Hist7: Chpt 3: Ministry defended, Democratism overcome – spiritual priesthood, not ungodly lay rule

      This continues from Part 6 (Table of Contents in Part 3), a series presenting an English translation of Pastor Christian Hochstetter's 1885 496-page book entitled (abbreviated) The History of the Missouri Synod, 1838-1884. — This chapter covers the settling of the Lutheran emigration after Walther restored the Lutheran doctrine of the Church, but in this installment, he had to defend the Ministry from a different attack. The reader would benefit, as I did, from a re-reading of Franz Pieper's segment on Walther's Doctrine of the Office of the Public Ministry, from the series "Dr. C.F.W. Walther as Theologian" here, or in the printed book. I also benefited from a study of the error of "Donatism" which is in its essence the same as "Democratism". — 

Some quotes from Chapter 3: all emphases, except underlining, are mine:

● 52: "The desire to take their children away from the unbelieving school teachers,… they wanted to snatch… the souls of their children and descendants away from godless philosophy."

● 53: Walther on the 1st log cabin seminary: "Our poverty was so great at that time that even such a small log cabin stood before our eyes like a miracle, for which we could only thank God with tears of joy. … a hierarchical central government over the church, which the lawyers among the former followers of Stephan had cherished, was thoroughly dashed!"

● 54: "Even parents who did not belong to the "Saxon congregation", as it was now called, had to purchase Luther's Small Catechism for their children"

● 55: "young America, whose arrogant, unbridled spirit is not dampened even by the makeshift Sunday school."

● 57: "In 1849 the pernicious epidemic of cholera claimed many victims in Perry County."

● 61: "In 1850 he [Walther] was elected professor of Concordia Seminary..… some had gone from hierarchical Stephanism to the opposite extreme, namely Donatism and Democratism, who declared that Pastor Walther's adherence to the divine rights and powers of the holy ministry was a continuation of the Stephanist system and who tried to persuade the congregation to remove him as a second Stephan."

● 62: Walther to Dr. Vehse: “I have freed you from the fetters of the hierarchy, and therefore I am the less inclined to expect of you, that you will again put your pastors in fetters!”

● 68: "Walther also warns against such a degeneration of the Gospel, which makes it mostly an instruction and teaching;… many more people are lost today because the Gospel is not preached to them without restraint than because they hear the Law too seldom."

● 72: Walther's "desire for the freedom to be allowed to serve God the Lord according to His Word became ever greater. And this justified desire, not a rapturous attachment to Stephan, led Ferdinand Walther to decide to set off for America with the other brethren in the faith in October 1838.… [Walther] refused to swear that blasphemous oath of allegiance to Bishop Stephan."

● 76: "Evangelicals and Methodists, like the high priests in Jerusalem…"

● 77: "We consider false teachers who bear the Lutheran name as little for our fellow believers as we do for the worst blasphemer of the Lutheran name"

● 79: "We are not only going back two centuries, but even more so 3-1/2 centuries, to the time of the Reformation."

● 80: "As Dr. Walther teaches in a Reformation sermon, the Lutheran Church is both: the true Bible Church and the Church of grace, Christianity itself the religion of grace"

● 81: "Neither he [Walther] nor his co-workers were concerned with pleasing North American democracy."

● 84: On Luther and Walther: "The harshness he uses against the enemies of pure doctrine in the Scriptures was not of a quarrelsome and malicious mind, but of a great seriousness and zeal for the truth."

● 85: "Walther is as orthodox as Johann Gerhard, but also as fervent as a Pietist, as correct in form, as a university or court preacher, and yet as popular as Luther himself."

● 89: "Walther is a faithful son of the German Reformation; having emerged from the Saxon Lutheran Church, he separates in Lutheranism the genuine continuation and resurrection of pure apostolic original Christianity."

● 90: Walther "recognizes in theology not a science, for which the innovators consider it to be, but a spiritual skill (habitus)."

Images of some men appearing in Chapter 3:

       Th. Brohm      —      Loeber     —     G.H. Schubert     —     Dr. Vehse    —   O.H. Walther    —   Franz Delitzsch

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The following is an English translation of C. Hochstetter's Geschichte… by BackToLuther utilizing the DeepL Translator with minor assistance from Dr. Fred Kramer's translation.  All hyperlinks, highlighting and red text in square brackets [] are mine. All internal hyperlinks are active in this embedded window, external links should be opened in a new tab or window.

