# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1851 10 28_S39
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39

tion to the Indianapolis Synod, in order that the latter might consult with this body, which, as it seemed, stood with it upon one and the same churchly ground, whether an outward union between the two ought not to be sought, and how the same might be brought about for the welfare of the Church. This news was very welcome to the undersigned, first, because through a union with this body, which alone among all the so-called Lutheran synods of this country decidedly and purely maintains the Lutheran Confession in doctrine and practice, and freshly and joyfully defends the same against all assaults of the spirit of lies, only greater blessing can accrue to the Church; and secondly, because, if the two remain separated from one another, Satan might easily creep upon the one and inflame it to zeal for party, so that thus, instead of building in one spirit the fallen walls of the Lutheran Zion, and everywhere, both in the founding and in the reception and ministering of congregations, acting harmoniously in accordance with the Confession, the ground of the Confession would be clouded and the Church only brought to ruin; thirdly, because such a union is not only desirable for the blessing of the Church, but is also commanded by God's Word. For God will assuredly one day demand an account of His Church, how it has obeyed the clear commands: Be diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit, and minister one to another, every one according to the gift that he hath received.

The undersigned also did not fail to recognize the good confidence which the M. Synod showed by sending a delegation to the Ind. Synod, since from the often-occurring offenses of the latter against sound confessional practice it truly had reason enough to call in question its professed orthodoxy and to let the sending of a delegation to it stand.

How, now, has the friendly advance of the M. Synod, which took place through the sending of Prof. Crämer, been received by the Synod? Hear, and see at the same time from what follows the clear grounds which had to move us to take our withdrawal from the Synod:

1. Instead of returning the good confidence which the M. Synod had shown toward the J. Synod, the orthodoxy of the M. Synod was called in question by the Synod as such, and therefore a deliberation upon union was not entered into, without the majority of the members who had such distrust having in open assembly freely raised their objection against the above-named delegate and demanded of him the removal of the same. From this the undersigned gained

2. the conviction that the Ind. Synod is not at all certain in the doctrine of the Church, of the holy ministry, of ordination and related articles, and also shows no earnestness at all to arrive at proper certainty concerning them. For were the latter the case, one would surely have subjected the above-named articles to a special and thorough deliberation, and would have found that God's Word and the symbolical books of our Church, taken in their simple sense, as they read, teach clearly and definitely about it. As it is, however, the doubters have remained in their uncertainty, and accordingly are also unable to give to their congregations entrusted to them any certain instruction on these most important articles of our holy doctrine.

3. Finally, there has forced itself upon us, especially at the last meeting, the no less certain conviction that the Ind. Synod does not possess sufficient spiritual gifts and powers to perform, as a deliberative body, the great, heavy and responsible service of watching over and guiding in a fatherly way the congregational union of the Synod according to God's Word and the Confession of the Church, of also taking vigorous part in the struggle of the Lutheran Church outwardly against the papists, sects and false Lutherans, and of giving thorough counsel to the pastors and congregations connected with it in difficult cases; therefore many offenses against sound churchly practice have been committed by it, partly from ignorance and unskillfulness, partly from indifference, and our consciences — we testify it before God — have therefore already sometimes before been troubled whether most of the members of the Synod also have the essence of Lutheranism, or rather, as the other eastern so-called Lutheran synods possess, content themselves with the mere name. —

It grieves us that the members of the Ind. Synod, among whom there are several members with whom we have hitherto been personally connected, must hear such a judgment of us. But we can assure them all that no slanderous spirit has moved us to write the foregoing, but that love of the truth is the cause why we thus openly justify our withdrawal from their connection and our entrance into the M. Synod.

May the faithful God, however, give to the Ind. Synod a rich measure of His Holy Spirit, that it may be wholesomely alarmed, especially at the doing of its last meeting, and repent sincerely. Amen.

Cincinnati and Weißeichen, Ham. Co., the 10th of October 1851.

Th. Wichmann.
G. Polack.

In the name of the Ev. Luth. Trinity Congregation in Cincinnati, the church council:
Rothkopf. Landwehr. Chr. Wichmann.
Schack. Zahn.

Obituary.

The LORD Jesus has called home a gifted and faithful servant of His Word from heavy labor to eternal rest.

On the 6th of October of this year, toward evening, the hitherto pastor of the Evang. Luth. congregation at Staunton, Macoupin Co., Ills., the late Mr. Johann Friedrich Reißner, fell blessedly asleep in the Lord. Fourteen days before, on the 22nd of Sept., his dear wife, the late Mrs. Anna Margaretha, née Hörmann, had gone before him into heavenly glory. Both had been seized one after the other by an acute bilious fever, which became the outward cause of their early death. Both departed in the joyful confession of the faith in their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and with great longing for eternal blessedness. The blessed brother in the faith was born on the 9th of February 1820 at Harburg in the Kingdom of Bavaria. Only in his twentieth year and after many labors was it made possible for him to turn to that calling toward which, especially since his awakening to faith, his chief inclination went, namely the calling of a teacher of the Word of God. Through the mediation of a Christian friend he found admission in the teachers' seminary at Beuggen on the Rhine, and studied there three years under the direction of the capable and experienced pedagogue Zeller. After the lapse of this period of his studies he was summoned to his native country as a school vicar, and administered several vicariates, as his testimonials showed, with great conscientiousness. Through "the church communications concerning the Lutheran Church of North America" which Pastor Löhe edits, and through the description of the distress here for preachers and teachers, he was pressed in his conscience to set out also and to devote his services to the Church in North America, if the LORD would open the way for him to it. Not slight difficulties concerning his journey hither with wife and child were removed, and so he went in the spring of 1849 at his own expense to America and first to Fort Wayne. With what dispositions he went toward this field of labor, the songs standing below show, which he composed at that time on the journey. (See No. 1 and 2. After a short stay in Fort Wayne he was sent to St. Louis, passed here the prescribed examination to satisfaction, preached as a candidate before the congregation near Perryville, Mo., was called by this congregation as its pastor and schoolteacher, and stood 1 year in this office. In January of this year he followed the call of the Staunton congregation, where he had many conflicts to endure, but also enjoyed many refreshments. He had received from the LORD fine gifts of preaching, as all who have heard him will testify. He was inspired by a decided spirit, knowing no fear of man and no man-pleasing, ken-