# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_November 1855_S327
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

How Are Truly Lutheran Congregations Founded, etc. 327

...as is right, and likewise fail to instruct as needed the ignorant individuals who wish to go to the Lord's Supper — so that they too, viewed from this side, are not without guilt when this or that person partakes of the sacrament unworthily; for it is impossible for anyone to partake worthily who has not even the slightest understanding of the Word and of Christ, of Law and Gospel, and of the sacrament itself, and who is consequently also unable to comply with the apostle's charge: "let each one examine himself." How little, however, even most of the believing pastors over there provide sufficient guidance toward this end, given the generally too lofty and refined cast of their whole manner of expression, we shall all probably know from our own experience.

How then are we to remedy this wretched state, if we too are to be found faithful stewards in this regard as well? We must simply lower ourselves to the lowly, become weak to the weak, earnestly sigh the Lord's "Ephphatha," mourn penitently along with them our sinful corruption in Adam, and set our hand to the work — to impart to the ignorant, as simply as possible, the ABCs of Christianity and the elements of Christian doctrine, dripping into them, as it were through the narrow neck of a medicine flask, what they are unable to take in from the outpouring of the water of spiritual life in the sermon, but which simply rushes past them.

And since, given the circumstances, this is a very toilsome work of love, until they attain even the barest understanding of the first three chief parts of the Catechism and the most minimal understanding of the sacraments, we here have doubly to entreat of the Lord persevering patience and true kindliness toward our poor, neglected charges and pupils, since it could otherwise easily happen that we became impatient and sullen; and since this, in turn, would readily betray itself in our demeanor, it would naturally follow that our pupils would thereby become all the more anxious or unwilling, and that we would not so fully attain the purpose of this pastoral work of our calling.

But if we are faithful in prayer, intercession, and teaching, then precisely through this toilsome, self-denying labor of love and such a work of faith, more blessing and benefit flow down upon us from the Lord, and we are thereby advanced more in our sanctification than if we delivered from the pulpit ever so beautifully crafted addresses with an ever so eloquent tongue, while pursuing this quiet, hidden work negligently.

B. The Correction of Those in Error.

It has already been noted above that, since the Word of God is useful not only for teaching but also for reproof, the minister of the Word must accordingly also treat it publicly in the common worship service — partly in order to defend the pure doctrine of the Lutheran Church against the erroneous doctrine of the other religious parties and to repel their attacks, partly in order to