In the next Part 8, Chapter 4. —

      A comparison of the two errors that Walther fought against, Stephan's hierarchy and the Donatism/Democratism of Dr. Vehse and others, shows a more conciliatory stance over against Dr. Vehse than with Bishop Stephan. Walther was truly a champion for the rights of the congregation and would never allow these to be jeopardized.  He would never fight against "Democratism" by Romanizing. He fought it by using Luther, the Confessions, and Lutheran Orthodoxy. — Although the threat of Donatism and Democratism was very real in this installment, it becomes apparent in Hochstetter's History that the more frequent and pernicious error that Walther had to fight against, throughout his lifetime, was… Romanizing hierarchical tendencies – Stephan first, and later with Grabau and Loehe. — After the break below, a small print, in-line (not embedded), version of Chapter 3 is given, not for the general reader but for search engine searchability. — In the next Part 8, Chapter 4. —

Walther's Duty to Attend Congregation Meeting (Rast - Part 1)

To continue a string of Walther publications (see here "Join" and here "Sheep"), I am publishing the following address that was originally translated into English and published in the periodical Lutheran Witness in 1892.  This was then (according to WorldCat) also published in a tract format, "Tract No. 7".  The name of the publisher is listed as "American Lutheran Publicity Board", an organization that may have been a forerunner of today's American Lutheran Publicity Bureau — an organization that has long since left whatever Lutheran heritage it may have had.

But the love for this Walther address has not died!  The publishing arm of today's LCR, Anchor Publications, continues to offer this tract for sale today with minor editing by American and Australian pastors.

I have not yet determined where and when Walther delivered this address.  Towards the end, he speaks like he is talking to some members who went through the chastening experience with Pastor Martin Stephan who was deposed in 1839.  I suppose someone at Concordia Historical Institute could figure this out...

Highlighting is mine. Italicized and CAPS body text are in original translation from the Lutheran Witness.  Hyperlinks added to original pages and Bible references.

Some quotes that struck me from Walther's address:

• A simple, plain, testimony is often more powerful than a very eloquent and ingenious explanation.
• It is, of course, self-evident that women and children were excluded...  [We see here how far today's LC-MS has left Biblical teaching...]
• Why are many congregations in the eastern section of the United States no longer free?...  The cause, indeed, is to be attributed to the fact that contempt and laziness voluntarily sold and squandered this precious possession [the "grand possession of church liberty"].

The last quote particularly struck me since so many erring Lutheran pastors and teachers have come from the "eastern section of the United States" – Prof. David P. Scaer, Pastor Berthold von Schenk, Pastor David Benke, Pastor Herman Otten,...  The lone exception I have seen so far is Pastor Jack Cascione who says he came from New York City.  I believe Walther knew of some trusted pastors in the East in his day...

And finally this extended quote:

Where then could the highest Church-tribunal be found, before which the innocent might find redress and the guilty might receive a punishment, "which was inflicted of many" (2 Corinthians 2:6)? Where would that Church be, which, according to Holy Scripture, is, in the first place, to try a sinner and then if he remain stiff-necked, excommunicate him, regard him as a heathen man and a publican, thus cutting off an evil member lest the whole body become evil?  If the pastor began to lead astray souls by false doctrine, where would the Church be found, which, in that event, would have to decide upon a most essential matter, whether the Gospel of Christ be taught aright or be corrupted and adulterated?  Furthermore if the pastor, teaching the pure doctrine, were accused of being a false prophet, a heretic, and he appealed to the entire flock, where could he find it? There can, therefore, be no doubt that our congregation will collapse sooner or later, confusion will reign supreme, most necessary matters will remain unattended to, the entire flock will become a disorderly and unorganized body which has entirely lost the true form of an apostolic congregation.

Does your congregation resemble Walther's description of a failing congregation where members do not attend to congregational matters... a collapsing flock where confusion reigns supreme,  where necessary matters are unattended, disorderly, unorganized?  Walther's admonishments to members show just how vital the congregation is...

So what is the highest Church-tribunal as Walther (and the Bible) teaches?

==>> The congregation that cherishes its freedom in Christ, its Church Liberty: an "apostolic congregation".

So why does Dr. Lawrence Rast Jr., the great authority in the LC-MS on this subject and President of CTS-FW, in his essay "Demagoguery or Democracy..." (CTQ Oct 1999)  say (page 268) that instead of "an apostolic congregation", the 

"... the polity developed by the Missouri Synod was uniquely American"??

Why "American" and not "apostolic"?  Dr. Rast seems confused... "American" polity does not say the same as Walther teaches on an  "Apostolic congregation".  Hmmm... Dr. Rast is confused... at best.

I will have more to say on Prof. Lawrence Rast Jr. in Part 2a.
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Table of Contents - Writings of Prof. Lawrence Rast

