# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Mai 1862_S140
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

140    A Strange Assertion of Dr. Huschke.

decisions (e.g., in controversies of faith and doctrine), resolutions, and ordinances take place in obedience to the divine Word and in accordance with the churchly confession, and that in this they are answerable to the congregations.

So then, once and for all, whatever the churchly constitution may be, Holy Scripture, as it reads, is essentially and properly the governing office; and the orthodox churchly teaching office, even within such a committee or churchly body, has no other governing power than to interpret, in a serving manner, Holy Scripture — which is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness — according to the analogy of faith and in accordance with the churchly confession, and, where necessary, to apply it to particular cases.

And even if the congregations, out of Christian liberty, had established the episcopal constitution among themselves, the bishop elected according to human ordinance would have no other governing power than to procure, in a manner that is subordinate and serving, the dominion of Holy Scripture, as it reads, through correct interpretation, and willing obedience in the hearts and consciences of the congregations concerned. Any other governing power which nevertheless seeks to bind the consciences of Christians to obedience — whether it proceeds from a bishop, or a Supreme Church Council, or a presbytery, and so on — would be altogether contrary to the Gospel and to the essence of the Christian church, and a hostile setting-up of the Law against the Gospel, a mingling of spiritual and worldly power, a return to popery, indeed a factual denial of the evangelical doctrine of the church and of justifying faith.

For according to this doctrine, every Christian congregation, however small, insofar as it consists of true believers, is spiritually united, as a bride of Christ, with this her heavenly Bridegroom; and by virtue of this union she has, as a spiritual bridal treasure and dowry, the possession and enjoyment both of the means of grace — the Gospel and the sacraments, and the preaching office for their public administration — and also of the spiritual goods which, through faith, are brought by these means of grace into the hearts of believers and preserved therein, namely: forgiveness of sins, the Holy Spirit, adoption as children of God, and eternal life.

With this undeniable evangelical truth it is most precisely connected that she — as also the whole body of all congregations, the whole of Christendom on earth — has no other Lord and Master than Christ, and, according to her spiritual nature, knows and will know of no other obedience than that toward Him, who alone speaks to her through His Word in Holy Scripture. In sole obedience to this His Word she is then free from all human commandments, statutes, and ordinances; indeed, for the sake of the honor of Christ and of His Gospel, and for the sake of her faith, she is bound in conscience to reject everything that