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tihvavy  of  t:he  theological  ^tmxnavy 

PRINCETON  •  NEW  JERSEY 


Fran  the  Estate 
of 
The  Rev.  George  W.  Musgrave 
Class  of  1828 


.^.    U;^    /J'^'i^^A^^ 


WHY  ARE  YOU  A  LUTHERAN? 


A  SERIES   OF   BISSEKTATIO^fS, 


EXPLANATORY  OF  THE  DOCTRI.VES,  GOVERKMEKT,  DISCIPLINE,  LITUR- 
GICAL   ECOKOMY,    DISTINCTIVE     TRAITS,    &,€., 


EVANGELICAL    LUTHERAN    CHURCH 

IN    THE    UNITED    STATES. 


BY  b/kURTZ,  D.  D. 


WITH    AN    INTRODUCTION    BY 


JOHN    G.    MORRIS,    D.    D. 


Be  ready  always  to  give  an  answer,  to  every  man  that  asketh  you  a  rea- 
son ot  the  hope  thai  is  iu  you,  with  meekness  and  fear.  1  Pti.  iii.  15. 


jj  tt  1 1 1  m  0  r  t : 

PRINTED  AT  THE  PUBLICATION  ROOMS  OF  THE  EVANGELICAL 
LUTHERAN    CHURCH,  NO.  7,  S.  LIBERTY    STREET. 

Also,  Tappan  &  Dennet,  and  Crocker  &  Brewster,  Boston;  D.  Apple- 
ton  &  Co.,  and  Saxtoii  &  Dayton,  N.  Y.;  C.  H.  Kay  &  Co.,  Pittsburg. 
1843. 


RECOMMENDATION. 


Baltimore,  May  19,  1843. 

We  the  undersigned,  ministers  in  tiie  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Church,  have  read  with  satisfaction  a  series  of  numbers  recently  pub- 
lished in  the  Lutheran  Observer  on  the  question:  "  Why  are  you  a 
Lutheran  ?"  by  the  Rev.  B.  Kurtz,  D.  D.  We  believe  that  they 
contain  a  correct  statement  of  the  general  views  entertained  in  the 
Lutheran  Church  in  the  United  States,  in  reference  to  the  important 
subjects  to  which  they  relate.  We  are  gratified  to  learn  that  tlie 
author  designs  publishing  them  in  a  separate  volume,  and  cordially 
recommend  the  contemplated  work  to  our  churches,  and  to  all  others 
who  wish  to  obtain  correct  views  respecting  the  character  and  posi- 
tion of  American  Lutheranism.  We  believe  that  the  extensive  cir- 
culation and  perusal  of  this  publication  among  our  own  people,  will 
be  the  means  of  rectifying  many  mistakes  and  diffusing  correct  infor- 
mation in  regard  to  Lutheranism ;  and  that  its  general  distribution 
will  also  tend  to  the  prevention  and  removal  of  unfounded  preju- 
dices, in  the  case  of  many  candid  and  serious  persons  of  other  denomi- 
nations, who  are  willing  to  investigate  before  they  censure  and  con- 
demn. 

[The  above  document  was  signed  by  the  following  gentlemen :] 
Rev.  Charles  Martlv,    .  Rev.  Prof  W.  M.  Reynolds, 

"    J.  B.  Reck,  "     S.  R.  Boter, 

"     Geo.  Yeager,  "     Augustus  Babb, 

"    Jomt  Bachman,  D.  D.  "    P.  Rizer, 

"      R.  WeISER,  "       A.  H.  LOCHMAN, 

"  E.  Keller,  "  Frederick  Ruthrauff, 

"  F.  R.  Anspach,  «  Henry  N.  Pohlman, 

"  S.  Eichelberger,  "  D.  Miller, 

"  John  Heck,  «'  S.  W.  Harkey, 

"  J.  Z.  Senderling,  "  John  Ulrich, 

"  Charles  Weyl,  "  John  C.  Hope, 

"  John  G.  Morris,  D.  D.  "  P.  A.  Strobel. 

"  W.  A.  Passavant,  "  C.  P.  Krauth,  D.  D.,  Pres. 

"  Prof  S.  S.  Schmucker,  D.  D.  Pa.  College, 


^^0 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  design  of  Dr.  Kurtz's  book  is  sufficienfly  indi- 
cated by  its  title.  Those  of  us  who  are  members  of  the 
Lutheran  church,  will  properly  appreciate  a  small  work 
on  this  subject,  calculated  alike  for  the  common  reader 
and  the  more  learned  inquirer  after  ecclesiastical  truth. 
It  is  a  fact  well  known  and  seriously  felt  by  us,  that  our 
views  and  usages  have  been  extensively  misunderstood. 
Most  of  our  fellow  christians  in  this  country,  not  familiar 
with  us  from  observation,  have  formed  their  opinions  of 
our  doctrines  and  liturgical  practices  from  the  erroneous 
statements  of  writers  who  have  not  carefully  investigated 
the  subject.  We  have  been  identified  with  the  neolo- 
gists  of  Germany,  because  some  few  bearing  our  distinc- 
tive ecclesiastical  name  have  departed  from  the  faith  ; — 
we  have  been  represented  as  differing  least  of  all  other 
Protestants  from  popery  in  several  important  particulars, 
when  the  truth  is,  that  no  branch  of  the  church  of  Christ 
on  earth,  has,  ever  since  the  Reformation,  opposed  ''  the 
man  of  sin"  with  more  learning,  energy  and  success 
than  our  own. 

Dr.  Schmucker  s  valuable  "  Popular  Theology""  has 
contributed  much  to  remove  wrong  impressions  from  the 
minds  of  many  intelligent  readers,  and  the  Lutheran 
Observer  with  its  extensive  circulation  still  contmues 
to  exhibit  us  in  a  true  light.  Multitudes  of  fellow 
believers  of  other  communions  now  cordially  fraternize 


INTRODUCTION. 


with  us,  having  learned  our  real  character,  and  from 
many  quarters  we  are  invited  to  co-operate  in  enterprises 
of  general  benevolence,  thus  receiving  evidence  that  en- 
lightened christians  entertain  a  favourable  judgment  of 
us.  This  is  only  mentioned  to  show  that  the  erroneous 
opinions  respecting  our  doctrines  and  practices  formerly 
so  prevalent,  have  been  abandoned  by  numerous  intelli- 
gent christians,  but  it  is  equally  certain  that  even  such 
men  would  be  pleased  to  see  a  full  exhibition  of  all  our 
distinctive  features ;  and  such  they  have  in  this  book. 

Those  who  know  nothing  of  us,  can  here  learn  every 
thing  that  is  desirable  to  know,  and  those  who  know  us 
well,  will  be  pleased  to  find  the  whole  matter  so  conve- 
niently  arranged. 

This  book  is  designed  not  only  for  those  who  desire  to 
learn  our  "ways,"  but  for  our  own  people  also.  Many 
of  them  need  to  be  instructed  in  the  faith  of  their  fathers, 
that  they  may  be  more  comforted  by  the  truth,  and  better 
able  to  defend  themselves  against  the  attacks  of  prose- 
lyting sectarians.  This  book  will  furnish  them  with  all 
they  require  for  this  purpose.  They  as  well  as  those  of 
our  people  who  are  well  grounded  in  the  faith  will  find  it 
profitable  to  loan  it  to  their  neighbours  of  other  commu- 
nions, not  with  a  view  of  winning  them  over  to  the 
church  of  the  Reformation,  but  of  informing  them  accu- 
rately as  to  our  doctrines  and  usages. 

We  bear  an  honourable  distinctive  name,  but  still  we 
were  not  baptized  in  the  name  of  Luther.  Christ  Jesus 
crucified  is  our  only  hope  of  salvation.  We  enjoy 
invaluable  church  privileges,  but  still  our  system  teaches 
us  to  exercise  the  utmost  charity  towards  others.  Our 
economy  is  so  liberal,  and  evangelical,  that  it  allows  us  to 


INTRODUCTION. 


differ  on  unessential  matters  of  faith,  whilst  we  are  all 
firmly  united  in  the  maintenance  of  the  fundamental  and 
distinguishing  doctrines  of  the  Gospel.  The  consequence 
is,  that  our  Synodical  meetings  do  not  present  disgraceful 
scenes  of  theological  contention,  and  personal  strife  en- 
o-endered  by  charges  of  heresy,  nor  is  our  harmony 
disturbed  by  discussions  of  subjects  which  are  rather 
political  than  ecclesiastical.  We  are  not  divided  into 
numerous  opposing  sects  or  factions,  nor  annoyed  by  the 
accusations  of  lovers  of  strife  against  their  equally  ortho- 
dox brethren.  The  Lutheran  church  has  never,  since  the 
Reformation,  engendered  sects.  Differences  of  opinion 
have  existed,  but  no  distinct  party  or  sect,  has  gone  out 
from  her  communion,  to  disturb  her  tranquilhty  and  revile 
her  ministry.  All  the  numerous  sects  that  now  afflict 
the  church,  have  had  other  parentage  than  Lutheranism. 
They  are  not  the  children  of  the  mother  church  of  the 
Reformation.  In  this  we  glory  and  attribute  the  remark- 
able fact  to  the  enlightened  liberality  of  our  economy,  to 
the  christian  excellency  of  our  fundamental  confession, 
and  to  the  ardent  attachment  of  our  people  to  our  vener- 
able institutions. 

JOHN  G.  MORRIS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

WHY   ARE    YOU    A    LUTHERAN? 

*'  Be  ready  always  to  give  an  answer,*  to  every  nian  that  asketh  you 
a  reason  oF  the  hope  that  is  in  you,  with  meekness  and  lear." 

1  Pel.  iii.  15. 

The  writer  of  this  professes  to  be  a  Chris- 
tian,— a  Lutheran  Christian.  At  an  early  age 
his  attention  was  directed  to  the  subject  of 
religion,  and  having,  as  he  humbly  trusts,  been 
brought  under  the  renewing  influence  of  the 
gospel,  and  embraced  a  hope  of  salvation,  he 
became  a  member  of  the  Evangelic  Lutheran 
Church.  He  flatters  himself  that  he  did  not 
act  precipitantly ;  on  the  contrary,  he  reflected 
long  and  seriously;  diligently  sought  instruc- 
tion, and  above  all,  consulted  God  in  fervent 
and  importunate  prayer.  Having  availed  him- 
rself  of  all  the  means  within  his  reach  to  obtain 
light   and    direction,    and    especially   attended 

*A  literal  translation  of  the  Greek  word  rendered  ansifer,  would 
be  apohgy,  which  signifies  deffnse ;  and  from  this  we  have  the  true 
meanini^of  the  word  apologyas  used  by  the  pTiuiitivc  fathers.  Their 
vindications  of  Christianity  were  ut>ually  entitled  (ipnlogita,  by  which 
they  meant  not  excuses,  according  to  the  modern  import  of  the  teim, 
but  defenses. 


INTRODUCTORY   REMARKS. 


a  series  of  lectures  explanatory  of  Luther's 
shorter  Catechism,*  he  deliberately  propound- 
ed himself  to  the  Councilf  as  a  candidate  for 
membership  in  the  church  specified,  and  was 
subsequently  received  by  the  solemn  rite  of 
Confirmation.  Many  years  have  rolled  round 
since  that  interesting  and  impressive  season; 
and  now,  that  age,  experience  and  no  small 
amount  of  reading  and  observation  have  come 
to  his  aid,  he  hesitates  not  to  declare,  that  the 
recollection  of  no  scene  in  his  life  affords  purer 
pleasure^  and  in  his  judgment,  furnishes  juster 
ground  of  gratitude  to  God,  than  that  at  which 
his  baptismal  vows  w^ere  thus  personally  and 

*  This  Catechism,  prepared  by  Luther  himself,  \t  an  admirable  com- 
pend  of  Christian  doctrine  and  morals,  embracing  the  cardinal  princi- 
ples of  religion  with  appropriate  explanations.  The  Lutheran  church 
lays  great  stress  on  the  religious  instruction  of  the  young,  and  espe- 
cially requires  all  candidates  for  memberBhip  to  attend  a  course  of 
instruction  by  the  pastor,  based  upon  the  Catechism  and  continued 
from  two  or  three  to  five  or  six  months.  No  one  under  ordinary  cir- 
cumstances is  excused  from  attending  this  course,  unless  the  pastor  is 
satisfied  that  he  possesses  a  sufipjcient  measure  of  religious  knowledge 
without  it ;  and  even  in  this  case  it  is  deemed  best  not  wholly  to 
neglect  it. 

t  The  officers  in  Lutheran  churcheE  are  called  dders  and  deacons ; 
sometimes  trustees  are  added  to  whom  the  management  of  the 
temporal  property  is  committed.  All  together,  are  denominated  the 
Church  Council,  of  which  the  pastor  is  ex-officio  a  member,  and  in 
many  cases  the  presiding  officer 


10  INTRODUCTORY   REMARKS. 


publicly  assumed  and  ratified,  and  the  enjoy- 
ment of  CliHstian  privileges  in  the  church  of 
his  early  choice  was  secured. 

''Why  are  you  a  Lutheran ?"-^-why  tiot 
rather  a  member  of  some  other  religious  com- 
munity?— What  do  you  Lutherans  believe? 
what  are  your  doctrines,  government,  disci- 
pline, and  usages?— wherein  do  you  differ  from 
other  Protestant  denominations?  and  what  es- 
pecially is  the  foundation  of  your  hope  as  a 
member  of  the  Luthei^an  church  ?— Again  and 
again  have  such  interrogatories  been  proposed 
to  me;  and  mindful  of  the  apostolic  requisi- 
tion, "to  be  ready  always  to  give  an  answer  to 
every  man  that  asketh  a  reason  of  the  hope 
that  is  in  me,"  I  replied  according  to  the  ability 
I  possessed;  and  have  reason  to  believe  that 
in  some  instances  at  least,  the  reply  proved 
satisfactory.  In  the  hope  of  rendering  it  more 
extensively  useful,  I  herewith  offer  it  for  pub- 
lication. May  the  Lord  graciously  smile  upon 
this  feeble  effort  to  subserve  his  cause ;  may  he 
own  and  sanction  it;  and  by  his  blessing,  with- 
out which  nothing  can  prosper,  make  it  instru- 
mental in  inducing  many  who  are  doubting  to 
declare  without  further  hesitancy  on  the  side 
of   God;    in    strengthening   the   faith   of  the 


INTRODUCTORY   RlJMARKS. 


11 


wavering;  and  establishing  and  building  up  in 
godliness  all  who,  like  the  writer,  have  cast  in 
their  lot  with  Christ's  people  in  that  branch  of 
his  kingdom  which  is  distinguished  by  the  name 
of  the  illustrious  Saxon  Reformer. 

''Why  are  you  a  Lutheran?— I  have  some- 
times answered  this  inquiry  by  proposing  anoth- 
er, viz:  Why  should  1  not  be  a  Lutheran?  to 
which  it  has  been  rejoined :  Because  Lutherans 
are  only  half  reformed,  and  of  all  Protestants 
differ  least  from  Roman  Cathohcs;  they  be- 
lieve in  consubstantiation,  have  private  confes- 
sion and  their  ministers  forgive  sins ;  they  teach 
that  baptism  is  regeneration  and  practise  exor- 
cism at  its  celebration;  they  have  images  in 
their  churches,  substitute  catechisation  and  con- 
firmation for   conversion,   &c.     If  these  and 
kindred  charges  were  true,  I  confess  that  it 
would  be  no  easy  task  to  famish  an  "answer," 
or  a  satisfactory  defense  of  ^Hhe  hope  that  is 
in  me;"  but  not  one  of  them  is  founded  in 
fact.     True,  Lutherans  regard  the  holy  sacra- 
ments as  means  of  grace,  and  believe  that  by 
the  blessing  of  God,  they  may  become  insti'u- 
mental  in  regenerating  the  sinner;  they  main- 
tain that  Christ  is  present  in  an  especial  man- 
ner at  the  holy  supper  to  bless  the  humble 


12 


mTRODUCTORY   REMARKS. 


communicant :  but  this  view  differs  essentially 
from  that  imputed  to  them.*  They  also  have 
a  form  of  confession  and  absolution  that  is 
used  in  public  worship  preparatory  to  the 
eucharist :  but  the  absolution  is  no  more  than 
a  simple  announcement  of  the  promise  of  Ood 
to  pardon  the  truly  contrite,  and  of  his  deter- 
mination eternally  to  punish  the  finally  impeni- 
tent, f  As  to  images,  exorcism,  and  putting 
catechisation  and  confirmation  for  conversion; 
such  accusations  are  unworthy  of  serious  refu- 
tation. No  people  on  earth  entertain  greater 
abhorrence  of  image  worship  and  other  Mo- 
mish  superstitions,  and  insist  more  strenuously 
on  sound  conversion  and  purity  of  heart  and 
life  tlian  Lutherans.  Catechisation  however, 
is  held  in  high  esteem  as  a  means  of  religious 

*'!The  Lutheran  church  does  not  believe  in  impanatidn,  nor  irt 
subpanation,  nor  in  consubstantiation ;  nor  in  a  physical  or  material 
presence  of  the  body  and  blood  of  the  Saviour."  So  says  the  great 
historian,  Mosheim  in  his  Dog.  Theology. 

fin  that  excellent  little  volnme,  entitled  "Portraiture  of  Luthor- 
anism,"  by  Prof  Schmucker,  D.  D.  the  author  remarks,  p.  47.  "  In 
the  numerous  Lutheran  liturgies  wo  have  seen,  including  those  of  i 
Sweden  and  Norway,  the  minister  never  professes  to  forgive  sins,  nor 
even  to  announce  the  divine  promises  of  pardon  unconditionally  to 
all;  but  limits  them  to  truly  penitent  fee?('ft'frs,  whilst  the  impenitent 
and  unbelieving  are  expressly  told  that  God  will  not  pirrdon  their 
sins,  but  inflict  deserved  punishment  on  them.'''' 


INTRODITCTOBY   REMARKS.  13 


instruction,  and  confirmation  as  an  impressive 
and  appropriate  mode  of  public  recognition  of 
church-membership,  and  in  this  view  no  intel- 
ligent and  pious  man,  it  is  presumed,  will  ob- 
ject to  or  speak  lightly  of  them.     As  all  the 
foregoing  charges  are  accordingly   false,  and 
may  be  regarded  as  the  groundless  imputations 
of  ignorance   or  bigotry,  or  hostihty  to   the 
truth,  they  can  in  nowise  operate  as  a  barrier 
to  my  Lutheranism,  or  in  any  degree  weaken 
my  attachment  to  the  church  of  my  preference.* 
But  it  is  time  to  reply  more  explicitly  to  the 
question  proposed.     I  remark  then,  tHat  I  am 
A  Lutheran. 

I.  Because  1  most  heartily  approve  of  the 
great  fundamental  principle  of  Lutheranism, 
which  is,  that  the  inspired  Writings,  '^vithout 
note  or  comment''  and  apart  from  all  human 

*Those  who  have  contributed  most  to  flisseminate  erroneous  no- 
tions respecting  the  Lutheran  church,  are  the  publishers  of  Buck's    j 
Theological  Dictionary,  Mr.  Goodrich  in  his  Eccles.  History,  and    | 
Hannah  Adams  in  her  Dictionary  of  all  Religions.     Lutherans  do    j 
not  acknowledge  these  as  standard  works,  and  have  already  snffi-    1 
ciently  protested  against  their  misrepresentations,  so  far  as  Lutheran 
doctrines  and  usages  are  ^concerned.    Surely  it  is  time  for  publishers 
and  authors  to  abandon  those  stereotyped  aspersions.     As  for  private 
individuals  who  occasionally  repeat  them  in  a  newspaper  article  or 
from  the  pulpit,  they  are  entitled  lo  pity  more  than  contempt,  smce 
charity  bids  us  attribute  their  course  to  want  of  mtelligence  rather 
than  wilful  calumny. 
O 


'IT riTIr         IfTilJ 


iTiTui  iiin'TiwiBfcMfcaaaaDi 


14 


FUNDAMENTAL    PRINCIPLES 


tradition,  are  the  only  unerring  source  of  re- 
ligious knowledge,  and  the  only  infallible  rule 
of  Christian  faith  and  practice.  The  Lutheran 
church  regard  the  Bible  as  so  plain  and  easy 
to  be  understood  in  all  that  is  essential  to  sal- 
vation, that  its  signification  toay  be  learned 
without  the  aid  of  an  expositor,  by  every  per- 
son of  common  sense,  who  is  able  to  read  it. 
This  glorious  principle  was  boldly  asserted, 
nobly  contended  for,  and  triumphantly  vindi- 
cated and  established  by  Luther;  and  subse- 
quently adopted  by  all  Lutheran  churches 
throughout  Christendom.  It  is  now  happily 
recognized  in  every  branch  of  the  Protestant 
church,  but  no  where  does  it  receive  a  more 
cordial  assent  than  among  Lutherans.  Should 
it  be  objected  that  like  other  denominations, 
Lutherans  have  in  addition  to  the  Word  of 
God,  their  symbolical  hooJcs  ;^  I  would  remark 

*By  syiTibolical  books  are  understood,  standard  Compendsof  chris- 
tian doctrine,  or  summaries  of  the  articles  of  religion,  such  as  creeds, 
confessions,  catechisms,  &c.  Those  of  the  Lutheran  church,  adopted 
in  the  year  1580,  are  in  general,  the  so-called  Apostles'  creed,  the 
Nicene  creed,  the  Athanasian  confession,  (whereby  the  church  es- 
tablished her  identity  with  the  primitive  ages,)  the  Augsburg  con- 
fession by  Melancthon  presented  in  1530,  the  Defense  of  this  con- 
fession by  the  same  writer,  the  Smalcald  articles  by  Luther,  his  Cate- 
chisms, and  the  Form  of  Concord.  But  strictly  speaking,  the  Augs- 
burg Confession  alone  is  usually  regarded  as  the  sole  symbolical  bovk 
of  the  Lutheran  church. 


OF   LUTHERANISM.  15 


that  those  hooks  have  no  authority  beyond 
what  they  derive  from  the  scriptures  of  truth, 
whose  sense  and  meaning  they  are  designed  to 
convey.  They  contain  the  prominent  doc- 
trines of  the  Bible  as  understood  by  Luther- 
ans, methodically  arranged  for  the  sake  of  per- 
spicuity, but  are  binding  no  farther  than  as 
they  faithfully  set  forth  the  revealed  mind  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  The  principal  of  these  wri- 
tings is  the  Augsburg  Confession,  and  even  in 
relation  to  that,  no  more  is  required  even  of 
ministers  at  their  ordination  than  to  believe, 
that  "the  fundamental  doctrines  of  the  Word 
of  God  are  taught  in  a  manner  substantially 
correct,  in  its  doctrinal  articles."  The  other 
symbolical  summaries  are  not  referred  to  at  all 
at  the  admission  either  of  private  members  or 
of  ministers.  I  remark  further^  that  I  am  a 
Lutheran 

IL  Because  all  the  prominent  doctrines  of 
God's  Word  are  distinctly  taught  in  the  Lu 
theran  (^hurch.     These  are 

1 .  The  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  or  that  God 
is  one  in  being  but  three  in  ^persons ;  in  other 
words,  that  there  is  but  one  divine  essence, 
possessing  all  the  perfections  of  Supreme 
Deity,  and  yet  three  distinct  persons  who  are 


sJ 


16  PROMINENT   DOCTRINES   OF 

of  the  same  essence^  and  therefore  possessing 
the  same  perfections,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and 
the  Holy  Ghbst.  This  doctrine  is  a  profound 
mystery,  but  plainly  revealed  in  the  Bible,  and 
ias  plainly  asserted  in  the  symbolical  books  of 
the  Lutheran  church. 

2.  The  Universal  depravity  bf  mankind. 
The  Augsburg  Confession  teaches,  that  all  men 
"are  born  with  a  depraved  nature;  that  iSj 
vvrithout  the  fear  of  God^  or  confidence  towards 
him,  but  with  sinful  propensities.'^ 

3.  The  proper  and  eternal  Deity  of  Jesus 
Christ.  This  is  implied  in  the  doctrines  of 
the  Trinity,  but  it  is  also  separately  insisted 
upon  with  great  perspicuity  in  the  symbolical 
books. 

4.  The  atonement  hj  the  death  of  Christ. 
The  Confession  and  other  standard  authorities 
teach,  that  the  great  object  of  Chiist's  cruci- 
fixion was  not  to  seal  his  doctrines  with  big 
blood  or  to  exhibit  an  example  of  resignation^ 
but  to  make  a  full  and  complete  atonement  for 
the  sins  of  the  world.  His  death  was  ac- 
cordingly vicarious  in  its  nature,  unlimited  in 
its  extent,  and  restricted  in  its  application  only 
by  the  obstinate  and  final  unbelief  of  sinners. 

5.  The  true  divinity  and  office  of  the  Holy 


THE    LUTHERAN  CHURCH.  17 

Spirit.  The  third  person  in  the  adorable  Tri- 
nity is  affirmed  to  be  God  equal  with  the  Fa- 
ther and  Son,  and  while  man  is  declared  to  be 
wholly  miable  by  his  own  reason  or  natural 
powers,  to  believe  in  or  come  to  Christ,  the 
Spirit  is  represented  as  "  calling  him  by  the 
gospel,  enlightening  him  by  his  gifts,  and  sanc- 
tifying and  preserving  him  in  the  true  faith." 

6.  Justification  hij  faith  This  was  the  grand 
point  on  which  the  reformation  mainly  hinged, 
the  great  centre  around  which  the  whole  work 
revolved;  it  was  ''first  among  the  foremost" 
of  the  fundamental  doctrines  taught  and  in- 
sisted upon  by  the  Master-spirit.  He  rescued 
it  from  the  corruptions  of  Romanism,  and 
having  thus  cleansed  it  from  the  human  inven- 
tions thrown  around  it  by  popery,  proclaimed 
it  of  anew  in  all  its  gospel  simplicity  and  na- 
tive sublimity.  It  is  still  cherished  among  Lu- 
therans as  the  richest  legacy  of  the  Refor- 
mation, and  as  concentrating  the  quintessence 
of  all  scriptural  truth.  ''  Men  cannot,"  says 
the  Confession,  "be  justified  before  God  by 
their  own  strength,  merit  or  works;  but  they 
obtain  forgiveness  and  are  justified  by  grace, 
for  Christ's  sake,  through  faith." 

7.  Good  works,  involving  purity  of  heart 


18  PROMINENT   DOCTRINES    OF 


and  life.  The  Confession  requires  an  active 
faith,  a  faith  that  produces  obedience  and  holy 
living.  "  This  faith  must  bring  forth  good 
fruits ;  and  it  is  our  duty  to  perform  those  good 
works  which  God  has  commanded,  because  he 
has  enjoined  them,  and  not  in  the  expectation 
of  thereby  meriting  justification  before  him." 

8.  The  ministerial  office  and  means  of 
grace.  On  this  important  subject,  the  language 
of  the  Confession  is  :  ''  In  order  that  we  may 
obtain  this  faith,  the  ministerial  office  has  been 
instituted,  whose  members  are  to  preach  the 
gospel  and  administer  the  sacraments.*  For 
through  the  instrumentality  of  the  word  and 
sacraments,  as  means  of  grace,  the  Holy  Spirit 
is  given,  who  in  his  own  time  and  place,  pro- 
duces faith  in  those  who  hear  the  gospel  mes- 
sage, namely,  that  God,  for  Christ's  sake,  and 
not  on  account  of  any  merit  in  us,  justifies 
those  who  believe  in  Christ." 

9.  Concerning  the  future  judgment  and 
world  of  retribution,  the  Confession  teaches 
that  Christ  will  come  again  to  judge  the  world ; 
that  he  will  then  raise  the  dead,  the  wicked  as 
well  as  the  righteous ;  that  upon  the  latter  he 

'^Lutherans  leach  tliat  there  are  but  two  institutions  entitled  to  the 
appellation  of  sacraments,  viz:  baptism  and  the  encharist. 


THE    LUTHERAN    CHURCH.  19 

will  bestow  everlasting  life,  but  the  former 
with  apostate  angels  he  will  punish  with  eternal 
destruction. 

These  are  the  cardinal  doctrines  of  the 
Scriptures ;  they  are  emphatically  "  the  doc- 
trines of  the  Reformation,"  which  all  the  great 
Reformers,  with  Luther  at  their  head,  elo- 
quently vindicated  and  boldly  and  triumph 
antly  inculcated.  I  most  devoutly  believe  that 
every  one  of  them  is  plainly  set  forth  in  the 
gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  the  wri- 
tings of  his  apostles ;  and  all  combined,  I  am 
firmly  convinced,  comprehend  every  article 
of  faith  essential  to  conversion  and  salvation. 
He  that  sincerely  receives  them  as  God's  in- 
spired truth,  and  lives  in  accordance  with 
them ;  in  other  words,  every  one  who  by  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  is  brought  under 
their  regenerating  and  sanctifying  influence, 
will  most  certainly  be  pardoned  and  saved  with 
an  unutterable  and  ever-during  salvation. 

I  cannot  but  revere  the  man  whom  God 
himself  honored  as  the  chosen  instrument  to 
restore  those  heaven-born  truths  to  an  ignorant, 
deluded  and  corrupt  world;  who  hazarded 
reputation  and  life  to  snatch  them  from  the 
deep  obscurity  of  superstition  and  human  clogs 


20  PROMINENT   DOCTRINES    OF 

in  which  they  had  heen  inhumed,  and  who  tri- 
umphantly held  them  up  once  more  in  their 
primitive  purity  to  his  admiring  cotemporaries 
and  all  succeeding  generations.  I  love  that 
branch  of  the  church  called  by  his  name,  the 
first-begotten  of  the  Reformation,  the  earliest 
to  adopt  and  promulgate  these  divine  truths, 
and  still  holding  to  them,  still  teaching  them  in 
all  their  pulpits,  and  instilling  them  into  the 
young  by  means  of  catechetical  instruction. 
It  was  by  hearing  them  explained  and  enforced 
that  God  in  mercy  opened  my  eyes,  alarmed 
my  conscience,  and  taught  me  to  look  to  Cal- 
vary for  deliverance  from  the  guilt  and  bon- 
dage of  sin,  and  finally  blessed  me  with  a 
hope  which  I  would  not  exchange  for  ten 
thousand  worlds  like  the  one  I  now  inhabit. 

So  far  then  as  articles  of  faith  are  con- 
cerned, I  may  confidently  ask,  why  should  I 
not  he  a  Lutheran  ?  Is  there  any  thing  like 
Romanism  or  Pelagianism,  or  Unitarianism,  or 
Universalism,  or  fanaticism,  or  any  other  spe- 
cies of  error  or  heresy  in  the  foregoing  prin- 
ciples? May  I  not  without  hesitancy  and 
with  all  safety  trust  my  immortal  interests  to  a 
firm  and  personal  belief  in  them  ?  Is  there  a 
Christian  on  earth  who  can  doubt  my  final  sal- 


THE    LUTHERAN    CHURCH.  21 


vation  while  I  truly  believe  and  live  under  their 
legitimate  influence?  May  I  not  then,  with 
full  assurance  of  inheriting  eternal  life,  remain 
in  the  church  of  which  I  am  a  member  and 
cleave  to  her  with  my  latest  breath? 

But  it  may  be  said  that  these  tenets  are  not 
peculiar  to  Lutheranism,  but  are  held  in  com- 
mon by  all  orthodox  Protestant  churches : — 
be  it  so ;  so  far  I  revere  and  love  all  orthodox 
Protestant  churches,  and  invoke  God's  richest 
blessings  on  them.  But  the  Lutheran  church 
is  the  one  that  first  brought  them  to  light  from 
the  dark  depths  of  Komish  corruption ;  that 
first  made  me  acquainted  with  them ;  in  which 
they  were  blessed  to  my  conversion,  and  in 
which  I  still  hear  them  expounded  and  incul- 
cated with  a  clearness,  sincerity  and  earnest- 
ness not  surpassed  in  any  other  denomination. 
WIuj  then  should  I  not  he  a  Lutheran? 


CHAPTER  II. 

I  AM  A  LUTHERAN  IN  THE  THIRD  PLACE, 

III.  Because  I  heartily  approve  of  the  Gov- 
ernmejit  of  the  Lutheran  ehurch.  There  are 
various  forms  of  church-polity  in  the  christian 
v^orld,  viz. 

1.  The  Patriarchal  or  Metropolitan.  This 
is  the  system  of  the  Greek  or  Eastern  church, 
which  may  be  reckoned  the  largest  as  to  extent 
of  empire,  having  a  considerable  voider  compass 
of  territory  than  the  Latin  or  Romish  with  all 
the  numerous  conflicting  sects  comprehended 
in  it; — so  that  the  latter  is  chargeable  with  a 
glaring  impropriety  in  assuming  to  itself  the 
distinctive  epithet  of  catholic  or  universal.  The 
Greek  church  is  governed  by  patriarchs,  me- 
tropolitans, archbishops,  bishops,  archimand- 
rites,* abbots,  priests  &c. 

2.  The  Papal  This  system  subjects  both 
church  and  state  to  the  dominion  of  07ie  erring 
mortal,  residing  in  the  city  of  Rome.  This 
two-fold  autocratic  usurpation,  the  pope  and 
his  numerous  coadjutors  are  most  sedulously 

*These  are  the  directors  of  convents. 


CHURCH  GOVERNMETT  IN  GENERAL.  2 


seeking  to  extend  over  our  Protestant  churches 
and  states  as  they  have  done  over  their  own. 

3.  The  Lutheran.     Of  this   I   shall  speak 
more  at  large  in  the  sequel. 

4.  The  Episcopal  This  system  excludes 
the  Pope  of  the  Latin,  and  the  Patriarchs  of 
the  Greek  church;  but  maintains  that  its 
bishops  are  the  regular  and  legitimate  suc- 
cessors of  the  apostles,  and  constitute  by  di- 
vine authority  a  distinct  and  superior  order  of 
clergy.  Those  who  differ  from  this  view  are 
called  Low-churcli-men.  In  England  the  oc- 
cupant of  the  throne  is  acknowledged  as  the 
supreme  earthly  head  of  the  church,  and  it  is 
governed  by  archbishops,  bishops,  deans,  arch- 
deacons &c. 

5.  The  Preshyterian,  which  rejects  prelacy, 
and  insists  on  the  parity  of  ministers,  the  co- 
operation of  ruling  elders  in  its  government, 
and  the  union  of  all  its  churches  under  one 
revising  and  controlling  judicatory,  denomi- 
nated the  General  Assembly,  which  is  com- 
posed of  delegates  from  the  Presbyteries  and 
meets  annually  for  the  transaction  of  business. 
It  is  governed  by  Sessions,  Presbyteries,  Sy- 
nods and  the  General  Assembly. 

G.   Tlie  Congregational  which  agrees  with 


24.  GOVERNMENT   OF   THE 

» 

the  Presbyterian  in  holding  to  the  parity  of 
ministers,  but  differs  in  that  it  teaches  that 
each  church  is  in  itself  an  independent  body,* 
possessing  all  the  powers  of  government  in  its 
own  members  and  pastor,  and  that  the  juris- 
diction of  each  church  over  itself  is  final.  Of 
course,  each  church  is  governed  by  itself  in  its 
own  primary  capacity. 

There  are  indeed  other  systems  differing 
more  or  less  from  the  foregoing,  viz.  the 
Methodist,  Baptist,  German  Reformed  &c., 
but  they  are  mere  modifications,  and  in  their 
radical  features  may  all  be  resolved  into  one 
or  the  other  of  those  just  mentioned. 

The  Lutheran  form  of  government  varies 
from  all  the  preceding;  it  however  strongly 
resembles  in  some  of  its  aspects  the  Presby- 
terian system,  and  in  others  that  of  the  Inde- 
pendent or  Congregational  churches.  Like 
the  Presb5^terian  it  has  church-officers  termed 
elders  and  deacons,  who  constitute  a  Coimcil, 
answering  to  the  Presbyterian  Session,  but 
those  ofl[icers  are  elected  only  for  a  term  of 
years.  It  also  acknowledges  Special  Confer- 
ences, Synods,  and  a  General  Synod ;  but  all 
these  are  regarded  rather  as  advisory  bodies 

"^Hence  their  churclies  are  frequently  termed  "  Independent.'''' 


LUTHERAN   CHURCH.  25 

than  ^s  judicatories,  though  they  are  sometimes 
called  judicatories  in  opposition  to  the  views 
of  a  portion  of  the  church.  The  General 
Synod  especially,  to  which  I  shall  have  occa- 
sion again  to  refer,  is  universally  acknowledged 
to  be  clothed  with  none  other  than  recommen- 
datory power.  In  these  respects  the  eccle- 
siastical bodies  of  the  Lutherans  bear  most 
analogy  to  the  Consociations  of  the  Congrega- 
tional churches  of  New  England.  Lutherans 
in  common  with  others,  believe  that  all  power 
is  originally  centered  in  Jesus  Christ,  the 
Great  Head  of  the  Church ;  but  they  maintain 
that  he  has  delegated  authority  to  govern  it  to 
the  people,  that  is,  to  individual  churches,  who 
are  required  to  employ  that  authority  in  ac- 
ij  cordance  with  the  general  principles  taught  in 
i  the  New  Testament.  Hence  every  individual 
1 1  church  elects  and  dismisses  its  own  minister, 
jj  fixes  the  amount  of  his  salary,  frames  its  own 
discipline  &c.  independently  of  any  coercive 
synodical  control. — The  synod,  within  whose 
boundary  a  congregation  is  located  and  of 
which  its  minister  is  a  member,  may  advise  but 
desires  not  to  force.  If  however,  either  pastor 
or  people  violate  the  established  fundamental 
principles  of  Lutheranism,  tliey  may  be  ex- 
3 


26  GOVERNMENT  OF  THE 

eluded  from  membership  in  the  synod  and  be 
declared  to  be  no  longer  Luthera7i.  In  con- 
formity to  this  view,  individual  churches  claim 
the  original  right  of  administering  discipline, 
and  may  try  and  decide  cases  in  their  primary 
congregational  capacity.  This  was  to  some 
extent  the  custom  some  thirty  or  forty  years 
ago,  but  of  late  most  if  not  all  the  churches  have 
delegated  this  right  to  the  officers  so  that  at 
present  the  discipline  is  administered  in  the 
name  of  the  church  by  its  Council.  An  appeal 
from  the  decision  of  the  Council  may  be  car- 
ried up  to  the  district  synod,  who  may  either 
confirm  said  decision  or  advise  a  review  of  the 
case,  or  appoint  a  special  committee  for  that 
purpose.  But  as  this  subject  will  claim  atten- 
tion hereafter,  I  shall  pass  on,  with  this  single 
remark,  that  in  most  of  these  features  I  appre- 
hend the  Lutheran  form  of  government  and 
discipline  approximates  nearest  to  that  of  the 
Congregational. 

Before  I  enter  more  into  detail  I  must  pre- 
mise, that  one  grand  general  principle  adopted 
by  Lutherans  throughout  the  world  is,  that  as 
the  Great  Head  of  the  church  designed  his  re- 
ligion for  all  nations  of  every  variety  of  civil 
institutions,  he  did  not  prescribe   any  entire 


LUTHERAN    CHURCH.  21 

specific  system  of  government,  but  simply  laid 
down  a  few  fundamental  principles,  and  left 
the  churches  to  fill  up  the  outline  as  might 
seem  best  calculated  under  varied  circum- 
stances to  carry  out  those  principles  and  se- 
cure the  peace  and  prosperity  of  the  several 
departments  of  his  kingdom.  Accordingly  we 
find,  that  the  government  of  the  Lutheran 
church,  while  it  is  one  and  the  same  through- 
out the  world  in  its  radical  features^  has  as- 
sumed diverse  aspects  in  different  countries 
and  under  varied  forms  of  political  government. 
Thus,  in  Sweden  and  Denmark  the  church  is 
governed  partly  by  prelates ;  in  different  por- 
tions of  Germany  by  superintendents,  consis- 
torial-counsellors,  inspectors  &c.;  and  in  our 
own  country  by  church-councils,  conferences, 
and  synods.  In  all  these  modifications  it  em- 
braces fo'st^  all  those  cardinal  principles  and 
precepts  of  permanent  and  universal  obligation 
which  are  contained  in  the  New  Testament; 
and  secondly,  such  other  additional  or  subor- 
dinate regulations  as  have  appeared  to  be  best 
adapted  to  the  genius  of  the  political  arrange- 
ments of  the  country,  and  calculated  most  suc- 
cessfully to  advance  the  cause  of  Christ.  The 
principal  characteristics  of  the  government  of 


28  GOVERNMENT   OF   THE 


the  Lutheran  church  in  the  United   States, 
are 

1.  The  parity  of  Ministers; 

2.  Church-Councils; 

3.  Special  Conferences; 

4.  District  Synods;  and 

5.  The  General  Synod. 

1 .  The  parity  of  ministers.    B  y  this  I  mean 

the  perfect  equality  of  rank,  by  divine  right, 
of  all  the  incumbents  of  the  ministerial  office. 
This  docti'ine  was  held  and  strenuousl}^  main- 
tained by  Luther  in  the  face  of  the  long  es- 
tablished and  formidable  hierarchy  of  Rome; 
and  nearly  all  the  other  Reformers  also  adop- 
ted it.  Lutherans  are  still  as  much  as  ever 
persuaded  that  there  is  no  law  of  divine  au- 
thority which  points  out  a  distinction  between 
the  ministers  of  the  gospel  with  respect  to 
rank,  dignity  or  prerogative,  and  hence  they 
still  recede  in  all  countries  from  diocesan  epis- 
copacy, except  jure  humano,  that  is,  except 
by  hu7nan  law.  It  has  already  been  observed, 
that  in  two  or  three  of  the  Northern  kingdoms 
they  have  bishops,  and  in  Germany,  superin- 
tendents &c.;  but  this  does  not  trench  upon 
the  paramount  principle  of  parity,  because 
even  in  those  countries  these  modifications  are 


LUTHERAN  CHURCH.  29 

advocated  only  on  grounds  of  human  expedi- 
ency, whilst  the  primitive  equahty  of  rank  is 
universally  conceded.  Moreover,  the  term 
bishop  in  the  kingdoms  above  alluded  to,  is 
entirely  divested  of  the  mystic  idea  of  higher 
or  holier  dignity  so  commonly  attached  to  it  in 
Rome,  England^  and  some  parts  of  our  own 
country.  So  also  in  Prussia,  the  king  lately 
conferred  the  title  of  bishop  on  a  few  of  his 
favorites;  but  this  was  done  altogether  for  po- 
litical purposes,  and  with  a  view  to  reward 
those  who  had  distinguished  themselves  by 
their  surpassing  loyalty.  The  mere  title  and 
the  httle  brief  authority  connected  with  it 
amount  to  scarcely  anything,  and  are  not  pre- 
tended to  be  derived,  in  the  sense  in  which 
they  have  been  bestowed,  from  any  specific 
precept  or  example  recorded  in  the  sacred 
scriptures.  This  trait  of  ministerial  equality 
in  the  character  of  the  Lutheran  church,  is 
one  which  I  exceedingly  admire;  I  am  per- 
fectly convinced  that  it  characterized  the  prim- 
itive church,  and  is  plainly  taught  in  God's 
holy  Word :  I  know  that  it  is  a  favor iti  prin- 
ciple of  Lutheranism,  and  hence  it  constitutes 
one  among  many  reasons  why  I  prefer  being  a 
Lutheran. 
3* 


30  GOVERNMENT    OF    THE 


2.  Church- Councils.  The  Council  is  the 
lowest  delegated  authority  of  the  church;  it 
consists  of  elders  and  deacons,  and  also  in 
some  instances  of  trustees,  all  elected  by  the 
members  of  the  church  for  a  limited  period  of 
time;  the  pastor  is  a  permanent  member  by 
virtue  of  his  office.  Besides  managing  the 
temporal  concerns  of  the  church,  and  attend- 
ing to  other  duties,  the  Council  are  required 
to  see  to  the  religious  instruction  of  the 
young,  to  aid  the  minister  at  the  celebration  of 
the  eucharist,  in  visiting  the  sick,  and  espe- 
cially in  administering  the  discipline. 

