the will of God to punish those people who taught false doctrine, He could easily have reserved such punishment for yonder world, as He often permits people to live on in their sinful ways for ten, twenty, or thirty years unpunished. But in the case of some of these chief heretics, who have reviled and offended God with their doctrine, we recognize a peculiar, divine visitation in the punishment that came upon them here in this world, that thereby a clear testimony might be given, in the sight of men, of the wrath of God upon such heretics, who have been the cause of so much unbelief, blasphemy, and defamation of Himself and His holy Word.

The story is told that a certain heretic, by the name of Cerinthus, lived during the time of John the Evangelist, and that he was the first one who preached against the doctrine of the apostles, blaspheming Christ by teaching that He was not God. This heresy spread so rapidly that, after the other Evangelists, St. John had to write his Gospel for the very purpose of defending and establishing the doctrine of the divinity of Christ against the false teachings of this Cerinthus and his crowd. Hence it is that St. John does not dwell so much upon the miracles of Christ as upon His person and His sermons, in which Christ speaks so powerfully of Himself as true God, born of the Father from eternity, equal to Him in majesty, power, honor, wisdom, justice, and all other divine attributes.

It so happened once, that John with a few of his disciples went into a public bath. When he saw that the heretic Cerinthus with his crowd was there too, he made haste to leave the bath, and told his disciples to hurry away with him and not

to linger in company of blasphemers. His disciples obeyed and speedily followed him. Scarcely had they left the bath when the building fell with a crash, killing Cerinthus and all his followers.

A similar story is related concerning the heretic Arius, who especially attacked this article which teaches that Christ is true God. He did much harm with his false doctrine throughout Christendom, and it took four hundred years after his death to combat its injurious influence, yea, it is not even yet fully eradicated. In the death of this man the Lord God exalted His honor in a marvelous manner.

The narratives of those days tell us, how cunningly this Arius had ingratiated himself with the emperor Constantine and his advisers, by an oath leading them firmly to believe that he taught nothing wrong. The emperor even ordered the bishop Alexander of Constantinople to consider this Arius again as a member of the Christian Church, and to restore him to his priestly office. The pious bishop, however, refused to do this, for he knew full well what Arius and his crowd were aiming at. Hereupon Eusebius and other bishops, who took the part of Arius, threatened the faithful Alexander that if he would not comply with the emperor's order, they would drive him by force from his office, and have Arius restored by the vote of the congregation. They gave to Alexander one day to consider this matter before they would act. The pious bishop became much troubled at heart, for he knew that the following of Arius was large and powerful, and that he furthermore had for him the edict of the emperor and the entire imperial court. In this danger and distress Alexander

went for help to that source where, in matters pertaining to the honor of God, help alone can be found, namely, to God Himself. All night long he continued in prayer, stretched upon the floor of the church, beseeching God to rescue the honor of His name, and to employ such means as would effectually prevent the execution of the evil intentions of the heretics.

The next morning, when the time for assembling in the church had come, and when bishop Alexander would either have to receive Arius again into the Church or be driven from his office, Arius himself started early on his way to the sanctuary, walking proudly amid the large company of his friends. All at once, while yet on the road, he was seized with great pain in his bowels, and had to seek a private closet. The procession waited a long while on the street for the return of Arius, but he came not. Finally the report spread that he died in the closet, his lungs and liver having passed from him. The account of this terrible event very aptly concludes in these words: mortem dignam blasphema et foetida mente, that is, his death was worthy of his blasphemous and putrid heart.

Thus we see how this article of our faith has been proven and established from the Scriptures, has been defended by the apostles and the fathers of the Church, and, finally, has been corroborated by miraculous occurrences in spite of the devil and his imps. Nor should we doubt in the least the continuance of this doctrine, but must faithfully confess daily with our children in our creed, that we believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, one God in three per

sons.

Three different works are therefore mentioned in the creed, in order that the Christians should neither confound the persons, nor separate the divine nature in God, but would regard Him as one God in an inseparable essence. This doctrine is preached upon this Sunday to the end that people may again learn and know how the Church came by this faith, not through a dream, but through the grace of God, by His holy Word and the declarations of the Apostles and the fathers. God grant that we may all remain firm in this doctrine and faith unto the end of our life. Amen.

SECOND SERMON FOR TRINITY SUNDAY.

GOSPEL LESSON: JOHN 3, 1–15.

HIS is a very beautiful Gospel Lesson from which we learn what is the right, only and certain way to eternal life. It seems, however, that it was selected for the festival of the Holy Trinity, because it presents, in such a beautiful and appropriate manner, the distinction of the three persons in the highest and greatest work which God performs with us poor human beings, in that He justifies and saves us. For here it is clearly said of the Father that He loved the world and gave it His only begotten Son. Here we have two different persons, Father and Son. "The Father loves the world, and gives to it His Son." The "Son" permits Himself to be given to the world, and, as Christ here says, "permits Himself, like the serpent in the wilderness, to be lifted up on the cross, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." To such work the third person, the Holy Ghost, afterwards comes, who, through the water of holy Baptism, enkindles faith in the heart, and thus regenerates us for the kingdom of God; as the Lord here also plainly speaks of the person of the Holy Ghost: "Except a man be born again of water and of the Spirit," etc.

This is a very comforting sermon, which should always make our hearts joyful toward God; inasmuch as we see that all three persons, the whole Godhead, confer and see to it that poor, miserable