# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Juni 1863_S176
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

176 Dr. Hengstenberg's Position on the Questions of Office and Church Government.

...ion, that one should let them do what Titus, Timotheus, Paul and
Barnabas did in installing men as pastors, etc. Now they, however, sit in the devil's
place and are wolves, who neither teach nor
will suffer the Gospel, so it concerns them just as much to attend to the preaching office and
care of souls among the Christians as it does the Turks and the Jews. They ought to
drive asses and lead dogs. Beyond that, even if they were truly
righteous bishops who wanted to have the Gospel and
wanted to set up righteous preaching, still they neither could nor should
do this without the will, election,
and calling of the congregation; except where necessity compels it, so that
souls do not perish for lack of the divine Word. For in such
necessity, as you have heard, not only may anyone provide a preacher,
whether by entreaty or by the power of worldly authority, but he should
also himself run to it, step forward and teach, if he is able. For necessity is
necessity, and has no measure; just as everyone should run and press forward
when a fire breaks out in the city, and not wait until asked to do so.
But where no such necessity exists, and there are those present who have
the right, the power, and the grace to teach, no bishop should install anyone
without the congregation's choice, will, and calling; but rather
he should confirm the one chosen and called by the
congregation. If he does not do it, [it should nevertheless be] that the same person
be confirmed nonetheless by the congregation's calling. For
neither Titus, nor Timothy, nor Paul ever
installed a priest without the congregation's electing
and calling. This is clearly proved by the fact that he says, Titus 1:7
and 1 Tim. 3:2: A bishop or priest shall be blameless.
Likewise: The deacon shall be tested first. Now Titus surely could not have known
who was blameless; rather, such a report must come from the
congregation; it must name such a one. Likewise we read
Acts 6:3, 6, that even in a much lesser office the apostles themselves
were not permitted to install persons as deacons without the congregation's knowledge and
will; but the congregation chose and called the seven deacons, and
the apostles confirmed them. If, then, such an office — which had only to
distribute temporal food — the apostles were not permitted to institute by their own authority,
how could they have been so bold as to have laid upon anyone, by their own power,
the highest office, that of preaching, without the congregation's knowledge,
will, and calling?" (Writing: On the Sanctification of the Divine
Name, 1523.) — Chemnitz: "Here the question is, who those
are by whose votes that election and calling must
take place, in order that it may be regarded as divine — that is, that God himself,
through those means, chooses, calls, and sends the workers into his harvest. Now
certain and clear examples of this are found in Scripture. Acts 1:5ff.,
Peter, when another was to be put in Judas's place, laid the matter not
only before the apostles, but also before the rest of the "disciples"; for