# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_April 1858_S110
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

110 On Lay Elders or Congregational Overseers.

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify us wholly, and may our
spirit, together with soul and body, be preserved blameless unto the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he who calls us, and he
will also do it. Amen.

In the name and on behalf of the Fort Wayne Ministerial Conference,
Yours,
sincerely loving you in Christ,
A. Crämer.

On Lay Elders or Congregational Overseers.
(Conclusion.)

From Rieger's History of the Bohemian Brethren we learn that the
original-minded Johann Andreä, who was so earnestly zealous for church
discipline, wrote a "Cynosura oeconomiae ecclesiasticae," which he had
extracted from the princely rescripts and synodal decrees concerning
church government issued from the Reformation down to his own time.
This private work Duke Eberhard III introduced into the Württemberg
church in the year 1639 under the name Cynosura ecclesiastica, and
incorporated it into the general church order. In it a kind of
congregational presbytery with lay elders is also prescribed, except
that in it not so much the domestic estate as the magisterial estate was
represented alongside the ministry. It says there, among other things:
"The church conventicles established a few years ago, and held in good
repute, shall be constantly observed in every place, and, if not indeed
weekly, then at least held once a month, and thereby prevailing sins and
vices shall, as far as possible, be checked. The pastor and officials of
each place are directors at such church conventicles, each indeed in
that which pertains to his office. Assessors are to be taken from the
court or council, by mutual agreement, at least two, so as to form a
presbytery. The recording clerk may be the pastor, deacon, schoolmaster,
or some other suitable person. — Specials (superintendents) shall by no
means let these lapse, either in the towns or in the villages, but shall,
ex officio, strictly insist upon them, and shall make earnest arrangement
that they be observed in every place; where this has hitherto been
neglected, they shall nevertheless without fail be instituted — provided,
however, that one remains within the prescribed limits, and does not
meddle with political matters belonging solely to the worldly officials
and courts, but looks only to this, that Christian discipline, honesty,
and godliness be planted and preserved. — The subject matter of the
conventicle is church and school affairs, hospital and orphan affairs.
First table: to promote the honor of the divine Majesty, to maintain true
doctrine and faith; to administer the sacraments rightly,