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IX. Luther’s Views Concerning the Church

In 1526 Luther gave the following description of what he felt to be the Scriptural practice of the church life:

The right kind of evangelical order cannot be exhibited among all sorts of people, but those who are seriously determined to be Christians and confess the Gospel with hand and mouth, must enroll themselves by name and meet apart, in one house, for prayer, for reading, to baptize, to take the Sacrament, and exercise other Christian works. With such order it would be possible for those who did not behave in a Christian manner to be known, reproved, restored, or excluded, according to the rule of Christ (Matt. 18:15). Here also they could, in common, subscribe alms, which would be willingly given and distributed among the poor, according to the example of Paul (II Cor. 9:1-12). Here it would not be necessary to have much or fine singing. Here a short and simple way of baptism and the Sacrament could be practiced, and all would be according to the Word and in love. [1]

Luther, however, quickly dismissed the idea of carrying out this plan saying, “…I have not yet the right people for it.” Eventually he opposed any attempt at implementing such church practice in favor of maintaining the Catholic practice of territorial churches, which included all inhabitants of a given locality. Thus, though he saw something of the genuine church, Luther did not stand for what he saw. Instead, he hoped that it could be realized to some degree within the context of the state church.