# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1894_S13
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1894. 13

It should be made clear to all members of our congregations that the people whom Luther calls enthusiasts are in a false basic tendency. Take, for example, a Lutheran bridegroom who would indeed not want to marry a Roman Catholic woman, but thinks that to marry a bride from a Reformed sect congregation is not so dangerous for his life of faith after all. There are indeed differences of doctrine between the Reformed and Lutherans, but these are not so significant. So the bridegroom thinks, because he has not recognized that the Reformed and the enthusiasts move in a wholly different direction from us Lutherans. The false doctrine of the enthusiasts, however, does not run parallel with the doctrine of Scripture, does not run alongside it, whether the whole stretch or a part of the way; rather it goes in the opposite direction, in direct contradiction to the level road. Every false basic tendency must in the end arrive where the first enthusiast, the devil, arrived, namely at the "Hath God said?" According to Scripture and the right basic tendency the ground of salvation is Scripture; according to enthusiasm it is not Scripture. According to Scripture and the right basic tendency the source of knowledge is Scripture; according to enthusiasm it is not Scripture. According to Scripture and the right basic tendency the standard and touchstone of all doctrine and spirits is Scripture; according to enthusiasm it is not Scripture. According to Scripture and the right basic tendency the means by which the Holy Spirit works everything spiritually good is Scripture; according to enthusiasm it is not Scripture. By their own declaration, on the Reformed side the office of a preacher is not to be understood as though the pastor stood before his congregation through the means of grace as a messenger of God; rather the Reformed preacher is only the employee who stands before the congregation through his knowledge, experience, exhortation and also entertainment, and performs a service for it.

It is certainly timely that the old mystics should be spoken of once more, since even in circles that wish to be Lutheran people speak of a noble, sound mysticism when they talk of Tauler and others. Indeed, people want to explain Luther's work from his supposed attachment to the mystics. But Luther himself tells us that he drew every doctrine through the Scripture some twenty times. So it is not to mysticism or enthusiasm, but to the Word of Scripture, that we owe Luther's doctrine and work. And only then shall we remain Luther's disciples if we seek the Holy Spirit and the Spirit's work only in the Word of Scripture.

Nor should it confuse us that Luther, just like Spener, the father of Pietism, recommended the mystical little book "Theologia deutsch" [German Theology] and the mystic Tauler. Luther recommended the "Theologia deutsch" and Tauler because in them Christ was at least still mentioned, in that poor time when the name and work of Christ were passed over in silence. But Luther soon felt that the poor Christians have healthier bread