# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1860_S49
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— Page 49 —

given to men." Why does the Evangelist take particular note of
the fact that the people praised God, who had given such power to
men? He means to indicate by this that the Holy Spirit had worked
this glorious recognition even in that people, who did not yet
acknowledge Christ as true God — the recognition that such power,
namely to forgive sin, is given to human beings. Just as Christ
there, also according to His humanity, forgave sin, so too our sins
are now forgiven us through human beings.

Regarding the common objection raised by many: How can you
presume to want to forgive me my sin? You surely cannot know whether
I stand in grace before God! — it was observed that this concern
arises because people believe that something must first have taken
place within them, on the basis of which they might dare to comfort
themselves with the forgiveness of sins, whereas in fact it is only
through forgiveness that such experiences are first worked at all.
According to Scripture, forgiveness belongs to all and is to be
spoken to all as well — only not to the swine and dogs, that is, to
those who, through open ungodliness and impenitence, show that they
despise the treasure held out to them, just as swine trample precious
pearls underfoot and dogs attack anyone who offers them something.

For the sake of those to whom this way of speaking about this
doctrine might still seem somewhat foreign, it was further added: When
we say that forgiveness happens through the word which human beings
speak, many suppose that we are altogether enemies of inward
experience and build the whole of Christianity on the outward
ceremonies of worship. To be sure, we teach that God wills to grant
forgiveness to all people, and has indeed already done so through the
raising of His Son; but we also teach at the same time: whoever is to
hear the Gospel rightly must first have the Law preached to him in
its full severity, with all its terrors and horrors. To one who has
not been broken and shattered by the Law, absolution will do no good,
and to administer it to him would be like trying to pour water into a
vessel that is already full. When we claim that absolution is there
for every sinner, this does not mean that the heart, which is by
nature hard as rock and diamond, need not be broken and shattered if
absolution is to bear fruit; but what we say is this: once the heart
has been broken and shattered by the hammer of the Law, then nothing
is to be proclaimed to the sinner except: Poor sinner, crawl here to
the cross — Christ has atoned for and blotted out your sins, only
believe it, they are all forgiven you; not, however, to call out to
him: Pray, wrestle, and struggle until you feel that you have
forgiveness of sin, joy, and peace. Absolution benefits only such
broken hearts — not because it does not belong to others as well, but
because it is impossible to have faith without the Law's work having
gone before it. — It was also recalled here that the thesis before us
is of extraordinary importance, for it is what marks out our precious
Lutheran Church. The sects do not believe that the power to forgive
sin has been given to human beings; romanizing parties restrict this
authority to a privileged class of men; our Church alone teaches that
God has given this power to the whole Church, that every Christian
may and should