# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_April 1862_S102
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

102 On the Doctrine of the Transfer of the Rights and Duties of the Spiritual Priesthood.

through public preaching and the defense of the Gospel, and the administration of the sacrament of Baptism; and, inwardly, through teaching, rebuke, admonition, comfort, and the administration of the Holy Supper. To this duty of theirs the congregation corresponds, according to God's will, when it appoints men whose special calling it is made to devote themselves to the study of Holy Scripture, and to distribute publicly, to the blessing and benefit of many, the treasures of doctrine and knowledge as well as the holy sacraments of the church. These men then act in the name and on behalf of the whole congregation, without the individual being thereby prevented from exercising his own office of the keys personally, since sufficient opportunity for this still remains to him. And it belongs to the blessing of Christian fellowship, for which the Christian ought to be thankful, when the duties of individuals are better carried out through the fellowship than they would be by the individuals themselves. In short: to transfer here does not mean to cast off, but to carry out, in an orderly and expedient manner, through suitable persons.

"But suppose," Pastor Crome continues, "it were possible — which is impossible — to have the keys and at the same time not have them, to lay them upon another in my stead: whence would come the authority to do that? You would have to prove, word for word, the alleged command of the Lord that is supposed to command this. That you had better leave alone." So far as this objection touches us, we answer: it is enough for Christians to know that in the establishment of the pastoral office the will of the Lord is done, who has given to his church the gifts of teaching, government, and so forth, that it might use them for its own good and for the carrying out of its duties, so that everything might be done in it honestly and in order. The recognized will of the Lord is the church's command; the good pleasure of her head and bridegroom is her law, even if she could not "prove, word for word, a command of the Lord."

"But see where you end up here. The order of the public preaching office — you call it a New Testament church order commanded by the Lord. That, by its very concept, is nothing other than a New Testament ceremonial law. And now, either you imagine that this office belongs essentially to the true church of Christ. Then you make Christ's revelation of grace into a legal institution, and exchange Gospel for Law. Or you rightly recognize, as it truly is, that the preaching office of the rite vocati is an ordinance in the sphere of the externa societas; then you trace this back to an institution of Christ, and make Christ into a new lawgiver for a poor earthly kingdom." When a bride receives from her bridegroom gifts for the furtherance of her welfare and for her adornment, together with instructions as to how she should use them to her best advantage, will the bride regard these as commands unworthy of her bridal estate on the part of the bridegroom? So has the church, up to this hour, held the gifts of shepherds and teachers to be a beloved gift of her heavenly head; and the congregations have held the calling of faithful men, who are apt also to teach others, to such