, for which our United States has hitherto been regarded. If there is any point for which the immigrant Christians here should pray diligently and earnestly for this their new fatherland, it is therefore the preservation of the priceless jewel of religious liberty. Let this be said to you, Christians! The benefit of religious freedom has been abused horribly enough, both by the enemies of religion and by hopeless sectarians, and even Christians have not recognized it gratefully enough and have not used it faithfully enough, so it can easily happen that the just God will take away the shamefully abused and unrecognized benefit from us again, if we do not make ourselves a wall against his wrathful judgments through penitent prayer and correction. W. [Walther]

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      Walther points out what made America so great among the nations – Freedom of Religion.  Wernher von Braun came to America, in part, because he thought Americans were “people who followed the Bible”. The socialists and media would tear this country apart by whatever means at their disposal.  But the ideal of “Freedom of Religion” was equated with the United States of America, and other countries were pressured to at least appear to have some measure of the same.  Walther's comments show that this Freedom, more than any other freedom in America, has always been under attack.  But the forces against this freedom would appear now to be overwhelming in this country – so much so that it would appear that the States which are minded to maintain this freedom may have to consider joining forces and leave the Union.  What is more important than socialist democracy?  

Freedom of Religion.

      In an earlier blurb in 1866 in the same volume of Der Lutheraner, p. 13, Walther commented on a Southern state and its new constitution, apparently following the Civil War:

Religion and State. In the South, it seems that here and there the atheists and naturalists, even the Jews, are regarded as dangerous to the state and therefore want to keep them away as much as possible. At least the new constitution of North Carolina, which was adopted by popular vote at the beginning of August, stipulates that no one who denies the existence of God or the divine prestige of the Old and New Testaments may hold office. Since atheists and naturalists, as a rule, consider communism to be the goal of all earthly welfare, it is hardly to be blamed on a state, which has hitherto been held only by those who profess the Christian religion, if it takes such precautions. W. [Walther]

One may learn of today's media outrage over the fact that several states still have this law on the books by searching this topic in Google search. One media outlet wants to claim, on the war against religion, that “its not a war.” [2021-02-26: fixed link] Of course that is an obvious untruth because of its own non-stop attacks against the only true Religion, Christianity.  

Walther: “Politics in Church Papers”; vs Burkee & LC-MS

      In the 1877 Der Lutheraner, p. 39, Walther commented on the subject of our title, stating the point he made a year later in his 1878 lectures on Communism and Socialism. There are certainly those who would charge Walther with mixing Politics with Religion, and therefore dismiss Walther's counsel as overreacting.  One needs look no further today for socialist support than teachers and leaders of LC-MS schools.  

James  Burkee, a past administrator at LC-MS schools in Wisconsin and New York, in his much publicized book Power, Politics, and the Missouri Synod (p. 161), ridiculed one who 

“touted C. F. W. Walther’s book, Communism and Socialism, and boldly stated that it is the Christian’s duty to oppose communism, defend the right of private property…”

But those parties in the LC-MS, and others who claim to be “Lutheran”, do not originate their charges and ridicule from a Scriptural basis, while Walther does exactly this in his lectures. So we will let Prof. Walther speak for himself on whether he is mixing “Power and Politics” with true Religion, that is the Christian religion (translation by BTL): 

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      Politics in church papers used to be a peculiarity of America; Germany knew little about it. In more recent times, this has changed. Few religious papers in Germany now keep away from politics, not even the so-called “Sunday papers”! In the Leipziger Allgemeine Kirchenzeitung of January 12, for example, we even read the following: “The barrier of the newspaper stamp, which otherwise closed the area of politics, has fallen; why do we erect a new one for ourselves by saying: Politics does not belong in a Sunday paper?” The writer does not consider that the main barrier, which separates a church paper from politics, is not a newspaper stamp, but the Word of the Lord: “My kingdom is not of this world.” [Jn 18:36]  It is true, however, that it is right for an ecclesiastical paper to raise its voice as soon as politicians publicly act against morality or religion; but this is not politicking; then the church paper remains entirely on the ground assigned to it. Thus, for example, it would not be at all against the character of a church paper if it were to bear serious witness against the atrocities currently taking place in politics in our America; all the more so because even political papers that want to be Christian take a position that glosses over these atrocities and thus dull the moral feeling of their readers through politics. Such papers that want to be Christian then do more harm than the papers of the unbelievers, because the ignorant reader thinks that what such a so-called “Christian” paper approves of must also be right. By the way, the borderline between politics and religion is so easily crossed, and the sectarian papers with their conscienceless and fanatical party politics are such a warning and deterrent example that the Der Lutheraner has so far fearfully avoided even any pretense of dealing with politics, and has therefore so far perhaps done too little rather than too much in this respect. W. [Walther]