3.  Special  Conferences.  These  are  subdi- 
visions of  synods,  consisting  of  three  or  more 
ministers  residing  contiguously,  who  meet  as 
often  as  convenient  in  each  others  congrega- 
tions to  hold  meetings  for  two  or  three  days  or 
longer,  with  a  view  to  awaken  and  convert 
sinners,  and  to  edify  believers  by  close  practi- 
cal preaching.  Each  minister  may  bring  with 
him  a  lay-delegate.  Ecclesiastical  business 
appertaining  to  the  district  in  which  they  may 
reside  may  be  attended  to  by  them,  but  they 
never  license  or  ordain  candidates  for  the 
ministry  unless  authorized  by  an  express  vote 
of  the  synod. 


LUTHERAN    CHURCH.  31 


4,   District  Synods.   A  district  synod  is  a 
body  of  ministers,  with  an  equal  number  of 
lay-delegates,  residing  within  a  certain  district, 
convened  for  the  transaction  of  business.     The 
duty  of  each  synod  is  thus  set  forth  in  the 
For  inula  J  S^-c,  for  the  government  of  the  church: 
"To  see  that  the  rules  of  government  and  dis- 
cipline prescribed  in  this    Formula,   are  ob- 
served by  all  the  congregations  and  ministers 
within  their  bounds,  to  receive  appeals  from 
decisions  of  church-councils,   and  of  special 
conferences   when   regularly   brought    before 
them,  and  review  and  reverse  or  confirm  the 
decisions  to  which  they  refer;  to  examine  and 
decide  on  all  charges  against  ministers   and 
licentiates,  that  of  heterodoxy  alone  excepted; 
to  form  and  change  ministerial  districts;  to  at- 
tend to  any  business  relating  to  their  churches, 
which  is  regularly   brought  before   them,  to 
provide  supplies  for  destitute   congregations, 
and  to  devise  and  execute  all  suitable  mea- 
sures for  the  promotion  of  piety  and  the  gene- 
ral prosperity  of  the  church,  not  otherwise  dis- 
posed of  in  this  Formula." 

There  is  connected  with  every  District  sy- 
nod a  Ministeriitm,  composed  exclusively  of 
the  pastors  or  ordained  ministers  of  the  synod. 


32  GOVERNMENT  OF   THE 


which  usually  holds  its  sessions  immediately 
after  the  adjournment  of  synod,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  attending  to  those  duties  which  helong 
more  immediately  to  their  province,  such  as 
examination,  licensure  and  ordination  of  can- 
didates for  the  ministry.  A]l  charges  of  heresy 
against  a  minister,  as  also  appeals  from  the 
decision  of  a  church-council  on  a  charge  of 
heresy  against  a  layman,  or  from  the  decision 
of  a  special  conference  on  a  similar  charge 
against  a  minister,  are  to  be  examined  and  de- 
cided by  the  Ministerium. 

5.  The  General  Synod,  This  body,  which 
meets  biennially  or  every  two  years,  consists 
of  an  equal  number  of  clerical  and  lay-dele- 
gates, from  all  those  district  S3mods  which 
have  attached  themselves  to  it.  It  is  exclu- 
sively an  advisary  body,  and  is  intended  to  be 
a  general  bond  of  union  of  all  the  synods  of 
the  whole  church,  and  to  promote  the  general 
interests  of  the  same. 

Great  exception  has  been  taken  to  the  Gen- 
eral Synod,  on  the  ground  that  it  tends  to 
centralization,  is  designed  to  usurp  undue  au- 
thority, &c.  But  these  apprehensions  appear 
to  be  wholly  gratuitous,  as  must  be  manifest  to 
every  unbiassed  and  intelligent  mind,  because 


: 


.'TT'II— "'"    ^   "'    '    *'''""'    "'"^     ■■■■■■Mnii-Ti7Tli1   f-|       ■  -um|-|.ii»TS'n«trtrfiirt'g«i'rnl>ni« 


LUTHERAN    CHURCH.  33 


it  is  altogether  a- voluntary  union  of  synods, 
from  which  they  may  recede  whenever  they 
think  proper,  and  by  the  express  provisions  of 
its  constitution^  can  never  transcend  the  hum- 
ble privilege  of  proffering  advice.  If  there  be 
any  well  grounded  objection  to  it,  it  is  to  be 
found  in  the  entire  want  of  authority^  which 
renders  it  a  less  efficient  instrumentality  for 
good  than  it  might  be.  The  very  synods  that 
have  inveighed  most  against  it  and  affected  to 
evince  most  alarm  at  its  putative  assumptions, 
absolutely  possess  and  exercise  more  power 
than  the  General  Synod.  As  for  those  indi- 
viduals who  have  labored  to  fill  the  public 
mind  with  Suspicions  and  hostility  to  this  body, 
it  is  to  be  feared  that  their  opposition  proceeds 
less  from  just  conviction  than  from  Want  of  in- 
formation Or  some  other  more  questionable 
motive.  1  would  fain  hope  that  the  absence  of 
correct  intelligence  may  be  the  most  frequent 
cause  of  their  antipathy. 

The  General  Synod  has  already  tended  to 
harmonize  district  synods  and  promote  unity 
of  sentiment  and  action  in  relation  to  the  para- 
mount interests  of  the  church ;  and  had  it  not 
been  resisted  would  have  proven  instrumental 
in  uniting  all  the  churches  in  the  bonds  of  inti- 


34  GOVERNMENT   OF  THE 


mate  christian  affection.    But  the  great  amount 
of  positive  good  that  it  has  accomphshed  by 
its  wise  dehherations  and  judicious  counsels,  I 
shall  not  attempt  to  detail;  the  circumscribed 
limits  to  which  I  must  confine  myself  forbid  it. 
The  Lutheran  church  in  the  United  States  is 
now,  and  has  been  for  a  number  of  years,  en- 
joying the  inestimable  fruits  of  its  benign  and 
propitious  influence.    To  its  wholesome  advice 
and  efficient  action  the  churcli  is  indebted  for 
the  establishment  of  Pennsylvania  College  and 
the  Theological  Seminary  at  Gettysburg;  and 
whose  pen  is  endowed  with  sufficient  eloquence 
to  set  forth  all  the  blessings  that  have  already 
resulted   to   individuals,  the   church    and  the 
world    from    those     invaluable    institutions? 
Those  blessings  are  indeed  in  process  of  de- 
velopment from  day  to  day,  and  from  year  to 
year,  and  the  whole  church  is  rejoicing  in  the 
rich  fruition,  but  they  can  never  be  adequately 
estimated  until  the  bright  blazing  light  of  eter- 
nity shall  shine  upon  and  fully  exhibit  them. 
The  Lutheran  church  is  favored  with  two  hymn 
books,  prepared  for  public  and  social  worship, 
the  one  German,  and  the  other  English ;  both 
evangelic    and   deeply   spiritual,    which   have 
been  blessed  to  the  edification,  encouragement 


LUTHERAN    CHURCH.  35 


and  Salvation  of  iinnumlrered  souls.  The  lat- 
ter especially  is  not  inferior  in  judicious  adap- 
tation and  in  every  variety  of  excellence,  to 
any  other  hymn  hook  extant.  To  the  Gene- 
ral Synod  the  church  is  indebted  for  both 
these  inappreciable  additions  to  its  stock  of 
devotional  and  religious  books.  It  was  the 
General  Synod  that  first  cornme'nced  seriously 
deliberating  on  the  subject  of  establishing  a 
foreign  Lutheran  missionary  station  among 
the  Heathen ;  at  this  very  moment  it  is  pursu- 
ing measures  for  the  accomplishment  of  this 
important  purpose,  and  before  these  remarks 
shall  meet  the  public  eye,  such  a  station  will 
have  been  founded  in  East  India.  The  Pa- 
rent Education  Society  and  the  Central  Do- 
mestic Missionary  Society,  with  their  numer- 
ous comely  and  prosperous  progeny  of  auxili- 
aries, are  the  blessed  offspring  of  the  General 
Synod.  The  cause  of  Sunday  Schools,  of 
Temperance,  and  indeed  of  every  unequivocal- 
ly benevolent  and  religious  enterprize  receives 
its  sanction,  and  seems  to  flourish  under  its 
gentle,  fostering  auspices.  Entirely  destitute 
of  pGfVe?^  as  it  is  of  inclination  to  burden  the 
conscience,  to  oppress  or  even  encroach  upon 
tlie  rights  of  synods,  churches  or  individuals 


36  GOVERNMENT   OF    THE 

it  pos^ses  capacity  only  (or  ptirpoges  of  good, 
and  that  exclusively  in  the  Way  of  devising, 
projecting  and  recomimending  s^uch  purposes. 
It  cannot  by  itg  congtitution,-  and  desires  not 
according  to  its  spirit,  to  enforce  its  counsels. 
Its  proceedings  therefore'  are  the  benignant 
admonitions  and  aifectiotiate  recommendations 
of  a  kind  and  tender  parent^  who  exerts  all 
his  salutary  influence  hj  lovc^  wholly  apart 
from  coercion.  Such  is  the  Gei*ieral  Synod 
of  the  Lutheran  church.  No  wonder  that  it 
has  met  with  the  approhation  of  distinguished 
and  pious  Lutheran  divines  in  Germany  and 
elsewhere,-  and  that  nearly  all  the  most  effec- 
tive and  zealous  Lutheran  district  synods  in 
the  United  States  have  passed  resolutions 
commendatory  of  its  character  and  desi«:n, 
have  voluntarily  come  forward  and'  sought  fel- 
lowship with  it,  and  now  feel  free  and  happy 
in  the  connection.  The  only  marvel  is^  that 
an  ecclesiastical  body  with  no  other  hut  advi- 
sory power,  should  have  teen  able  in  so  short 
a  period  to  effect  so  much  good,  and  that  too  in 
the  very  face  of  antagonistic  micn  and  even  sy- 
nods, who  took  every  occasion  to  disparage  it, 
and  to  alkrm  the  fears  of  the  timid  and  fdl  the 
minds  of  the  confiding  with  prejudice  and  op- 


LUTHERAN    Cl^URCH.  37 


position.     'Those  very  men  knew,  or  certainly 
might  have'  kiiown,  if  they  had  taken  the  pains 
to  inform  themselves,  that  their  hostility  to  the 
Getieral  Synod  was  tased  tipon  misconception 
or   uiireasoiiable    prepossession;    and  hence, 
that  all  their  adverse  efforts  tvere,  to  say  the 
lea^t,  a  mere  display  of  words  full  of  sound  and 
fury  signifying  nothing.       It  is  to  be  hoped 
that  they  Will  ere  long  discover  their  error  and 
change  their  course ;  the  honest  and  conscien- 
tious portion  of  them  caii  hardly  fail  to  reach 
this  result,  and  then  the  Lutheran  church  will 
present,  in  its  General  Synod,  one  Ijroad  and 
undivided  front  to  all  the  enemies  of  Christ 
and  liis  cause.     In  the  meantime  let  that  noble 
body  go  on  as  it  has  heretofore  done,  suggest- 
ing and  encouraging  pkns,  and  proposing  ways 
and  means  for  the  promotion  of  Christian  be- 
nevolence and  vital  godliness,  and  the  Lord's 
blessing  will  continue  to  abide  Upon  it  and  to 
prosper  it,  notwithstanding  the  exertions  of  its 
adversaries.    The  good  it  has  thus  far  effected, 
has  been  achieved,  not  by  an^ogating  to  itself 
undue  power,  but  by  the  exercise  of  moral 
suasion.     Its  efforts  and  projects  for  useful- 
ness have  commended  themselves  so   strongly 
to   the   enli":htened    conscience   and  renewed 


38  GOVERNMENT   OF    THE 


heart  of  the  friends  of  Liitheranism,  and  been 
in  such  obvious  accordance  with  the  good  plea- 
sure of  the  Master,  that,  as  the  former  could 
not  but  approve,  so  the  lattet  could  not  but 
impart  his  benediction.  And  this  is  the  secret 
of  the  success  and  felicitous  results  of  the  Gene- 
ral Synod.  Good  men  sanctioned  and  God 
smiled  upon  its  pious  doings,  and  hence  its  effi- 
cient agency  in  advancing  all  the  great  inte- 
rests of  the  Lutheran  church. 

Thus  have  I  endeavored  to  furnish  a  correct 
sketch  of  the  order  of  government  of  the  Lu- 
theran church  in  the  United  States;  and  I 
hesitate  not  to  assert,  that  I  see  n\uch  in  it  to 
admire  and  but  little  if  any  thing  to  object  to. 

It  is  simple,  equitable  and  scriptural,  and 
withal,  in  perfect  consonance  with  the  princi- 
ples of  our  political  institutions.  As  this 
church  holds  the  essential  doctrines  of  Christi- 
anity with  fewer  appended  peculiarities  than 
most  other  denominations,  so  she  has  a  system 
of  government,  which  I  verily  believe,  ap- 
proaches as  near  to  that  of  the  primitive 
church  and  the  general  principles  prescribed 
in  the  New  Testament  as  any  other.  With 
the  Presbyterians  she  has  ruling  elders  and 
synods  to  take  a  part  in  her  ecclesiastical  af- 


H'Krr^if  (tr-iir^-j-  r-r- ...... .,....^_^^^^ 

LUTHERAN   CHURCH.  39 


fairs;  but  unlike  that  revered  church,  her 
elders  are  elected  periodically,  and  her  synods 
are  rather  advisory  than  judicatory.  Like  I 
the  Congregationalists,  the  church,  that  is,  the 
ministers  and  all  the  members  of  each  indivi- 
dual church,  possess  the  power  to  administer 
the  discipline;  but  imlike  that  active  and  be- 
nevolent body,  this  power  is  in  most  instances 
delegated -to  the  church-officers. 

Agreeing  with  both  these  distinguished  de- 
partments of  the  household  of  faith,  she  holds 
with  unyielding  tenacity  to  the  parity  of  min- 
isters, believing  most  devoutly  and  literally  the 
declaration  of  the  Saviour:  ''For  one  is  your 
Master,  even  Christ;  and  all  ye  are  brethren." 
Matthew,  xxiii.  8; 

Like  the  Methodists,  who  have  introduced 
limited  episcopacy  and  presiding  eldership 
wholly  on  the  ground  of  expediency,  so  the 
Lutheran  church  in  the  north  of  Europe  has 
her  prelates,  and  farther  south,  her  superinten- 
dents and  inspectors,  on  the  very  same  ground, 
and  because  these  arrangements  were  deemed 
to  be  most  pertinent  to  the  political  estabhsh- 
ments  of  those  countries.  Thus,  a  partial  re- 
semblance and  a  partial  discrepancy  might  be 
I   traced  between  the  Lutheran  polity  and  that 


rrniiyiW>Triiiiiiwi<i)i>iiiiVMTrirtiiiTW.»^itfa»"ii '^  ■ifin i>mirkii£l!!L'i"i  rmiiiii^ifcyrrti iiv~i n i — Miia'fiiitfrTi''-AfiA?i.' 


J    40  GOVERNMENT    OF    THE 


of  most  other  orthodox  deiiominations ;  so 
that  it  may  justly  be  said  to  he  eclectic  in  its 
tiature^  adjusting  into  a  regular  and  harmoni- 
ous whole,  all  the  best  features  found  in  other 
churches,  and  setting  aside  those  of  doubtful 
utility  to  make  room  for  others  entitled  to  a 
preference.  Even  that  link  in  the'  chain  of 
governrnent^  which  has  been  the  groutid  of  so 
much  objection,  on  the  one  hand  on  the  score 
of  too  much  'power,  and  on  the  other^  of  too 
little  power ^  I  mean  the  General  Synod,  is  as- 
certained after  all  to  be  perhaps  as  judiciously 
contrived  as  any  other.  It  is  Weil  known  that 
the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian 
churchy  which  is  emphatically  an  ecclesiastical 
court  or  tribunal,  exercising  supreme  and  final 
authority,  has  recently  been  convulsed  to  its 
very  centre,  and  on  account  of  its  unlvieldy 
bulk  and  excessive  power,  one  of  the  most 
eminent  and  influential  divines*  of  that  church 
a  few  years  ago  proposed  a  re-organization  of 
the  church ;  recommending  that  the  General 
Assembly  should  have  only  advisory  power, 
and  that  the  synods  should  have  for  their  re- 
spective districts  that  flhal  power  noW  pos- 

*The  Rev.  Dr.  Alexander  of  Princeton  ;  sed  Biblical  Repository 
for  1832. 


LUTHERAN    CHURCH.  41 

sessed  by  the  former ;  thus  making  the  Gene- 
ral Assembly  among  Presbyterians  precisely 
what  the  General  Synod  is  among  Lutherans. 
A  higher  compliment  from  a  higher  source 
could  scarcely  be  paid  to  the  system  of  Luther- 
an church  government. 

This  system,  while  it  guarantees  to  minis- 
ters equality  of  rank  and  privilege  and  protects 
them  in  all  their  just  claims,  abundantly  se- 
cures to  congregations  and  individual  members 
every  exercise  of  power  and  immunity  to 
which  they  are  entitled.  If  a  minister  is  dis- 
satisfied with  his  situation  he  can  resign  and 
locate  himself  elsewhere,  and  the  congregation 
may  dismiss  him  whenever  a  majority  of  two- 
thirds  judge  that  the  interests  of  the  church 
require  it.  If  accusations  are  preferred  against 
the  minister,  the  case  is  investigated  by  his 
peers  in  synod,  where  he  has  every  opportuni- 
ty for  a  fair  and  impartial  trial,  and  where  the 
interests  of  the  congregation  are  also  fully  rep- 
resented by  an  equality  of  lay-delegation  ;  and 
if  dissatisfied  with  the  decision  he  may  carry 
his  trial  up  to  the  General  Synod  who  may 
recommend  a  revision  of  the  case.  So  also  an 
individual  member,  if  he  feel  aggrieved  by  the 
decision  of  the  con^^re^-ation  of  which  he  is  a 
4* 


42  GOVERNMENT   OF   THE 

member,  or  of  its  council,  may  appeal  to  the 
special  conference,  or  synod,  and  thus  secure 
a  new  trial.  Thus  I  might  retrace  every  item 
of  this  system  and  point  out  a  propriety,  equi- 
ty and  reciprocity  of  right  not  excelled  in  the 
economy  of  any  other  denomination.  But  its 
grand  features  have  been  sufficiently  delineated, 
and  I  willingly  submit  the  whole  to  the  judg- 
ment of  the  unprejudiced  reader,  and  leave 
him  to  decide  w^hether  I  have  not  good  cause 
for  being  a  Lutheran?  Let  him  review  the 
doctrines  and  government  of  Lutheranism  as 
exhibited,  and  I  venture  to  say  he  will  no  long- 
er inquire :  Whij  are  you  a  Lutheran  ?  The 
system  itself  will  furnish  a  most  satisfactory 
and  triumphant  reply.  That  system  teaches  a 
universality  of  Christ's  atonement,  and  in  this 
respect  Congregationalists,  Methodists  and 
most  Presbjrterians  fall  in  with  it.  It  main- 
tains that  justification  is  wholly  by  faith  in 
Christ,  and  that  salvation  is  from  beginning  to 
end  the  work  of  free,  unmerited  grace,  and 
here  all  orthodox  churches  coincide  with  it.  It 
has  a  liturgy  and  forms  of  prayer,  and  admits 
to  membership  by  confirmation,  and  in  this 
Episcopalians  agree  with  it;  but  ministers  and 
people  cire  left  free  to  use  those  forms  or  pray 


THE    LUTHERAN  CHURCH.  43 

extempore,  and  in  this  point  of  view  the  most 
serious  objections  urged  by  Methodists,  Pres- 
byterians, &c.,  are  removed.  It  has  its  spe- 
cial conferences,  which  answer  to  the  protract- 
ed meetings  of  some  churches,  and  tlie  quar- 
terly conferences  of  others.  It  requires  the 
regular  indoctrination  of  the  young  by  means 
of  catechetical  instruction,  preparatory  to  ad- 
mission by  confirmation,  and  positively  disap- 
proves of  administering  this  solemn  rite  to  any 
who  are  not  awakened  to  penitence  and  to  a 
sincere  desire  and  determination  by  the  grace 
of  God  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come;  and 
herein  it  harmonizes  with  the  German  Re- 
formed. Its  whole  tendency  is  to  exalt  the 
Savior  and  humble  the  sinner,  imputing  all  the 
glory  of  redemption  to  the  former,  and  all  the 
responsibility  and  blameworthiness  of  final  con- 
demnation to  the  latter.  And  is  there  no  ar- 
gument in  all  this  to  vindicate  my  Lutheran- 
ism?  Can  any  reflecting  man  after  this  repre- 
sentation of  Lutheran  doctrine  and  church 
polity,  wonder  why  I  should  be  a  member  of 
the  Lutheran  church,  or  assign  a  single  good 
reason  why  I  should  not  cleave  to  it  with  my 
latest  breath? 


CHAPTER  III. 

I  AM  A  LUTHERAN  IN  THE  FOURTH  PLACE, 

IV.  Because  I  regard  the  Discipline  of  the 
Lutheran  church  as  decidedly  scriptural^  and 
calculated  to  promote  harmony ^  purity  and 
spirituality. 

I  have  already  had  repeated  occasion  to  re- 
fer incidentally  to  the  Discipline  of  the  church, 
and  on  that  account,  and  also  because  of  its 
intimate  connection  with  the  general  govern- 
ment of  the  church,  a  subject  already  suffi- 
ciently discussed,  I  shall  not  occupy  much  time 
on  this  branch  of  the  subject. 

I  must  however  reiterate  the  remark,  that 
Lutherans  believe  that  the  right  and  duty  of 
administering  church  discipline  is  primarily 
vested  in  individual  churches,  that  is,  that  the 
minister  and  all  the  members  of  each  individual 
church  collectively  possess  the  power  to  execute 
the  discipline,  by  which  I  mean,  the  power  to 
admonish  and  rebuke  erring  brethren,  to  re- 
ceive new  members,  to  censure  or  exclude  un- 
worthy ones,  to  restore  penitents,  &c.  &c. 
But  this  power  has  in  most  instances  been 


LUTHERAN   CHURCH.  45 


surrendered  to  the  officers  of  the  church, 
called  the  church-council.  The  right  of  ori^-i- 
nally  adopting  a  system  of  discipline,  and  of 
subsequently  altering  and  amending  or  in  any 
way  modifying  it,  is  still  in  many  instances  re- 
served to  the  church  in  its  primary  or  cono-re- 
gational  capacity.  But  when  once  introduced, 
its  provisions  are  carried  into  effect  in  the 
name  of  the  church  by  its  legally  elected  offi- 
cers, the  elders  and  deacons. 

In  order  to  establish  the  position  assumed 
above  respecting  the  scriptural  character  and 
salutary  influence  of  the  discipline  of  the  Lu- 
theran church,  little  more  is  requisite  than  a 
simple  expose  of  its  general  features  and  the 
mode  of  administering  it,  and  hence  I  shall 
quote  from  the  ''  Formula  for  the  Government 
and  Discipline,"  &c.,.as  recommended  and 
published  by  the  General  Synod. 

1.  Elders  and  Deacons. — The  principal  du- 
ties of  Elders  are  to  aid  the  pastor  or  pastors 
in  administering  the  government  and  discipline 
of  the  church ;  to  endeavor  to  preserve  peace 
and  harmony  in  the  church ;  to  visit  the  con- 
gregational schools,  and  promote  the  religious 
instruction  of  the  children  of  the  church ;  and 
to  visit  the  sick  and  afflicted,  and  to  aid  in  the 


46  DISCIPLINE  OF   THE 

performance  of  such  other  duties  as  are  incum 
bent  on  the  church-council. 

The  duties  of  the  Deacons'  office  are  princi- 
pally these  :  to  lead  an  exemplary  life  as  com- 
manded in  Scripture,  to  minister  unto  the 
poor,  extending  to  their  wants  and  distributing 
faithfully  amongst  them  the  collections  which 
may  be  made  for  their  use  ;  to  assist  the  pas- 
tor in  the  administration  of  the  eucharist,  to 
attend  and  render  all  necessary  service  at 
stated  worship ;  to  see  that  their  minister  re- 
ceive a  just  and  adequate  support  according 
to  the  commands  of  our  Lord ;  to  administer 
the  temporal  concerns  of  the  church ;  and  to 
aid  in  the  performance  of  such  other  duties  as 
are  incumbent  on  the  church-council.  Both 
these  officers  are  elected  by  the  people,  and  it 
is  their  duty  to  feel  the  deepest  interest  in  the 
advancement  of  piety  among  the  members  of 
the  church,  and  to  exert  their  utmost  influence 
to  promote  it. 

Those  congregations  which  have  been  in  the 
habit  of  having  trustees,  may,  if  they  deem  it 
expedient,  still  retain  them,  and  continue  to 
them  such  privileges  as  they  may  deem  expe- 
dient. 

2.    The  ChircJi- Council — This  consists  of 


LUTHERAN  CHURCH.  47 

the  pastor  or  pastors  and  all  the  elders  and 
deacons  (and  also  of  the  trustees  if  there  be 
any)  of  a  particular  church. 

The  pastor,  together  with  half  the  other  ex- 
iting members  of  the  council,  and  in  the  ne- 
cessary absence  of  the  pastor,  two-thirds  of  the 
remaining  members  of  the  council  shall  consti- 
tute a  quorum. 

But  no  business  connected  with  the  govern- 
ment or  discipline  of  the  church  shall  be  trans- 
acted without  the  presence  of  the  minister,  un- 
less his  absence  is  unavoidable  or  voluntary, 
or  the  church  be  vacant.  And  when  present 
the  pastor  shall  be  ex  officio  chairman. 

The  church-council  shall  have  the  superin- 
tendence of  the  temporal  concerns  of  the 
church,  and  shall  see  that  they  are  adminis- 
tered with  wisdom,  faithfulness  and  justice. 
They  shall  also  elect  a  deputy  to  represent 
them  at  the  annual  synodical  meeting. 

It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  council  to  admit 
to  membership  adults,  who  shall  make  applica- 
tion, and  whom  on  mature  deliberation,  they 
shall  judge  to  be  possessed  of  the  quahfications 
hereafter  specified.  They  shall  be  obedient 
sii!  jects  of  divine  grace — that  is,  they  must 
either  be   genuine    Christians,  or   satisfy  the 


48  DISCIPLINE   OF   THE 

church-council  that  they  are  sincerely  endea- 
voring to  become  such.  Also  to  admit  to  the 
communion  of  the  church,  all  those  who  were 
admitted  to  church-membership  in  their  infan- 
cy, and  whom  on  like  examination,  they  shall 
judge  possessed  of  the  above  mentioned  quali- 
fications. No  one  shall  be  considered  a  fit 
subject  for  confirmation  who  has  not  previous- 
ly attended  a  course  of  religious  lectures,  de- 
livered by  the  pastor  on  the  most  important 
doctrines  and  principles  of  rehgion;  unless 
the  pastor  should  be  satisfied  that  the  appli- 
cant's attainments  are  adequate  without  this 
attendance.  And  when  adults  are  admitted  to 
membership,  their  baptism  shall  if  possible  be 
performed  publicly  before  the  church;  and 
when  members  who  were  baptized  in  their  in- 
fancy are  admitted  to  full  communion,  they 
shall  in  the  same  public  manner  confirm  their 
baptismal  vows  according  to  the  form  of  con- 
firmation customary  in  the  church. 

If  any  member  of  the  church-council  should 
conduct  himself  in  a  manner  unworthy  of  his 
office,  he  may  be  accused  before  the  council ; 
and  if  found  guilty,  his  case  shall  be  referred 
to  the  whole  church  for  decision. 

It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  council  to  admin- 


LUTHERAN  CHURCH.  49 

ister  the  discipline  of  the  church,  on  all  those 
whose  conduct  is  inconsistent  with  their  Chris- 
tian profession,  or  who  entertain  fundamental 
errors.  To  this  end  they  shall  have  poAver  to 
cite  any  one  of  their  church  members  to  ap- 
pear before  them;  and  to  endeavor  to  obtain 
other  witnesses  when  the  case  may  require  it. 
It  shall  further  be  the  duty  of  the  council, 
when  any  member  offends,  first  privately  to 
admonish  him,  or,  if  necessary,  to  call  him  to 
an  account;  and  when  tliey  shall  deem  these 
measures  ineffectual,  to  suspend  or  excommu- 
nicate him;  that  is,  to  debar  him  from  the 
privileges  peculiar  to  church  membership,  ac- 
cording to  the  precepts  of  the  New  Testament 
laid  down  in  this  Formula.  It  shall  also  be 
their  duty  to  restore  those  subjects  of  suspen- 
sion or  excommunication,  to  all  the  privileges 
of  the  church,  who  shall  manifest  sincere  re- 
pentance. Every  act  of  excommunication,  or 
of  restoration,  may  be  published  to  the  church, 
if  deemed  necessary  by  the  majority  of  the 
council. 

It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  church-council  to 
watch  over  the  religious  education  of  the  chil- 
dren of  the  church,  and  to  see  that  they  be 
occasionally  collected  for  the  purpose  of  being  I 

5 11 


50  DISCIPLINE    OF    THE 

taught  the  Catechism  of  the  church,  and  in- 
structed in  the  duties  and  principles  of  the 
Christian  rehgion.  The  council  of  every 
church  shall  have  the  management  of  the 
school-house  attached  to  that  church,  and  shall 
be  ex  officio  trustees  of  the  same.  They  shall 
endeavor  to  obtain  pious,  w^cll  qualified  and 
faithful  teachers,  and  to  see  that  the  children 
of  the  church,  as  far  as  practicable,  attend  this 
school,  and  that  they  be  there  also  taught  the 
Catechism  of  the  church,  and  in  general  the 
duties  of  religion.  In  all  places  where  there 
is  not  yet  a  school-house  attaclied  to  the 
church,  they  shall  encourage  the  people  and 
endeavor  to  have  one  erected.  And  no  person 
shall  teach  in  any  of  our  congregational  school- 
houses  without  the  permission  of  the  church- 
council. 

In  all  cases  of  appeal  from  the  decisions  of 
the  church-council,  the  council  shall  take  no 
further  measures  grounded  on  their  decision 
until  the  sentence  has  been  reviewed  by  the 
synod.  But  if  the  decision  appealed  from  be 
a  sentence  of  suspension  or  excommunication, 
it  shall  immediately  take  effectand  continue  in 
force  until  reversed  by  the  synod.  And  in 
every  case  of  appeal,  the  church-council  shall 


LUTHERAN    CHURCH.  51 

send  a  detailed  and  correct  account  of  their 
proceedings  in  the  case,  and  of  the  charges 
and  evidence  on. both  sides. 

3.  Church  Members. — These  are  such  as 
are  associated  together  for  divine  worship  and 
the  better  attainment  of  the  objects  of  the 
Christian  institution,  agreeably  to  tlie  provi- 
sions of  the  disciphne. 

Every  church  member  is  amenable  to  the 
council,  and  must  appear  before  them  wlien 
cited,  and  submit  to  the  discipline  of  the 
church  regularly  administered. 

It  is  the  duty  of  every  church  member  to 
lead  a  Christian  life:  that  is,  to  perform  all 
tlie  duties  required  of  him  or  her  in  scripture. 
Thus  it  is  the  duty  of  adults  to  perform  all 
the  Christian  duties,  not  to  neglect  the  public 
worship  of  God ;  nor  the  participation  of  the 
Lord's  Supper  w^henever  an  opportunity  is 
afforded.  It  is  the  duty  of  parents  to  educate 
their  children  in  the  nurture  and  admonition 
of  the  Lord;  to  teach  them  the  doctrines  of 
the  church,  and  to  subject  them  to  the  ordi- 
nances of  the  same.  And  when  young  mem- 
bers reach  the  years  of  maturity  and  have  at- 
tained the  natural  ability  to  partake  of  the 
Lord's  Supper  in  the  manner  commanded,  it 


52  DISCIPLINE  OF   THE 

is  their  duty  to  be  worthy  communicants  at 
the  Lord's  table. 

Any  member  being  dissatisfied  with  the  de- 
cision of  the  church-council  relative  to  himself, 
may  appeal  to  the  Synod.  But  in  every  such 
case,  the  applicant  shall  give  notice  to  the 
church-council  of  his  intention,  either  immedi- 
ately, or  within  two  weeks  of  the  time  when 
the  sentence  was  made  known  to  him ;  and 
shall  specify  to  them  the  reasons  of  his  dissat- 
isfaction and  the  ground  of  his  appeal. 

It  is  recommeded,  that  when  a  member  of 
one  of  our  churches  moves  into  the  bounds  of 
another,  and  wishes  to  be  admitted  to  the 
privileges  of  the  church,  he  shall  bring  with 
him  a  certificate  of  good  standing  from  his 
former  pastor. 

It  is  recommended,  as  accordant  with  the 
principles  of  the  New  Testament,  that  the 
members  of  the  church  ought  not  to  prosecute 
each  other  before  a  civil  tribunal,  until  they 
have  first  made  an  attempt  to  settle  their  point 
of  difference  through  the  mediation  of  their 
Christian  brethren. 

4.  Elections. — All  congregational  elections 
must  be  published  to  the  congregation  at  least 
two  weeks  in  advance. 


THE    LUTHERAN  CHURCH.  53 

The  electors  of  any  particular  church  in  our 
connection,  are  all  those  who  are  in  full  com- 
munion with  the  same,  who  submit  to  the  gov- 
ernment and  discipline  regularly  administered, 
and  who  contribute  according  to  their  ability 
and  engagements  to  all  its  necessary  expendi- 
tures. 

At  all  elections  for  Elders  or  Beacons,  no 
person  may  be  elected  to  either  of  said  offices 
who  is  not  a  member  in  full  communion  with 
said  church. 

When  an  election  is  held  in  a  vacant  con- 
gregation for  a  pastor,  two-thirds  of  all  the 
electors  shall  be  necessary  to  an  election,  and 
if  the  votes  were  not  unanimous,  it  is  recom- 
mended that  the  presiding  officer  shall  invite 
the  minority  to  concur  in  the  decision.  He 
shall  give  the  members  a  certificate,  signed  b)'' 
himself,  of  the  election.  This  certificate,  with 
a  statement  of  the  support  which  they  promise 
him,  shall  be  a  legal  call  to  the  pastor  therein 
specified. 

At  elections  for  members  of  the  church- 
council,  the  existing  council  shall  nominate 
twice  as  many  persons  as  are  to  be  elected, 
and  the  church  may  nominate  half  as  many 
more,  from  whom  the  officers  may  be  chosen. 
5* 


54  DISCIPLINE    OF    THE 


3.  Prayer-Meetings. — As  Prayer  is  one  of 
the  most  necessary  duties  of  a  Christian,  and 
as  Prayer-meetings  have  been  of  the  utmost 
importance  and  usefulness,  it  is  therefore  most 
earnestly  recommended  to  the  different  churches 
in  our  connexion,  to  establish  and  promote 
them  among  our  members.  These  meetings 
may  be  held  in  the  church,  school-house,  or  in 
private  houses;  and  their  object  is  the  spiritual 
edification  of  the  persons  present;  but  the  ut- 
most precaution  must  ever  be  observed,  that 
God,  who  is  a  Spirit,  be  worshipped  in  spirit 
and  in  truth — that  they  be  characterized  by 
that  solemnity  and  decorum  which  ought  ever 
to  attend  divine  worship ;  and  that  no  disorder 
be  tolerated,  or  any  thing  that  is  calculated  to 
interrupt  the  devotions  of  those  who  are  con- 
vened, or  prevent  their  giving  the  fullest  atten- 
tion to  him  who  is  engaged  in  leading  the 
meeting, — in  short,  that  according  to  the  in- 
junctions of  the  apostle,  all  things  be  done 
"decently  and  in  order." 

It  is  solemnly  recommended  to  all  church 
members,  and  more  especially  to  the  members 
of  the  council,  to  make  daily  worship  in  their 
family  a  sacred  duty. 

It  is  recommended  that  no  one  shall  be  per- 


LUTHERAN    CHURCH.  56 

mitted  in  future  to  act  as  a  sponsor,  unless  he 
or  she  be  in  full  communion  with  the  Chris- 
tian church. 

It  is  expedient  that  no  person  be  permitted 
to  preach  in  any  of  the  churches  in  our  con- 
nexion^ except  by  consent  of  the  pastor  and 
council  of  said  church,  and  in  the  absence  of 
the  pastor^  by  permissi-on  of  the  council. 

The  above  exhibit  of  the  general  character 
of  the  discipline  of  the  Lutheran  church  and 
the  mode  of  executing  it^  is  so  plain  and  easy 
to  be  understood,  that  all  comment  is  super- 
seded. I  shall  accordingly  not  wear)^  the 
reader  by  attempting  any  explanation.  But  I 
must  be  permitted  to  propose  a  few  inquiries. 

1.  Is  not  this  discipline  .scriptural  in  its 
character  ?  If  any  one  doubt,  let  him  refer  to 
the  directions  of  our  L-ord  and  his  apostles,  as 
recorded  in  the  gospel  and  the  apostolic  epis- 
II  ties,  and  I  venture  to  assert  his  doubts  will  be 
speedily  dissipated.*     But  if  the  discipline  be 

||  *For  the  purpose  ^'f  aiding  the  reader  iti  testing  the  biblicai  au- 

I  thority  of  the  leading  features  of  this  S3^stem,  I  would  refer  him, 

I  among  others,  t-o  the  following  pa-ssages:    1  Tina.  viii.   13;    Acts, 
vi.  2—6;  Thess.  v.  12,  13;  Mark,  xvi.  16;  John,  iii.  6;  Acts,  viii. 

J  12,  and  xvi.  14,  15  ;   2  Cor.  ii.  1 ;   Gal.  vi.  I  ;   Titus,  iii.  10;   Matt. 

?'  xviii.  17—18;   Heb.  x.  25;  Col.  iii.    16;  Acts,  ii.  46 ;   Matt,  xviii. 

ft  20;  Exod.  XX.  8;  Psalms,  Ixxxiv.  2,  9,  11;   I  Cor.  xi.  24,  25;  Eph. 


56  DISCIPLINE    OF    THE 


scriptural ;  if  it  fully  accord  with  those  general 
principles  on  this  subject  laid  down  in  the  New 
Testament,  is  not  this  a  sound  reason  why  I 
should  hold  it  in  honor  and  esteem;  why  I 
should  love  it  and  advocate  it,  and  does  it  not 
j  furnish  another  substantial  defence  of  my  Lm- 
theranisra  ? 

2.  Again,  as  divisions  and  contentions  con- 
stitute one  of  the  most  serious  evils  that  ean 
prevail  in  a  church,  inasmuch  a^  they  embitter 
the  life  of  the  pastor,  tend  to  defeat  the  blessed 
influence  of  the  ^spel  and  to  banish  the  Holy 
Spirit  from  the  hearts  of  the  people ;.  so  peace  i 
and  harmony  and  brotherly  affection  are  ex- 
ceedingly favorable  to  the  &uccess  of  a  minis- 
ter's labors  and  the  prorootion  of  piety.  If 
then  a  prompt  and  prudent  adininistratioB  of 
any  particular  system  of  discipline  has  the  ef- 
fect to  remove  the  aforesaid  evil,  to  he^  breaches, 
and  restore  kind  feeling  ivnd  harmonious  co- 
operation, that  system  must  be  salutary  in  its- 
influence.  Such  is  decided!!;}/  the  case  in  refer- 
ence to  the  system  now  imder  consideration^ 
It  forbids  the  admission  to*  membership  of  all 

V3.  4;  2  Tnn.  m.  ?4,  15-  2  Tim.  v.  8;  1  Csr.  vx.  14:  Luke,  x  7 ; 
1  The9&  T.  17;  Luke,  xviii.  1;  Col.  i^.  2;  Actej  iii.  44;  Eph.  vi.  4; 
Acts,  X.  9,  24 ;  Jfer.  x.  25.. 


-■-——■"- — -  —  - 


LUTHERAN    CHURCH.  51 


who  are  not  ''obedient  subjects  of  grace,"  that 
is,  ''they  must  either  be  genuine  Christians,  or 
satisfy  the  church-council  that  they  are  sincere- 
ly endeavoring  to  become  such."  It  requires 
the  members  of  the  church-council  to  7valk  wor- 
thy of  their  office,  and  in  case  of  delinquency 
provision  is  made  for  the  proper  remedy.  If 
any  private  member  offend,  it  is  made  the  duty 
of  the  officers  ''privately  to  admonish  him'^ 
&c.,  and  if  such  efforts,  after  having  been  re- 
peatedly employed  in  the  spirit  of  Christian 
affection,  prove  ineffectual,  suspension  must 
follow.  The  council  are  especially  required 
to  watch  over  the  religious  education  of  the 
children  of  the  church,  and  to  see  that  they  be 
properly  instructed  in  the  doctrines  and  duties 
of  the  Christian  religion.  A  congregational 
school  is  called  for  by  the  discipline,  of  which 
the  council  are  ex  officio  the  trustees,  and  un- 
der obligations  to  "endeavor  to  obtain  jj^ok^s, 
well  qualified  and  faithful  teachers. "  S  o  soon 
as  any  person  who  has  been  suspended,  sin- 
cerely repents,  and  affords  satisfactory  evi- 
dence of  it,  the  council  are  bound  to  restore 
him  to  the  church  and  the  enjo3mient  of  all  its 
outward  privileges,  and  to  make  the  restoration 
know^n  to  the  whole  congregation. 


