# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_December 1858_S365
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Confuse Not the Consciences. 365

apostle. Where it was a matter of doctrine, where errors were arising in the
congregations, there he showed no trace of the forbearance which, in Romans
14, he showed toward the weak, anxious consciences who only did not dare, in
practice, to make full use of their Christian rights and to avail themselves
unselfconsciously of their evangelical freedom; rather, he came forward there
with the vigorous proclamation of pure doctrine, set forth the truth in the
clearest and most convincing manner, exposed the error in its godlessness and
folly, and brought to bear the whole fullness of apostolic understanding, the
whole sharpness of compelling argument, the whole power of shattering
eloquence, in order to bring those erring in doctrine back to the full truth
in every particular. And whoever, despite all the enticements and admonitions
of the Spirit of God working in the apostolic preaching, resisted the truth
and persisted stubbornly in error, him he cursed as an enemy of the gospel.

That this understanding of the apostle's clear words has forced itself even
upon the Reverend Pastor Wucherer is shown already by this statement of his:
"The mighty preacher of righteousness by faith alone, without the works of
the law, nevertheless has breadth of heart enough to bear with people whose
practice indeed seems to conflict with this chief doctrine and to lead them
away from it, but whose confession is pure and whose heart is faithful and
upright, as their whole character shows." It is all the more astonishing,
then, that Wucherer does not hold fast to this distinction, but in applying
it to the doctrinal controversy now prevailing within the Lutheran Church
turns the matter completely on its head. For nowadays the strife is surely
not between Christians who are entirely at one in the confession of faith
and doctrine and differ only in practice, but rather between Christians who
are not at one in the chief articles of the confession and therefore are not
entirely at one in practice either. Such an application of the apostolic
word, Romans 14:1, has no semblance of justification, precisely because
there something quite different is being spoken of.

But in the course of his essay Pastor Wucherer shows plainly why he wishes
the earnest doctrinal controversy among present-day Lutherans set aside. The
testimony to the pure doctrine of the church and the ministry, and the
rejection of chiliasm, are distasteful to him, because he fears from them
confusion of consciences and division of the church. But we can fear
absolutely nothing, either for the individual's salvation or for the welfare
of the whole church, from a resolute testimony of the truth; rather we expect
and hope from it alone every good thing, every blessing, every advance. We
have the example of the Lord Christ and of all the apostles for us, and in
particular of St. Paul, all of whom did not keep silent about the truth for
the sake of peace, but bore witness to it loudly and forcefully and in every
particular even unto death, notwithstanding that the Lord Christ drove away
from himself the greater part of the Jewish people, the visible church of
that day, and in particular the zealous Pharisees — indeed, because of his
"hard saying," many of his disciples turned back and walked hence-