# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_M rz 1858_S79
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

On the Divisions in the Lutheran Congregations Here. 79

do it no harm that could be called real harm; that is, it does not thereby lose Christ, even when it is itself deceived: therefore it does not let itself be led astray, but keeps right on, helps and does good to everyone, even to the ungrateful and to those who do not deserve it. But on the other hand, when it is a matter that concerns salvation, and the fanatical spirits teach their lies and errors under the guise of truth, and thereby deceive and mislead many people, there one must truly show no love, nor approve their error or call it right: for there one does not lose a kindness shown to an ungrateful person, but rather the Word, the faith, Christ himself, and eternal life, etc. — that is what one loses.

Therefore have no doubt about this: if you deny God in one article, you have certainly denied him in all of them. For he cannot be divided piecemeal into many articles, but is wholly and entirely in each one, and in all together one God. Therefore when the sacramentarians accuse us long and often of not valuing love as we rightly should, we answer with this saying of St. Paul: "A little leaven leavens the whole lump"; likewise, with honor, faith, and eyes, it is a bad thing to trifle.

This I have said in so many words, to strengthen our own people and to instruct the others, who may perhaps take offense at our steadfastness and think that we are otherwise so stiff and defiant, without honest reasons for it. Therefore it should not trouble us at all that they boast a great deal about how gladly they would maintain love and unity between us and them, and how deeply it pains them that a separation must occur. For whoever does not love and honor God and his Word is not helped, let him love whatever else he will, etc.

Therefore St. Paul, with this saying, admonishes both teachers and hearers not to think that the doctrine of the faith is so slight and trifling a thing that we might play and amuse ourselves with it at our pleasure. It is a sunbeam that comes down from heaven and enlightens, kindles, and governs us. But just as the whole world, with all its wisdom and power, cannot direct the sunbeam that comes straight down from heaven to the earth, so too one can neither take away from nor add anything to the doctrine of the faith, unless one means to pervert it entirely.

"But whoever troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he may be." Gal. 5:10. With these words St. Paul condemns the false apostles so powerfully, as if he were pronouncing such a judgment upon them from the judgment seat of Christ himself, calling them by a very ugly name, "confounders" of the Galatians — though the good Galatians held them to be the holiest of the holy and far better teachers than St. Paul himself.

He also intends, by this dreadful judgment by which he so boldly condemns the false apostles, at the same time to persuade the Galatians to