H3a: Walther on Jesuit convert Jacob Reihing; "a miracle", "still disputed today"

      This continues from Part 2 (Table of Contents in Part 1) in a series beginning with Walther's announcement of the republished "little book" by Matthias Hoe von Hoenegg, a book that gave instruction to south German Lutherans oppressed by Roman Catholics. — In Walther's announcement of Hoe's book in 1871, he spent just as much space on the remarkable conversion of Jesuit theologian Jacob Reihing as on Hoe.  He was quite familiar with the story of Reihing for he had described it in even more detail in the very first volume of his Der Lutheraner publication, in 1845. I discovered this when reading LC-MS missionary Rev. David R. Preus's 2018 PhD dissertation on the Lutheran theologian Balthasar Meisner, p. 168. Although the 1845 Der Lutheraner article in question was unsigned, I have little doubt that it was written by editor Walther, for this was a favorite subject of his. — Walther's article is being presented in 2 parts. From Der Lutheraner, vol. 1 (March 22, 1845), p. 60 [EN]:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

The converted Jesuit.

[probably by editor C. F. W. Walther; part 1]

Jacob Reihing is a remarkable example of how often those who are most zealous for their error, when they do it ignorantly like Saul (1 Tim. 1:13), are finally brought around by God's grace and transformed into the most blessed instruments for spreading the truth. Reihing was born on Jan. 6, 1579 in Augsburg of Roman Catholic parents, studied at the University of Ingolstadt, then entered the Jesuit order and became a doctor and professor of theology at the aforementioned university, and finally preacher to the court of the Count Palatine of Neuburg. 

Wolfgang Wilhelm

Until then, Reihing had been an extremely zealous advocate of the papacy, not only writing several pamphlets in defense of it and allegedly refuting the Evangelical-Lutheran doctrine, but also actually persuading the formerly Lutheran Count Palatine Wolfgang Wilhelm to convert to the Roman Church in 1614. Reihing was also the main instigator of the fact that the aforementioned Count Palatine expelled not only his former Lutheran court preacher Heilbrunner [G. Brock p. 145], but also many of his subjects who remained Lutheran from the Neuburg Palatinate. Reihing explained to the world the reasons that had led Wolfgang Wilhelm to profess the papal religion in a pamphlet of his own entitled "The Walls of the Holy City" [Preus p. 168; Schall p. 10; ADB;], i.e. the Roman Church. In short, Reihing showed himself to be a true Jesuit, that is, a true bodyguard of the Pope. However, God had decided to make this man an encouraging example of the richness of his mercy and the power of his enlightening grace. 

John Gerhard:
“It is indeed a miracle”

So it happened that in 1621 Reihing (convinced by diligent reading of the Holy Scriptures, which he had been compelled to do), against all expectations, applied for admission to the Evangelical Lutheran Church. This conversion caused a great sensation throughout Germany; even J. Gerhard wrote to a friend in Copenhagen in the same year: 

"You have no doubt heard that the notorious Jesuit Reihing has joined our side; it is indeed a miracle that such a Saul has become a Paul."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -  Continued in Part 3b  - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

     Walther says that Jesuit Reihing was the one who persuaded an important political figure, Wolfgang Wilhelm, to convert from Evangelical Lutheranism to Catholicism. In my reading of other online histories, I found no mention that Reihing was the instigator. The 1888 Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie article states of that time: “…but it cannot be determined whether Reihing was already active”;  G. Brock, a noted historian, states of Wolfgang Wilhelm, p. 124-125: “The Catechism of [Jesuit Peter] Canisius was emphasized, which the Count Palatine was said to have studied for eight months. At the same time, Reihing's writing appeared: Muri civitatis sanctae [DE]”. I suspect that Walther had access to other historical resources that backed up his point, but he did not share that. 

      Walther called Reihing's conversion "against all expectations", John Gerhard called it "a miracle", the Neue Deutsche Biography (2003) calls it "sensational" ("aufsehenerregender") and adds:

"The reasons for Reihing's conversion to Protestantism are still disputed today."

Disputed?  The dispute comes only from the opponents to Protestantism. Reihing explicitly gave his reasons. In the next Part 3b, we conclude this brief history by Walther where he quotes Reihing's own "reasons for his conversion".