# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1847_S17
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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3. He listens to talebearers and publicly rebukes sins that he has not
yet rebuked individually and of whose truth he had no certainty.

4. He has made himself guilty of perjury and has tried to lead others
into it as well.

5. As proof of his tyrannical conduct of office it should be mentioned
that he spat on and pushed away, in the confessional, a person falsely
accused without a hearing of the matter; he has also removed
congregational officers [*Vorſteher*] on his own authority and without
the congregation's knowledge.

6. He has caused a split in the congregation by publicly declaring that a
separation of it must take place, and by decorating the members who
remained loyal to him through all this with the name "heart-Christians"
[*Herzchriſten*].

All of this, both as regards the offenses in doctrine and in life, has been
put to him repeatedly, partly orally and partly in writing, by many
members of the congregation as well as, in part, by his fellow minister
Pastor Kindermann, without his ever making the least penitent
admission. His accusers have also sought help in vain from the
ministerium [*Miniſterium*] to which Pastor Krause belongs.

Since, according to God's Word, all Christians are obligated, on pain of
their salvation, to flee and avoid all obstinate false teachers (cf. Matthew
7:15, John 10:5, Titus 3:10, Romans 16:17, 1 Timothy 6:3–5), and since,
further, on pain of God's displeasure, all brotherly fellowship with open
and stubborn sinners is forbidden them (cf. Matthew 18:17, 1
Corinthians 5:11, 2 Thessalonians 3:6) — our opinion, on the assumption
that the reports laid before us agree with the truth, is as follows:

"That Mr. Bewersdorff and Mr. Kauffung, together with their fellow
members on whose behalf they were sent, have not only the right but
also the most sacred duty to flee and avoid Pastor Krause as a dangerous
false teacher and obstinate sinner, and to see to it that they are provided,
as soon as possible, with a faithful shepherd."

We further regret that Pastor Krause left unanswered the written
invitation sent to him by some members of the synod to come to
Chicago and discuss with us the disputes at hand.

Chicago, May 3, in the year of our Lord 1847.
The German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and
Other States.

Signed:

Carl Ferd. Wilh. Walther,
Präses [president] pro tempore.

Fr. Wilh. Husmann,
Secretary pro tempore.