# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Juli 1863_S221
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Church and Current Events. 221

took leave of his readers and gave as the reason for laying down his editorship, among other things, the following: "The daily clearer insight into my great incapacity to lead a religious paper as it by rights ought to be led. I lack a great deal in education, in deeper insight and experience, and in short, in every respect I feel myself far behind the goal of accompanying such an important post any longer [i.e., continuing to hold it]." If all editors of religious periodicals were to arrive at such self-knowledge, how many of such periodicals would then likely remain alive? And would that indeed be a loss for the cause of Christianity? We think not.

The German Reformed in the United States recently held their General Synodical Assembly in Tiffin. On this occasion strange speeches were given, as the "Evangelist" reports in its number of June 13. Pastor Lichtenstein said regarding the Heidelberg Catechism that it "would form a sufficient textbook even in the absence of all other dogmatic works." Certainly a sign of a very modest theology! He said further: "As the first advantage of the catechism it was set forth that it does not, like the Lutheran one, let the Law go before salvation, but rather lets salvation go before the Law." This gentleman thus seems to regard it as an advantage to be cleverer than the dear God, who, as is well known, has let the Law precede the Gospel, repentance precede faith, the knowledge of sin precede the forgiveness of sins — and all this precede Christ. Pastor Stern remarked: "There are only two ways of establishing the origin of our salvation. One must seek it either, with the Lutherans, in the churchly (!) means of grace, or, with the Reformed, in God's free grace." Here we are reminded of Luther's word: "The enthusiasts confess the dead Christ, who hung on the cross and made us blessed — that is true; but they deny everything by which we obtain him, that is, the means, the way, the bridge, and the path — that they break down." (On Deut. 4:28.) The Lutherans hold the means of grace in such high regard precisely because they seek the origin of salvation solely in grace; but what sort of grace can it be that disparages the means of grace? — Dr. Kieffer, finally, declared: "Without a churchly symbol [confession], the Bible is and remains a dead letter." Oho!

German Reformed in the United States. In this fellowship there is currently very lively debate as to whether its name should be changed to "Evangelical Reformed." At the next General Synod the matter is to be brought to a decision. The most level-headed view of the matter, it seems to us, is taken by the Classis of Eastern Pennsylvania. On the occasion of its sessions on May 5, it unanimously adopted the following: "Since the proposed change in the name and title of our Church seems to remove one of our landmarks, which has served and may continue to serve to bring to the Church's deep and living consciousness our distinctive historical and ecclesiastical position — a position brought about precisely through the name 'German,' which is now to be struck out; since this, at the very least, cuts off one link from the chain that binds us to our anchor-holds, and thus threatens to drive us into unknown and troubled waters of doctrinal disputes; since the change entails the necessity of altering most if not all of our congregational charters, whereby the seed of unrest and strife, which lawless elements may exploit for their own ends, might be scattered among our congregations; since our Church, especially in recent years, has grown rapidly in inner strength and outward extent under its present name; and since, finally, the name 'German' connects us with venerable and tenderly cherished traditions and reminds us of them: therefore Resolved, that it is the settled conviction of this Classis that the name of our Church should remain unchanged, as it is; Resolved, that notwithstanding this our deep and earnest conviction, we nevertheless, as an obedient daughter of our Church, though with sorrow and regret, submit to the proposed change, should it be adopted by the Synod."