Part 1 – This post - "Demagoguery or Democracy?" – "American" congregations vs. apostolic?    
Part 2a – "Collecting Autographs"  – Scripture  
Part 2b – "Collecting Autographs" – Engelder & Kretzmann
Part 3a – "Pieper–Connecting Link" (P–CL) – Intro
Part 3b – "P–CL" – Bio & Literary Legacy
    Intro –  "Luther's Doctrine of Inspiration" by Francis Pieper
    Essay – "Luther's Doctrine of Inspiration" by Francis Pieper
Part 3c – "P–CL" – Sola Scriptura     
Part 3d – "P–CL" – Final Word, Sola Scriptura
Part 3e – "P–CL" – Sola Gratia (Scaer & Christology)
Part 3f – "P–CL" – Scaer & Christology - "fly in the ointment"
Part 3g – "P–CL" – Church Fellowship
Part 3h – "P–CL" – Conclusion- "a certain extent"
Part 4a – "Justification in American Lutheranism" (JiAM)- Muhlenberg, Schmucker, Scaer, Frampton
Part 4b – "JiAM" – Walther intro, "staunchly confessional"
Part 4c – "JiAM" –  Teachers have lost it;  heart of Walther vs. Rast
Part 4d – "JiAM" – Teachers, Philosophy, Fascinating
Part 4e – "JiAM" – "Evangelicals?" or Enthusiasts; "miserable fear of man"
Part 4f – "JiAM" – "No Pietists Allowed"?; "properly trained clergy"
Part 4g – "JiAM" – "Conclusion", catechization, catholicity, "starting point"
Part 5a – Summary: Demagoguery?; "merely advisory"?
Part 5b – Summary: Ironies
Part 5c – Summary: comparison to other LC-MS church historians

The Ku Klux Klan – Pieper (and PBS), Part 1

In 1922, Franz Pieper reported on the Ku Klux Klan in the November/December issue of Lehre und Wehre, vol. 68, pages 346-347:

The Ku Klux Klan in the north of our country.  The original home of this secret society is the south.  They are also now entering the north.  From Milwaukee it is reported:

"The first public appearance in Milwaukee of the Ku Klux Klan, called the 'Invisible Empire', was held on Thursday evening in the auditorium.  The assembly received a special complexion by the address which national organizer C. Lewis held before an audience of about 700 people."

I suspect that Pieper (or the newspaper) made an error on the name of this "national organizer" since a google/wikepedia search shows no "C. Lewis" but rather "Charles Lewis Fowler" who shows up here ,  here , and here.  He was a sect (Baptist) preacher.  Pieper continues:

The main speaker gave as a purpose of this secret society to disclose the deception which the Roman priesthood plays on our country.  The order honors Negroes and Jews as a race.  But the Negro should not be allowed social and [page 347] political equal rights because the white race (the white race where it was Anglo-Saxon) deserved world domination.  So that Anglo-Saxons remain the rulers in this country, immigration must be better controlled.  The Order in this respect is against the Jews when they do not want to acquire things by their own work, but rather acquire things through others by finance operations.  The Klan is consistent with what Ford [Henry Ford] has against the International Jew.  The speaker successfully defended the secret nature of the Order with the argument that 'What is allowed for others should not be prohibited to us.'  He pointed out that

"among the ten million Negroes of the country are found 51 secret societies, and that the B'nai B'rith was one of the most important Jewish organizations, and the Catholic organizations would not be behind them." 

Concerning the spread of the Ku Klux Klan, the following information was provided:

"Who are the members of the Ku Klux Klan?  Many of them are members of Congress, governors of 19 states have joined them, and judges in various courts in the hundreds, ministers, lawyers, bankers, business men, yes, the most prominent banker in Chicago is a member and leader of the 50,000-strong force.  The total number of members is four million.  The field is not limited to a group of states, but to the whole Anglo-Saxon race."

The Ku Klux Klan wants to spread "democracy", but in such a way that the Anglo-Saxon race controls this country and the remaining world.  That's exactly the "democratic" spirit of the people who wanted the great war [World War I] to make the world safe for democracy and the people to gain self-determination.  The Apology of the Augsburg Confession is right when it says:

"The power of lustful desire is such that people more often obey evil inclinations than sound judgment (natural reason).  The devil, who is powerful in the godless, does not cease to stir up this weak nature to various offenses, as Paul says in Ephesians 2:2.  For these reasons even public righteousness is rare among people. (Mueller, pg 218, parag. 71) [Of Free Will, Apology to Augsburg Confession, Article XVIII, paragraph 71: Triglotta, pg 334-335, McCain's edition Concordia, pg 198]

F.P.

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Some comments on Pieper's article:

• He passed over commenting on the Roman priesthood and the Jewish B'nai B'rith since he comments  on these subjects on many other occasions.  But although Pieper also wrote against them, yet Lutherans (and all true Protestants, Christians) have no alliance with the Ku Klux Klan.
• Pieper pointed out the similarity between Henry Ford's position of Ango-Saxon supremacy and the KKK.
• The use of "democracy" by ideologues, i.e. "make the world safe for democracy", is the same spirit that the Ku Klux Klan used – and was the spirit that spearheaded World War I.
• Pieper's main comment on this article is against those who would hold themselves higher than others, especially by the "Anglo-Saxon" race... and thus proved he was the true Christian commenter of our modern world... of the Twentieth Century.

Pieper's comment about the use of "democracy" is a real eye opener for those who want to understand history, both American history and World history.

In the same year 1922, Pieper had another brief article that included further comments on these American societies.  I will present it in the next Part 2.  (The PBS angle will come in Part 3).