# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1884_S188
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

188   Doctrinal Proceedings of the 19th General [Synod], or

lit, and dark and gloomy, by contrast, where the sun's rays do not reach, so human reason is enlightened only to the extent, and for only as long as, the brightness of the word of Scripture shines on it. Wherever this brightness is lacking, darkness, folly, and error reign in reason. From this it is easy to see how foolish it is to say: while unenlightened reason may not be granted judgment in spiritual matters, enlightened reason certainly may. Must not the reborn person, precisely, stand in constant conflict with the judgment of his own reason in spiritual matters? Are not the articles of the Trinity, of the God-man person of Christ, of justification by faith alone, of the resurrection of the flesh, and so on, incomprehensible — indeed, contradictory — things for him too, the reborn Christian, so far as the judgment of his reason is concerned? Even the reborn person's knowledge is bound to the word of Scripture, and the organ by which the reborn person takes in and holds fast all spiritual things is not his reason but his faith. The right use of reason on the part of the reborn person does not consist in letting it wander at will through the field of divine revelation to render judgment on spiritual things, but in taking it captive ever anew under the obedience of Christ. That a person has an enlightened reason is proven by the fact that he wants articles of faith that conform not to reason but to Scripture; that he does not ask: how is that possible, how does that make sense? but rather: has God said it, is it written?

Luther: "The Anabaptists make of reason a light for faith, so that reason is to light faith's way, wherever it is to go. Indeed, I think it shines the way dung shines in a lantern... so in all Christian believers reason, too, must be put to death; otherwise faith has no place in them, for reason fights against faith." (Erlangen Edition, vol. 44, p. 157.)

Johann Gerhard: "Let us explain the matter by an example." (Gerhard has shown beforehand: just as the Christian, insofar as he is a Christian or a reborn person, does not sin — sin instead stemming from the flesh that still clings to him — so too the Christian as Christian, or insofar as he is reborn, does not take it upon himself to judge the articles of faith by the principles of his own reason; if such a judgment does occur, it comes from the old man.) "The question is: Is the body of Christ truly and substantially present in the Holy Supper? We answer yes, because Christ says: Take, eat, this is my body. Our opponents say no to this, on the ground that a true, natural body cannot be in several places at once. They add: reborn reason can hold nothing else about a body, so its testimony must be heard. We say