# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1854 11 21_S54
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

54

to give an answer to every man," in which passage we see no ground for taking the "every man" in a narrower sense and referring it perhaps only to persons of authority and other superiors. We must also remark that, even if a scriptural prohibition against intercourse with excluded persons, even within the limits here indicated, could be proved, we should yet not consider it justified to transfer such a prohibition to the whole synod on that account, because the same, consistently with its principles, has received the excommunicated.

While we therefore see for the brethren of the Buffalo Synod no hindrance of conscience to holding a colloquy with the Missourians even before these have desisted from their former practice, we must nevertheless concede that for the Missourians such a hindrance really exists. For the Missourians say: their practice is only a consequence of their convictions, and the brethren of the Buffalo Synod confirm this, in that they represent the manner of acting of the Missourians, which gives them offense, as a fruit of their erroneous theories. If this is so, then one cannot find the demand of the Missourians unjust, that the erroneousness of their principles be first demonstrated to them by way of a colloquy, before one requires them to desist from their former practice.

Furthermore we call attention to this: that even if the Missourians were willing to oblige the brethren of the Buffalo Synod and, before the holding of a colloquy, to recall the opposition preachers and to refer back to their former connection the members separated from the Buffalo Synod, they would yet not be able to carry this out at all. For the preachers would not obey, before it had been possible to convince them that they are wrongly in their present position; and the separated congregations served by them would not heed a demand of the Missouri Synod to dismiss their preachers and return to the Buffalo Synod, already by virtue of the independent, almost independentistic position in which they stand toward the synod according to their constitution there, and then also in any case because they, like their preachers, would first demand proof that their present position is an unlawful one.

All this points to the necessity of a preceding colloquy — Neither should it be overlooked what great harm would be done to souls thereby, if these congregations were suddenly robbed of their preachers and dissolved, without yet returning into connection with their former preachers belonging to the Buffalo Synod, to which one could not compel them.

In the whole sad conflict it is not to be forgotten that our church in such disputes possesses no external authority to which all must submit, but that they can be settled only by God's Word and humble submission under it. The application of merely external means, among which we also reckon the setting up of abstract propositions, in cases which have predominantly a concrete side, can here only estrange the more, because thereby human self-righteousness is given furtherance. Everything, on the contrary, that gives room to the Spirit of God to rebuke error and sin, be it in one's own or in the brother's heart, helps essentially to peace in the truth; and to this we reckon, after the examples of the apostolic and the Reformation age, chiefly the colloquies, provided one prepares for them in a truly humble mind, seeking God's honor and the welfare of the brethren, condemning one's own honor.

This presupposed, there may also in the present case be expected the most blessed result from a personal meeting for the purpose of a conference, partly on the existing theoretical differences, partly on the conflicts that have arisen in practice.

The written statements made on both sides and given to the public concerning the existing differences have hitherto served rather to bring minds into an ever sharper opposition against one another. There have been drawn, as may be seen from the "Lutheraner" and the "Kirchliches Informatorium," on both sides inferences which are mutually abhorred, sometimes even regarded as slander, while nevertheless both parties do not deny their agreeing standing in confession.

If they — the chief representatives from both sides — betake themselves together to a colloquy: then it may be hoped that the Spirit of the Lord, who is undeniably present on both sides, will first of all bring about the result that they recognize one another as brethren who desire to serve One Lord according to one rule of faith, and penitently confess the sins that have crept in, the bitterness and self-righteousness, to God's honor and to their own salvation. But if they have thus given room to the Holy Spirit, who is a Spirit of humility and love, and thereby let distrust and bitterness melt away from their hearts, then they will also become accessible and receptive to the Spirit of truth, to learn from one another by the way of exchange of opinions and of proof from God's Word; and after they have in this way drawn nearer to one another in theories and principles, it will also be easier to come to an understanding concerning practice; what is faulty will sooner be acknowledged on both sides. So the point of contention also, which concerns the return of the separated and the recall of their preachers, could be peaceably settled.

Instead of now going further into the remaining questions specially, which the letter of the Synodical plenipotentiaries contains, and which all find indirect settlement already in our foregoing utterances, we add to our counsel the further proposal: that for the colloquy men from the Lutheran Church of Germany be sought as witnesses, advisers and moderators; since we are of the conviction that thereby essential services could be rendered to a peaceable and orderly course of the proceedings. The brethren of the Buffalo Synod would to this end have to put themselves in communication with the Missourians and seek to bring about an agreement with them concerning the choice of the persons.

Herewith the motion under V., concerning the sending of arbitrators, is also essentially answered.

It still remains for us to express ourselves upon the question put to us at the close of the letter: "whether anything still stands in the way of the Christian brotherly spiritual union of both synods, the Breslau and the Buffaloan?" We can reply to this: that we recognize a sufficient guarantee of a unity in spirit existing between the Buffalo Synod and our church on this side, in this, that we see the brethren of the Buffalo Synod standing with us on one and the same ground of faith and confession. And because the same standing in confession is found also among the members of the Missouri Synod, we rejoice also to acknowledge these as our brethren in Christ. In this presence of the chief requisites for church fellowship and concord, we must nevertheless not overlook a difference still existing, which appears to us not inconsiderable for a wholesome further development of church life. It concerns on the whole just the same questions concerning which the Buffalo and the Missouri Synods are divided. A comparative look into our Synodical resolutions shows that, although we by no means answer a part of those questions in the same way as the Missourians, we yet also differ from the Buffalo Synod in many points, touching constitution and discipline, in which the principles prevailing among us concerning Church and Ministry find expression.

Yet, as we cherish the hope that the two sister synods in America will, on the ground of their common confession, also come to resemble and grow together more in those points which belong to the presentation of church life; so we give ourselves to the hope that whatever of a separating nature still lies between us and the Synods of Buffalo and Missouri at present will, by virtue of the essential unity in confession already existing among us, ever more vanish and be overcome. And even if some differences should always remain, they will, as we are persuaded, — provided only that unity in confession remains standing — never hinder us from confessing, with joy, before all the world, the spiritual fellowship existing between us and the brethren in America, and from praising God for it.