CONGREGATION AND THE STATE The Essay of the 8th Convention of the Western District of the LCMS Held in 1862 by CFW Walther From: "The Walther Commemorative Issue" Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly Vol. 60, (1987) no. 2: 0010-5260. Translated by Reverend Robert E. Smith INTRODUCTION In 1862 the Western District of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States met for its eighth regular convention. As a past president of Synod and then president of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, CFW Walther was often called on to deliver a theological convention essay for his home district. Most of these received little more notice than to set the tone for the current convention. Other essays figured prominently in the life of American Lutheranism. One such essay played a role in the Election Controversy of the last quarter of the 19th century.[1] The essay translated here had no such effect. Yet the topic of the essay and the year in which it was delivered makes it interesting in its own right. The issue of church/state relations had a bearing on the everyday life of the congregations of the Missouri Synod at that time. For most, the draft of pastors for the Union war effort was the greatest threat. Walther advised pastors to avoid the draft where legally possible but to yield if their government insisted.[2] The issues surrounding the Civil War had divided many church bodies, including a few Lutheran groups. Despite the fact that most of the congregations of Synod were located in the North, considerable sympathies for the position of the Confederate States existed among the leaders, including Walther. Thus an essay on the subject would arouse considerable interest at that time. The District convention occurred while the United States was fighting the beginnings of the Civil War. The first battles had been fought, resulting in Union losses and retreats in most eastern areas. However, the Union was able to secure the border states of Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware by the end of 1861. In early 1862, the Union captured key Mississippi river forts in Tennessee and a ridge in Arkansas, which effectively closed the river to southern traffic north of Arkansas. In the East, the Union was preparing to invade the South a second time. Thus the war was at a relative standstill when the Western District met in May of 1862.[3] The relative peace and security of St. Louis at that time and the low level of intensity in the war seem to have contributed to the claim of Walther's essay. He addressed the subject of the separation of church and state with great confidence, even to the point of boasting about American religious freedom. This seems a bit odd unless the calm of this first year of the war is taken into account. Thus Walther turned his mind to the work of strengthening the church at the time, particularly against the attacks and worries of Lutherans in Germany. The particular issue raised in this essay is the question whether or not government should establish and protect orthodox Christian churches. This issue probably held more than a passing interest for Walther. He left his home in Saxony because the state persecuted the orthodox faith of the group of Christians with which he was associated. After Walther and his fellow emigrants were settled in Missouri, Martin Stephan, the leader whom they had given complete spiritual and secular authority, proved untrustworthy. Later on, the leaders of the Saxon-American Lutheran church, including Walther, were to engage in a dispute with JAA Grabau of the Buffalo Synod over the issue of the power of the pastoral office. This debate included some elements of the issue of strict separation of church and state. Thus through personal experience Walther learned to mistrust the power of church and state functions mixed together. The reason for the essay may then be seen as in attempt to address from Scripture and the Confessions an issue dear to Walther, occasioned by the concern of those advocating state control of the church. TRANSLATION Reverend Sirs, beloved in Christ Jesus, brothers in the faith and in the pastoral office: As everyone knows, nothing could have aroused greater apprehension for the American Lutheran church in our friends in Germany than our situation. They see the Lutheran church of America standing completely without the motherly, love-filled care of the states and without the secular arm's powerful support. We seem completely abandoned and surrendered by the state to all the onslaughts of the unbelievers. Our church seems to them like a tree on rocky soil, whose roots struggle vainly to grow deep into the soil in order to withstand storms. She seems to them like a garden without a fence and an orphaned child without a guardian. They have no hope for her future and prophesy a short existence for her, because not even the states will guarantee her existence. What should we say to this concern? What can we say to it? How should we answer such misgivings? By no means will we deny that the secular authorities have God's command and commission to protect and shelter the church, granting her their timely provision and care. The Lord God clearly promised this to the New Testament church through the prophet Isaiah (49:20)[4] with the words: "The kings will be your guardians, and their queens your nursemaids." Also, the Holy Ghost spoke thus in Psalm 2: "Now be wise, you kings, and be chastened, you judges on earth; kiss the son, so that he may not be angry, etc."[5] What else can this mean than that secular lords must discard their hostile defiance of Christ and no longer fight against His kingdom vainly, but accept the Gospel instead? They should authorize the teaching of Christ's doctrine in the lands under their jurisdiction and influence, and promote, protect, and support the Christian church to the best of their ability and power. Therefore, the _Smalcald Articles_ states the following in complete agreement with the Psalms' godly words: The kings and princes, as leading members of the church, must assist the church and see to it that all kinds of error are removed and consciences are correctly instructed. God expressly exhorts kings and princes to such an office in Psalm 2 "You kings, be wise, and you Judges on earth, be chastised." For the foremost concern of kings should be the advancement of God's glory. Certainly it would be shameful if they tried to use their might and authority to commit horrible idolatries and other countless vices and to allow the deplorable murder of devout Christians.