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      Indeed the Old Missouri Synod knowingly refrained from political commentary in its publications, limiting it to only spiritual matters.  A notable example of this is that there is practically no mention of the Civil War during the years of that war. — The Old Missouri Synod never let up on its attacks against Socialism.  In the December 15, 1881 Der Lutheraner, p. 190, the editor reported on international Socialist activity:

“Socialism. At the recent Socialist Congress in Switzerland, a delegate spoke of the slow progress of socialism in America. This is most gratifying. But because of this, the Christian congregations must not put their hands in their laps, but must continue all the more joyfully in their counter-testimony.”

      Today that “slow progress of socialism in America” has completely reversed. One may think that opposition to Walther and the Old Missouri Synod is only prominent today, but Walther and the true Missouri Synod faced scathing ridicule in their day.  And so James Burkee, and those like him, have only joined the long list of those who call themselves “Lutheran”, indeed “LC-MS”, yet oppose, and ridicule, orthodox Biblical, Christian, Lutheran teaching.  Surely Mr. Burkee has to clear his throat if he now identifies himself as “Missouri Synod” or even “Lutheran” in his circles.

Walther on Socialism in Germany, 1879; now America

      Not long after C. F. W. Walther's addresses against Communism and Socialism were published, he commented in Der Lutheraner on conditions within his former fatherland, Germany, regarding the political situation there.  The following is an excerpt from Der Lutheraner, vol. 35 (1879), p. 6-7), translation, text in red by BackToLuther:

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As is well known, the socialists in Germany are now being vigorously attacked. What success this has, we read in a German paper, in which among other things the following is written:  

“From Berlin, the main hearth of the Social Democracy, the Nat.-Ztg. brings a report on the effect of the Socialist Law [of 1878 by Otto von Bismarck], which is different with the actual Social Democrats and with the large number of followers. On the whole, the swift and strict execution of the law had the effect of a cold stream of water. The followers, the many railroad officials and small artisans, etc., now swear with all their might that they have never belonged to Social Democracy, nor do they want to know anything about Communist ideas. Afraid and timid before the secret police, they no longer want to tolerate conversations about socialist topics in their favorite bars, and now talk only about the devastating effects of field mice, the stuffing of birds, etc. Only the Progress Party is still bravely scolded for having introduced freedom of trade and usury. The socialist workers were different.  

They, too, had become calm and quiet, the wild noise and the Workers' Marseillaise [Russian anthem, revolutionary song, tune of Marseillaise; German version] had fallen silent. But in the beginning they were boiling violently, and in a cosy circle they poured out their hearts and drank one glass of beer after another to their idol Hasselmann. Nothing touches them more painfully than the fact that now there are no more public meetings where the thousands can heat each other up and feed each other with new nourishment. They, too, are beginning to grow calmer. The Socialist Law,” concludes the report, “when applied according to the rules, will have an exceptionally salutary, calming and peace-awakening effect, which is what we want.” 

However gratifying these effects of the Socialist Law may be, in this way only the branches, not the roots, of socialism are cut off. If the poor are not better protected against the rich bloodsuckers and, above all, if God's Word does not come to rule again in Germany, socialism will break out again and again as a terrible boil of unbelief and rage all the more terribly in the bowels of the people.    W. [Walther]

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      As Germany was moving towards Socialism in the 1870s, so America is today.  One is reminded of the saying “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Otto von Bismarck attempted to stem Socialism by political means, to which Walther warns that political means do not attack the root of Socialism, and Communism, – which is the complete rejection of God's Word in America.  Apart from God's Word, the nation is doomed to what Walther calls “a terrible boil of unbelief and rage.”  The current medical pandemic does not compare to the pandemic of Socialism in today's America.

