# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Februar 1859_S50
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

50                    J. Ch. Köcher's Proof that the Evangelical-Lutheran Religion, etc.

...even though this is contrary to the confession and therefore also cannot
be in accordance with God's Word? Indeed, how does it happen that their
polemic against us is so utterly without any grounds from God's Word, and
at the same time so bitter and full of hatred, that they even attack our
persons and are inclined to deny us "living piety," while we, after all,
only contend against false doctrine in obedience to God's Word, leaving
judgment over persons to God alone, the searcher of hearts? By this they
belie, in practice, their own talk of "tolerance" and "love," which they
show only toward people of their own opinion and spirit, but by no means
toward faithful Lutherans. But woe to the men who dare to set themselves
against the unadulterated truth of the Reformation! Woe to those who call
themselves by Luther's name and yet trample his faith into the mire! Woe
to the hypocrites who, in their lukewarmness, confound truth and error,
and serve Christ, the light of the world, and yet will not break with the
devil, the father of lies! God's judgment will overtake them, if they do
not repent.

May the Lord help his Church and preserve for us his pure Gospel!


J. Ch. Köcher's Proof that the Evangelical-Lutheran
Religion Is Not a New, but the Old Christian,
Religion.

Dr. Johann Christoph Köcher, formerly professor of theology at Jena, published in the
year 1755 a treatise bearing the title: "Convincing Instruction Concerning the Truth and
Perfection of the Evangelical-Lutheran Religion." In it the latter is proved, among other
things, on the ground "that it did not arise yesterday or the day before, but was already
known among the earliest Christians and the most ancient teachers." We therefore
communicate here this interesting section, insofar as it demonstrates the antiquity of
Lutheran doctrine from its agreement with the doctrine contained in the writings of the
most ancient teachers of the Church.

§ 1.
It is certain and correct, what the confessors of the evangelical religion
boast of their doctrine ¹) — "that the same is clearly grounded in Holy
Scripture, and moreover is not contrary or opposed to the common Christian,
indeed the Roman, Church, so far as can be gathered from the writings of the
fathers"; and again ²): "That among us nothing has been adopted, either in
doctrine or in ceremonies, that is contrary either to Holy Scripture or to
the common Christian Church. For it is plain and public that we have, with
all diligence and with God's help (without boasting), taken care that no
new and godless doctrine should insinuate itself, break in, and gain the
upper hand in our churches." And this might well be sufficient to convince
an impartial mind that the Lutheran religion is no new religion, invented,
as it were, by Luther and first brought upon the scene. Yet, for the
further conviction of those who perhaps are not satisfied with the proof of
the antiquity of the Evangelical-Lutheran religion thus far briefly
presented,

1) Augustana Confessio, Art. XXI, p. 45, edit. Pipping; p. 19, edit.
Rechenberg.

2) Epilogue of the Augsburg Confession.