# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1855 06 05_S166
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

166

moted, which according to their intention was to unite not merely the various Lutheran synods of the country, but if possible also other religious parties. While the upright Lutherans saw nothing but mischief coming from this General Synod, the majority embraced that unfortunate plan with all enthusiasm, and in order to be able to carry it through unhindered by the party of the strict Lutherans, the friends of the General Synod in the year 1819 held a synodical meeting at an unlawful time and without having given notice to all the preachers, especially those of Tennessee. They elected delegates to the Pennsylvania Synod to be held in Baltimore, at which the plan of the General Synod was to come to maturity, and in order to render one of the most decided opponents, the then still young David Henkel, as harmless as possible, they suspended him for 6 months from his office, allegedly because he was spreading Roman Catholic doctrines, which in the ground however were nothing other than the pure Lutheran doctrines, especially of the power of Baptism and of the presence of the true body and blood of Christ in the Lord's Supper. At a synod held the following year at Lincolnton in North Carolina, the members of the synod dissatisfied with the resolutions of the previous year demanded a proper investigation of the points in dispute; but the others appealed to the majority of votes, by whose decision the matter was to rest. The enmity against the Augsburg Confession and especially against the doctrine of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, as well as the inclination to unite with all religious parties, came forth ever more openly. Since the plan of the General Synod met with decided resistance from the strict Lutherans, the other party broke up the assembly and made the beginning of the General Synod. The pastors who remained faithful to the Lutheran confession, six in number, met together from then on and founded the so-called Evangelical Lutheran Tennessee Synod. Its first meeting was held in the year 1820 in Green County in the state of Tennessee. The names of these founders are worthy to be preserved in thankful remembrance by posterity. They were: Jacob Zink and Paul Henkel from Virginia, Adam Miller, Phil. Henkel, George Esterly from Tennessee, and David Henkel from North Carolina. Only a few short, simple paragraphs were written down as the basis of the synodical bond. I pick out the most important: Every preacher must pledge himself to teach according to God's Word and the Augsburg Confession; all business shall be conducted in the German language; with all diligence the children shall be made acquainted with the doctrines of the Christian faith in the German language; it was also ordained that one of the oldest pastors should travel through all the congregations of the union and visit them, and especially edify the young preachers with wholesome instruction and hearty admonition. It is to be regretted that this last resolution, with one single exception, has never been carried out. In order to heal the sad breach, if at all possible, the Tennessee Synod made repeated attempts over a series of 7 years to move its opponents to a conference on the disputed points of doctrine. These concerned especially the person and incarnation of Jesus Christ, justification, repentance, good works, holy Baptism, the holy Lord's Supper and church government. It offered its opponents the most just and acceptable conditions. Both parties were to acknowledge the Holy Scriptures, the Augsburg Confession and the Small Catechism as judges of their dispute. Only if the opponents should renounce the Augsburg Confession, then the Tennessee Synod offered to dispute with them from the Holy Scriptures alone. All personal animosities were to be forgotten and all expressions wounding the feeling of the other side avoided. But with a truly outrageous indifference all these offers were stubbornly despised and rejected. To the Pennsylvania Synod also the Tennessee Synod addressed several questions, in order to learn its mind concerning the pending controversies of doctrine. But this too did not deign to give the questioners so much as an answer. Thus repulsed from all sides and branded as a fanatical sect, the Tennessee Synod went on its way quietly, without letting itself be disturbed; concord and love prevailed among its members, ever greater grew the number of the congregations that joined it and desired preachers from it, so that the synod was not in a position to satisfy all who asked; its synodical resolutions are full of testimonies of an active diligence of the preachers to appropriate ever more fully the riches of the Reformation and to make their congregations partakers of them.

Thus in 1821 Paul Henkel was commissioned to compose a church agenda in the English language. It is still in use and appears to agree with the old Pennsylvania agenda. An English hymnbook also was published. Although the hymns do not lay claim to high poetic worth, yet they are sound and inoffensive in content, and among them are also found some successful translations of old Lutheran hymns. In the year 1823 it was resolved, if possible, to further the printing of Dr. Luther's Church Postil. In 1824 three sermons of Luther were printed. In 1825 the congregations were admonished to introduce the Small Catechism generally among them; in 1826 an English translation of the Catechism was resolved upon. From repeated resolutions it appears that the synod knows how to estimate the worth of the German language as a key to the treasure-house of the Lutheran Church. In 1827 it advises its members to learn the German language, in order to understand the symbolical books and Luther's writings or to be able to judge falsified translations of them; in 1828 the Book of Concord is recommended to the members of the church and to the students of theology for reading, and the students also are to acquire so much knowledge of the German language as to be able to understand and translate German writings. Worthy of mention also is a resolution in which slavery is declared an evil and the wish is expressed that the government might take measures to remedy this evil as much as possible. Also the preachers are to admonish the slaveholders to treat their slaves well and to exercise their Christian duties toward them. Finally it will especially interest our brethren in Missouri to hear that already in 1822 the synod was asked by 70 Lutherans living in Cape Girardeau and Perry County in Missouri to provide them with a preacher, who was also sent to them in the person of Ch. Moretz. After the synod had considerably increased (in the year 1827 it numbered 14 pastors and deacons, and 34 congregational deputies were present), and since the articles written down at the founding of the synod seemed no longer sufficient, a new constitution of the synod was laid before it for examination in 1827 and adopted in the following year. The essential outlines of it are: the Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testament shall be the only rule of doctrine and church discipline. The unaltered Augsburg Confession and the Small Catechism of Luther is adopted as the confession of faith of the synod, and no preacher shall be permitted to teach anything which stands in contradiction to any article of this confession of faith. With emphasis the audience is claimed the right, through delegates on the synod, not merely to be present to deliberate, but also to judge and to vote. In doctrine and church discipline decision shall be made not by majority of votes, but alone according to the Holy Scripture. The proceedings shall be conducted first in the German language and then repeated in the English language, in case both German and English members are present. The constitution contains two peculiar provisions, which I will not here judge, but only report, namely the adoption of two grades of the teaching office, of pastors and deacons, and the declaration that the synod shall never be incorporated by the civil authority, and shall also never have an incorporated theological seminary and no general synodical treasury.

(Conclusion to follow.)

"He hath a way for all ways."

"In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, that he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man." Job 33, 16. 17.

This word of Scripture lets us take a secret look into God's wonderful and holy ways, which He sometimes goes with His children of men,