# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Februar 1864_S45
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Some Remarks on the Teaching of the Supreme Church Council of the Ev.-Luth. Church in Prussia, etc. 45

... in that office in which the triune God, on the establishment of certain circumstances, positively wills to have realized through transmission — even though its branch-office and the actions belonging to it are, to that extent, of human right, insofar as they are not, like the administration of the means of grace, directly instituted in and with the Word concerning our salvation, and do not require a particular calling by God's command (according to the symbols and the catechetical teaching), and are therefore indeed included only through and in the use that those [means of grace] demand, without the manner of their execution being particularly determined.

The origin of these functions lies thus in the commandment of love, so that from it follows that everything, as in the world in general, so also in the church of God, ought to be done decently and in order; and because the public office of the Word, that is, of the means of grace, has, in a particular calling, the watch over souls and the accountability for seeing to it that, for their sake, through and according to the Word, whatever serves this end also be built up — it therefore has, as with the other offices, in general to see to it and to stand for it that disorders and offenses within its bounds be avoided; and for this reason 1 Cor. 14:40 is the general foundation, that branch-offices — such as (the primitive-Christian diaconate and) that office of order of so-called ruling elders — are included within that of the New Testament. But if now the whole church office is contained in the apostolic office in such a way that, in the first instance, all the power of this latter, which is to remain and be regarded as continuing, is laid into the believing Christian people, as 1 Cor. 3:21 ff. clearly states — a people which also, carrying out the work of the Ruler invisibly present with it and making use of its mediation, is called the mouth of Christ — then it must consequently be left, in full freedom, to this people to let various branches, thus of human right, step forth out of the one office, according to need and the gifts that are found present, since no particular command of the King in His kingdom can be shown for this distribution, whereas He does indeed have it as His express institution that the apostolic office of the Word itself be continued through public establishment. Therefore the servant of Jesus, when he proclaims Law and gospel (as also so-called secular assessors in church government, etc., when in their service they have to bring God's Word), speaks not merely in the name of the church, but — essentially, formaliter, toward the church itself as well — at the same time in the name of God, not merely by virtue of the spiritual priesthood, but by virtue of a particular calling; but in such matters for which believers have, from Christ, no law but the freedom limited by the above-mentioned rule, all transmission to him, or to branch-offices appointed for this, holds good only in the name and commission of the congregation. And thus there remains the authority — by virtue of the apostolic official mandate — to make various institutions, provisions and arrangements which the use and administration of the means of grace demand, without which we would receive them in vain, or which are fitting and proper to make,