Stoeckhardt's announcement of St. Louis Edition, Luther's Works (Walch 2)

      The St. Louis Edition of Luther's Works, sometimes referred to as "Walch 2", was officially announced by its first editor Georg Stoeckhardt in the 1879 Der Lutheraner, vol. 35, p. 171-172.  This edition is the best German language version of Luther.  Stoeckhardt had recently escaped from Germany and its punishments by being called to an American, Missourian, congregation, and he relates not only the purpose of the new edition, but also a background of the formation of the Lutheran Free Church in Germany. Let's listen to the dear Stoeckhardt:

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(171-3) 

A new edition of Luther's Works after J. G. Walch.

In the October issue of Lehre und Wehre the decision of this year's pastoral conference of the synod’s Western District has already been communicated. This was to the effect, provided the agreement of the ministers of the other districts, that in the name of the ministry of our synod a new edition of the old classical Luther edition by J. G. Walch be put into operation. The reason for this lay in the twofold circumstance that the old Walch edition is becoming increasingly rare, and in several decades will have almost disappeared from the book market, and that the preservation of this proven and famous work, especially for the sake of the prefaces, historical introductions, and German translations, is in the interest of our synod. No new Luther edition is intended; the old Walch edition is to be reissued as unchanged as possible, and in a quarto format similar to the old edition. However, a “revised and supplementary edition” seemed necessary.  The revision is to extend mainly to the comparison of the text of Walch with other Luther editions, especially to the comparison of the translations contained in Walch with the original Latin text. Only incomprehensible expressions of the translators and incorrect translations will be corrected. The additions would concern the prefaces and introductions, which are to be completed from the later and newest historical research. Should God permit the completion of this edition, the writings missing in Walch, especially Luther's letters, would be added in a final volume or supplement. Orthography and punctuation will be adapted to modern usage, as in our Bibles. With the above program, the wishes and suggestions received from various quarters have been taken into account and fulfilled. Pastor Kähler has been entrusted with the editing of the new edition, as unfortunately has the writer of these lines 1).  (172-1) The latter have only dared to take on this work under the twofold condition that Doctor Walther will assist them with his advice and that their professional work will not suffer any damage. Accordingly, it will hardly be possible to complete more than one volume per year. This distribution of “on average one volume per year” is probably also in accordance with the wishes of many buyers 2) who would only have to spare 4-5 dollars annually for this. First of all is the new edition of the first volume, the exposition of the first book of Moses. [Genesis]

Since this work of Luther is a book for all Christians of all classes, we would like to make a request to our Lutheran fellow Christians, namely the request to strongly support the undertaking just described. Luther's works are not mere books for theologians. On various occasions, the sacred duty has been laid upon the hearts and consciences of our fellow Lutherans to be firmly grounded in Lutheran doctrine, so that they may successfully resist all storms that may still befall our Lutheran Church. In addition to the Bible and the Confessions, however, Luther's works are intended to strengthen and establish Lutheran Christians in their faith.  All readers of Der Lutheraner know well about our sister church, the Lutheran Free Church in Saxony, Nassau, Hesse. The Saxon branch of the same has emerged from two Lutheran associations. And how did those Lutherans, who then proceeded to separation, become firm and certain in their convictions? First and foremost through the joint reading and discussion of Luther's writings. From Luther, the simple-minded craftsmen and workers refuted their theological opponents who wanted to hold them back in the corrupt State church. The emergence of the Missouri Synod confirms this experience. A large number of our fellow believers in the German Free Church, namely poor miners who live in a room and a chamber with a large family and have little household equipment, own Luther's complete works. Luther's works generally strengthen the Christians in the righteous Christian faith and Christian change. The writer of these lines remembers an old parishioner in Germany, a simple worker, who for years had caused the parish trouble with repeated relapses into drinking, gambling, dancing and the like. Then Luther's exposition of the Gospel of John came into his hands. It captivated him, and these words struck home. Since then he has been a diligent reader of Luther and has remained steadfast in righteous Christianity. Most readers are probably familiar with examples that prove that challenged people have been torn out of many years of doubt and torment by Luther. Luther is and remains, next to the prophets and apostles, the most distinguished and greatest teacher of the church. This needs no proof. Therefore, Lutheran Christians, Christians in general, should not tire of sitting at the feet of this teacher and in their leisure hours let him instruct, delight, comfort and refresh them. We would like to take this opportunity to make a special suggestion. Many congregations in Germany, in town and country, large and small, have church libraries, and in these Luther's works occupy the first place. These libraries, it is true, date from old, better times. But we have now returned to the good customs and traditions of the fathers. If a congregation acquires Luther's works, it is doing a good service to its members, who are then free to use the common property.