58  DISCIPLINE  OF   THE 


I  might  greatly  extend  these  remarks  by  a 
detailed  review  of  the  duties  and  relations  of 
private  members^  and  especially  of  the  excel- 
lent recommendation  not  to   prosecute   each 
other  before  a  civil  tribunal^  until  they  have 
first  made  proper  attempts  for  an  amicable  ad- 
justment through  the  mediation  of  their  Chris- 
tian brethren;  also  by  a  similar  review  of  what 
is  prescribed  in  reference  to  elections,  prayer- 
meetmgS)  &c.     But  the  foregoing  is  sufficient 
for  my  purpose.     I  was  anxious  to  show  that 
the  tendency  of  the  discipline  of  the  Lutheran 
church  is  eminently  to  heal  divisions^  make  an 
end  of  strife  and  establish  good  will ;  and  from 
what  has  been  said  it  is  manifest,  that  if  its 
various  provisions  be  judiciously  aiid  firmly 
executed,  such  must  infallibly  be  the  effect. 
No  one  can  call  this  in  question^  who  will  take 
the  trouble  to  examine  those  provision^  in  all 
their  bearings.    If  hoWever,  disharmony  never- 
theless prevail  in  some  Lutheran  churches,  it 
is  unquestionably  not  for  Want  of  a  sound  and 
scriptural  discipline,  but  rather  iti  deflatice  of 
it,  or  because  in  all  probability,  that  discipline 
is  overlooked,  or  not  faithfully  executed,  or 
peradventure    wholly    trodden     under     foot. 
There  are  possibly  ministers  who  are  in  some 


LtJTHERAN  CHUtlCH.  59 


degree  swayed  by  a  timid,  time-serving  or  man- 
fearing  policy-;  or  who  are  perhaps  not  suffi- 
ciently sustained  by  a  firm  and  faithful  council; 
or  there  may  be  a  few  arbitrary,  domineering, 
purse-pf  oud  individuals  in  the  church  who  have 
undertaken  to  brow-beat  and  lord  it  over  both 
pastor  and  council,  and  have  succeeded  to 
some  extent  in  keeping  all  in  aWe  by  their 
Ij  threats  and  their  magisterial  bearing.  By  such 
means  the  discipline  may  be  shorn  of  its  effi- 
cacy and  laid  low  in  the  dust  and  in  dishonor. 
No  wonder  if  under  such  circumstances  peace 
has  departed  and  fear  and  heart-burnings  and 
unkind  feelings  prevail.  But  let  the  discipline 
be  restored  and  duly  executed;  let  the  pastor 
and  his  officers  dare  to  assert  their  official 
rights;  let  all  like  ''men  good  and  true"  come 
up  prudently  and  affectionately  to  their  duty 
and  carry  out  the  provisions  of  the  excellent 
system  elaborated  from  the  Bible  and  furnish- 
ed to  their  hands  in  all  the  simplicity  and  effi- 
ciency of  gospel  truth,  and  I  feel  assured  the 
result  Will  be  most  pmpitious.  Strife  will 
cease  and  good  will  and  concord  be  brought 
back.  God  will  be  on  the  side  of  such  a  coun- 
cil, and  bless  their  efforts  for  the  peace  of  Je- 
rusalem and  the  prosperity  of  Zion.      Fully 


60  DISCIPLINE    OF   THE 

convinced  of  the  truth  of  these  remarks,  and 
know  mg  them  to  be  fomided  in  fact  from  my 
own  experience,  /  find  in  them  cogent  argu- 
ment for  my  being  a  Lutheran, 

3.  Finally,  is  not  this  system  calculated  to 
promote  the  purity  and  spirituality  of  the 
church?  These  are  important  attributes  of 
God's  church, — purity  and  spirituality  ; — his 
great  design  in  establishing  his  kingdom  on 
earth  was  to  ^'-purify  unto  himself  a  peculiar 
people  zealous  of  good  works;" — a  people  pe- 
culiar for  holiness  of  heart,  of  affection,  tem- 
per, motive,  yes,  for  holiness  in  the  whole  of 
their  walk  and  conversation;  whose  religious 
services  should  not  be  formal  and  hypocritical, 
but  sincere  and  spiritual.  Let  any  unbiassed 
person  look  at  the  system  of  the  Lutheran 
church,  as  presented  above  in  its  cardinal  fea- 
tures, and  then  decide  whether  such  must  not 
be  the  character  of  its  members,  if  that  system 
be  faithfully  adhered  to?  It  is  unnecessary 
again  to  enter  into  detail;  the  system  in  its 
beautiful  outline  and  in  some  of  its  subordinate 
regulations,  lies  before  the  reader;  there  it  is; 
survey  its  entire  portrait;  look  at  it  in  all  its 
evangelic  provisions,  its  fair  proportions,  its 
fraternal  spirit,  its  mild  and  forbearing,  and  yet 


LUTHERAN    CHURCH.  61 


firm  and  decided  requisitions;  can  any  similar  I 
combination  of  rules  and  regulations  for  the  ! 
government  of  individual  churches,  be  more  I 
wisely  arranged  to  secure  the  purity  and  spi-  j 
rituality  of  the  members?  All  I  ask,  in  con-  [ 
nection  with  the  faithful  preaching  of  tlic  doc-  j 
fl  trines  of  the  church,  and  the  faithfial  execution  i 

ill  ! 

i|  of  her  government;  is  7i  faithful  administra-  \ 
tion  of  her  discipline,  and  then  I  vouch  without  i 
hesitancy  for  good  order  and  harmony  in  sy-  j 
nods  and  churches,  for  moral  purity  among  her 
people,  and  deep  spirituality  in  all  the  religious 
services  of  her  members.     Does  any  reasona- 
ble man  after  all  this,  still  ask,  ''Why  are  vou  i 

||  a  Luther anV      Can  he  find  no  satisfactory 

\\  solution  of  tlie  query  in  the  preceding  presen- 
tation of  Lutheran  doctrines,  government  and 
discipline  ? — then  let  him  suspend  his  judgment 
a  little  longer ;  I  still  have  much  more  to  add, 

'  and  do  not  yet  despair  of  being  able  to  satisfy 

I  him. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

I   itAVE    ASSIGNED    FOUR    GENEUAL   HEASONS 
FOR  BEING  A  LUTHERAN;    MY  FIFTH  IS^— 

V.  Because  I  admire  the  litiirgital^  econo- 
my of  the  Lutheran  church.  By  liturgical 
economy  I  understand  the  general  system  of 
ceremonies  belonging  to  divine  service.  All 
who  have  written  oh  liturgies  agree,  that  in 
primitive  days,  divine  service  was  exceedingly 
simple^  clogged  with  very  few  ceremonieSj  and 
included  but  a  small  number  of  prayers.  But 
by  degrees  the  number  of  fortos  were  augment- 
ed and  new  praters  and  ceremonies  were  mul- 
tiplied, with  a  view  to  increase  the  solemnity 
of  divine  worship  and  render  it  more  imposing 
to  the  people.  At  length  things  vv-ere  carried 
to  such  a  pitch,  that  a  regulation  became  ne- 
cessary, and  it  Was  deemed  proper  to  put  the 
service  and  the  manner  of  performing  it  into 
writing,  and  this  was  What  was  Called  a  lit- 
urgtf. 

*  The  word  liturgy  is  derived  from  the  Greek  leiturgia,  which 
meins  "service or  public  ministry,"  formed  ofleitos,  "public,"  and 
ergoUy  "  work." 


I 


imi^ 


THE  LUTHERAN   CHURCH.  63 

in  accordance  with  the  primitive  practice 
and  the  true  interests  of  vital  godhness,  the 
entire  Uturgical  service  of  the  Lutheran  church 
is  simple,  hrief  and  unostentatious. 

Her  mode  of  public  worship  on  Lord's-day 
morning  is  as  follows  : 

L  A  hymn  is  sung. 

2.  The  minister  takes  his  stand  at  the  com- 
munion table  (usually  termed  the  altar)  within 
the  balustrade  which  encircles  the  pulpit,  and 
after  a  few  introductory  remarks^  calls  on  the 
congregation  to  unite  with  him  in  a  general 
confession  of  sin  and  prayer  for  pardon. 

3*  He  next  reads  the  gospel,  or  epistle^  or 
both)  appointed  for  that  day;  or  if  he  prefer 
it^  any  other  portion  of  Scriptul'e  selected  by 
himself. 

4.  He  closes  the  altar-service  by  reading  a 
collect,  or  offering  a  vefj  brief  comprehensive 
extempore  prayer,  adapted  to  the  Scripture  he 
has  read  or  to  the  public  services  of  the  day ; 
and  having  announced  another  hymn,  he  as- 
cends the  pulpit; 

5.  On  the  pulpit  he  makes  another  prayer, 
preaches,  prays  and  pronounces  the  benedic- 
tion. 

This  mode  of  conducting  public  service  is 


64  LITURGICAL    ECONOMY    OF 


perhaps  as  simple  as  it  can  possibly  be,  unless 
all  form  is  totally  dispensed  with.      And  as 
there  are  those  who  are  opposed  to  ceremonies 
of  every  description,  it   is   left  discretionary 
with  ministers   to  omit  the   altar-service   en- 
tirely, and  to  ascend  the  pulpit  at  once  and  ar- 
range the  order  of  the  worship  precisely  as  it 
is  in  the  Presbyterian,  Baptist,  Methodist  and 
some   other   churches:  viz.     1.    Singing;     2. 
Prayer ;  3.  ^Reading  a  portion  of  Scripture ; 
4.   Singing;  5.  Sermon;  6.  Prayer;  7.  Sing- 
ing; 8.  Benediction.     In  the  service  of  the  af- 
ternoon and  evening  the  liturgy  is  never  used, 
and  the  order  last  mentioned  is  uniformly  ob- 
served, with  the  exception  that  in  some  cases 
the  reading  of  the  Scripture  lesson  is  omitted. 
There  is  accordingly  some  diversity  in  the 
mode  of  conducting  public  service  in  Lutheran 
churches ;    some   ministers   using   the  liturgy 
while  others  do  not.     This  want  of  uniformity 
has  occasionally  been  a  subject  of  complaint, 
and  efforts  have  been  made  to  remedy  it,  but 
without  success.     I  am  free  to  confess  that  I 
can  see  nothing  in  it  to  regret :  the  discrepan- 
cy refers  only  to  a  matter  of  form^  and  does 

*  The  reading  of  Scripture  sometimes  occupies  a  different  place  in 
the  arranofement,  accordinjof  to  the  inchnation  of  the  minister. 


THE    LUTHERAN  CHURCH.  65 

not  touch  or  even  come  within  reaching  dis- 
tance of  essential  truth ;  and  it  is  right  that  in 
all  such  matters,  churches  and  ministers  should 
be  left  free  to  judge  for  themselves,  and  adopt 
that  order  which  seems  to  them  to  be  best  cal- 
culated to  promote  the  cause  of  religion.  I 
cannot  discover  how  any  material  advantage 
can  possibly  arise  from  perfect  uniformity  in 
the  outward  mode  of  public  worship,  whilst  I 
can  readily  conceive,  how  great  inconvenience 
and  serious  evil  might  accrue  from  the  unvary- 
ing prevalence  of  such  uniformity.  I  would 
therefore  vastly  prefer  allowing  to  each  pastor 
and  church  the  privilege  of  managing  the  exter- 
nals of  divine  service  according  to  their  own 
convictions,  than  attempt  to  prescribe  a  ritual 
for  all  and  require  undeviating  adherence  to  it. 
And  the  fact  that  Lutheran  ministers  in  con- 
nection with  their  churches  actually  possess 
and  exercise  this  privilege,  is  in  my  judgment 
one  of  the  glories  of  Lutheranism.  It  is  this 
very  fact  that  increases  my  veneration  for  the 
church,  and  elicits  my  admiration  of  her  free 
republican  principles.  A  perfect  resemblance 
in  all  the  minutiae  of  outward  worship,  so  far 
from  being  important,  is  not  even  desirable  : — 
certainly  not,  if  forced  upon  the  churches  by 
6*  i 


66  LITURGICAL  ECONOMY  OF 


!  arhitrary  enactments,  and  if  introduced  volun- 
I  tarily,  there  will  be  just  ground  to  apprehend 
'  that  one  or  the  other  of  the  extremes  of  indif- 
ferentism  or  bigotry  has  been  the  prompting 
1  motive. 

The  Lutheran  churches  are  also  provided 
with  forms  for  the  administration  of  all  other 
permanent  religious  ordinances,  such  as  the 
sacraments,  licensure  and  ordination  of  minis- 
ters, confirmation,  marriage,  inauguration  of 
church  officers,  &c.  Those  forms  are  all  de- 
cidedly evangelic,  sph-itual,  impressive  and  ap- 
propriate. Much  has  been  said  and  written, 
and  deservedly  too,  in  praise,  of  the  spirit  and 
admirable  adaptation  of  the  forms  and  prayers 
of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church,  contained 
in  ^'the  book  of  common  prayer;"  but  I  hazard 
I  nothing  in  saying  that  the  liturgy  of  the  Lu- 
ll theran  church  would  not  suffer  by  a  compari- 
^'  son  with  tlie  *•'  Prayer  Book;"  in  fact,  a  consi- 
derable portion  of  the  latter  has  been  borrow- 
ed from  the  former. 

But  in  virtue  of  the  free  and  liberal  spirit  of 
Lutheranism,  ministers  and  churches  are  not 
positively  required  to  confine  themselves  to  the 
letter  of  the  liturgy.  It  is  indeed  recommend- 
ed to  them  by  synod,  but  they  are  at  liberty  to 

- 


THE   LUTHERAN    CHURCH.  67 

use  it  or  not,  as  they  think  proper.  As  it  is 
however  one  of  the  very  best  of  liturgies,  pro- 
foundly imbued  with  sound  gospel  truth  and 
deep  spirituality,  and  wisely  suited  to  the  vari- 
ous occasions  for  which  it  is  designed,  it  so 
powerfully  commends  itself  to  the  judgment 
and  heart  that  most  of  our  ministers  adhere 
very  strictly  to  it,  while  a  few  for  the  purpose 
of  diversifying  the  services  and  avoiding  mo- 
notony in  their  ministrations,  have  prepared 
additional  forms  for  their  own  use,  or  adminis- 
ter the  ordinances  of  the  church  extemporane- 
ously. 

Now  let  any  unprejudiced  individual,  not  al- 
ready committed  in  favor  or  against  forms  of 
religious  service,  take  an  enlarged  view  of  the 
liturgical  system  of  the  Lutheran  church,  as 
exhibited  in  the  above  sketch,  and  then  decide 
whether  it  is  not  entitled  to  reverence  and  af- 
fection? If  a  minister  is  an  advocate  of  an 
evangelic  and  appropriate  formulary,  most  hap- 
pily arranged  for  the  administration  of  every 
ordinance  of  God's  house,  he  has  it  prepared 
to  his  hand  and  ready  for  use  in  every  emer- 
gency. If  he  happen  to  be  averse  to  s.ich  a 
formulary  and  prefer  using  his  own  premedi- 
tated or  extempore   effasions,  he  is  at  liberty 


68  LITURGICAL    ECONOMY    OF 


to  do  SO.  And  even  in  this  event  he  finds  the 
liturgy  of  vast  benefit  as  a  general  directory 
and  as  a  means  of  supplying  him  v^ith  pertinent 
thought  and  expression.  Verily,  I  admire  the 
church  that  makes  such  ample  provisions  for 
the  instruction  and  convenience  of  its  ministry 
and  people,  and  yet  at  the  same  time  forbears 
to  obtrude  and  force  that  provision  upon  the 
conscience  of  those  concerned.  I  reverence 
the  church  that  furnishes  such  important  helps 
and  facilities,  and  yet  so  delicately  and  care- 
fully guards  against  invading  the  rights  of  pri- 
vate judgment,  and  trenching  upon  the  liberty 
of  individual  ministers  and  congregations. 
Does  any  one  then  inquire,  Why  are  you  a 
Lutheran? — I  refer  him  for  an  answer,  in 
addition  to  what  has  been  said  in  previous 
chapters,  to  the  Liturgical  economy  of  the 
church. 

There  is  but  one  feature  in  the  whole  por- 
traiture of  this  economy,  which  appears  to  me 
to  be  defective ;  and  that  has  reference  to  the 
administration  of  the  eucharist.  I  do  not  how- 
ever allude  to  the  "preparatory  service,"  which 
usually  takes  place  in  the  church  on  the  day 
preceding  the  celebration  of  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per ;  by  no  means.     On  the  contrary,  I  cher- 


THE    LUTHERAN   CHURCH.  69 


ish  an  especial  regard  for  that;  there  is  no 
part  of  the  whole  service  which  meets  my 
wants  more  fully,  falls  in  with  my  feelings 
more  harmoniously  and  in  which  I  engage 
more  cordially  than  that.  I  would  not  for  any 
consideration  that  it  should  be  abolished,  or 
modified,  or  in  any  degree  interfered  with.  It 
is  precisely  the  religious  exercise  that  is  most 
apposite  to  the  occasion,  and  which  every  com- 
municant ought  to  attend  to,  in  public  with  the 
people  of  God,  as  well  as  in  private  in  his 
closet.*     No,  what  I  refer  to,  is  the  mode  of 

*  As  the  reader  may  not  be  acquainted  with  this  preparatory  ser- 
vice I  will  give  him  an  outline  of  it :  On  the  day  preceding  that  on 
whicli  the  love  of  the  Savior  is  to  be  commemorated,  the  pastor 
meets  all  the  communicants  in  the  house  of  God ;  after  singing  and 
praying,  a  practical  discourse  suited  to  the  occasion  is  delivered. 
The  object  mainly  aimed  at  is  to  awaken  the  hearers  to  sincere  pen- 
itence and  faith,  by  encouraging  and  aiding  them  in  self-examination, 
in  order  to  produce  a  sense  of  their  unworthiness,  to  urge  them  to 
humble  themselves  before  God  and  seek  forgiveness  in  the  blood  of 
the  Redeemer  p.nd  renew  their  covenant  of  love  and  obedience  with 
him.  After  the  sermon  a  penitential  hymn  is  sung,  and  some  three 
or  four  questions,  embodying  a  confession  of  sin,  entire  trust  in 
Christ  for  pardon  and  salvation,  and  a  resolution  to  lead  a  new  and 
holy  life,  are  propounded  by  the  pastor  and  answered  affirmatively 
by  the  communicants.  The  whole  congregation  then  kneel  and  join 
the  pastor  or  any  pious  member  of  the  church,  [named  by  the  pastor 
for  the  purpose,)  in  a  fervent  confession  of  sin  and  prayer  for  mercy, 
and  for  grace  to  live  in  all  respects  as  Christians,  after  which  the 
congregation  rises,  and  the  minister  proclaims  the  promise  of  God 
to  forgive  all  truly  penitent  and  beheving  souls ;  and  at  the  same 


70  LITURGICAL    ECONOMY    OF 

administering  the  supper.     This  mode  answer- 
ed very  well  when  first  introduced,  and  is  not 
open  to  any  very  serious  objection  even  now, 
in  small  congregations.     But  Lutheranism  has 
been  rapidly  progressing  in  this  country ;  many 
of  its   churches  have  become  very  numerous, 
and  where  there  were  some  hundred  or  hun- 
dred and  fifty  communicants  ten    or   twenty 
years  ago,  there  are  now  four  or  five  and  even 
six  hundred.     And  the  consequence  is,  that  an 
immense  amount  of  time  is  unnecessarily  con- 
sumed on  account  of  the  tedious  mode  of  ad- 
ministering the  supper,  and  great  confusion  is 
produced  and  idle  curiosity  excited  by  the  con- 
tinual passing  to   and  from  the  altar  through 
aisles  obstructed  by  benches  and  crowded  with 
people.     In  addition  to  these  inconveniencies, 
the  services  are  prolonged  to  a  most  immode- 
rate extent,  fatiguing  and  jading  the  mind  both 
of  minister  and  audience,  and  wearing  out  the 
stren2:th  of  the  former,  so  that  it  has  come  to 
such  a  pass  that  many  ministers  really  have 
cause  even  to  dread  the  approach  of  that  inter- 
time  warns  all  against  self-deception  and  hypocrisy,  distinctly  and 
emphatically  repeating  the  declaration  that  God  will  not  pardon  hy- 
pocrites and  unbelievers,  but  will  certainly  call  them  to  an  account 
and  punish  them  forever  notwithstanding  their  external  confession. 


THE  LUTHERAN    CHURCH.  71    \ 

esting  and  delightful  season,  which  should  be 
hailed  by  all  with  gratitude  and  holy  joy.  I 
have  known  public  worship  on  communion  oc- 
casions to  commence  at  9  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing and  last  till  2,  or  3,  or  4  in  the  afternoon. 
Durins:  the  last  two  or  three  hours  it  was  im- 
possible  to  preserve  solemnity  and  order,  and 
the  continued  interruption  by  those  whom  want 
of  health  or  patience  induced  to  leave,  was 
painfully  trying.  And  when  all  was  over,  the 
minister  was  broken  down  and  obliged  to  take 
his  bed,  and  the  people  were  worn  out  and  un- 
fit for  further  devotions  on  that  day.  This,  in 
my  opinion,  constitutes  an  opaque  spot  in  the 
otherwise  bright  escutcheon  of  Lutheranism; 
it  is  manifestly  an  evil,  seen  and  felt  in  all  large 
churches ;  an  evil  which  is  augmenting  as  those 
churches  increase  in  membership  and  which 
calls  loudly  for  a  remedy.  It  would  be  easy 
to  propose  an  improvement  whereby  the  eu 
charist  might  be  administered  to  five  hundred 
communicants  by  a  single  pastor  in  one-fifth  of 
the  time  that  is  required  by  the  present  mode ; 
and  by  which  tlie  confusion  and  interruption, 
the  prostration  of  physical  strength  and  of  pa- 
tience would  be  avoided,  and  a  far  greater  de- 
gree of  solemnity  and  attention  secured.     But 


72  LITURGICAL  ECONOIMY  OF 


to  suggest  a  remedy  now,  would  be  aside  from 
the  object  I  have  in  view.  I  will  only  remark 
at  present,  that  such  a  remedy  must  ultimately 
be  applied.  It  may  be  opposed  for  a  season, 
as  an  imiov>atio7i  or  new  measure.  But  stern 
necessit}^  will  eventually  demand  it,  in  tones 
that  cannot  be  resisted;  and  hence  I  venture  to 
predict,  that  in  less  than  ten  years  the  very  evil 
now  and  heretofore  complained  of,  will  be  obvi- 
ated by  the  substitution  of  a  plan  or  mode  bet- 
ter suited  to  the  exigency.  Then  the  liturgical 
system  of  the  Lutheran  church  will  be  without 
a  blur;  then  it  may  challenge  the  most  rigid 
scrutiny,  and  compare  with  that  of  any  sister 
denomination  without  any  apprehension  of  dis- 
credit; and  then  my  arguments  for  being  a 
Lutheran  and  my  reasons  for  preferring  evan- 
gelic Lutheranism  to  all  and  every  other  form 
of  Christianity,  will  be  stronger  and  more  im- 
pregnable than  ever. 


CHAPTER  V. 

MY  SIXTH    REASON  FOR   BEING  A   LUTHERAN 
I  FIND    IN 

VI.    The  distinctive  traits  of  Liitheranism. 

As  there  are  numerous  features  of  resem- 
blance between  the  Lutherans  and  all  orthodox 
sister  denominations,  so  there  are  some  points 
of  discrepancy ;  and  though  the  latter  may  not 
be  fundamental,  yet  they  are  of  sufficient  im- 
portance to  influence  the  judgment  and  secure 
my  serious  and  decided  preference  in  favor  of 
the  church  of  my  choice.  The  features  of  re- 
semblance have  already  been  sufficiently  brought 
out  before  the  reader;  those  in  which  a  diver- 
sity exists,  and  on  account  of  which  diversity  I 
consider  the  Lutheran  church  entitled  to  a 
precedence,  shall  now  be  noticed.  I  am  aware 
that  I  am  about  to  enter  on  dangerous  ground, 
and  shall  probably  subject  myself  to  the  charge 
of  sectarianism  and  bigotry ;  but  it  is  my  de- 
sign not  to  lose  sight  of  the  most  enlarged 
charity,  and  to  speak  of  others  with  all  the 
delicacy  and  respectfulness  that  the  utmost 
catholicity  of  spirit  can  claim. 
7 


74  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 


The  points  of  divergency  have  reference  to 
doctrine,  government,  discipline,  forms  and 
usages. 

1.  Doctrine. 

(1.)  Lutherans  differ  from  Calvinistson  the 
subject  of  election.  They  indeed  beheve  in  this 
doctrine  as  strenuously  as  their  opponents; 
but  the  election  which  they  advocate,  is  some- 
thing essentially  different  from  an  uncondition- 
al, personal  predestination  to  eternal  life.  The 
Jews  were  God's  elect  people,  chosen  from 
among  all  the  nations  of  the  earth,  as  the  de- 
positories of  revealed  truth  and  for  the  perpetu- 
ation of  the  knowledge  and  worship  of  the  true 
God.  In  the  same  sense  the  Christian  w^orld 
at  present  constitute  God's  elect  people.  But 
in  both  cases  the  election  is  not  personal  but 
national;  moreover,  it  is  not  to  eternal  life  but 
simply  to  temporal  advantages  and  external 
privileges.^  Had  the  former  been  the  great 
purpose  of  election,  the  everlasting  salvation  of 
the  whole  Jewish  nation  and  of  all  Christian 
nations  would  necessarily  have  resulted,  where- 
as the  melancholy  truth  is  conceded,  that  mul- 
titudes of  individuals,  both  of  the  former  and 

*Due  attention  to  this  fact  will  diffuse  a  flood  of  light  over  the 
8th  and  9th  chapters  of  Paul's  epistles  to  the  Romans. 


THE  LUTHERAN  CHURCH.  15 

the  latter  nations,  have  already  died  in  unbelief 
and  perished  in  their  sins. 

But  Lutherans  go  farther :  besides  a  nation- 
al election  to  outward  prerogatives,  they  also 
believe  in  a  spiritual  election  to  eternal  life,  and 
reprobation  to  everlasting  death.  By  this, 
however,  they  do  not  mean  an  unconditional, 
arbitrary  decree,  pre-ordaining  a  comparatively 
small  number  of  persons  to  salvation,  and  a 
vast  multitude  to  destruction.  No,  they  hold 
that  predestination  is  conditional,  and  not  mere- 
ly of  persons,  much  less  of  persons  irrespective 
of  their  character  and  conduct,  but  is  a  predes- 
tination of  persons  on  account  of  their  charac- 
ter; that  is,  on  account  of  their  voluntary  con- 
duct. Faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  marks 
the  character  of  those  who  are  chosen  to  life ; 
and  unbelief  that  of  those  who  are  rejected. 
And  in  both  instances  the  predestination  has  a 
condition ;  which  is,  that  both  characters  are 
sustained  to  the  end  of  our  probationary  state, 
or  until  death.  To  illustrate :  Paul,  Peter  and 
John  are  believers,  and  persevere  to  the  end, 
and  therefore  they  are  elected ;  Judas,  Simon 
and  Demas  are  unbelievers,  or  if  they  ever  be- 
lieved, have  apostatized,  therefore  they  are 
reprobates.     Here  then  we  manifestly  have  a 


76  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 

predestination  founded  upon  the  moral  charac- 
ter of  the  respective  persons  concerned,  which 
by  virtue  of  the  divine  prescience  was  fore- 
known from  all  eternity ;  and  even  this  predes- 
tination of  character  was  on  the  condition  of 
final  perseverance  in  that  character. 

I  am  aware  that  this  presentation  of  the  very 
intricate  and  mysterious  doctrine  in  question, 
is  liable  to  objection,  but  not  more  so  than  any 
other  which  takes  a  contrary  view  of  it.  The 
most  profound  and  ingenious  exhibit  of  the 
Calvinistic  scheme  that  I  have  ever  met  with 
is,  to  say  the  least,  quite  as  open  to  exceptions, 
and  indeed  vastly  more  so.  And  when  flaws 
and  unanswerable  difficulties  are  again  and 
again  pointed  out,  we  are  met  at  every  turn 
with  such  arguments  as  the  following:  "Nay, 
but,  O  man,  who  art  thou  that  repliest  against 
God?"  "Even  so.  Father;  for  so  it  seemed 
good  in  thy  sight;" — -just  as  if  these  precious 
portions  of  inspired  truth  had  been  written  for 
the  exclusive  benefit  of  our  Calvinistic  breth- 
ren, and  for  the  express  purpose  of  warding  off 
all  and  every  aggression  upon  their  favorite 
system,  and  forever  silencing  the  voice  of  ar- 
gument. 

But  my  object  is  not  to  discuss  the  vexed 


THE   LUTHERAN    CHURCH. 


77 


question  of  predestination,  but  simply  to  state 
the  Lutheran  view  as  the  ground  of  my  prefer- 
ence. Lutherans  accordingly  reject  the  doc- 
trine of  absolute  unconditional  election  to  eter- 
nal life;  they  hold  that  Christ  made  a  full  and 
complete  atonement  for  the  sins  of  the  whole 
"world,  and  as  that  atonement  satisfied  the  de- 
mands of  divine  justice,  it  follows,  in  my  judg- 
ment, that  it  would  be  sufficient  for  the  recov- 
ery of  the  w^iole  fallen  race  of  man  if  their 
offences  had  been  ten  thousand  times  more  nu- 
merous and  aggravated  than  they  are.  They 
teach  that  as  Christ  gave  himself  a  ransom  for 
all  and  tasted  death  for  every  man,  so  it  is 
God's  will  that  all  and  every  man  may  be 
saved,  and  that  nothing  can  prevent  it  but  the 
sinner's  own  obstinate  resistance  of  divine 
grace  and  his  persevering  unbelief  So  that 
all  the  praise  of  universally  designed  redemp- 
tion redounds  to  the  glory  of  God's  unbound- 
ed mercy,  while  all  the  blame  and  shame  of 
condemnation  fall  upon  the  head  of  the  finally 
impenitent.  Thus  the  liberty  of  man  is  eifec- 
tually  secured,  and  the  free,  rich,  impartial, 
unmerited  benevolence  of  God  is  trumphantly 
vindicated.  Thus  Christ  is  exalted  as  the  au- 
thor of  salvation,  and  his  blood  extolled  as 
7* 


78  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OP 


efficacious  for  the  moral  cleansing  of  an  entire 
world ;  while  the  sinner  is  humbled  as  the  in- 
strument of  his  own  destruction,  and  rendered 
inexcusable  for  setting  at  naught  that  which 
alone  could  avail  for  his  salvation.  This  view 
appears  to  me  to  be  plainly  set  forth  in  the 
pages  of  inspired  truth ;  it  falls  in  not  less  hap- 
pily with  a  correct  analysis  of  the  human  mind, 
and  is  sanctioned  by  the  personal  experience  of 
both  saint  and  sinner.  I  indeed  very  cheer- 
fully grant,  that  the  Calvinistic  scheme,  first 
proposed  and  advocated  by  Augustine  of  Nu- 
midia  in  Africa,^  in  the  fourth  century,  and 
afterwards  by  Gotteschalk,t  of  Saxon  origin, 
in  the  ninth  century,  may  be  concatenated  into 
a  very  plausible  and  apparently  harmonious  sys- 
tem, and  has  been  and  is  yet  preferred  and 
earnestly  defended  by  very  many  very  learned 
and  pious  divines;  and  I  mean  no  disrespect  to 

*  Augustine  had  been  an  exceedingly  wild  and  dissipated  young 
man,  nay  even  infamous,  but  became  an  eminently  learned  and  pious 
divine.  He  was  converted  when  about  thirty  j ears  of  age.  Besides 
his  errors  on  the  subject  of  the  decrees,  he  taught  that  "baptism 
brings  with  it  the  forgiveness  of  sins ;  that  it  is  so  essential,  that  the 
omission  of  it,  will  expose  us  to  condemnation;  and  that  it  is  at- 
tended with  regeneration." 

f  Gotteschalk's  views  were  condemned  by  several  ecclesiastical 
councils  held  in  the  ninth  century. 


THE  LUTHERAN    CHURCH. 


79 


them  and  lay  claim  to  no  superiority  of  intellect, 
when  I  exercise  the  liberty  to  dissent,  and  give 
the  Lutheran  system  a  decided  preference,  1  in 
fact  take  pleasure  in  bearing  humble  testimony 
to  the  truth  of  every  fundamental  doctrine,  so 
far  as  my  knowledge  extends,  taught  in  the 
great  body  of  the  Caivinistic  churches  in  our 
country ;  but  on  the  question  of  limited  atone- 
ment and  absolute  decrees,  I  must  be  permitted 
frankly  to  assert  my  preference  of  the  more 
liberal  and  enlarged,  more  scriptural  and  ra- 
tional view  maintained  by  Lutherans.  While 
I  see  much  in  the  rigid  orthodoxy,  the  enlight- 
enment and  zeal,  the  benevolence  and  catholicity 
of  Presbyterians  to  command  my  profound  re- 
gard and  admiration ;  still  I  could  not  for  the 
cause  assigned,  so  comfortably  be  a  member  of 
their  communion  as  of  that  of  the  Lutheran 
church. 

It  is  however  sometimes  contended  that  Lu- 
ther himself  was  a  Caivinist.  How  he  could 
be  so  is  ratlier  difficult  to  conceive,  if  it  be 
borne  in  mind  that  his  system  of  doctrine  was 
prepared  and  published  years  before  Calvin's 
Institutes  were  even  heard  of.  I  grant  that  he 
was  originally  an^Augustinian  monk,  and  had 
embraced  the  Augustinian  theory  of  predesti- 


80  DISTINCTIVE   TRAITS    OF 

nation ;  I  also  admit  that  he  even  defended  it 
most  zealously  against  Erasmus^  and  that  his 
early  adherents,  including  even  Melancthon, 
had  at  first  done  the  same.  But  it  is  no  less 
certain  that  Luther  afterwards  abandoned  that 
theory  as  unscriptural  and  untenable.  So  early 
as  the  period  when  the  Augsburg  Confession  was 
delivered,  we  hear  him  and  Melancthon  using 
the  following  language:  "We  reject  the  opin- 
ion of  those  who  teach,  that  such  as  have  once 
become  pious^  cannot  fall  from  grace." — See 
Article  xii.  of  Augsburg  Confession,  German 
copy.  The  phraseology  of  the  Latin  copy  is 
not  quite  so  strong,  though  the  sense  of  both 
readings  is  substantially  tlie  same.  Both  clear- 
ly refer  to  the  doctrine  of  Jinal  perseverance ; 
because  all  parties  admitted  the  possibility  of  a 
believer's  temporary  relapse.  If  the  reader 
wants  additional  evidence  of  Luther's  aban- 
donment of  the  Augustinian  theory,  I  refer  him 
to  a  masterly  sermon  by  the  Reformer  on  Matt. 
XX.  IG,  "For  many  be  called  but  few  chosen." 
See  liauspost.  domin.  sept.  fol.  m.  62,  63,  ed. 

I  Francof.  ad.  vidar.  1548; — also  to  Schlosseri 
Lutherus  Lutheranus,  in  which  the  author,  by 
copious  citations  from  Luther's  works,  demon- 

I  strates  incontestably  the  opposition  of  the  great 


THE    LUTHERAN   CHURCH.  81 


Reformer  to  unconditional  election  and  repro- 
bation ;  and  above  all,  to  "  History  of  Rise, 
Changes,  and  Formation  of  our  Protestant 
systems  of  Doctrines,  &c."  by  the  vei:y  learn- 
ed, and  correct,  and  impartial  Plank  of  Gottin- 
o-en,  in  which  he  remarks  :  "  It  is  indeed  true, 
they  (the  Lutherans)  could  prove  that  the  doc- 
trine (predestination)  w^as  not  long  retained, 
and  that  Luther  himself  had  ahaiidoned  itf'^ 

But  again,  Lutherans  differ  also  from  Bap- 
tists, as  to  the  subjects  and  mode  of  Baptism. 
They  maintain  that  i?ifants  should  be  baptized, 
and  that  affusion  is  more  scriptural  and  ration- 
al than  immersion. 

(2.)  They  believe  that  God  instituted  in- 
fant-membership in  his  church  at  its  first  visi- 
ble organization,  and  that  no  one  can  revoke 
that  institution  but  himself,  which  he  has  never 

*For  a  more  extended  extract  from  this  work  of  the  celebrated 
Plank,  see  that  most  valuable  of  all  the  writings  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  S. 
S.  Schmucker,  entitled  "Popular  Theology,"  ed.  1842,  p.  262— 
265.  Remarking  on  the  merits  of  the  work  in  question,  by  Dr. 
Plank,  Dr.  S.  says :  "  The  entire  impartiality  and  great  ability  of 
this  work,  which  cost  the  author  twenty  years  of  labor  and  inves- 
tigation, are  conceded  by  all  parties."  And  after  giving  the  result 
of  Dr.  P's  researches,  proving  the  early  abandonment  by  Luther  of 
the  doctrine  of  predestination,  Dr.  S.  adds:  "This  is  a  correct  and 
impartial  statement  of  the  facts  in  the  case,  which  never  have  been, 
and  never  ctin  be  successfully  controverted." 

|i 


82  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 

done.  That  the  command  of  our  Lord  to  his 
original  followers  to  make  all  nations  his  dis- 
ciples, baptizing  them,  &c.,  necessarily  inclu- 
ded children,  and  was  so  understood  by  them, 
since  they  had  no  idea  of  a  church  of  God 
from  which  children  were  excluded.  That  the 
covenant  of  grace  made  with  Abraham,  also 
included  his  children,  and  required  the  sign 
and  seal  of  that  covenant  (circumcision)  in  ref- 
erence to  the  latter  as  well  as  the  former,  and 
that  the  promise  of  that  covenant,  renewed  in 
the  gospel,  is  to  us  and  our  children,  Acts  ii. 
39.  That  the  apostles  baptized  whole  house- 
holds, and  by  a  careful  calculation  those  house- 
holds must  have  included  children.*  That 
the  children  of  believing  parents  were  called 
"holy,''  1  Cor.  vii.  14,  and  also  ''faithfuls,'' 
Titus  i.  6,  which  terms  being  only  used  to  de- 
signate church-members,  could  not  have  been 
applicable  to  children  if  they  had  not  been 
dedicated  to  God  in  baptism.t  That  infant 
baptism  was  practised  by  the  apostles,  and  that 
if  not  introduced  by  them,  no  period  can  be 

*  See  this  subject  fully  examined  and  the  above  assertion  conclu- 
sively proven  in  "  Kurtz  on  Baptism,"  p.  86 — 96. 

j  See  Kurtz  on  Baptism,  p.  126—130. 


THE    LUTHERAN  CHURCH.  83 


pointed  out  when  it  was  introduced.  That  for 
the  first  eleven  or  twelve  hundred  years  after 
Christ  the  lawfulness  of  infant  baptism  was  not 
even  called  in  question  either  by  individuals  or 
churches,*  and  when  rejected  for  the  first  time 
in  the  twelfth  century  by  a  sect  called  the  Pe- 
trobrussians.f  that  sect  was  opposed  by  the 
other  churches  and  was  soon  dissolved  and 
scattered ;  and  that  it  was  not  until  the  six- 
I  teenth  century  that  the  novel  procedure  of  re- 
'  jecting  infant  baptism  obtained  any  foothold; J 
and  even  now  it  is  confined  to  a  comparatively 
small  portion  of  the  church,  while  the  great 
body  of  christians  throughout  the  world,  (in 
the  proportion  of  perhaps  four  or  five  hundred 
to  one,)  still  adhere  to  and  practise  it.  Believ- 
ing all  this,  I  could  not  comfortably  be  a  mem- 

*Tertullian,  who  lived  about  twx)  hundred  years  after  the  birth  of 
Christ,  was  the  first  man  who  ventured  to  speak  against  infant  bap- 
tism, and  even  he  only  urged  its  delay,  and  expressly  recommended 
it  if  the  child  was  not  likely  to  survive  the  period  of  infancy. 

tThc  Petrobrussians  were  a  sect  founded  in  the  twelfth  century 
by  a  Frenchman,  called  Peter  de  Bruis,  who  held  that  infants  could 
not  be  s;ived  under  any  circumstances,  and  therefore  ought  not  to  bo 
baptizefi. 

X  The  Anabaptists,  a  fanatical  sect  which  arose  in  Germany  in  the 
year  1522,  were  the  very  first  body  of  people  in  the  whole  christian 
world  who  rejected  infant  baptism  on  the  grounds  that  aio  now 
uro-ed  by  our  Baptist  brethren. 


84  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 

ber  of  any  church  which  denies  to  children 
that  which  Christ  and  the  apostles,  and  the 
primitive  fathers,  and  the  mass  of  Christendom, 
and  Scripture,  and  the  dictates  of  reason  so 
clearly  declare  to  be  their  inalienable  birth- 
right. 

