Klug

1. "St. Paul," states Luther, "delegates to Christians the power to judge and condemn even an angel of heaven, if he should preach another gospel."


2. Augustine's dictum: "That which prevails in the church is not, this I say, this you say, this that man says, but, thus saith the Lord."


3. "The only purpose of voting in matters of doctrine is to see whether all now understand the teaching of the divine Word and agree to it" and "not to decide the correctness of a doctrine by majority vote or even by unanimous vote." This is frequently misunderstood. But for peace, unity, and concord there is need for all, laity and clergy, to bow before the Word of God, drive down personal views or private opinions, and assert freely and believingly to God's truth.


4. We do not intend, says Gerhard, to "make shepherds of the sheep," but by the same token, "we do not want them to be brute sheep, which neither can nor should distinguish between shepherds and wolves."


Eugene Klug, Church and Ministry: The Role of Church, Pastor and People from Luther to Walther (CPH)