# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1854 04 11_S130
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

130

disillusionments, was at present more conscious of its paternal inheritance than the children of the cradle. This moved Prof. Walther to publish the work before us, which appeared as: "A Collection of Testimonies on this Question (of Church and Ministry) from the Confessional Writings of the Evangelical Lutheran Church and from the Private Writings of Orthodox Teachers of the Same." They are not the subjective expression and impression of a single man, but are set forth by the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio and other States as a testimony of its faith. Walther, as the organ of that fellowship, therefore says at once at the beginning of his Preface: "We, the members of the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio and other States, hold ourselves convinced that the Lutherans are now divided over the important doctrines of Church and Ministry and what stands in immediate connection with them, comes from this, that men look away from and depart from the doctrines laid down in the public confessions of our Church and developed in the private writings of its orthodox teachers." These questions need no development as of something hitherto neglected, nor illumination as of something hitherto hidden or unconscious, first in the present day. The treasure is won and fully earned in the struggle of the 16th century. Walther therefore does not want to bring anything new, but to make the old new. To be sure, this writing appears at the same time and first of all as a vindication against the calumnies which the Lutheran Church of America has suffered through Pastor Grabau at Buffalo (p. VI). But it is nevertheless for us a rich and glorious gift, which kindles and enkindles anew our evangelical consciousness at the Lutheran common spirit, and deals chiefly only with the sources of difference in the pending questions, in the good and not unfounded confidence that any misunderstandings and obscurities, which are to be set to the account of the aphoristic, will very soon be cleared up by a coherent elucidation. The character of a firm and certain man expresses itself in the words: "We have not fashioned the doctrines of our Church according to our circumstances, but have ordered these according to the doctrine of our Church" (p. IX), a word which is to be held up as a mirror to our German champions of the various camps. The book falls into two parts, 1. Of the Church, and 2. Of the Holy Preaching Office or Pastoral Office. The form is that of theses, to each of which are appended the corresponding testimonies of the teachers of the Church. In order to survey the material content of the work, we will here add the individual theses as well. *)

*) Here follow in the review the theses of the book word for word. Note by the Editor of the Lutheraner.

So far the theses. The manner of treating them is one entirely corresponding to the purpose of reviving the evangelical-apostolic-Lutheran consciousness, and deserves imitation also in respect to other important and related matters. We can only wish the well-appointed work the widest possible circulation.  Ao.

Thus runs, further, a review in the: "Darmstädter theologisches Literaturblatt, edited by Dr. K. Zimmermann:"

"Since in our days the question of Church and Ministry is much discussed among Lutheran theologians, it is certainly a timely and thankworthy undertaking of Professor Walther that he has composed this collection, written with great diligence, and sent it across the sea. His book falls of itself into two parts, the first of which treats of the Church, the other of the holy preaching office or pastoral office. The arrangement of the book is as follows: First the theses given below are set forth, whereupon then 1) the proof from God's Word follows, 2) the testimonies of the Church in her public confessions are communicated, and 3) the testimonies of the Church in the private writings of her teachers are given. Among the latter appear Luther, Melanchthon, Joh. Gerhard, Quenstedt, J. G. Baier, Chemnitz, B. Meisner, Balth. Menzer, Hülsemann, Dannhauer, Pol. Lyser, Ludwig Dunte, Heshusius, F. Balduin, J. B. Carpzov, Joh. Wigand, M. Flacius, Calov, Nik. Selneccer, Kromeyer, J. Conrad Göbel, Sal. Deyling and others. The well-read author also takes account of the sayings of the Church Fathers, here and there also of church hymns and other writings of a public character, e.g. catechisms of the later period, p. 37. The extracts cited are all, for good reasons, given in German translation with the original text appended below. The testimonies from writings of the Greek Church Fathers are for the most part given in Latin translation in the notes. The theses, printed in large type, are the following: Of the Church, Thesis I. †)

†) Here likewise the theses of the book are printed out in full. Note by the Editor of the Lutheraner.

That the strictest Lutheranism prevails in this book goes without saying. Thus it says, e.g., on page 128: "Whoever knows that his pastor teaches Zwinglian doctrine, him shall he avoid, and rather go long without the Sacrament than receive it from him, yes, even die over it and suffer everything for it." — — "And in sum, that I may come off from this matter, it is dreadful to me to hear that in one and the same church or at one and the same altar both parties should fetch and receive one and the same Sacrament, and one party should believe it receives mere bread and wine; the other party, however, believe it receives the true body and blood of Christ. And I often doubt whether it is to be believed that a preacher or pastor could be so hardened and malicious, and keep silent about this, and let both parties go on thus, each in its own delusion that they receive one and the same Sacrament, each according to its faith, etc. But if there be one who must have a heart that is harder than any stone, steel and diamond, he must truly be an apostle of wrath, for Turks and Jews are much better, who deny our Sacrament and confess it openly; for thereby we remain undeceived by them and fall into no idolatry. But these fellows would have to be the very arch-devils, who give nothing but bread and wine and let nothing be held for the body and blood of Christ, and so miserably deceive. That would be too hot and too tender; God will strike in shortly. Therefore, whoever has such preachers or assures himself of such from them, let him be warned against them as against the devil himself in person."

Similar and much stronger passages against the Zwinglians are found in plenty in the book, but these will suffice to show how firmly Luther held to his conviction, which is otherwise known to everyone anyway. —

But if a milder temper and a milder practice has asserted itself in our time among many Lutheran theologians themselves, yet no evangelical preacher should leave this instructive book unread, which is worth reading already on account of its historical content. It drives into the Scripture, into the Church Fathers, into the testimonies of the most important teachers of our Church, and shows us with holy earnestness, to our shame, how widely men have departed from the doctrines of the Lutheran Church in consequence of the so-called Enlightenment. Thus we would especially recommend to attention what is taught concerning the conferring of the preaching office by the congregation as the possessor of all church authority or of the keys, since among us the congregations for the most part have nothing more to say in the filling of pastoral charges. Further, the doctrine of ordination is to be taken to heart, which churchly usage, so far as we know, is not found at all in many a Lutheran state church, while e.g. Gerhard teaches p. 345: "As regards ordination, it is not necessary by virtue of a divine command, nor does the essence of the preaching office depend upon it, nor does it impress a certain character, as the papists dream (whence Rufinus, in the first book of his Church History, in the 10th chapter, writes of the king of the Iberians that he, while still unmarried, became the apostle of his people); yet it is a useful usage, for the sake of the old custom of the Church and of the glorious memories which it gives, and therefore by no means to be rejected or omitted without reason. For one can see from the histories and the epistles of the apostles and from church history that the apostles themselves and their nearest successors observed this usage, that one president, in the name of the presbytery, ordained the ministers of the Church lawfully elected by the laying on of hands and public prayers. Much less is it absolutely and unconditionally necessary that three bishops be present at the ordination."