# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1852 08 31_S7
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

7

Reading, who has also been elected president anew for the next synodical year, laid before the Ministerium "the question for deliberation, whether it would not be better for it and for the cause of the whole Church, if this body should again enter into connection with the General Synod." This motion was accordingly drawn into the circle of the deliberations and discussed at length, and thereupon unanimously resolved: "that the further consideration of this question be postponed until the next Synod." Further resolved: "that the Synod in a brotherly spirit request the Reverend Synods of Ohio and Tennessee to discuss this important matter, if possible to appoint delegates jointly with it to the General Synod, and, if they determine upon this, to appoint a committee, in order, in union with it (the Pennsylvania Synod), to direct a like request to the Reverend Synod of Missouri and other States." Further resolved: "that the committee shall make a similar communication to other Synods not yet connected with the General Synod." Resolved finally, say the resolvers: "that we have been led to these resolutions by the conviction that we all agree in the essential fundamental doctrines of our dear mother Church, and that we are therefore also ready for an outward union, from which we can expect a rich blessing."

Whoever belongs to the Lutheran Church from the heart will be heartily grieved over these resolutions. It is well known that the General Synod still bears the name Lutheran; but it is likewise well known that it has long since fallen away from the Lutheran Church. It has let go the obligation to the public confessions or symbolical books of the Lutheran Church, and requires of its members only the confession of the belief: "that the fundamental truths of the Bible are taught in a substantially correct manner in the doctrinal articles of the Augsburg Confession." Among these fundamental articles the General Synod does not reckon, for example, so much as the last two chief parts of the Lutheran Catechism, namely the doctrine of holy Baptism and of the holy Supper; precisely in these important distinguishing doctrines, by which the Lutheran Church is separated from the Reformed Church and other Protestant sects, such as the Methodist, the General Synod lets everyone believe as he pleases. She is therefore properly not a Lutheran, but a thoroughly unionistic, religion-mixing communion. In the year 1845 she herself also declared it openly in an official (officially valid) letter sent to Germany: "We stand here, as indeed in most of our churchly principles, on common ground with the United Church of Germany. The distinctive views between the old Lutheran and the Reformed Church we regard as not essential."

Is it not sad, now, when the Pennsylvania Synod, which yet wishes to be a Lutheran one, in order to gain more outward power and influence, goes about to let itself be fused with a General Synod, through which it enters into a religion-mixing union and thereby turns its back on the Lutheran Church? especially now, when everywhere, by God's grace, the mind is stirring rather to return to the forsaken truth and Church of our fathers? Those who lead thereto will one day have to give God a heavy account for it, and will have to answer for all the suppression of the divine truth which such a step must necessarily bring in its train, if it should be taken, which may God forbid. Prospect of this is, alas, only too present; for the Pennsylvania Synod has again in this convention revealed itself as a communion which already itself pays homage to unionistic principles. It has again admitted preachers of all manner of heterodox parties as advisory members, and resolved to publish, together with the High German Reformed Church, a German Sunday-school hymnal, and, as we have already seen above, has declared that it too divides the doctrines confessed in the symbolical books of our Church, and sworn to for 300 years by all the servants of our Church, into essential and non-essential, and in that which it just does not hold to be essential demands no unity of faith. What else can one expect than that this Synod will unhesitatingly unite with the unionistic General Synod, and thus drive from itself the sincerely Lutheran preachers who may still be in it? Of the Synod of Ohio and Tennessee, however, we expect better; so that we do not fear that the proposal to unite also with the General Synod will ever come before the Missouri Synod. But should it happen, our Synod, though inclined to every union on the ground of the whole truth, according to 1 Cor. 1: 10 and Eph. 4, 3-6, would declare most decidedly that it cannot consent to a union with the General Synod until this body shall have acknowledged and cleansed itself from its hitherto prevailing falling away from the Lutheran Church, from its doctrine and practice, and shall have returned to the same in deed and in truth. Our Synod will never, God willing, making flesh its arm, give up so much as one jot of the dear heritage of our Church, in order to become stronger by a merely outward unity without inner unity of faith. That it may not lose what it has wrought, but receive a full reward (2 John 8), it will rather see the whole world and all false brethren against it in the conflict, stand alone, and gladly bear the reproach of being exclusive and obstinate, than make peace against God and his Word. — Besides, we find in the report cited some resolutions also which will gladden Lutheran readers. Thus the Synod resolved: "That it recognizes no congregation which assumes that money contributions only are required as the condition of the right of a congregation member." Further resolved: "That the preacher be granted his due place in the church council." Further resolved: "That the Synod decidedly disapproves when preachers let themselves be elected by their congregations from year to year." (We do not indeed know whether the Synod perhaps does it in this respect as the Unionists in the West, who also do not let themselves be hired by the year, but on mutual quarterly notice, whereby the latter fancy themselves no hirelings, but servants of God!) — In our ecclesiastically devastated America one has reason to rejoice also over such resolutions.

Whereas Pastor Paulus Heid had been called by the Lutheran congregation in and near Greenville, Dark Co., O., to be its preacher and pastor, and, with the consent of his former congregation in Auglaize Co., O., had accepted this call, he has been solemnly installed in his office before a great assembly by Pastor Streckfuß, according to the commission received from the President, on the 8th Sunday after Trinity.

May God let him bring forth much fruit unto eternal life among the souls entrusted to him, who, living for years in the midst of sects, have longed for the doctrine of their Church and the sincere milk of the divine Word. Amen.

The address of the dear brother is:

Rev. P. Heid,
Greenville,
Dark Co., O.

A Request.

For about two years we, the Ev. Luth. congregation of the unaltered Augsb. Conf. in and about Mishawaka, have held our public divine services in a private house. In the hope that the congregation will increase, we have resolved to build a little house of God, a so-called frame church. Since we set to work in God's name, so much has already been done on the building, with God's help, that we can assemble in it. The house, namely, is finished on the outside; in the interior of it nothing has yet been done, it is neither vaulted nor plastered, and pulpit, altar and pews are still lacking. But since our congregation is still very small, consisting at present of nine families and some single persons, and moreover all of slender means, we are not now in a position to bring the building to completion. We therefore see ourselves compelled to turn to our dear brethren in the faith, with the request that they also their mite