[6] Truly, we should consider fortunate a country which is blessed by God with such rulers and such government. Just as in the past the arms of Pharaoh's daughter[7] first accepted the tender, forsaken child Moses, whom she found floating among the reeds, and then delivered him to the best wetnurse, the child's own mother, so a Christian government reaches out its heart with compassion toward its subjects, regarding them as poor, spiritually forsaken orphans by nature, and mothers them from then on. The Christian ruler appoints men to the office of preaching before doing anything else, and provides for the little child by offering the pure, clear milk of the Gospel from the breasts of God's Word. In this respect, the famous example of the princely confessors of the Reformation era shines with everlasting brilliance. The dear church enjoyed great blessings and wonderful benefits from Christian government then! Schools and universities were established and were amply furnished through the generosity of merciful princes. They were supplied with excellent teachers, so that they soon managed to blossom to a level almost unprecedented. The pure teaching of godly words went unhindered in its efforts, while false spirits and tempters could not easily come forward and spread their poison in the hearts of the crowd due to the risk. So as it were, the Christian government cleared ground and soil for the tree of the church[8] at great expense, so that the sapling could take root. The princes provided for it, so that the dew and rain of heaven and the warming sunshine of God's grace could make it spring forth and spread out bearing fruit as soon as the unhindered, life-giving breath of spiritual winds from above blew over it. Do we gain anything by denying this? The flood of pure, sanctifying truth flowed down from that time into our time. It was mainly through the service of those God-blessed princes, whom the Lord used as instruments, that we have that truth. Under their protection the church of the pure confession became firmly rooted and was allowed to grow. Looking back at that blessed time and the sound relationship of the external church to the government, which exists in the old fatherland and which came from that time, we must admit to ourselves freely that our American Lutheran church appears to be, so to speak, a forsaken child, floating in the reeds. True, she benefits from the good will of the state-- and for that God is to be praised. She has refuge in civil things; but the government is concerned neither about her spiritual existence nor about her future. No effort is expended to assign to the little child the proper wetnurse. Pure doctrines and false doctrines, true prophets and false prophets, shepherds and wolves, all benefit completely from the same tolerance, the same protection, and the same rights. The only thing that matters in winning influence is which false apostle is the most cunning, is the most agile, and possess the most talent. In this way they take possession of the wide land for themselves. There is nothing there to defend against these false teachers except the weak voice of the pure teacher and messenger, who despises the world and permeates the land in small numbers with the word of peace. No wonder that under such circumstances of evil, wickedness, burdens, sacrilege, and blasphemy take the upper hand everywhere and while no protecting dam from secular government stands in the way, the land is flooded far and wide. The declining great multitude can indulge their unbelief here without any civil disadvantage and exist from day to day without any religion--a condition more wicked than that of the heathen. The state does not ask whether a father brings his child to baptism or not, nor whether he raises him as a Christian or not. There is no compulsion anywhere in governmental relations to force people to seek the external organization of the church. The Christian congregation endures this situation without the government. The church must voluntarily gather itself around God's Word and the holy sacraments. Thus the completely natural result of the particular condition and the specific character of our German people is that, on the average, our congregations are relatively small and weak in number of members. With these few lie the responsibilities of establishing the holy preaching office, supporting that office, calling true shepherds, and constructing churches and schools. How painful it is that there is often only a small group of Christians! Do God's people finally succeed in building a little church, and in establishing a Christian church body with God's help, only where the government guarantees the church's existence? Is it rare in a church, constructed with hard work, for the true children of God to fall again into the power of the enthusiasts, erring spirits, and sects, snatched away through the superior strength of the malevolent one? Oh, what should we say? We look towards Germany, we think about the blossoming high schools of the old fatherland, about the abundance of available teachers there, about the multitude of young men studying theology, about the honorable witnesses from the good old days living there, about the church structure, which God has blessed with pious grandchildren, which is overtaken, nevertheless still comes to good, about the universal continuity and stability of the church body in the state church system, where secular and ecclesiastical rulers repel all waves of malevolent opposition from the side of the powerless masses by their authority. When we see these things, we can keenly feel how poor we really are. And yet, my brothers, we must beware of a one-sided