# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Mai 1862_S152
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

152

Church-Contemporary History.

I. America.

"Symbolism." In the Lutheran Observer of March 21, a writer under the cipher "Spener" seeks to prove the unfruitfulness of so-called symbolism from the slight influence it has, among other things, exerted so far on the German population of St. Louis, Missouri. He writes: "The case in St. Louis is a very striking one, for there the old symbolic system from Europe has been at work without hindrance or disturbance for more than twenty years; and in twenty years it has brought, out of about 60,000 Lutherans from Europe, 5,000 to church! A sad testimony for Symbolism! — We do not wish to be understood as meaning to censure our brethren of the old-symbolic party, and especially not those of St. Louis, for, from all we know of them, they are good, learned, and pious men. It is the system that is wrong, and it is the system against which we contend. It is the system which is called the sacramental one, and in a few words it is this: through Baptism the child is born again and thereby becomes a member of the body of Christ; and, having fallen from grace, as happens to all, the child is confirmed at twelve or fourteen years of age, generally without moral fitness, partakes of the body of Christ in the Holy Supper, and is thus fed with spiritual nourishment through the mouth. In this country, where people read and think, they soon see that this is, in any case, something other than the religion which Christ and his Apostles taught; and as soon as they are enlightened by the Spirit of God, they turn from it with disgust and go over to other churches where biblical Christianity prevails. Hence the success of the Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, and even the Congregationalists among the Germans. If you would convert the Germans, you must preach conversion to God and faith in Jesus Christ, and not a confessional religion, under whose preaching they have already been hardened in sin. Of that they have heard enough already in Germany. Now, this is the system which the "Lutheran and Missionary" supports. It is true that this symbolic sheet is too clear-sighted to come out boldly and defend such an anti-biblical system; it gilds the pill; it has mixed something of the spiritual life and energy of the other churches of the land with its sacramental religion. But the thing will not work; the two cannot go together. Sacramental religion is all or nothing; as a system it will allow no mixing with other systems; like Rome, it must stand or fall by its own merits. If it is true that Baptism regenerates the child, and that the worship of the church (the Holy Supper included) has the task of bringing the regenerated child to heaven without repentance or faith, then those who labor for the conversion of souls in the biblical way are great fools. With this system the Lutheran Church never has been, and never will be, able to provide her children with spiritual nourishment. The food which the immortal soul needs is not in this system. The crucified Christ, in all his offices, is what poor sinners need. The Lutheran Church, in Germany and in this country, needs religious revivals. Nothing else will save her. With the editor of the "Lutheran" I am an admirer of the Augsburg Confession, only he must let me interpret it for myself, as I allow him to do. It is a noble document, and it receives all its moral strength from the Bible, and is valuable only for its agreement with the Bible." — Thus far the writer in the Observer.

We share this outpouring as evidence of what notions native-born Lutherans of the General Synod hold of the so-called system of the old Lutheran Church. Since that Church (according to God's clear Word) believes and teaches that Holy Baptism is the washing of regeneration, the Holy Supper the communion of the body and blood of Christ,