# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_November 1855_S344
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

344 Excerpts as Contributions to Pastoral Casuistry.

brethren would take the trouble to compare it word for word and to publish the result, for the book deserves, wherever possible, to be brought into every family. — The little work has also appeared in an English translation at Nuremberg in the year 1847, published by Sebald with a preface by Pastor Löhe, under the following title: Epitome credendorum by the Rev. Nicolaus Hunnius D. D. late Rector at Lubeck, Germany. Containing a concise and popular view of the doctrines of the Lutheran Church. Translated from the German by Paul Edward Gottheil. That the translation is rendered with conscientious accuracy we can affirm; whether, on the other hand, the objections which Herr Dr. Kurz has raised concerning the style are well founded, we leave to better judges of the English language, although we cannot suppress the twofold observation: 1. that Herr Dr. Kurz's harsh criticism regarding the style may owe a great deal to his aversion to pure doctrine, and 2. that it would be a sad testimony to the mindset of English-speaking Lutherans if, for the sake of a few stylistic roughnesses, they were willing to let a work of such valuable substance as the Hunnius work lie unused.

(To be continued.)

Excerpts as Contributions to Pastoral Casuistry.

On House Visits.

Thus writes Veit Ludwig von Seckendorf:

It is an exceedingly sad state of affairs that scarcely any pastor readily comes to his penitents, or they to their pastor, except at the confessional and in the throes of death, or at a banquet and feast. Why should it not at least be possible everywhere, as happens in some places, that the pastor at a fixed time visits each and every household and questions and instructs the heads of households, children, and servants in Christianity? Or why should a parishioner shy away and be reluctant, when asked, to come to his pastor and let himself be reminded, if the pastor has heard something of him that did not seem Christian or good, or that serves for his edification? Or why should he not come unbidden and converse with him about edification in Christianity, disclose to him his weaknesses and evil inclinations, or seek counsel on how he might restrain and better himself and his household from a noted fault? Or why should he not avail himself of the pastor's instruction as to how he might conduct himself blamelessly in this or that dealing, and in such a way that God is not angered and his neighbor not offended? For this, however, are needed sensible, learned, godly, conscientious, modest, gracious, chaste, decent, discreet priests, for where these virtues are lacking, and one notices about the pastor that his concern is