# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1854 09 26_S18
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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of God's children are here and there in all the world, in all kinds of kingdoms, islands, lands, cities, from the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same." But however certain it is, according to this, and also according to our conviction, that the LORD has in all parties and sects within Christendom which still acknowledge the Word of God as God's Word a holy seed of true Christians and children of God, yet those greatly err who draw from this the conclusion that it is therefore wrong to testify and contend against such parties and sects, that is, to expose their errors without sparing, and to attack the advocates, spreaders and defenders of these errors, under circumstances even sharply. When orthodox Christians do this, then it is not brothers who fight against brothers, not children of God against children of God, not Christians against Christians, but the light in the one Christian against the darkness still remaining in the other Christian, the new man of the one against the old man of the other, the spirit of the one against the flesh in the other! The holy Augustine writes: "Good Christians, if they were perfect, could not contend with one another. But those who are still striving after improvement and are not yet perfect can do so, namely in so far as each good Christian fights against the other in that part in which he also fights against himself. For in one man the flesh strives against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. The spiritual desire of the one can therefore strive against the fleshly desire of the other, or the fleshly desire of the one against the spiritual desire of the other." (Of the City of God I. 15. 5.) Though it may therefore seem to many Christians, when it is expected of them that they join in fighting against the sects, as if they were to fight in an unnatural and unchristian manner against those who nevertheless stand with them in one Spirit, believe with them in one Saviour, glory with them before God in one righteousness, live with them in one kingdom of grace under one King, and with whom they hope one day to be together eternally in heaven, in the tabernacles of peace! It only seems so. Though it may appear, when war is waged against heterodox communions, as if the bond of Christian brotherly love were thereby cut asunder and the body of Christ torn to pieces: it has such an appearance only (before the eyes of reason). In the midst of the outward discord in which the outward visible church lives, the Church in the proper sense, the true invisible Church, the congregation of saints dwelling in the Spirit, stands nevertheless in undisturbed, blessed concord. While therefore our symbolical books say in one place with right of the visible church that "the wolves and false teachers in the churches rage and do harm" (See: Apology 64, a.), so they write on the other hand of the invisible Church, and indeed with the same right, in another place: "I believe that there is a little holy flock and congregation on earth, of pure saints, under one Head, Christ, called together by the Holy Ghost, in one faith, mind and understanding, with manifold gifts, yet in harmony in love, without sects and schism." (See Large Catechism, Exposition of the 3rd Article.) The peace in which the hidden ones of God (Ps. 83:4), the quiet in the land (Ps. 35:20), those unknown to the world (2 Cor. 6:9), the children of God scattered abroad throughout the world (John 11:52) stand with one another, is higher than all reason; it has its ground in God's heart reconciled through Christ; it can therefore be reached and removed by nothing in this world. While orthodox Christians themselves fight against such parties in which children of God are found, they nevertheless extend in spirit the hand of brotherhood to all these children of God as their brethren. They nevertheless include daily all true Christians in the whole world in their prayer in fervent love and say: "Our Father, which art in heaven." In spite of all outward discord it therefore remains truth when orthodox Christians sing every Sunday in their Creed of the Holy Ghost: "The whole Christendom on earth keeps in one mind right well." Nevertheless there is fulfilled at all times in all Christians what Paul writes: "Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." (Eph. 4:3-6.) Nevertheless it remains true what all Christians of all places and times confess: "I believe one holy Christian Church, a communion of saints." Yes, the never-ending strife in the visible Church demands precisely that one recognize that the true Church in the proper sense of the word, of whose concord, quiet peace and blessed rest the prophets and apostles testify so lovely and gloriously, must be the invisible Church, which cometh not with outward show, which is the kingdom of God within the hearts of believers. Therefore it is said in our Confessions, according to the profound view of the Church laid down therein: "The multitude of the ungodly is much greater, almost innumerable, who despise the Word, bitterly hate it and persecute it to the uttermost, such as Turks, Mahometans, other tyrants, heretics, etc. Thereby the right doctrine and Church is often so suppressed and lost" (and disfigured by discord), "as has happened under the Papacy, as if there were no Church, and it often seems as if it were quite gone under. In order that we may be certain, not doubt, but firmly and entirely believe, that a Christian Church will really be and remain on earth until the end of the world; that we also doubt not at all that a Christian Church lives and is on earth, which is Christ's bride, although the ungodly multitude is more and greater; that the LORD Christ also here on earth in the multitude which is called Church, works daily, forgives sin, daily hears prayer, etc.: for this the comforting article has been placed in the Creed: I believe one catholic, universal Christian Church." (Apology f. 62, a. b.) Yes indeed, God be praised for this precious confession! For without the doctrine and the faith that the Church properly so called is an invisible kingdom living in God, it is not possible to adjust oneself to what Scripture says gloriously of the Church, and to reconcile it with what we see daily before our eyes. This doctrine, however, unlocks the mystery to us and shows us that in the midst of the never-ceasing outward discord of the visible Church the true Church, namely the invisible, remains unharmed in its heavenly peace.

But, some will perhaps here still object, does it not nevertheless remain true that here below Christians fight against Christians, as often as orthodox Christians take the field against heterodox communions, since, as they themselves confess, true Christians also lie hidden in them? — No, no, my dear reader, it is by no means so! All these battles are not battles against, but for the Christians. The true Christians in the sects are like men who have fallen into a spiritual captivity and are held captive in the sect as in a hostile fortress. When now the orthodox Christians advance before this hostile fortress to storm it, they do not thereby declare war upon the Christians held captive in it, their brethren, but appear to them rather for rescue and deliverance, and their weapons are now directed not against these, but against those who have taken them captive and hold them captive.

So, beloved reader, do not let yourself be led astray, when in the discord by which the Church is at present rent asunder it is held up to you how according to Scripture Christ is a Prince of Peace, His true Church a kingdom of peace and His rightful servants messengers of peace. Do not let yourself be persuaded by this that the true Church cannot be there where discord reigns, and that those are not upright servants of Christ who do not press on for peace without ceasing, but contend and strive for the pure doctrine and against error. The peace which God's Word ascribes to the true Church and of which the proclaimers of the Gospel are to be the messengers, is not the outward, worldly peace, but