# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Januar 1856_S14
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

14                    From a Review, Etc.

4. Whoever wishes to be an upright Christian is bound not to tolerate alteration of the means of grace given by the Lord. They must exercise discipline against those from whom it proceeds, and who make common cause with it.

5. This discipline leads to the exclusion of the band of heretics, if the main body of the assembly remains obedient to the truth, or to the departure of a small remnant, if the faithful are but few.

6. Such an act of church discipline was also the division of the Church that followed upon Luther's Reformation.

7. Accordingly, sacramental fellowship is refused to those, or — which is the same thing — the ban is pronounced upon those, who have corrupted or abandoned Word and Sacrament. This applies first of all to the false teachers, and to those who knowingly stand by them; but it cannot be kept from those who cling to them unknowingly either.

8. One may not, however, on that account deny these fellowship in the Church of Christ.

9. Even bands of heretics who gather and separate themselves, yet still carry with them portions of Word and Sacrament, and in particular have not abandoned Baptism, still have a share in the Church.

From a Review
of the eighth edition of the Church History of Dr. and Professor H. E. F. Guericke.

A longer review of this handbook — which in its new edition has not only been reworked but also genuinely much improved and enlarged in many respects, and which needs no further praise (in 3 volumes, at a price of 4 thalers, 20 Neugroschen) — is found in the fourth quarterly number of the Rudelbach-Guericke journal. It is written by the Licentiate of Theology in Zeiz, Mr. Karl Ströbel. Lack of space forbids us from communicating this excellent review in extenso. We cannot refrain, however, from lifting out at least one passage from it and laying it before our readers.

Guericke had, in the preface to his work, spoken of his ecumenical-Lutheran standpoint and of the trials he had experienced, and in doing so had expressed the hope that, with regard to this "personal matter," he had hereby "closed the book" on it forever. Taking occasion from this, Ströbel writes, among other things, as follows:

"I very much fear that time will show this wish to have been a pious one; for that 'personal matter' is at the same time a very general, ecclesiastical one. Ever since the world has not been able to suppress Christ by force