# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_April 1864_S127
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Church and Contemporary History. 127

—of armies, detachments, corps, and posts, and to all United States officers on duty within the said Departments. You are hereby directed to place at the disposal of the Rev. Bishop Ames all houses of worship belonging to the Methodist Episcopal Church in which no loyal minister, appointed by a loyal bishop of said church, is at present officiating. It is a matter of high importance to the government, in its endeavors toward the restoration of quiet in the civil community and of peace in the nation, that Christian clergymen should support and foster, by example and teaching, the loyal disposition of the people. Bishop Ames enjoys the full confidence of this Department, and there is no doubt that all clergymen appointed by him will be thoroughly loyal. It is expected of you that you will support him in every way in the execution of his important mission. You are further authorized and directed to furnish Bishop Ames and his clerk with transportation and subsistence, so far as this can be done without detriment to the service, and in general to render him assistance and support in a friendly and accommodating manner. By order of the War Department: E. D. Townsend, Ass't Adj't Gen."

Wisconsin Synod. Dr. Wangemann writes in this year's preface to his monthly periodical: "We have been reminded of the growing ecclesiastical distress of our German Lutheran brethren in North America; a direct appeal has come to us to help build a theological seminary in the Wisconsin Synod for the poor emigrants who have been left in the lurch spiritually by their wealthy neighbors. May the Lord let this, his work, become a bond between us and America; for among the various Lutheran churches there engaged in fierce conflict with one another, the direction represented by the Wisconsin Synod may, with the position championed by the Lutheran societies" (within the Prussian United state church) "— the maintenance of pure Lutheran doctrine while avoiding the heretical presumption of wishing to confine the Lord's church within the narrow bounds of the Lutheran name and Lutheran orthodoxy — even though the newly hatched little chick there may still have clinging to it a number of unbecoming eggshells, nevertheless agree in essentials." One sees from this that the Wisconsin gentlemen in Germany put forward their negation of a Roman concept of the church as their distinguishing mark over against all Lutheran synods here. Dr. Wangemann does, however, seem to notice, in spite of this, that not everything is quite clean. As a "stiff Lutheran" within the Union, he naturally counts that only among "some unbecoming eggshells still clinging to the newly hatched little chick." That is certainly not surprising. The learned Doctor was probably thinking here of the "eggshells" of syncretism and Romanism that cling to himself and to his Lutheran societies within the Union. As for the Romanism of the same, for example, he writes in the very same number: "Ordination is the (corresponding to the Old Testament anointing) sacramental act, attested by the practice of the apostles, which concludes the process, by which the call to the spiritual office is ecclesiastically confirmed and sealed through the bestowal of the gift of the Holy Spirit belonging to the office." And this W. writes in outspoken opposition to Luther, whom he lets come to a right understanding on that point in only a single passage — and, naturally, even there, misunderstanding him.

II. Abroad.

Norway. In the Neue Ev. Kirchenzeitung of Berlin, travel reminiscences from Norway were recently published. In them the writer says that the ministers in that country fall into three classes. The first of these consists of those who, of pietistic bent, correspond to the so-called "Readers" among the people. The second class might be termed that of the "orthodox men of the world." "A third class," it goes on to say, "stands under the influence of the 'revivals,' but bears a strictly confessional stamp. It consists for the most part of younger men who labor with blessing in their office, but who at the same time, as zealous defenders of Lutheranism, are always ready to break a lance for it... The younger generation of theologians seems for the most part to belong to this last-named direction... God grant that the seeds of fresh, lovely Christian life, which have begun to sprout in the congregations themselves through the quickening power of the Holy Spirit, may not perish under the icy breath that blows in Norway so often from 'the Office'!" If the writer means by this that obedience to the office is being substituted for obedience to the Gospel, then his concern may well spring from a not ungrounded anxiety.

Hermannsburg. Pastor Harms reports in his mission paper of December last that his work for America is succeeding. He already has six pupils under instruction who are training for the American preaching office. Contributions for this purpose are also increasing.

Pastor Löfflad has gone back from the Prussian Lutheran church into the United church.