Before hand, with the publication of the interpretation of the first book of Moses [Genesis], which from the beginning belonged to the favorite writings of the Lutheran Church, the attempt shall be made whether the intended enterprise, which is connected with significant costs, finds sufficient support. Of course, each individual volume can be purchased on its own, and should be subscribed to for each individual volume, first of all to the first volume. Since the printing of this volume is to begin at the beginning of the new year, it is in the interest of the enterprise to obtain the subscription as soon as possible. May God lead the old Luther in the new garment to many new, eager to learn students!

G. Stöckhardt.

___________ 

1) The conference appointed Licentiate Pastor Stöckhardt as chief editor and Pastor Kähler as his assistant in this work.    The Editors.

2) By the way, it would be desirable that the friends of Luther's writings discuss whether it should not be possible to issue at least 2 volumes every year.     The Editors.

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      We see by Stoeckhardt's humorous remark that he only reluctantly accepted his appointment as editor, and it was only revealed in footnote #1 by the Lutheraner editor, probably Walther, that Stoeckhardt was picked as chief editor.  Walther expected great things from Stoeckhardt, and was not disappointed. —  As some advance notice, it is hoped that the entire OCR'd text of Luther's Letters in volumes 21-1 and 21-2 will be made available in the not too distant future. This will greatly facilitate using my rather popular listing of Luther's Letters.

Walther: first pure Lutheran Hymnal in English (1879)

      In 1879 appeared the first English hymnal that C.F.W. Walther approved of for English speaking Lutherans in America. It was published by the Norwegian Lutherans but translated by a Missourian. Walther announced this hymn book in the pages of Der Lutheraner, volume 35, p. 104:

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Notice of New Publications.

Hymn Book for the use of Evangelical Lutheran schools and Congregations. Decorah, Iowa. Lutheran Publishing House. 1879.

It is with great pleasure that we hasten to announce to our readers the appearance of a booklet with the above title. It is the same a pure, though small, but complete English Lutheran school and church hymnal. On 179 pages in duodec it contains 130 hymns together with 10 so-called doxologies, that is, one: Praise of the triune God containing final verses. We call it a pure hymnal because it contains only those English hymns which not only do not contain false doctrines, but also breathe a truly Evangelical spirit. More than half of them (72) are, as far as we can judge, excellent English translations of the best German hymns of our Lutheran Church in form and content. We call the booklet a complete hymnal not because it contains the entire English, let alone German Lutheran hymnal, but because it contains the necessary selection for all relevant cases. The ever-increasing number of hymns in our church hymnals has become more of a hindrance than an encouragement to hymn singing. In the beginning, almost every Lutheran Christian knew all the hymns in use in the church by heart and thus carried with him an extremely precious spiritual treasure. Caspar Neumann still writes in his Silesian hymnal of 1737: “My people would be ashamed if they should look into the book while singing.”

After one was anxious to look for their own hymns for every doctrine and occasion, not only do we find even in otherwise good hymnals many, so to speak, hymns made to order, especially of little poetic value, but also through the quantity and the “great” change caused by it, the acquaintance of the Christians with their best church hymns has become less and less. Our “Hymn Book” is therefore perfectly adequate to serve as a school and church hymnal. To Professor A. Crull in Fort Wayne, as the translator and collector, and to our Norwegian Lutheran brethren, as the publishers, the English Lutheran Church of this country owes a great debt of gratitude. As far as we know, the booklet is available at the address: Lutheran Publishing House, Decorah, Iowa. In the next number we hope to be able to give the undoubtedly inexpensive price of the same. May the Lord take upon this hymnal the richest blessing for the building of His English Lutheran Zion in America. W. [Walther]