(3.)  As  to  immersion,  Lutherans  do  not  es- 
sentially object  to  it.  They  teach  that  bap- 
tism requires  the  application  of  water  to  the 
subject,  and  not  the  subject  to  the  water;  nor 
does  God's  Word  specify  the  quantity  of  wa- 
ter to  be  used  or  the  mode  of  its  application. 
The  apostles  may  possiUy  have  administered 
baptism  by  immersion,  but  it  is  exceedingly 
doubtful,  and  altogether  beyond  the  possibility 
of  proof;  while  it  is  susceptible  of  the  most 
conclusive  evidence  that  they  baptized  by  affu- 
sion or  sprinkling.  The  application  of  a  small 
quantity  of  water  to  a  part  of  the  body  is  termed 
baptizing^  and  the  washing  of  tables  or  couches, 
hands,  &c.,  which  was  done,  not  by  immersion 
but  by  sprinkling  or  pouring  water  on  them,  is 
also  called  baptism  in  the  New  Testament.  The 
Jailor  at  Phillippi  with  his  whole  family  was 
baptized  after  midnight  and  within  the  prison, 
which  fact  forbids  the  idea  of  immersion.  And  I 
have  never  been  able  to  conceive  how  the  three 


THE    LUTHERAN  CHURCH.  85 

thousand  converts  on  the  day  of  Pentecost, 
could  all  have  been  immersed  by  the  apostles 
during  the  few  hours  of  the  day  that  remained 
after  preaching  and  the  other  necessary  pre- 
paratory services;  but  they  might  all  and 
tvv^ice  the  number  have  been  baptized  by  sprink- 
ling during  the  specified  time.  The  original 
word  rendered  baptize  in  English,  furnishes 
no  certain  clue  in  relation  to  the  mode,  since 
its  generic  sense  has  reference  io  purifying  in 
any  way  by  water,  rather  than  to  immersing 
or  sprinkling.  The  terms  baptize  and  baptism^ 
therefore,  while  they  certainly  imply  the  use 
of  water  do  not  limit  us  to  any  one  mode 
in  which  it  is  to  be  applied;  being  frequently 
employed  to  designate  pouring,  it  follows,  so 
far  as  these  terms  can  settle  the  question,  that 
pouring  is  undoubtedly  in  accordance  with  the 
divine  command.  The  mode  however,  by  no 
means  forms  an  essential  constituent  of  the 
sacrament,  precisely  as  it  does  not  in  regard 
to  the  Lord's  Supper;  and  hence  there  should 
never  have  been  any  serious  contention  in  the 
church  on  tliis  question,  much  less  a  specific 
sect  based  wholly  upon  the  mere  mode  of  ad- 
ministering an  outward  ordinance.  While  I 
therefore  readily  admit  the  validity  of  baptism 
8 


86  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 

by  immersion,  yet  nevertheless,  for  the  rea- 
sons just  assigned,  and  on  the  score  of  con- 
venience, decorum,  universal  practicability  in 
high  northern  climates  where  all  the  streams 
are  frozen,  and  in  dry  deserts  where  there  are 
no  running  waters  or  bathing  places,  I  hold 
that  the  mode  by  sprinkling  is  decidedly  pre- 
ferable, and  certainly  more  consistent  with  the 
spirit  of  Christianity  and  the  testimony  of  im- 
partial history  and  enlightened  reason. 

This  is  also  the  view  which  the  Lutheran 
church  takes,  and  therefore  I  am  a  Lutheran. 
Against  the  Baptists  as  a  people  and  church,  I 
urge  nothing:  they  have  given  us  a  most  praise- 
worthy example  by  their  zeal  in  the  cause  of 
missions  and  in  many  other  respects,  and  they 
have  my  most  fervent  prayers  in  all  their  inde- 
fatigable efforts  to  promote  the  good  cause  of 
our  common  Redeemer.  But  the  Lutheran 
view  of  baptism  and  its  mode  of  administration, 
please  me  vastly  better,  and  this  is  another 
reason  why  I  am  a  Lutheran. 

Finally,  Lutherans  differ  from  the  Metho- 
dists on  Christian  perfection  and  the  testimony 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  I  have  heard  these  doc- 
trines so  variously  set  forth  by^  Methodist 
preachers  that  I  have  been  at  a  loss  to  appre- 


THE  LUTHERAN  CHURCH.  87 


hend  distinctly  what  the  precise  views  of  my 
Methodist  brethren  are.  As  I  have  none  of 
their  standard  works  at  hand  by  which  I  might 
inform  myself,  and  would  consider  it  unfair  to 
hold  the  church  at  large  responsible  for  the 
crude  and  hasty  declarations  of  a  few  extrava- 
gant and  injudicious  men,  I  prefer  remaining 
silent  as  to  what  they  teach,  and  barely  notice 
the  Lutheran  view. 

(4)  The  doctrine  of  sinless  perfection,  then, 
I  would  remark,  is  not  found  in  the  Lutheran 
creed ;  on  the  contrary,  the  Augsburg  Confes- 
sion (Art  XIL)  expressly  '' condemns  the  doc- 
trine of  those  who  contend,  that  some  persons 
attain  so  high  a  degree  of  perfection  in  this  life, 
that  they  cannot  sin."  If  the  question  were, 
whether  believers  could  be  perfectly  sincere  in 
their  efforts  to  serve  God;  or  whether,  by  the 
grace  of  God,  they  can  repent,  beheve,  lead  a 
holy  life,  constantly  progress  in  moral  purity, 
and  thus  in  fact  perform  all  that  is  required  of 
them  in  order  to  their  salvation;  then  there 
would,  I  presume,  be  no  difficulty.  But  if  per- 
fection consists  in  entire  and  constant  obedience 
to  all  the  requisitions  of  the  divine  law,  with- 
out the  omission  of  a  single  duty  in  thought, 
feeling,  word  or  deed,  and  the  commission  of* 


88  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 


any  thing  whatever  that  is  at  variance  with  that 
law ;  then  it  is  certain  that  Lutherans  do  not 
believe  in  it. 

The  law  of  God  indeed  requires  perfect  obe- 
dience ;  but  this  is  no  proof  that  it  is  attain- 
able in  this  life.  It  is  rather  an  evidence  of 
the  perfect  holiness  of  that  God  who  gave  us 
the  law,  (a  law  admitting  of  sin  would  be  un- 
worthy of  God,)  and  obligates  us  constantly 
to  aim  at  and  strive  for  a  higher  degree  of  mor- 
al purity.  Sinless  perfection  presupposes  an 
individual  who  needs  not  to  pray  for  pardon, 
which  Christ  requires  every  one  to  do  in  the 
"Lord's  prayer;"  an  individual  who  no  longer 
requires  the  daily  application  of  Christ's  blood, 
and  might  therefore  be  justified  by  his  own 
works  and  consequently  have  whereof  to  boast, 
which  Paul  solemnly  affirms  to  be  inconsistent 
with  the  gospel  scheme ;  an  individual  who  has 
no  longer  any  conflict  with  indwelling  sin,  and 
is  holier  than  God's  saints,  *'  in  whom  he  put- 
teth  no  trust,"  and  purer  than  the  heavens 
themselves,  '^  which  are  not  clean  before  him;" 
an  individual  whose  experience  belies  such 
passages  as  the  following :  "  If  we  say  that  we 
have  no  sin  7ve  deceive  ourselves,  and  the  truth 
is  not  in  usf' — '•'  For  in  many  things  we  offend 


THE  LUTHERAN    CHURCH.  89 

altogether;" — "For  there  is  not  a  just  man  on 
earth  that  doeth  good  and  sinneth  not,"  &c. 
Now,  is  there  such  an  individual  to  be  found 
on  earth  ?  If  not,  then  is  the  Lutheran  system 
which  rejects  sinless  perfection,  but  teaches 
that  the  gospel  holds  it  up  to  us  and  requires 
us  continually  to  press  forward  toward  it,  more 
consistent,  and  hence  /  prefer  being  a  Lu- 
theran. 

There  are  indeed  some  passages  which  at 
first  sight  seem  to  favor  the  error  in  question, 
but  when  correctly  understood  they  do  not. 
When  it  is  said  that  the  regenerate  Christian 
"  cannot  live  in  sin  because  he  is  born  of  God," 
I  apprehend  the  meaning  is,  (and  an  acquaint- 
ance with  the  heresy  which  the  inspired  pen- 
man was  combating,  proves  this  to  be  the  true 
import,)  that  he  cannot  live  in  habits  of  sin. 

(5.)  In  respect  to  the  testimony  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  to  the  acceptance  of  the  believer,  I  shall 
add  but  a  few  remarks.  Lutherans  believe, 
that  as  the  influences  of  the  Spirit  are  indis- 
pensable to  render  the  gospel  eifectual  to  the 
conversion  of  the  sinner,  so  that  same  Spirit 
bears  witness  to^his  w^ork ;  that  is,  the  Spirit 
of  God  bears  witness  to  the  spirit  of  the  be- 
liever that  he  is  a  child  of  God  and  heir  of 
8* 


90  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 

eternal  life.  But  how  or  in  what  manner  is 
this  testimony  borne  ?  This  is  the  question  in 
debate  ;  some  speak  of  a  direct  evidence,  apart 
from  the  Word  of  God  and  the  personal  ex- 
perience of  the  believer,  which  amounts,  in  ef- 
fect to  an  extraordinary  or  supernatural  com- 
munication. In  this  Lutherans  do  not  believe. 
They  reject  the  opinion  that  there  is  an  ex- 
traordinary feeling  of  an  indescribable  kind, 
susceptible  of  no  veriiication  by  any  antece- 
dent or  consequent,  which  over  and  above  all 
the  ordinary  fruits  of  the  Spirit,  such  as  are 
described  in  Gal.  v.  22,  renders  the  acceptance 
of  the  believer  certain.  On  the  other  hand, 
they  hold  that  all  the  strivings  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  in  the  present  day  are  mediate;  that  it 
is  through  the  Word,  which  is  the  inspired 
truth  of  the  Spirit,  that  he  performs  his  office ; 
and  hence  the  mode  in  which  he  bears  witness 
to  the  spirit  of  the  Christian  of  his  acceptance, 
is  by  producing  in  him,  and  testifying  to  their 
existence  those  holy  tempers  and  dispositions, 
those  gracious  feelings  and  atfections,  in  a 
word,  that  newness  of  heart  and  devotedness 
to  God,  which  the  Scriptures  declare  to  be 
characteristic  of  the  child  of  God,  and  which 
furnish  to  the  Christian  the  most  conclusive 


THE   LUTHERAN    CHURCH.  91 

proof  of  the  divine  truth  of  the  Christian  reli- 
gion as  well  as  of  his  own  personal  conversion 
and  favor  with  God.  Thus,  the  believer  has  the 
evidence  of  his  own  consciousness,  resulting  from 
the  operations  of  God's  Spirit  upon  his  spirit, 
through  the  instrumentality  of  the  Word,  that 
his  sins  are  pardoned  and  God  is  reconciled  to 
him  in  Christ.  Men  may  be  in  error  in  regard 
to  this  testimony;  and  doubtless  many  have 
thus  deceived  themselves,  mistaking  their  own 
enthusiastic  feelings  and  vivid  fancies  for  the 
witness  of  the  Spirit.  But  still  there  is  such  a 
thing  as  the  testimony  of  God's  Spirit  to  the 
believer's  acceptance,  and  it  is  the  prerogative 
of  every  believer  to  obtain  this  great  and  com- 
fortable blessing,  and  it  ought  to  be  aimed  at 
by  every  one.  Whoever  is  without  it,  is  living 
beneath  his  privilege  and  unw^orthy  of  his  high 
calling. 

We  shall  probably  confer  a  favor  on  the 
reader  by  laying  before  him,  in  a  few  words, 
the  two  leading  opinions  of  the  theological 
world  on  this  much  disputed  point.  President 
Edwards,  discussing  it,  says  in  his  work  on  the 
Affections :  "Hence  it  appears  that  the  witness 
of  the  Spirit,  of  which  the  apostle  sp'^aks,  is 
not  any  irninediate  suggestion  or  revelation; 


92  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 

but  a  gracious  and  holy  work  of  the  Spirit  of 
God  in  the  hearts  of  the  saints,  producing  the 
dispositions  and  temper  of  children.  It  is  a 
humble,  child-like  affection  in  God,  casting  out 
fear,  or  the  servile  spirit  of  bondage."  "  Great 
mischief  has  arisen  from  the  false  delusive  no- 
tion, that  the  witness  of  the  Spirit  is  a  kind  of 
inward  suggestion,  or  declaration  from  God, 
assuring  us  that  we  are  beloved,  pardoned,  &c.; 
and  many  souls,  I  fear,  have  been  eternally 
ruined  by  this  delusion."  Wesley  thus  ex- 
presses himself,  in  his  sermon  on  this  subject: 
"The  testimony  of  the  Spirit  is  an  inward  im- 
pression on  the  soul,  whereby  the  Spirit  of 
God  directly  witnesses  to  my  spirit,  that  I  am 
a  child  of  God,  that  Jesus  Christ  hath  loved 
me,  and  given  himself  for  me ;  and  that  all  my 
sins  are  blotted  out,  and  I,  even  I,  am  recon- 
ciled to  God."  It  is  obvious  that  "Wesley 
regarded  this  witness  as  something  immediate 
and  direct,  not  the  result  of  self-exam.ination  or 
argumentation,  and  which  he  considered  as  an- 
tecedent to  the  testimony  of  our  own  spirit  or  of 
our  consciousness.  He  accordingly  adds : 
''  Since  therefore  the  testimony  of  this  Spirit 
onust  precede  the  love  of  God  and  all  holiness, 
of  consequence  it  must  precede  our  conscious- 


THE    LUTHERAN  CHURCH. 


93 


ness  thereof."     But  when  required  to  explain 
the  manner  of  this  testimony,  he  freely  ac- 
knowledged  his   inability.      I   need   scarcely 
remark,  that  the  view  of  President  Edwards 
is  that  which  best  accords  with  the  prevailing 
sentiment  in  the  Lutheran  church.     Indeed,  I 
know  no  Lutherans  who  with  Wesley  hold 
to  a  direct  and  immediate  testimony,   apart 
from  the  Word  of  God.     Lutherans  indeed 
believe  with  that  good  and  great  man,  that  it  is 
the  Spirit  that  worketh  in  us  every  manner  of 
thing  that  is  good,  and  also  shineth  upon  his 
own  work,  and   clearly  shows  what  he  has 
wrought.     But  as  to  a  testimony  that  is  direct, 
apart'' from  the  Word  of  God,  independent  of 
means,  and  accordingly  extraordinary  or  mirac- 
ulous, and  moreover,  antecedent  to  the  fruits 
of  the  Spirit,  which  are  '^ove,  joy,  peace,  long- 
suffering,  gentleness,"  &c.;  they  one  and  all 
reject  it.     This  also  is  the  view  which  harmo- 
nizes with  my  own  notions,  and  hence  I  prefer 
leing  a  Lutheran. 

In  conclusion  I  would  add,  that  though  Lu- 
therans believe  that  God  sheds  abroad  his  love 
in  the  heart  of  believers,  and  bestows  upon 
them  the  spirit  of  adoption,  whereby  they  cry, 
Abba,  Father,  and  also  the  witness  and  sealing 


94  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 

of  the  Spirit;  yet  great  and  glorious  as  these 
operations  are ;  and  satisfactory  as  they  may 
be  as  to  our  acceptance  when  really  possessed; 
yet  apart  from  the  concurring  evidence  of  gra- 
cious affections  and  holy  living,  in  other  words, 
of  good  w^orks,  their  supposed  enjoyment  is 
worth  nothing.  The  feelings  may  be  so  close- 
ly imitated  by  Satan  that  it  shall  be  impossible  to 
distinguish ;  a  person  of  warm  imagination  and 
confident  mind  may  easily  be  wrought  upon  by 
that  subtle  spirit  so  that  he  shall  appear  to 
himself  to  be  an  eminent  christian,  and  yet  be 
under  delusion.  But  holy  tempers  and  aiFec- 
tions,  and  holy  living  cannot  be  counterfeited, 
and  hence  after  all,  the  most  conclusive  evi- 
dence of  conversion,  which  is  at  the  same  time 
the  least  likely  to  subject  us  to  mistake  or  de- 
ception, is  that  to  which  our  Lord  directs  us: 
''  By  their  fi'uits  ye  shall  know  them." 


CHAPTER  YI. 

MY  SIXTH  REASON  FOR  BEING  A  LUTHERAN 
I    FIND    IN, — 

VI.   The  distinctive  traits  of  Luther anism. 

In  the  preceding  chapter  I  referred  to  five 
points  of  doctrine  in  which  Lutherans  differ 
from  one  or  the  other  of  our  sister  churches, 
viz.  election,  the  subjects  and  mode  of  baptism, 
perfection,  and  the  testimomj  of  the  Spirit. 
But  the  distinctive  traits  of  Lutheranism  are 
not  confined  to  doctrine ;  they  also  extend  to 
her 

2.   Government. 

I  have  ah'eady  alhided  to  this  subject,  but 
am  necessarily  obliged  to  recur  to  it,  hoping 
however,  to  avoid  tautology. 

1.  Lutherans  differ  from  Episcopalians  in 
relation  to  the  ministry.  The  latter  teach  that 
Christ  instituted  three  distinct  orders  of  gos- 
pel ministers,  viz.  bishops,  presbyters,  and  dea- 
cons; that  bishops  alone  have  the  right  to  or- 
dain and  confirm ;  presbyters  to  preach  the 
gospel  and  administer  the  sacraments;  and 
deacons  to  preach  and  baptize  only. 


96  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 

They  might  here  be  asked  to  show  reason, 
for  limiting  the  performance  of  confirmation  to 
the  highest  order  of  ministers,  whilst  the  sac- 
raments may  be  administered  by  an  inferior 
iCrade?  Confirmation  is  not  a  sacrament  but 
a  mere  rite ;  it  was  unquestionably  not  institut- 
ed by  Christ,  while  the  sacraments  confessedly 
were.  The  inquiry  might  also  be  made,  upon 
what  authority  they  make  such  a  distinction 
between  the  sacraments,  allowing  the  lowest 
order  to  administer  the  one  but  not  the  other  ? 
But  a  discussion  on  these  questions,  w^ould  di- 
vert me  from  my  present  object. 

In  contradistinction  to  these  views,  Luther- 
ans advocate  ministerial  parity  ;  they  believe 
that  all  ministers  who  are  authorized  to  preach 
the  gospel  and  administer  the  sacraments,  are 
hij  divine  appointment  of  equal  rank,  and  have 
the  right  to  perform  the  highest  as  well  as  all 
subordinate  acts  of  the  ministry.  They  teach 
that  strictly  speaking,  the  New  Testament  au- 
thorizes but  one  order  of  ministers,  and  that 
they  are  all  bishops  of  the  church  or  churches 
committed  to  their  charge ;  that  the  title  of 
bishop  was  given,  in  the  apostolic  age,  and  for 
many  years  subsequently,  to  pastors  indiscri- 
minately; that  the  order  of  diocesan  bishops 


THE   LUTHERAN   CHURCH.  97 


was  an  innovation  upon  the  apostolic  and  pri- 
mitive system,  and  the  vesting  in  them  of  ex- 
clusive power  to  ordain,  an  unwarranted  as- 
sumption, not  countenanced  in  any  degree, 
either  directly  or  indirectly  by  the  Word  ot 
God. 

That  the  apostles  occupied  a  place  of  supe- 
rior rank  and  dignity  in  the  primitive  church, 
is  readily  conceded  by  Lutherans;  but  that  the 
power  of  ordination  was  confined  to  them 
during  their  life-time,  and  they  communicated 
that  power  to  a  superior  order  of  ministers, 
exclusively  or  by  way  of  pre-eminence,  styled, 
bishops :  they  positively  deny.  Lutherans,  in 
fact,  do  not  believe  that  the  apostles  had,  or 
could  have  successors  in  that  high  and  peculiar 
office  which  they  filled  in  the  church.  They 
ref'-ard  the  apostles  as  extraordinary  officers  of 
temporary  standing,  and  at  their  decease  the 
necessity  of  such  officers  was  superseded. 
Hence,  after  the  death  of  the  twelve  the  church 
had  no  more  apostles  in  the  technical  sense  of 
the  word;  there  was  no  official  succession; 
when  the  original  occupants  died,  the  office 
ceased.* 

*Dr.  Barrow,  an  eminent  divine,  and  that  too  0/ (Ac  Episcopal 
church,  speaks  thus  on  this  subject :  "  The  Apostohcal  office,  as  such 

9 


98  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 

Yet  nevertheless,  Lutherans  hold^  that  as 
ordinary  mi?iisters  of  Christ  the  apostles  had 
successors.  They  had  not  only  been  called  to 
then'  office  in  a  peculiar  manner,  and  endued 
with  extraordinary  gifts  and  graces  for  extra- 
ordinary purposes,  but  were  also  appointed  as 
common  ministers  of  the  gospel,  and  as  such, 
commanded  to  go  forth  and  administer  the 
word  and  sacraments. 

Their  office  was  accordingly  two-fold^  viz. 
apostolic,  in  a  peculiar  or  technical  sense,  and 
ministerial^  in  a  common  sense.  That  such  is 
the  fact,  appears  too  plainly  from  an  examina- 
tion of  their  character  and  course  of  proce- 

was  personal  and  temporary ;  and  therefore,  according  to  its  nature 
and  design,  not  successive,  nor  communicable  to  others,  in  perpetual 
descendance  from  them.  It  was  as  such  in  all  respects  extraordin- 
ary, conferred  in  a  special  manner,  designed  for  special  purposes, 
discharged  by  special  privileges,  as  was  needful  for  the  propagation 
of  Christianity,  and  founding  of  churelses !  To  that  office  it  was 
requisite  that  the  person  should  have  an  immediate  designation  and 
commisBion  from  God ;  that  he  should  be  endowed  with  miraculous 
gifts  and  graces ;  that  he  should  be  able,  according  to  his  discretion, 
to  impart  spiritual  gifts;  and  thfit  he  should  govern  in  an  absolute 
manner,  as  being  guided  by  infalHble  assistance  to  which  he  might 
appeal.  Now  such  an  office,  consisting  of  so  many  extraordinary 
privileges,  and  miraculous  powers,  which  were  requisite  for  the 
foundation  of  the  church,  was  not  designed  to  continue  by  deriva- 
tion, for  it  contained  in  it  divers  things,  which  apparently  were  not 
communicated,  and  which  no  man,  without  gross  imposture  and  hy- 
pocrisy, could  challenge  to  himself." 


THE    LUTHERAN  CHURCH.  99 

dure,  to  require  further  argument.  Now,  in 
their  extraordinary  character,  as  apostles  spe- 
cially and  personally  called  by  the  Master, 
divinely  inspired,  miraculously  endued,  infalli- 
bly guided,  supernaturally  qualified,  and  par- 
ticularly designed  for  a  special  purpose,  it  was 
both  impossible  and  unnecessary  that  they 
should  have  successors.  Hence,  there  is  not  a 
single  word  to  be  found  in  all  God's  Scrip- 
tures, intimating  that  they  had  or  were  intend- 
ed to  have  successors  in  this  sense.  But  as 
ordinary  ministers,  they  evidently  had  succes- 
sors, and  their  successors  were  all  those,  who 
like  them  were  empowered  to  preach  the  gos- 
pel and  dispense  the  sacraments.  Their  com- 
mission, as  ordinary  ministers,  is  recorded 
Matt,  xxviii.  19 — 20;  and  it  was  evidently  in 
allusion  to  the  ministerial  succession,  that  our 
Lord  added:  "Lo  I  am  with  you  always,  even 
unto  the  end  of  the  world  f' — if  the  allusion 
here,  was  not  to  the  succession  in  question, 
what  propriety  would  there  have  been  in  the 
phrase  :  "unto  the  end  of  the  world?" 

If  our  Episcopal  brethren  had  based  their 
divisions  of  the  ministry  into  three  grades, 
upon  grounds  of  expediency,  Lutherans,  ac- 
cording to  their  liberal  views,  could  not  seri- 


100  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 

ously  object  to  it  since  they  believe  that  our 
Lord,  instead  of  prescribing  an  entire,  specific 
system  of  ecclesiastical  government,  simply  es- 
tablished a  few  fundamental  principles,  and  left 
the  church  to  fill  up  the  outline  as  might  seem 
best  adapted  to  accomplish  all  the  great  pur- 
poses of  his  glorious  system.  But  the  case  is 
widely  different.  It  is  maintained  that  these 
three  orders  were  established  by  Christ  and  the 
apostles,  and  were  intended  to  be  preserved 
permanently  in  the  church;  that  said  orders 
have  been  handed  down  from  the  apostolic  age 
in  unbroken  succession  to  the  present  period  ; 
and  that  no  ordination  but  that  administered 
by  regular  diocesan  bishops  is  valid.  Hence 
follows  unavoidably,  that  proud  and  sweeping 
proscription,  that  bigoted  and  utterly  ground- 
less doctrine  of  prelacy,  which  unchurches  all 
denominations  in  which  presbyterial  ordination 
prevails;  strips  all  their  pastors  of  their  min- 
isterial character;  and  declares  all  their  offi- 
cial acts  to  be  nugatory  and  vain  ! ! !  This 
is  the  unscriptural  and  odious  issue  to  which 
the  high-churchism  of  our  Episcopal  brethren, 
and  the  usurpations  of  Romanism  necessarily 
lead ;  and  hence  Lutherans  are  opposed  to 
such  arrogant  assumptions,  and  consider  them- 


THE  LUTHERAN  CHURCH.       101 

selves  bound  on  all  proper  occasions  to  resist 
them.  It  is  accordingly  obvious  that  I  could 
not  comfortably  be  a  member  of  the  Episcopal 
or  Romish  communion,  or  of  any  denomina- 
tion which  acknowledges  diocesan  prelacy  or 
any  distinct  and  superior  order  of  clergy ;  and 
on  this  ground  I  am  a  very  decided  Lutheran, 
approving  with  all  my  heart  of  the  stand 
which  the  Lutheran  church  has  taken  on  this 
subject. 

But  as  Lutherans  hold  to  the  doctrine  ot 
ministerial  ^parity,  it  may  not  be  out  of  place, 
to  state  some  of  the  more  prominent  considera- 
tions upon  which  they  believe  themselves  au- 
thorized to  rest  this  doctrine  : 

1.  First  then  I  remark,  that  the  title  of 
''Bishop"  is  never  employed  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament, not  even  in  a  single  instance,  to  desig- 
nate an  officer  above  the  rank  of  an  ordinary 
presbyter  or  a  regular  pastor.  Our  Episcopal 
brethren  themselves  admit  this.  But  if  the 
New  Testament  uniformly  restricts  the  appli- 
cation of  the  word  bishop,  to  pastors  of  equal 
rank,  is  it  no  evidence  of  ministerial  parity? 

2.  Again,  the  sacred  Scriptures  do  not  fur- 
nish the  slightest  intimation  of  a  difference  of 
rank  among  the  permanent  gospel  ministry. 

9* 


102  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 


True,  we  read  of  apostles  and  evangelists,  but 
these  were  extraordinary  officers.  They  were 
endowed  with  pre-eminent  gifts  and  intended 
to  be  employed  only  temporarily  in  founding 
the  church.  This  accomplished,  their  office 
ceased  so  far  as  it  was  extraordinary  and  tem- 
porary. If  it  be  maintained  that  their  pre-emi- 
nence and  superior  powers  were  communica- 
ble, and  have  been  transferred  to  regular  suc- 
cessors, down  to  the  present  period,  let  it  be 
proved.  Let  those  professed  successors  pro- 
duce their  credentials  under  the  broad  seal  of 
miracles ;  but  if  they  cannot,  their  pretensions 
are  unfounded  and  must  pass  for  nothing;  and 
it  must  be  admitted  that  Christ's  ministers  are 
all  of  equal  rank. 

3.  Further,  the  terms  bishop  and  preshijters 
are  used  in  the  sacred  writings  as  convertible, 
that  is,  they  are  used  indiscriminately  to  signi- 
fy the  same  officers,  and  those  officers  confess- 
edly not  prelates  but  ordinary  pastors.  This  is 
as  evident  as  "the  sun  shining  in  his  strength." 
As  proof  of  it  I  refer  the  reader  to  Acts,  xx.  1 7, 
from  which  passage  we  learn,  that  "from  Mile- 
tus, he  (Paul)  sent  to  Ephesus,  and  called  the 
Elders  (that  is,  the  presbyters  or  ordinary  pas- 
tors) of  the  church;"  and  in  the  following 28th 


THE  LUTHERAN   CHUHCH.  103 


verse  those  same  elders  are  called  overseers, 
that  is,  bishops.  In  other  passages  the  word 
here  rendered  overseers  is  translated  bishop^ 
and  ought  to  have  been  so  rendered  in  the  case 
under  consideration,  as  is  tlie  fact  in  the  Ger- 
man version  by  Luther.  For  the  propriety 
of  this  criticism,  see  Phil.  i.  1;  1  Tim,  iii,  26; 
Tit.  i.  7 ;  1  Pet.  ii.  25.  Again,  Paul  instruct- 
ed Timothy  in  the  qualities  which  were  to  be 
required  in  those  who  desired  the  office  of  a 
bishop]  1  Tim,  iii.  L  Paul  and  Barnabas 
ordained  preshjters  in  every  church  which  they 
had  founded;  Acts,  xiv.  23,  Titus  is  direct- 
ed to  ordain  in  every  city,  presbyters,  who 
were  to  be  "blameless,  the  husband  of  one 
wife."  The  reason  of  so  strict  a  scrutiny  into 
character  is  thus  rendered:  ''for  a  bishop  must 
be  blameless;"  Titus,  i.  5,  Now,  let  any 
intelligent  mind  not  warped  by  previous  opin- 
ion, compare  the  application  of  these  terms  and 
it  will  irresistibly  appear  that  the  bishop  and 
the  presbyter  are  one  and  the  same  person. 
But  if  the  terms  bishop  and  presbyter  or  elder ., 
are  employed  interchangeably  to  signify  the 
same  officer,  what  becomes  of  the  argmnent  for 
prelatic  dignity? 

4.  In  the  fourth  place  I  remark,  that  we  do 


104  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 

not  find  in  the  Bible  a  division  of  ministerial 
functions  among  different  orders  of  ministers. 
The  duties  of  Christ's  ministers  are  prescribed 
with  great  distinctness  and  precision  in  the 
New  Testament  writings;  if  there  had  been 
three  different  grades  of  clergy^  viz ;  bishops, 
priests  or  presbyters,  and  deacons,  in  the  apos- 
tolic church,  might  we  not  reasonably  expect 
their  respective  duties  to  be  specifically  enu- 
merated and  distributed  among  the  several 
classes  of  clergy,  according  to  the  rank  they 
hold  ?  But  where  do  we  find  such  a  division 
of  duties?  Where  do  we  read  that  diocesan 
bishops  have  the  exclusive  authority  to  confirm 
and  ordain ;  that  presbyters  may  not  ordain,  but 
only  preach  the  gospel  and  administer  the  sac- 
raments ;  and  that  deacons  shall  only  preach 
and  baptize  ?  But  if  such  a  division  of  duties 
cannot  be  found,  I  ask  whether  the  equal  rank 
of  Christian  ministers  may  not  be  fairly  in- 
ferred ? 

5.  Fifthly,  in  Paul's  instructions  to  Timo- 
thy and  Titus  on  the  subject  of  appointing 
ministers,  he  never  speaks  of  more  than  one 
order.  These  instructions  will  be  found  in  1 
Tim.  iii.  1—7;  2  Tim.  ii.  2;  Titus  i.  5.  Now 
let  any  man  who  has  no  turn  to  serve ;  no  in- 


THE  LUTHERAN    CHURCH.  105 


terest  in  misconstruing  the  obvious  meaning  of 
words,  carefully  read  these  instructions,  and 
we  may  safely  challenge  him  to  point  to  the 
syllable  that  even  hints  at  different  grades  of 
clergy.  But  can  we  suppose  if  it  had  been  the 
design  of  the  Master  or  of  the  apostle,  that 
more  than  one  order  should  be  constituted,  that 
Paul,  in  imparting  instructions  on  that  very 
subject,  would  have  remained  silent  on  so  im- 
portant a  point? — that  he  would  not  so  much 
as  allude  to  more  than  one  order,  nor  give  a 
single  direction  as  to  the  necessary  qualifica- 
tions and  mode  of  inducting  the  supposed  or- 
ders into  office?  Who  is  prepared  to  charge 
Paul  with  such  remissness,  with  such  an  un- 
pardonable dereliction  of  duty?  And  yet,  we 
must  thus  charge  him,  or  admit  the  doctrine  of 
ministerial  parity. 

6.  In  the  last  place,  the  commission  of  our 
Lord  to  the  first  heralds  of  the  cross,  contem- 
plates them  all  as  perfectly  equal  The  com- 
mission reads  thus:  "Go  ye  therefore,  and 
teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name 
of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the 
Holy  Ghost:" — "Teaching  them  to  observe 
all  things  whatsoever  1  have  commanded  you; 
and  lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even  unto  the 


106  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 


end  of  the  world."  Not  a  word  of  discrimi- 
nation do  we  here  find  between  the  apostles ; 
not  a  syllable  intimating  three  orders  of  minis- 
ters; they  are  all  addressed  as  one  class  of 
teachers,  reminding  us  of  the  endearing  fact 
that,  "  One  is  our  Master,  but  that  we  all  are 
brethren."  If  some  of  the  apostles  or  even  of 
their  successors,  had  been  designed  to  act  as 
prelates,  others  as  presbjrters,  &c.,  would 
Christ  have  intimated  nothing  to  that  effect,  in 
giving  them  their  final  charge  ?  would  he  not, 
perhaps  have  said  something  like  the  following 
to  one  rank:  Go  and  ordain  and  confirm,  &c.; 
to  another :  Go  and  preach  and  administer  the 
sacraments,  &c.,  and  to  a  third :  Go  and 
preach  and  baptize,  &c.?  Or  if  it  were  extra- 
vagant to  expect  so  much  explicitness,  would 
he  not,  in  some  mode  or  other,  at  least  have 
alluded  to  a  distinction  of  rank  as  well  as  of 
function?  But  in  the  absence  of  all  this,  is  it 
unfair  to  infer  the  equality  of  the  Christian 
ministry? 

I  mig\it  extend  this  list  of  arguments  in  favor 
of  parity,  but  the  foregoing  appears  to  be  suf- 
ficient. I  have  omitted  to  refer  to  the  testi- 
mony of  the  "Fathers;"  because  our  religion 
is  the  religion  of  the  Bible.    The  word  of  God 


THE  LUTHERAN  CHURCH.       107 

is  the  only  infallible  as  well  as  the  sufficient 
rule  of  faith  and  practice,  ^'  Even  if,"  says 
Dr.  Miller, ''  prelacy  were  found  unequivocally 
represented  as  existing,  by  the  Fathers,  in  fifty 
years  after  the  last  apostle,  yet  if  it  be  not 
found  in  the  Bible  as  it  assuredly  is  not,  such 
testimony  would  by  no  means  establish  its 
apostolic  appointment  It  would  only  prove 
that  the  church  was  very  early  corrupted.  We 
know,  indeed,  that  no  such  testimony  exists; 
but  if  it  did,  as  long  as  we  have  the  Bible,  we 
ought  to  reject  it." 

^  *-  *  *  ^  9j^ 

"But  it  cannot  be  too  often  repeated,  or  too 
constantly  kept  in  view,  that  whatever  the 
Fathers  may  say  on  this  subject,  is  not  to  de- 
cide respecting  it  If  episcopacy,  when  brought 
to  the  test  of  Scripture,  cannot  stand,  we  may 
very  willingly  leave  its  support  from  other 
sources  to  those  v/ho  may  feel  inclined  to  re- 
ceive for  doctrines  the  commandments  of  men," 
^  ^  ^  ^-  ^  * 

^'In  conformity  with  the  foregoing  state- 
ments, it  is  well  known  that,  at  the  era  of  the 
Reformation,  the  leaders  of  the  church  of  Eng- 
land stood  alone,   in   reforming  their  church 

upon  prelatical  principles,      Luther,   Melanc- 
\ 

^'-^  ■..-■■■  ,  ,  run  I  ■mill  I   i      n  i.    nmtki   ii         


108  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 


thon,  Zwingli,  Bucer  and   Peter   Martyr,   as 
well  as  Calvin  and  Knox,  all— scattered  through- 
out  every  part  of  Europe,  without  concert, 
interpreted   the    New    Testament   as   plainly 
teaching  the  doctrine  of  ministerial  parity,  and 
regarded  every  kind  of  imparity  in  the  gospel 
ministry  as  the  result  of  human  contrivance, 
and  not  of  divine  appointment.     In  short,  in 
ever}^  part  of  Protestant  Christendom,  out  of 
England, — however  the  leaders  of  the  Refor- 
mation differed,  and  differed  sometimes  with 
ardor,  on  other  subjects,  here  they,  with  scarce- 
ly a  single  exception,  w^ere  all  agreed,  that,  in 
the  apostles'  days,  bishop  and  presbyter  were 
the  same,  in  fact  as  well  as  in  name ;  and  that, 
even  when  it  was  thought  proper  to  allow  to 
any  ministers  a  degree  of  pre-eminence,  it  was 
to  be  defended  on  the  ground  of  human  pru- 
dence alone.     How  shall  we  account  for  this 
fact,  but  by  supposing  that  the  plain  and  obvi- 
ous construction  of  the  Word  of  God  on  this 
subject,  is  favorable  to  parity,  and  unfriendly 
to  prelatical  claims?" 

From  the  foregoing  my  readers  can  be  at  no 
loss  to  perceive  why  I  am  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  in  preference  to  the  Episcopal  church, 
the  Romish  apostacy,  and  the  Greek  communion. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

I  HAVE  ALREADY,  IN  THE  LAST  TWO  CHAP- 
TERS, ASSIGNED  AS  MY  SIXTH  REASON  FOR 
BEING   A    LUTHERAN, 

VI.  The  distinctive  traits  of  Lutheranism. 

These  distinctive  traits  so  far  as  they  refer  to 

( 1 . )  Doct7'ine,  have  been  sufficiently  noticed. 
On  the  subject  of 

(2.)  Government^  I  have  also  commented, 
pointing  out  the  difference  between  Lutherans 
and  Episcopalians  in  respect  to  the  parity  of 
Gospel  ministers.  I  continue  my  observations 
on  the  distinctive  traits  of  Lutheranism  in  re- 
gard to  government,  by  remarking  secondly, 

2.  That  Lutherans  differ  from  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church  in  relation  to  the  minis- 
tnj.  In  the  latter  church  there  are  several  dis- 
tinct orders  Some  are  itinerants  or  travelling 
preachers,  others  local  preachers,  others  pre- 
siding elders,  and  others  bishops.  All  these 
alike  have  authority  to  preach  and  dispense  the 
sacraments,  while  at  the  same  time  each  class 
enjoys  privileges  peculiar  to  itself  In  briefly 
referring  to  these  several  orders  of  ministers,  I 
10 


110  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 

by  no  means  design  making  invidious  distinc- 
tions ;  my  purpose  is  simply  to  show  wherein 
Lutherans  differ  from  others  in  ecclesiastical 
government 

The  Bishops  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  are  elected  for  life  by  the  travelling 
ministers,  and  hold  the  power  of  stationing  all 
the  preachers.  Thus,  the  itinerant  destiny  of 
not  much  less  than  three  thousand  Methodist 
ministers  in  the  United  States  is  placed  in  the 
hands  of  the  bishops;  while  the  people  to 
whom  all  these  ministers  are  to  dispense  the 
gospel  and  who  are  required  to  raise  an  ade- 
quate support  for  them,  have  not  one  \yord  to 
say  on  the  subject  of  their  appointment  or  the 
amount  of  their  salary!  There  is  no  appeal 
from  the  decisions  of  the  bishops  in  this  most 
interesting  and  important  matter,  and  hence  the 
preachers  must  either  obey  or  leave  the  itiner- 
ant ranks.  Of  course  this  arrangement  sub- 
jects the  preachers  and  people  to  a  state  of  de- 
pendance  on  episcopal  power,  and  enables  that 
power  to  acquire  an  immense  amount  of  influ- 
ence over  both  ministers  and  churches, — an  in- 
fluence that  cannot  but  prove  dangerous  and 
highly  prejudicial  to  the  interests  of  religion  in 
the  hands  of  any  other  but  a  truly  enlightened 


THE  LUTHERAN  CHURCH.       Ill 


and  pious  man;  which  fortunately,  so  far  as 
my  knowledge  extends,  has  been  the  character 
of  all  Methodist  bishops  in  this  country. 

The  next  order  of  ministers  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  are  called  Presiding  Elders. 
They  are  appointed  by  the  bishops  and  are 
placed  over  the  travelling  and  local  preachers, 
exhorters,  &c.  in  their  respective  circuits. 
They  accordingly  appear  to  be  the  agents  of 
the  bishop,  exercising  the  bishop's  powers  to  a 
certain  extent  in  his  absence.  If  this  view  be 
correct,  a  presiding  elder  denotes  one  qui  vicem 
gerit,  who  acts  in  the  place  of  another,  or  is 
second  in  authority.  It  is  worthy  of  remark, 
that  the  office  of  presiding  elder  and  also  the 
title  of  bishop  in  its  technical  application,  are 

j  American  appendages  to  the  Methodist  system; 

1  as  in  England  where  Methodism  was  first  es- 
tablished, they  had  neither  the  one  nor  the 
other. 

Local  preachers  have  very  little  power,  and 
itinerants  a  great  deal ;  but  as  I  necessarily 
have  to  recur  to  this  subject  on  a  future  occa- 
sion, I  will  drop  it  for  the  present. 

After  the  above  statements,  and  what  has 
been  said  in  a  previous  chapter  on  ministerial 
parity,  as  it  exists  in  the  Lutheran  church,  I 


112  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 


need  not  consume  time  in  showing  wherein 
Lutherans  differ  from  Methodists  on  this  sub- 
ject. There  is  emphatically  but  one  order  of 
ministers  among  Lutherans,  and  they  are  all 
presbyters,  pastors  or  bishops  of  their  respec- 
tive charges.  They  are  not  stationed  by  the 
synods,  but  chosen  by  the  people,  dismissed  by 
the  people,  the  amount  of  their  salary  decided 
by  the  people,  and  at  liberty  to  resign  their 
charge  whenever  their  voluntary  engagements 
to  the  people  have  been  fulfilled.  Whether 
this  radically  republican  system  accords  with 
the  Bible  and  best  secures  the  rights  of  the 
people  and  the  prosperity  of  religion,  I  submit 
to  the  reader.  I  am  free  to  confess,  that  in 
my  judgment,  it  harmonizes  with  the  funda- 
mental principles  of  the  gospel  and  the  exam- 
ple of  the  primitive  Christians,  and  hence  I 
decidedly  prefer  being  a  Lutheran. 

