# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Mai 1858_S134
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

134 On the Divisions in the Lutheran Congregations Here.

But the devil, who is an enemy of all fine, good order, has prevented this, above all by having synods arrogate to themselves the name "Lutheran" who are yet not Lutheran. For by what right can synods call themselves "Lutheran" that have a different faith and a different confession than the Lutheran church has ever and always had? Our Lutheran fathers confessed themselves just as decisively to the Apology, the Smalcald Articles, and the Large Catechism of Luther (to say nothing now of the Formula of Concord), as to the Augsburg Confession and the Small Catechism. These several parts together made up the one Lutheran faith. The synods of the General Synod dismember this one faith, take out individual parts as they please, and even those they do not take entire, but themselves maintain that these are only "substantially correct," and nevertheless call themselves "Lutheran," and even attempt to make themselves and the world believe that they nonetheless hold the same one faith as our fathers — indeed, that they are the true, genuine evangelical core-Lutherans — while they regard the Lutherans who sincerely confess as their own the whole faith of the church in all its several parts as not quite full-fledged and equal in standing, and still hold them to be somewhat green and going about in the childish shoes, fit to be smiled at, of a dead orthodoxy. Why, then, do these synods, which for over 300 years, since 1537, have been recognized by the Lutheran church throughout the whole world, cast the Symbols out of their confession? Do they not believe what stands in the Apology, or the Smalcald Articles, or the Large Catechism? And if they do not believe it, how can they still, with honesty before the face of God, call themselves "Lutherans," since they do not, after all, have the faith of the Lutheran church? And if they do believe what is set down in those confessional writings, why do they not confess it — why have they, with a reckless hand, torn apart the venerable document of the faith, and yet wish to keep the honorable name!—How, then, should Lutherans who are convinced from the Word of God that all the confessional writings of their church contain divine doctrine, divine truth, be able to extend the hand of brotherhood to those Lutherans who do not believe this and therefore also do not confess it, for the building of a Lutheran church? The Word of God forbids it to them, Romans 16:17: "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." And as Lutherans they also heed the warning voice of Luther: "We are indeed ready and willing to show them peace and love, but only so far as they leave us the doctrine of the faith unhurt and unfalsified. Where we cannot obtain this from them, it is