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      So in 1879, English speaking American Lutherans first had a truly orthodox hymnal they could be confident in… it had the approval of C. F. W. Walther! (And it is freely available on Internet Archive)

Church schools 2: Lutherans at Jesuit schools? No! (Walther) Part 2

      Continuing this series from Part 1, in the 1875 Der Lutheraner, p. 190, Walther commented on Lutheran education in both Germany and America. In this, he gives the strongest warnings that I have seen in print by him, on the duties of Lutheran parents to have their children educated in Lutheran, Christian schools:

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Attendance at the schools of unbelievers. The Leipzig Allgemeine evang.-lutherische Kirchenzeitung” of October 29th reports it as a peculiarity that the unbelievers in Austria, who are always so adamant against the influence of the priests [Pfaffen], nevertheless gladly entrust their sons to the Catholic so-called spiritual orders for education. The demand for this is so great that in Kremsmünster, for example, it has not been possible to accept all those who have applied. — Unfortunately, we have a similar perception here in America. Here not only many unbelieving, but also many believing parents, even so-called Lutherans, send their sons and daughters to the Jesuit institutions, yes, Lutherans even to the institutions of the “unbelievers”, in order to give their children a higher education. This is highly irresponsible. God says: “Fathers, bring up your children in discipline and admonition to the Lord”. (Eph. 6:4.) Against this commandment act all parents who hand over their children to unbelievers and false believers for education. Of course, one says: "Where should they be sent? Lutheran schools of further education do not exist!" But first of all, there are a few; and secondly, the Lutherans themselves are to blame for the lack of higher Lutheran educational institutions. For we Lutherans do not lack the means, but we shy away from the great sacrifices that it would cost if the aforementioned lack were to be remedied. Oh that we would wake up! The matter is more important than most think. When the pagan Roman Cornelia was once asked about her jewelry, she pointed to her sons and said, “These are my greatest jewelry.” What other mothers spent on their jewelry, she spent on the education and training of her sons. Isn't that shameful for many Lutheran parents of our time? W. [Walther]

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Proper Christian education was paramount for Walther. And we see by his comments how sad today's Lutheranism is regarding this situation. I can name at least two high LC-MS officials and one WELS official who attended Jesuit institutions. Today Walther's counsel is scoffed at, but it is today's “Lutheran” teachers who would rather believe a lie. — This series will be continued …

Church schools 1: submit to State? No! (A. C. Stellhorn) Part 1

      This blog does not focus on English language publications from the Missouri Synod as much as what was published in the German language.  But a 1935 CPH book by A. C. Stellhorn, Manual for Lutheran Saturday-schools, Summer-Schools and Week-Day Religious Instruction, stated the following on the last page, p. 63, all emphasis is mine:

Separation from Public-School Control.

We should of course cooperate politely and justly with the public schools in such matters as giving an attendance account of children released to us and sending the pupils promptly back to these schools where that is required; but we should not unite with the public schools in this endeavor in any other manner, such as permitting the State to approve our courses, our teachers, our textbooks or to stipulate manner of organization, instructional standards, pay of teachers, and the like. In other words, we should not in any way be tied up with the public schools or with other church denominations in the conduct of our schools; for it is our responsibility, not theirs, what courses are given, how they are given, and by whom.

I am not an expert on current State laws in America regarding this subject, but they are surely overbearing against church schools, as they are against Homeschooling. The number of church schools in the LC-MS dwindled compared to Old Missouri before the World Wars. There was no week-day school at my church in the Central Illinois district when I grew up. I had to go to public school. I only had Saturday morning Catechism class at church when I grew up, until I was confirmed. The sad state of Lutheranism today is a product of this loss of week-day church schools, and the loss of pure Lutheran teaching in what remains of them. — In the next Part 2, we hear Walther comment of Lutheran children in non-Lutheran schools…

The “Silent Sin”: Dietrich's Catechism speaks

      While translating portions of the venerable old Lutheran Dietrich's Catechism, I ran across a small portion that struck me for its clear Scriptural teaching.  It was in the section on the Sixth Commandment: 

“Thou shalt not commit adultery.”  

