# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_August 1909_S370
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

37⁰ Kirchlich⸗Zeitgeschichtliches.

gelegt werden, und falls er bis zum 1. Januar 1911 von denselben bestätigt
wird, so soll im Interesse der Vereinigung die englische Synode in 1911
gleichzeitig mit der deutschen in St. Louis tagen. F. B.
Bekenntnisstellung der Generalsynode. Auf der Versammlung in Rich⸗
mond, Ind., wurden folgende Beschlüsse angenommen: Resolved, That in⸗
asmuch as the Kugsburg Confession is the original and generie confession
of the Lutheran Church, was accepted by Luther and his coadjutors, and
subseribed to by all Lutheran bodies the world over, we therefore deem it
an adequate and suffieient standard of Lutheran doctrine. In making this
statement, however, the General Synod in nowise means to imply that it
ignores, rejeets, repudiates, or antagonizes the Secondary Symbols of the
Book of Concord, nor forbids any of ber members from accepting or teach-
ing all these, in striet accordance with the Lutheran regulating prineiple
of justifying faith. On the contrary, she holds these symbols in high
esteem, regards them as aà most valuable body of Lutheran belief, ex⸗
plaining and unfolding the doctrines of the Augsburg Confession, and she
hereby recommends that they be diligently and faithfully studied by our
ministers and laymen. Whereas the phrase, The Word of God as con-
tained in the canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments,' oceurs
in our formula of confessional suhseription: and. whereas, when our
fathers framed this language, the theological distinction between the two
statements, The Bible is the Word of God.“ and The Bible contains the
Word of God,' had not yet been made, or at least was not yet in vogue,
and thereéfore there could have béeen no intention on their part of com-
mitting the (eneral Synod to lax or heretical views of the inspiration of
the Sacred Seriptures, but, on the contrary., aà sincere desire to plant her
firmly on the true doctrine of Biblical inspiration; and, whereas the
General Synod has ever oecupied the same position with reference to the
true and complete inspiration of the Canonical Scriptures; therefore re-
solved, that we herewith declare our adherence to the statement, The
Bible is the Word of God,' and rejeet the error implied in the statement,
The Bible contains the Word of God.“ This is to be printed with all
future editions of the Augsburg Confession, whether issued in separate
korm or in the Book of Worship.“ Beschlossen wurde auch, „that the Com-
mon Service committee be instructed to co-ordinate and blend all our past
confessional statements into one harmonious statement, to be submitted
to the distriet synods and inserted in the constitution of the General
Synod.“ Alle Erklärungen der Generalsynode seit 1864, insonderheit die
in Hagerstown 1895 und in Des Moines 1901, sollen also zusammengestellt
und der Konstitution beigefügt werden. Die obigen Beschlüsse bedeuten
nach dem Urteil der Blätter der Generalsynode keinerlei Veränderung in
der bisherigen Bekenntnisstellung der Generalsynode. Die Lutheran World
meint, die Beschlüsse von Richmond, aus denen das Generalkonzil und an⸗
dere Synoden abnehmen könnten, daß die Generalsynode „on solid Lutheran
ground“ stehe, seien nur a re-statement of its confessional basis in har-
mony with all its previous statements“. Den „Lutherischen Zionsboten“,
das Blatt der deutschen Generalsynodisten, veranlassen die Richmonder Be⸗
schlüsse zu folgenden Auslassungen: „Oft ist die Generalsynode verleumdet
worden, ihre Lehrstellung sei nicht recht lutherisch. Vertreter anderer
Synoden haben versucht, uns in Deutschland anzuschwärzen, haben erklärt,