# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Mai 1855_S153
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

On the Original Form of the Small Catechism, etc. 153

which is much shorter than the later form. Of the two forms of confession found there, I wish to reproduce the second here, partly because of its excellence and partly so that we may see what Dr. Luther means by the expression “general confession” in the later section, for which he provided no form there.

“I confess before God and you that I am a poor sinner, full of every kind of sin, unbelief, and blasphemy against God. I also feel that God’s Word bears no fruit in me; I hear it and do not receive it earnestly. I do not show my neighbor the works of love; I am angry, hateful, and envious toward him; I am impatient, greedy, and inclined to every evil. Therefore my heart and conscience are burdened, and I would gladly be rid of these sins. I ask you to strengthen my little faith and comfort my weak conscience through the divine Word and promise.”

Dr. Luther recommends this practice of his, in which he teaches the people to say to the pastor, “Worthy, dear sir, etc.,” not only in his “Warning to the People of Frankfurt to Guard Themselves against Zwinglian Teaching”; rather, Articles 11 and 25 of the Augsburg Confession and other passages in the symbolic books provide sufficient testimony to the retention of private confession, which alone constitutes the content of that section of the Catechism. Moreover, in its controversies with the Reformed and all who shared their views, the Lutheran Church found ample reason to retain in its Catechism both the doctrine of the Office of the Keys and this part concerning private confession, which is based upon it.

Finally, it should merely be noted that the reference to the two biblical chapters (Matthew 18 and John 20) following the heading is not found in the earlier editions of the Small Catechism.

The words concerning the Sacrament of the Altar agree in substance in the later editions with those in the earlier ones.

The Morning and Evening Blessings are not found in the first edition, but they do appear in the second edition, which was published soon afterward; the only difference is that the later editions twice have “may God rule this” instead of “may God rule over it,” similarly to the explanation of the First Petition.

The Benedicite and Gratias (the prayer of petition before meals and the prayer of thanksgiving after meals) are already found in the first edition. Only the Book of Concord added the word “graciously” (“You open Your hand,” etc.); by contrast, the gloss, “‘Good pleasure’ means,” etc., is already found in the second original edition.

The Table of Duties is already found in the second edition, with which the text in the edition of 1581 agrees in substance, as it is also reproduced in the Book of Concord. Only the edition of 1542 contains a longer and somewhat altered form; in particular, in this latter edition, alongside the passages for pastors, there are also passages for the