# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_August 1857_S244
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

244   Excerpts as Contributions to Pastoral Casuistry.

Confession of the Mark, the Leipzig Colloquy, and the Heidelberg Catechism; in the 2nd part, the Bohemian and the Czengerine (Hungarian) Confession, the Compact of Sandomir, the acts of the Synod of Thorn, the Thorn Declaratian, the Gallican Confession, the 39 Articles, the first and second Scottish Confession (of the Presbyterians or Puritans), Zwingli's Augsburg Confession, the Helvetic formula consensus, and, as an appendix (for the purposes of the Union), the Augsburg Confession and the Roman professio fidei. All these Reformed symbols, with the exception of Zwingli's Augustana, are also found, and indeed in the original language, in the collection under the following title: "Corpus librorum symbol., qui in ecclesia Reformatorum auctoritatem publicam obtinuerunt. Auct. Dr. J. Chr. Guil. Augusti. — Elberfeldi, in bibliopolio Henr. Bueschleri 1827." Literary and historical notes and an index are added. Unfortunately, Augusti has for the most part omitted the prologues and epilogues, overlooking their importance. The most complete and best-arranged collection is the following: "Collectio confessionum in ecclesiis reform. publicatarum. Ed. Dr. H. A. Niemeyer. Lips., sumpt. J. Klinkhardt 1840."

(To be continued.)

Excerpts as Contributions to Pastoral Casuistry.

May a pastor in the confessional also lay before a person a matter of common report?

Answer: Indeed he may; for in Luke 16 it stands that the unjust steward was accused before his lord of having wasted his goods, whereupon the lord takes occasion to speak with him and says: How is it that I hear this of thee? He does not say: I find it to be so in fact, that thou art not keeping house rightly for me. So a pastor, because he is the watchman of the people and must one day give account for them — therefore, if he hears something evil, that one of his parishioners is not keeping house rightly, it is truly not fitting for him to keep silence about it. In 1 Cor. 1 we read: "It has been declared unto me by them of the household of Chloe." 1 Cor. 11: "I hear that there be divisions among you, and I partly believe it." 1 Cor. 5: "It is commonly reported that there is fornication among you." Here Paul takes occasion from a common report to write to the Corinthians. Luther writes: When someone comes to confession and I have a suspicion and misgiving, I ought diligently to inquire into all the circumstances. If he denies it outright, I ought to hold his No higher than my suspicion, and if he persists and asks for the Sacrament, I ought to give it to him. Chemnitz, in the Examen of the Council of Trent, p. 365, where he treats of the profit and right use of private confession, sets down among others these words: They are also asked whether it is believed that they are involved in certain sins. — What then? If a