# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1849 11 13_S42
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

42

thereafter, so that one preaches in a thoroughly catechetical manner; and since one has at all times to treat of either Law or Gospel, hardly a Gospel or Epistle lesson could be preached upon without coinciding with the content of the Catechism. In that case it is not amiss to put questions to oneself here and there in the sermon, and then to answer them, whether in actual words of the Catechism or in a fuller catechetical exposition, which goes down more easily with the understanding of the hearers, and is at the same time more refreshing and enlivening than mere didactic presentation.

4. Exceedingly important, furthermore, are actual catechism sermons in the weekday services or the afternoon services on Sunday. There one has to set before his church children, piece by piece in succession, as simply, thoroughly, pointedly and briefly as possible, yet at the same time, in conclusion, not without pastoral, urgent admonition and application to heart and life. And surely one will proceed best in this if one follows Luther's explanation expositorily.

5. It is very fitting if one repeats this catechism sermon just delivered, and always brief, immediately afterward in the manner of catechization, and if possible thereby gradually lures the older people also and accustoms them to answer. In any case, however, even without a previously delivered catechism sermon, it is of great importance

6. to hold Christenlehre on Sunday afternoon, in which one prays the Scripture words of the Catechism aloud with the congregation, thereafter perhaps has the school children and confirmands recite a chief part with its explanation, and finally catechizes the particular doctrinal part in question more exactly, if possible with young and old, yet of course with special regard to the confirmed, the confirmands and the older school children; a brief and fatherly admonition to the youth, leaning upon the catechization, will not be out of place at the close.

7. Let the Catechism be diligently pursued in the parish school from the earliest age, with special attention and laying to heart of Luther's excellent preface to his Small Catechism. Let the smallest children, therefore, learn only the text, and say it over to those who cannot yet read; require of the middle children the text with the explanation; expound the same somewhat further to the older children and examine them on it, together with the most important proof passages from God's Word. Let them pray daily in common, say at the morning blessing, for example the Creed and the Lord's Prayer with all the school children.

8. No less important is it, at the announcements for confession, to hear especially the confession children whom one has himself instructed and confirmed, each time in a piece of the Catechism with its explanation, and thereupon pastorally to attach such questions and to give such correction and admonition as one knows that the confession child in question, according to disposition, state of knowledge and manner of calling, has precisely need of. Likewise adults who, for example, have recently come from Germany and have long since forgotten even the text of the Catechism are not to be admitted to the Lord's Supper until they have learned it again. And let one in this matter point out in a fatherly way to such poor, ignorant, ecclesiastically neglected people the importance of the Catechism and the danger which, as regards heart and life, is bound up with forgetting it; likewise let one not withhold from them that a Lutheran without the Catechism is like a soldier without a weapon, and is wholly exposed to the attacks of the sectarian and enthusiast spirits.

But also to the members of the congregation who are older in years and in membership in the congregation, let it be impressed upon heart and conscience on such an occasion, here and there, neither to forget the Catechism outwardly, nor to neglect to use it earnestly for continual self-examination with respect to repentance, faith, good works, patience in cross and tribulation, and the hope of eternal life.

The prejudice and the shallow, erroneous opinion that the Catechism is useful only for the young, for school and confirmation instruction, is to be combated here and elsewhere, publicly and privately, with all diligence.

9. But also outside the announcement for confession, in other exercise of private pastoral care, it is in place to make a purposeful and fitting use of the Catechism, and so, for example, to enforce the third commandment as such upon a lukewarm attender of public worship, the fifth upon one who is wrathful and unreconciled, the seventh upon a covetous man, an unjust overreacher and money-maker, to hold up the second article to one who is tempted, and so forth, and in this always to make reference to the Catechism as a whole.

10. It belongs here also, partly by public teaching, partly by special admonition of individuals, gradually to bring it about again that the heads of households at home pursue the Catechism with their own, for which purpose it was indeed originally composed. Thus, for example, it would be lovely and laudable if the father of the household, say after supper, were to take up a chief part, have it recited in turn by his children and other members of the household (who would do it gladly and without compulsion), and, according to need and the particular occurrences in the household and family life, make this and that wholesome remark and admonition thereby, and so forth.

11. Finally, it seemed to the Conference not unimportant and not inessential if perhaps in the "Lutheraner," or in a special pamphlet, histories and facts from the time of the Reformation and from the seventeenth century were gathered and put together which demonstrate how at that time the Small Catechism of Luther was honored, loved, practiced and applied by the fathers.

If now — such was and is the opinion of the Conference — the points just mentioned, and others which it does not at present recognize, were rightly heeded by all pastors in our Synod and, according to the measure of their present congregational circumstances, were put into deed and practice, and the faithful God gave His blessing thereto, as we may childlike believe: then it would be reasonable to hope that in the course of time our dear congregations also would more and more take on a sound churchly form. Then, through such co-operation of the precious Catechism, by virtue of the divine Word that is in it, and of the explanation conformable to this Word, there would more and more fall away in our flocks:

1. that gross ignorance for which rationalistic preachers in Germany, or light-minded ones in this country, are in part frequently to blame;

2. that vain half-knowledge and false knowledge which here and there some bring over with them from the often rather genteel Bible hours and the other pietistic-methodistic pastoral care of the Union Church of Germany — a church which, in its morbid sentimental Christianity, notoriously looks down rather disdainfully upon the Catechism;

3. partly that open hypocritical and lip-Christianity which in its works and walk denies the confession of the mouth; partly that unhealthy, uncertain Christianity which, mostly a fruit of unionistic labor, after its pietistic bad habit stands with one leg in the Law and with the other in the Gospel, has not yet thoroughly experienced either inwardly, and where the subtle spiritual pride and the disguised self-love so gladly still mingle the human instrument into the divine cause of the LORD.

On the other hand, our hope stands fast that, under the gracious assistance and blessing of God, there will be attained more and more in our congregations, also through that handling of the Small Lutheran Catechism:

1. a firm, certain knowledge of the divine truth unto salvation, and especially of that "form of sound words," which our Catechism contains, so that such knowers no longer let themselves be tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness;

2. a sufficient readiness and preparedness to give an answer to every man that asketh a reason of the hope that is in them, and that with meekness and fear, whether this answer be a plain testi-