# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_M rz 1863_S96
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

96 Church and Contemporary History.

In Celle, on October 7, the abolition of the confessions was voted through, and a synod called for, which is to elect the members of the church government — that is, to remove the currently unpopular councillors — since the center of gravity of church government must lie in the synod. Since the synod is now supposed to represent the majority in the congregations, we thus have a complete church revolution, which leaves nothing of the old standing, but cries: "Clear it away, clear it away down to the ground." Superintendents and clergy in Celle have dared to do this, for they have the great mass of the people, armed with paving-stones, behind them, and that they, with this guard, will also hold their ground at the synod is not to be doubted. What will the compliant government do against this? By a circular it has forbidden the clergy, and especially the superintendents, from taking part in such assemblies; they have been "earnestly and emphatically warned and cautioned against it"; but where is the emphasis to come from, when they nevertheless go to Celle after all — indeed now all the more, since they must deliberate how to get the synod into their power, and, at this decisive moment, keep in hand what the government wishes to take out of their hand? The circular censures, in particular, the questionable point regarding the confession, and we are glad to hear, for once, a reproof about it — the first reproof — even though it is very restrained and measured. It will change nothing in the matter, as soon as the synod is once able to stand on its own feet. For the time being, a transitional synod will be formed, on which the party of mediation will measure itself against the party of storm, and will in the end, as the nature of mediation brings with it, concede the winning hand to it. And then, once the synod is itself in earnest, it will act according to the Celle resolutions. Seeing that people could not even hold on to the Small Lutheran Catechism, I would not know what, generally, can still be held on to. Time gained, all gained, says the proverb; but people have been very hasty with their concessions. (The Celle assembly stands adjourned for the present.)

Hamburg. Here a notorious blasphemer has again been appointed pastor of St. Catharine's congregation — a Dr. phil. Krause, "the 23-year-old offspring of the late, notorious chief pastor of Hamburg, Dr. Krause." Münkel adds this remark: "The (present) chief pastor Wolters, whose faith is much praised, must witness this outrage at the holy place and ordain the blasphemer. Thereupon the sermon goes to press and reaches its fifth edition, without anything happening or being able to happen. For those who elected him are like him, and those who sit in the church government are partly Reform-Jews, partly Reform-Christians like Krause — different in descent, alike in disposition. No public voice has been raised against it; people are accustomed to the outrage and grow weary of speaking against it, because it no longer helps at all. P. Sengelmann last year published a work on the Hamburg Babel, and what we learn from it is dismal enough, and shows that the church has become worldly and has fallen under the tyranny of unbelievers and the unrighteous. It is understandable that, under these conditions, he sees no salvation other than in the separation of church and state. How this, however, is to be carried out otherwise than in the manner of the Lutheran Zion congregation, which has separated itself, would first have to be considered. The separation from the state will improve nothing unless, at the same time, a separation also occurs from the vastly predominant mass of unbelievers, enemies of the church, and the godless, since otherwise these will keep the government in their hands regardless. These, however, one cannot simply throw out without more ado and deprive of their right to churches and church property. So in the end nothing would remain but the Caesarean operation."

Denmark. In Copenhagen, as is written to the "Schw. M." from Schleswig, 186 Mormon apostles are active and are working there with "great success." In no other place in the world do the doctrines of the "Saints of the Last Days" find such a reception as in the capital of the Kingdom of Denmark; rationalism, Grundtvigianism, and a so-called patriotism standing above religion and church all work together here to prepare that shameful sect's way into the hearts of the people.