# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1876_S36
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 36 —

been in God's council chamber; it does not know how long God will let it have this preacher. As soon as a creature wants to determine the duration of the call, it is not a divine one. Formerly there were, to be sure, many hundreds in America who were not validly called. They were indeed in a divine office, but not rightly called by God through the congregation. Now one should consider: this is the preaching of the Law, which is to frighten the secure. The same, however, no longer concerns the penitent for Christ's sake. Whoever has come to right knowledge has surely grieved enough already that he was formerly so ignorant. And then he should also consider for his comfort: if he has preached God's Word, then it has surely also proved its power. He has nevertheless, although he was not validly called, always done great divine works: preached the Word of the living God, dispensed its comfort, warned the sinners and the like. But his call was nevertheless not right and valid according to God's Word.

The license system [*Licenzweſen*], by which a man is given for a time the right to preach and baptize, is a great ungodliness, which is practiced here in America. The upright Lutherans have raised a hue and cry about it and have thereby brought it about that it is more and more given up. If someone came from Germany who applied for the preaching office, he was examined by the American church councils. If it turned out in such an examination that he did not know whether John was a prophet or not, whether the Revelation of St. John stands at the end of the Bible or before the five books of Moses, whether David lived before or after the Judges, they said: The man must surely still come to deeper insights, but he can already do some good. So one gave him a slip of paper by which he had the power — to lead the people to hell. What is a synod that tolerates such abominations among it other than a society of vagabonds, which is no better than such a one whom it has made a preacher? Though they may think to themselves that they are liberal in this and not so harsh as the old Lutherans: God will one day show them what it means not to be harsh in this. On that great day he will say to them: Bring me back the blood of the souls which you have shed, partly yourselves, partly through others. — What a perversity it also is! One gives such people the right to preach, to baptize, to marry; only to administer the Holy Supper one does not permit them; and does not consider that precisely preaching is the hardest part of the whole office, that precisely it is the most salutary thing a preacher can do, but that it can also become the most dangerous for him and for others. And these people give it away to the first and best! Only when the Holy Supper is to be administered, then one of them who is "gechresamt" [as printed; probably for "gechrisamt", anointed with chrism, i.e. ordained — sense not certain] must consecrate. But these people are dying out. Whoever still has a drop of Christian blood in his veins goes into the office with fear and trembling.