 |
| The WELS Conference of Pussycats went looking for false doctrine, and found it - in justification by faith. |
The Scriptures
Justification by faith is taught by the Holy Spirit, throughout the Scriptures. That is the Chief Article of the Christian Faith.
The Lutheran Reformation
Luther, Melanchthon, Andreae, Chytraeus, and Leyser contributed in various ways to the Book of Concord, 1580. All taught justification by faith. On this distinguished list, no one taught or even implied any version, flavor, or nuance of Universal Objective Justification.
Samuel Huber's UOJ
Samuel Huber, a former Calvinist, promoted the first version of Universal Objective Justification, shortly after the completion of the Book of Concord. He was serving on the faculty of Wittenberg University. Polycarp Leyser and A. Hunnius defeated the efforts of Huber, who became a wandering exile from Lutheranism.
Huber's UOJ sounds exactly like WELS UOJ today. And that is really no different from the eructations of Eduard Preuss, the St. Louis professor who turned Roman Catholic apologist - everyone is already forgiven. When Christ died on the cross or (alternately) rose from the grave, God said, "OK, every single Hindu, atheist, cannibal, and polytheist is forgiven and saved." No one ever recorded that statement in the Scriptures, but the UOJ Stormtroopers tell me that universal absolution is the whole point of the Bible and the Reformation.
 |
| Pietism influenced Calov, but not enough to make him spew UOJ. |
 |
| Robert Preus admired Quenstedt's detail and precision in theology. |
Lutheran Orthodoxy Fading
If the Lutheran Reformation, Luther and Melanchthon, are all neglected today, the next generations of Lutheran scholars are treated with even greater indifference. The list in Robert Preus' two-volume work is filled with names that mean nothing to most of us. Preus was the last in a line of Americans who really knew those writings - Lenski and Hoenecke being among them.
The age of Lutheran Orthodoxy became mixed with Pietism, so the list in Robert Preus' work is not one of scholars totally devoted to Luther and the Book of Concord. He stated that Calov was influenced by Pietism. I imagine Sebastian Schmidt was a Pietist, because Schmidt seemed to produce a lot of UOJ material that Preus quoted in his earlier days.
Pietism as the Great Filter
All of the America Lutheran church bodies came over from Pietism, and they were established in Pietism.
Muhlenberg was a Pietist from Halle University. He established the ULCA branch of the LCA/ELCA.
Bishop Stephan was a Pietist who studied at Halle. He taught his version of justification to CFW Walther, and Walther never changed.
Loehe was a Pietist who founded the Ft. Wayne seminary and the LCMS. His men invited the Stephan cult to join them. Loehe was flushed down the memory hole by Walther, but he was a positive influence on the LCMS in many ways.
The Walther ministers were trained in rationalism and associated themselves with two Pietist leaders, the second one being Stephan. Absolute obedience to the guru was demanded and enforced.
The Swedish and Norwegian Lutherans who came over in the 19th century were also Pietists, which means the entire history of American Lutheran church bodies was one of dominant Pietism.
Adolph Hoenecke, the WELS dogmatics professor and author, graduated from Halle
Halle was the center of Pietism, so Halle and Spener were sacred cows.
UOJ and Pietism
Rambach is a convenient historical marker for Pietism, Halle, and UOJ. The first baptism hymn in The Lutheran Hymnal was written by Rambach.
Knapp is the direct connection between the Synodical Conference (WELS, LCMS, ELS) and UOJ. The Halle professor taught there forever, and his published lectures pre-date the voyage of Stephan's sex cult to Perryville, Missouri.
Knapp was so dominant in the 19th century that his dogmatics book (in English) was used in all the mainline seminaries in America. The English translation used the language of two justifications, so fondly used by all the Waltherians today.
UOJ and Mainline Universalism
Hoenecke's mentor at Halle, Tholuck, was a self-proclaimed Universalist.
UOJ became the dogma of all mainline Protestant bodies, so the Synodical Conference (for all its posturing) simply blended with the liberal unionistic bodies it was so keen to criticize.
That is why the SynCons are so comfortable with ELCA unionism today - they all teach the same dogma of universal absolution - in the name of pure grace.
Did Justification by Faith Survive in the Synodical Conference?
Walther ruled over his sect, following the example of Bishop Stephan. He picked the subservient F. Pieper to parrot his teaching, which he cloned from Stephan. Nevertheless, it was a Germanic group, so access to Luther was easy. Missouri produced a gorgeous set of Luther's works in German, high quality paper and binding. I once owned that set and sold it to a WELS Quisling.
Gausewitz (WELS) was respected enough to be president of the Synodical Conference. His original catechism contained not a word of UOJ. Mark Schroeder should dig up Gausewitz' body and burn him at the stake. No wait. His First VP, James Huebner, has done one better - making Gausewitz disappear completely from Grace, Milwaukee.
The LCMS German catechism taught justification by faith in 1905.
The English KJV catechism being sold by CPH teaches justification by faith, not UOJ. "2 Million Sold!" Harrison should excommunicate Paul McCain.
 |
| Adolph Hoenecke - WELS took forever to translate his work. |