We  indeed  read  of  bishops  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament; but  they  were  not  of  superior  rank; 
they  were  the  ordinary  ministers  of  the  gospel, 
and  the  term  bishop  was  an  appellative  apply- 
ing alike  to  all  the  permanent  officers  who  were 
authorized  to  preach  the  gospel;  so  that  the 
appropriating  of  the  title  to  a  special  class  of 
ministers,  and  the  investing  of  that  class  with 


THE  LUTHERAN    CHURCH.  113 


special  prerogatives,  is  clearly  a  human  device. 
This  fact  has  already  been  amply  proven,  and 
need  not  again  be  discussed.  I  will  only  add 
a  quotation  from  Mosheim,  which  appears  to 
me  to  be  just  in  point.  "A  hishop,''^  says  this 
distinguished  historian,  "in  the  iirst  ages  of  the 
Christian  church,  was  a  person  who  had  the 
care  of  07ie  Christian  assembly ^  which  at  that 
time  was,  generally  speaking,  small  enough  to 
be  contained  in  a  private  house."*-  Again, 
"the  rulers  of  the  church  were  called  either 
presbyters  or  bishops,  which  two  titles  7vere 
undouUedly  applied  to  the  same  person.'' ■\ 

As  to  presiding  elders,  I  know  of  no  specific 
direction  in  the  New  Testament,  or  specific 
example  in  the  primitive  church,  expressly  de- 
manding such  an  order  of  ministers.  As  how- 
ever, our  Methodist  brethren,  if  my  informa- 
tion be  correct,  do  not  claim  to  have  any  such 
authority  either  in  regard  to  episcopacy  or  pre- 
siding eldership,  but  have  introduced  the  sys- 
tem wholly  upon  prudential  grounds,  and  in 
accordance  with   the   general   principles   pre- 


*Vide  Mosheim 's  Eccl.  Hist.  ed.  by  the  Meth.  E.  Book  Concern, 
vol.  i.  p.  91. 

jlbid.  p.  88. 

10* 


114  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 

scribed  in  the  New  Testament  in  relation  to 
church  polity,  I  would  not  seriously  object  to 
it.  In  view  of  the  haughty  pretensions  objure 
divino  episcopacy,  as  maintained  by  the  Papists 
and  in  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church,  it  is  to 
be  regretted,  that  the  more  appropriate  and 
less  oifensive  term  of  superintendents,  intro- 
duced by  Wesley,  should  have  been  abolished 
in  this  country  to  make  room  for  that  which 
in  its  application  to  a  superior  order  of  minis- 
ters, cannot  but  be  misapprehended,  and  thus 
contribute  to  strengthen  prejudice  and  perpetu- 
ate error,  whilst  in  the  mean  time  it  may  foster 
pride  in  a  heart  not  wholly  sanctified.  Wes 
ley  himself  seems  to  have  entertained  this  opin 
ion.  When  he  learned  that  Mr.  Asbury  and 
Dr.  Coke  had  established  a  species  of  episco- 
pacy in  the  United  States,  he  addressed  a  very 
pointed  and  impressive  letter  to  them,  dated : 
^'London,  Sept.  20,  1778,"  and  containing  the 
following  withering  rebuke :  *  *  * 
''But  in  one  point,  my  dear  brother,  I  am  a 
little  afraid  you  and  the  Doctor  differ  from  me: 
I  study  to  be  little,  you  to  be  great;  I  creep, 
you  strut  along;  I  found  a  school,  you  a  college; 
nay,  and  call  it  after  your  own  names.  Oh, 
beware !     Do  not  seek  to  be  something:.     Let 


THE  LUTHERAN  CHURCH.       115 


j  me  be  nothing,  and  Christ  be  all  in  all. — One 
instance  of  this  your  greatness,  has  given  me 
great  concern.  How  can  you,  how  dare  you 
suffer  yourselves  to  be  called  a  bishop?  I 
shudder,  I  start,  at  the  very  thought;  men  may 
call  me  a  knave,  or  a  fool,  a  rascal,  a  scoun- 
drel, and  I  am  content.  But  they  shall  never, 
by  my  consent,  call  me  a  bishop.  For  my 
sake,  for  God's  sake,  for  Christ's  sake,  put  a 
full  end  to  this. — John  Wesley."* 

(3.)  Lutherans  differ  from  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  on  the  subject  of  legislation. 
Among  the  former  every  individual  church 
legislates  for  itself  Special  conferences,  sy- 
nods, and  the  General  synod  may  propose  and 
recommend  rules  and  regulations  for  the  gov- 
ernment and  discipline  of  the  church ;  but  the 
pastor  and  members  adopt  those  rules  and  reg- 
ulations only  so  far  as  they  deem  them  scrip- 
tural and  expedient ;  and  if  they  decline  acced- 
ing to  them  they  are  not  therefore  unchurched 
or  proscribed,  but  still  left  to  "pursue  the  even 
tenor  of  their  way"  unmolested,  so  long  as  they 
do  not  err  from  or  violate  long  established  fun- 
damental principles. 

In  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  the  laws 

*See  Moore's  Life  of  Wesley,  vol.  ii.  p.  285. 


116  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 

of  government  are  made  by  the  General  Con- 
ference. The  General  Conference  is  composed 
wholly  of  travelling  preachers,  without  a  single 
lay-representative,  and  presided  over  by  the 
bishops,  who  are  officers  for  life.  The  travel- 
ling preachers  constituting  the  General  Confer- 
ence, are  appointed  by  the  Annual  Confer- 
ences, which  are  also  composed  of  travelling 
preachers  to  the  exclusion  of  all  lay-delegation. 
So  that  in  fact,  the  entire  government  of  the 
church  is  emphatically  a  government  of  travel- 
ling preachers  and  bishops.  The  laws  enacted 
by  the  General  Conference  are  binding  alike 
on  local  preachers  and  private  members,  though 
neither  is  represented  in  the  legislative  depart- 
ment, and  neither  is  possessed  of  a  negative 
power  on  laws  which  may  affect  their  proper- 
ty, persons  and  reputation. 

I  offer  this  expose  of  the  mode  of  ecclesias- 
tical legislation  in  a  sister  church,  not,  I  trust, 
with  unkind  feelings,  or  with  the  most  distant 
view  to  detract  from  the  well-earned  reputation 
of  that  church,  for  whose  zeal  in  the  cause  of 
God  I  entertain  the  highest  regard  and  for 
whose  success  I  pray  with  all  the  fervor  of  my 
heart.  My  object  is  to  exhibit  the  distinctive 
traits   of  the   church  of  my   choice,    and   to 


THE    LUTHERAN  CHURCH.  117 


assign  the  reasons  why  I  prefer  being  a  Lu- 
theran. 

The  supreme  legislator  of  the  church  of 
God,  is  its  own  Glorious  Head,  the  Lord  Je- 
sus Christ.  But  as  he  designed  his  religion 
for  all  people  and  kindred,  under  every  variety 
of  civil  institutions,  he  did  not,  and  could  not 
in  the  nature  of  things,  prescribe  one  entire 
specific  system,  adapted  alike  to  every  nation, 
age,  country  and  civil  police.  Hence  he  has 
wisely  established  only  general  fundamentals, 
and  required  the  church  to  carry  out  those  fun- 
damentals by  subordinate  and  co-operative 
legislation  suited  to  the  peculiar  circum- 
stances of  the  case.  While  he  therefore  gov- 
erns as  Supreme  and  Universal  Law-giver, 
each  denomination  or  individual  church  is  au- 
thorized to  legislate  in  non-essentials  according 
to  the  general  declared  principles  of  the  Head. 
Hence  the  diversity  that  is  to  be  found  in  the 
several  branches  of  his  kingdom.  And  while 
I  would  refrain  from  all  equivocal  reflections 
on  the  form  of  government  established  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church;  while  I  am  not 
even  disposed  to  dispute  the  position  that  their 
form  is  wisely  adapted  to  the  Methodist  econo- 
my, and  seems  thus  far  for  the  most  part  to 


118  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 

work  well  in  reference  to  that  branch  of 
Christ's  kingdom;  I  must  be  permitted  to  as- 
sert my  great  and  decided  preference  of  the 
liberal  and  repubhcan  system  adopted  by  Lu- 
therans. The  feature  in  the  government  of  the 
Lutheran  church  which  authorizes  lay-rejpre- 
sentation  in  conferences,  synods  and  general 
synod,  is  one  dear  to  my  heart; — a  trait  which 
commends  itself  strongly  to  my  notions  of 
equal  and  mutual  rights ;  which  accords  well 
with  the  civil  institutions  of  our  country,  and 
with  the  polity  of  the  church  of  Christ  in  the 
purest  periods  of  her  history.  The  following 
extract  from  Mosheim,*  wall  be  found  to  cor- 
roborate these  remarks,  while  it  strengthens  my 
confidence  in  the  Lutheran  view :  "In  those 
early  times,  every  christian  church  consisted  of 
the  people,  their  leaders,  and  the  ministers  and 
deacons ;  and  these,  indeed,  belong  essentially 
to  every  religious  society.  The  people  were 
undoubtedly  the  first  in  authority,  for  the 
Apostles  themselves  showed  by  their  examples, 
that  nothing  of  moment  was  to  be  carried  on, 
or  determined,  without  the  consent  of  the  as 
sembly;t  and  this  method  of  proceeding  was 

^Ecclesiastical  History,  vol.  i.  p.  87. 
I  Acts  i.  13  ;  vi.  3  ;  xv.  4 ;  xxi.  22. 


THE  LUTHERAN   CHURCH.  119 

^^ttTpnJident  and  necessary,  in  these  critical 
times."     It  was,  therefore  the  assembly  of  the 
people  which  chose  their  own  rulers  and  teach- 
ers or  received  them  by  a  free  and  authorita- 
tive consent,  when  recommended  by  others. 
The  same  people  rejected  or  confirmed,  by 
their  suffrages,  the  laws  that  were  proposed  by 
their  rulers  to  the  assembly,  excommunicated 
proflio-ate  or  unworthy  members  of  the  church, 
restored  the  penitent  to  their  forfeited  privi- 
leges, passed  judgment  on  the  different  subjects 
of  controversy  and  dissension  that  arose  m 
their  community;  examined  and  decided  the 
disputes  which  happened  between  the  elders 
and  deacons;  and,  in  a  word,  exercised  all  that 
authority  which  belongs  to^  such  as  are  invested 
with  the  sovereign  power." 

The  truth  is,  as  the  rights  of  the  laity  are 
I  discussed  and  adjudicated  in  ecclesiastical  bo- 
dies, I  am  at  a  loss  to  conceive  of  adequate 
o-rounds  for  excluding  them  from  a  voice  and 
vote;  and  hence,  if  asked:  Why  are  you  a 
Lutheran?  I  point,  amid  a  multitude  of  other 
reasons,  to  the  legislative  department,  where  ^ 
all  the  parties  concerned  enjoy  equal  rights. 
The  Rev.  Dr.  H.  B.  Bascom,  a  learned  and  dis- 
tinguished Methodist  minister,  has  expressed 


120  ■    DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 

and  advocated  the  sentiments  of  Lutherans  on 
this  point  so  eloquently  and  impressively,  that 
I  cannot  forbear  quoting  from  him.  He  has 
justly  said:  ''The  right  to  be  represented 
where  law  is  made  to  govern,  is  not  only  es- 
sential to  civil  freedom,  but  is  equally  the  basis 
of  religious  liberty.  Civil  and  religious  liberty 
are  intimately  connected ;  they  usually  live  and 
die  together,  and  he  who  is  the  friend  of  the 
one,  cannot  consistently  be  the  enemy  of  the 
other.  If  liberty,  as  is  admitted  on  all  hands, 
is  the  perfection  of  civil  society,  by  what  right 
can  religious  society  become  despoiled  of  this 
crowning  excellence  of  the  social  state?  The 
New  Testament  furnishes  the  principles  but 
not  the  forms  of  church  government;  and  in 
the  adaptation  of  forms  to  these  principles, 
Christian  bodies  should  be  governed  mainly 
by  the  few  facts  and  precedents  furnished  in 
the  apostolic  writings.  The  will  and  mind  of 
the  Great  Head  of  the  church,  on  this  subject, 
so  far  as  clearly  revealed,  whether  by  express 
statute  or  fair  implication,  cannot  be  contra- 
vened without  impiety,  but  in  relation  to  a  va- 
riety of  topics,  connected  with  the  internal  po- 
lice, and  external  relations  of  the  church,  on 
which  the  Scriptures  are  silent,  it  is  left  to 


THE  LUTHERAN   CHURCH.  121 


every  Christian  community  to  adopt  its  own 
regulations,  and  the  same  is  true  of  nations. 
Ministers  and  private  Christians,  according  to 
the  New  Testament,  are  entitled  to  equal 
rights  and  privileges — an  identity  of  interests 
implies  an  equality  of  rights.  A  monopoly  of 
power,  therefore,  by  the  ministry  is  an  usurpa- 
tion of  the  rights  of  the  people.  No  power  on 
the  part  of  the  ministry,  can  deprive  the  people 
legitimately  of  their  elective  and  representative 
rights ;  as  the  ministry  cannot  think  and  act 
for  the  people,  in  matters  of  principle  and  con- 
viction, so  neither  can  they  legislate  for  them, 
except  as  their  authorized  representatives." — 
(See  Declaration  of  Rights,  art.  9.) 

(4.)  Lutherans  differ  from  the  Methodists  in 
the  mode  of  holding  church  property.  In  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  the  travelling 
preachers  possess  the  right  of  controlling  the 
property.  Accordingly,  the  preachers,  w^ho 
are  the  agents  of  the  bishop,  may  dispossess 
the  society  or  congregation  of  the  house  of 
worship,  parsonage,  &c.  By  this  system,  the 
amount  of  church  property  held  by  the  preach- 
ers, is  said  to  be  little  short  of  Four  MiUions. 
Add  to  this  the  Chartered  Fund  in  Philadel- 
phia, of  thirty  thousand  dollars,  the  Book  Es- 
11 


122  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 


tablishment  in  New  York,  estimated  at  two  or 
three  hundred  thousand  dollars ;  and  the  funds 
of  the  Preachers'  Aid  Society  in  Baltimore, 
and  the  aggregate  will  probably  amount  to  con- 
siderably above  Four  Millions !  all  which,  if  I 
am  correctly  informed,  is  managed  and  con- 
trolled by  the  travelling  preachers,  agreeably 
to  the  regulations  prescribed,  and  to  the  entire 
exclusion  of  the  laity  or  members  of  the  church, 
who  were  chiefly  instrumental  in  contributing 
this  immense  sum. 

In  the  Lutheran  church  it  is  entirely  differ- 
ent. All  the  church  property  is  held  by  the 
congregations,  to  whom  of  right  it  belongs. 
The  members  of  each  church  elect  officers, 
called  the  council,  and  these  officers  hold  the 
property  in  trust  for  the  church;  except  when 
it  is  incorporated,  in  which  case  the  property 
is  held  by  the  corporation,  in  the  name  of  and 
for  the  use  of  the  church.  Neither  trustees 
nor  corporations  can  purchase,  or  sell  or  dis- 
pose of  church  property  in  any  way  without 
authority  from  two-thirds  of  the  voting  mem- 
bers, who  are  usually  thos3  only  who  are  in 
full  communion  with  the  church.  This  mode 
of  holding  and  managing  the  t?n  poral  posses- 
sions, of  the  church,  pleases  me  vastly  better 


THE  LUTHERAN  CHURCH.       123 


than  that  previously  referred  to.  It  secures 
the  rights  of  the  people,  while  it  leaves  minis- 
ters to  prosecute  their  own  peculiar  work,  free 
and  unperplexed  by  financial  concerns.  Be- 
sides this,  it  seems  better  to  accord  with  the 
apostolic  usage,  as  may  be  seen  by  reference  to 
Acts,  vi.  2—5:  ''Then  the  twelve  called  the 
MULTITUDE  of  the  DISCIPLES  unto  them,  and 
said,  it  is  not  reason  that  we  should  leave  the 
Word  of  God,  and  serve  tables,  wherefore 
brethren,  look  ye  out  among  you  seven  men  of 
honest  report,  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  wis- 
dom, whom  we  may  appoint  over  this  busi- 
ness, but  we  will  give  ourselves  continually  to 
prayer  and  to  the  miiiistry  of  the  Word;  and 
the  saying  pleased  the  whole  multitude." 

After  the  above  exhibit  of  some  of  the  char- 
acteristics of  Lutheranism,  I  may  be  permitted 
to  ask  the  unbiased  reader,  whether  he  can  re- 
cognize in  it,  no  justification  of  my  ecclesiasti- 
cal partiality?  I  mean  no  disrespect  to  our 
Methodist  brethren ;  they  are  among  the  last 
on  earth  whom  I  could  be  tempted  to  traduce ; 
because,  whatever  defects  may  seem  to  be  in- 
terwoven in  their  system,  I  behold  much  in 
that  same  system  to  admire ;  much  in  their  un- 
remitting zeal,  and  their  unwearied  efforts  to 


124  DISTINCTIVE   TRAITS    OF 


preach  the  gospel  to  the  poor  and  destitute, 
and  to  spread  it  in  distant  climes,  that  challen- 
ges my  profound  regard  and  commands  my  un- 
feigned reverence.  Though  the  division  of  the 
ministry  into  different  ranks ;  the  exclusion  of 
the  laity  from  all  exercise  of  legislative  pov^er; 
and  the  holding  of  such  an  immense  amount  of 
property  and  funds  by  the  preachers,  are  re- 
pugnant to  my  notions  of  primitive  simplicity, 
and  of  equal  rights  and  mutual  justice ;  yet,  in 
the  opinion  of  our  Methodist  brethren,  my 
views  are  erroneous.  Moreover,  the  member- 
ship have  voluntarily  yielded  up  their  natural 
rights,  and  consented  that  others  shall  exercise 
them  in  their  stead.  They  have  tried  their 
system  and  think  it  good ;  and  I  know  not  that 
the  great  body  of  those  who  adhere  to  it,  are 
discontented  or  anxious  for  a  change.  Why 
then,  should  I  judge  my  brethren?  I  do  not 
judge  them;  I  bid  them  God  speed,  and  pray 
for  their  continued  prosperity.  But  while  all 
this  is  conceded,  I  may  without  offence,  I  trust, 
frankly  and  unequivocally  express  my  vast  pre- 
ference of  the  Lutheran  system.  Ministerial 
equality;  legislative  equality;  congregational 
rights  in  relation  to  property  and  the  disposal 
of  ecclesiastical  funds ;  are  all  important  ad- 


THE  LUTHERAN  CHURCH.       125 


vantages  which  1  highly  prize.  In  no  church 
are  they  more  distinctly  defined  and  more 
sternly  maintained  than  in  the  Lutheran ;  and 
therefore  I  love  Lutheranism,  especially  as  or- 
ganized in  the  United  States.  It  is  a  scrip- 
tural, a  noble,  a  liberal  and  equitable  system. 
No  man  need  be  ashamed  of  it,  or  blush  to 
own  that  he  holds  to  it  and  reveres  it.  No 
one  need  turn  his  back  upon  it,  and  go  in 
search  of  a  better  economy.  No  truly  en- 
lightened and  pious  person,  who  entertained 
correct  apprehensions,  ever  did  renounce  it,  or 
can  cherish  the  hope  of  receiving  in  exchange 
for  it,  a  system  more  wisely  accommodated  to 
his  religious  wants  and  his  inalienable  rights. 
Am  I  then  again  asked :  why  are  you  a  Lu- 
theran? Let  the  answer  be  sought,  in  the  ge- 
nius of  Lutheranism. 


SUPPLEMENT    TO    CHAPTER    VII. 

In  my  attempt  to  set  forth  some  of  the  dis- 
tinctive features  of  Lutheranism  in  the  preced- 
ing chapter,  I  took  the  liberty  to  allude  to 
Methodism.  This  I  did  in  order  to  carry  out 
my  purpose  in  a  more  intelligible  manner.    My 


126  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 


object  was  not  to  disparage  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  since  I  entertain  a  high  re- 
gard and  affection  for  that  branch  of  Christ's 
kingdom,  but  to  vindicate  Lutherans.  But 
with  all  my  caution  I  have  unfortunately  given 
offence  to  some  of  my  Methodist  brethren, 
which  is  to  me  a  subject  of  sincere  regret. 
Exception  has  especially  been  taken  to  my 
statements  respecting  the  government  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  their  mode  of 
holding  chu7'ch  property.  The  very  able  edi- 
tor of  the  Western  (Cincinnati)  Christian  Ad- 
vocate declares,  that  "many  of  those  state- 
ments are  calculated  to  make  very  wrong  im- 
pressions that  may  do  them  (the  Methodists) 
great  injustice  in  the  estimation  of  my  readers;" 
and  that  "some  of  my  representations  are  pal- 
pably false^  He  further  adds :  "If  our  friend 
(the  editor  of  the  Lutheran  Observer)  will  ex- 
amine the  Discipline  carefully,  he  will  find  that 
a  man  cannot  be  a  preacher  without  the  vote 
of  his  lay-brethren,  and  that  laymen  have  much 
to  do  in  the  administration  of  the  executive  de- 
partment of  the  government,  or  the  enforcing 
of  gospel  discipline."  In  reference  to  what  I 
said  of  the  mode  of  holding  church  property, 
he  remarks  :  ''Now  every  one  acquainted  with 


THE  LUTHERAN  CHURCH.       127 


the  economy  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
knows  that  all  such  property  is  held  by  boards 
of  trustees,  principally,  if  not  altogether,  com- 
posed of  lay-members;  and  by  reference  to  our 
church  deed  of  settlement  it  will  be  seen  that 
all  our  churches  are  held  by  those  trustees  in 
trust  for  the  use  of  the  members  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church;  and  so  far  from  recog- 
nizing the  preachers  as  the  rightful  owners  of 
the  property,  the  deed  provides  that  the  trus- 
tees shall  permit  the  preachers  to  preach  and 
expound  God's  Holy  Word  in  those  churches 
when  they  come  properly  authorized,  and  are 
in  o;ood  standino:.  How  absurd  it  would  be  to 
secure  this  privilege  to  the  ministry,  if  the 
houses  were  their  own !  Indeed,  we  are  sur- 
prised that  the  worthy  editor  of  the  Lutheran 
Observer  ever  suffered  this  misrepresentation 
to  be  made  in  his  paper." 

In  reply  I  have  to  remark,  that  I  have  "  ex- 
amined the  Discipline  carefully"  and  with  a 
sincere  desire  to  understand  it  correctly,  and 
the  result  is  a  conviction  that  not  one  of  my 
statements  is  ''palpably  false,"  but  that  all  are 
in  strict  conformity  to  the  constructive  import 
of  that  document  and  the  "deed  of  settlement," 
The  fact  that  ^'a  man  cannot  be  a  preacher  [in 


128  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS   OF 

the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  J  without  the 
vote  of  his  lay  brethren"  &c.^  and  that  all  pro- 
perty is  held  by  boards  of  trustees  principally, 
if  not  altogether^  composed  of  lay  members ;" 
do  not  essentially  alter  the  case.  Tliose  '^lay 
brethren"  are  appointed  by  the  preachers, 
and  therefore  are  their  creatures.  Moreover, 
though  by  their  votes  they  should  ever  so  ear- 
nestly recommend  a  man  to  the  pastoral  office, 
it  is  the  p^'eachers  ahyie  without  a  single  lay- 
voie^  who  finally  decide  the  question.  So  also 
in  reference  to  their  houses  of  worship  and 
other  property;  though  held  by  lay  trustees, 
yet  what  are  the  limitations  and  conditions  of 
that  tenure?  Why,  by  virtue  o{  the  A^^A  of 
settlement,  they  hold  the  building  "for  the  use 
of  the  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  in  the  United  States  of  America,''  &c. 
Accordingly,  the  deed  does  not  secure  the  pro- 
perty to  the  purchasers  and  builders  nor  to  the 
members  who  constitute  the  congregation,  but 
to  the  church  at  large,  or  rather,  virtually  to 
the  travelling  preachers,  including  of  course 
the  bishops.  If  the  purchasers  or  builders,  or 
members  who  occupy  the  church,  should  at  any 
time  cease  to  be  members  of  the  Methodist 
community,  they  will  no  longer  be  entitled  to 


THE  LUTHERAN  CHURCH.       129 


the  use  of  the  house  of  worship  which  they 
have  built  and  paid  for.  Now,  do  these  gen- 
tlemen hold  any  other  property  by  such  tenure? 
Do  they  retain  the  use  of  a  house  of  residence 
that  they  have  bought  and  paid  for,  only  so 
long  as  they  are  the  members  of  Methodism  ? 
How  is  it  possible  that  they  can  be  the  bona 
fide  owners  of  property,  the  tenure  of  which, 
depends  upon  their  theological  and  ecclesiasti- 
cal opinions?  If  these  gentlemen  were  to  be- 
come Presbyterians,  Lutherans,  or  Baptists, 
they  lose  their  property?  If  the  Stockholders 
in  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Rail  Road  Company 
change  their  theological,  ecclesiastical,  political, 
scientific,  or  literary  opinions,  do  they  lose  their 
property?  No.  And  why?  They  own  it. 
But  this  is  not  all.  After  a  careful  examina- 
tion of  the  deed  of  settlement,  and  Discipline 
&c.,  I  find  that  the  preachers  do  not  permit  the 
people  to  commence  building  a  house  of  wor- 
ship without  first  securing  by  subscription 
three-fourths  of  the  cost,  and  vesting  the  title 
of  the  lot  agreeably  to  the  deed  of  settlement ; 
no  charter  is  admitted  unless  in  accordance 
with  that  which  ^/?ey  have  enjoined;  they  Q.ip- 
point  the  new  boards  of  trustees  and  nominate 
persons  to  fill  all  vacancies;  they  reserve  to 


130  DISTINCTIVE   TRAITS   OF 

themselves  the  right  to  use  the  churches,  at  all 
times  and  forever,  and  the  members — not  those 
who  built  or  occupy  the  house  of  worship  and 
their  legal  successors,  but  the  members  of  the 
denomination  in  general,  are  authorized  to  use 
it,  and  that  only  in  conformity  to  the  rules  and 
discipline  which  the  preachers  may  from  time 
to  time  agree  upon  and  adopt;  they  (the  preach- 
ers) allow  no  congregation  to  mortgage  or  sell 
the  property  to  pay  its  debts  without  giving  a 
year's  notice  to  the  pastor;  if  the  trustees  are 
compelled  to  sell  the  property,  the  proceeds 
must  be  at  the  disposal  not  of  the  congregation^ 
hut  of  the  Annual  Conference,  a  body  consist- 
ing exclusively  of  preachers ;  the  trustees  are 
bound  to  make  their  report  not  to  the  society 
whose  money  they  manage,  but  to  the  Quarter- 
ly Conference,  and  no  congregation  can  refuse 
to  submit  to  the  rules  and  discipline  which  the 
preachers  may  see  fit  to  adopt,  or  secede  from 
their  connection,  without  forfeiting  the  privilege 
of  using  the  place  of  worship.  From  all  these 
considerations  I  have  come  to  the  unavoidable 
conclusion  that  the  preachers  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  are  in  effect  the  owners  and 
controllers  of  the  meeting  houses,  parsonages, 
&c.  of  the  denomination.     If  nevertheless  I 


THE  LUTHERAN    CHURCH.  131 


am  still  mistaken,  it  is  verily  a  mistake  of  the 
head  and  not  of  the  heart ;  it  is  to  the  obtuse- 
ness  of  my  intellect  that  the  error  must  be  as- 
cribed. And  I  find  some  apology  for  my  dul- 
ness  of  apprehension  in  the  reflection,  that  a 
nmiierous  host  of  writers  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  formerly,  as  well  of  other 
churches,  far  superior  in  acuteness  of  mind, 
have  from  the  same  premises  arrived  at  the 
very  same  conclusion.  So  that  it  was,  at  least 
not  over-polite,  to  say  nothing  of  Christian 
courtesy  for  the  editor  of  the  Western  Chris- 
tian Advocate  to  attribute  so  uncerimoneously, 
'^'palpable  falsehood'^  to  his  brother  editor; 
indeed  I  am  surprised  that  the  woi^thy  editor 
ever  permitted  himself,  on  such  equivocal 
grounds,  to  hurl  this  unseemly  accusation 
against  one  for  whom  he  professes  to  entertain 
regard. 


L 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

MY  SIXTH  REASON  FOR  BEING  A  LUTHERAN, 
AS  THE  READER  IS  ALREADY  APPRIZED,  IS 
FOUND, 

VI.  Li  the  distinctive  traits  of  Lutheran- 
ism. 

This  is  a  very  comprehensive  argument,  em- 
bracing a  variety  of  subordinate  considerations 
So  far  as  doctrine  and  government  are  con- 
cerned, it  has  been  sufficiently  discussed.  I 
now  proceed  to  notice  a  few  of  those  distinctive 
traits  in  reference  to 

3.  Discipline. 

Lutherans  differ  from  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church  in  regard  to  the  exception  of  mem- 
bers. In  the  latter  church  it  is  the  prerogative 
of  "the  preacher-in-charge,"  to  decide  on  this 
question.  Hence,  he  may  receive  new  mem- 
bers contrary  to  the  voice  of  the  officers,  and 
even  of  the  whole  congregation.  The  preach- 
er indeed  usually  asks  if  there  be  objections, 
but  there  is  no  rule  requiring  him  thus  to  ask, 
and  should  objections  be  offered,  the  decision 
ultimately  rests  with  him,  and  he  can  receive 


THE  LUTHERAN  CHURCH.       133 

any  applicant  he  pleases,  whether  objections  be 
made  or  not. 

In  the  Lutheran  church  it  is  the  privilege  of 
the  council,  that  is,  the  church  officers,  who 
are  periodically  elected  by  the  congregation,  to 
decide  on  apphcations  for  membership.  The 
rule  reads  thus  :  "  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the 
council  to  admit  to  membership  adults,  who 
shall  make  application,  and  w^hom,  on  mature 
examination,  they  shall  judge  to  be  possessed 
of  the  qualifications  hereafter  specified,"  &c. 
"Also  to  admit  to  the  communion  of  the 
church,  all  those  who  were  admitted  to  church 
membership  in  their  infancy,  and  whom  on 
like  examination,  they  shall  judge  possessed  of 
the  above-mentioned  qualifications." 

Lutherans  maintain,  that  primarily  the  right 
of  admitting  members,  belongs  to  the  church 
in  its  congregational  capacity.  But  the  right 
has  been  surrendered,  for  the  time  being,  to  its 
official  members  or  the  council,  of  which  the 
pastor  is  exoffido  the  presiding  officer,  and 
may  be  resumed  and  exercised  by  the  church, 
whenever  a  majority  think  proper  so  to  do. 
The  authority  therefore,  vested  by  our  Metho- 
dist brethren  in  a  single  individual y  viz.  ''the 
preacher-in-charge,"  is  distributed  among^  and 
12 


134  DISTINCTIVE   TRAITS    OF 

held  in  trust  by  some  ten  or  a  dozen  officers, 
chosen  to  act  as  the  representatives  of  the 
whole  church.  This  arrangement  I  believe  to 
be  more  in  unison  with  the  Bible  and  the  ex- 
ample of  the  primitive  Christians,  as  well  as 
with  the  republican  institutions  of  our  country. 
In  this  fact  then  I  find  another  argument  for 
preferring  to  be  a  Lutheran. 

Lutherans  also  differ  from  their  Methodist 
brethren  in  relation  to  the  trial  of  memhers. 
Among  the  latter,  members  are  brought  to  trial 
either  before  the  society  or  a  select  number, 
as  the  preacher  pleases,  in  the  presence  of  a 
bishop,  preacher,  elder  or  deacon.  The  preacher 
may  allow  the  accused  time  to  prepare  himself,  or 
summon  him  to  trial  forthwith.  Being  clothed 
with  authority  to  appoint  the  jury  or  commit- 
tee of  trial,  he  may  also  select  men  who  are 
favorable  or  unfavorable  to  the  accused,  while 
the  latter  has  not  the  right  of  challenge.  The 
accused  however,  may  appeal  to  the  next  Quar- 
terly Conference ;  but  he  may  also  after  hav- 
ing been  acquitted  in  the  lower  court,  be  ar- 
raigned again  on  the  same  charge  by  the 
preacher,  if  he  differ  in  judgment  from  that 
court.  Official  members  who  acted  as  com- 
mittee men  and  voted  in  the  first  trial,  may 


THE   LUTHERAN    CHURCH.  135 


again  sit  and  vote  on  the  same  case  in  the 
Quarterly  Conference.     Moreover,  the  Quar- 
terly Conference  is  composed  of  the  travelling 
and  local  preachers,  exhorters,  stewards  and 
leaders,  so  that  a  majority  of  the  members  of 
the  Quarterly  Conference  are  in  fact  depend- 
ent on  the  preacher-in-charge,  as  he  appoints 
all  the  leaders,  who  generally  make  a  majority. 
The  preacher  also  nominates  the  stewards,  li- 
censes the  exhorters,  &c.,  so  that  the  confer- 
ence may  be  considered  in  the  case  of  appeals, 
as  the  preacher's  jury.     How  far  the  rights  of 
the  individual  on  trial  are  guarded  by  this  sys- 
tem, and  to  what  extent  the  entire  power  of 
expelling  or  retaining  members  is  concentrated 
in  the  preacher,  I  willingly  submit  to  the  judg- 
ment of  the  reader.    My  object  is  not  to  arraign 
the  church  polity  of  our  Methodist  brethren, 
or  to  find  fault  with  any  part  of  their  economy; 
but  simply  to  state  facts  so  far  as  I  understand 
them,  and  to  show,  as  the  ground  of  my  prefer- 
ence, wherein  Lutherans  differ. 

When  a  member  is  to  be  brought  to  trial  m 
the  Lutheran  church,  he  is  cited  to  appear  be- 
fore the  church-council,  composed  of  a  number 
of  the  most  exemplary  men,  elected  by  a  ma- 
jority of  the  voting  members  of  the  church. 


136  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 

If  not  ready  for  trial,  he  may  claim  a  reasona- 
ble time  to  prepare  himself.  He  has  the  privi- 
lege of  examining  witnesses  when  on  trial,  and 
of  defending  himself  by  counter- testimony  and 
self-vindication.  If  dissatisfied  with  the  deci- 
sion of  the  church-council,  he  may  appeal  to  a 
special  conference  composed  of  all  the  minis- 
ters residing  in  the  immediate  neighborhood 
and  an  equal  number  of  lay-delegates.  Or  he 
may  pass  by  the  special  conference  if  he  choose, 
and  carry  his  case  at  once  up  to  the  synod 
constituted  of  all  the  ministers  and  their  lay- 
delegates,  living  within  a  certain  district,  and 
embracing  usually  the  members  of  some  half  a 
dozen  special  conferences,  more  or  less.  Or, 
if  he  be  opposed  to  this  course,  the  accused 
may  petition  the  synod  to  appoint  a  special 
committee  from  among  its  own  members,  to 
meet  in  the  congregation  to  which  he  belongs, 
and  ther<i  review  the  whole  matter,  and  either 
confirm  the  original  decision  of  the  church-offi- 
cers, or  request  them  to  grant  him  a  new  trial, 
and  recommend  a  reversal  of  the  judgment. 

Now,  whatever  others  may  think  of  this 
process,  I  am  free  to  confess  that  it  has  my  en- 
tire approbation.  It  involves  no  usurpation  of 
power  on  the  part  of  the  church  or  the  minis- 


THE  LUTHERAN  CHURCH.       137 


ter,   the   conference   or  the    synod.     Private 
character  is  duly  appreciated ;  personal  rights 
are  abundantly  protected;  and  the  purity  of 
the  church  is  amply  provided  for.     If  by  such 
a  course  of  action,  guilt  cannot  he  fastened 
upon  an  individual,  he  ought  to  be  regarded  as 
innocent;  and  if  by  the  same  course  moral  ob- 
liquity is  discovered  to  attach  to  him,  he  de- 
serves and  justly  receives  punishment.     Am  I 
once  more  asked :  ivhy  are  you  a  Lutheran  ? 
why  do  you  cleave  so  w^armly  and  closely  to 
the  Lutheran  church  ?     I  answer,  have  I  not 
reason? — have   I   not  many  sound  reasons? 
Look  at  the  mode  of  receiving  members  into 
the  church;  of  exercising  discipline,  and  of 
trying    offending    brethren,   and    then   judge 
whether  my  predilections  are  not  well  founded. 
Lutherans    also    differ    from    some    other 
churches  in   the   mode  of  electing  ministers. 
Among  Episcopalians  the  right  of  choosing  a 
minister  is  vested  in  the  church-officers ;  among 
the  Methodists  he  is,  as  already  stated,  appoint- 
ed by  the  bishop.     In  the  latter  case  the  peo- 
ple composing  the  congregation,  have  not  a 
word  to  say  in  the  matter ;  in  the  former  case 
a  few  decide  for  the  whole.    The  one  partakes 
of   aristocracy,   and  the  other  of  monarchy. 
12* 


138  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 

But  among  Lutherans  the  minister  is  elected 
by  the  people.  The  church-council  proposes 
the  candidates,  and  the  congregation  elects, 
fixes  the  amount  of  salary  and  retains  the  min- 
ister just  as  long  as  they  and  the  minister  think 
proper.  Thus,  the  rights  of  the  people  are 
preserved  inviolate ;  and  that  too  with  a  fore- 
cast and  delicacy  not  to  be  surpassed;  the  min- 
ister is  emphatically  a  free  man;  and  all  is  in 
lovely  harmony  with  the  principles  of  our  lib- 
eral and  republican  government.  Thus  it  was 
in  the  primitive  church,  and  thus  in  my  opinion, 
it  ever  ought  to  be;  and  hence  I  am  a  Lutheran. 
I  have  been  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
church  more  than  thirty  years ;  during  which 
time  I  am  sensible,  of  having  been  justly 
chargeable  with  much  unfaithfulness  and  nu- 
merous inadvertencies.  But  my  brethren  have 
borne  with  my  infirmities ;  treated  me  with 
Christian  love;  and  admonished  me  in  the 
spirit  of  fraternal  kindness  when  my  departures 
from  the  line  of  duty  required  it.  For  these 
and  numerous  other  reasons,  my  heart  clings 
with  warm  attachment  and  increasing  fondness 
to  the  Evangelic  Lutherans;  to  the  instrumen- 
tality of  whose  faithful  ministry,  the  watchful- 
ness and  encouragements  of  whose  member- 


THE  LUTHERAN  CHURCH.       139 

ship,-  and  the  rich  provisions  of  whose  com- 
munion, I  am  so  immensely  indebted.  I  love 
them  sincerely;  and  have  never,  never,  felt  the 
slightest  inclination  to  leave  them.  How  could 
I  go  away  from  a  communion  in  which  God 
sought,  and  found,  and  blessed  my  poor,  wan- 
dering, lost  soul,  and  nourished  it  with  the 
bread  of  eternal  life?  If  his  grace  could  ap- 
prehend me,  at  a  time  when  there  was  much 
less  spirituality  and  zeal  in  the  church  than  at 
present,  how  much  more  can  that  grace  sustain 
and  preserve  me  now  that  the  spirit  of  revival 
and  the  power  of  godliness  pervade  nearly 
every  portion  of  the  church? — No,  I  may  not, 
I  dare  not  renounce  the  mother  that  begat  me 
to  newness  of  life, — her  who  yearned  over  me 
in  spiritual  birth,  nourished  me  in  childhood, 
bore  with  my  waywardness  in  youth,  and  now 
in  my  increasing  age  more  than  supplies  all  my 
spiritual  wants,  and  exercises  a  forbearance 
and  kindness,  and  an  affection  and  interest  in 
my  behalf,  which  I  am  deeply  conscious  of  not 
deserving.  ''If  I  forget  thee,  0  Jerusalem,  let 
my  right  hand  forget  her  cunning.  If  I  do  not 
remember  thee,  let  my  tongue  cleave  to  the 
roof  of  my  mouth  ;  if  I  prefer  not  ^Jerusalem 
above  my  chief  joy." 


140  DISTINCTIVE    TRAITS    OF 

Multitudes,  1  doubt  not,  in  the  Methodist, 
Presbyterian,  German  Reformed,  and  other 
evangeUcal  churches,  have  received  the  same 
"  common  salvation," — enjoyed  the  same  rich 
blessings  in  their  several  communities,  of  v^hich 
I  speak,  and  I  therefore  cherish  for  them  an  at- 
tachment similar  to  that  which  I  bear  toward 
the  Lutheran  body.  I  honor  that  feeling;  and 
earnestly  pray  that  the  Lord  may,  among  all 
denominations,  multiply  the  number  of  those 
who  know  him  as  their  Savior  from  sin.  For 
my  heart  tells  me,  that  what  the  world  censori- 
ously call  "  sectarianism,"  is  perfectly  consist- 
ent with  catholic  love.  ^' Grace  be  with  all 
them  that  love  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  sin- 
cerity." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

1   AM   A    LUTHERAN, — 

VIL  Because  I  am  perfectly  satisfied  with 
the  means  of  edification  and  usefulness  in  the 
Lutlieran  church. 

I  conceive,  that  when  a  man  has  been 
brought  to  a  saving  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ, 
in  any  religious  community,  he  should  not 
lightly  withdraw  himself  from  the  people  who 
have  been  the  means  of  conferring  upon  him 
so  great  a  benefit;  inasmuch  as  he  has,  in  his 
own  experience,  positive  proof,  that  the  pre- 
sence and  blessing  of  God  are  with  them.  On 
the  subject  of  secession  from  a  church  in  which 
we  have  held  communion,  I  take  the  ground  of 
Archbishop  Whately.  Such  an  act  is  "  always 
either  a  duty  or  a  sin."  It  is  a  duty  when  we 
are  required  to  believe  what  we  are  convinced 
to  be  untrue,  or  to  do  what  we  believe  to  be 
sin,  as  a  condition  of  membership;  and  it  is  a 
sin  to  do  so  for  any  lighter  reason.  In  the 
course  of  thirty  years  I  have  had  some  oppor- 
tunity for  looking  abroad,  and  observing  the 
creeds,  polity  and  practices  of  diiferent  bodies 


142   MEANS  OF  EDIFICATION  AND  USEFULNESS 

of  Christians;  and  I  am  free  to  declare  my 
conscientious  preference  for  those  of  the  Evan- 
gelic Lutheran  church. 

