# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1890_S14
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

14 Proceedings of the thirteenth convention

be warned, and you judges on earth, let yourselves be admonished. For this shall be the foremost concern among the kings and great lords, that they diligently promote God's honor. Therefore it would be altogether unjust if they wanted to turn their power and might to the end that such abominable idolatry and other countless vices be maintained, and the pious Christians be so miserably murdered."

Here it might seem as though we, if we stand by the Confession, would have to concede to government also the scepter in the church, the right to command and to forbid in spiritual matters. But if we look closely, we find that this is not the sense and meaning of the Confession. First, the sentence begins with the word "especially" [*fürnehmlich*]. — So it is not to government as government that something is commanded here, to it perhaps more — in contrast to the subjects, or in distinction from them; but to them especially; to others also, to others according to their ability, but especially to kings and princes. What is due to government by virtue of office is not due to subjects. By virtue of office the sword is due to government, not to the subjects. Therefore Christ says to Peter: "Put your sword into its sheath," that does not belong to you. — So what is properly due to government as government does not belong to it especially. But when something is here ascribed "especially" to kings and princes, it is due also from others, it is the duty also of others. They stand here, then, not as government in contrast to subjects, so that they could say, "so it shall be," and the subjects would have to say, "we will abide by it," but they are set in a row with the rest. Who? Kings and princes. As what? As government? No, as "the foremost members of the churches." — So as members of the church they are to do this, because they are the foremost members of the church. A Christian king and prince therefore has certain duties because he is a Christian, not insofar as he is king, but insofar as he has great influence, is rich, powerful. As a rich Christian has a special responsibility toward his God, as we say in the case of a church building, that it is everyone's duty to help here, but chiefly yours, whom God has blessed so richly with earthly goods, so it is also with a king or prince, whose word counts especially much even where they do not speak as government, where they cannot say "you shall," but where they exhort and admonish. So kings and princes, says the Symbol [confessional writing], are to "help and see to it" (not "order, command") that "all kinds of error be done away." A king, then, must not be able to say, if he is a member of a Christian congregation and has his preacher and pastor: "The assistant preacher we have there does not, to be sure, preach rightly, does not preach the pure, clear doctrine; but I can do nothing about it, since I am the king. That does not belong to my office; that is your work, you pastors, you must watch over it." To that he should be told: