# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Mai 1855_S156
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

156 Excerpts as Contributions to Pastoral Casuistry.

The latter is especially important for our circumstances, because in it Dr. Luther very earnestly warns against choosing, for the sake of kinship or friendship, dissolute people as godparents who do not stand in the true faith, do not hear God’s Word, and do not pray earnestly along with the congregation at the baptism; instead, one should choose honorable, decent, serious, pious godparents.

So much for the original form of the Small Catechism and the later departures from it.

Finally, it must not go unmentioned that Lic. Schneider describes this edition of the Small Catechism as the forerunner of a complete critical edition of Luther’s works. He briefly states the principles according to which he intends to proceed and on whose preparatory work he has already been engaged for years. The aim of this edition is to make it possible to know Luther, in his development as the Reformer of the German Church, from his own writings. The increasing desire among Lutherans to return to Luther’s doctrine and manner of teaching makes the prompt completion of this highly important undertaking all the more desirable, as does the unmistakable fact that the esteemed author possesses the enthusiasm and ability required for such laborious work.

In conclusion, I would also like to call attention to the emphatic testimony that he gave in last year’s volume of his Deutsche Zeitschrift in favor of the study of Dr. Luther: “It is truly deplorable that so few preachers possess a complete edition of Luther’s works, and that our Luther is studied so little. Hence it comes about that so many who consider themselves genuine and most genuine Lutherans bear only the name and garb of one, and nothing more. But no one is a capable evangelical pastor who does not, next to Holy Scripture, also make Luther’s writings his daily bread.”

Excerpts as Contributions to Pastoral Casuistry.

Concerning Private Pastoral Care.

“Whether a preacher is obligated to admonish each and every one of his negligent parishioners and penitents individually and especially when they abstain from the most venerable Holy Supper and live on impenitently in their sins, or whether what is done from the pulpit is sufficient?”—Answer by Dr. Simon Musäus:

Few people on earth rightly consider what a difficult office the holy preaching ministry is; indeed, many preachers themselves do not regard it as they properly ought. But if one reflects a little on what great treasures God has entrusted and committed to them, such as his divine na-