Walther confirms when one should leave a church body

      At the risk of over stating the case, I want to publish another comment by Walther that clearly states, in no uncertain terms, when a person should leave a church body. In the January 1, 1876 issue of Der Lutheraner, (p. 6), Walther comments on a German journalist's writing that says, after praising the confessionalism of the separated Lutheran Free Church in Germany:

Of course, no conscientious Lutheran will hastily and of his own choice exchange the State Church for the Free Church. We do not leave voluntarily, we only allow ourselves to be expelled and forced out, following our Luther, whom the Catholic Church expelled, banned, and put under guard.

To this Walther made the following correction:

The dear writer does not consider, however, that a Lutheran Christian is not only forced out "with ban and outlawry," but that this can also happen when one, by remaining in a church fellowship, makes oneself "partaker of other men's sins," [1 Tim. 5:22] that is, must leave for the sake of conscience. W. [Walther]

So Walther's counsel (and Luther's) on when to leave a church body is dictated by the Word of God.  While Luther was banned from the Roman Church, yet he counseled others to only leave that church if they could clearly see "according to the divine Word." When one does see by the Word, then one must follow that Word, 1 Tim. 5:22:

“…neither be partaker of other men's sins.”