# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Februar 1859_S53
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

J. Ch. Köcher's Proof that the Evangelical-Lutheran Religion, etc.                    53

...that the Son of God is unlike the Father. We deny this, indeed we
abhor this statement. But, holy Emperor, believe no proof, nor even our
own reply. Let us ask Scripture, let us ask the apostles, let us ask the
prophets, let us ask Christ himself;"

Jerome ¹): "This, because it is not confirmed by Holy Scripture, is as
easily rejected as accepted": ²) "Everything we say we must confirm from
Holy Scripture. For every word shall stand by the mouth of two or three
witnesses. But the word of one who says something has no such great
authority as the command of the Lord;"

Augustine ³): "The excellence of the canonical authority of the Old and
New Testaments sits, as it were, raised upon a throne, to which every
believing and godly opinion must submit itself": ⁴) "In all these books
(of Scripture) those who fear God and are given to godliness seek the will
of God. In which endeavor or labor the first thing to be observed is that
one become acquainted with these books, and, even if one does not
immediately understand them upon reading, nevertheless either impress them
upon the memory or at least come to know them. Afterward one must
investigate, with fuller and more careful diligence, that which is clearly
contained in them and consists either in moral precepts or in rules of
faith. For in these things that stand in Scripture in plain words is
found everything that pertains to faith, to conduct of life, to hope, and
to love;"

Chrysostom ⁵): "The reading of Scripture is a great safeguard against
sin. Ignorance of Scripture is a deep and dangerous abyss. One puts
oneself in great danger of losing salvation, if one knows nothing of the
divine laws. This has also bred the sects, this has also introduced a
corrupt life, this has

et nostrae disputationi: scripturas interrogemus, interrogemus Apostolos, interro-
gemus Prophetas, interrogemus Christum.

1) Commentat. in Matth. Cap. XXIII. Tom. X. Opp. p. 57. Hoc quia de
Scripturis non habet auctoritatem, eadem facilitate contemnitur, qua probatur.

2) Commentar. in Psalm. XCVIII. Tom. VIII. Opp. p. 118. Omne quod lo-
quimur, debemus affirmare de Scripturis sanctis. In ore enim duorum et trium
testium stabit omne verbum. Non habet tantam auctoritatem sermo dicentis, quan-
tam Domini praeceptum.

3) contra Faustum Lib. XI. cap. 5. Excellentia canonicae autoritatis veteris
et novi testamenti, quae Apostolorum confirmata temporibus per successiones epis-
coporum, et propagationes ecclesiarum, tanquam in sede quadam sublimiter con-
stituta est, cui serviat omnis fidelis et pius intellectus.

4) Lib. II. de doctrina christiana cap. 9. In his omnibus libris timentes et pie-
tate mansveti quaerunt voluntatem Dei. Cuius operis vel laboris prima observa-
tio est, nosse istos libros, etsi nondum ad intellectum legendo, tamen vel mandare
memoriae, vel omnino incognitos non habere. Deinde illa, quae in eis aperte po-
sita sunt, vel praecepta vivendi vel regulae credendi, solertius diligentiusque inve-
stiganda sunt. In his enim, quae aperte in scriptura posita sunt, inveniuntur illa om-
nia, quae continent fidem, moresque vivendi, spem atque charitatem.

5) Concione III. de Lazaro Tom. V. Opp. p. 60.