method of consideration which is for this reason false. We may neither despise nor wrongly know what God has given us here, especially that which is from matchless grace. You can say what you want. State and church are two completely different kingdoms at the same time. One kingdom is spiritual, the other secular. One works by the sword and authority, the other by keeping and ruling through God's Word alone without sword and authority. Every agreement between the two is unnatural and can only result in the damage of the church. Indeed, princes should freely choose to be guardians of the church, and their princesses wetnurses of the church. However, they should in no way take the governance of the church into their hands in order to transplant secular force into the church and bring it to bear in the same. Yes, they are not princes and princesses in the church, but, as the _Smalcald Articles_ rightly say, distinguished members of the church.[9] This means that they are influential members from whom the church militant can obtain one of many advantages, and who should do all they can to build the kingdom of God in their domain, like the father of a household in his own family. They belong to the audience and as Christians do not have an honored place above the common Christian, the least person, nor the lowest authority. What else should a secular authority be in the church? Faith and Christianity always are superior to and remain above all force. No human power is able to change the heart of a person. Luther states in _Church Sermons_: Even if you were to take all swords into your hands, you could not bring one heretic to faith. That is why God has taken away the sword in this matter. He wants to command the heart. He appoints his bishops to take the heart captive right now. Thus it is won already. Normally it doesn't come to pass with commands, excommunications, and bulls.[10] One must neither misunderstand this passage nor the former passage on the position of rulers from the _Smalcald Articles_ as do monarchists and papists. Christian government does not have a secure, inherited, privilege to interfere in the administration of the church by force. Luther opposes such a misunderstanding, when he writes: Again you say, "Certainly secular government does not compel one to believe, but only prevents one from leading the people astray with false doctrine. Otherwise, how can we oppose the heretics?" My answer is this: The bishops are supposed to do this. Such office is entrusted to the bishops and not to the princes. One cannot oppose the heretics with force. Another strategy is needed. This is another type of battle and dispute than those dealt with by the sword. Heresy is a spiritual thing, that one cannot cut down with the blade, burn up with fire, nor drown with water. God's word alone is effective here. As Paul said in 2 Cor. 11[11]: "Our weapons are not fleshly, but mighty before God," and so on.[12] The following argument adds support to my point. No matter how much one esteems the piety of a prince who proves himself to be a guardian and a patron of the church by sincere love and care, the danger is always near that he will exceed the proper limit established by God and introduce secular power into the church to unspeakable harm of the souls. Indeed, has there ever been a Christian ruler here on earth who never strayed from this narrow path under any circumstance? Was there once in the time of Constantine the Great, when the state entered into an alliance with the church for the first time? At that time the state dressed itself up with the designation "Christian," but the church was reduced to a form of state institution. Did it happen under Constantine's successors, when often the influence of the palace, yes, even the influence of ill-tempered women, was visible in an extremely disgraceful manner during religious controversies and during the defining of the orthodox faith? Yes, It even happened in Luther's time in all times, circumstances, and places! It was difficult even for the Reformer to keep the secular power of the state within its limits at all times. In this quote he describes this for us in brilliant colors and moving words.: I must always pound in, squeeze in, drive in, and wedge in the difference between these two kingdoms, even if I have written and said it so often that it has almost become boring. I must do this because the accursed devil does not stop cooking and brewing these two kingdoms into each other. The secular lords always want to teach and master Christ in the devil's name, telling Him how He should rule His church and spiritual government. The false priests and sectarian spirits always want to teach and to master without God's name, telling everyone how the secular rule should be organized. Thus the devil is very busy on both sides and has plenty of work to do. May God hinder them, Amen, if we deserve it.[13] See! In spite of all the trouble Luther went through to keep them separate, in spite of all his warnings and instruction, the influence of the state on churchly affairs still could not be prevented in the end. An alliance between state and church was concluded. Thousands of souls groan under the burden of this alliance. Yes, even if you wanted to balance or could balance both sides, counting up the costs and benefits which the state's reign as archbishop of the church has brought in the past and still brings today, even if you did not fail to identify both the good things and the benefits which God as brought about under this arrangement, there would still appear an alarming load of misery and woe in the church of God which was thus subjugated. Indeed, we have good reason to be pleased with our freedom. What has happened to us is sweet. The church in America isn't lucky enough to benefit from an alliance with the states. On the other hand, she also escapes the peril of losing her freedom through an ungodly relationship with the same states. If her secular government is a guardian and a wet- nurse of the church, at least to some extent, if she benefits from temporal peace at all times under the protection of the state through God's grace, what more does she want? Can she desire anything better from the states? She is not a kingdom of this world[14] and has nothing at all in common with such kingdoms. "Look! I send you out as sheep in the midst of the wolves."