# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Juni 1857_S177
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

How Are Truly Lutheran Congregations Founded and Raised? 177

...commonly all sorts of means and arts are attempted, to win over this or that influential member of the congregation for his own form of Lutheran churchliness, or even, through false doctrine of the preaching office and through a misapplied appeal to the Fourth Commandment and to Hebrews 13:17, that is, through the assumed authority of pastoral office-standing, to introduce this form.

Furthermore, by that evangelical course of action there is undeniably guarded against the ill necessarily bound up with such shrewd maneuvering or high-handed imposition, namely, that partisan factions not be planted in the congregation through the pastor's fault, since, as noted above, one part of the congregation is enthusiastic, even fanatical, for the new form and the pastor's person, while the other is just as much against it.

What a lamentable and regrettable ill this is lies fairly plainly at hand; for it is not only impossible that, under such circumstances, the right unity in the Spirit — that is, in the one and pure doctrine and confession, in the same faith, love, and hope — could be established, let alone furthered, but from those fleshly factions within the congregation there must inevitably be driven forth, as from a bitter root, all manner of evil fruits: of proud judging or contempt, of discord and enmity, of hatred and wrath, and the like — even if the open rupture and split does not follow at once.

Conversely, on the other hand, if the pastor introduces these two elements of a Christian congregational life in that evangelical manner indicated above, then the twofold benefit opposed to this twofold ill is attained.

First, namely, he thereby preserves, through such conduct, an unimpaired conscience, both toward God and toward men, in that here too he walks in simplicity and godly sincerity and seeks in no way anything of his own, but solely and exclusively God's honor and the whole congregation's benefit and welfare. Then, further, precisely by this evangelical and prudent procedure, not only is no ruinous factionalism planted in the congregation through the pastor's fault, but rather the right evangelical understanding of these matters as well, together with the right use of this understanding for the practical introduction and carrying-through of a sound Lutheran liturgy and congregational order, is worked in the congregation. Then it also always remains clearly conscious of the fact that its evangelical, that is, Lutheran, character, and its unified connection with the whole Church, properly and essentially consist, inwardly, only in the true, living faith in Christ, and outwardly in that same one confession and doctrine — whereupon, too, all manner of fruit of righteousness and godliness, as an expression of the congregation's life, will not be lacking, though not in those same ceremonies and church orders which, without prejudice to the unity of faith, of confession, and of doctrine, may differ from one congregation to another.