# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_April 1860_S103
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

On the Zeal of Preachers. 103

the king's house; John the Baptist rebuked Herod Antipas; Christ
reproved that same king; Paul rebuked Felix; Chrysostom rebuked
Eudoxia; and Ambrose rebuked the emperor Theodosius, turning him away
from the altar on account of the wicked massacre of the Thessalonians.
Therefore let us also boldly, unceasingly, and frankly rebuke the vices of
princes, of the great, and of the eminent. Unconquered by false shame, not
mute or timid out of fear, without dread of power or hatred, let us speak
the truth with a noble disregard of deference, in the consciousness that we
are God's servants and messengers and are guided, governed, and
protected by him, as may be seen from Isa. 42:6, 50:7, Jer. 1:8, 17-19, and
20:11, Ezek. 3:8-9. The Lord will not forsake his own, since he knows that
without his help they cannot endure in his service amid these last and
worst conditions of the age. Therefore he has commanded them to hold
firm and brave against the threats and slanders of their enemies, even
should these be more thorny than thorns and more venomous than
scorpions, Ezek. 2:6; for every coward is a murderer, as Aristotle says,
especially in the cause of God. —

Furthermore, as those who love, we will teach that everything be
seasoned with the sugar of love, 1 Cor. 16:14. Entreaty, preaching,
rebuke, admonition, and the like should all flow from this source. Let the
fire of zeal burn with the oil of mercy, Jer. 13:17, Luke 19:41, Phil. 3:19.
So the good Samaritan pours wine with oil into the wounds, that the wine
may sting and the oil may heal. When severity is at times necessary, let
us imitate the surgeons, who comfort the sick even while they cut and
cauterize, and show that what they do serves for his recovery.

For no one is permitted to punish except the one who loves, so that the
punishment may be administered with gentleness, for the edification and
advancement of the one punished, and not for his ruin. Hence the Apostle
would have our vehemence tempered by patience, 2 Tim. 4:2, and would
have us not be angry at the slowness and hardness of him whom we teach.

Let us therefore lay a burden on no one through our pride or grim
harshness, but rather draw and win them through kindness, gentleness,
and an amiable manner; for so we shall move them to whatever we wish,
and shall lead with them a life both very useful and pleasant. "Love, and
say what you will," writes Augustine. Yes, love, and do what you will. As
the orator must be full not only of prudence but also of goodness and
benevolence, so too the preacher. For it does much to arouse confidence
(as a philosopher rightly observes) when the hearers are persuaded that
the speaker is well disposed toward them. Hence Calvin's admonition to
Farel was sensible and wise, namely that he should deal with the people
more by winning their hearts through gentleness