# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_M rz 1858_S74
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

74 On the Divisions in the Lutheran Congregations Here.

wish to remain Reformed and unionist, and the "Lutheran" pastor thereby gives no unrest, division, or separation, lets everyone remain nicely with his own opinion, and above all never, whether from the pulpit or otherwise publicly, names the Reformed or the Unionists by name — indeed these call themselves so and wish to continue being called so, but the preacher does not dare to call them so, from him they will not tolerate it, and he then submits to that modest demand too, only so that the great mass does not divide and grow smaller. — Such "Lutheran" preachers consider it a great wisdom to act as if Paul, instead of saying, "depart from them!", had commanded: do not depart from them. But the Word of God says of such Lutheran preachers: "they serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly, and by smooth talk and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple."

The same apostolic admonition the Lutheran preachers in the Lutheran synods must also take well to heart; it is their holy, divine duty "to watch out for those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which they have learned," and to depart from them, and not to let themselves be seduced by sweet words and splendid talk of unity and peace and love and brotherliness and good hope and grand American circumstances, and a new American Lutheranism. In our confessional writings, the Smalcald Articles, Appendix, it says: "Paul commands that one shun false preachers and curse them as an abomination. And in 2 Corinthians 6 he says: "Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers; for what fellowship has light with darkness," etc. It is hard that one should separate from so many lands and peoples and follow a doctrine of one's own. But here stands God's command, that everyone must be on guard and not be of one mind with those who teach false doctrine." Luther says (Table Talk with Dr. Georg Major, XVII, 4477): "Whoever holds his own doctrine, faith, and confession to be true, right, and certain cannot stand in the same stall with others who teach false doctrine or are devoted to it, nor forever give kind words to the devil and his minions. A teacher who keeps silent about errors, and yet wishes to be counted a true teacher, is worse than an open fanatic, and does greater harm with his hypocrisy than a heretic, and is not to be trusted; he is a wolf and a fox, a hireling and a servant of his belly .. he either lies secretly under one cover with the enemies, or is a doubter and a weathervane, wanting to see which way things will turn, whether Christ or the devil will prevail, or is altogether uncertain within himself, and not worthy to be called a pupil, much less a teacher, and wants to anger no one, nor speak Christ's word, nor do the devil and the world any harm."

Matthew 7:15: "Beware, beware of false prophets