# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1854 02 28_S109
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

109
(For the Lutheraner. Submitted.)

The So-Called Great Hanoverian Landes-Katechismus.*)

Illuminated in some of its most important parts by E. J. M. Wege, Lutheran pastor in Benton Co., Mo.

A series of short essays for instruction and, respectively, defense.

Submitted to public examination.

Preliminary Remarks.

Motto.

"We believe, teach and confess that the only rule and norm according to which all doctrines and teachers are to be judged and sentenced are the prophetic and apostolic writings of the Old and New Testament alone, as it is written: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Ps. 119. And St. Paul: Though an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you, let him be accursed. Galatians" Concord. Formula.

It is a numerous and respectable portion that is added to the Lutheran Church in America from the people of the Hanoverian land. Almost all who have come from there to America were instructed in their youth from the book named above, and it is therefore very understandable if they wish to hold it in honor and to have it held in honor.

It would be sad if the well-meant zeal arising from this partiality were directed at the evil which, alas! is contained in this book in no small measure. Happily, however, it is the truth that many look only at that which will occur to no upright Christian to attack, namely the multitude of Bible passages, while they wholly overlook the evil. This evil lies not in the Bible passages, but in the questions and answers which, when they contain falsehood, are indeed adorned by the Bible passages, but not justified. No less does the evil lie in the historical presentation, as we shall see. But men of untrained spiritual sense are able to discover neither the one nor the other, and therefore find no reason why they should let go of the book. Hence it seems to them rather to be sin if they were not to be zealous for a legacy which they received from the hands of their parents and teachers, and which became dear to them in the years of their childhood and youth.

Many have a quite special ground for their zeal for this book. They are namely of the opinion that this Hanoverian Landes-Katechismus is the Great Catechism of Dr. Martin Luther. That this is a great error need not be proved to any expert; but for the uninformed it may serve if they are made aware that the true Great Catechism of Luther also bears Luther's full name, whereas the title of the Hanoverian catechism mentions the name of Luther with not a single syllable.

As easy as it now is to expose the emptiness of this latter ground, so hard is it to overcome the former. And truly! we would not undertake the labor of contending against a prejudice rooted from youth up, if danger and duty did not require it.

The danger is that many a soul which did not wish to fight against Christ nevertheless raises its weapons against him, in that, held captive by human authority, it defends the one whom it ought not to defend.

The duty is that the writer of this bears the holy office.

Therefore, when demands are founded upon it, for example that this catechism be introduced into the school, we are bound not only to enter our protest, but also to give ground and reason, as shall be done in what follows.

May no one be embittered thereby; but may everyone look on and earnestly examine whether the accusations which we raise against the Hanoverian catechism have good ground in God's Word or not, and may the word of the LORD come to the good of all those who have not known the depths of Satan (as they say): "I will put upon you none other burden." Rev. 2, 24.

Of the Holy Scripture.

The Holy Scripture is called God's Word not merely, but it is so.

The belief that the Holy Scripture is not man's word, but God's Word, is inseparable from the belief in the inspiration of the Holy Scripture.

He who does not believe in this inspiration cannot believe that the Holy Scripture is really God's Word, for he does not believe in the distinction and pre-eminence which it alone and exclusively has above all man's word in speech and writing.

He who does not believe inspiration and, when he is to teach it, does not teach it, robs the Holy Scripture not only of its reliability, but makes it also a liar. For the Holy Scripture is not only held by others to be inspired, but it teaches also itself that one should hold it so. 2 Timothy 3, 16. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God."

Therefore it is false if nothing greater is said of the holy writers than what can also be said of all distinguished men in the kingdom of God.

For this very reason it is also false and a manifest denial of inspiration, when the saying of Christ, Matt. 10, 20, "It is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you," is given out as an expression that contained no greater promise than that of an extraordinary assistance. For even with an extraordinary assistance of God the man does not cease to be himself the one who speaks; with inspiration, however, he steps back so far that it is no longer he himself who speaks, but it is God who speaks through him.

But what does the Hanoverian Catechism say?

It says: (Sect. 1, Qu. 10, p. 10.) "they wrote under an extraordinary assistance of God." and further, citing the saying Matt. 10, 20,

"How does Jesus express this?"

(namely this, that he promises his disciples the same assistance which the prophets of the O. T. also had to enjoy.)

If we now ask: What sort of assistance was that?—we do not get the explanation:

"It was God and not they themselves who spoke and wished to speak—as the saying Matt. 10, 20 would prove—

but:

"Jesus only expresses it so," that is: Although Jesus seems to say something more and other, that is only his way of expressing himself; the naked truth, however, according to the sense of the Hanoverian catechism, is this:

The so-called inspiration is no more than an extraordinary assistance.

Thereby God's word and man's word are put on an equal footing in their validity.

For an extraordinary assistance of God in the composition of their writings the distinguished men in the kingdom of God, for example a Luther, have also experienced.

Does divine authority therefore belong to their writings?

By no means.

Why not?

Because they are not inspired.

Is it then so slight a matter to speak of the Holy Scripture thus, as if it were enough to be able at best to distinguish it from such books as were evidently written without God's assistance?

Is it a slight matter to speak thus of it, so that one must hold the clear Word of the LORD to be an exaggeration?

Is it a slight matter to speak thus of it, so that door and gate are left open to doubt of the reliability of the Holy Scripture? That happens, however, because the admission of an extraordinary assistance confers as yet no divine authority and validity.

Let each answer these questions for himself.

(To be continued.)

*) That is the name of the book as it is commonly used among the people. The actual title, however, reads: Katechismus der christlichen Lehre. Zum Gebrauch in den Schulen der Herzogthümer Bremen und Verden. Stade.