# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1849_S76
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 76 —

...bear, for despite those lovely stirrings of a new and better churchly
condition, which we encounter in individual congregations of our synod,
we nevertheless find here and there no small cause for heartfelt sorrow.

In the first place, it has come to pass that two pastors, who until now
belonged to us outwardly but not inwardly, have withdrawn from us: the
one, Pastor Schneider, who became Catholic after he had already, in his
forcible imposition of old-Lutheran ceremonies and other abuse of his
official standing amid an extremely careless conduct of office (which
only became known to us later), sufficiently displayed his arrogant and
domineering disposition; the other, Pastor Romanowsky, who at the
outset of our investigation into complaints from his congregation about
negligent conduct of office, voluntarily gave up his post in Pomeroy; and
a third, Pastor Pöschke, has been excluded by us on account of
frivolous conduct.

Although these three cases are sorrowful enough, it is still good and
salutary for us, and a sign of our God's fatherly watchfulness over us,
that through his ways and judgments he has already separated the
incompatible element from us so soon, before it could cause still more
harm and offense.

Secondly, though, it rightly behooves us also to grieve over the fact
that perhaps here and there congregations whose pastors already belong
to us as advisory members still regard us with distrust — partly because
they are perhaps averse to synods generally and fear infringements on
their supposed freedom, partly because they are ill-disposed toward our
synod's decided Lutheran confession and the whole churchly conduct
founded upon it, whether from a tendency toward mixing of
denominations or toward enthusiast [schwärmerisch] leanings.

Finally, it is certainly no less to be lamented that this one and that
one among us still have so much to contend with regarding the lack of
understanding and stubbornness of individuals within their
congregations, in trying to bring them to a sound churchly standpoint
through teaching and admonition, and to set wholesome order, churchly
discipline and custom, and a vigorously cooperating congregational life
into motion and practice.

So, then, we would indeed have enough sorrowful matters to mention
when looking back on the synodical year just concluded; and just as we
had reason above to thank the Lord for his gift and grace, so here, as
said, we have salutarily to humble ourselves under his hand, to wait, to
hope, and to pray, neither running away from his school of the cross out
of fleshly impatience, nor pursuing the confessional building-up and
continued construction of our Church, and furthering its holy purposes
of love inward and outward, by fleshly zeal and unlawful means.

Therefore we wish to look forward joyfully and confidently also into
the new synodical year, firmly and certainly assured that the faithful
Lord and God will continue to bless us further, whether through labor
or through suffering.

Let us, as before, each first for himself, work out his own salvation
with fear and trembling, and with earnestness and diligence care first
for his own soul through the faithful use of the means of grace, taking
heed to himself, lest we preach to others and ourselves become
disqualified.

After that, let us further hold fast, and through prayer, intercession,
brotherly counsel and admonition, and comfort in mutual love, strengthen
the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace, so that no strange and
false spirit, through the deceit of the devil and of our own flesh, may