# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1852 06 08_S167
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

167

is called in plain German: a Sch—ban; I call it the devil's ban and not God's ban, when people are banned for a wanton deed before they have been publicly convicted before the congregation, contrary to Christ's ordinance. Likewise are all those bans with which the officials "(papal church rulers)" and spiritual courts play their tricks, where, from ten, twenty, thirty miles away, people are put under the ban with a slip of paper before a congregation, although they were never rebuked, accused or convicted in the same congregation and before their pastor, but a bat comes flitting out of some official's corner without witnesses and without God's command. Of such Sch—bans thou needest not be afraid. If a bishop or official will put anyone under the ban, let him go or send thither into the congregation and before the pastor, where the same is to be put under the ban, and let him do it, as is right, according to these words of Christ. And all this I say for this reason: for the congregation which is to hold such a one banned, shall know and be certain how he hath deserved the ban and come into it, as the text of Christ here gives; otherwise it might be deceived and accept a lying ban, and thereby do wrong to its neighbor. That would then be blaspheming the keys, and dishonoring God, and injuring love toward the neighbor, which is not to be endured by a Christian congregation, for it belongs thereto also, when anyone is to be banned by it, saith Christ here; and it is not bound to believe the official's slip of paper, nor the bishop's letters, yea, it is bound here not to believe, for men one should not believe in God's affairs. Thus a Christian congregation is not the official's maidservant, nor the bishop's taskmaster, that he may say to it: There, Gretha, there, Hans, hold me this one or that one in the ban. Hail, yes, you are welcome, dear official. In worldly government such a thing might well have some sense; but here, where it concerns souls, the congregation shall also be with judge and wife. St. Paul was an apostle, yet he would not put him under the ban who had taken his stepmother, he would have the congregation also with him in it. 1 Cor. 5:1, 5." (XIX, 1170. 1181. 1182.)

We therefore testify in conclusion that the doctrine: "An unjust ban gives no right to separation," is a thoroughly unLutheran, harmful, godless, antichristian†) doctrine, perhaps written down by the writer in the Informatorium in simplicity and thoughtlessness, but originally brought upon the track by the devil, in order to strengthen all priestly tyranny, to lead the innocent children of God back into a bondage worse than papal, to burden and ensnare consciences intolerably, and to transform the whole Church into an absolute priestly monarchy. We recall here that earnest word of the Wittenberg theological faculty which is found in an opinion of the same from the year 1656; it is as follows:

†) It is well known that it was precisely an unjust ban which the Roman bishop Victor pronounced upon the upright bishop of Ephesus, Polycrates, and several Asia Minor congregations, because these would not celebrate the Easter festival on the day on which it was kept by the Roman Church, whereby it became not obscurely manifest, even before the close of the 2nd century, that the Roman see would become the seat of the Antichrist. It is well known, however, that the Roman bishop at that time still met with vigorous resistance, not only from those unjustly banned themselves, who despised the ban, but also from the distinguished bishop of Lyons, Irenaeus, who earnestly called Bishop Victor to account for this restriction of Christian liberty and this abuse of the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

"As it is a great sin before God not to feed nor to give drink to the poor distressed Christians in their spiritual hunger and thirst, so that they must complain of such thirst with the prophet Jeremiah, Lament. 4:4: 'The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst; the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them,' etc.: so there is no doubt that God will again cast from His face and thrust out those Diotrephes-brethren who not only do not receive the distressed Christians, but also forbid those who would do it, and cast them out of the church (3 John v. 10). (Consil. theol. Witebergens. Second Part, fol. 61. a.) From such a grievous judgment may God in grace, for Jesus Christ's sake, preserve both us and our opponent, who casteth out none that cometh to Him. Amen.

Postscript. After the above was written, we received the 15th number of the "Informatorium" and saw from it again, to our sorrow, how the writers of this paper use the name of Luther to justify certain erroneous doctrines which they cherish. A certain Mr. Müller, namely, pastor at Freystadt and Milwaukee in Wisconsin, a pupil of Mr. P. Grabau, relates there that several members of his congregation, through the reference made in the "Lutheraner" to 1 Thess. 2:16, have fallen into unrest of conscience and temptation because their pastors reject our heathen missions. At the same time he communicates a sermon which he delivered, in order thereby to quiet the tempted. In this sermon Pastor Müller now also cites Luther, where he speaks of the sneakers-in and corner-preachers who without a call prowl about in the Christian congregations that already have preachers, which corner-preachers Luther calls "the devil's sure messengers." And this Pastor Müller applies to our missionaries, who out of love to Christ and to the poor lost souls of the heathen, at the request and with the support of Christian congregations go forth and, with prayer and tears and often amid the most oppressive privations, tell these who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death something of their Savior, that they may be saved!! What would Luther say to such a perversion of his sayings, if he could still speak? It may be that Pastor Müller has read but little of Luther's writings; but should he not for that reason be the more timid about appearing as an author and polemic, and wishing to let Luther speak as his authority? It may further be that the members of his congregation were easily quieted by the quotations from Luther's writings which he made, because they, as it seems, read just these writings least of all; but with Christians who are versed therein he will accomplish nothing, for Luther, as is well known, very often, where he speaks of the necessity of the regular call to preach among baptized Christians and in ordered congregations, expressly excepts the case when a Christian comes among heathen. Thus it says, for example, in the writing: "Ground and Reason from Scripture that a Christian Assembly or Congregation has the Right and Power to judge all doctrine, and to call, install and depose teachers. Anno 1523:"

"Thou sayest: Yea, how? if he is not called thereto, he surely may not preach, as thou thyself hast often taught? Answer: Here thou shouldst place the Christian in a twofold situation: First, if he is in a place where there are no Christians, there he needs no other call than that he is a Christian, inwardly called and anointed of God, there he is bound to preach to the erring heathen or unbelievers and to teach the Gospel from duty of brotherly love, though no man call him thereto. So St. Stephen did, Acts 6:7, to whom, yet, no office of preaching was commanded by the apostles, and he preached nevertheless and did great wonders among the people. Likewise also Philip the deacon, Stephen's fellow, Acts 8:5, to whom also the office of preaching was not commanded. Likewise Apollos did so, Acts 18:25, 26. For in such a case a Christian, from brotherly love, beholds the need of the poor corrupted souls and waiteth not whether command or letter be given him by princes or bishops: for need breaketh all laws and hath no law; so love is bound to help where otherwise no one is who helps or should help. Secondly, if he is where Christians are, who have equal power and right with him, there he shall not push himself forward, but let himself be called and drawn forward, that he may preach and teach in the stead and at the command of the others."

Further Luther writes in his sermons on the 2nd Book of Moses, delivered in the years 1524-26:

"This is the call of a public office among Christians. But if one should come among the throng where no Christians were,