1.  One  great  means  of  spiritual  improve- 
ment, is  the  public  w^orship  of  Almighty  God. 
His  people  are  required  to  unite  in  confession, 
supplication,  intercession  and  thanksgiving;  and 
he  has  promised  to  be  with  them  in  their  ''holy 
convocations."  One  of  the  most  pithy  formula- 
ries for  conducting  public  worship  and  perform- 
ing ministerial  services,  is  the  liturgy  of  the  Lu- 
theran church,  which  is  used  with  great  advan- 
tage to  ministers  and  people  in  a  number  of 
churches.  Yet  I  should  be  sorry  to  be  con- 
fined to  this  liturgy,  excellent  as  it  is;  for  it 
cannot  in  the  nature  of  things,  meet  every  case 
of  human  necessity.  Nor  ought  either  pastors 
or  private  Christians  to  be  hampered  in  the 
enjoyment  of  the  privilege  of  extempore  prayer^ 
which  the  Lord  has  conferred  upon  them  for 
the  edification  of  his  church.  In  the  exercise 
of  this  important  grace,  not  a  few  of  our  lay- 
men greatly  excel,  and  are  eminently  useful. 
Accordingly,  in  the  Lutheran  church  I  find  a 
liturgy  which  may  be  used  or  not,  as  ministers 
and  churches  deem  proper,  while  the  gift  of 
free  and  extempore  prayer  may  be  exercised 


IN   THE  LUTHERAN    CHURCH.  143 


by  all  without  any  one  to  hinder.     Is  not  this 
just  as  it  ought  to  he? 

2.  Perhaps  no  denomination  are  more  high- 
ly favored  than  the  Lutheran,  with  respect  to 
that   delightful   part  of  divine   worship, — the 
singing  of  the  praises  of  God.     Their  collec- 
tion of  German  psalms  and  hymns  and  spiri- 
tual songs  is  probably  the  most  copious  and 
varied;  and  at  the  same  time  the  most  deeply 
imbued  with  devotional  feeling  and  living  faith 
of  any  in  the  world.     And  that  in  the  English 
language  is  also  one  of  surpassing  excellence. 
It  presents  a  distinct  and  full  account  of  evan- 
gelic Christianity;  an  exhibition  of  the  heights 
and  depths  of  religion,  speculative  and  practi- 
cal; strong  cautions  against  the  most  plausible 
errors;  and  the  clearest  directions  for  making 
our  calling  and  election  sure,  and  for  perfect- 
ing holiness  in  the  fear  of  God.     The  poetry 
is  chaste,  dignified,  fervent  and  sublime;  but 
what  is  of  infinitely  more  moment,  is  its  spirit 
of  piety  and  Christian-  experience ;    and  this 
breathes  and  lives  throughout  the  whole  col- 
lection.     It  is  in  this  view  especially  that  I 
would  recommend  it  to  every  pious  reader,  as 
a  means  of  raising  or  quickening  the  spirit  of 
devotion;  of  confirming  his  faith;  of  enlivening 

I 


144  MEANS  OF  EDIFICATION  AND  USEFULNESS 


his  hope,  and  of  kindling  and  increasing  his 
love  to  God  and  man.  There  is  scarcely  a 
feeling  of  the  heart  from  the  first  dawn  of  di- 
vine light  upon  the  understanding,  and  desire 
after  God,  till  the  believer's  triumphant  flight 
to  the  celestial  Paradise,  which  is  not  here  ex- 
pressed in  language  beautifully  forcible  and 
appropriate.  Surely,  in  view  of  such  abun- 
dant provision  in  this  department  of  public  and 
social  worship,  Lutherans  ought  to  be  not  only 
satisfied,  but  devoutly  thankful.  Compare  the 
Lutheran  Hymn  Book  with  the  rude  and  rugged 
verse  of  Sternhold  &  Hopkins,  and  the  vapid 
strains  of  Tate  &  Brady,  and  to  what  immense 
advantage  does  it  appear,  and  what  force  is 
not  given  to  my  other  reasons  for  being  a  Lu- 
theran?* 

3.  The  preaching  of  the  gospel  is  an  institu- 
tion of  our  Lord,  which  he  will  perpetuate  and 
sanction  till  the  end  of  time.  And  here  again, 
I  conceive,  that,  as  a  Lutheran,  I  have  great 
advantages.  The  Lutheran  ministry,  as  a 
whole,  is  decidedly  evangelical,  zealous,  plain, 

*  Tlie  Rev.  Dn  S.  S.  Schmucker,  is  entitled  to  the  cordial  thanks 
of  the  church,  for  the  sound  judgment,  and  correct,  evangehc  and 
poetic  taste,  displayed  in  the  execution  of  the  arduous  task  of  com- 
piling this  Hymn  Book. 


IN   THE    LUTHERAN   CHURCH.  145 

faithful,  and  practical.  It  consists  not  of  meta- 
physical speculations,  dark  and  powerless;  nor 
of  secular  politics;  nor  of  the  traditions  of 
men;  but  is  generally  an  exposition  of  God's 
own  Word;  giving  a  just  and  distinguished  pro- 
minence to  the  leading  truths  of  the  gospel  ap- 
plied to  the  consciences  of  the  people,  who  are 
often  classified,  and  separately  addressed,  as 
careless  sinners,  penitent  seekers  of  salvation, 
or  as  sincere  believers  in  Christ,  exposed  to  the 
vicissitudes  and  trials  of  life.  Many  speak  dis- 
respectfully of  this  ministry,  who  never  attend- 
ed it,  and  therefore  know  not  what  it  is.  He 
is  the  best  physician  who  effects  the  greatest 
number  of  cures;  and  he  is  the  best  preacher 
who  turns  the  greatest  number  of  ignorant  and 
wicked  men  to  Christ  and  holiness.  As  to  the 
moral  effects  of  Lutheran  preaching,  let  the 
numerous,  and  powerful,  and  extensive  revivals 
almost  throughout  the  whole  church,  bear  wit- 
ness. 

4.  I  have  already  discussed  the  subject  of 
Lutheran  doctrine;  a  mere  passing  allusion 
here  will  suffice.  I  love  the  tenets  of  the  first 
born  daughter  of  the  Reformation.  They  are 
in  beautiful  harmony  with  the  Bible  and  with 
each  other,  and  their  tendency  is  encouraging 


146   MEANS  OF  EDIFICATION  AND  USEFULNESS 


and  sanctifying.  The  fallen  state  of  man;  the 
Deity  and  atonement  of  Christ ;  the  miiversal 
redemption  of  mankind ;  the  necessity  of  re- 
pentance; full  and  free  justification  by  faith  in  I 
the  Lord  Jesus;  the  witness  of  the  Spirit;  the 
new  birth,  as  the  means  of  restoring  fallen  man 
to  moral  purity;  Christian  holiness ;  the  neces- 
sity of  entire  practical  conformity  to  the  will  of 
God ;  and  a  future  state  of  endless  retribution  : 
these  momentous  truths  are  the  absorbing  themes 
of  Lutheran  sermons,  and  are  often  enforced 
with  irresistible  earnestness.  On  these  subjects 
there  is  no  hesitation,  no  concealment,  no  fal- 
tering, no  "reserve,"  but  the  utmost  explicit- 
ness  and  fidelity.  For  this  ministry  is  exer- 
cised by  converted  men.  It  is  an  unalterable 
principle,  that  no  one  shall  ever  be  admitted  to 
it,  who  cannot  give  a  satisfactory  account  of 
his  personal  reconciliation  with  God,  and  who 
does  not  exhibit  in  his  life  proofs  that  he  is  a 
''  new  creature."  "  We  have  believed,  and 
therefore  do  we  speak,"  is  the  scrutinized  pro- 
fession of  every  Lutheran  preacher. 

Heterodoxy  and  inconsistency  of  walk  have 
been  repeatedly  laid  to  the  charge  of  Lutheran 
ministers.  I  admit  that  men  of  such  character 
have  unfortunately  found  their  way  into  the 


IN   THE    LUTHERAN  CHURCH.  147 


sacred  office ;  but  where  is  the  church  that  has 
been  able  on  all  occasions  to  guard  against  the 
artifice  and  intmsion  of  hypocrites  ?  If  there 
be  such  an  one  let  it  cast  the  first  stone  at  Lu- 
therans ;  for  they  have  not  been  so  successful. 
But  while  Lutherans  allow  great  latitude  of 
behef  in  non-essential  points,  they  require 
soundness  in  all  fundamental  truth,  as  well  as 
"  a  holy  walk  and  conversation."  And  when- 
ever a  minister  proves  habitually  delinquent,  he 
is  called  to  account,  and  if  not  reclaimed,  ex- 
pelled from  the  synod.  If  Methodists,  Pres- 
byterians, &c.  are  more  prompt  in  cutting  ofi" 
unworthy  members,  it  may  be  that  it  is  because 
their  system,  being  less  republican,  admits  of  a 
speedier  process,  or  they  must  have  greater 
facilities  in  discovering  doctrinal  and  moral  ob- 
liquities. 

5.  One  of  the  most  important  means  of  use- 
fulness in  the  Lutheran  church,  consists  in 
catechetical  instruction  to  the  rising  generation, 
and  especially  to  those  who  propound  them- 
selves for  membership.  This  system  is  very 
justly  highly  esteemed  among  Lutherans;  it 
has  been  greatly  blessed  and  often  become  the 
means  not  only  of  individual  conversions  but 
of  powerful  and  extensive  revivals.    True,  like    g 


148  MEANS  OF  EDIFICATION  AND  USEFULNESS 

every  other  good  thing  it  is  liable  to  perver- 
sion, and  may  in  some  cases  have  been  substi- 
tuted for  personal  religion.  The  same  may  be 
said  of  baptism,  the  eucharist,  attendance  at 
the  house  of  God,  &c.  But  ahusus  non  tollit 
usum.; — the  abuse  of  any  thing  does  not  abro- 
gate the  lavs^ful  use  thereof  As  I  however 
intend  to  revert  to  this  subject  in  the  sequel,  I 
forbear  saying  more  for  the  present. 

6.  To  the  Lord's  Supper,  as  one  of  the  sa- 
craments which  Christ  has  ordained  in  his 
church,  a  peculiar  sacredness  has  ever  been 
justly  attached,  by  sincere  and  well  instructed 
Christians.  It  is  a  standing  memorial  of  the 
great  sacrifice  which  was  offered  to  God  for 
the  sins  of  the  world,  and  is  one  of  the  seals 
of  the  evangelical  covenant.  ''  By  eating  of 
this  bread,  and  drinking  of  this  cup,"  the  dis- 
ciples of  Jesus  are  to  "  show  forth  his  death," 
till  he  shall  come  to  raise  the  dead,  to  judge 
the  world,  and  to  take  his  people  to  their  ever- 
lasting home.  As  a  means  of  grace,  devout 
Christians  have  always  realized  great  spiritual 
benefit  in  the  use  of  it.  Their  faith  in  their 
dying  Lord  has  been  strengthened,  and  their 
love  to  him  inflamed.  They  have  received  a 
deeper  impression  of  their  obligations  to  serve 


IN   THE    LUTHERAN  CHURCH.  149 


him ;  and  their  afifection  for  each  other,  while 
partaking  of  the  same  sacred  elements,  has 
been  confirmed  and  increased.  Among  Luther- 
ans this  ordinance  is  administered  to  communi- 
cants either  in  a  kneeling  or  standing  posture, 
as  they  themselves  prefer ;  accompanied  by  so- 
lemn and  impressive  exhortations,  enlivened  by 
hymns  suitable  to  the  occasion,  and  concluded 
with  prayer  that  comes  not  out  of  feigned  lips. 
It  is  not  open  to  all  indiscriminately;  but  only 
to  such  as  profess  to  be,  and  give  evidence  that 
they  are,  obedient  subjects  of  divine  grace. 
For  it  is  regarded  by  all  well-instructed  Lu- 
therans as  a  disgrace  and  an .  offence  against 
God  and  the  church,  to  administer  it  knowing- 
ly, to  any  one  who  is  openly  wicked.  ''  Let  a 
man  examine  himself;  and  so  let  him  eat  of 
that  bread,  and  drink  of  that  cup."  1  Cor. 
xi.  28.  Lutherans  consider  the  sacramental 
table  emphatically  as  ''the  table  of  the  Lord," 
and  hence  they  extend  invitations  to  all  chris- 
tians in  good  standing  in  evangehc  churches, 
to  join  them  in  the  solemn  feast. 


13* 


CHAPTER  X. 

I   AM    A    LUTHERAN, — 

VIII.  Because  in  addition  to  the  means  of 
edification  and  usefulness  mentioned  in  the  last 
chapter,  Lutherans  have  a  variety  of  pruden- 
tial regulations,  adapted  to  the  advancement  of 
piety,  from  which  they  derive  great  spiritual 
benefits. 

Such  are  prayer-meetings,  special  confer- 
ences, bible  classes,  &c. 

1.  One  of  the  most  interesting  and  instruc- 
tive of  these  services,  is  the  "Practical  Con- 
ference," w^hich  usually  consists  of  from  ten  to 
twenty  or  more  individuals,  v^ho  assemble  once 
a  week  or  a  fortnight,  for  the  express  purpose 
of  relating  to  each  other  their  religious  expe- 
rience, their  trials,  &c.,  of  praying  with  each 
other,  and  of  receiving  from  one  of  their  com- 
pany, chosen  to  preside  over  the  meeting,  suit- 
able instruction  and  encouragement.  The  in- 
terest and  usefulness  of  these  meetmgs  are  in- 
creased by  hymns  of  praise  to  God,  and  fervent 
exhortation  from  the  hearts  of  those  familiar 


IN  THE  LUTHERAN  CHURCH.      151 

with  the  deahngs  of  God  with  the  souls  of  his 
saints. 

These  conferences  have  not  been  established 
by  any  specific  synodical  legislation,  but  are 
the  result  of  voluntary  association;  and  de- 
signed to  strengthen  the  weak,  instruct  the 
less  informed,  succor  the  tempted  and  pro- 
mote vital  godliness  and  Christian  experience. 
They  are  known  by  ditTerent  names  in  dif- 
ferent Lutheran  congregations.  In  some  they 
are  called  "Meetings  for  Religious  Conver- 
sation;" in  others,  "Experience  Meetings," 
&c. 

These  conferences  are  not  of  recent  origin, 
and  therefore  to  be  enumerated  among  the  so- 
called  "new  measures."  As  they  partake  of 
the  nature  of  the  Class-meetings  of  our  Metho- 
dist brethren,  it  has  been  insinuated  that  we 
took  the  idea  from  them.  But  it  is  far  more 
likely  that  the  founders  of  Methodism  were  in- 
debted to  the  example  of  the  early  Lutherans 
ll  for  their  Class-meetings.  Certain  it  is,  that  the 
meetings  at  present  denominated,  Practical 
Conferences,  w^ere  introduced  at  a  very  early 
period  in  the  JiUtheran  church.  About  the 
middle  of  tlie  seventeenth  century,  the  church 
was  blessed  with  a  mighty  revival  through  the 

L 


152   MEANS  OF  EDIFICATION  AND  USEFULNESS 


instrumentality  of  that  eminently  devoted  and 
successful  preacher  of  the  gospel,  P.  J.  Spe- 
NER.  The  whole  city  of  Frankfort  was  moved 
by  a  single  sermon  delivered  by  him  on  '•  the 
righteousness  of  the  Pharisees  and  that  of  the 
children  of  God."  Multitudes  crowded  into 
the  church  to  hear  his  powerful  appeals,  whilst 
many  took  offence  and  decried  him  as  a  flma- 
tic,  declaring  they  would  never  listen  to  him 
again.  It  was  during  this  revival  that  Spener 
found  it  necessary  to  appoint  special  meetings 
for  prayer  and  religious  inquiry.  In  these 
meetings  he  spoke  personally  to  the  people  on 
the  state  of  religion  in  their  souls,  in  other 
words,  he  conversed  with  tliem  respecting  their 
christian  experience  and  gave  them  such  in- 
struction as  their  respective  cases  required. 
These  were  emphatically  practical  conferences^ 
or  experience  meetings.  At  first  they  were 
held  in  private  houses,  but  subsequently  in  the 
church.  In  1670  this  some  man  of  God  com- 
menced his  celebrated  "  Collegia  Pietatis,"  or 
conference  meetings,  which  were  designed  to 
afford  special  opportunities  for  reading  the 
I  Bible  practically  and  for  the  strengthening  of 
the  faith  of  such  as  were  converted.  These 
also   were   in   some   sort,  "experience   meet- 


IN   THE    LUTHERAN   CHURCH.  153 


ings."*  The  mantle  of  Spener  fell  upon  the 
distinguished  founder  of  the  Orphan  House  at 
Halle,  the  great  and  good  Franke.  While 
engaged  as  professor  at  the  university  of  Leip- 
sic,  Franke  established  meetings  similar  to  Spe- 
ner's  '^  Collegia  Pietatis,"  which  he  called 
''Collegium  Philobibhcum."  The  only  differ- 
ence was  that  the  former  were  intended  for  the 
common  people,  and  the  latter  for  theological 
students.  Hence,  while  Spener' s  had  been 
conducted  in  the  German  language,  Franke's 
were  carried  on  in  the  Greek  and  Hebrew. 
These  meetings  were  in  their  nature,  partly 
philological  and  partly  practical.  The  news 
of  them  soon  spread,  and  the  number  of  at- 
tendants increased  so  rapidly,  that  very  soon 
no  private  room  sufficiently  spacious  to  accom- 
modate all  could  be  obtained.  It  was  in  1685 
that  Franke  commenced  them,  just  eighteen 
years  before  the  birth  of  John  Wesley  the  im- 
mortal founder  of  Methodism.    It  is  presumed 

*We  cannot  forbear  relating  the  following  characteristic-  fact, 
respecting  Spener:  Sliortly  before  his  death  he  directed  that  his 
body  should  be  clothed  in  a  white  shroud,  instead  of  the  customary 
black  one;  alledging  that  he  had  long  enough  mourned  over  the 
corruptions  of  the  church,  and  that  as  he  now  entertained  a  hope  of 
brighter  days  for  God's  people,  and  was  going  to  the  church  trium- 
phant, he  wished  to  be  clothed  in  white. 


154  MEANS  OF  EDIFICATION  AND  USEFULNESS 

that  the  Wesleys  and  their  associates  at  the 
university  of  Oxford,  who  in  1729  began  to 
read  the  Scriptures  according  to  a  rnetJiod  of 
their  own  for  their  spiritual  improvement,  had 
heard  of  Franke's  far-famed  Collegium  Philo- 
bibhcum,  and  that  the  "class-meetings,"  are  in 
all  probabihty  an  improvement  upon  Spener's 
Collegia  Pietatis.* 

This  historical  digression  will  find,  I  trust, 
a  sufficient  justification  in  its  design,  which  is, 
to  disprove  the  charge  of  innovation  in  regard 
to  practical  conferences,  as  at  present  in  vogue 
among  Lutherans.  In  the  mean  while,  it  is 
due  to  truth  to  remark,  that  venerable  and  use- 
ful as  these  meetings  obviously  are,  they  are 
by  no  means  of  universal  prevalence  in  the 
church.  The  writer  however,  was  a  member 
of  one  more  than  twenty  years  ago,  and  since 
then  they  have  become  more  common ;  though 
the  number  of  churches  in  which  they  have 
been  introduced,  is  still  comparatively  small. 
Those  persons  who  have  been  in  the  habit  of 
attending  them,  speak  in  the  highest  terms  of 
their  usefulness  in  the  cause  of  practical  piety; 
and  it  is  probable  that  when  their  character  and 

*  Vide  an  excellent  "  Essay  on   Revivals,"  by  Rev.  R.  Weiser, 
now  pastor  of  the  Lutheran  church  in  Bedford,  Pa. 


IN    THE    LUTHERAN   CHURCH.  155 


design  come  to  be  extensively  understood,  and 
their  efficient  instrumentality  to  be  more  fully 
developed,  they  will  be  introduced  in  most  of 
our  churches.  "Practical  Conferences"  are 
carried  on  wholly  by  laymen,  the  minister  at- 
tending only  occasionally  to  see  that  all  things 
are  conducted  ''  decently  and  in  order,"  or 
when  peculiar  circumstances  demand  his  pre- 
sence. 

If  meetings  of  this  kind  are  not  expressly 
appointed  in  Holy  Scripture,  as  matter  of  abso- 
lute duty,  they  are  in  full  accordance  with  the 
general  tenor  of  the  inspired  books,  and  have 
the  direct  sanction  of  many  particular  passages. 
The  Psalmist,  full  of  grateful  joy,  exclaims, 
"Come  and  hear,  all  ye  that  fear  God,  and  I 
will  declare  what  he  hath  done  for  my  soul;" 
Psalm,  Ixvi.  16.  In  another  place,  describing 
the  prevailing  bias  of  his  heart,  he  says  to  God, 
"I  am  a  companion  of  all  them  that  fear  thee, 
and  of  them  that  keep  thy  precepts;"  Psalm, 
cxix.  63.  When  sin  and  ungodliness  abound- 
ed, in  the  degenerate  days  of  Malachi,  it  is 
stated,  "Then  they  that  feared  the  Lord  spake 
often  one  to  another:  and  the  Lord  hearkenf!', 
\\  and  heard  it,  and  a  book  of  remembrance  was 
ll  written  before  him   for  them  that  feared  the 


156  MEANS  OF  EDIFICATION  AND  USEFULNESS 


Lord,  and  that  thought  upon  his  name.  And 
they  shall  be  mine,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  in 
the  day  when  I  make  up  my  jewels;  and  I 
will  spare  them,  as  a  man  spareth  his  own  son 
that  serveth  him;"  Malacbi,iii.  16,  17.  That 
Christians  are  bound  to  take  an  affectionate 
interest  in  each  other's  preservation  from  sin, 
and  perseverance  in  the  ways  of  God,  and  that 
they  are  to  use  means  for  the  promotion  of 
these  objects,  no  one  can  doubt,  who  reads  the 
New  Testament  with  due  attention.  "Let 
the  word  of  Christ  dwell  in  you  richly  in  all 
wisdom :  teaching  and  admonishing  one  another 
in  psalms,  and  hymns,  and  spiritual  songs: 
singing  with  grace  in  your  hearts  to  the  Lord :" 
Col.  iii.  16.  "Take  heed,  brethren,  lest  there 
be  in  any  of  you  an  evil  heart  of  unbelief,  in 
departing  from  the  living  God.  But  exhort 
one  another  daily,  while  it  is  called  to-day; 
lest  any  of  you  be  hardened  through  the  de- 
ceitfulness  of  sin;"  Heb.  iii.  12,  13.  "And  let 
us  consider  one  another  to  provoke  unto  love 
and  good  works  :  not  forsaking  the  assembling 
of  ourselves  together,  as  the  manner  of  some 
is ;  but  exhorting  one  another :  and  so  much 
the  more,  as  ye  see  the  day  approacliing;" 
Heb.  X.  24,25.     '-Confess  your  faults  one  to 


IN    THE    LUTHERAN  CHURCH.  157 


another,  and  pray  one  for  another,  that  ye  may 
be  healed;"  James,  v.  16. 

2.  In  the  prayer-meetings  the  husband  and 
the  wife,  the  parent  and  the  child,  the  master 
and  the  servant,  the  young  convert  and  the 
"old  disciple,"   the  day-laborer  and  the  man 
of  property,  often  meet  together;  and  while 
they  hear  of  the  things  of  God,  not  only  forget 
their  several  distinctions,  and  feel  their  perfect  i 
oneness  in  their  common  Lord,  but  are  also 
preserved  from  all  unworthy  jealousies  in  their 
intercourse  with  each  other.     After  the  per- 
plexities and  cares  of  the  world,  the  fightings 
without  and  the  fears  within,  they  are  strength- 
ened and  comforted  by  the  blessing  of  God 
upon  their  mutual  sympathy  and  faith.     The 
weak  are   encouraged,  the   spirit  of  unity  is 
cherished ;  and  the  minds  of  all  are  stirred  up 
by  wav  of  remembrance.     While  the  work  of 
God,  in  the   conversion  of  sinful  men,  is  pro- 
claimed, the  glory  which  is  due  to  his  name  is 
given  in  cheerful  songs  by  the  united  assembly. 
Moreover,  many   careless   people    have   been 
brought  under  religious   impressions  by  this 
means  of  grace,   and    others  have  found  the 
Lord,  whom  they  earnestly  sought.      Wlien 
St.  Peter  was  delivered   out  of  prison  at  mid- 
U 


r 


158  MEANS  OF  EDIFICATION  AND  USEFULNESS 


night,  by  the  ministry  of  an  angel,  he  directed 
his  steps  to  the  house  of  a  Christian  family  in 
Jerusalem,  where  a  meeting  of  this  kind  was 
held,  even  at  that  hour  :  for  ''  many  were  gath- 
ered together  praying;"  Acts,  xii.  \2. 

3.  Special  Conferences,  which  answer  to  the 
"  quarterly  meetings"  of  the  Methodists,  or  the 
"protracted  meetings"  of  some  other  denomi- 
nations, may  be  ranked  among  the  most  suc- 
cessful instrumentalities  of  advancing  the  in- 
terests of  Christ's  kingdom  in  the  Lutheran 
church.     For  a  brief  account  of  them,  we  re- 
fer the  reader  back  to  chapter  ii.  subdivision  3. 
These  conferences   have  also   been   branded 
with  the  stigma  of  novelty,  though  they  have 
been  held  among  Lutherans  ever  since  their 
establishment  as  a  church  in  this  country,  and 
indeed,  are  as  old  almost  as  the  Bible  itself 
A  special  conference  is  a  meeting  of  several 
ministers  of  two  or  three  or  four  days'  duration, 
for  their  mutual  edification  by  religious  conver- 
sation,  and    the   conversion    of    sinners    and 
strengthening  of  believers  by  close  practical 
preaching.     If  the  exercises  of  the  meeting  are 
specially  blessed,  and  it  is  thought  advisable, 
it  is  prolonged  from  day  to  day  and  even  from 
week  to  week,  and  thus  becomes  a  '^  Protract- 


IN    THE  LUTHER'AN    CHURCH.  159 


ed  meeting."     Is  there  any  thing  in  the  word 
of  God  to  justify  this  course  of  procedure  ?    If 
the  reader  will  turn  to  2  Chron.  xxx.  1 — 26, 
he  will  find  an  account  of  just  such  a  special 
season  of  grace.     Here  we  have  the  good  king 
Hezekiah  appointing  a  meeting  at  Jerusalem,, 
which  was  to  last  seven  days.     But  behold ! 
when  the  work  of  God  was  revived  among  the 
backslidden  Israelites,  they  'Hook  counsel  to 
keep  other  seven  days,"  v.  23,  "and  they  kept 
other  seven  days  with  gladness."     Was  not 
this  a  protracted  meeting?     And  what  was  the 
result?     It  is  said  there  was  great  joy  in  Jeru- 
salem.   Doubtless  large  numbers  were  convert- 
ed and  taught  to  look  forward  to  a  coming  Sa- 
vior as  the  author  of  pardon  and  salvation. 
Moreover,  did  not  God  command  all  the  male 
population  of  Israel  to  appear  three  times  a 
year  at  Jerusalem,  and  there  engage  in  religious 
worsliip  for  a  number  of  days  in  succession  ? 
Were  the  people  not  required  to  suspend  for 
tlic  time  being  their  secular  business  and  attend 
wholly  to  the  exercises  of  religion  ?     The  book 
of  the  law  was  read  and  expounded,  and  the 
practical  duties  of  religion  inculcated.     Who 
docs  not  perceive  a  striking  analogy  between 
these  meetings  and  those  under  consideration  ? 


160  MEANS  OF  EDIFICATION  AND  USEFULNESS 

and  we  have  no  doubt,  many  a  glorious  revival 
v^as  vouchsafed  to  Jerusalem  and  the  whole 
land  in  consequence  of  those  gracious  seasons 
of  extra  effort.  I  might  yet  farther  refer  to  the 
meetings  recorded  in  the  Acts  of  the  apostles, 
,  and  especially  that  remarkable  one  which  re- 
sulted in  the  Pentecostal  effusion  of  the  Spirit, 
and  was  protracted  at  least  ten  days,  and  we 
know  not  how  much  longer.  But  the  foregoing 
is  sufficient  to  rescue  special  conferences  from 
the  brand  of  novelty. 

The  expedience  of  protracted  meetings  arises 
from  the  very  nature  of  things.  They  are  in 
accordance  with  the  constitution  of  the  human 
mind,  and  founded  on  the  soundest  princi- 
ples of  mental  philosophy.  We  all  admit,  that 
truth  must  be  brought  into  contact  with  the 
sinner's  mind,  before  he  can  be  converted;  and 
we  must  also  admit,  that  the  same  kind  and 
amount  of  truth,  brought  rapidly  and  consecu- 
tively to  bear  upon  the  mind,  will  be  likely  to 
effect  more  than  when  presented  by  parts,  with 
long  intervals  between.  To  illustrate  more  fully 
the  idea  now  advanced,  suppose  a  faithful  pas- 
tor take  charge  of  a  congregation,  whose  mem- 
bers are  unenlightened.  He  sees  that  they  are 
unacquainted  with  the  fundamental  doctrines  of 


IN    THE    LUTHERAN   CHURCH.  161 

religion;  most  of  them  are  living  without  God 
and  hope  in  the  world.  He  finds  a  deplorable 
amount  of  ignorance  and  sin  among  them.  He 
comes  to  the  conclusion  that  the  following  sub- 
jects ought  to  be  presented  fully  to  the  people, 
viz.  1.  The  nature  and  awful  consequences  of 
sin;  2.  The   depravity  of  the  human  heart; 

3.  The  importance  and  necessity  of  repentance; 

4.  The  atonement  of  Christ;  5.  The  necessity 
of  the  new  birth ;  6.  Immediate  submission  to 
Christ.  Now,  we  will  take  but  these  six  sub- 
jects: many  more  of  equal  importance  might 
be  added.  It  will  require  six  weeks  according 
to  the  ordinary  mode  of  Sabbath  preaching,  to 
present  these  subjects  to  a  congregation :  for 
each  to  have  any  thing  like  justice  done  to  it, 
will  demand  a  whole  sermon.  And  in  any  of 
our  Lutheran  congregations  (where  we  preach 
but  once  a  month,)  it  will  require  six  months! 
Now,  is  it  not  in  accordance  with  the  nature  of 
things,  that  the  same  amount  of  truth  brought 
to  bear  upon  the  mind  in  two  or  three  days, 
will  do  more  good  ?  Hence  the  importance  of 
protracted  meetings,  during  w^hich  the  truth  of 
God  is  constantly  kept  burning  upon  the  sin- 
ner's heart. 

In  promoting  revivals  of  religion,  both  clergy. 
14* 


162    MEANS  OF  EDIFICATION  AND  USEFULNESS 

and  laymen  in  the  Lutheran  church  are  re- 
quired never  to  lose  sight  of  the  fact,  that 
without  the  divine  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
all  their  labors  will  be  in  vain.  It  is  the  Spirit 
of  God  that  must  convince  men  of  sin,  melt 
them  into  humble  contrition  before  God,  and 
bring  them  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth.* 

4.  Those  who  have  an  aptitude  for  teaching 
children  the  elements  of  learning  and  of  reli- 
gion, find  ample  scope  for  the  exercise  of  their 
powers  in  the  Lutheran  Sunday  Schools, 
where  the  offspring  of  the  poor  and  neglected 
are  collected  together,  for  the  purpose  of  being 
taught  to  read  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  the 
children  of  the  congregation  generally  are  in- 
structed in  rehgion,  and  taught  to  sing  the 
praises  of  God,  to  sanctify  the  Sabbath,  to 
obey  their  parents,  to  believe  in  their  Savior, 
and  to  love  him  in  sincerity. 

5,  Rehgious  Tract  Societies  are  now  being 
established.  They  divide  neglected  localities 
into  districts,  the  houses  of  which  are  visited 
in  order;  and  a  tract  is  left  at  each.  Many 
devout  and  zealous  persons  are  employed  in 
*this  kind  of  service,  and  are  often  brought  most 

*Vide  ibid. 


IN  THE  LUTHERAN  CHURCH.      163 


beneficially  into  intercourse  with  Sabbath- 
breakers,  the  neglecters  of  public  worship,  and 
other  ungodly  characters,  as  well  as  with  the 
afflicted,  who  need  temporal  relief  and  spiritual 
help,  and  gratefully  receive  both. 

I  might  proceed  in  enumerating  various  other 
regulations  in  existence  among  Lutherans  for 
the  promotion  of  piety  and  the  advancement  of 
God's  kingdom.  But  as  my  object  was  sim- 
ply to  show,  that  there  are  abundant  means  of 
Christian  edification  and  usefulness  in  the  Lu- 
theran church,  and  the  foregoing  is  amply  suf- 
ficient for  that  purpose,  I  forbear  adding  more. 
Surely  then,  I  have  every  reason  to  be  satis- 
fied, and  to  be  filled  with  adoring  gratitude  to 
the  God  of  all  grace.  Surely,  "the  lines  are 
fallen  unto  me  in  pleasant  places,  and  I  have  a 
goodly  heritage." 

Why  then,  should  I  leave  the  church  of  my 
fathers  ?  or  why  should  Christians  of  any  other 
denomination  invite  my  brethren  of  the  faith  to 
do  so?  If  they  succeed  in  persuading  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Lutheran  communion  to  renounce 
iiis  present  connection  and  to  go  over  to  them, 
what  is  thereby  gained  ?  Do  Methodists,  or 
Episcopalians,  or  Presbyterians  preach  a  dif- 
ferent gospel  from  that  of  Evangelic  Luther- 


164   MEANS  OF  EDIFICATION  AND  USEFULNESS 


ans?  or  a  different  mode  of  salvation  than  that 
of  justification  hy  faith  in  Christ  through 
grace?  Why,  if  even  an  angel  from  heaven 
should  do  so,  the  apostle  has  said  in  the  name 
of  Almighty  God :  "let  him  he  accursed;"  Gal. 
i.  7 — 9.  Do  their  ministers  point  out  an  easier 
and  nearer  way  to  heaven?  are  they  more 
faithful,  more  laborious,  more  self-denying, 
more  devoted  to  the  work  of  convincing  and 
converting  sinners  and  building  up  saints; 
more  successful  in  that  work ;  more  wilhng  to 
spend  and  be  spent  without  an  adequate  com- 
pensation ;  more  industrious  in  instructing  the 
children  and  youth  of  the  congregation ;  more 
prompt  in  visiting  the  sick  and  afflicted  ? — Let 
facts  furnish  the  reply.  Is  not  the  system  of 
doctrine,  government,  and  disciphne  of  the 
Lutheran  church,  sound  to  the  very  pith  and 
core  ?  Are  not  her  distinctive  features  liberal, 
just  and  equal,  and  such  as  her  enlightened  and 
pious  members  must  heartily  sanction  ?  What 
good  then,  do  those  expect  to  accomplish,  who 
endeavor  to  make  proselytes  from  the  Luther- 
an church  ?  Or  what  real  advantage  can  such 
hope  to  obtain,  who  are  weak  and  ungrateful 
enough  to  yield  to  the  tempter,  and  desert  the 
mother  that  begat  and  nourished  them  ?     Will 


IN   THE    LUTHERAN  CHURCH.  165 


they  find  better  opportunities  of  instruction 
and  usefulness  ?  If  such  were  the  fact,  would 
this  justify  their  departure  ?  is  our  severance 
from  communion  in  a  church  such  a  light  mat- 
ter, that  our  own  individual  interest  alone  may 
authorize  it?  Do  Lutherans  absolutely  re- 
quire their  members  to  believe  what  is  untrue, 
or  to  do  what  is  sinful?  If  such  be  the  fact, 
prove  it,  and  then  hasten  away  from  such  a 
communion  as  from  Babylon,  or  from  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah.  But  no  man,  however  wicked 
or  ignorant,  will  assume  so  slanderous  and  re- 
volting a  position.  Why  then  wound  the  feel- 
ings of  God's  people  in  the  Lutheran  church ; 
pain  the  minister,  disturb  the  harmony  of  the 
congregation,  gratify  the  cormorant  appetite  of 
hungry,  greedy  sectarians  by  yielding  to  their 
proselytizing  artifices,  and  consenting  to  break 
asunder  ties  so  endearing  and  sacred  as  those 
which  bind  us  to  the  church  of  our  fathers  and 
our  kindred  ?  It  is  a  sin,  a  great  wickedness 
in  the  sight  of  God,  thus  to  trifle  with  church- 
privileges.  It  is  one  of  the  wiles  of  the  devil, 
thus  to  carry  men  about  "  with  every  wind  of 
doctrine."  Those  who  so  far  forget  what  is 
due  to  sister  churches  as  to  stoop  so  low^  as  to 
act  as  agents  in  making  proselytes,  no  less  than 


166   MEANS  OF  EDIFICATION  AND  USEFULNESS 


tbcy  who  become  the  dupes  of  their  stratagems, 
are  incurring  an  amount  of  guilt  which  should 
cause  them  to  shudder  in  view  of  their  respon- 
sibility on  the  great  day  of  accounts !  When 
an  individual  renounces  his  connection  with 
the  Lutheran  church,  in  compliance  with  the 
artful  insinuations  and  slanderous  representa- 
tions of  certain  clerical  and  lay  ''  recruiting 
sergeants,"  he  countenances  principles  which 
require  every  other  member  to  follow  his  ex- 
ample, and  which  would  close  the  door  of  every 
Lutheran  church  in  the  country  and  in  the 
world.  But  I  ask,  in  the  name  of  all  that  is 
sacred,  when  arrangements  are  in  progress  for 
the  overthrow  of  Protestant  Christianity  in 
I  every  land,  is  this  a  time  when  a  single  Pro- 
testant testimony  to  the  truth  should  be  si- 
lenced? Let  the  answer  be  given  in  the  sig- 
nificant words  of  an  eloquent  French  writer, 
''No!  NO  !     A  thousand  times  no  !" 

While  I  enjoy  every  means  of  personal  edi- 
fication, and  of  usefulness  to  the  world,  I  can- 
not abandon  them  without  betraying  foul  ingra- 
titude both  to  God  and  man ;  and  without  set- 
ting an  example,  the  consequences  of  which  I 
am  not  prepared  to  answer  for  before  the  great 
tribunal.     To  do  violence  to  the  religious  feel- 


IN  THE  LUTHERAN  CHURCH.      167 

ings  and  habits  of  large  bodies  of  sincere  and 
devout  people  is  a  hazardous  experiment,  and 
one  upon  which  a  wise  man  would  not  hastily 
venture.  It  would  be  a  sure  means  of  turning 
many  of  them  out  of  the  way  of  righteous- 
ness.^ 

*I  acknowledge  myself  indebted  for  several  of  the  thoughts  con- 
tained in  this  chapter,  to  an  anonymous  work  published  in  England. 


CHAPTER  XL 

I   AM    A   LUTHERAN, 

IX.  Because  I  most  cordially  approve  of  the 
mode  of  admitting  baptized  persons  to  sacra- 
mental communion  in  the  Lutheran  church. 

This  mode  is  by  Confirmation,  associated 
with  a  previcas  full  course  of  religious  or  cate- 
chetical instruction.  I  am  warmly  attached  to 
this  regulation  as  well  from  my  own  personal 
experience  of  its  happy  tendency,  as  from  my 
observation  of  its  blessed  effects  in  reference 
to  others.  Indeed  I  regard  it  as  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  and  valuable  characteristics  of 
Lutheranism,  and  am  persuaded  that  no  intelli- 
gent christian  who  is  properly  acquainted  with 
it,  can  fail  to  give  it  his  entire  and  hearty  sanc- 
tion. 

Confirmation  is  the  solemn  act  of  laying 
on  of  hands  accompanied  by  fervent  prayer,  in 
the  admission  of  baptized  persons  to  the  full  en- 
joyment of  christian  privileges.  The  churches 
that  reject  this  rite  are  but  a  small  minority  in 
the  christian  world,  and  even  they  have  that 


CONFIR^IATION.  169 


among  them,  in  a  ditferent  form,  which  is  de- 
signed to  answer  the  same  purpose. 

The  Lutherans  constituting  by  far  the  larg- 
est Protestant  denomination  in  the  world,  (num- 
bering about  thirty  millions  of  members,)  do 
not  as  a  body,  believe  that  Confirmation  was 
instituted  by  Christ  or  the  apostles,  nor  do  they 
generally  profess  to  find  sufficient  evidence  in 
the  Word  of  God,  to  justify  the  belief  that  it 
was  even  practised  by  the  apostles. 

The  portions  of  Scripture  recorded  Acts 
viii.  14,  15,  and  Acts,  xix.  1,  6,  which  are 
usually  quoted  as  apostolic  authority  for  the 
observance  of  this  rite,  are  understood  by  them 
as  referring,  not  to  the  ordinary  solemnity  of 
confirmation,  as  practised  in  the  church  at  the 
present  day,  but  to  the  77iiraculous  gifts  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  conferred  by  extraordinary  offi- 
cers for  an  extraordinary  purpose.  There  have 
indeed  been  some  very  respectable  divines  in 
II  the  Lutheran  church,  and  for  aught  I  know 
II  there  may  be  yet,  who  have  inferred  from  Heb. 
§1  vi.  1,  2,  that  "the  imposition  of  hands"  may 
possibly  have  been  continued  in  the  church  as 
an  impressive  mode  of  invoking  the  divine 
blessing  on  those  who  were  to  be  received  into 
full  communion  with  the  church.  Tlie  passage 
15 


170  CONFIRMATION. 

from  which  this  deduction  is  made,  reads  thus : 
"Therefore,  leaving  the  principles  of  the  doc- 
trine of  Christ,  let  us  go  on  unto  perfection  ; 
not  laying  again  the  foundation  of  repentance 
from  dead  works  and  faith  towards  God,  of  the 
doctrine  of  baptism  and  the  laying  on  of  hands j 
and  of  resurrection  of  the  dead  and  eternal 
judgment."  The  inspired  penman  here  enu- 
merates the  laying  on  of  hands,  among  the 
rudiments  or  elementary  principles  of  Christi- 
anity, and  it  is  supposed  by  some,  that  although 
the  laying  on  of  hands  was  Urst  designed  to 
accompany  the  communication  of  the  extraor- 
dinary influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  it  was 
nevertheless  retained  by  the  early  Christians, 
after  those  powers  had  ceased,  as  a  standing 
solemnity  to  mark  the  transition  from  infant- 
membership  in  the  church  to  adult-membership. 
It  will  be  perceived  that  this  is  merely  a  sup- 
positio7i, — a  supposition  however,  which  re- 
ceives some  strength  from  tlie  consideration, 
that  no  other  rite  whatever  has  descended  from 
the  apostolic  church,  to  which  the  above  men- 
tioned imposition  of  hands  could  allude,  if  it 
be  not  confirmation.  But  even  granting  that 
the  apostles  and  their  immediate  successors 
practised  confirmation,  which  the  premises  in 


ASPECTS    OF    CONFIUMATION.  171 


the  case  are  not  sufficiently  clear  to  warrant, 
still  as  that  presumed  primitive  practice  was  not 
enforced  by  a  "thus  saith  the  Lord,"  we  are 
not  obligated  to  conform  to  it  any  further  than 
as  its  superior  adaptation  to  accomplish  good, 
may  commend  itself  to  us.  I  cannot  admit 
that  the  example  of  the  first  Christians,  includ- 
ing that  of  the  apostles  unenforced  by  a  com- 
mand is  binding  on  us,  especially  in  reference 
to  a  rite  merely  external.  Such  a  concession 
would  involve  us  in  inextricable  difficulties,  not 
to  say  absurdities. 

