# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_April 1858_S104
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

104    Answer to a Voice from the Lutheran Church of Germany, etc.

chem — in which church government the church would represent itself, in
its head and supreme authority, as a closed whole. But we ask you, where
indeed have you gotten this picture of the apostolic church? Certainly
not from Scripture, not from the apostolic letters. For to whom, after
all, are the latter addressed? To the bishops and ministers of the local
congregations, as authorities subordinate to the apostles, whose task it
was to pass their commands on to the congregations and put them into
effect? No, no — rather, to individual local congregations themselves.
And how do the apostles, who indeed indisputably had the supreme
direction of the whole church, speak to the individual congregations? Do
they perhaps say: by virtue of our supreme churchly governmental power
and majesty we hereby proclaim to you and issue to you our gracious
decision? No — the apostles call out to the individual local
congregations: you judge; test everything; let everything be done
honestly and in good order; and so far are they from appearing as
decreeing church authorities that they rather summon, encourage, and
actively engage the congregations toward self-government. Now, as it was
in the apostolic congregations, so and not otherwise is it, in essence,
also among us; and here we have not only Scripture and Christ's own
word, "tell it to the congregation," and likewise the Symbols*) on our
side, but stand, indisputably, upon historical ground as well. Indeed,
we hold to this apostolic constitution and manner not merely because it
is evidently the one most conformed to the gospel, and because we have
no word of Scripture that would entitle us to induce the congregations
to any surrender whatsoever of the rights and powers properly belonging
to them, but also because it, among all the constitutional forms named,
offers the greatest assurance and guarantee. Nowhere do we have a word
of promise that the bishops will always be pure teachers and faithful
servants of Christ; rather, it is prophesied that false prophets would
arise; and where, in such a case, the episcopal constitution can lead,
the antichristian papacy has shown sadly and sufficiently. Of
consistories there is, moreover, no word at all in Scripture; but it is
a fact that unbelieving consistories have threatened believing preachers
with deposition, should they refuse to administer the Lord's Supper to
manifestly impenitent sinners, etc., etc. On the other hand, wherever in
a local congregation the Word of God is preached purely and truly, there
it also has — unless God should, in great wrath, let his Word be
proclaimed to a godless multitude once more for judgment only, in which
case the departing and shaking the dust from one's feet is simply
obedience to Christ's express command — the promise that it shall not go
forth in vain; there a seed always remains, which, in the power of faith
and the divine Word, through free, open confession and audible

*) Smalcald Articles, Appendix: "And Christ says, with these words:
whatever you shall bind, etc., and thereby indicates to whom he has
given the keys, namely to the church: where two or three are gathered
in my name, etc. Likewise, Christ gives the highest and final judgment
of the church, where he says: tell it to the church."