# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_M rz 1856_S88
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

88 Answers to those in the January number etc.

under the 5th of February, the following: „Your proposal of a general Lutheran convention has caused me too an extraordinary joy, and I firmly believe that a special influence of the Holy Spirit has been at work in it. For amid the many afflictions of our American-Lutheran Church, this is without doubt the most natural, most timely, and, with God's help, the most beneficial means of promoting unity of spirit in ever-widening circles. Yet the reach of this proposal is beyond all human calculation, and, carried out in prayer with wisdom, may — if God still grants greater blessing to His Church in this last dreadful time — bring about incalculable benefit for her. But the blessing belongs to God; it is our part to cast out the net upon His Word, and to hope in His faithfulness that He will fill it abundantly. May God, then, who has led us to this thought, also further stand by us mightily, to bring it happily to completion, and awaken many hearts to welcome it with joy as the dawn of a fairer churchly unity. There is certainly no time to lose. The end draws near; the last days will without doubt be shortened, world events hasten to bring on the last struggle — in this sultry stillness before the last storms, already announced by the thunder rumbling in the distance, let us hasten to carry on the LORD's work, so as to bind ourselves ever more closely in doctrine with all the orthodox, that the last struggle may find us strong in unity as well.

As for the place of such a convention, it would seem to me most expedient if it were moved rather to the east, say to Ohio, since after all the majority of Lutheran congregations are found in the east — perhaps Cleveland or Cincinnati, best of all Columbus, if possible. The time, mid-September, since during the autumn one can no doubt travel best. As for the subject matter, I would be in favor of the Augsburg Confession being read aloud, and of the controverted questions of the day being taken up in connection with the relevant articles. In this way we would gain a secure basis for our proceedings, which everyone could accept without hesitation, whereas, if theses were drawn up, we might easily stray into matters too remote, or come under suspicion of arbitrariness or of partisan interest. This way, however, we would gain the advantage of an altogether churchly bearing, and the desired opportunity, under the shelter and shield of the Augustana, to confess the truth and to testify against error. The most expedient course would then no doubt be first to establish and set forth the truth in thesi more closely, to unite and warm ourselves in the truth, and then to refute and reject the opposing errors. Special consideration would deserve to be given to the definite platform, and a vigorous damnamus would certainly work a very salutary effect. But also the false union, the false doctrine of the sacraments, secret societies, would belong within the circle of