# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1884_S60
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

58 Proceedings of the tenth convention

Luther further writes: "To recognize and judge doctrine belongs to all and every Christian, and indeed in such a way that he is accursed who infringes this right by a hair's breadth. . . As each one believes rightly or falsely at his own peril, so each one is also bound in fairness to take care that he believes rightly; so that even common human understanding and the necessity of salvation require that the judgment concerning doctrine must necessarily rest with the hearer. Otherwise it is written in vain: 'Test everything, and hold fast what is good.'" (Answer to King Henry VIII of England's book against his tract on the Babylonian captivity. From the year 1522. XIX, 424. 426.)

Luther shows here that it is already contrary to reason, contrary to common human understanding, to give the judgment on the sermon to the teachers and not to the hearers. For either my preacher leads me with his doctrine into heaven or into hell. And I am supposed to let it be blindly done to me that he perhaps leads me to hell? Far be it! My salvation demands that I have the freedom to test my preacher's doctrine. That is holy Christian duty.

Consider also that in Psalm 62:10 it says in the original text, with particular emphasis: "Lies are great men." So, when they bring something that they have not drawn from Scripture but devised themselves, one should remember that the Psalm says: "There is a lie in what they have of themselves." Luther therefore makes the following marginal gloss on this verse: "Whoever relies on men errs. However great they may be, they are nothing and must fail." What a great man the high priest Aaron was, and how far he strayed, so that through the golden calf he led the Jews into shameful idolatry! Therefore one should test everything well, even the least thing that men teach, and keep only the good, that is, what is drawn from Scripture.

In every true Lutheran, then, two things are to be found. First, as regards God's Word, he exercises no criticism at all, for he knows that here God alone speaks, and he may not ask: Is it also true, right, useful? but must accept everything without further ado. That was indeed Luther's position toward the enthusiasts [Schwärmer]. When they asked: How is it possible that Christ's body and blood can be in the Lord's Supper? What is the need and use of that? Luther answered them: Even if God commanded me only to pick up a straw and bound my salvation to it, I should do it without more ado and not ask: What is this for? Hence Luther also writes: "If the devil brings someone to say in an article of our faith: Is it also right? Is it also so? then God have mercy on him, he is already lost." (Erlangen edition, 2nd ed., vol. 15, 358.)