# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1855 02 27_S109
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

109

and the Reformed have united, who, precisely after such a union, are called Unirte or Evangelicals. Such Evangelicals hold that a definite common faith is neither possible nor necessary, particularly with regard to certain doctrines; they therefore permit everyone who belongs to their communion complete freedom in the articles in which the Lutheran and Reformed churches teach differently; everyone may teach there whatever seems good to him and whatever he for his part regards as the right mind of Christ; he may also leave everything hanging, uncertain, in doubt. Whoever, therefore, says nowadays: I am an Evangelical, of him one cannot know what he believes concerning several chief articles of the Christian religion. If one asks him to what he confesses himself, he is quite likely even to appeal to two kinds of confessional writings, which are as different in content as light and darkness, and in which many mutually contradictory doctrines occur, which cannot possibly both be true; thus he reveals thereby that two kinds of faith, and accordingly truth and lie, are approved by him.

I once had in my hands a hymnal of the Evangelicals published here. In it were Luther's Small Catechism and the Heidelberg Catechism. Both are approved, to both the Evangelicals confess themselves, although the content of the two is entirely different. In the one is pure doctrine, in the other false doctrine; in the one, for example, it says that one receives Christ's body and blood under bread and wine, in the other, that Christ is now, according to His human nature, not on earth.

Now because I heard that the Botschafter is written by an Evangelical, so —

A. I already know what you want to say. But I must confess that what you have told me about the Evangelicals does not meet with my approval. Never would I wish to belong to such an evangelical communion or church, where the opposed opinions are held to be equally true, and Yes and No are mingled together, like water with wine. The name "evangelical" is indeed beautiful, but since the so-called Evangelicals are, in these days, such people, I, being a Lutheran Christian, would never say that I am an Evangelical, because an honest man must speak in such a way that by his words he reveals to others the true sense of his heart.

I am now indeed glad that you have told me this about the Evangelicals, and I must confess that on that account I am already beginning to grow distrustful of the Botschafter. But if I were asked to say what is false, harmful and seductive in that paper, I should have to remain without an answer. What, then, is the harmful and seductive thing in it?

E. I will answer you as well as I can. So hear me! There appear in the paper only those doctrines in which all the so-called Protestant churches agree, for example the doctrine of reconciliation through Christ's blood, of justification and sanctification (apart from the fact that not even all those church parties really agree concerning the doctrines named); on the other hand the distinctive doctrines are passed over (so that one may nowhere give offense).

Accordingly such important doctrines as, for example, the doctrine of holy Baptism and of the holy Supper are constantly passed over, with the explanation that they are less important doctrines! Indeed, it is even said at times that in the union of people of different parties their particular doctrines (of Baptism, the Lord's Supper, etc.) are not even to come into consideration at all, but that one should only see to it that the heart stands right toward God and loves the LORD Jesus, etc. But what must necessarily be the consequence of this? Will the readers of the paper learn to esteem those doctrines of the holy Sacraments as high, important and dear (as they indeed are), or what will be the case? —

So also it is often testified in the paper that one does not wish to speak a word for any single party, — whereas we ought in fairness to speak a word for the party that in every respect has the pure doctrine. But note, if only all parties have the general Christian doctrines, then according to the Botschafter the one is as good as the other, and the particular doctrines, for example the right or false doctrine of the person of Christ, of election, of original sin, of Baptism and of the Lord's Supper, matter so little that on that account no preference could be granted to the one party over the other. Accordingly one wants to unite also with all Christians, whatever religious opinions they may cherish.

Consider all this well, — and you will surely agree with me when I say: that such things can lead the readers of the paper to where its writer himself, to be sure not through the Spirit of God, has come, namely, that all conscientiousness with regard to the purity and unadulterated state of the Word of God is stifled, that indifference as to whether the doctrine is pure or false is begotten, and thus zeal in confessing the truth is paralyzed. —

"Indifference, however, as to whether the doctrine is pure or false, is mostly more dangerous than stubborn persistence in false doctrine. With indifference the seeking after truth ceases; zeal for such false doctrine, however, easily changes into zeal for the right, when God opens the eyes." Rev. 3, 15. 16.

A. I am fully convinced of what you say. A light is dawning on me now; and I can already imagine why one abstains from all controversy. Is it not so, one is simply indifferent toward error.

E. Certainly. If in the Botschafter all Christian doctrines appeared in their right connection, even without taking on a polemical character, one might well be glad, thinking that it served the kingdom of God in its own way. But that does not happen, still less are certain doctrines of Christianity defended and all false doctrines rejected. Where, pray, have there ever appeared in the paper the so important doctrines of the glory of the human nature of Christ, of holy Absolution, of Baptism and the Sacrament of the Altar, and others, and where have they been defended, and the doctrines of the Reformed and others concerning them been proved false from God's Word, as it is so needful to do in this land of the sects? Let people reply here what they will, but I maintain that where one will not say, according to the divine Word: This is right, and that is wrong! there is no spirit of testimony, no fidelity to the confession, but rather indifference, dallying and wretched man-pleasing. Think here of the holy Apostles, of Luther, yes, also of the dear martyrs of the ancient and of the Lutheran church: how they testified against false doctrine, yes, even against the false doctrine of the Reformed concerning the holy Supper! But of course these were not indifferent toward error. St. Paul writes Gal. 5, 9.: "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." Our Luther writes concerning this: "It goes thus in theology, that a small error shall corrupt and falsify the whole Christian doctrine. Therefore one should separate doctrine and life only very far from one another. The doctrine is not ours, but God's it is, who has called us alone to be servants and ministers thereunto. Therefore we neither shall nor can give up or relinquish the least title or letter thereof." In an opinion of Melanchthon and Brentius, which they drew up on request for the Landgrave Philip of Hesse, and in which they decline a union with the Zwinglians, it says: "So also the articles concerning the Sacraments are not to be lightly esteemed. For since the whole of Christendom is concerned with them, exceedingly great offense follows where one errs herein."

But not only does the Botschafter refuse to contend, whereas one surely honors God and His Word when one contends for it; but — what is worst — it blames and rebukes it when one contends for distinctive doctrines, indeed it regards such as sin. For it says that in heaven the redeemed will be filled with astonishment and sorrow at nothing so much as at contentions, if there were still sorrow there. Ah, whither can man come! God preserve me and all true Christians from such a wretched, pitiable condition, in which one is not allowed to defend His Word and contend for it, and bitterly blames all those who in zeal for God's honor contend for the pure doctrine as for a precious jewel, and reject and anathematize all false doctrines; where one is indifferent toward error, and hostile toward the truth!

A. In that you are quite right. That is also my wish and my prayer. But still I should like to bring out something good from the paper. You mentioned a brotherhood just now, and such a one is striven for in it: is that not to be praised? Is it not right that the church parties, the Lutheran also included, between which, then, a difference in many points certainly exists, should live in brotherly communion, be peaceable with one another, and unite for com-