# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1852 12 21_S66
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

66

nent and voting position in the Synod. We the more gladly acknowledge this publicly here, because Pastor Grabau and his following are constantly bent on publicly suspecting and disparaging this dear man, whom we honor and love for the sake of the Giver of all gifts and of his tried sense of the truth, in an insidious, truly malicious manner. But we declare here solemnly that, notwithstanding this, we belong to the Synod of Missouri and assent to Herr Prof. Walther in regard to the doctrinal controversies concerning Church and Ministry for no other reason than out of free and independent conviction; because, namely, on the one hand we find in this Synod the pure Lutheran doctrine of the Church, that is, the pure doctrine of Holy Scripture generally, in theory and in practice, and because on the other hand we recognize in particular, in the theses set up by Herr Prof. Walther and sufficiently grounded and proved from Holy Scripture, the Symbols, and the private writings of the acknowledged Lutheran ecclesiastical authorities, the pure, genuinely Lutheran, Scriptural doctrinal principle, which we herewith publicly confess as our own conviction. We must also, for the truth's sake, testify openly that Herr Prof. Walther, for his own person, is far from claiming any lordship in the Synod or from demanding any subjection of the members of the Synod. The necessary unity of the members of the Synod in doctrine will be maintained, if indeed in one or another a lack of clearness or a divergent opinion should appear on some point, only by way of the freest conviction. But if it is repugnant and offensive to Herr Grabau and his people that Herr Prof. Walther possesses such thorough knowledge of the Lutheran doctrine and literature, such correct logic, and such gift of exposition and persuasion as win him recognition and brotherly, joyful assent, then let them quarrel with God; we thank God for it and rejoice in it, in that we regard his gifts and learning as the common property of the Church, as Herr Prof. Walther also neither employs them otherwise nor wishes them to be regarded otherwise, so that we all have our blessed share and profit from them. It is one thing to use one's gifts for oneself, for personal exaltation, advantage and gain; it is another to devote them, in one's own unpretentiousness, to the service of the truth, the welfare of the Church and the common good. The former is a shameful abuse and sacrilege, the latter the true divine service, the true fulfilment of one's calling and fidelity toward the Lord of the Church. The former we find in Grabau, the latter in Herr Prof. Walther. And as it ever goes with arrogant pretension, so also here: the pretentious man obtains nothing, even if he well-nigh envies himself to death; to the unpretentious God turns the hearts.

(To be continued.)

Union with the General Synod.

Our readers know that it has recently been proposed to unite all synods which call themselves Lutheran with the so-called General Synod, and so into one great body. In the most recent numbers of the "Lutheran Observer" a certain Sander, a member of the General Synod, in consequence of that proposal declares himself indeed for a union on the basis of the Augsburg Confession, but under certain limitations. Why he cannot vote for a union on the basis of unconditional acceptance of the Augsburg Confession, the writer gives as follows:

"1. It is a fact that the Lutheran Church has adopted certain standards, called symbolical books; 2. it is a fact that the Augsburg Confession, one of these symbolical books, teaches the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the holy Lord's Supper, together with several other things which are offensive to many Protestant Christians; and 3. it is a fact that nearly all friends and promoters of the General Synod reject some doctrines set forth in the Augsburg Confession. From these facts, which are undeniable, I draw several conclusions, namely: 1. that when a church acknowledges certain symbolical books, it is quite natural for the world to judge it according to them; 2. that all doctrines thus acknowledged by a church are binding until they have been abolished in consequence of new light received; 3. that a union of any synod with the General Synod, which holds to offensive doctrines (however agreeable these may be to the symbolic teaching), would draw upon this body the same ill report which has gathered among enlightened Protestants around certain Old Lutherans and indifferent formalists. And that is my first reason for rejecting such a union" . . .

"2. But the reason which I now lay before you, though second in order, is first in importance. I say therefore that the proposed union is undesirable, because the General Synod would thereby solemnly confirm error, whereas the Scripture says, Be not partaker of other men's sins."

"3. Such a union would hinder the spread of our Church in the United States" . . .

"This, Mr. Editor, is only some of the reasons why I do not regard a union of all Lutheran synods in the United States with our General Synod as desirable. I must, however, add that in regard to the Pennsylvania Synod (which first expressed the thought of such a union) I have no apprehension, for this venerable body is sound in the faith (?) and has the general confidence of the Church; nor have I any such with respect to many members in other synods, which contain much that is excellent and valuable in the Lutheran element. I am decidedly of the opinion that the time has come when our Church, in connection with the General Synod, should adopt a creed. Let it be, for all I care, the Augsburg Confession, but so altered that one avoids the difficulties of which I have just spoken." —

Here you hear, dear reader, a voice out of the General Synod itself. We think it is plain enough that a true Lutheran can gather from it: this so-called Lutheran General Synod is not only not Lutheran, as it deceitfully calls itself, but it is also so thoroughly rotten through and through that there is no more hope that it will ever so regenerate itself as finally to become the center of a union of all Lutherans of this country. The best prospect it has in this regard is rather evidently just this, that it will soon give itself its own separate creed of faith (or rather of unbelief), and thereby make it impossible for a Lutheran to be deceived by it knowingly and from the heart.

We can only rejoice that the gentlemen of the General Synod come out so openly with their enmity against the pure doctrine and orthodox teachers, as Herr Sander and Herr Dr. Kurz do, so that they even declare it a sin to confess the pure Bible doctrine as it is contained in the Augsburg Confession. So far not even a Calvin went, who, when he became a preacher in Strasbourg, subscribed the Augsburg Conf. without contradiction. Yes, in the essay from which the above is taken Herr Sander relates that he had often prayed God that He would convince him of the correctness of the Lutheran doctrine of the Lord's Supper, but his prayer had remained unheard. This unhappy man therefore expected that God would at last make this doctrine plausible to his blind reason, hostile to God, if only he asked Him for it; and since God did not do this and did not remove the stone of stumbling for him, and thereby indicated to him that here was no other help than that he should bring his reason into captivity to the obedience of Christ by simple childlike faith: so Herr Sander now draws from it rather the conclusion that God therefore does not will that he should believe His Word as it reads! — So it goes when a man will tempt God with his prayer; the fruit of such a prayer is greater blindness and hardening. He alone prays aright in the doubts of reason who says to God: "God, Thy Word is and remains true, whether I believe it or not; but behold! how Thy wisdom is foolishness to my reason! O have mercy on me and help me, that I may hold Thy Word steadfastly for Thy Word (Ps. 119, 38). I believe, I believe — help mine unbelief!" — But woe to him who would, so to speak, first question God in prayer and have an answer from Him whether he should hold God's Word for God's Word and accept it as it reads!

God grant that all upright Lutherans here may recognize from the above how earnestly God warns them against entering into church fellowship with the General Synod