Confirmation,  as  practised  among  Lutherans, 
may  be  said  to  present  two  aspects. 

1.  It  is  a  personal  and  most  solemn  assump- 
tion and  ratification  of  the  covenant  of  grace, 
which  was  recognized  and  sealed  at  our  bap- 
tism. The  members  of  the  church  are  baptiz- 
ed in  infancy,  and  though  they  are  then,  in  a 
formal  manner,  acknowledged  as  parties  to  the 
covenant  and  consequently  as  members  of  the 
church,  yet  being  infants  and  incapable  of  vol- 
untary action  in  a  moral  point  of  view,  it  is  not 
only  right,  but  a  positive  duty  that  they  should 
themselves,  when  they  arrive  at  a  proper  age, 
come  forward  and  personally  renew  and  con- 
firm the  vows  made  in  their  name,  by  their 


172  ASPECTS    OF    CONFIRMATION. 

sponsors  or  representatives,  when  at  baptism 
they  were  recognized  as  subjects  of  God's 
gracious  covenant.  God  requires  the  heart. 
His  people  must  be  a  willing  people ;  and  nei- 
ther our  services  nor  our  persons  can  be  an 
acceptable  offering  to  him,  if  not  accompanied 
with  the  cheerful  flowing  forth  of  the  affections 
of  the  soul.  Hence  it  is  eminently  proper  that 
there  should  be  some  appropriate  rite,  in  which 
adults  may  personally  take  upon  tliemselves 
and  ratify  the  solemn  promises  entered  into  in 
their  behalf  in  their  infancy.  To  afford  an  op- 
portunity for  the  discharge  of  this  sacred  duty, 
appears  to  be  one  of  the  principal  designs  of 
confirmation. 

Accordingly,  when  persons  present  them- 
selves as  candidates  for  this  ordinance,  (they 
should  always  present  theonselves,  and  not 
come  merely  to  gratify  the  wishes  of  friends, 
or  in  compliance  with  the  usage  of  the  church,) 
they  do  most  solemnly  renew  the  vows  made 
for  them  at  their  baptism.  They  engage,  in 
the  presence  of  men  and  angels  to  renounce 
the  devil  and  all  his  works,  the  pomps  and 
vanities  of  the  world;  the  lust  of  the  flesh,  the 
lust  of  the  eye  and  the  pride  of  life ;  to  believe 
in  Jesus,  and  to  serve  him   in   holiness   and 


A.SPECTS    OF    CONFIRMATION.  173 


righteousness  all  the  days  of  their  lives.  .In  a 
word,  they  deliberately  "join  themselves  to 
the  JiOrd  in  a  perpetual  covenant,  never  to  be 
forgotten." 

2.  The  second  aspect  in  which  this  rite  may 
be  viewed,  exhibits  it  to  us  as  a  solemn  mode 
of  admitting  individuals  to  adult  church-mem- 
bership, or  to  full  communion  in  the  church. 
The  enjoyment  of  the  privileges  of  membership 
in  Christ's  church  is  progressive.  It  com- 
mences with  baptism  and  the  special  prayers 
of  God's  people;  next,  as  the  infant  member 
grows  older  and  the  powers  of  the  mind  are 
developed,  it  includes  religious  instruction  from 
the  preaching  of  God's  word,  and  the  private 
labors  of  the  pastor  and  members ;  to  this  is 
gradually  added  the  society  of  the  faithful  fol- 
lowers of  Christ,  whose  example  and  exhorta- 
tions will" afford  the  young  member  important 
aid  in  his  journey  toward  the  land  of  bliss; 
then  ensue  the  advantages  resulting  from 
church-discipline,  which  consist  in  the  watch- 
fulness exercised  by  the  church  over  the  purity 
of  individual  members,  in  exhorting,  admonish- 
ing, reproving,  censuring,  &c.,  the  member 
who  wanders  from  the  footsteps  of  the  Savior. 
And  although  the  latter  stages  of  this  discip- 
15* 


174  ASPECTS    OF    CONFIRMATION. 

line  may  be  painful,  the  erring  youth  will  be 
greatly  benefitted  by  it,  and  feel  thankful  to 
the  church  that  even  this  severe  remedy  is  em- 
ployed to  lead  him  to  the  Savior  of  his  soul. 
Finally,  having  reached  mature  age  and  been 
properly  instructed,  the  last  and  crow^ning  act, 
is  admission  to  full  and  complete  membership 
in  the  church  of  Christ,  whereby  he  publicly 
devotes  himself  to  the  service  of  his  Savior, 
voluntarily  presenting  his  soul  and  body  as  a 
living  sacrifice  upon  the  Christian  altar.  He 
thus,  in  a  public  and  solemn  manner,  comes 
out  from  the  world  and  declares  himself  to  be 
a  member  of  God's  kingdom,  a  subject  of  his 
covenant,  and  a  disciple  of  his  Son.  This  is 
equivalent  to  what  is  termed  in  some  churches, 
a  public  profession  of  religion.  In  the  Lu- 
theran church,  this  profession  is  made  at  con- 
firmation. 

Every  church  has  some  mode  of  receiving 
members  into  full  communion,  and  as  Christ 
did  not  prescribe  any  particular  form,  that 
which  is  the  most  appropriate  and  impressive, 
and  has  the  least  tendency  to  nourish  supersti- 
tion, may  be  regarded  as  the  best.  I  have  no 
objection  to  the  Presbyterian,  or  Methodist 
mode;  nay,  I  am  willing  to  admit  that  their 


ASPECTS    OF    CONFIRMATION.  175 

modes  may  be  more  appropriate  than  ours  for 
their  respective  churches ;  but  at  the  same  time 
I  maintain  that  ours  is  decidedly  the  best  for 
me.  Of  this,  extensive  experience  has  long 
since  convinced  me.  Confirmation,  with  its  an- 
tecedent and  attendant  religious  exercises,  is 
admirably  adapted  to  make  deep  and  salutary 
impressions,  as  well  upon  the  assembled  con- 
ffreiration  who  witness  the  solemn  scenes,  as 
upon  those  who  are  the  personal  participants 
of  them.  Moreover,  the  Master  has  again  and 
again  sanctioned  this  rite  with  his  smiles,  and 
blessed  it  on  countless  occasions,  as  the  means  of 
awakening  sinners  and  reviving  and  strengthen- 
ing believers.  So  long  therefore,  as  any  de- 
gree of  fidelity  and  spirituality  mark- the  char- 
acter of  ministers  and  people,  the  rite  of  con- 
firmation with  the  previous  relio;ious  instruction 
connected  with  it,  will  be  held  in  very  high  es- 
teem and  be  practised  in  Evangelical  Lutheran 
churches  with  great  confidence  in  the  promised 
blessing  of  God. 

Having  admitted  that  the  evidence  in  support 
of  apostolic  example  for  this  rite,  is  not  con- 
clusive, and  that  if  it  even  were,  not  being  en- 
forced by  an  injunction,  it  would  form  no  obli- 
gatory rule  for  us,  the  question  may  be  pro- 


176  ANTIQUITY    OF    CONFIRMATION. 


posed :  "  why,  under  such  circumstances^  do 
Lutherans  still  adhere  to  it?" — Because  the 
Great  Head  of  the  church,  having  in  this  case, 
as  well  as  many  other  similar  ones,  given  no 
specific  directions^  but  left  us  to  adopt  such 
form  as  in  consistence  with  the  general  princi- 
ples of  the  gospel,  might  most  strongly  com- 
mend itself,  I  am  of  opinion  that  this  rite  is 
peculiarly  adapted  to  the  very  purpose  for 
which  it  is  employed.  It  is  therefore  on 
grounds  of  Christian  expedience  or  utility,  that 
Lutherans  hold  to  confirmation ;  they  prefer  it 
decidedly  to  every  other  outward  mode  of  re- 
newing the  covenant  of  baptism  and  making  a 
public  profession  of  religion.  They  know  as- 
suredly, that  it  is  acceptable  to  that  God  who 
has  so  frequently  sanctioned  and  blessed  it. 

To  this  consideration  may  be  added  the  fact, 
that  confirmation  lays  claim  to  great  antiquity. 
The  laying  on  of  hands  was  a  common  usage 
under  the  Old  Testament  dispensation.  Thus 
when  Moses  constituted  Joshua  his  successor, 
God  appointed  him  to  lay  his  hands  upon  him.* 
Jacob  laid  his  hands  upon  Ephraim  and  Ma- 
nasseh  when  he  gave  them  his  last  blessing  f 

*Numb.  .xxvii.  IS.  jGen.  xlviii.  14. 


ANTIQUITY    OF    CONFIRMATION.  177 

The  high-priest  stretched  out  his  hands  to  the 
people  as  often  as  he  pronounced  the  divine 
blessing  upon  them."^  This  practice  was  also 
frequent  in  sacrifices ;  the  person  bringing  the 
victim,  laid  his  hands  on  the  head,  c^cf 

All  this  was  indeed  not  confirmation,  but 
still  it  marks  the  practice  of  the  imposition  of 
hands  as  ancient  and  solemn,  and  always  con- 
nected with  religious  or  devotional  exercises. 

In  the  New  Testament  we  find,  besides  that 
already  referred  to,  (Heb.  vi.  1 — 2,)  at  least 
four  kinds  or  occasions  of  the  imposition  of 
hands  recounted.  The  first  by  Christ  himself, 
to  express  an  authoritative  benediction  ;f  the 
second,  in  the  healing  of  diseases;^  the  third, 
in  conferring  the  extraordinary  gifts  of  the 
Spirit,  II  and  the  fourth  in  setting  apart  per- 
sons to  sacred  office. TT 

Though  none  of  these  instances  affords  a 
clear  example  of  confirmation,  nor  even  alludes 
to  one  unless  it  be  that  recorded  in  the  epistle 
to  the  Hebrews,  yet,  if  the  apostles  received 
into  full  communion  members  who  had  been 
baptized  in  their  infancy,  it  appears  to  me  to 

*Levit.  ix.  22.         flbid  i.  4.  JMatt.  xix.  and  Mark  x.  16. 

§Mark  xvi.  18,  Acts  xxviii.  8.  ||Acts  viii.  17,  and  xix.  6. 

!fActs  vi.  6,  xiii.  3,  1  Tim.  iv.  14. 


178  ANTIQUITY   OF    CONFIRMATION* 

be  not  improbable  that  they  did  so  by  the  im- 
position of  hands  and  prayer,  in  other  words, 
by  confirmation,  because  this  mode  of  doing  it 
would  have  fallen  in  most  harmoniously  with 
the  well  known  and  long  established  usages  of 
the  Jews,  and  have  precisely  coincided  with 
the  spirit  and  custom  of  the  apostolic  age. 
This  probability  is  heightened  by  the  historical 
fact,  that  the  Jews  were  in  the  habit  of  present- 
ing their  children  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years, 
to  the  congregation,  that  they  might  be  public- 
ly examined,  renew  the  covenant  which  had 
been  made  for  them  in  their  infancy,  and  take 
upon  themselves  their  obligations  of  obedience 
to  the  divine  law.*  On  these  occasions  the 
elders  of  the  Synagogue  laid  their  hands  upon 
them  and  pronounced  them  the  sons  of  the  con- 
gregation of  Israel.  The  objection  that  the 
laying  on  of  hands  by  the  apostles  (Acts,  viii. 
17,  and  xix.  6,)  was  accompanied  by  the  extra- 
ordinary influences  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  does 
not  appear  to  be  a  solid  one,  because  the  cere- 
mony was  attended  by  the  same  miraculous 
effects  in  cases  of  ordination  to  the  gospel  min- 
istry, (1  Tim.  iv.  14,  and  2  Tim.  i.  6,)  and  yet 

*  See  Euxtorf  Syn.     Jud.  cap.  3. 


ANTIQUITY    OF    CONFIRMATION.  179 


the  practice  of  ordaining  in  the  same  mode  is 
still  retained  in  churches  that  reject  confirma- 
tion, though  they  make  no  pretensions  to  con- 
fer the  Holy  Ghost  on  such  occasions.     To 
condemn  confirmation  then,  simply  because  we 
cannot  thereby  impart  those  supernatural  gifts, 
would  be  no  less  fatal  to  ministerial  ordination. 
As  our  Lord,  when  he  instituted  the  new 
seal  of  his  covenant,  did  not  introduce  a  novel 
rite,  but  selected  baptism  which  had  long  been 
used  among  the  Jews  in  the  reception  of  pro- 
selytes, and  appointed  it  to  a  new  purpose,  is  it 
not  very  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  imposi- 
tion of  hands  accompanied  by  prayer,— a  prac- 
tice so  well  understood  among  the  Jews,  should 
be  adopted  as  the  mode  of  admitting  members 
to  full  communion  in  his  church  ?     But  whether 
or  not,  it  is  certain  that  confirmation  can  be 
traced  to  a  very  early  period  in  the  church. 
Dr.  Campbell*  thinks  it  arose  in  the  second 
century  from  the  right  which  the  bishop  claimed 
to  confirm  the  baptisms  that  were  administered 
by  the  presbyters  and  deacons  of  his  church. 
Towards  the  close  of  the  second  century,  it 
was  undoubtedly  in  vogue,  for  Tertullian  men- 

♦Ste  Lectures  on  Ecclesiastical  History. 


180  ANTIQUITY    OF    CONFIRMATION. 


tions  a  niiniber  of  superstitions  practices  that 
were  associated  with  it  about  tliat  period.  The 
ceremony  was  performed  immediately  after  bap- 
tism, provided  the  bishop  was  present,  and  in 
his  absence,  was  deferred  until  the  candidates 
could  pres<mt  themselves,  or  if  children,  until 
they  could  be  presented  by  others  to  him.  In 
that  age  the  imposition  of  hands  was  refi;arded 
as  essential  to  the  completion  of  baptism,  and 
was  usually  performed  by  the  bishops,  who  pro- 
fessed to  be  the  successors  of  the  apostles,  and 
as  such,  empowered  to  connnunicate  the  Holy 
Ghost  through  the  act  of  confirmation.  "For 
their  convenience  the  two  festivals  of  Easter 
and  Whitsuntide  were  chosen  as  the  proper 
seasons  for  adults  and  children,  when  the  can- 
didates were  required  to  assemble  from  all 
places  in  the  bishop's  church,  and  the  part 
which  the  bishops  then  performed  was  that  of 
the  imposition  of  hands,  while  the  act  of  bap- 
tism, might  be  done  by  presbyters  and  deacons. 
Sudi  as  had  been  baptized  in  the  interval,  and 
converts  from  heresy  who  had  received  baptism 
in  their  own  sects,  now  received  only  the  im- 
position of  hands  with  its  accompanying  cere- 
monies." 
But  whatever  superstitious  frippery  may  have 


ANTIQUITY    OF    CONriR:MATION. 


181 


disfigured  the  rite  in  question  in  the  second 
and  third  centuries,  and  in  later  ages  among 
the  Roman  Catholics ;  in  the  Lutheran  church 
it  is  regarded,  so  far  as  my  knowledge  extends, 
in  no  other  light  than  that  in  which  I  have 
i-epresented  it.  The  apology  of  the  Augsburg 
Confession  contains  the  following  declaration 
on  this  subject :  Confirmation  is  a  right  which 
was  transmitted  to  us  from  the  fathers,  hit 
which  the  church  never  regarded  as  essential  to 
salvation  ;  for  it  is  not  supported  hy  a  divine 
command.'^  Lutherans  make  no  pretension 
to  impart  the  Holy  Ghost  by  confirmation,  ,they 
ascribe  no  magic  virtue  to  the  laying  on  of  hands, 
nor  to  the  form  of  w^ords  accompanying  that 
act;  they  claim  for  them  no  other  than  their 
appropriate  moral  influence,  and  are  convinced 
that  they  had  not  anciently,  and  have  not  at 
present,  any  other  in  the  hands  of  bishops. 
The  testimony  of  the  illustrious  Calvin  on  this 
subject,  well  deserves  a  place  in  this  article. 
He  speaks  of  it  in  the  highest  terms,  (Listi- 
tutes,  book  iv.  chap.  19,  %.  \.)  It  deserves,  he 
thinks,  "to  be  regarded  as  sacred  and  solemn." 
He  adds,  that  he  "highly  approves  of  it,  an*d 


Fornmla  Conconlicp,  p.  201. 


182  ANTIQUITY    OF    CONFIRMATION. 


wishes  it  were  restored  to  its  primitive  use, 
uncorrupted  by  superstition."  In  book  iv. 
chap  19,  §.  13,  he  again  says:  "I  sincerely 
wish  that  we  retained  the  custom  (of  confirm- 
ing) which  I  have  stated  was  practised  among 
the  ancients," — and  his  principle  argument  in 
his  subsequent  remarks  is  founded  on  the  cate- 
chetical instruction  which  was  connected  with 
•  it,  and  by  which  such  salutary  effects  are  pro- 
duced, as  we  have  already  had  occasion  to 
remark. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

CONFIRMATION    CONTINUED. 

Having  examined  the  nature  and  design  of 
confirmation,  I  sliall  now  proceed  to  set  forth 
its  benefits,  and  the  qualifications  necessary  to 
a  profitable  reception  of  it. 

The  great  value  of  this  rite  consists,  not  in 
the  simple  act  of  laying  on  of  hands,  nor  even 
in  the  form  of  words  uttered  by  the  minister; 
for,  apart  from  the  knowledge  of  divine  truth, 
and  the  impression  which  it  is  designed  to 
make  upon  the  heart,  the  whole  ceremony,  so 
far  as  the  recipient  of  it  is  concerned,  is  little 
else  than  a  solemn  mockery.  Confirmation 
then,  must  be  considered  in  connection  with 
the  course  of  instruction  which  precedes  it, 
and  as  the  closing  act  of  a  series  of  religious 
efforts  intended,  and  with  the  divine  blessing; 
adapted  to  prepare  the  candidates  for  "the 
communion  of  saints;"  that  is,  for  their  com- 
munion with  Christ  as  their  Head,  and  with 
God's  people  as  members,  of  which  commu- 
nion the  Lord's  Supper  is  the  visible  sign. 

Some  time  before  a  Lutheran  minister  in- 


184  MODE    AND    BENEFITS 

tends  to  administer  confirmation,  he  invites  all 
who  desire  to  take  up  the  cross  and  follow  the 
Hedeemer,  to  meet  him  in  the  church  or  lec- 
ture-room. Among  those  invited,  are  particu- 
larly such  as  are  religiously  disposed,  or  awa- 
kened to  a  sense  of  their  sins,  and  others, 
whether  baptized  or  not,  who  are  old  enough 
to  make  a  personal  profession  of  religion.  In 
order  to  enforce  his  invitation,  he  seeks  a  pri- 
vate interview  with  all  whose  duty  it  is  to  at- 
tend his  public  ministrations,  but  have  not  yet 
been  admitted  to  full  membership,  and  urges 
upon  them  the  necessity  of  this  duty.  All  are 
exhorted  to  attend  the  contemplated  course  of 
religious  instruction,  with  the  understanding 
however  that  no  one  will  be  required  or  even 
permitted  by  the  discipline  of  the  church,  to  be 
confirmed,  unless  the  religious  instruction  is 
the  means  of  awakening  his  heart  and  produc- 
ing a  sincere  desire  to  consecrate  himself  to 
God. 

The  ''  catechetical  lectures "  now  commence; 
each  catechumen  is  provided  with  Luther's 
Smaller  Catechism,  which,  so  far  as  may  be 
deemed  advisable,  is  committed  to  memory,  to- 
gether with  accompanying  proof-texts.  The 
minister  explains  the  object  of  the  instruction, 


OF    CONFIRMATION.  185 


the  nature  and  design  of  baptism,  of  confirma- 
tion and  the  Lord's   Supper;  he  aims  at  ma- 
king them  acquainted  with  themselves  and  with 
God,  w^ith  their  own  character  as  fallen  and 
hell-deserving  creatures,  and  the  character  of 
Christ  as  the  only  Savior  of  a  perishing  world; 
the  Holy  Spirit  is  represented  as  the  only  effi- 
cient agent,  and  the  inspired  Word  of  God  as 
the  instrumental  means  of  renewing  and  sanc- 
tifying their  nature.     The  w^hole  plan  of  salva- 
tion, every  important  doctrine  and  precept  of 
the  gospel,  especially  the  nature  and  indispen- 
sable necessity  of  repentance  and  faith,  of  thor- 
ough conversion  to  God  and  of  newiiess  and 
holiness  of  life,  are  elucidated  and  inculcated 
in  as  simple  and  earnest  a  manner  as  possible, 
so  that  the  youngest  and  weakest  may  fully 
understand.     No  scriptural  efforts  are  unem- 
ployed, to  prevail  on  them  to  turn  to  the  Lord 
with  their  whole  heart;  to  yield  without  delay 
to  the  claims  of  God  and  to  become  and  for- 
ever remain  his  humble  and  obedient  children. 
The  meetings  are   opened   with   singing   and 
prayer,  and  closed  in  the  same  manner;  the 
catechumens  themselves,  amply  instructed  on 
I  the  subject  of  prayer,  if  qualified  publicly  to 
I  lead  in  this  duty,   are  sometimes  called  on  to 


186  MODE    AND    BENEFITS 

offer  up  the  closing  prayer.  The  sacred  Scrip- 
tures are  made  the  only  basis  of  all  these  lec- 
tures ;  they  are  the  polar-star  of  the  Lutheran 
minister  in  impartmg  religious  instruction; 
with  them  he  lays  the  foundation,  rears  the 
superstructure  and  adds  the  cap-stone ;  the  cat- 
echism he  also  uses  faithfully,  not  however  to 
determine  the  sense  of  God's  word,  but  as  a 
summary  of  it,  to  direct  him  in  his  general 
course  and  facilitate  and  simplify  his  lectures. 
For  every  meeting  with  his  beloved  pupils,  he 
is  careful  to  prepare  himself  previously  in  his 
closet,  and  by  prayerfully  reading  the  Bible 
and  other  devotional  works  calculated  to  inter- 
est and  instruct  his  own  heart  and  solemnize 
his  own  feelings.  Before  he  finishes  his  deep- 
ly interesting  and  important  work,  he  takes 
occasion  to  converse  with  every  catechumen 
on  the  great  subject  of  his  personal  salvation. 
At  these  interviews  he  ascertains  from  each, 
the  state  of  his  heart,  the  measure  of  his  doc- 
trinal knowledge,  his  religious  experience,  his 
peculiar  trials  and  difficulties.^  &c.,  and  is  en- 
abled to  form  a  tolerable  estimate  of  the  quali- 
fications of  every  one  for  the  approaching  so- 
lemnities. This  course  of  instruction  is  con- 
tinued at  first,  once,  and  subsequently,  twice 


OF    CONFIRMATION.  187 

or  thrice  a  week,  for  two  or  three  months,  and 
often  longer. 

"Such  is  the  course  of  instruction  suhstm- 
tially  pursued  by  the  great  mass  of  our  divines, 
with  the  variations  which  the  habits  and  predi- 
lections of  each  may  dictate,  and  the  exercise 
of  which,  the  principles  of  Christian  liberty,  so 
highly  prized,  and  so  fully  enjoyed  in  the  Lu- 
theran church,  secure  to  all;  yet  has  it  not 
unfrequently  been  the  theme  of  invidious 
clamor  to  the  illiterate  enthusiast,  and  of  ani- 
madversion from  others  better  informed.  But 
we  have  never  heard,  nor  do  we  expect  ever  to 
hear,  of  a  single  truly  pious  pastor,  who  faith- 
fully attended  to  this  instruction,  and  did  not 
regard  it  as  a  highly  blessed  means  of  bringing 
souls  to  Christ.  By  unconverted  ministers, 
this  duty,  like  all  others,  will  be  performed  as 
a  mere  formality,  and  confer  little  benefit  on 
those  who  attend  on  it.  But  in  the  hands  of 
the  great  mass  of  our  pastors,  it  is  nothing  else 
tlian  a  scries  of  meetings  for  prayer,  singing, 
exhortation  and  individual  personal  interview, 
between  them  and  those  who  profess  a  con- 
cern for  salvcition;  in  which,  without  adopting 
the  novel  nomenclature  of  the  day,  they  can 
enjoy  all  the  facilities  and  afford  to  their  hear- 


188  MODE    AND    BENEFITS 

ers  all  the  benefits  aimed  at,  and  doubtless 
often  attained  by  others,  in  what  are  termed 
anxious  meetings,  inquiry  meetings,  class  meet- 
ings, private  conferences,  &c.  &c.  Indeed, 
the  friends  of  this  good  old  custom  are  delight- 
ed to  see  the  several  denominations,  under  dif- 
ferent appellations,  adopting  the  substance  of 
the  same  thing ;  nor  do  we  care  by  what  name 
the  thing  is  known,  so  that  God  is  glorified, 
and  sinners  are  saved."* 

The  instruction  ended,  an  examination  of 
the  catechumens  takes  place,  at  which  the  pas- 
tor presides  and  the  church-officers  are  wit- 
nesses.! After  the  examination,  the  minister 
recommends  to  the  officers,  as  many  of  the  ap- 
plicants for  full  communion  in  the  church,  as 
he  thinks  are  qualified;  and  their  cases  decided, 
all  who  have  been  deemed  worthy,  are  confirm- 
ed, that  is,  they  are  permitted  publicly  to  re- 
new and  ratify  their  baptismal  promises  and  by 

*Pop.  Theol. 

fill  some  neighborhoods  this  examination  10  held  in  the  cliurch  in 
the  presence  of  the  whole  congregation,  but  experience  as  well  as 
the  nature  of  the  exercise  has  shown,  that  the  object  can  be  much 
better  accomplished,  if  conducted  more  privately  and  by  a  personal 
inquiry  with  each  individual  respecting  the  evidence  of  his  own  personal 
pielii,  instead  of  a  general  examination  on  the  doctrines  and  duties 
of  Christianity. 


OF    CONFIRMATION.  189 


a  public  profession,  to  dedicate  themselves  to 
the  service  of  Him  who  loved  them  and  gave 
himself  for  them.  Those  of  the  candidates 
who  had  not  been  baptized,  enter  into  the 
same  engagements  preparatory  to  their  bap- 
tism, which  are  made  by  such  as  are  confirm- 
ed. In  these  cases,  some  of  our  ministers  do 
not  deem  confirmation  necessary  while  others 
do.  As  the  Christian  cannot  renew  his  vows 
to  God  too  often,  even  though  it  should  be 
every  day,  there  is  certainly  no  impropriety  in 
administering  confirmation  to  those  adults  who 
have  just  been  baptized,  and  it  may  have  a 
beneficial  etfect. 

The  ceremony  of  confirmation  is  thus  per- 
formed.— First,  several  appropriate  questions 
are  proposed;  these  being  answered  in  the  af- 
firmative, (which  with  the  prayer  of  the  officiat- 
m(^  minister,  is  considered  the  essential  part  of 
the  act  itself,)  the  catechmnens  kneel  at  the  al- 
tar, and  the  pastor  laying  his  hands  on  each 
one  as  he  passes  around,  solemnly  invokes  the 
blessing  of  God  upon  him  in  a  short  prayer. 
He  then  extends  to  each  the  hand  of  brotherly 
fellowship,  and  in  the  name  of  the  whole  con- 
gregation, acknowledges  him  as  a  member  of 
the  church,  and  entitled  to  all  its  privileges,  so 


190  BENEFITS    OF    CONFIRMATION. 

long  as  his  deportment  shall  correspond  with 
the  solemn  promises  which  he  has  just  made. 

It  is  accordingly  the  public  and  solemn  re- 
newal of  the  baptismal  covenant,  as  the  con- 
cluding act  of  a  previous  and  full  course  of  re- 
ligious instruction,  which  is  regarded  as  confir- 
mation, and  not  the  imposition  of  hands; 
indeed  the  latter,  though  an  appropriate  reli- 
gious practice,  always  connected  with  it,  is  not 
even  considered  essential. 

The  foregoing  view  of  confirmation,  includ- 
ing the  preparatory  course  of  instruction  and 
the  attending  circumstances,  Will  enable  the 
intelligent  and  unbiassed  mind  to  form  some 
idea  of  its  advantages.  I  will  only  yet  remark, 
that  in  addition  to  the  special  prayer  of  the 
officiating  pastor  for  the  subject  of  this  rite,  the 
fervent  supplications  of  the  assembled  congre- 
gation of  God's  people,  are  also  enlisted  in  his 
behalf.  His  religious  obligations,  though  not 
increased,  are  more  deeply  impressed  upon  his 
mind,  and  this  will  have  a  tendency  to  keep 
him  faithful  and  diligent  in  the  duties  of  Chris- 
tian life,  to  make  him  watchful  and  prayerful, 
and  we  may  justly  hope,  to  prepare  him  the 
better  for  the  reception  of  those  influences  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  which  are  necessary  to  aid 


BENEFITS    OF    CONFIRMATION.  191 


and  guide  him  in  all  the  ordinances  and  com- 
mandments of  the  Lord,  blameless.  As  he 
confirms  the  obligations  arising  from  his  cove- 
nant-relation to  Jehovah,  and  willingly  renevs^s 
his  vows  of  self-consecration  to  him ;  so  God, 
by  his  ministering  servant,  confirms  all  his  pro- 
mises of  grace  and  mercy,  so  that  when  this 
I  rite  is  duly  administered,  and  duly  received,  it 
can  hardly  fail  to  prove  the  occasion  of  the 
richest  blessings.  It  would  be  a  goodness,  to 
suppose  that  a  surrender  of  all  we  are  and  have, 
to  the  great  Head  of  the  church,  in  a  manner 
so  solemn  and  serious,  and  withal,  so  intelligent 
and  voluntary,  should  not  be  highly  acceptable 
to  him.  He  has  declared  that  he  will  honor 
those  who  honor  him ;  that  he  will  confess  be- 
fore his  Father  and  his  holy  angels,  all  who 
sincerely  confess  him  before  men,  and  though 
heaven  and  earth  should  pass  away,  not  one 
jot  or  tittle  of  his  promises  shall  fail.  Often 
has  his  sanctifying  and  comforting  grace  de- 
scended like  the  dew  of  heaven,  on  occasions 
of  conflrmation ;  and  thanks  to  his  unmerited 
grace,  many  humble  believers  can  testify,  from 
happy  experience,  that  when  they  sealed  their 
covenant  with  God,  by  renewed  vows  of  fideli- 
ty, they  found  themselves    "sealed  with    the 


192         QUALIFICATIONS    OF    CANDIDATES 


Holy  Spirit"  unto  the  day  of  eternal  redemp- 
tion. 

"The  orthodox  and  pious  Knapp  speaks  ad- 
visedly, when  he  remarks,  that  confirmation,  in 
the  cases  of  many,  is  followed,  as  experience 
teaches,  by  the  most  blessed  effects,  through 
their  whole  life.  ^4nd  if,'  he  continues,  Mts 
advantages  do  not  always  immediatehj  appear, 
they  often  manifest  themselves  in  after  years  ; 
for  the  seed  which  was  sown  in  the  heart  fre- 
quently lies  concealed  a  long  time  ere  it  comes 
up.'  Both  he,  and  Morus,  (in  the  Epitome, 
&c.,  p.  238  of  Schneider's  German  transla- 
tion,) exhort  the  pastor  to  be  careful  and  con- 
scientious in  the  performance  of  the  duties 
which  are  connected  wdth  this  'laudable  cus- 
tom.' Many,  says  Dr.  Lochman,  in  his  His- 
tory, &c.  of  the  Evang.  Luth.  church,  p.  158, 
date  the  beginning  of  their  real  conversion  to 
God  from  their  confirmation."* 

The  qualifications  requisite  to  a  profitable 
reception  of  this  rite,  remain  to  be  stated.  Be- 
lieving the  Lutheran  Formula  of  Discipline 
corresponds  on  this  point  with  the  principles 
of  the  gospel,  I  shall  be  guided  by  that  in  my 
remarks. 

*  Essays  on  Confirmation  in  Lutheran  Observer,  June  15th,  1832. 


FOR    CONTITIMATIOX.  193 

From  that  Formula  I  learn,  that  the  candi- 
dates for  confirmation,  must  be  ''obedient  sub- 
jects of  divine  grace,  that  is,  they  must  either 
be  genuine  Christians,  or  satisfy  the  church- 
council  that  the}"  are  sincerely  endeavoring  to 
become  such." 

All  mankind  are  the  subjects  of  divine  grace, 
for  all  arc  more  or  less  the  recipients  of  his 
unmerited  favor.  Those  who  have  been  born 
in  a  Christian  land  and  have  an  opportunity  to 
enjoy  Christian  privileges,  are  the  special  sub- 
jects of  God's  grace,  being  favored  witli  the 
special  grace  of  his  gospel.  But  candidates 
for  confirmation  must  be  "  obedient  subjects  of 
divine  grace,  that  is,  they  must  either  be  genu- 
ine Christians,  or  satisfy  the  church-council 
that  they  are  sincerely  endeavoring  to  become 
such."  Now,  individuals  who  are  awakened 
to  a  sense  of  their  religious  duties  and  anxious 
to  be  reconciled  to  God,  have,  to  a  certain 
extent,  been  obedient  to  divme  grace,  or  they 
would  not  be  in  this  aivahened  and  anxious 
condition.  It  will  not  be  maintained  that  per- 
sons of  this  description  are  converted,  that  they 
have  "  saving  faith,"  or  are  genuine  Christians. 
The  most  that  can  be  soid  of  them  is,  that  they 
are  penitent,  inquiring,  seeking  sinners;  they 
17 


194        QUALIFICATIONS    OF    CANDIDATES 

are,  as  it  were,  in  a  state  of  transition  from 
darkness  to  ligbt,  and  from  the  kingdom  of 
Satan  to  the  glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of 
God.  Such  persons  then,  though  not  radical- 
ly converted,  are  nevertheless,  according  to  the 
Lutheran  Discipline,  suitable  candidates  for 
confirmation,  and  therefore  bound  to  present 
themselves  for  admission  to  adult-membership 
in  Christ's  church,  and  his  ministers  have  no 
right  to  repel  them.  If  the  Lord  himself  were 
personally  on  earth,  and  they  should  humbly 
approach  him  confessing  and  mourning  over 
their  guilt,  and  promising  a  faithful  use  of  the 
measure  of  grace,  however  small,  already  be- 
stowed upon  them,  the  general  benevolence  of 
his  character  and  the  superabounding  riches  of 
his  mercy,  are  a  pledge  that  He  would  not  re- 
ject them.  No,  verily.  He  who  in  the  days  of 
his  flesh  so  often  fulfilled  the  prediction :  *'  A 
bruised  reed  shall  he  not  break,  and  the  smo- 
I  king  flax  shall  he  not  quench,"*  and  who,  in 
the  plenitude  of  his  unsearchable  grace,  deigned 
to  eat  with  publicans  and  sinners  in  the  hope 
of  recovering  them  from  the  error  of  their 
ways ;  would  welcome  them  to  his  communion, 

♦Isaiah,  xlii.  3. 


FOR    CONFm.AIATION.  1D5 

and  diligently  employ  the  occasion  to  strength- 
en their  good  desires  and  establish  them  in 
their  upright  efforts  to  become  his  obedient 
followers. 

This  view  of  the  question  before  me,  so  ob- 
viously in  accordance  with  the  practice  and 
theory  of  the  Lutheran  church,  falls  in  no  less 
with  the  system  of  my  Methodist  brethren, 
which  prescribes  an  anxious  "  desire  to  flee 
from  the  wrath  to  come,"  as  the  pre-requisite 
for  admission  to  the  table  of  the  Lord.  But 
what  is  best  of  all,  it  harmonizes  with  the 
spirit  of  the  gospel  and  with  examples  of  ad- 
mission to  church-membership  recorded  on  its 
inspired  pages.  To  refer  to  and  examine  those 
examples,  would  extend  this  article,  already 
too  long,  beyond  my  prescribed  limits 

However  desirable  it  is,  that  all  who  are 
received  into  full  communion  in  the  church, 
should  have  bright  evidences  of  their  conver- 
sion, and  undoubted  assurance  of  faith  and  of 
their  acceptance  wath  God,  yet  I  think  these 
high  attainments  are  not  essential  to  a  profita- 
ble reception  of  confirmation,  or  of  any  reli- 
gious ordinance.  Christ  invited  all  who  "labor 
and  are  hea\y  laden  to  come  unto  him,"  and 
never  rejected  the  trembling  penitent,  though 


196         QUALIFICATIONS    OF    CANDIDATES 

that  penitent  was  merely  "  framing  his  doings 
to  turn  unto  the  Lord,"  and  had  advanced  no 
further  than  to  place  his  foot,  as  it  were,  upon 
the  threshhold  of  the  sanctuary.     Moreover, 
the  gospel  of  Christ  with  all  its  promises,  his 
church  with  all  her  institutions,  are  designed 
for  the  encouragement   and   salvation  of  the 
humble  and  contrite.     '^The  sacrifices  of  God 
are  a  broken  spirit ;  a  broken  and  a  contrite 
heart,  O  God,  thou  wilt  not  despise."^    "But 
to  this  man  will  I  look,  even  to  him  that  is 
poor  and  of  a  contrite  spirit  and  trembleth  at 
my  word."t     Do  you  therefore  mourn  in  bit- 
terness of  soul  for  your  sins,  and  feel  that  God 
would  be  just,  if  he  were  to  punish  you  with 
everlasting  destruction  from  his  presence  and 
the  glory  of  his  power?     Christ  bids  you  come 
to  him  just  as  you  are, — with   all  your  misery 
and  all    your  guilt, — to  take   his    yoke  upon 
you, — to  profess  him  before  men,  and  to  follow 
him  in  the  way  of  his  appointment.     He  urges 
you  to  come  to  his  ordinances,  and  with  joy  to 
draw  water  from  these  wells  of  salvation.    And 
all  his  invitations  are  accompanied  with  the 
gracious  promise,  that  ''him  that  cometh,  he 

*  Psalms,  li.  17.  f  Isaiah,  Ixvi.  2. 


FOR    CONFIRMATION.  197 

will  in  no  wise  cast  out."  Fear  not,  tremblinjr 
sinner,  to  approach  the  altar,  and  renew  your 
baptismal  vows  in  tlie  rite  of  confirmation;  you 
may  there  find  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  whose 
good  pleasure  it  is  to  administer  unto  those 
who  mourn  in  Zion,  and  to  appoint  unto  them 
''  beauty  for  ashes,  the  oil  of  joy  for  mourning, 
and  the  garments  of  praise  for  the  spirit  of 
heaviness.' 

But  I  must  return  to  the  point  from  which  I 
have  somewhat  wandered;  and  here  a  very  im- 
portant question  presents  itself  for  considera- 
tion, viz.  How  are  we  to  know  whether  a  man 
is  a  genuine  christian,  or  whether  he  is  sincere- 
ly and  actualhj  endeavoring  to  become  one? 
Can  we  short-sighted  mortals  read  the  hidden 
thoughts  or  explore  the  secret  motives  of  our 
neighbor  ?  If  any  minister  or  set  of  church- 
officers  lay  claim  to  such  profound  wisdom,  let 
them  produce  their  credentials  from  the  Most 
High,  under  his  broad  seal  of  miracles ;  but  if 
they  cannot  do  this,  their  pretensions  are  entit- 
led to  no  more  credit  than  those  of  the  as- 
trologer who  casts  nativities  from  the  aspect 
of  the  planets.  God  has  wisely  reserved  to 
himself  the  prerogative  of  discerning  spirits. 
"I,  Jehovah,  search  the  heart.  I  try  the 
17*  II 


198        QUALIFICATIONS    OF    CANDIDATES  ' 

reins. "^     It  appears  then,  that  the  reality  of 
conversion,  or  even  of  sincere  anxiety  to  be 
converted,  cannot  be  laid  down  as  the  ground  of 
admission  to  adult-membership,  because  I  have 
not  the  means  of  positively  ascertaining  the  ex- 
istence of  that  reahty.     I  often  cannot  detect  a 
perjury  in  the  custom-house,  or  dishonesty  in 
the  common  affairs  of  life;  how  then  can  I  de- 
cide whether  he  who  recounts  his  rehgious  ex- 
perience, or  asserts  his  anxiety  to  become  a 
christian,  is  not  a  hypocrite?     If  it  be  answer- 
ed: ''By  their  fruits  ye  shall  knorv  themf'  I 
reply, — even  so,  by  their  fruits,  that  is,  by 
their  external  life, — their  walk  'and  conversa- 
tion,'— but  not  by  their   inward   experience, 
their  secret  exercises,  or  that  which  passes  in 
their  own  breasts  and  is  known  only  to  God 
and  themselves.     The  church  of  God,  so  far  as 
its  outward  ordinances  are  concerned,  is  alto- 
gether visible;  and  it  would  be  absurd  to  make 
an  invisible  quality  the  criterion  of  visible  com- 
munion.    If  then  I  am  incompetent  to  deter- 
mine with  certainty  who  is  and  who  is  not  a 
genuine  Christian,  and  cannot  therefore  in  the 
nature  of  things,  make  the  reality  of  conversion 
the  test  of  admission,  what  is  to  be  done? — 

*Jer.  xvii.  10. 


FOR    CONFIRMATION.  199 


Answer:  The  gospel  informs  me  that  "faith 
worketh  by  love,-'  or  in  other  words,  that  re- 
generation of  heart  exhibits  itself  by  corres- 
ponding  acts  of  obedience;  when  therefore, 
according  to  my  best  knowledge,  I  perceive 
that  love  to  God  and  man,  which  is  the  legiti- 
mate fruit  of  living  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  or 
those  acts  of  obedience  which  are  the  known 
and  regular  effects  of  regeneration,  I  am  bound 
to  account  their  possessor  a  brother  and  to  em- 
brace him  accordingly.  So  also  when  I  have 
reason  to  believe  that  I  behold  those  endeavors 
which  necessarily  result  from  sincere  anxiety 
to  become  a  Christian,  it  is  my  duty  to  regard 
him  who  puts  forth  such  endeavors,  as  sincere 
in  his  professions,  as  an  "obedient  subject  of 
divine  grace,"'  and  to  extend  to  him  all  the 
facilities  at  my  disposal  and  encourage  him  in 
his  sincere  intentions. 

