# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_November 1862_S349
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

349

Church and Contemporary History.

I. America.

Christians and Politics. The Evangelical Messenger, an organ of the
English Evangelicals or Albrights, complains, in its number of September 17, of the
indifference of Christians toward public affairs — namely, toward the election of
our officials and toward the conduct of government — and says that Christians leave this
matter far too much to unprincipled professional politicians, whereas, if they wished,
they could govern the land. It is therefore proposed that "not only a
convention of Christians of the various denominations be formed in all the larger cities
of the land, but especially a great general convention for the whole land
be formed, in which the delegates of all confessions come together, form an
evangelical alliance in America, and express the church's wish regarding
present conditions in the land," etc. — That indeed was all that was still needed to
make matters here altogether hopelessly tangled. For it has been exactly the
so-called most zealous Christians and Christian periodicals who, in the present war, through
their fanaticism have done the greatest harm, since the poor, ignorant common people
naturally more readily believe perverse things to be right when these are championed
by religious people than when the irreligious champion them. Moreover, even if the
Christians here had more understanding of politics and more conscientiousness resting
on God's Word than they in fact have, still, at such a political convention and
alliance of "Christians," so many professional politicians would soon show up as
"Christians" that the so-called Christian convention would become nothing but a
most useful instrument for pietistic-seeming political swindlers. We do not even wish
to press the point here that such a political association of Christians, as Christians,
would in itself already be contrary to the gospel, and that a non-Christian equipped
by God for it not infrequently has ten times more understanding for giving good
counsel in civic matters than thousands upon thousands of so-called Christians
uncalled for the task.

The synod, or "ministerium," of Pennsylvania convened in June of
this year at Allentown. The report on the proceedings conducted there lies before
us; it is at any rate something that the resolution was passed to admit only
Lutheran (or rather, self-styled Lutheran) preachers of other synods as advisory
members, while allowing preachers of "other denominations" who happened to
attend to take seats only as guests. It appears all the stranger, however, when not
only a delegate, chosen by the Lutheran Synod of Pennsylvania for the synod of the
German Reformed Church, says in his own report, among other things: "The
undersigned was pleased to see the perceptive zeal that showed itself in this
part of the church of Christ, which is so closely bound up with us"; but
also when we read that at this very session a delegate of the German
Reformed Synod was given an address of welcome, and that a delegate was
chosen for the German Reformed Synod in turn. This is plainly a leftover leaven
of unionism. — It is likewise wrong that the ministerium resolved also to ordain
examined candidates "who as yet have no definite call." What then is the meaning
of ordination as a confirmation [of a call]?

The Ev. Lutheran Synod of Canada was approached for an opinion in
the matter of Pastor C. Kühn, who, as is known, had been removed from office by
the Buffalo Ministerium. The synod declared: "1. that it holds Pastor
C. Kühn guilty of disciplinary offenses; 2. that a degree of church discipline
is in order; 3. that it does not hold him guilty of an offense warranting
removal from office."

Methodist Regiment. So reports the "Evangelist" of September 27:
"The Methodists in Wisconsin offered the governor a regiment of Methodists for