[15] This is the prediction which the Lord Jesus Christ gave His disciples and those who had faith in Him concerning their conduct in this life. "The gates of hell must not overcome my church."[16] This passage is the anchor of hope, which God holds out through storms on the sea of the temporal life. Therefore, let Satan's lie sound forth from the mouth of false prophets in spite of the pure, undefiled word of the true witnesses! Let the fads come and go! Let the weeds of heresy proliferate and spread far and wide, without a secular lord to hinder them! Should we dread, should we be afraid of this, when Jesus says: "Let the two grow with each other until the harvest?"[17] He has sustained His church through the storms, blood streams, and painful suffering of persecution for 300 years without an alliance with the state. He bestowed victory and triumph to the faith at that time to the surprise of all centuries and can do the same for all times and all places if he wants to. The Lord has built his church on his everlasting word, and not on state power, but against all state authority and hellish power. She will stand firm and remain unfallen on that word.[18] We laud and praise God for good reason. Through His wondrous goodness He has planted His beloved church with pure Word and Sacrament in this our new fatherland. To this day, He has safeguarded her full freedom under the protection of the secular government. With this freedom, she may develop, build, and increase everywhere by confessing pure doctrine. As if they were summoned by a trumpet fanfare, the elect and those who hear their voices assemble and rule themselves according to the instinct and custom of the apostolic church. They are able to order their own affairs according to God's Word and by their own authority, without being forced to make mistakes by secular instructions. Yes, my brothers, we laud and praise God for yet another reason. We are not alone. A multitude of others are comforted by the pure undefiled milk of the Gospel supplied by our Lutheran Confessions. This situation did not exist anywhere at the time of the Reformation. Many enjoy the freedom to establish this doctrine in life, to found true, evangelical and apostolic churches, and to rule themselves after the norm of God's Word. We perceive this with praise and thanksgiving for the manifest, rare, wonderful, and completely unmerited grace of our God. Thus the Lord God has given us the opportunity and the possibility to establish a proper, evangelical relationship with the state without having to split an established church body and cause harmful confusion thereby. Thus God wants us to bestow grace by contemporary synod conventions, to promote the doctrine as we have done in earlier deliberation, to ponder the universal blessing given to us and to our churches at this time, so that pure doctrine might now also regulate our churchly practice and penetrate more and more all our church relations, so that the doctrine and practice might be conducted among us in ever greater unity of action. This the Lord Jesus Christ, the Chief Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, bestows to us as He wills and according to His grace and truth. Amen. ______________________________________________________________ NOTES: [1] Carl S. Meyer, ed., _Moving Frontiers: Readings in the History of the Lutheran Church-- Missouri Synod_ (St Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1964), pp. 267-268. [2] Carl S. Meyer, tr., _Letters of CFW Walther: A Selection._ (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1969), pp. 102-104. [3] Leon F. Litwack, "Civil War, American," _Funck & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia_, 1983), pp. 332-334. [4] In modern English versification, 49:23. [5] Verses 10, 12. [6] "Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope," Tappert, p. 329, para. 54: _Triglotta_, pp. 518-519, para. 54. [7] Exodus 2:1-10. [8] Walther seems to be using the imagery of Jer. 17:8; Hosea 14:5-7; etc. [9] Walther refers to the same confessional passage as quoted above. [10] From _Kirchenpostille_, the sermon entitled "Am Pfingsttage (Zweite Predigt)," written in 1522-23 on the text John 14:23-31. An English translation of the passage appears in _What Luther Says_ (henceforth WLS), Vol. 2, p. 644. The full text of the sermon appears in the Walch-St. Louis Edition of _Luther's Works_ (henceforth "St.L."), Vol 11, cols. 1033-1043, the passage at Col. 1034, para. 2, and in the Weimar Edition (henceforth "W"), vol. 10 III, p. 156. [11] verses 4-5 [12] From _Temporal Authority: To What Extent It Should Be Obeyed_, written in 1523. An English translation of the work is located in the American Edition of _Luther's Works_ (henceforth AM), Vol. 45, pp. 374-417. The quotation itself is translated at pp. 414ff. Another translation of the passage is located in WLS, vol. 2, p. 636. The German text is located in St.L. 10, para. 374-417 and in W 11, p. 268. [13] From _Psalm 101_, written in 1534. An English translation of the work is found in Am 13, pp. 146-224. The quote is at pp. 194- 195. The German text is located at St.L. 5, para. 801-887. [14] Walther is alluding to John 18:36. [15] Matt. 10:16. [16] Matt. 16:18. [17] Matt. 13:30. [18] Walther alludes to Matt. 16:18 once more. ______________________________________________________________________ This text was c1987. The Reverend Robert E. Smith, translator. Converted to ascii format for Project Wittenberg by Cindy A. Beesley. You may freely distribute for non-commercial purposes. All rights reserved. Please direct any comments or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther Library at Concordia Theological Seminary. E-mail: bob_smith@ctsfw.edu Surface Mail: 6600 N. Clinton St., Ft. Wayne, IN 46825 USA Phone: (219) 452-2148 Fax: (219) 452-2126 _______________________________________________________________________