It has come to the attention of the Editors of Gottesdienst that Sacerdotalists are taking over in the Missouri Synod! The chief culprit appears to be one Phil Schwartzerdt who, in official testimony before the governing authorities, was heard to say, "But if ordination be understood as applying to the ministry of the Word, we are not unwilling to call ordination a sacrament. For the ministry of the Word has God's command and glorious promises, Rom. 1:16: The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. Likewise, Is. 55:11: So shall My Word be that goeth forth out of My mouth; it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please. 12] If ordination be understood in this way, neither will we refuse to call the imposition of hands a sacrament. For the Church has the command to appoint ministers, which should be most pleasing to us, because we know that God approves this ministry, and is present in the ministry [that God will preach and work through men and those who have been chosen by men].13] And it is of advantage, so far as can be done, to adorn the ministry of the Word with every kind of praise against fanatical men, who dream that the Holy Ghost is given not through the Word, but because of certain preparations of their own, if they sit unoccupied and silent in obscure places, waiting for illumination, as the Enthusiasts formerly taught, and the Anabaptists now teach."

Not only does this Hyper-Euro (our sources say that he is actually from Europe) Schwartzerdt consider ordination to be a Sacrament - he even had this to say about hierarchs: "But this is their opinion, that the power of the Keys, or the power of the bishops, according to the Gospel, is a power or commandment of God, to preach the Gospel, to remit and retain sins, and to administer Sacraments. 6] For with this commandment Christ sends forth His Apostles, John 20:21 sqq.: As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you. Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained. 7] Mark 16:15: Go preach the Gospel to every creature." 

Again: "To this we answer that it is lawful for bishops or pastors to make ordinances that things be done orderly in the Church." 

Bishops and pastors sent by God with power to make ordinances! Ha! What a Romanist! And indeed here is the proof, note his signature upon the foul work of one of his Papist friends, one "Father" Martin: "I, Philip Schwartzerdt, also regard the above articles as right and Christian. But regarding the Pope I hold that, if he would allow the Gospel, his superiority over the bishops which he has otherwise, is conceded to him by human right also by us, for the sake of peace and general unity of those Christians who are also under him, and may be under him hereafter."

And now here is the "cup of grace" (as those Hyper-Euro Frenchies say): this Schwartzerdt is a layman! But there is no record of him ever attending a voters' assembly, so what kind of layman could he really be?

We are sad to report that this Schwartzerdtian-Sacerdotalist influence has reached such a pitch in the Missouri Synod that a very high percentage of her pastors have actually taken (secret?) oaths to uphold the very words quoted here from the pen of Schwartzerdt! Will no one stop this?