# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_April 1864_S102
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

102 Foundational Theses on the Question of Church Order and Church Governance.

II.

A Christian "owes God nothing at all to do, but to believe
and to love."

On this Luther writes: "In the first place we have thus taught from St.
Paul Christian liberty, that everything should be free which God does not
forbid in clear words in the New Testament — such as eating of every kind,
drinking of every kind, clothing of every kind, places of every kind, persons
of every kind, gestures of every kind — so that we owe God nothing at all
to do but to believe and to love. Rom. 14:2ff. 1 Cor. 8:8-10." Against the
Heavenly Prophets. Walch XX, 247.

III.

No creature can lay a law upon the conscience of a
Christian as a Christian.

On this Luther writes: "Therefore I say, neither the Pope, nor a bishop,
nor any man has power to impose a single syllable upon a Christian man,
unless it happen with his own will; and whatever else happens, happens out
of a tyrannical spirit." On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church. Walch
XIX, 83. The same: "For this freedom and conscience alone I cry out, and
cry out confidently, that by no right can any kind of laws be imposed on
Christians, neither by men nor by angels, beyond what they themselves
wish. For we are free from all. If indeed something is imposed, one must
bear it in such a way that the conscience of liberty remains unharmed, so
that it may know and may confidently say that violence is being done to
it, which it endures with honor, and take care that it does not approve of
the tyrant." The same place, p. 86.

IV.

All Christians are brothers; none is another's master,
lord, or superior.

On this Luther writes: "Therefore a bishop's ordaining is nothing other
than as if, in the place and person of the whole assembly, he took one out
of the whole company — all of whom have equal power — and commanded
him to exercise that same power on behalf of the others; just as if ten
brothers, king's children, equal heirs, chose one of themselves to govern
the inheritance for them; they would indeed all be kings and of equal
power, and yet one is charged to govern." To the Christian Nobility of the
German Nation. Walch X, 303. The same: "But you might say: Since among
Christians there is to be no worldly sword, how then shall they be
governed outwardly? There must indeed remain authority even among
Christians! Answer: Among Christians there should and can be no
authority, but each is at the same time subject to the other; as Paul says,
Rom. 12:10-16: each shall regard the other as his superior. And Peter I,
1:5: be all of you subject to one another. Christ also intends this, Luke
14:8. Among Christians there is no superior, but Christ alone himself. And
what authority can there be, where they are all equal