I  accordingly  conclude,  that  a  credible  pro^ 
fession  of  Christianity,  in  relation  to  the  one 
class  of  individuals,  and  a  crediUe  profession 
of  sincere  anxiety  to  become  a  Christia?!,  in  re- 
ference to  the  other,  is  all  that  I  have  a  right 
to  require  from  candidates  for  confirmation.  I 
may  be  deceived ;  my  utmost  caution  may  be, 
and  often  has  been,  ineffectual  to  prevent  hypo- 


200        QUALIFIC.VTIONS    OF    CANDIDATES 


crites  and  other  unworthy  iDclividuals  from  en- 
termg  into  the  church ; — I  am  not  omniscient. 
But  I  have  no  right  to  suspect  sincerity,  to  re- 
fuse privileges,  or-  to  inflict  censure,  where  I 
can  put  my  finger  upon  nothing  repugnant  to 
the  love  of  God  and  the  fruits  of  faith,  or  to 
the  diligent  efforts  of  upright  desire. 

I  have  great  pleasure  in  assuring  my  readers 
that  the  conclusion  at  which  I  have  now  arrived, 
accords  very  nearly  with  the  result  of  a  discus- 
sion on  the  "Visible  Church,''  by  one  of  the 
ablest  theological  writers  of  our  country ;  I  al- 
lude to  the  late  distinguished  Dr.  Mason,  of 
New  York.  He  sums  up  his  ideas  on  tliis 
point,  in  the  following  language: — ''A  profes- 
sion, then,  of  faith  in  Christ,  and  of  obedience 
to  him,  not  discredited  hj  other  traits  of  char- 
acter, entitles  an  adult  to  the  pi'ivileges  of  his 
church.'"^ 

*Soe  Christ.  Mag.  v.  i.  p.  22. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

CONFIRMATION    CONTINUED. 

Many  objections  have  been  urged  against 
confirmation,  but  for  the  most  part  they  proceed 
from  a  want  of  acquaintance  with  its  nature  and 
advantages,  from  its  occasional  abuse  and  from 
sectarian  prejudices.  They  mostly  need  little 
more  than  a  simple  statement,  to  expose  their 
fallacy.  I  shall  therefore  dispose  of  them  in  a 
very  summary  manner. 

It  is  objected — 

1.  That  confirmation  consists  principally  in 
committing  the  catechism  to  memory,  and  in 
being  pronounced  worthy  to  partake  of  the 
Lord's  Supper.  From  what  has  been  said,  it 
is  abundantly  evident  that  this  is  altogether  an 
unfounded  assertion,  without  even  the  shadow 
of  truth  to  extenuate  its  turpitude. 

2.  That  it  is  an  assumption  of  new  and  bur- 
densome  duties.  This  objection  evinces  a  total 
misapprehension  of  the  rite,  and  involves  gross 
ignorance  of  the  general  relation  which  we  sus- 
tain to  God.  Whether  we  are  confirmed  or 
not,  we  are  all  solemnly  bound  to  repent  and 


202  OBJECTIONS    ANSWERED. 

be  converted  and  live  w^holly  unto  God,  and 
confirmation  contemplates  no  more  than  this, 
and  therefore  imposes  no  obligations  that  were 
not  previously  upon  us. 

3.  That  it  is  the  means  of  introducing  people 
i?ito  the  church  at  too  early  an  age. — This  ob- 
jection lies  not  against  the  rite  itself,  but  against 
its  application.  Under  the  Old  Testament  dis- 
pensation the  custom  was,  to  receive  candidates 
into  church-membership  at  the  age  of  twelve 
and  thirteen ;  in  latter  days  our  Presbyterian 
and  Methodist  brethren  have  frequently  ad- 
mitted them  at  an  earlier  period.  The  great 
majority  of  those  who  receive  confirmation  in 
the  Lutheran  church  in  this  country,  are  from 
fifteen  to  twenty  years  of  age;  too  many  ot 
them  alas,  defer  it  to  a  later  period.  Are  those 
who  are  old  enough  deliberately  and  voluntarily 
to  engage  in  the  service  of  sin  and  Satan,  and 
to  prepare  themselves  to  lie  down  in  ''everlast- 
ing burnings,"  too  young  to  covenant  with  God, 
and  dedicate  themselves  to  his  service  ?  Lu- 
therans never  confirm  them  at  an  age  earlier 
than  this. 

4.  That  it  is  a  mere  external  ceremony  sub- 
mitted to  hij  compulsion^  or  as  a  matter  of  course. 
This  is  an  argument  against  its  abuse,  and  may 


OBJECTIONS    ANSWERED.  203 


be  employed  with  equal  force  against  baptism, 
against  a  public  profession  of  religion  as  it  is 
sometimes  practised  in  sister  churches,  against 
every  religious  ordinance  and  indeed  against 
religion  in  general.  But  the  abuse  of  a  religi- 
ous rite  does  not  abolish  its  proper  use. 

5.  That  it  is  a  scheme  for  making  proselytes. 
If  the  "scheme"  succeeds  well  in  making  pro- 
selytes to  Christ  the  objection  is  one  of  the 
highest  commendations,  and  I  would  on  this 
ground  alone  warmly  recommend  it  to  others. 
But  Lutheran  ''proselytes"  are  generally  the 
lambs  of  their  own  flocks,  but  if  they  can  also 
gather  in  those  who  are  "wandering  on  the 
dark  mountains  of  sin,"  every  true  Christian 
will  bid  them  "God  speed."  But  for  one 
church  to  charge  another  with  endeavoring  to 
make  proselytes,  in  this  age  of  unparalleled 
sectarianism,  is  venturing  on  delicate  ground. 
It  rather  behooves  all  to  lay  their  hands  upon 
their  mouths,  and  their  mouths  into  the  dust, 
and  plead  guilty ! 

6.  That  it  is  a  remnant  of  popery.  This  is 
an  unfortunate  objection;  for  if  confirmation 
was  not  practised  by  the  apostles,  it  certainly 
was  in  use  in  the  seco?2d  century.  Every  one 
acquainted  wdth  church  history,  knows  this. 


204  OBJECTIONS    ANSWERED. 


But  popery  was  not  introduced  until  the  begin- 
ning of  the  seventh  century.  Is  it  a  relic  of 
popery  because  in  the  fifteenth  century,  Pope 
Eugenius  erected  it  into  a  sacrament?  then 
matrimony  and  ministerial  ordination  are  also 
remnants  of  popery ;  for  both  are  regarded  as 
sacraments  in  that  corrupt  church.  Then  Cal- 
vin also  countenanced  popery,  for  he  was  a 
warm  advocate  of  the  rite  of  confirmation. 

7.  That  j^ersons  confirmed,  frequently  vio- 
late their  promises  in  after  life.  So  do  those 
who  make  a  profession  of  religion  in  any  other 
mode;  shall  all  religious  profession  therefore 
forever  cease?  Many  who  enter  into  the  mat- 
rimonial covenant,  violate  their  engagements  in 
subsequent  life,  must  that  holy  and  divinely 
instituted  state  therefore  be  abolished?  But 
the  objection  is  too  frivolous  to  deserve  notice. 

8,  That  it  rvas  not  appointed  by  Christ  7ior 
practised  hy  the  ajjostles.  Neither  were  Sun- 
day schools,  tract  societies,  Bible  and  temper- 
ance societies,  &c.;  nor  do  we  read  that  they 
recommended  special  days  of  thanksgiving,  and 
of  humiliation  and  prayer.    Neither  the  "  West- 

\  minster  Confession,"  so  much  revered  by  one 
branch  of  Christ's  church;  nor  the  "Book  of 
Common  Prayer,"  so  warmly  commended  by 


OBJECTION'S    ANSWERED.  205 

another;  nor  the  "Book  of  Discipline,"  so 
highly  esteemed  hy  a  third,  was  appointed  by 
Christ,  or  observed  in  all  their  detailed  minu- 
tiae by  the  apostles.  There  are  many  practices 
in  the  chm*ch  of  God  at  present,  which  are  in 
themselves  excellent,  and  worthy  of  all  praise, 
but  yet  cannot  claim  the  authority  of  specific  di- 
vine appointment  or  of  apostohc  example.  The 
objection  accordingly  proves  too  much,  and 
therefore  entirely  fails.  Whether  confirmation 
was  practised  by  the  apostles  or  not,  is  a  mooted 
point ;  many  good  and  wise  men  of  different  de- 
nominations, especially  in  the  church  of  Eng- 
land, think  it  was.^  But  in  the  Lutheran  church 
the  custom  rests  upon  a  different  basis ;  they 
value  it  highly  and  adhere  to  it  with  decided 
preference,  on  the  ground  of  utility.  If  candi- 
dates are  suitably  prepared  personally  to  renew 
the  covenant  of  grace  and  enter  into  full  com- 
munion, I  can  think  of  nothing  more  appropri- 
ate as  a  mode  of  receiving  them,  than  the  rite 
of  confirmation.  It  is  so  simple  and  at  the 
same  time  so  solemn,  so  significant  and  affect- 
ing, that  it  cannot  fail  to  impress  both  the  new 

*I  would  here  take  occasion  to  observe  that  the  views  and  prac- 
tices of  the  German  Reformed  church  on  this  subject,  very  much  or 
entirely  resemble  those  of  the  Lutherans. 

18 


206  OBJECTIONS    ANSWERED. 

members  and  the  whole  congregation  with  a 
deep  sense  of  God's  infinite  mercy  and  their 
own  obhgations  to  love  and  serve  him. 

9.  That  it  is  indirectly  elevated  above  the 
rank  of  a  sacrament ;  bishops  perform  confir- 
mation, rvhile  baptism  and  the  eucharist  are 
administered  by  the  inferior  clergy.  This  in- 
deed strikes  me  as  an  inconsistency,  but  the 
objection  applies  not  to  the  Lutheran  church. 
They  have  no  "inferior  clergy"  in  point  of 
grade  or  privilege  They  are  all  bishops  in 
their  own  churches,  belonging  to  the  same  or- 
der and  enjoying  the  same  rights ;  the  princi- 
pal diiferences  existing  among  them,  are  those 
which  arise  from  inherent  personal  advantages, 
such  as  superior  talents,  learning,  piety,  useful- 
ness, &c.  This  difficulty  then  does  not  attach 
to  them,  and  must  be  settled  with  ''diocesan 
episcopacy." 

10.  That  it  is  superfluous,  inasmuch  as  the 
Lord's  Supper  answers  every  purpose  contem- 
plated by  confirmation,  and  is  liable  to  no  ex- 
ception. Among  all  the  objections  urged  and 
dwelt  upon  with  so  much  emphasis  by  Dr. 
Miller,  of  Princeton^  this  is  the  only  one 
that  can  apply  to  the  Lutheran  church.  In 
reply,  I  ask,  if  we  have  in  the  Lord's  Supper 


OBJECTIONS    ANSWERED.  207 

just  such  a  solemnity  as  we  need  for  the  end 
in  question,  why  have  our  brethren  of  the 
Presbyterian  church  introduced  a  ceremony 
of  their  own,  whereby  a  profession  of  reU- 
gion  is  made?  Do  they  not  require  candi- 
dates for  adult-membership  to  appear  before 
their  "church-session,"  and  enter  into  certain 
engagements,  preparatory  to  receiving  the  holy 
supper? — do  they  not  also  in  some  churches, 
call  forth  candidates  in  the  presence  of  the 
whole  congregation,  and  exact  certain  promises 
from  them,  as  pre-requisite  to  their  admission 
to  full  communion  ?  now  what  is  this  else  but 
a  specific  "transaction  or  solemnity  by  which 
5^oung  people  who  have  been  baptized  in  infan- 
cy, may  be  called  to  recognize  their  religious 
obligations,  and,  as  it  were,  take  upon  them- 
selves the  profession  and  the  vows  made  on 
their  behalf  in  baptism?"* — in  a  word,  what  is 
it  but  another  mode  of  confirmation,  with  the 
exception  that  it  is  not  accompanied  by  the 
laying  on  of  hands  and  all  those  solemn  and 
affecting  circumstances,  nor  preceded  by  that 
protracted  and  highly  beneficial  course  of  reli- 
gious instruction,  which  characterize  and  give 
so  much  interest  and  value  to  the  usage  ob- 

*  Infant  Baptism,  p.  117. 


208 


OBJECTIONS    ANSWERED. 


served  among  Lutlierans  ?  If  according]}^,  the 
Lord's  Supper  renders  confirmation  needless 
and  useless  in  the  Lutheran  church,  why  does 
it  not  supersede  certain  forms  or  usages,  pre- 
liminary to  the  celebration  of  the  supper  among 
Presbyterians?  It  would  seem  therefore  that 
a  special  solemnity  as  a  mode  of  admission  to 
the  Lord's  Supper,  is  necessar}^;  the  want  of 
it  is  sensibly  felt  and  provided  for  in  most 
churches,  and  the  solemnity  which  commends 
itself  most  strongly  to  the  understanding  and 
hearts  of  Lutherans,  is  the  very  rite  that  I  now 
advocate. 

Moreover,  with  all  deference  for  the  learn- 
ing of  my  venerable  and  justly  venerated  op- 
ponent, I  would  ask,  whether  there  is  not  a 
difference  between  admission  to  church-privi- 
leges and  the  enjoyment  of  them  ?  The  person 
who  is  to  be  confirmed  is  in  a  course  of  recep- 
tion into  full  communion,  but  he  who  partakes 
of  the  Lord's  Supper  is  already  in  the  posses- 
sion of  that  blessing.  Confirmation  designates 
transition  from  infant  to  adult-membership,  as 
also  does  the  making  of  a  profession  of  reli- 
gion among  our  Presbyterian  brethren;  but 
sacramental  communion  publishes  the  comple- 
tion of  that  transition,  and  is  to  be  regarded 


OBJECTIONS    ANSWERED. 


209 


rather  as  one  of  the  privileges  of  the  new  rela- 
tion for  which  application  is  made,  than  as  the 
mode  of  conferring  that  relation.  If  Luther- 
ans are  mistaken,  why  do  not  their  dissenting 
brethren  at  once  admit  applicants  to  the  Lord's 
Supper,  without  any  intermediate  form  what- 
ever?—While  they  then  in  theory  deny  the 
propriety  of  this  rite,  does  not  their  own  pro- 
cedure seem  to  indicate  that  in  practice  they 
feel  its  necessity,  and  have  therefore  adopted  a 
substitute? 

But  there  is  another  reason  why  I  am  com- 
pelled to  oppose  the  doctor's  view.  The  hold 
which  this  ancient  custom  has  upon  the  mem- 
bers, enables  the  ministers  to  bring  within 
their  reach  and  under  the  influence  of  their  in- 
structions, a  class  of  youth  whose  attention 
they  could  not  otherwise  so  fully  procure. 
They  thus  have  opportunities  to  adapt  their 
religious  teaching  to  the  capacities  and  wants 
of  the  young  and  inexperienced,  which  they 
could  not  do  in  the  pulpit.  They  can  create 
and  keep  alive  attention  by  the  questions  they 
propound,  and  bring  their  pupils  into  immedi- 
ate contact  with  saving  knowledge,  and  oblige 
them  to  feel  that  they  alone  are  now  the  persons 
who  are  concerned.  These  opportunities  are 
18* 


210  TESTIMONY    IN   FAVOR 

such  as  every  faithful  minister  of  Christ  will 
rejoice  to  find,  and  will  conscientiously  improve ; 
and  wo  to  that  minister  of  the  church  who,  pos- 
sessing them,  does  not  make  the  most  of  them  ? 
If  they  relinquish  the  custom  of  confirmation, 
it  will  in  all  probability  be  an  abolition  of  the 
annual  catechizing  of  youth,  and  they  should 
thus  deprive  themselves  of  one  of  the  most  ef- 
fective and  successful  instrumentalities  which 
God  Almighty  has  placed  in  their  hands,  and 
that  too  in  reference  to  a  class  of  individuals 
who  have  attained  to  an  age,  which  is  peculiar- 
ly interesting,  and  renders  special  attention 
particularly  necessary.* 

The  testimony  of  the  Rev.  Professors  Rob- 
inson and  Hodge  on  this  subject,  shall  con- 
clude this  article : 

"  It  is  moreover  not  to  be  denied,  that  this 
system  of  instruction,  in  the  hands  of  a  faithful 
pastor  affords  one  of  the  most  powerful  means 
that  can  be  devised  of  operating  upon  the  youth- 
ful mind,  and  forming  it,  under  God,  to  habits, 
and  feelings,  and  principles  of  virtue  and  reli- 
gion.    The  usual  time  of  confirmation  is  about 

*  See  a  very  able  and  lucid  article  on  confirmation,  by  tlie  Rev. 
Dr.  Mayer,  of  the  Gerninn  Reformed  church,  which  appeared  in 
the  paper  of  that  church  (if  we  mistake  not)  in  the  year  1832. 


OF    CONFIRMATION.  211 


Si 


the  age  of  puberty,  or  from  the  thirteenth  to 
the  sixteenth  year;*  and  custom  has  ordained 
that  every  one  shall  take  upon  himself  the  so- 
lemn obligations  imposed  by  this  rite.  The 
youthful  mind  is  at  this  period  in  its  most  sus- 
ceptible state,  and  most  open  to  conviction, 
and  to  the  influence  of  the  thrilling  motives  and 
tender  remonstrances,  which  a  good  shepherd 
knows  how  to  urge  in  behalf  of  Him  who  was 
'meek  and  lowly  of  heart.'  He  meets  his  | 
youthful  flock  frequently,  and  has  the  opportu- 
nity, if  he  does  his  duty,  of  becoming  thorough- 
ly acquainted  with  their  diflerent  characters  and 
dispositions;  so  that  it  is  his  fault  alone,  if  he 
be  not  able  to  apply  to  each  the  instructions 
and  exhortations  which  the  nature  of  the  case 
requires.  In  its  present  shape,  this  system 
owes  its  birth  to  the  pious  Spener;  and  through 
this  institution  that  godly  man  still  exerts  an 
amount  of  influence  that  is  incalculable  :  Have 
not  the  churches  of  our  land  reason  to  blush, 
when  they  look  upon  what  is  thus  done  in  other 
lands  for  the  religious  education  of  the  young?" 
— Prof.  Robinson. 

"In   the   Lutheran    church,   you    probably 

*  In  the  United  States  the  usual  time  is  from  the  fourteentli  to  the 
twentieth  vear. 


212  TESTIMONY    OF    FAVOR 


know,  it  is  customary  that  boys  at  the  age  of 
fourteen,  and  girls  at  fifteen,  should  be  con- 
firmed ;  that  is,  be  called  upon  to  assume  their 
baptismal  vows,  and  solemnly  recognize  them- 
selves as  members  of  the  church.  That  there 
are  serious  evils  attending  this  usage,  is  very 
obvious,  but  that  much  good  is  effected  by  the 
pastoral  attention  to  the  young,  which  it  occa- 
sions, cannot  be  denied.  The  candidates  for 
confirmation,  each  year,  are  formed  into  a  class 
or  classes,  to  which  it  is  the  pastor's  duty  to 
devote  several  hours  in  every  week,  instructing 
them  in  the  principles  of  the  gospel  and  of 
their  own  particular  church.  This  course  of 
instruction  continues  through  the  year ;  and  as 
every  child  must  be  confirmed,  the  whole  mass 
of  the  people,  rich  and  poor,  from  the  king's 
son  to  the  children  of  the  peasant,  are  regular- 
ly indoctrinated  in  the  Christian  system.  The 
degree  of  fidelity  with  which  this  duty  is  per- 
formed, depends  on  the  character  of  the  pas- 
tor ;  but  it  may  be  remarked  that  even  the 
rationalists,  in  general,  retain  the  use  of  Lu- 
ther's catechism  and  other  evangelical  formulas 
in  the  instruction  of  the  young.  I  have  wit- 
nessed few  scenes  more  impressive  than  the 
niduction  of  one  of  these  little  flocks  of  the 


OF    CONFIRMATION.  213 

lambs  of  Christ,  into  his  sacred  fold.  On  the 
day  appointed  for  this  service  they  came  to  the 
church,  with  their  pastor  at  their  head.  Their 
entrance  was  greeted  with  a  burst  of  cheerful 
music,  in  which  all  hearts  and  voices  joined. 
Arranged  before  the  pulpit,  the  pastor  proceed- 
ed to  explain  to  them  the  situation  in  which 
they  stood.  Consecrated  to  God  in  baptism, 
they  had  been  given  to  the  church  by  their 
parents;  but  now  having  attained  an  age  at 
which  they  are  capable  of  acting  for  themselves, 
having  been  instructed  in  the  doctrines  and 
requirements  of  the  Christian  religion,  and  in 
the  faith  and  discipline  of  their  own  church; 
they  were  to  decide  whether  they  would  remain 
in  that  church,  receive  its  doctrines,  and  sub- 
mit to  its  watchful  care.  For  the  satisfaction 
of  those  present,  their  pastor  examined  them 
on  the  history  and  doctrines  of  the  Bible,  re- 
ceived their  profession  of  faith,  and  solemn 
assent  to  be  regarded  as  under  the  guardianship 
of  the  church.  They  knelt  before  him,  the 
name  and  blessing  of  God  was  invoked  upon 
them,  and  they  arose  in  a  new  relation  to  the 
household  of  faith." — Prof.  Hodge. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

I   AM    A   LUTHERAN, 

X.  Because  I  agree  with  and  prefer  the  Lu- 
theran viefv  of  tlie  Lord's  Supper. 

I  have  already  repeatedly  referred  to  this 
subject,  and  shall  therefore  not  dwell  exten- 
sively on  it  at  present.  But  before  I  proceed 
I  must  premise,  that  it  is  an  established  princi- 
ple among  Lutherans,  not  to  exact  uniformity 
of  sentiment  on  minor  points.  While  they 
regard  the  Bible  as  the  only  and  sufficient  rule 
of  faith,  and  the  Augsburg  Confession  as  a 
correct  methodical  exponent  of  the  fundamen- 
tal truths  of  the  Scriptures,  they  at  the  same 
time  "agree  to  differ,"  when  the  rights  of  con- 
science require  it,  in  non-essentials.  Accord- 
ingly, in  relation  to  the  precise  nature  of  the 
Eucharist  and  the  mode  of  the  divine  presence 
in  that  ordinance,  as  well  as  on  all  other  sub- 
jects not  clearly  determined  in  the  Word  of 
God,  they  have  long  since  settled  down  in  the 
happy  conviction,  that  it  is  their  right  to  adopt 
those  views  which  seem  best  to  accord  witli  the 
teachings  of  inspiration,  wdiile  none  shall  be 


lord's  supper — OUTWARD  ELEMENTS.  215  ■ 

permitted    to    molest    them    or    make    them 
afraid. 

As  to  the  outward  elements  in  this  ordinance, 
Lutherans  hold,  that  though  the  Savior  un- 
doubtedly used  unleavened  bread,  as  none 
other,  even  in  the  smallest  quantity,  was  per- 
mitted to  be  m  a  Jewish  family  during  the 
Passover,  yet  as  this  was  a  mere  drcumstance, 
and  the  disciples  subsequently  paid  no  regard 
to  it,  the  kind  of  bread  is  of  no  importance, 
any  more  than  are  its  forms,  the  fact  of  its 
being  broken,  the  time  of  administration,  the 
position  of  the  communicants,  &c.  But  they 
do  believe  that  it  is  absolutely  wrong  to  deny 
the  cup  to  the  laity,  and  that  to  a  valid  cele- 
bration of  this  sacrament  the  wine  no  less  than 
the  bread  must  be  given  to  the  communicant. 
Hence  the  Romish  church,  which  in  the  15th 
century  commenced  withholding  the  cup,  plain- 
ly violate  our  Lord's  express  command :  ''  drink 
ye  ALL  of  this  cup,"  and  have  thus  essentially 
corrupted  this  divine  ordinance. 

As  prayer  is  a  necessary  accompaniment  of 
a  religious  rite,  and  our  Savior  gave  thanks 
and  blessed  the  elements,  so  also  in  the  Lu- 
theran church,  they  are  consecrated  by  prayer, 
that  is,  the  Lord's  prayer  and  the  words  of  the 


216        DESIGN    OF    THE    LORD's    SUPPER. 

institution  are  rehearsed,  and  fervent  supplica- 
tions made  for  the  blessing  of  God  upon  the 
whole  transaction.  None  but  regular  minis- 
ters of  the  gospel  who  act  in  the  stead  of 
Christ,  are  allowed  to  conduct  the  administra- 
tion. 

The  design  of  the  ordinance,  as  set  forth  in 
the  liturgy  of  the  church  is, — 

1st.  Commemoratwe.  "This  do,"  said  our 
Lord,  "in  remembrance  of  me;"  and,  "As  often 
as  ye  eat  this  bread,  and  drink  this  cup,"  adds 
the  apostle,  ''ye  do  shew  the  Lord's  death  till  he 
come;''''  that  is,  ye  do  call  to  mind  and  exhibit 
to  yourselves  and  all  around,  the  death  of  Christ 
as  the  early  foundation  of  your  hopes  of  salva- 
tion. Accordingly,  it  is  not  simply  of  Christ 
our  Savior  in  general  that  we  are  reminded,  but 
also  and  especially  of  his  sufferings  and  death 
as  an  atonement  for  the  sins  of  the  whole 
world,  and  of  the  glorious  scheme  of  redemp- 
tion based  upon  his  atonement. 

2dly.  Sealing.  As  we  are  sensuous  beings, 
the  Master  selected  two  material  elements  cog- 
nizable by  the  senses,  bread  and  wine,  and  or- 
dained them  to  be  pledges,  or  seals,  or  tangible 
assurances  that  we  are  made  partakers  of  this 
body  and   blood,  or   in  other  words,  of  the 


DESIGN    OF    THE    LORD's    SUPPER.        217 

blessings  of  salvation  purchased  by  the  sacri- 
fice of  his  body  and  the  shedding  of  his  blood. 
As  certainly  therefore,  as  the  believing  com- 
municant eats  the  bread  and  drinks  the  cup,  he 
receives  a  pledge  or  seal  of  his  acceptance  vrith 
God  and  his  title  through  Christ  to  eternal  life. 
A  richer  blessing  cannot  be  bestowed  upon  a 
human  being  on  this  side  of  heaven. 

3dly.  A  further  object  of  this  ordinance  is, 
to  promote  unity  and  brotherly  love  among 
Christians.  At  the  table  of  the  Lord  rich  and 
poor,  learned  and  unlearned,  great  and  small, 
the  strong  and  the  vy^eak,  all  meet  on  common 
ground,  and  forgetting  their  difference  of  exter- 
nal circumstances,  proclaim  to  each  other  and 
the  vs^orld  that  they  regard  and  love  each  other 
as  brothers  and  sisters  in  Christ,  that  they  are 
disposed  to  comfort  and  assist  each  other  in 
their  pilgrimage  to  the  heavenly  Canaan.  The 
language  of  their  hearts  is  or  ought  to  be: 
''For  we  being  many  are  one  bread  and  one 
body:  for  we  are  all  partakers  of  that  one 
bread."  ''And  hereby  shall  all  men  know 
that  we  are  his  disciples,  if  we  have  love  one 
to  another."  The  violation  of  this  design  of 
the  Supper  by  the  Corinthians,  was  severely 
censured  by  the  apostles;  1  Cor.  xi.  20 — 2-2. 
19 


218         CHARACTER    OF    COMMUNICANTS. 


4thly.  The  participation  of  this  ordinance  is 
also  a  'public  profession  of  faith  in  our  Lord. 
Christians  thereby  declare  that  they  are  not 
ashamed  of  Jesus ;  that  they  acknowledge  him 
as  their  Lord  and  Savior,  and  are  resolved  to 
adhere  to  his  doctrines  and  trust  for  salvation 
in  his  atonement  till  death.  They  in  effect 
declare:  ''Christ  is  our  only  hope;  him  we 
publicly  confess  as  the  author  and  donor  of 
life  eternal,  and  as  our  Lord  and  King;  to  him 
alone  we  look  for  pardon  and  redemption;  we 
pledge  ourselves  to  imitate  his  example  and 
live  in  conformity  to  his  precepts.  We  renew 
our  vows  of  obedience  to  him  and  engage  to 
grow  in  knowledge  and  grace  and  in  every 
Christian  virtue,  perfecting  holiness  in  the  fear 
of  the  Lord,  until  he  shall  call  us  home." 

In  relation  to  the  subjects  of  this  ordinance, 
Lutherans  teach,  that  it  ought  not  to  be  dis- 
pensed 

1st.  To  the  immoral  and  indifferent.  If 
the  representation  just  given  of  its  several 
objects  be  correct,  it  is  manifest  that  not  one 
of  those  objects  can  be  accomplished  in  re- 
ference to  this  description  of  persons.  Of 
what  avail  then  is  it  for  such  individuals  to 
commune  ? 


II 


CHARACTEE,    OF    COMIMUNICANTS.         219 


2nd.  To  the  ijisane  and  idiots.  Such  arc 
not  moral  and  responsible  agents,  and  not 
capable  of  a  rational  celebration  of  the  Sup- 
per. 

3rd.  To  children.  The  remark  just  made, 
applies  also  to  children.  Besides,  the  apostle 
expressly  requires  self-examination  as  a  neces- 
sary preparation,  and  pronounces  a  judgment 
on  those  who  "do  not  discern  the  Lord's 
body."  Are  children  capable  of  self-examina- 
tion? and  does  not  innocent  and  unavoidable 
incapacity  to  perform  a  duty,  absolve  us  from 
its  discharge? 

All  communicants  in  the  Lutheran  church, 
are  required  to  be  baptized  and  in  good  stand- 
ing; to  entertain  a  sincere  belief  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  be  engaged  in  a  sincere  effort 
to  lead  a  life  in  accordance  with  their  Chris- 
tian profession.  What  progress  they  must 
have  made  in  religion  before  they  approach  the 
table  of  the  Lord,  Lutherans  do  not  pretend 
to  specify;  and  as  they  generally  agree  that 
the  same  qualifications  that  are  required  from 
a  candidate  for  confirmation,  entitle  him  also 
to  a  place  at  tlie  communion  table;  I  refer  the 
reader  for  more  specific  instruction  on  this 
subject,  to  pages  192 — 200,  chap.  xii. 


220  lord's  supper — practical  influences. 

"The  practical  infitience,'''  says  Dr.  S.  S. 
Schmiicker,  "of  this  ordinance  on  the  Chris- 
tian, is  indeed  incalculable.  By  it  his  views  of 
the  great  plan  of  salvation  through  the  merits 
of  a  crucified  Savior  are  kept  fundamentally 
correct.  So  long  as  he  retains  this  belief,  he 
cannot  sanction  the  opinions  of  those,  who  re- 
gard the  Savior's  death  as  a  mere  attestation 
of  his  sincerity,  or  of  the  truth  of  the  doctrines 
taught  by  him :  nor  can  his  soul  find  pleasure 
in  those,  who  fritter  away  the  gospel  scheme 
into  a  mere  code  of  morality,  and  send  man 
upon  the  ground  of  his  own  "filthy"  righteous- 
ness, to  claim  justification  at  the  bar  of  God. 
Hence  it  cherishes  in  us  a  healthful  sense  of 
our  own  sinfulness,  inability  to  fulfill  the  law, 
and  of  the  height  and  depth  and  length  and 
breadth  of  that  surpassing  love  of  God,  which 
induced  him  to  exchange  the  hallelujahs  of  an- 
gels for  the  curses  of  men,  the  throne  of  hea- 
ven for  the  malefactor's  cross,  and  the  diadem 
of  glory  for  a  crown  of  thorns. 

''The  feelings  accompanying  these  views  he 
finds  to  be  of  the  most  salutary  kind.  Humble 
penitence  for  the  sins  which  crucified  the  Lord 
of  glory,  ardent  gratitude  for  this  amazing  dis- 
play of  his  benevolence,  and  sincere  love  to 


MODE    OF    THE    DIVINE    PRESENCE.        221 

him  as  'Hhe  chief  among  ten  thousand  and  alto- 
gether lovely,"  as  that  divine  being  in  whom 
all  excellencies  concentre,  who  is  the  proper 
and  only  object  of  adoration  in  the  universe, 
and  whom  it  is  his  everlasting  interest  no  less 
than  duty  to  love  with  an  unceasing  love,  in 
life,  in  death,  and  through  the  endless  ages  of 
eternity. 

*' Exciting  these  views  and  feelings,  how  can 
this  ordinance  fail  to  prompt  the  Christian's 
soul  to  proper  actioji,  to  a  more  entire  surren- 
der of  his  heart  to  God,  to  greater  confidence 
in  the  plan  of  salvation  through  the  blood  of 
atonement;  that  is,  to  a  greater  measure  of 
living  faith,  to  renewed  purposes  of  holy  obe- 
dience, and  thus  to  the  attainment  of  the  end 
for  which  the  Savior  bled,  —  'remission  of 
sins?'" 

The  last  point  to  be  exhibited  on  this  sub- 
ject, relates  to  the  much  disputed  question 
about  the  mode  of  Christ's  presence  in  the 
Eucharist.  I  must  here  premise  that  Luther- 
ans do  not  believe  in  consuhstantiation,  subpa- 
nation,  nor  impanation.  These  errors  have 
indeed  been  again  and  again  imputed  to  them; 
but  they  repudiate  them  all.  I  know  not  and 
never  did  know  a  single  minister  or  intelligent 
19^ 


222        MODE    OF    THE    DIVINE    PRESENCE. 


layman  in  the  whole  Lutheran  church  who  be- 
lieved in  any  one  of  them.  As  for  that  abomi- 
nation of  Romanism,  called  tra7isuhstantiation, 
no  branch  of  the  church  of  Christ  is  more  de- 
cidedly opposed  to  it  than  the  Lutheran.  It  is 
contrary  to  the  clearest  testimony  of  every  one 
of  our  senses,  and  not  only  the  senses  of  one 
individual,  but  of  all  men  of  every  age,  condi- 
tion, generation  and  country.  It  is  an  outrage- 
ous monstrosity,  hatched  more  than  a  thousand 
years  after  this  sacrament  was  instituted ;  and 
consubstantiation  is  (low^m-german  to  it 

With  regard  to  the  j^articular  mode  of 
Christ's  presence,  it  must  be  admitted  that 
some  Lutherans  in  their  endeavors  to  explain 
it,  have  adopted  phraseology  which  was  calcu- 
lated to  give  rise  to  the  opinion  that  they  be- 
lieved in  consubstantiation,  and  there  are  still 
a  few, — precious  few,  and  they  mostly  from 
Europe,  who  profess  to  believe  in  a  i^eculiar 
mode  of  the  divine  presence  in  the  Eucharist, 
which  is  said  to  be  equivalent  to  consubstanti- 
ation ;— a  presence  and  influence  of  the  glori- 
fied body  of  Christ,  which  is  not  only  deeply 
mysterious,  but  also  extraordinary,  unique  and 
supernatural,  and  of  which  they  themselves  can 
!  form  no  distinct  or  definite  idea.    But  as  these 


MODE    OF    TPIE    DIVINE    PRESENCE.       223 

form  exceptions  to  the  great  body  of  the  Lu- 
theran church,  and  it  is  certain,  from  the  mani- 
fest absurdity  of  the  doctrine,  that  their  number 
never  can  become  large  in  the  Lutheran  church, 
it  would  be  unfair  to  represent  their  view  as 
that  of  the  Lutherans  in  this  country.  The 
generally  received  opinion  is,  that  the  bread 
and  wine  remain  unchanged  in  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per; that  they  are  merely  symbolic  representa- 
tions of  the  Savior's  body,  but  that  there  is 
nevertheless  a  special  spiritual  blessing  bestow- 
ed on  all  worthy  communicants  by  which  their 
faith  and  Christian  graces  are  strengthened. 
This  is  the  view  which  Melancthon  and  those 
Lutheran  divines  seem  to  have  maintained  who 
were  termed  Sacramentarians.  With  the  few 
isolated  exceptions  mentioned  above,  this  is 
the  common  view  of  the  great  mass  of  Lu- 
therans in  the  United  States,  and  of  a  very 
lar^e  number  of  learned  Lutheran  divines  in 
Europe. 

It  may  however,  be  objected  that  the  lan- 
guage used  in  Article  XL  of  the  Augsburg 
Confession  is  too  strong  to  admit  of  this  inter- 
pretation; for  it  is  there  affirmed  "that  the 
body  and  blood  of  Christ  are  (vere  adsint)  ac- 
tually  present.''     But  it  must  be  remembered 


224<       MODE    OF    THE    DIVINE    PRESENCE. 

that  the  German  copy  of  the  Confession  teaches 
how  this  language  is  to  be  understood;  and 
that  version  expressly  declares,  that  the  body 
and  blood  are  present  "under  the  form  and 
emblems  of  bread  and  wine."  Consequently  it 
is  a  spiritual  presence  to  which  the  Confession 
alludes.  The  truth  of  this  remark  appears 
still  more  clearly  from  the  explanation  of  the 
Lutheran  reformers,  contained  in  the  Formula 
ConcordicB.^  They  there  distinctly  inform  us, 
that  it  is  a  spiritual  presence  which  they  main- 
tained: "By  that  word"  (spiritually,)  they 
say,  "we  exclude  those  Capernaitish  notions 
concerning  a  gross  and  carnal  presence,  which 
have  been  attributed  to  our  churches  by  the 
Sacramentarians,  in  defiance  of  all  our  public 
protestations  against  them.  And  when  we  use 
this  term  (spiritually)  we  wish  to  be  understood 
as  signifying  that  the  body  and  blood  are  re- 
ceived, and  eaten,  and  drank  spiritually  in  the 
Lord's  Supper.  For  although  the  participa- 
tion is  effected  by  the  mouth,  the  manner  in 
which  it  is  done  is  spiritual." 

If  it  be  further  objected  that  Lutherans  had 
no  right  thus  to  soften  and  explain  away  the 
strong  phraseology  of  the  Confession ;  I  reply 

*  Art.  VII.— No.  XXI.  p.  604. 


MODE    OF   THE    DIVINE    PRESENCE.      225 


that  they  certainly  had  a  right  to  define  the 
import  of  their  own  language  and  to  tell  what 
they  meant  by  it.  If  not,  then  whence  did 
Presbyterians  and  Episcopalians  derive  au- 
thority thus  to  interpret  the  equally  strong 
language  o^ their  great  teachers?  Calvin  says: 
"  In  the  imjstery  of  the  Supper,  by  the  emblems 
of  bread  and  wine,  Christ  is  really  exhibited 
to  us,  that  is,  his  hody^  in  which  he  yielded  full 
obedience,  in  order  to  work  out  a  righteousness 
for  us;  by  which  .in  the  first  place,  we  may,  as 
it  were  coalesce  into  one  body  with  him,  and 
secondly  being  made  partakers  of  the  substance 
of  himself,  also  be  strengthened  by  the  recep- 
tion of  every  blessing."*  As  regards  the 
Episcopal  church,  we  find  Cranmer,  one  of  her 
earliest  and  ablest  reformers,  using  the  follow- 
ing language:  "Christ  saith  of  the  bread,  'this 
is  my  body,'  and  of  the  cup  he  saith,  ^this  is 
my  blood.'  Wherefore  we  ought  to  believe 
that  in  the  sacrament  we  receive  tridy  the  body 
and  blood  of  Christ.  For  God  is  Almighty, 
he  is  able  therefore,  to  do  all  things  that  he 
will."t  Ridley  says:  "I  agree  that  the  sacra- 
ment is  the  very  true  and  natural  body  of 
Christy  even  that  which  was  born  of  the  Vir- 

*Vide  Institut.  Lib.  iv.  c.  xvii.  11.  f  Hook,  p.  96. 


226      MODE    OF    THE    DIVINE    PRESENCE. 


gin  Mary,  which  ascended  into  heaven,  which 
sitteth  on  the  right  hand  of  God,  the  Father, 
which  shall  come  from  thence  to  judge  the 
quick  and  the  dead,  only  I  differ  in  the  way 
and  manner  of  being,"  &c.*  Now,  it  is 
maintained  in  the  Presbyterian  and  Episcopal 
churches,  that  the  writers  meant  a  spiritual 
presence;  granted;  and  so  also  whatever  may 
have  been  the  views  of  the  early  reformers  on 
this  subject,  it  is  certain  that  in  the  present 
day  Lutheran  churches  hold  to  none  other  but 
a  spiritual  presence  of  Christ  in  the  holy 
supper. 

Accordingly,  they  reject  the  unphilosophical 
and  unscriptural  idea  of  the  presence  of  the 
glorified  body  of  Christ,  both  substantially  and 
infiuentially,  and  teach  that  the  influence  of 
the  ordinance  is  not  by  the  spiritual  presence 
of  a  material  body,  or  the  spiritual  eating  and 
drinking  of  a  material  body  and  blood;  (which 
language,  if  it  have  any  meaning  at  all,  involves 
a  gross  metaphysical  absurdity,)  but  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  through  the  symbolic  representa- 
tion of  divine  truth.  Yet  nevertheless,  that 
the  worthy  reception  of  this  ordinance  is  at- 

^     Hook's  Discourse,  p.  99. 


MODE    OF    THE    DIVINE    PRESENCE.      221 

tended  by  a  special  spiritual  blessing  from  the 
Savior,  may  be  inferred  from  the  following 
considerations : 

1 .  Because  of  the  peculiarly  impressive  man- 
ner in  which  the  solemn  truths  conveyed  by  it, 
are  presented  to  the  mind. 

2.  Because  the  promise  of  such  a  blessing 
seems  to  be  contained  in  the  strongly  figura- 
tive language  of  our  Lord,  by  which  he  repre- 
sents himself  as  the  spiritual  food  of  the  soul, 
and  also  in  the  declaration  of  Paul,  that  the 
cup  and  bread  are  the  communion,  or  commu- 
nication or  bestowment  of  the  body  and  blood 
of  Christ,  that  is,  of  the  blessings  purchased  by 
his  atoning  death. 

3.  Because  in  most  churches  and  especially 
in  the  Lutheran,  religious  exercises  of  various 
kinds  are  usually  combined  on  sacramental  oc- 
casions, and  continued  longer  than  at  other 
times. 


THE    END 


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