# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Januar 1858_S2
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

2 Preface to the 1858 Volume.

confession of our Church, and to hold and spread reformed false doctrine and Methodistic enthusiasm, indeed openly rationalistic principles (as is indeed the case here, namely, in the synods belonging to the so-called General Synod). No — we are thinking here precisely of those who confess with their mouths the whole body of our Symbols expressly and stand in a certain contest for them, and who for that very reason are stigmatized with the party name "Old Lutherans." Even among these so-called confessors and combatants, the representatives of the pure old Lutheran faith, as it is laid down in our Church's confession, are the very fewest. In the first place, a large part of them themselves betray only too plainly that they have never taken the trouble to study the doctrine of our Church thoroughly, that they therefore, for all their boasting of it, do not know it, and accordingly, like the Athenians with "the unknown God," only "ignorantly worship." Of what value such worship is, however, is evident from the Athenians, who, when Paul actually proclaimed to them the "unknown God," in part cried out indignantly: "What will this babbler say? It seems as though he would proclaim new gods!" — and who in part, in order to go on sitting quietly on their lees, declared, yawning: "We will hear thee again of this matter." It lies, indeed, in the nature of the case that such people, who buy Lutheranism unseen and attach themselves to it as to a party in politics, are fanatically zealous for their fantasy-image, which they call Lutheranism, and — the more cheaply they themselves have bought their orthodoxy — the higher the demands they make of others. They have no notion that pure Lutheran doctrine is not a thing one finds on the street like a stone, pockets, and then carries about with one, but that it is written: "The violent take it by force." Matthew 11:12. They think that if they have resolved today to be strict and pure Lutherans, then they are so tomorrow, and can then seat themselves in the inquisitor's chair. They think that if they know that, according to Lutheran doctrine, the body and blood of Jesus Christ are truly present in the Holy Supper, and that Holy Baptism truly works regeneration, they are thereby full-baked Lutherans, indeed great pillars of the Lutheran Church — although they (in that admittedly correct confession) have no notion, I will not even say a clear knowledge, of what Lutheran doctrine actually is. This class of Lutherans has arisen in great numbers in Germany through opposition to the Union, and here through opposition to the many enthusiastic sects. There are, however, also those who have a better knowledge of what Lutheran doctrine actually is, but who, even with their formally decided confession to the Lutheran Church, are nevertheless convinced that this our Church, in various respects, even in doctrine, has not insignificant defects and no wholly pure Symbols. Most among these, however, do not say so. They fear that if they were to do so, it would harm their reputation of being decided Lutherans, indeed the true present-day pillars of the Lu-