Before proceeding further, here is the translation from the 1896 German version of Dietrich's Catechism, p. 97-98, which was a translation from Dietrich's original Latin, p. 154 (translation by BTL, all emphasis mine):

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40. In how many ways, then, is adultery committed?

…

Accordingly, the following vices and sins are forbidden in this commandment: 1. evil lusts and irritations of the heart. 2. shamelessness, lascivious looks, bewitching facial expressions, voluptuous clothing and bodily movements. 3. insolence, disgraceful words, foul and nasty gossip, and songs of wooing. This also includes all enticements, opportunities and stimulants to fornication, such as excess, gluttony, idleness, bad company, lascivious resting, intemperance, lasciviousness, drunkenness, eating and drinking, and the like. These things most often incite to sins against the 6th commandment. 4. open and secret fornication, weakening, adultery, procuring, fornication, incest, keeping of concubines, whether standing alone or in wedlock, sodomy. These things are distinguished as follows: Weakening means: illegally depriving virgins (as well as respectable widows) of their virginity. Common fornication takes place between unmarried persons without distinction. Illicit sexual intercourse between married persons is called adultery; it is a violation of the promised marital fidelity. It is simple adultery if it takes place between a single and a married person; double: if between two married persons. The Saxon law calls this kind: Higher whoredom [Ober-Hurerei]. Pimping [Kuppelei] or prostitution means the commercial prostitution of virgins, unmarried and married women or courtesan [Buhldirnen]. Therefore, one who engages in such activity is called a pimp [leno], whoremaster; and a woman who engages in it is called a woman pimp [lens], or whoremaster. Kidnapping and fornication means to take a woman by power to a foreign place and to ravish her, Ex 22:16, Deut 22:25. Blood libel is cohabitation with blood relatives and other close relatives within the degrees forbidden by divine law, Deut 18:6, 20:11. Concubinage or cohabitation is the regular attendance of an unmarried man with a woman without conjugal affection.  Concubinage means the regular cohabitation of a husband with other women besides his lawful wife. Sodomy means the unnatural carnal intermingling either between persons of the male sex or with animals, Rom. 1:16 [sic, Rom. 1:26-27]. It is also called the silent sin [stumme Sünde], because it should not even be mentioned among Christians, let alone be known.

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In all the catechisms that I have researched other than Dietrich's full explanation, English or German, the teaching on "Sodomy" (German  "Sodomiterei", Latin "Sodomia") was omitted. This is likely due to abridgements, and so this “silent sin” was not directly addressed.  But there it is, in the earliest, most orthodox explanation of Luther's Catechism, that was used extensively by Old Missouri. According to Prof. Gerhard Bode's 2005 PhD dissertation, p. 304, emphasis mine: 

Even after the new synodical catechism began to roll off the presses in 1896, Dieterich's catechism would remain in print and continue to be used for decades. Over the next ten years alone, 71,491 copies of the Dieterich catechism were sold to congregations and schools in the Synod. In 1905, Dieterich's catechism was still used as a textbook for English catechetics at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis.

      In the preface to the 2017 translation of Walther's Pastoral Theology, the LCMS editor asserted that, unlike in Walther's time, we  face “new challenges” today, including “homoerotic behavior.”  The editor, like the LC-MS teaching in general, thinks today's "homoerotic behavior" is unlike it was in 1613, when Dietrich first authored his explanation of Luther's Catechism.  What is actually different is what their teachers teach for doctrine.  They do not teach as Scripture teaches (Rom. 1:26-27), as the orthodox Lutheran Catechism teaches. 

      This blog has not dwelt on the rampant issues of today that are forced "out" into the open, into public discussion.  In only one other blog post have I even mentioned the sin of Sodomy.  This is because this "silent sin" is not the major issue in the world today.  We see something even worse, and it is pointed out to us by our Savior Jesus Christ.  What could be worse?

“Whosoever shall not… hear your words… It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.” — Matt. 10:14-15

It is not hearing the Word of the God. — One asks oneself: Is this "silent sin" against the Sixth Commandment kept silent about in our day? — For those interested in translating the above Dietrich section into other languages, after the break below is the original German text: