# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Juli 1860_S205
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

The Struggle within the Prussian Lutheran Church. 205

church have been to me. Yet among these there can also be hypocrites, indeed even Antichrists. Of the heavenly church, therefore, I must be certain within myself through God's Word. Outside myself I see that she is present, so far as the pure Word is; but for the rest I shall have to see much that is unchristian along with it, in which I find no comfort, but only sorrow and toil. And still further I hope that, out of many dark lands, even without my seeing it, the Lord will gather many together, through His Spirit and His Word, unto His day. — All Israel will come together and be saved. Eternally there is one Shepherd and one flock; but we shall get to see this fully only when we have come from faith to sight. Here it goes through fire, sword, and apparent scattering; there is nothing but peace and unity. And we have the heavenly reality even now, but in faith."

It is indeed remarkable to see how studiously Räthjen seeks to evade the confession: I believe in one holy Christian church; so little does it seem to dawn on him that, although Word and Sacrament, which do indeed fall under the senses, indicate the presence of the church, these marks nevertheless — because they are also made use of by hypocrites — do not make the church visible. And yet, we think, the latter follows quite of itself if, with Räthjen, one holds only those to be members of the church of Christ who are incorporated into Christ through faith, "since it is indeed certain that hypocrites and the godless cannot be Christ's body, cannot be church" — so that the church is distinguished from hypocrites only by such a mark as remains hidden from human senses, by which, at the same time, individuals are joined into a holy and true fellowship or church. If I have before me, in one heap, both genuine and artificial pearls, then, even though the characteristic mark of the true pearls is not unknown to me, if my senses are nevertheless unable actually to discover this mark, on account of the resemblance the bits of glass bear to the real pearls, the former too are called pearls; and if I were to show someone the real pearls in the heap, I would have to say to him: I cannot show them to you, for I do not see them myself, I cannot distinguish them from the glass; I cannot find them, although they lie before my eyes, for when I think I see a pearl, I may perhaps be seeing a bit of glass and not the pearl. And only if that person wished to jest with me would he say: Why, the pearls are surely no invisible entities — how can you say you do not see them? I would answer him: In truth I see only things that look like pearls; that real pearls are among them I believe only on the assurance of another who knows them. And when pearls as well as bits of glass appear, some in bright, some in dull luster, the luster and the purity likewise do not make the pearls visible to me. — But should someone say: Of the young baptized children we surely know for certain that they are children of God, so that we at least see the