# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Mai 1855_S157
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Excerpts as Contributions to Pastoral Casuistry. 157

the honor of his name and the souls so dearly redeemed, together with the entire merit of his Son, in such a way that at his Last Judgment he will demand a most exact accounting from each one concerning them: from this it must be concluded that there is no more difficult office, no heavier burden in any vocation or station between heaven and earth, than the office of preachers and the burden they consequently bear. Therefore, when the diligence of a preacher concerning the souls entrusted to him is discussed, one can generally say nothing other than that a preacher can never be diligent enough; and even if he does his utmost and very best, it must nevertheless at this time be called only imperfect. 1 Corinthians 13.

Concerning, therefore, the particular question of whether a preacher is obligated to admonish individually and personally his negligent parishioners and penitents when they abstain from Holy Communion and live on impenitently in their sins, or whether what is done from the pulpit is sufficient, the answer can easily be derived from this general rule. For if, as stated, a preacher can never be diligent enough, on account of his high and difficult office, as well as the precious treasures and especially the dearly purchased souls entrusted to him, then this question can only be answered in the affirmative: a preacher is indeed obligated to admonish privately and individually every one of his negligent parishioners and penitents who is known to him and who, as described above, persists in sin, and not to let the matter rest with what is done from the pulpit.

For because a preacher carries out his office in God’s stead and represents the Lord God in it, he must also conduct himself not contrary to God and his revealed divine will, but rather in accordance with and in likeness to him. Now it is undeniably true from all Holy Scripture that God sincerely desires not only that all people in general, but also each person in particular, should be saved, and thus that no one should be lost. 1 Timothy 2; 2 Peter 3. Nor does he fail to do anything on his part toward that end. Therefore, a preacher through whom God deals with people in his stead must likewise strive sincerely to desire not only that all people in general, but also each person in particular, should be saved and that no one should be lost. Consequently, he must fail in nothing on his part, but to the utmost of his ability be as faithful to every individual parishioner and penitent for the salvation and welfare of that person’s soul as he knows God to be faithful to him for that purpose, and above all demonstrate such faithfulness in deed through the means that God has imparted to him and placed into his hands for this end.

Moreover, God has specifically imposed this upon preachers and commanded it with great earnestness when he says in Ezekiel 33 that his watchman, to whom he has entrusted his congregation, must point out his sin to the wicked person, that is, to every individual grievous sinner, and exhort him to repent—