# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_December 1855_S384
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

384 Miscellaneous Church News.

[...] validity, wishes to create a church out of them, but rather seeks the unity of the Church in the exclusion of the particular doctrines both of the Lutheran and of the Reformed confession, and seeks to ground it through the doctrine "of the Bremen [church]," or "according to the principles of the Bremen church."

Two questions press themselves upon us here first of all: how the new congregation-members, and how the new preacher, will relate to this congregation. The Lutherans in Bremerhaven have hitherto held to the Lutheran congregation in Lehe; this relationship now ceases, and it is expected, or rather demanded, that they join the new congregation in Bremerhaven. To most of them this seems to raise no scruple; given the materialism and indifferentism that dominate our age, and the still great misapprehension of church doctrine, that is understandable. But there are also, among the Lutherans there, believing and earnest souls who know and take to heart the saying, "For if thou believest in thine heart, thou shalt be justified; and if thou confessest with thy mouth, thou shalt be saved." At their instigation a number of inhabitants belonging to the Lutheran Church have declared, in a petition to the Bremen Senate, that they cannot join this congregation, and at the same time have submitted the request that the Senate also take care for their religious needs. The answer is conciliatory, and states, without going into the request, that the petitioners ought already to be content. So the matter stands at present. The petitioners are resolved to remain with the Lutheran Church, and at least demand not to be compelled to contribute to the needs of the new congregation. May God strengthen their faith and let them take sure steps in his truth!

What is one to say to this matter? Granting that something pleasing to God, pure and reasonable, could result from this mingling of confessions — which we, to be sure, altogether deny — the inhabitants of Bremerhaven might at least have expected so much freedom of religion and conscience that joining would be left to their own choice, and that, in the very worst case, the burden imposed on them would only be to see to their own religious needs themselves. But as it is, it has the appearance, and has to our knowledge so far been understood by no one otherwise, than that every Lutheran or Reformed person is bound, by virtue of his residence, to membership in the new congregation.

The other question is how the preacher will stand with respect to the congregational order. It is certain only that, among others, several Lutheran pastors and candidates from the Hanoverian territory have preached as candidates for the position — men who, while here bound by office to uphold Lutheran doctrine, must there be ready "to teach according to the principles of the Bremen church, so far as these do not apply exclusively to the Lutheran or Reformed confession."

(Petri's Zeitblatt.)