# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1847_S7
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 7 —

A matter from Pastor Dr. W. Sihler concerning the synod's calling of
Pastor Oster to the seminary at Fort Wayne was referred to a committee
for report.

After that, a declaration sent to the synod by the congregation at
Frohna, Perry Co., Mo., came up for discussion, concerning the
amendment and removal of the addition made in the constitution,
Chapter V, Section 14, sub b, regarding private confession
[*Privatbeichte*]. That addition — namely, that general confession and
absolution [*Beichte und Abſolution*] might be retained alongside
private confession in those congregations where insurmountable
obstacles stood in the way of its complete abolition — was, according to
that declaration, "unlutheran, offensive, superfluous, imprudent, and
inadequate." The synod, however, could not be persuaded by the
grounds given for this claim. It was referred to the ministerial
conference [*Predigerconferenz*] soon to convene in Missouri to confer
further, on the synod's behalf, with Pastor Keyl, the minister of that
congregation, on this subject.

On the motion of the congregation at St. Louis, the synod adopted the
following addition to the constitution, to be submitted to the
congregations concerned for confirmation or, as the case may be,
rejection:

"Since the synod, with respect to the self-government of the individual
congregations, is only an advisory body, no resolution of the former, if it
imposes something on an individual congregation, has binding force for
the latter. Such a synodical resolution can become binding only once the
individual congregation has examined it and voluntarily adopted and
confirmed it through a formal congregational resolution. If a
congregation finds the resolution not in accordance with the Word of
God, or unsuited to its circumstances, it has the right to reject the
resolution."

Several residents of the Evangelical Lutheran confession at Mishawaka,
Ind., brought, through Pastor G. K. Schuster, a request to the synod that
it provide them with a minister. The synod charged Brother Schuster
with taking on the pastoral care of those people in the meantime, until
the synod should be in a position to fulfill their wish; and the secretary
was charged with communicating this resolution to the petitioners in
writing.

Since, under Chapter V, Section 7, and Chapter VI, Section 7, of the
constitution, the Präses [president] of the synod is to make visitation
journeys within the synodical district and to follow instructions given to
him for that purpose, a committee was now appointed to draft such
instructions, which will likewise be communicated in their place.

On the report made to the synod by Pastor Th. J. Brohm, that Mr.
Ludwig in New York intended to publish the Book of Concord, and that
he had arranged an unaltered reprint of Luther's Small Catechism (at
four and a half cents a bound copy when ordered by the hundred), the
synod declared that it would do everything in its power to further this
publication of the Book of Concord planned by Mr. Ludwig, and that it
hereby wished to have drawn the attention of all congregations in its
district to that reprint of the Small Catechism.

Pastor F. W. Pöschke now submitted a request for his admission into the
synod. The synod decided that he must submit to a colloquy before his
admission.

The synod's deliberations now turned to the eighth paragraph of Chapter
V, and the publication of a church periodical as the synod's organ was
the next subject (cf. Chapter IV, Section 4). The kind