# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1849_S95
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 95 —

Committee report concerning the tract against Pastor Grabau.

In the preface to this tract we find, first of all, three reasons
given that moved the editors to publish the little work. These reasons
are: 1. the urgent request of many brethren; 2. the fact "that
Pastor Grabau and his like-minded fellow clergy, along with 18 delegates
of their congregations, attacked them in a public synodical report
of the year 1845, most bitterly, insulting them as to their doctrine,
their office, and their life, and thereby themselves challenged them
to now also answer publicly"; 3. the importance of the subjects
dealt with here. The preface further contains an address to the
congregations, in whose name and with whose tacit consent the
synodical letter of 1845 was issued, and before whom the editors had
been portrayed by Pastor Grabau as innovators and sectarians and
malicious enemies of the church and its pastors, along with a call
to examine and rightly use the contents of the booklet. Finally
follows a "warning to those readers who might misuse this tract to
confirm themselves either in a perverse separation from the preaching
office, or in a proud and fanatical exaltation of their own spiritual
priesthood, or in a disorderly and sectarian promotion of unqualified
preachers."

As for the preface, the committee must confess that it can only
approve the reasons given for publishing the tract, as well as the
great mildness with which Pastor Löber judges the fallen servant of
the church, Pastor Grabau; we also find the special address to the
congregations concerned fully justified by the duty to win back
misled brethren for the truth.

No. 1. Pastoral Letter of Pastor Grabau.

Certain occurrences in his congregations, shortly after their
immigration, had moved Pastor Grabau to issue a certain
pastoral letter in December of the year 1840. In it he complains
that, although the members of the church recognize the high
importance of the public preaching office and the high calling to it
so far as teaching is concerned, this is nevertheless not equally the
case with their recognition of the priestly part of the office, since
that depends on the right administration of the holy
sacraments. He further declares: the Confession calls "uncalled" or
"irregularly called" anyone who has not been called rite — that is,
according to the content of the old church orders. Belonging to the
regular call, which is regarded and believed to be divine within the
church, is, according to Pastor Grabau: 1. that the one who is to
administer the holy sacraments must have thoroughly studied what
the holy sacraments are, their purpose, why their celebration in the
church is observed in this way and no other and is so important,
and how communicants are to be examined or dealt with in confession
or otherwise, how and when he should pronounce absolution, how he
should furthermore keep the doctrine of this pure, defend it, and
administer it, and further how he must preserve and defend all
doctrines connected with it; in short, he must be well grounded in
the whole doctrine of the church. 2. that he also possess such gifts
of the Holy Spirit as put him in a position to rightly use true
understanding for his